# What did you do today?



## Chris

Haven't seen one of these threads here.

Today I will be playing golf and fighting off a cold at the same time, should be fun.


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## bud16415

Fighting off a cold and working and it isn&#8217;t fun.
Zink Cold Therapy really works.


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## Chris

I'm taking zinc and vitamin C. And some Motrin. It's helping. Both kids are sick.


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## havasu

I installed 5 new solar landscaping lights today. Hopefully it looks good. Headed out the door to go see the movie _Everest_. Afterwards meeting some friends for Taco Tuesday. Man, I love retirement!


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## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> I installed 5 new solar landscaping lights today. Hopefully it looks good. Headed out the door to go see the movie _Everest_. Afterwards meeting some friends for Taco Tuesday. Man, I love retirement!



Chris is looking for a small engine mechanic if you're interested.


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## havasu

Nope, I'm one of the 4 persons that are unable to find their arse cheeks with both hands.


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## nealtw

Three of us built and stude most of the outside walls of the upper floor of a small house after installing the last 16 floor joists and sheeting over them.


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## Chris

I'm looking at buying a backhoe. Should I go new or used. Used will save me 50k but is five years old.


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## oldognewtrick

Whats the accountant say about tax advantage?


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## Chris

Screw the accountant.

They always want me to finance large sums to have the write off. Personally I'd rather save 60k now than have 15k in write off for the next ten years.


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## oldognewtrick

Well, you answered your own question. &#128521;


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## oldognewtrick

And is it a hot sexy accountant? &#128561;


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## Chris

Quite the opposite.


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## oldognewtrick

Never mind then.


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## Chris

My wife knows better.


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## Chris

Tonight I vacuumed and filled a buddies ac in his truck.


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## havasu

I bought a heating rod for my safe, got a 12 gun pistol hanger, and a door pouch which holds another 10 pistols. Now I just need to go unload my son's safe and get my guns back.


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## Chris

Sitting at the DMV today.


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## nealtw

It is about time you had a drivers license.


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## havasu

Making the backhoe street legal?


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## Chris

nealtw said:


> It is about time you had a drivers license.




Tired of sweating it.


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## Chris

havasu said:


> Making the backhoe street legal?




Nope a golf cart I have so I can take it hunting. Er I mean use it on jobsite.


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## havasu

Their probably still typing your long arse last name.


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## frodo

DAMNIT...I went to the store this morning and bought 2 40 lb bags of cat litter.
came home, set them on the floor.
twenty minutes later, 2 cats have tore the bag open and spread it out all over the floor,  rolling around in it like they are at the beach!!


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## nealtw

I like getting to work early and having a coffee, it the waiting 8 hours to go that sucks.


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## Chris

I went golfing. Then signed sone contracts and picked up a check. Not a bad day at all


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## Chris

Not today but I bought this new toy this week.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1444366169.938578.jpg


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## nealtw

Did you get a deal because it had dents and scratches?


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## frodo

good you bought a critter,   I only like the critters  [cat/deer] 

 i hate those hollands, they are weak lunged no power pos
I rented 3 hoes  at the Houston int airport.

 the deer was the fastest digger,  cat was second,  holland got fired and sent back
replaced by a deer

do you guys have back hoe rodeos in california?


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## frodo

Chris said:


> Tired of sweating it.




My dl  was expired for 6 years.  I got pulled over,  the cop was like WTF? 

you hand me a license expired 6 years?:hide:

I laughed ,,told him I havent had to look at it,  never crossed my mind.

He told me,  I know where you live,  you have 1 week to straighten out your s***
I will pull you over to ck.

A week later, i saw him at a gas stationed,,showed him my new license

he laughed, :rofl:


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## Chris

nealtw said:


> Did you get a deal because it had dents and scratches?




Of course not. I did get a deal though. Still expensive as all hell.


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## Chris

I am also not a fan of some of the others. I could have got an almost brand new Volvo for what I paid for this one but Volvo makes lousy equipment. Which is odd because they make great cars.

I lean more towards cat but I have a good buddy who is a Deere mechanic. That will save me in the long run.


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## frodo

Deere an  Cat,  the critters are top dawg in my opinion.  You can take a Holland and use it for land fill , they have not nerts.

I have dug many a sewer line with a 2 stick cat. not crazy about 4 stick wobbles


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## Chris

I like pilot controls so that is what I buy. All my equipment has them. Worth the extra cost if you ask me.


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## frodo

Chris said:


> I like pilot controls so that is what I buy. All my equipment has them. Worth the extra cost if you ask me.




to fancy for my po a**


i do like em.  ran a track hoe with them,  SWEETTTT!

how many ho's you got in the street  making you money, PLAYER!!!:hide:


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## Chris

My equipment is list

backhoe
mini excavator
skid steer
6 yard dump truck
water trailer
14k dump trailor
couple equipment trailers
towable diesel compressor
and a few other odds and ends plus a warehouse full of tools and three crew trucks.


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## frodo

Chris said:


> My equipment is list
> 
> backhoe
> mini excavator
> skid steer
> 6 yard dump truck
> water trailer
> 14k dump trailor
> couple equipment trailers
> towable diesel compressor
> and a few other odds and ends plus a warehouse full of tools and three crew trucks.



hate to have your fuel bill

by odds and ends you mean,   wacker s and cut off saws

wackers aint cheap.  neither are the osha "robo shoes" that go with them


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## frodo

do you know what a "shaker head"  is.   i dont know the technical name.

it is a tamper that attach's to your hoe

worth its weight in gold.


http://www.hudcomfg.com/images/compactor_bettersm.jpg


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## Chris

frodo said:


> hate to have your fuel bill
> 
> by odds and ends you mean,   wacker s and cut off saws
> 
> wackers aint cheap.  neither are the osha "robo shoes" that go with them



Yes a few wackers, about six cutoff saws a walk behind concrete saw. Really probably enough of the little stuff I could have bought a few new cars but I just consider it part of the business. I like to think I am one of the smart ones because I sink as much as I can back into the business. I like to think I am doing pretty good for a guy who has only been in business since 2008. That and I don't finance anything.



frodo said:


> do you know what a "shaker head"  is.   i dont know the technical name.
> 
> it is a tamper that attach's to your hoe
> 
> worth its weight in gold.
> 
> 
> http://www.hudcomfg.com/images/compactor_bettersm.jpg



I was looking at one the other day but can not afford it right now. I need to buy a trailer for the backhoe first. Got the dump truck all ready to tow it.


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## Chris

Today I am going to look at picking up a trailer so I can tow my backhoe. 100 bucks an hour port to port seems excessive for transport.


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## Chris

Well I grabbed one. Not overly thrilled with the new ramp style but I guess I will see if they grow on me.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1445019077.879110.jpg


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## Chris

Loaded my backhoe. Tomorrow morning is the maiden voyage. Wish me luck.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1445910596.195964.jpg


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## oldognewtrick

Don't forget to beep the horn when you go past the rental guys place. &#128668;


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## Chris

Don't think they will be open at 4am but I am driving right past.


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## Chris

So today I saw an add for a room for rent. It got me thinking and trying to imagine what I would do with myself if I was a renter. I wouldn't have any home projects going on which would free up about 50 hours a week.


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## slownsteady

You would be bored.


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## havasu

As much as I hate the home projects, I am worried that I will have nothing to do when everything is finished. Drink?


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## slownsteady

I'll drink to that. Besides, you always have us.


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## Chris

I would probably do what I used to do and work in the garage.


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## slownsteady

You wouldn't have a garage in an apartment, and if you did, you wouldn't have a workshop, so what would you be doing in the garage??


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## Chris

I did a lot back when I lived in an apartment with a one car garage across the parking lot. Don't know how I did it but I swapped motors and rebuilt many things. Now it is just easier and cleaner. Seems I add a car every time I move, I now have a four car garage and want more.


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## bud16415

The grade school I went to was converted into &#8220;senior living&#8221; and I took my mom to look around as her house for just her was too much upkeep. As I walked around I saw the happiest women looking around just chomping at the bit to get a unit. The guys on the other hand were all looking at the ground dreading moving. I overheard one old guy say well where would I put my compressor and his wife said silly you don&#8217;t need a compressor you are going to relax. I felt sorry for these guys thinking the women have a community room and crafts and stuff they like the guys get TV and that&#8217;s about it. I&#8217;m glad my girlfriend is 26 years younger than me by the time she&#8217;s ready for crafts I will be ready to just sit and watch the grass grow.


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## havasu

Most women don't understand that when the projects are forever over, so are our lives.


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## Chris

Thats why I have five acres now. By the time I get it all landscaped and looking good, it will take the rest of my life just to upkeep it.


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## Chris

Spent most of my day in the woods freezing. Tonight I got this.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1446782044.645472.jpg


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## nealtw

I like the fire starter but that might no0t be the best place to store it.


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## Chris

Optical allusion. That's about three feet of the harth. But yeah it's also normally on the porch. I'm lazy tonight.


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## havasu

I ran new power to the pool today. Idiot previous owner had used thin wall conduit under the concrete about 10 years ago. The conduit had turned to rust and it was just a matter of time before we had a major short. We ran new conduit to the new sub-panel next to the pool equipment, and installed a new timer for the pool. We also increased wire size and included a new circuit so I can separate all the lights, fan, fridge and other outdoor stuff from one breaker to two breakers.


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## havasu

Busy enough to watch the Wheel of Fortune?


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## Chris

That's how I know I'm getting old.


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## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Busy enough to watch the Wheel of Fortune?



My mom still watches Wheel Of Fortune, what's Vanna, like 80 something now?


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## havasu

I confess. I usually watch it every night, but I am sitting with my laptop on my lap, and going through the forums.


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## slownsteady

Blame it on the time slot. Not much else on TV around then.


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## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> My mom still watches Wheel Of Fortune, what's Vanna, like 80 something now?



Vanna might be getting old but I resemble that remark.


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## slownsteady

Man, she must have an ironclad contract. Have you seen the babes on the other game shows?


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## Blue Jay

I spent the day with my 3 month old great grandson. Worth every second:


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## Chris

Took my truck to the car wash today. Normally I do it myself but I have been driving it down dirt roads for the last couple months during hunting season pin striping the sides with tree branches I figured I would spoil it and pay for a wash and wax. If I would have known it was going to take three hours I would have just done it myself. I'm sitting here bored watching people do something I can easily do.


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## bud16415

Chris said:


> Took my truck to the car wash today. Normally I do it myself but I have been driving it down dirt roads for the last couple months during hunting season pin striping the sides with tree branches I figured I would spoil it and pay for a wash and wax. If I would have known it was going to take three hours I would have just done it myself. I'm sitting here bored watching people do something I can easily do.



As you get older you will realize what you are paying for is not the wash and wax. What you are paying for is the pleasure of watching someone do something you can easily do!


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## Chris

Now that I have it back at my shop I wonder why I bother having them wash it. they did not even wipe down the under side of the fender where it wraps into the wheel well and missed mud chunks everywhere. They sprayed armorall over most of my wheel wells, most being the key word so now I have muddy dirty yet shiny wheel wells. Guess I learned that if you want something done right you do it yourself.


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## Chris

Is it wrong of me for not wanting to go to Disneyland tomorrow?


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## havasu

Depends on who is paying....


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## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Is it wrong of me for not wanting to go to Disneyland tomorrow?



No........


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## Chris

It's all free. Still don't want to go. Would rather work in the garage. Going with some family friends who insist on getting there when they open and staying til closing time. I'd be ok with a couple hours.


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## slownsteady

You might have been there too many times, or you're just ho-hum about  it because it's so close. But so many people see it as the ultimate treat that I'm not surprised that they want to make a day of it. Find a nice shady bench and take a short nap; catch up with the gang later on.


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## oldognewtrick

It's a trade off Chris for all the days you spent hunting. Enjoy the day, enjoy the kids, it all moves way to fast.


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## Chris

slownsteady said:


> You might have been there too many times, or you're just ho-hum about  it because it's so close. But so many people see it as the ultimate treat that I'm not surprised that they want to make a day of it. Find a nice shady bench and take a short nap; catch up with the gang later on.




It's a I've been there too much thing. It's 45 minutes from my house and I have been there countless times. Hopefully the kids enjoy it. They both have colds.

I go hunting for two months now she has me booked up for two months.


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## frodo

I dont mind going,  .it is that damn song

its a small world after all  that bugs me  i hear it in my head for a month after being there


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## oldognewtrick

frodo said:


> I dont mind going,  .it is that damn song
> 
> its a small world after all  that bugs me  i hear it in my head for a month after being there



Thanks friend, now I'm sitting here humming that blessed song. Guess I'll go run the leaf blower and grind up leaves for a while ...


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## havasu

Here you go buddy!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbejwp-i0BY[/ame]


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## oldognewtrick

Post above has been reported....


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## frodo

that song is evil,  needs to be banned


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## havasu

Chris is currently freezing his butt off at Disneyland. He texted me that so far, he has avoided going on "it's a small world" I called him a pussy.


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## slownsteady

I wonder if all that moonshine has worn off yet?


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## Chris

I was able to avoid it by hopping over to California adventure. Wasn't all that bad a trip. The girls loved it which made me happy. I got to do a bunch of people watching. It's amazing what some people wear. Some of these people must never ask for an opinion. That and if these people resemble America than boy do we need to go on a diet and get healthy. I would say 95% of the people there were large. Sure made me think twice about what I had for lunch.

All in all it was a good trip and I am glad I went but I won't be hurt if it is several years before I go again. Just not a fan of crowds or waiting in line. I can go to the DMV and wait in line for free.


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## Chris

I bought 250 bucks worth of quarters to sort through today from the bank. I got home and was told I am wasting my money with that stupid hobby.


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## havasu

If time is money, you just spend a lot!


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## oldognewtrick

Dang, ate dinner, sitting here at 6:15, dark out and I feel like going to bed... I hate these time changes...


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## havasu

G/F was on a walk today, and comes home with a newer phone, that appeared to have fallen from a M/C or car. The back of the phone was missing, as was the battery, but I placed one of my spare batteries in it, with the hope of getting this guy his phone back. To my surprise it fired up and saw it was a burner phone with 170 contacts. Hell, if this was my phone, I would be devastated. I went through some contacts and saw the names, "nigga gal" "homie bitch" "****" and other questionable names. I started reading some of the 50+ messages, and saw writing similar to "nigga, I'm on my way over with the 8 ball" "you still got me that hot pistol" "got me a fine M/C ride, that I stold (sp) today", and numerous pics of a white powder on a scale in multiple ounces, lots of pics of nasty naked prostitutes, and the guy talking about being chased by the po-po. He even had pictures of a few stolen guns he had just picked up. Yeah, there were many references to where the local hotel rooms were located, and the drugs you could find inside. He even messaged one guy to go into his garage and pick up the dope in the normal hiding place in the "far left corner" of the garage. 

Well, I decided not to return this phone and instead paid a visit to my local PD and gave it to one of their narcotic task force members. I hope someone has a very Merry Christmas this year!


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## Chris

First off, you live in the ghetto, second give me my phone back!


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## havasu

I think I saw your mug sandwiched between them two prostitutes.


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## Chris

To bad one turned out to be dude. Made for an interesting night.


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## havasu

Chris said:


> To bad one turned out to be dude. Made for an interesting night.



It's called a ghetto colonoscopy. :rofl:


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## Chris

Free crabs with every purchase


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## bud16415

I came into work one day and had a message on my work phone. Some dumb *** dialed the wrong number and gave me all the information about a drug deal. I forwarded it to our security and they sent it on to the state boys. The deal went down but some unexpected guests also arrived. 

I watched enough breaking bad to know you always smash your burner phone.


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## Chris

Today I made some little girls day. She was standing in front of the grocery store selling candy bars with her mother. She had great manners and dressed and acted like what an 8 year old girl should. I asked how much they were and she said two dollars, I figured that was a fair price so I bought the whole box. Both her and her mother where tearing and weeping. It made me feel good to make them feel good. Only bad part is we don't really eat candy so now I need to give away some candy bars.


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## havasu

She was crying because she lost her cell phone somewhere near my house yesterday!


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## slownsteady

give the candy to the "dude" in the photo. Have another interesting night.


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## Chris

Today is my one year olds birthday party do you think I'm ready?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1448114506.669294.jpg


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## slownsteady

That's alright for the kids, but what are the adults gonna have?


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## Chris

Whiskey and whiskey, you know because of the water shortage.


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## Chris

I was enjoying my evening until one of my wife's old friends happened to be in town for the night and wants to stop by with two of her friends. It's 8pm and I'm ready for bed and they are ready to party. This girls friends have always been losers so it should be interesting. I might just have to go lay with my daughter and take a nap til they leave.


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## nealtw

one of my wife's old friends
How many wives do you have?


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## Chris

Well that's either a typo or I'm Mormon. I'll let you guess.

They are still here and I don't care how long you have been a boat mechanic.


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## nealtw

They want to re-build your Johnson....


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## Chris

The women are not bad on the eyes at all. But I'm married and I like my sleep.


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## nealtw

Like a kid looking in the candy shop window and mommy says no.


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## Chris

I'm getting cranky now.


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## Chris

I really don't like being told how successful I am.

It's only because of how unsuccessful you are.


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## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I'm getting cranky now.



Oh, so you're becoming me...

Did they leave yet?


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## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> one of my wife's old friends
> How many wives do you have?



Watch out, the grammer patrol is out ....


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## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> Watch out, the grammer patrol is out ....



The possessive of the singular wife is "wife's": your wife's car. If you had more than one wife (rather unlikely) you would have "wives" and if they had more than one car it would be "your wives' cars."


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## oldognewtrick

bud16415 said:


> The possessive of the singular wife is "wife's": your wife's car. If you had more than one wife (rather unlikely) you would have "wives" and if they had more than one car it would be "your wives' cars."



You missed my intentional spelling mistake. I know neal wold have caught it...:rofl:


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## nealtw

It was the punctuation that was wrong, or right, anybody care?


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## oldognewtrick

Uh......no.


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## Chris

They left about midnight. Only drank two of our bottles of wine. They don't get the hint of we have to get up early for work. I would say it was nice seeing them but it was not.


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## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> You missed my intentional spelling mistake. I know neal wold have caught it...:rofl:



Wait a minute my Grammer used to make great cookies. 

My English teacher told me in 5th grade I had dangling participles and my handwriting was atrocious. I smiled and said Why thank you!


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## slownsteady

> My English teacher told me in 5th grade I had dangling participles....



And how did she get a look at your participles???

Oldog: did you mean _grammar_?

And, Chris, you could have said; "a friend of my wife..." or "a few friends of my wife". But think of the fun we would have missed.


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## nealtw

slownsteady said:


> And how did she get a look at your participles???
> 
> Oldog: did you mean _grammar_?
> 
> And, Chris, you could have said; "a friend of my wife..." or "a few friends of my wife". But think of the fun we would have missed.



Oldog was just joking, he's not as dumb as he looks.


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## slownsteady

Can't see him from here .........and i thought that was the trick in his post....isn't it?


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## havasu

My life the last 5 days.


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## nealtw

Not quite up side down.


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## oldognewtrick

I thought Bud would be the one to pick up on that...


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## nealtw

I could have said his life is going sideways. Hopefully it straightens out soon.


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## havasu

It sure is buddy. Everyone needs to hug their kids. You'll never regret it.


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## nealtw

I work with one of mine, hugging isn't always what comes to mind.


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## Chris

Today I tried logging in in the app. No go.

Got a special visiter, my drunk in laws showed up.

Got a special visiter, my alcoholic buddy lost his girlfriend and home and job. Showed up on my door step. Wants to stay. 

Took the kids to jcpenny to have pictures taken, they were both nightmares.

I'm having a whiskey and whiskey now.


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## slownsteady

Did she turn the corner yet, Havasu??


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## havasu

I'll be honest, this afternoon was the worst it could be. She can't talk but had a 1/2 cup of apple juice. I'll take little steps, as long as she is still breathing.


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## slownsteady

Keep fighting. The antibiotics should be kicking in soon.


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## oldognewtrick

Must be the season, sitting in the ER with my 93 y/o mother.


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## nealtw

I guess everything is serious at that age. Good luck with what ever it is.


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## havasu

To hell with a high capacity magazine for my gun. Sitting inside a hospital makes you really need a high capacity battery for my phone.


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## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> To hell with a high capacity magazine for my gun. Sitting inside a hospital makes you really need a high capacity battery for my phone.




Yep.........,


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## oldognewtrick

How's your daughter doing today?


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## havasu

Just found out my ex stayed with her all night. I guess docs and nurses have the option to stay home on holidays if they want to. She is eating scrambled eggs so this is good. How is your mom?


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## oldognewtrick

Waiting on blood test.


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## inspectorD

Guess Im Ok...: Hope everyone comes home soon for the both of you. 
Im resting up to make the trip Back to college for my oldest in the Am. 6 hours each way through the Adirondack Forest in upstate NY. Gonna be a long pretty ride to go see some snow.....:help:
I will be out of Range...


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## Chris

I've been at my cousins house the last couple of days. He talking me into bring a tractor and my crew to put redo his front and back yards.


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## frodo

oldawg,  prayers for your Mom,

Havasu,  prayers for your daughter.

Damn Chris, this is how I deal with couch crashers.

When i get Up,  they get up,  When I leave to go to work,  their butt goes out side,  Cause their JOB is looking for a JOB
 I will not put up with a buddy sitt'n on my couch eatting my groceries watching my tv while i bust my *** at work


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## havasu

Thx Frodo!

A few friends of ours knew we missed out on the traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving so they invited us over to their house tonight for a complete turkey dinner. Sure beats the hospital food we have grown accustom to.


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## frodo

we are doing the same thing,  postponing for a bit.  

last time i had to stay with her in the hop.
i  went to the business ofice to seee about a parking permit.

they gave me a family members package.  $1.00 a day parking and 3 meals at $1.00 each ,per day

that saved a lot of money.  

regular parking is $1.50 an hour  3 or 4 days gets expensive


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## oldognewtrick

Hospitals here dont charge for parking anymore.


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## havasu

The hospital where my daughter is staying charges $1.00 for every 20 minutes, or $5.00 maximum per day.


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## oldognewtrick

Took a carload of stuff to The Goodwill Store today. Probably need several more trips...


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## slownsteady

gotta make room for this year's xmas gifts


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## havasu

Went to string my Christmas (yes, I said Christmas, not holiday, so you PC folks can eat $#it!) lights today. I had 12 strings. Only one string worked. I said to hell with this! Went to Home Depot and purchased 16 boxes of new LED lights and a photoelectric timer. Got everything up and ready to see what they look like tonight.

Also LAPD Chief Charlie Beck stopped by today. My neighbor is his bodyguard driver and I told him I'd like to meet him. Poor guy has to deal with all the politics these days. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

Tomorrow, I will be back at the hospital with my daughter.


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## oldognewtrick

Pics man.....


How's the daughter doing?


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## havasu

Still the same. If she would just eat, she would feel much better. Just not hungry.


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## Chris

Black Friday I bought a 30 gallon upright air compressor. I hated my oil less loud one so I was happy when it died last month. Today I poured a pad outside my garage so I can build an enclosure closet to keep it out of the weather.


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## oldognewtrick

You did save the old one for a firebox for your new smoker, didn't ya?


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## Chris

Haven't tossed it yet.


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## bud16415

Chris said:


> Black Friday I bought a 30 gallon upright air compressor. I hated my oil less loud one so I was happy when it died last month. Today I poured a pad outside my garage so I can build an enclosure closet to keep it out of the weather.



Tee the old one in the new line and it will increase how much air you have stored take a lot of cycles off the new compressor over the years. I have a bunch of old propane grill tanks hooked to mine.  :hide:


----------



## Chris

I was thinking about that. I am building my new shed large enough that I could put it out there next to the new one.

I almost bought the 60 gallon but I didn't feel like running 240 v to the shed. I just drywalled everything.


----------



## Chris

Today I got the verbal on a very large project I bid on. Going to be repiping a very large shopping center. All new underground fire and domestic water lines. About 5,000 feet of 4,6,8 and 10" to get rid of the asbestos pipe they have now.


----------



## havasu

Congrats Chris. 

I just found out my daughter is eating pizza....and officially on her way back to being healthy!


----------



## Chris

Thats good news. Is this the same daughter that is gluten free?


----------



## havasu

Nope. It's Cindy's daughter that is gluten free BS.


----------



## Chris

Feed her some pizza too.


----------



## slownsteady

truly good news.:


----------



## Chris

Finishing up my air compressors new home. It's nice not hearing it at all from the inside of the garage.

Still need to trim it out, paint and roof it it at some point.

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----------



## Chris

Put some trim on it.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1449550858.048727.jpg


----------



## Chris

Tonight I am trying to get all my wife's pictures back that she accidentally deleted on her Samsung Galaxy.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Tonight I am trying to get all my wife's pictures back that she accidentally deleted on her Samsung Galaxy.



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HomqBx0J0e8[/ame]
good luck


----------



## havasu

This happened a few months ago with me. I went to the local Verizon store and they located all my lost files and photos in about 2 minutes.


----------



## slownsteady

As much as I dislike giving all my data & pictures to the large internet corps., I allow my phone to backup on a daily schedule. It is a necessary evil.


----------



## Chris

I might go to Verizon in the morning. I'm tired of trying. I hate technology.


----------



## Chris

I just don't use my phone for anything I can't live without. I have an iPhone, the camera sucks and other than that it's just phone calls email and a couple apps like the one I am typing on now. Nothing I would lose any sleep over.


----------



## Chris

After three hours of trying to get her phone to root I give up. I like how these programs let me sit there and watch a percentage gauge for an hour just to get to 99% then say unsuccessful! 

Technology is gonna win this battle.

She can go to Verizon in the morning and see if they can fix it. That will teach her to delete files.


----------



## Chris

Here is what we did today. Putting in a bunch of 60" pipe for a rain retention system.


----------



## Chris

The dreaded sideways pics. No matter what I do they won't rotate properly for me.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> The dreaded sideways pics. No matter what I do they won't rotate properly for me.



I thought you might have been working in Australia...


----------



## nealtw

So, is this because of the drought?


----------



## Chris

More sideways pics.


----------



## Chris

Not for the drought. About ten years ago the state started mandating that rain water be held on site for retention/detention for commercial applications. You have a choice of letting it perk into the earth or holding it for irrigation.


----------



## nealtw

All the new subdivisions here are mountain side and all the storm water ended up in the farm land down the valley. Until a bunch of farmers sued one city for a few big bucks and now we have retention ponds everywhere.


----------



## Chris

Here it was because of LA. They concreted over half the state and wondered why no water gets puts back in the earth.


----------



## nealtw

It is a strange world we live in. We hae a tunnel under the river but it isn't deep enough for really big ships, so we are going to spend billions to replace it with a bridge so the private guys can build another mega coal port. Sounds like a good plan.


----------



## slownsteady

The Bayonne Bridge (NJ) is being raised so that large passenger ships can go under it. ($$$$$$$$$$)


----------



## havasu

They already have the cruise destinations headed to Bayonne in 2017. Lots of new cruise destinations and more revenue for local communities soon.


----------



## nealtw

Would be alright if the people lined up to make the money paid the toll.


----------



## slownsteady

No doubt it'll shift the economics of the harbors around. And i can't really complain as it benefits NJ, but it will just subtract from NY harbor. I'm not completely sure of the logic.


----------



## nealtw

And who is paying for the new dock complex to service the ships. If it is just to take business away from NY, that is a race to the bottom.


----------



## havasu

I'm sure the cities pay for the infrastructures to allow the ships to come in there. That is a money making opportunity.


----------



## nealtw

I do believe in building infrastructure for the good of all business the people that live around it.
I can't speek about NJ but here there will be jobs building a bridge and a new port, and some argue we are competing with Seattle for the business. That is true except for the fact that it was going somewhere near Seattle until western Washington said they don't want 18 coal trains a day running thru their cities. When all said and done we get maybe 100 good paying jobs for well over a billion.  And it's coal.


----------



## bud16415

Is it hard digging on the side of a cliff like that?


----------



## Chris

Just have to rearrange gravity for a bit.


----------



## oldognewtrick

36* out and started the fireplace for the first time this season. Something soothing and calming sitting here and watching the dancing flames. Just a wif of wood smoke in the air and it's nice, quiet and peaceful tonight.


----------



## Chris

Did this.

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----------



## oldognewtrick

Looks like someone's making a new smoker...:


----------



## Chris

My buddy and I are making a trailer smoker for camping trips.


----------



## Chris

Just got parking tickets on my dump truck and work truck in a coned off construction site. Meter maid said the street sweeping sign still applied


----------



## slownsteady

sheer brilliance.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Just got parking tickets on my dump truck and work truck in a coned off construction site. Meter maid said the street sweeping sign still applied



Merry christmas.:rofl:


----------



## nealtw

I posted this the other day in the wrong thread.
Today we got finished early so I went grocery shopping. I grabbed a buggy and started in the produce dept. About half way thru the area I noticed a very elderly lady pushing her buggy towards me with a big smile on her face.
As we met, she says, " fancy meeting you here Bill" I didn't know who she was so I just smiled at her and kept going. Half way up the next aisle, there she is again, smiling. I tried to keep my eyes away by reading packages.
Did you know they write things on toilet paper packages? Anyway as she past me she said " I have really missed you Bill. That got my attention and I looked at her but she never looked back, so I carried on. In the next aisle, there she is again but this time when she sees me she just stopped and waited until I got to her and I knew I wasn't going to get past here again so I just faced her and she said " I really have to apologize, I know you are not Bill, I just miss him so much and you look like him" So what the hell I asked " was Bill your husband" and she answered, " Bill was the youngest and last of my three sons and I lost him to cancer last year". I tried to find something comforting to say, don't remember but we talked for a few minutes and I went to move on and she said " would you mind if we walk together, you seem like a nice man. Who are going to call, I said sure and I heard all about Bill and his brothers and how the grew up and worked and died, really pretty sad. About half way thru the store she asked, " would you humer an old lady and let me call you son" I said " sure" thinking what the hell.
So when we got to the check out I let her go first and she is making small talk with the girl at the till and says to her " isn't my son a good looking guy" I pretended I didn't here that and continued putting my things on the belt. So finally she has finished up and starts pushing her buggy away, then she turns and says " thanks a lot Bill, we'll see you later". Not to be out done I responded with " ya i'll see you later and she was gone.
Thinking more about her and this experience I hadn't even paid attention to the monitor showing thing being rung in at the till but when the girl was done she looks at me and says "That will be $328.32" I said "that can't be right" and she said " well that includes your mothers stuff". I looked out and saw she was still in the parking lot and I said " call security or police or someone, that B----- is not my mother". I ran out after her and by then she was at the old Caddy but by the way she was throwing bags in the trunk, that broad was not some 90 year old. Just as she headed for the drivers door a car pulled in in front of her and I thought good I do have a chance of stopping her. As she made a dash to get in she cought her foot or shoe on something so the door was still open and her left leg was still out of the car. She got it started and put it in reverse just as I got there and the door knocked me on my ***. If she turned the other way she would have run over my legs with her front tire. As I fell iI grabbed her leg, not by choice it was just there and when she stopped I pulled her leg while yelling some profanities, but she then put it in drive and I really pulled her leg and then pulled it harder, just like I am pulling yours


----------



## havasu

I'd be embarrassed if I was that meter maid.


----------



## Chris

Told me I had to park my dump truck a couple blocks away and drive it over when I needed to fill it.


----------



## slownsteady

No doubt she said this while the dirt was falling into it.


----------



## slownsteady

Question is; is it worth fighting city hall? Any reasonable court would let you off.


----------



## oldognewtrick

slownsteady said:


> Question is; is it worth fighting city hall? Any reasonable court would let you off.



I'd have to fight it just for the principle. These traffic Nazi's need to be stopped.


----------



## Chris

It's not worth the drive to la.

68 bucks for each. It will cost that to get back out here


----------



## Chris

Worst part was is the street sweeper never came.


----------



## slownsteady

'course not. It's Christmas eve.


----------



## Chris

Two hit and runs on my truck in the last two hours. Called the cops after the first and chased and grabbed the second guy. Still no police. Ended up letting the second guy go because I couldnt get the police here.


----------



## havasu

Holy crap. What city are you in? I can be your body guard!


----------



## Chris

Los Angeles. They caught the guy he was drunk no license no insurance. Only made him swap info that was it no rest no tickets


----------



## Chris

He left his car a block away. His brother in law gave him up.


----------



## havasu

LA? Them people are crazy! Shut down, go home, have a whiskey. You will be better after that!


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> He left his car a block away. His brother in law gave him up.



So over all, a pretty good day.


----------



## Chris

I would have been happier if they taught him a lesson


----------



## Chris

I made it home. Time for a whiskey


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I made it home. Time for a whiskey




I'll drink to that. Except I'm drinking koolaid.


----------



## Chris

I haven't had koolaid in years. It sounds good.


----------



## Chris

I learned a lesson today from all this.

Park in a street sweeping zone and it costs 68 bucks, get drunk and do a hit and run with no license or insurance and get told not to do it again.

Makes perfect sense to me. I get to to pay 68 bucks x2 and get to buy two new axles for my equipment trailer.


----------



## slownsteady

small claims court


----------



## Chris

As soon as they make a debtors prison I will entertain that idea.

Hard to justify spending a grand to try and get a grand. I'd rather see him actually get in trouble for his actions. Was hoping the cops would at least breathalyzer him since his car was full of empty beer cans and he was clearly drunk. Pretty sure they were about off duty for Christmas and didn't want to deal with it.


----------



## Chris

I'm about thirty seconds from throwing my computer out the window. I hate quick books today.


----------



## nealtw

Operators finger problems...............


----------



## Chris

Forced upgrade and I'm not very smart


----------



## nealtw

Ya, upgrading dosn't mean better.


----------



## Chris

Nope. I was happy with with the older version but of course they stop supporting it then force me to pay them for an upgrade. Surprised the upgrade has less options than the older version


----------



## nealtw

I can't do half the stuff in Office as I could do with Office 97, it is frustrating.


----------



## slownsteady

Chris: what version of QB did you have, and what do you have now?? It is time for me to upgrade too.


----------



## Chris

Had 2011 pro and really liked it. Have 2015 pro now and not so much a fan.


----------



## slownsteady

Yeah, did some reading on that and it seems they may have thinned it out a bit. They seem to be pushing the network  version. I don't know that i want my business in anybody else' hands. But i am 1/2 mac & 1/2 PC so it may be a decent option for me.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Had 2011 pro and really liked it. Have 2015 pro now and not so much a fan.



But will it print?:help:


----------



## slownsteady

nealtw said:


> But will it print?:help:



Only on 11x17 paper:beer:


----------



## Chris

Yes printing is back to normal at my office. Have I mentioned I hate technology.


----------



## Chris

And yes I can print 11x17 and do all the time.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> And yes I can print 11x17 and do all the time.



Chris,  I need some measurements from you.

ask your wife,  for towel bar length's in her MB  bathroom

number of towel bars. needed

also,  does she use the foo foo fancy wash cloth holder/ring thing  lol

i am fixen to hook ya'll up with some copper stuff

:beer:


----------



## Chris

I will check


----------



## Chris

Boy am I glad today is over. I'm taking a half day tomorrow than hitting the road to my mountain house. Three feet of fresh snow and cocktails by the fire. Can't wait to forget about work for s few days. Been working 12 hour days for three weeks now.


----------



## oldognewtrick

I really dislike 5 day work weeks....


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> I really dislike 5 day work weeks....



Two weeks off then five days of work that sucked.


----------



## Chris

Drove to my mountain house. Having a cocktail by the fire.

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----------



## oldognewtrick

bud16415 said:


> Two weeks off then five days of work that sucked.




I hear ya. ....


----------



## bud16415

I wondered what happened to all our snow this winter, now I know. They do a nice job of plowing.


----------



## Chris

Welded on a city main and then did some hot taps.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1453433084.731502.jpg


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----------



## nealtw

The yellow machine cut's the hole without loosing any water?


----------



## Chris

Yes. It bolts to the valve, drills through the pipe, shut the valve and disconnect. Pretty simple process.


----------



## nealtw

In the eighties I was working at a plant and one of those was being used but it was top secret. They had a tent around the work site and had a gaurd stopping anyone from looking in.


----------



## Chris

Many still try and keep it a secret around here.


----------



## bud16415

We had a guy come in and put a Tee in a 6 line that didnt have a valve to be shut off easily. He wrapped a thing around both sides hooked it up to liquid nitrogen and froze the pipe. Sawed out the middle and welded in the tee. Thawed it out and out he went never a drop. I was very impressed.


----------



## Chris

I have done it that way too but I don't have a pipe freezer.


----------



## slownsteady

I taught my teenage nephew how to use their snowblower..............again.


----------



## havasu

I hired a stone yard company to install river rock in my parkway and flagstone in my walkway leading to the front door. I swear, after this, we will be done working on the house. Well, maybe, well, probably not.


----------



## nealtw

Bud would tell us the devil makes you do it.


----------



## havasu

I blame this on my ADHD, and a G/F that can't leave well enough alone.


----------



## nealtw

So Bud is right, your choice.


----------



## havasu

Yep, I guess Bud nailed it, AGAIN!


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Yep, I guess Bud nailed it, AGAIN!




Probably sitting in his hot tub, with his sweetie forgetting about us.


----------



## nealtw

the devil made him do it. he's out plowing snow.


----------



## Chris

Anyone know what this thing is?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1453911559.758447.jpg


----------



## havasu

Looks like a magnafiche (sp) reader to view archived records. They use them alot to search for birth records, old building codes, etc.


----------



## oldognewtrick

looks like what they use to use for store pricing before computers. There was a clear plastic slide with product info on it that was updated by sending a new sheet. It was called a fish/pish/phish, something like that.


----------



## bud16415

Ahhhhh I cant hear you the jets are too loud. 

Honey can you bring me another Long Island the deck is so cold on my feet? 

Hmm I wonder what Oldog, Havasu and Neal are up to today? Most likely enjoying retirement. 

Awwww honey thanks for the drink now come enjoy the bubbles with me and we will think about SnS digging out after all that snow.


----------



## oldognewtrick

bud16415 said:


> Ahhhhh I cant hear you the jets are too loud.
> 
> Honey can you bring me another Long Island the deck is so cold on my feet?
> 
> Hmm I wonder what Oldog, Havasu and Neal are up to today? Most likely enjoying retirement.
> 
> Awwww honey thanks for the drink now come enjoy the bubbles with me and we will think about SnS digging out after all that snow.



Quit daydreaming and get back to work.


----------



## bud16415

It is the thing they made first so they would know what shape to make a monitor. 

 microfiche cards  

https://www.google.com/search?q=mic...afe=active&tbm=isch&q=microfiche+cards+reader

Everyone needs one at home. Works good on 35mm slides also.


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> Quit daydreaming and get back to work.



Hey it was lunch time and I dozed off. I didnt know I could type in my sleep huh.


----------



## havasu

Yeah, I just finished my second mug of coffee and now deciding whether to paint the ceiling in the garage, prune up my orange tree, mow the lawn, or just listen to some music while I laugh at all the workers having to fight the traffic on the freeways?


----------



## oldognewtrick

Watching it snow and birds at the feeder. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1455039699.205463.jpg


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Anyone know what this thing is?
> 
> View attachment 10703



In 1970 the manual for Boeing 747 would fill a school but with that machine it would fit in a file cabinet.


----------



## bud16415

nealtw said:


> In 1970 the manual for Boeing 747 would fill a school but with that machine it would fit in a file cabinet.



How big of a school? 

Back when we knew how to do things.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXqF1hfm8o[/ame]


----------



## nealtw

bud16415 said:


> How big of a school?



I don't remember, it was one of those goodies they tell you when you take a tour of the newest hanger at the airport, 46 years ago.


----------



## frodo

remington signed a 90 million dollar contract to supply the US government with  38,9mm,and 45 acp ammo

these calibers are going to get real hard to find here in a couple of mths.  like the 22lr is

if you want some, might want to get it now, before the panic


----------



## Chris

Great!


I loaded up my new work truck for a job tomorrow. Don't you love my driveway view.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1455072168.524280.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

ya, I do. have you been to the top of that hill yet? take some pics.


----------



## Chris

I've been about half way up. I should take that hike


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Great!
> 
> 
> I loaded up my new work truck for a job tomorrow. Don't you love my driveway view.
> 
> View attachment 10840




their is a pile of dirt in the way of the view,  need to knock that down so you can see.:rofl:


----------



## Chris

There is nothing good to see on the other side of that hill. Just more houses.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> There is nothing good to see on the other side of that hill. Just more houses.


all kidding aside
it is a purdy view,


----------



## Chris

Got a full price offer on my mountain house. Wish me luck everything goes smooth.


----------



## havasu

Seems your appraisal was a tad too low?


----------



## Chris

I purposely went a little low. House still needs about 10k worth of work to  finish it properly. I took that off my asking price. There is no inventory in that price range in the mountains right now so it is a good time to off it. I still doubled my money on it so I am happy.


----------



## havasu

That is good to hear. Are the visitors just gunna stay in your camper now?


----------



## Chris

I have two other houses up there.


----------



## Chris

Just spent all day removing personal items from the mountain house.


----------



## slownsteady

I thought I might pass this along......


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Just spent all day removing personal items from the mountain house.




sold the cabin.  CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Chris

Cash sale should close this week.

Time to focus on my addition


----------



## havasu

Are we gunna start the safe room now?


----------



## Chris

Yup. Have to get a few things done before I pull the permit


----------



## SUPERHOUSE

I'm just spending a day moving all my stuff (in my room) to another room since tomorrow I'm gonna start my big plan.


----------



## Chris

To take over the world.....


----------



## slownsteady

SUPERHOUSE said:


> I'm just spending a day moving all my stuff (in my room) to another room since tomorrow I'm gonna start my big plan.



Well I hope your big plan includes lots of kittens


----------



## CallMeVilla

Completed a big, 6 week condo rework.  Yesterday was the reveal, walk thru, and $$$$$$$$$$  ......  Taking today off.  Reading, relaxing, spending time with a blonde of doubtful intentions.


----------



## Chris

I've been doing all the utilities for a winery here in Temecula, started December 8th, I will be jumping for joy in a few weeks when we are done. Not because of payday but because I can move on to other things.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I've been doing all the utilities for a winery here in Temecula, started December 8th, I will be jumping for joy in a few weeks when we are done. Not because of payday but because I can move on to other things.



Are they paying you in wine?


----------



## Chris

Might as well be.

Today I put my amp research old man tailgate step on my new work truck, thing is worth every penny.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1456280940.415789.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1456280955.064638.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

fooled you...that's actually the clutch.:beer:


----------



## Chris

Wondering why it wouldn't go into gear.


----------



## slownsteady

Is it hard to run to the back to change gears? Must be tough on the freeway.


----------



## Chris

I bring a helper


----------



## havasu

...and when a helper falls off, you run back to Home Depot and pick up a replacement, si?


----------



## Chris

Si! Mi Amigo es muerto, tu mucho cerveza con truckey.


----------



## nealtw

people are cheap, save the beer??????????


----------



## Chris

I tell OSHA that all the time.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I tell OSHA that all the time.




my BIL is an Osha inspector, that boy is so safety annal,  I really wonder how he ever had a kid.

I love him to death,  but he drives like a 90 year old woman, 
makes me nuts.

he REALLY counts to 15 at a stop sign,  with no traffic coming


----------



## Chris

Life is no fun if you follow safety to the T.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Life is no fun if you follow safety to the T.




I went to work for a very large mechanical contractor, after working for years at mom and pop shops.
my safety was non existent, I never wore my hard hart,  you had to beat me to get me to wear safety glasses.
Bobby, was the safety guy. and he was on my *** every frigen day.
He saw that he was pissen me off.  so he tried another tactic.
he showed up on my job at 8am..I was standing their no safety glasses
he said   hop in the truck.  

he kidnaped my *** from the job,  made me spend the day going from job to job, doing safety business.  of course he introduced me to the other foremen I had not meet. by telling them i was having a problem wearing my PPE
one of the foreman took me aside.  told me Bobby kid napped him twice
LOL....I learned my lesson,  did not want to spend the day with bobby

so after that, I tied a piece of paracord on the GD glasses,hung them on my neck,   when ever he walked up
I just acted like I was cleaning them 

osha safety/first aid
cpr trained
confined space /body removal trained
house broke also

I am trained to call 911


----------



## bud16415

Where I work they just hand you a written contact report the first time no need to say a word, the second time they hand you one along with another piece of paper telling you to go home without pay for two weeks. The third time the paper says stay home for good. 

Works pretty good 99.99% of the time when momma misses two paychecks the guy wears his PPE no problem.


----------



## frodo

bud16415 said:


> Where I work they just hand you a written contact report the first time no need to say a word, the second time they hand you one along with another piece of paper telling you to go home without pay for two weeks. The third time the paper says stay home for good.
> 
> Works pretty good 99.99% of the time when momma misses two paychecks the guy wears his PPE no problem.




LOL,,that is the way it generally goes,,,but he did not want to loose my skills
he wanted to "bring me around" 

layout man    [who does not miss walls]  is hard to find....we be valuable

ouch,,,,I hurt my arm !!!!


----------



## SUPERHOUSE

slownsteady said:


> Well I hope your big plan includes lots of kittens



Whoa!! How do you know that!! : Big winner!


----------



## Chris

Watching the news and seems like every night there is a shooting and a structure fire.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Watching the news and seems like every night there is a shooting and a structure fire.



I did not know you lived in Nashville also...


----------



## havasu

Lately, burglars have been targeting houses with off duty cops sleeping inside. The coroner has sure been busy! Good riddance to the thieving, slime ball, waster of air, pieces of crapola idiots.


----------



## Chris

The last one was crying that he was only 17. Maybe he shouldn't have been breaking into houses?


----------



## slownsteady

short career...hopefully


----------



## havasu

It was damn hot here today. I spent much of the day with an old retired brother in blue who just discovered he has stage 4 Leukemia. Just helped him clean his guns, work on his computer, and talk anything other than his bad medical condition.


----------



## Chris

Well another shooting and murder last night. No structure fire but Exxon Mobile had a "flaring event" whatever that means but it looks like a fire.


----------



## nealtw

"flaring event"  new gas well.


----------



## havasu

nealtw said:


> "flaring event"  new gas well.



"flaring event" = Another reason to jack up gas prices!:help:


----------



## nealtw

havasu said:


> "flaring event" = Another reason to jack up gas prices!:help:



When they open a new well or refinery or make repairs, they don't want to capture the crap that might be in the pipe, so they burn some off.


----------



## frodo

found some new deer feed that is OUTRAGEOUS   the deer love it, thy want it

couple of local boys came up with the ingredients  and started a company.


----------



## Chris

Today I am paving a 2' wide by 500' long trench for a 10" waterline we put in.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1458836555.663789.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1458836571.830599.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1458836583.700080.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1458836593.331702.jpg


----------



## nealtw

Has the truck paid for it self yet.


----------



## Chris

nealtw said:


> Has the truck paid for it self yet.




Getting close, if I could only get them to stop breaking it.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1458841428.353038.jpg


----------



## bud16415

I designed a couple dies to form an air inlet flange for a locomotive. Today we made a part. 

The funky clamp is to hold two halves together for welding.


----------



## havasu

I had one of those rolling screen doors that never worked correctly. Walking through my second home today (home depot) I saw that my local big box now carries the corner brackets which hold the wheels on the top and bottom of the screen. I popped off the screen, reinserted the new brackets, then added new steel roller wheels. Then I was able to remount the new screen on both sides of the door. That darn thing now slides without any resistance. Total cost ~$30.

I also was quoted $120 to rey key the patio door, since the previous idiot owner never provided a key to the door. I grabbed a new key cylinder, with two keys, and installed it in about 5 minutes and cost a total of $10!


----------



## Chris

Today on my way home from work I stopped at tractor supply and they had grease on sale for two bucks a tube so I grabbed a couple cases. Went to the register and paid for my cart full of crap I didn't need and took off. Got about halfway home when I realized the numbers didn't match up. Looked at my receipt and they charged me for two tubes of grease not two cases. My father in law was with me and told me I scored. Within two minutes it bugged me enough that I turned around and went back to the store and asked the lady at the register if she could please charge me for 18 more tubes of grease? She looked at me like I was a crazy person but was very thankful. She was new and the boxes were not set up correctly. I gave her my 36 bucks and was on my way. I felt a huge weight lifted just by paying this 36 bucks that was not even my fault.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Today on my way home from work I stopped at tractor supply and they had grease on sale for two bucks a tube so I grabbed a couple cases. Went to the register and paid for my cart full of crap I didn't need and took off. Got about halfway home when I realized the numbers didn't match up. Looked at my receipt and they charged me for two tubes of grease not two cases. My father in law was with me and told me I scored. Within two minutes it bugged me enough that I turned around and went back to the store and asked the lady at the register if she could please charge me for 18 more tubes of grease? She looked at me like I was a crazy person but was very thankful. She was new and the boxes were not set up correctly. I gave her my 36 bucks and was on my way. I felt a huge weight lifted just by paying this 36 bucks that was not even my fault.



  my wife read this, now Chris has a new fan for his fan club  :trophy:

she poo pooed Pa in law


----------



## havasu

Where is the nearest Tractor Supply? I know of one in Beaumont, but that is it. 

Went to dinner last night...well, actually a late lunch. We were the only people inside, so we had a conversation with the waitress. She talked about cheap old people who leave only a 5% tip. When we left, she told us she did not charge us for our ice teas or our salad bars, saving us about $16. Our bill was only $13, but we left a $20 tip.


----------



## bud16415

My brother in law and my sister owned a bar for a few years and he ended up hiring a guy to sit and drink beer in his bar all night and watch the bartenders. Wasn&#8217;t too hard to find someone for that job and the pay equaled the beer he drank so pretty much drank for free. 

After a few weeks he reported back his findings. All the good tippers got quite a few drinks on the house kind of a symbiotic relationship of sorts and number of patrons went up on the nights the owners were not tending bar by a car count in the parking lot but sales went down. Seems some of the good bartenders were making about $100 per hour. 

He figured it was better to pay for one guy to drink for free instead of 30.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Where is the nearest Tractor Supply? I know of one in Beaumont, but that is it.
> 
> Went to dinner last night...well, actually a late lunch. We were the only people inside, so we had a conversation with the waitress. She talked about cheap old people who leave only a 5% tip. When we left, she told us she did not charge us for our ice teas or our salad bars, saving us about $16. Our bill was only $13, but we left a $20 tip.






,we went to a mexican restaurant.

..didnt anyone in there speak english but us
my kind of spot..real mom an pop food.

the waitress was new to her job,  you could tell ,
how new was not clear till we gave her a 6 dollar tip.
seems she just came over to the states, ist day on the job.
6 bucks made her freak slap out.
she was jumping up and down squealing and laughing.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> Where is the nearest Tractor Supply? I know of one in Beaumont, but that is it.
> 
> Went to dinner last night...well, actually a late lunch. We were the only people inside, so we had a conversation with the waitress. She talked about cheap old people who leave only a 5% tip. When we left, she told us she did not charge us for our ice teas or our salad bars, saving us about $16. Our bill was only $13, but we left a $20 tip.



They are popping up everywhere, there is one about ten minutes away from me, also one in Norco and Lake Elsinore.


----------



## Chris

Today I got an email back from my city. I am trying to level out a 10,000 SF area of my property that is almost level now but I wanted to permit it. It is a one day job to do properly.

These are the requirements. No wonder nobody wants to build.

$0.00  	                Completed Plan Check Application
$1,200.00           	Grading Plans
$Waiting on quote	Hydrology/Hydraulic Reports
$1,400.00           	Soils Reports/Geotechnical Reports
$800                  	Final Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) 
              (if the private engineer determines one is required based on the WQMP applicability checklist)
$40.00               	Preliminary Title Reports (current &#8211; dated within the last 60 days)
$5.00                 	CD with all submitted plans and reports
              (should include a hyperlinked version of the Preliminary Title Report)
$2,878.40           	Plan Check Fee/Deposit (see fee schedule)
$951.00                     Permit Fee


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Today I got an email back from my city. I am trying to level out a 10,000 SF area of my property that is almost level now but I wanted to permit it. It is a one day job to do properly.
> 
> These are the requirements. No wonder nobody wants to build.
> 
> $0.00  	                Completed Plan Check Application
> $1,200.00           	Grading Plans
> $Waiting on quote	Hydrology/Hydraulic Reports
> $1,400.00           	Soils Reports/Geotechnical Reports
> $800                  	Final Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP)
> (if the private engineer determines one is required based on the WQMP applicability checklist)
> $40.00               	Preliminary Title Reports (current  dated within the last 60 days)
> $5.00                 	CD with all submitted plans and reports
> (should include a hyperlinked version of the Preliminary Title Report)
> $2,878.40           	Plan Check Fee/Deposit (see fee schedule)
> $951.00                     Permit Fee





damn..glad i live here.

this was the cost to clear and level my land to build.

Hello?  Lyn O ?  hey man,  I need to clear and level  couple acres.
and need a circle drive with 2 culvets....what can you do me for?

LYN..You on that property across from Melvin ?

Me..Yeah,  wifes, Sil, brother



.  Lyn  OH OK,,,I know the land

  $1500 hundred  with road base and 2 culverts

Me.  when ?

Lyn ..couple weeks.  it is a little to wet

 Me.   Ok...see ya in a couple weeks.  you need me to call and remind you?

Lyn...NA,  i'll be there


----------



## Chris

Politics is what holds us up. That and greed and lack of knowledge. My city is a new city so they just copied some other cities paperwork and require everything because they are not sure what to do themselves.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Politics is what holds us up. That and greed and lack of knowledge. My city is a new city so they just copied some other cities paperwork and require everything because they are not sure what to do themselves.



LOL...they are sure of one thing, they want your money.

those fees are crazy..even in the city we dont have fees that high.


----------



## Chris

I have been going back and forth with them all day. They have an Ag permit that covers clearing and grubbing but this supposedly falls as a home expansion even though I told them it is for a horse corral. Why do I need a soils report to put horses on land?


----------



## nealtw

*Why do I need a soils report to put horses on land?*

They want to make sure your land was not used as an industrial dump in the past. It's ok for you and the family but we do worry about the horse.


----------



## frodo

nealtw said:


> *Why do I need a soils report to put horses on land?*
> 
> They want to make sure your land was not used as an industrial dump in the past. It's ok for you and the family but we do worry about the horse.



cow and pig pastures are ate up with disease.


----------



## nealtw

Up here they would be worried about water run off and how that effects drainage and our farm land on the flats below.
Bunch of farmers here got together and sued a city for millions over mud washing onto their fields and everything tighten up after that.


----------



## Chris

nealtw said:


> Up here they would be worried about water run off and how that effects drainage and our farm land on the flats below.
> Bunch of farmers here got together and sued a city for millions over mud washing onto their fields and everything tighten up after that.



We have the same thing here. I am ok with that. supposedly the soils tech is to see if I can properly build my corral on it and if footing will be required. Because you know, we all put footing on a temp fence.


----------



## nealtw

People have been destroying land for ever only to be discovered years later. How else can you stop that without permits and inspection.


----------



## frodo

nealtw said:


> People have been destroying land for ever only to be discovered years later. How else can you stop that without permits and inspection.


ok,  i'll buy that.

what is the permit charge  for ?

you pay a inspection fee.  AND  property tax's


----------



## nealtw

frodo said:


> ok,  i'll buy that.
> 
> what is the permit charge  for ?
> 
> you pay a inspection fee.  AND  property tax's



pay to play:rofl:


----------



## nealtw

frodo said:


> ok,  i'll buy that.
> 
> what is the permit charge  for ?
> 
> you pay a inspection fee.  AND  property tax's



After thinking about it, the city doesn't pay for much with land development.
A developer pays for everything it takes to get to get a subdivision or house up and running and that is built into the price at sale. So it would be unfair if charges would be added to your property taxes for the next guy. 
If you look at city hall like a business, the cost of permits would be the building, the people working there and everything that goes with that. Inspection fees should pay for the inspectors and the expenses to do with that.


----------



## slownsteady

That sure is a lot of fees, but I can see both sides of that issue. Sure, you want to do what you wish with your land, but some of the things owners have done when no one was looking are horrible. And as Neal said may not show up for decades. We have superfund sites in NJ that go back to the '60s. Problem is, the gov't treats everything like one-size-fits-all.


----------



## Chris

I am 100% with having permits and inspections. It's everything else that kills it. My engineer should be enough with a plan, I should not have to have two other engineers along with him just for a horse pasture. Really a group of engineers costing me five grand to decide if a horse can stand on dirt.

I got another email back from city hall stating I have not paid my "stephans kangaroo rat fee" yet and that would be another 250 bucks. I don't even know what that is.

All in all it will cost me about 8 grand in engineering and permits to do a 500 dollar job. That is the part I can't wrap my head around.


----------



## Chris

Other than that today I cleaned out my garage and put up some steel shelving for junk storage. BBQ a tri tip  and now having a Moscow mule sitting by the smug pot.


----------



## havasu

I didn't do crap today except have a nice BBQ this evening.


----------



## Chris

Was good BBQ weather tonight here.


----------



## havasu

Sure was. How are the winds there Chris? We have 5-10 mph winds. It feels good blowing through the house right now.


----------



## Chris

About the same. But it is always breezy at my house. Sure helps when it's hotter than ****


----------



## bud16415

Went to sunrise service out at an old cemetery outside of town they had a big fire going temp was about 28. The site is above French Creek more of a river actually until George Washington went up it to talk to the French and called it a creek. The sun came up over a small mountain or large hill at 6:30am. After that we went to another family cemetery and came home for breakfast. Now waiting for the big family feed at 3:30.  

Happy Easter all.


----------



## Chris

Bought a tractor today. 2006 John Deere 210LE.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1459304963.777895.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1459304981.729657.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1459305001.827195.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1459305013.543921.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

Lost an 85 ft. tall oak tree on Sunday morning, spent the last two days cutting and cleaning up the mess. Still have the main trunk to go...and a whole lot more raking.


----------



## frodo

buy the fabric at a fabric store and cover them,,,


----------



## Chris

Got ripped off on jobsite again last night. Broke into my dump truck and stole the motor and pump off my water trailer. This is the 4th time this month.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1460126633.459801.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1460126671.977112.jpg


----------



## Chris

The thing had 500 gallons of water in it so they did get wet.


----------



## havasu

I friggin hate thieves.


----------



## oldognewtrick

If only Chris knew someone on the PD.


----------



## havasu

They would tell him that with his money, he should hire a guard service.


----------



## slownsteady

In NY, it's common to see site generators hoisted up on cranes overnight. Maybe you need an enclosed truck or small shipping container on site.


----------



## Chris

Two guys, left muddy footprints to their homeless camp. Muddy shoes that match. No stolen item so no crime. They did have fresh pizza and drinks.

We have a storage container and fencing and everything is locked up. They got into the container twice and cut all the locks every weekend.

This was bolted down, chained and hoses connected. Not easy to pull off.


----------



## Chris

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1460135961.763219.jpg


..........


----------



## oldognewtrick

Sounds like its time for a junk yard dog.


----------



## havasu

You should hire my ex-wife. She will bite everyone's head off.


----------



## Chris

I should put the drunk out there


----------



## Chris

I'll show you my ugly mug. I went fishing today. Caught two of the biggest shad I've ever caught. Buddy of mine caught a nice bass.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1460341234.613932.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1460341249.992499.jpg


----------



## havasu

Fish fry at Chris' house!


----------



## slownsteady

Please tell that thing you're holding is not the fish you caught.:


----------



## frodo

went to dullin banjers ms,    for some fun today and had a frigg'n blast.

subgunfan dropped by with 4 full auto machine guns.  










so we do what we do,,,ate some food and shot some targets !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the sons were skooled on full auto....grins from ear to ear..LOL

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRXnhf1TymA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRXnhf1TymA[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2HtHzx-sJ8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2HtHzx-sJ8[/ame]

shrek stopped by.....

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNiID-xWu9U"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNiID-xWu9U[/ame]


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eANhF_qlHs"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eANhF_qlHs[/ame]


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NVZmwROyk8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NVZmwROyk8[/ame]


----------



## Chris

slownsteady said:


> Please tell that thing you're holding is not the fish you caught.:




It was! Caught two that way. Always good when my lure is bigger than my catch.


----------



## havasu

Looks like all had a fun time at the shoot frodo!


----------



## frodo

we had a blast.

I shot all of these

also got my hands on a suppressed 45 . NICE!!!!


----------



## Chris

You sure are a lucky guy.


----------



## havasu

Is that a Glock hiding under the ears?


----------



## frodo

yeah,,,the glock !!!!!!!!!!!!,that is why its hiding.  someone thought it funny to bring a water pistol [plastic] 

Yeah, Chris,  I am lucky,  all these guys are straight up stand up guys that will do anything in the world for you  at the drop of a hat.

We get together,  to have fun, everybody brings their toys...you can shoot what anyone brings,  try and bring your own ammo.


----------



## frodo

THIS   AND THE CANNON

we are begging the owner to bring to our next meet,,,probably,  4th of july 
these are blanks he is shooting

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwveolBnaQ"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwveolBnaQ[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwveolBnaQ"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHwveolBnaQ[/ame]


mark your calendar


----------



## glock26USMC

This work thing always gets in the way


----------



## slownsteady

Well happy deer huntin' with that thing.


----------



## Chris

I'm working downtown today. This is one job I wish I could walk away from. Superintendent is is building this place from the roof down. Let's not call the underground guys until everything is built.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1461868536.314345.jpg


----------



## havasu

I took my neighbor shooting for the first time today. Well, he came back with the "bug", and is already wanting to start buying guns. This was a private event for law enforcement and was a shooting competition (2016 Allstate Shootout) and my son was working there, so I got to shoot his S&W M&P 9mm. Man, that was a sweet shooting gun! Also had vendors from H&K, S&W, FN, Remington, Beretta, and my favorite...Sig Sauer. No Glock vendors, dammit!


----------



## Chris

I'm watching the news and outside the trump rally is a bunch of idiots running in the streets causing havoc. Not sure how 50 Mexican flags flying in California is helping anyone's case? Them people need to stay on the sidewalk, we already get crazy enough sitting in traffic. I'm sure a driver will snap if they are almost home and a group of people stand in front of your car for no reason.


----------



## Chris

I am amazed at these idiots. Trying to protest trump by jumping on police cars. Really shows what kind of people they really are.


----------



## havasu

Well, the news is reporting that because of these idiots damaging cars and flying their Mexican flags, Trump's votes just doubled in California.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> I took my neighbor shooting for the first time today. Well, he came back with the "bug", and is already wanting to start buying guns. This was a private event for law enforcement and was a shooting competition (2016 Allstate Shootout) and my son was working there, so I got to shoot his S&W M&P 9mm. Man, that was a sweet shooting gun! Also had vendors from H&K, S&W, FN, Remington, Beretta, and my favorite...Sig Sauer. No Glock vendors, dammit!





here is a 1911 on sale,  damn good price

http://newsletter.ruralking.com/rkguns/email/2016-04-24/index.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-2016-04-24-rem-1911&utm_campaign=rem-1911&utm_content=view-as-web-page


----------



## havasu

That is a great price! Unfortunately, in Kommiefornia, this would be identified as an assault pistol and illegal for us to buy. Yeah, very scary.......:rofl:


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Well, the news is reporting that because of these idiots damaging cars and flying their Mexican flags, Trump's votes just doubled in California.




reports on polls are, bernie voters are turning to trump and 

blue collar democrats are voting for trump.

hillery will loose to trump,:  latest poll


----------



## Chris

I'm putting together a six inch fire line.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1461948419.325125.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1461948433.677918.jpg


We have to bolt this one together under the footing.


----------



## nealtw

Funny how that works, if you get there first and put that there the footing is made bigger to bridge your trench but if you come later and dig a tench, nobody cares about the footing.


----------



## Chris

This footing between myself the plumber and electrician has less than 50% native dirt under it.


----------



## Chris

What have we come to?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1462202825.679174.jpg


----------



## Fair2partlycloudy

I worked for 8 hrs. 


Now I just want some me time.


----------



## slownsteady

Watching The Pens-Caps game. Good hockey. Hoping the Pens can hold'em off for another three minutes.


----------



## Fair2partlycloudy

Work...come on Friday!


----------



## oldognewtrick

Ground out the grout and re-grouted a bath upstairs at a condo I'm selling and put new tile in a half bath downstairs. Still have to stain the deck and then it's time for the real estate agent. No more being a landlord for the oldog. New paint through out, new granite counter tops, new lights and a lot of little odds and ends that have nickeled and hundred  $ billed me to death... I need one sunny day.


----------



## slownsteady

We all need one sunny day :beer:


----------



## Chris

Glad I have great tenants that never want to move.


----------



## oldognewtrick

My tenants were my daughter and son in law plus 2 kids....


----------



## Chris

So you didn't make any money there did you?


----------



## oldognewtrick

Only cost me a couple hundred a month...


----------



## nealtw

Could have been worse.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAOuU2uDLW8[/ame]


----------



## slownsteady

not allowed to watch that south of the border.


----------



## havasu

Went to Super Cuts today for a haircut. This jet black haired, tattooed gal said I was second in line, and would be ready for me in 1/2 hour. I told her I would run to Home Depot and would be back in 20 minutes. Well, 20 minutes later I walked in and said, "welcome back, you are third in line for a haircut!" Now I get pissed and tell her how was that possible, since I am back before the half hour was done. She said sorry, but that's the way it was. Well, I'm really pissed and tell her that I was done with that BS (yeah, the full word) and said I was officially done going there. I drove across the street and got my haircut for $5 cheaper at a place that even washed your hair and includes a massage. 

Here is the kicker. Two hours later, I'm at a kids play area with my granddaughter when my a fellow co-worker and Sergeant walks up to me. I told him the story about the idiot girl at Supercuts and then I asked how his beautiful little blond daughter was doing. He said her hair was now jet black and had tattoos all over her body. He said she just started working at the Supercuts in my city, and showed me a picture of her.  

Yep, same gal. I kid you not!


----------



## oldognewtrick

I hear ya, I'm about as disappointed in getting haircuts as I am with the political process. Ain't any better east of the Mississippi.


----------



## Chris

I've been cutting my own hair for 15 years now.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Havasus's looking for a new barber, hear he tips well. &#128519;


----------



## Chris

I never said I was good.


----------



## oldognewtrick

You don't have to be good, just don't make him wait.


----------



## Chris

Deal!

Well I'm off to the airport and then to check on one of my jobs. We are on nights for the next couple weeks.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Went to Super Cuts today for a haircut. This jet black haired, tattooed gal said I was second in line, and would be ready for me in 1/2 hour. I told her I would run to Home Depot and would be back in 20 minutes. Well, 20 minutes later I walked in and said, "welcome back, you are third in line for a haircut!" Now I get pissed and tell her how was that possible, since I am back before the half hour was done. She said sorry, but that's the way it was. Well, I'm really pissed and tell her that I was done with that BS (yeah, the full word) and said I was officially done going there. I drove across the street and got my haircut for $5 cheaper at a place that even washed your hair and includes a massage.
> 
> Here is the kicker. Two hours later, I'm at a kids play area with my granddaughter when my a fellow co-worker and Sergeant walks up to me. I told him the story about the idiot girl at Supercuts and then I asked how his beautiful little blond daughter was doing. He said her hair was now jet black and had tattoos all over her body. He said she just started working at the Supercuts in my city, and showed me a picture of her.
> 
> Yep, same gal. I kid you not!





Havasu,  I was getting a hair cut at a local Mom and Pop Barber shop.
I was in the chair, laid back getting my hair washed.
the door opens,  some girl comes in yelling at the girl washing my hair.
they got into a fight on top of me.  Seems someone was doing something with someone that should not have been doing  something to somebody.

the old man, had to pull the girls off off each other,  that would be me under the girls.  wet headed with a gown thing on.

after apologies,  old man cut my hair.

NOTE...He cuts hair one way.  I dont care what you tell him,
he cuts hair one way,


----------



## Chris

Just got back from the airport and checking in a job. 1am here and I'm beat, spent most of the day shoveling and will get to do it again in a few hours.

Frodo, it's 4am go to bed or work.


----------



## frodo

its 3:30 wish i could,  sitting here drinking coffee


----------



## oldognewtrick

frodo said:


> its 3:30 wish i could,  sitting here drinking coffee



Well, quit day dreaming about the girls fighting over you and go back to bed.


----------



## Chris

Usually when I want to sleep I don't drink coffee?


----------



## frodo

coffee does not keep me up, it is the pain in my back, due to rods and screws that keeps me up
I could take mass quantity of morphine,  BUT I refuse to take opioids ,
they turn you into a zombie.  my buddys would shoot me,  they hunt zombies  LOL
 My dr. thinks I am nuts
I told him being able to think clearly, Trumps the pain I just take it slow, and easy,  I am able to do what I want
just not in a big hurry


----------



## Fair2partlycloudy

Worked for 9 hrs, came home cleaned out a room, getting ready to lay flooring.


I'm tired!


----------



## Chris

Worked, then took dad to the casino where he won and I lost then came home. Trying to fight a cold.


----------



## Fair2partlycloudy

Hope you win the fight Chris.

Feel better!


----------



## Chris

Gonna work a shovel all day tomorrow, that should do it.


----------



## frodo

I snuck up on this guy while he was mouse hunting


----------



## joecaption

Today I responded to two car wrecks with the fire dept., mowed 3 yards, hauled away a load of old rotten fire wood for a customer, bought a new edge trimmer, sold tickets for a chicken barbecue the fire dept.'s putting on and raffle tickets for a golf cart.


----------



## Chris

Today I'm gonna set three manholes and lower about ten clean outs and valve cans.


----------



## havasu

Today....well after I finish my coffee, I'll take the dogs for a walk. Then maybe a nap, watch TV, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed?


----------



## Fair2partlycloudy

Finally home. Feels good!


----------



## inspectorD

Worked...worked 70 hours already this week....is it Sunday yet....:hide:


----------



## havasu

I went to our monthly luncheon for my retired cop buddies today. Man, everyone sure is getting old, except me.


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Today....well after I finish my coffee, I'll take the dogs for a walk. Then maybe a nap, watch TV, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed?



How do you manage to get it all done...I'm envious....


----------



## oldognewtrick

inspectorD said:


> Worked...worked 70 hours already this week....is it Sunday yet....:hide:



Doing handstands in the cranberry bog is not considered work CaptD.


----------



## Chris

Worked my arse off. Driving to the mountains tomorrow to toe my nephews car to the shop.


----------



## inspectorD

Writing inspection reports....fun stuff...:


----------



## Fair2partlycloudy

Hung around the house. Watch some TV.


----------



## Chris

Picked up another project today.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1463461321.458837.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1463461334.827957.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1463461348.825358.jpg


----------



## nealtw

Case Va   42-55


----------



## frodo

LOL LOL>>>>>>DUDE!!! THAT IS PURDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


my first cousin Mr Dennis,  collects and restores tractors


he has a '48  that he says  is mine when he passes. it is sweet.

mechanically restored,  needs painting, looks as rough as yours,

 has bush hog and disc

I told him I am in no hurry.


----------



## Chris

nealtw said:


> Case Va   42-55




53 vac 14..........


----------



## nealtw

I hauled hay with one in the fifties.


----------



## Chris

I'm hoping I can bring this one back to life. Motor is frozen and it has been sitting in the desert for 30 years. I pulled the plugs and filled everything with a mixture of diesel, tranny fluid and marvel mystery oil. I ordered the necessities to get it running. If the motor ends up being toast it will make good yard art.


----------



## nealtw

Hows the clutch, often they are left to rot when the clutch goes.


----------



## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> I hauled hay with one in the fifties.




I didn't know those were around in the 1850's


----------



## Chris

1843 I believe is when they came out


----------



## nealtw

I think it's a VA, the VAC was a tricycle
You can check the numbers for correct year.
.http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/006/4/3/6437-ji-case-vac.html


----------



## Chris

Already checked them. And it is labeled. They came in both from what I understand.


----------



## frodo

my cousin is an expert on tractors,  every one around here goes to him with a problem.
his yard has 5 antique tractors in it,  steam, diesel, propane, they all run
and,  the old guy loves to talk,   if you listen ,  you learn a lot.

if you get in  bind, i'll give you his number,.  he will be tickled


----------



## glock26USMC

Just did 16 hours at work,  watching some of the cavs game, before 16 more tomorrow #AllinCLE


----------



## oldognewtrick

glock26USMC said:


> Just did 16 hours at work,  watching some of the cavs game, before 16 more tomorrow #AllinCLE




You're just working yourself into a higher tax bracket.


----------



## glock26USMC

oldognewtrick said:


> You're just working yourself into a higher tax bracket.



Very true, but I have no choice........short staffed


----------



## oldognewtrick

Just wait till the RNC comes to town.


----------



## glock26USMC

oldognewtrick said:


> Just wait till the RNC comes to town.



That is half my overtime right now, training and preparation.....it is going to be a total nightmare


----------



## oldognewtrick

Nightmare isn't quit what I was thinking. More of a cluster.


----------



## glock26USMC

Doesn't help,  we also have filming for the Fast and Furious 8


----------



## Chris

Bent a leaf spring into an S shape.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1464572632.584794.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

I'm hoping that's the jeep and not the motor home....


----------



## Chris

Yes, playing s little hard today.


----------



## frodo

WHEW!!!  I am full !

went to a crappie fish fry  yesterday


----------



## oldognewtrick

Thanks for the invite Frodo. &#128580;


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Thanks for the invite Frodo. &#55357;&#56900;



gonna pit roast a pig on the 4th of july

your invited.


nonnie and I will go get it the night before


----------



## Chris

I'll pack the RV.


I wish I could take a month off and road trip it across the US.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I'll pack the RV.
> 
> 
> I wish I could take a month off and *road trip* it across the US.



1st week in November is the best time of the year to be in the deer woods in Tennessee....just sayin....


----------



## inspectorD

Whew... Just returned from Inner Baltimore Harbor and Harpers Ferry ... long weekend but it was so worth it. I recommend Harpers ferry to anyone wanting to go back in time...cool place to visit.


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> 1st week in November is the best time of the year to be in the deer woods in Tennessee....just sayin....



my BIL lives in Mount juliet TN,   Thats close to you isn't it?

I might just ambush you  next time I visit him


----------



## frodo

picked up a  M96 swedish mauser barreled action and stock for a little of nothing,  

traded  M94 mauser rear site/front site/site cover for a M96  trigger guard assembly

ordered the rest of parts.

all i need now is a kick *** sexy stock,   

thinking about something along this line.   the middle stock with thumb hole


----------



## Chris

Not me but I just got a call from my foreman and him and two other employees got sprayed by a skunk trying to get him out of our trench so they can keep working.


----------



## slownsteady

some projects just stink........


----------



## Chris

At the Hearst castle today.


----------



## oldognewtrick

How's the skunk doing?


----------



## Chris

Don't know. This is the first cell signal I have had in days. In scared to call work.


----------



## havasu

How hot is it up there? It's been well over 100 here all week. Drive home very slowly!


----------



## nealtw

TonyHarb said:


> Working outside, 38 degrees, fells like +45.



You may want to convert that, these people will think your knee deep in snow.:thbup:


----------



## goose25

Found this guy wrapped on around my fried capacitor on my ac unit. Hit 103 today. Luckily I had it fixed by 11 am.


----------



## slownsteady

goose25 said:


> Found this guy wrapped on around my fried capacitor on my ac unit. Hit 103 today. Luckily I had it fixed by 11 am.



...and a hot lunch to boot...:thbup:


----------



## Chris

Stopped at a friends place in central California on our way home. Did some pig hunting. Had a good time. Weather has been cold the entire trip until today, it was warm. Was 112 at my house today. Not looking forward to that.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1469257850.967534.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1469257862.102317.jpg


Do you like my proper hunting attire? Shorts and tennis shoes are perfect for hiking through the brush.


----------



## havasu

Are you going to tell the Farmer John plant that you found the pig that escaped?


----------



## Chris

I just got home from vacation to three completely yellow and dead lawns about 50 dead plants and a few dead tree's. Scratches down the side of my pickup and my living room wood floors buckled. All this while I had three different people staying at my house to prevent any of this. I am pretty bitter at the moment.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I just got home from vacation to three completely yellow and dead lawns about 50 dead plants and a few dead tree's. Scratches down the side of my pickup and my living room wood floors buckled. All this while I had three different people staying at my house to prevent any of this. I am pretty bitter at the moment.



Sorry buddy... I'd of gone ballistic by now.:nono:.


----------



## Chris

Two of them figured the sprinklers were taking care of it, one saw it turning and figured I knew it would do that. The third which was my father in law who has been there a week is saying it was completely dead before he got there and he has been soaking it for a week. Dog got left inside for who knows how long and pissed on the floor a few times, now it is buckled. My dogs don't pee inside so it had to be from leaving them. Father in law borrowed my truck to do a dump run, rear quarter panel is scratched in several places and of course he has no idea how they got there and it is my problem. I hate people! I learned I can not leave my house for more than a few days ata time.


----------



## havasu

Wow, turn around, gas up, and continue that vacation.


----------



## Chris

I realy want to but if I leave again I may not come back. I had great weather the whole time and absolutely no traffic. I sat in bumper to bumper traffic for the last two hours of my trip home this morning in 110 degree heat. I really really have nothing that drives me to come back here except my company. Both my wife and I wonder why we live here? We are small town people living in a big city.


----------



## havasu

Your brain is probably still on vacation. Once you start getting up at 0430 and driving to LA, you will forget about all the fun you had.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> Your brain is probably still on vacation. Once you start getting up at 0430 and driving to LA, you will forget about all the fun you had.




Yup, once I forget there is America out there I will be brain washed back to the same old work til you die routine. Enjoying yourself is for vacation, not life.




slownsteady said:


> A smart marketer would know how to read and respond properly.




Dumb spammer.


----------



## frodo

sorry to hear about the a holes in the house.

glad you got a pig...gonna be sum fresh snausages on your grill  

Boudin

Ingredients:
2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 rib of celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, chopped
1/2 pound chicken livers
2 cups cooked rice
2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
2 green onions, chopped (green part only)
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
Salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste

Method:
Place the pork shoulder, celery, onion, garlic and bell pepper into a large pot. Cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. After an hour, add the chicken liver to the pot and continue to cook for 45 more minutes or until the pork is tender.

Strain the meat and vegetables, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the meat and vegetables with a knife, in a food processor or in a meat grinder set for a coarse grind. Once diced, place meat and vegetables in a bowl.

Add to the bowl the cooked rice, jalapeños, thyme, oregano, paprika, green onions and parsley. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and combine until the filling is moist and slightly sticky. If it appears too dry, add more of the reserved liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper and cayenne.

To make boudin sausage, stuff into casing (see below for instructions) and then poach in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can either serve the filling as a dressing, or you can roll it into walnut-sized balls, dip into finely crushed crackers and fry in 350 degree oil for 2 minutes or until brown to make boudin balls.

Yield: about 12 sausages or 5 cups of filling

Note: If you have any concerns about cooking the chicken livers in the pork pot, by all means you can cook the livers separately, and then mix them with the cooked pork and other pot vegetables when you dice them or run them through the food processor.

How to stuff sausage

What youll need:
4 feet of hog casing, sized 32/35mm
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
A sausage stuffer

if you dont have a stuffer, just make patties


----------



## oldognewtrick

Dang Frodo, ya got me wanting to make some sausage. &#128077;


----------



## renoauction

Just paid my GST Tax.
Spend so much time sorting out stuff for the Govt UNPAID.


----------



## Chris

Woke up and looked out back to find two bobcats playing in the yard.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1471184981.897286.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1471184999.079497.jpg


----------



## frodo

thats cool,  we have them,  but never see them


----------



## oldognewtrick

I think you need a bigger fence.


----------



## slownsteady

Take them in and cuddle them.............yeah, right.


----------



## Chris

Just boarded a plane and am stuck for a few hours behind the stingiest person on earth


----------



## havasu

I am NOT sitting in front of you!


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Just boarded a plane and am stuck for a few hours behind the stingiest person on earth



Your sitting behind the cheap seats?


----------



## Chris

It was supposed to be stinky. My phone likes to change things.

So far Idaho is not what I was expecting, it is way nicer! People friendly and it's a clean nice place.


----------



## nealtw

So sitting in the cheap seats stinks.
People are nicer the further north you go.


----------



## Chris

Probably. I did get a cheap hotel and this place is nicer than my house.


----------



## havasu

Are you headed out alone, or did your wife go with you?


----------



## Chris

Wife and kids. Makes for an expensive weekend. Paid 90 bucks to leave my truck at the airport and 240 bucks to borrow one at the next.


----------



## oldognewtrick

So...gotta ask...who's watering the plants while you're gone....


----------



## zannej

I'm catching up on this. Awww. Bobcats. When I was a kid some guy had caught a female bobcat in a trap. She was alive but had a wounded paw. He wanted to sell her to have her killed, mounted, and stuffed. My father overheard that and offered to pay more for her. He built her an enclosure and took care of her while she recovered. She had some kits that were absolutely adorable. We brought one up to the house and he nursed from our cats (we had about 3 or 4 cats who all had kittens about the same time). Cutest little bugger. Sadly, the kits got amoebic dysentery. We released the mother back into the wild once she was fully recovered.

I never noticed odors much on planes-- but then, my brother is pretty stinky. He likes to eat stuff that gives him gas before going on a flight. One time he ate a bunch of hard boiled eggs and ended up smack in the middle of the center row in cattle class on a flight. There were 5 seats across and he was dead center. As soon as the sign to remove seatbelts and move about the cabin came on, everyone around my brother for like 3 or 4 rows got up and moved away.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Wife and kids. Makes for an expensive weekend. Paid 90 bucks to leave my truck at the airport and 240 bucks to borrow one at the next.




next time you go on a trip like that.  stop by any company and fill out an app for employment
business trip, write it off


----------



## Chris

oldognewtrick said:


> So...gotta ask...who's watering the plants while you're gone....




I soaked it all before I left and crossed my fingers.


----------



## Chris

Been looking at homes all day. Found two I really like.


----------



## havasu

How about some pics so we could decide for you?


----------



## Chris

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/13700-Liberty-Rd_Sweet_ID_83670_M18503-56505

http://www.realtor.com/realestatean...hoe-Bend_ID_83629_M19784-33589?ex=ID597998228


----------



## Chris

The one for 399 needs a lot of work, its a log home that was never taken care of and all the log is rotting. I would need to replace every exterior wall. A task I am willing to do for that piece of property, it is at the end of a long dirt road and 250 acres of freedom. elk, deer, turkey and every other wild animal I can imagine on the property. Very secluded. The other is a beautiful home on 20 acres just off the highway with water rights so I can farm or run a couple cow. There are a few homes round it and it is nice but it is not secluded at all.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> The one for 399 needs a lot of work, its a log home that was never taken care of and all the log is rotting. I would need to replace every exterior wall. A task I am willing to do for that piece of property, it is at the end of a long dirt road and 250 acres of freedom. elk, deer, turkey and every other wild animal I can imagine on the property. Very secluded. The other is a beautiful home on 20 acres just off the highway with water rights so I can farm or run a couple cow. There are a few homes round it and it is nice but it is not secluded at all.



if you are willing to do the work.
i would pick the acreage, 

how deep is water ? 

i assume,  you have power?
well, septic ?


----------



## Chris

Yes power well and septic in whatever condition they are in. Guy passed away 8years ago and family is out of state with no interest in property. Realtor just called and said there has been offers onit so who knows if my low ball offer will work but I may try anyway.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Yes power well and septic in whatever condition they are in. Guy passed away 8years ago and family is out of state with no interest in property. Realtor just called and said there has been offers onit so who knows if my low ball offer will work but I may try anyway.




if you do get the house.
that water heater has been sitting there with stank water for 8 years
no telling what is growing in side that tank..trash it, 
it could make your baby sick.

then,  before using the water,  those pipes need to be flushed and sanitized
easy to do, 
inject bleach, let it sit,  24 hours,  the flush the crap out of it ,,lt it run for 8 hours


lucky bastid,  i see a 1500 yard range in your future
you need to get that old bunk house in tip top shape, cause Havasu and I will be popping in.

before you leave calif.
see if you can find a used walk in cooler, from a restaurant going out of business sale
put that in your barn to age your deer and elk in.SWEET!!


----------



## havasu

Oh yeah, we will be coming there for sure!


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Oh yeah, we will be coming there for sure!



its ok as long as you dont fart in your sleep.:down: if you do 
i will put your bunk outside with you asleep in it:rofl:

you will wake up with a road runner pecking at you  :rofl:


----------



## Chris

This place is all sorts of nice. This city is much nicer than I imagined. It's clean, people are friendly and respectful of others. Even when they are from California.


----------



## Chris

Going today to another part of town to look at property in more of a wooded area.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Going today to another part of town to look at property in more of a wooded area.




trees,,,yes!!!!!  

look at this..

View attachment 12355


that pond, is where i hang out


----------



## zannej

Chris, I think the base price for the smaller home may end up being lower than what it will cost to fix up the larger one-- but that is a LOT of acreage. If you ever decide that you don't want all of that land, you can probably sell off some of it-- maybe only to people you like/trust. Are there any ponds or the like anywhere on the land.

In addition to the dryrot, water probably stucking, etc, it looks like there is somewhat of a deck outside that needs railing. It looks sort of like it is on a slope. Is it in a stable area where it isn't likely to slide if an earthquake hits?

I admit, the cheeseball in me likes the fact that the larger one is on Liberty street.


----------



## frodo

schools....big time factor,  what are the schools like?   

i like the idea of home school, but, a kid needs to be around other kids, to learn to be a kid
if you could figure out how to home school with a few others.


----------



## Chris

Schools are pretty good here. A lot of parent involvement.

So far we are leaning towards the 20 acre one. It has everything we need with little work to be done except building a shop. It has a great location for running my business out of which is a bonus. Ultimately I wanted to go cheap but cheap doesn't always give you where you want to be. This area is pretty much all ranchers and farmers.

As for the 250 acre lot they have multiple offers already for about the same as I would offer. The owner doesn't think it has any structural damage which is a lie. I think he just wants to get as much as he can out if it.


----------



## frodo

sounds like you need to walk away from the acerage.    kinda funny how it sat for 8 years narry a nibble
then when your interested a flurry of offers..  i do not believe in coincidences 

you will find a good location,  

i learned something.   walk next door, knock on the door
ask the owner, straight up,  is this a good neighborhood?
realator is not allowed to tell you


----------



## Chris

I believe everything happens for a reason. If it is not meant to be it won't be.

That property has been on and off the market for years. It was owned by a pilot who never maintained it from the day he bought it. He didn't live there and just visited on occasion. He was the one who died 8years ago.


----------



## Chris

We are home now. Yay!


----------



## havasu

Well, when are you gunna move?


----------



## Chris

Putting an offer in this week. Might move in the next year or so.


----------



## frodo

what did you find ?   anything worth looking at again.  

i have an idea,  just buy some land, and have a house built on it like you want


----------



## slownsteady

How are you planning to wind down your business, Chris?


----------



## Chris

I looked at a lot of land and only a few stuck out and they were not cheap. 

That 20 acre house we looked at three days in a row. It really has everything we need except a shop and being in the middle of nowhere. bLM and forestry are minutes away.

Did any of you guys here the news about LAX? Reports if gun fire and people running around? That happened right after we left the airport. 

The more we travel around and leave California the more we see the negative of California. Everyone has always said that you don't know what you are missing until you leave and we are starting to see it. The drive back from the airport for the first 45 minutes drives through cities that not one of you would walk down a road at night and are just full of crime.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I looked at a lot of land and only a few stuck out and they were not cheap.
> 
> That 20 acre house we looked at three days in a row. It really has everything we need except a shop and being in the middle of nowhere. bLM and forestry are minutes away.
> 
> Did any of you guys here the news about LAX? Reports if gun fire and people running around? That happened right after we left the airport.
> 
> The more we travel around and leave California the more we see the negative of California. Everyone has always said that you don't know what you are missing until you leave and we are starting to see it. The drive back from the airport for the first 45 minutes drives through cities that not one of you would walk down a road at night and are just full of crime.



http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/us/lax-police-emergency/index.html


false alarm


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/us/lax-police-emergency/index.html
> 
> 
> false alarm



They are doing a bunch of construction there, someone probably used a hammer.

Glad I was gone before all that. Sadly it happens all too often.


----------



## Chris

Today it is back to the grind. Chasing that dollar.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> They are doing a bunch of construction there, someone probably used a hammer.
> 
> Glad I was gone before all that. Sadly it happens all too often.




25 caliber nail gun  for shooting studs to concrete and beams
most likley 








damn things will give you a heart attack if you aint acting right

i was messing with a married woman.  years ago
one of them went off i thought the husband done found me      lo lol


----------



## Chris

I love it when I volunteer to do an overnight "quick" sewer repair three hours from home to find out I have to jackhammer a six foot deep hole of slurry without getting any sleep.


----------



## nealtw

Don't be so noisy with that machine,we are trying to sleep over here.


----------



## Chris

I'm surprised nobody has called the cops yet. 

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1472720214.965060.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I'm surprised nobody has called the cops yet.
> 
> View attachment 12393



The days not over yet.....


----------



## Chris

Nope! Still hammering.


----------



## Chris

Nine hours of jackhammering and have the hole three feet deep.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1472735647.836964.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

You _do_ know that you're supposed to plug that thing in.....right?


----------



## Chris

I didn't know that? No wonder we are all worn out.


----------



## oldognewtrick

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMLrAcW3lUw[/ame]


----------



## Chris

I feel like a zombie. Can't wait for this day to be over.


----------



## nealtw

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfyDBxt9sYs[/ame]


----------



## zannej

Wow! I hope you get the place you put the offer in on, Chris. And damn, that jackhammering is taking a long time. I bet the stuff underneath the concrete is rocky.

Does the place you're moving to use the same plumbing code?

I've been taking care of my rottweiler who is recovering from the tumor removal (meds every 8 hours), the akita mutt who needs thyroid meds 2x a day, and a sick cat who needs to be checked up on. 

I went back for my checkup with my doctor and my thyroid and cholesterol levels are now within normal range. He also gave me some good news-- in his medical opinion, my back sprain was caused because of the tension in my back resulting from the car accident-- so he thinks the other driver's car insurance should pay my ER bill as well as for the meds. He had his clerks print out a list of the bills and appointment info for all the times I came in because of the car accident and then gave me the name and number of a good lawyer.


----------



## Chris

Counter offered on a house today. Wish me luck.


----------



## havasu

My feeling is if you get it, it was meant to be. Good luck!


----------



## Chris

I'm sticking to my counter so we will see. House has been on and off market for a couple years and this time for four months with no offers. It is more expensive than its area can afford and rural so I guess it is normal for them to sit for a long time.

Sent in my offer yesterday and they called my realtor to say they had another offer. Thought it was convenient that no offers in four months and as soon as I offer there is another. Probably just realtor games.


----------



## havasu

I got sucked into that "you better hurry, we're getting another offer right now" bull$hit. I now know damn well that this house sat vacant for 5 months and because of that statement, I dumped another $10k just to get this house. That is one of my bigger regrets that I will always remember and is why I really hate the listing agent.


----------



## Chris

It's all a game.  This is the house I am offering on, little more money than I originally planned but I won't need any room additions.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7810-N-Highway-52-Sweet-ID-83670/112009697_zpid/


----------



## havasu

Beautiful house. Are you going to continue your business down here?


----------



## Chris

They Accepted our offer.

Yes I will for the time being. I will either look for a government job up there at a water district or something or I will start up a business.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> They Accepted our offer.
> 
> Yes I will for the time being. I will either look for a government job up there at a water district or something or I will start up a business.



Congratulation!


----------



## Chris

Thanks! We are excited to get out of here. Going to be a big transition, hoping it all goes well. Now to get my house ready to sell. Time to recoup some money.


----------



## Chris

oldognewtrick said:


> Congratulation!



Now you can visit me for Elk hunting.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Now you can visit me for Elk hunting.



Sounds like we need to do some hunt swaps...:agree:


----------



## Chris

oldognewtrick said:


> Sounds like we need to do some hunt swaps...:agree:



Sounds good, where I am going BLM Land is my back fence. In that area there is Elk, Mule Deer, Antelope, Turkey and wolves.


----------



## havasu

So much for my gun room, huh? Actually, I'm quite happy you got the house. Please remember that I could be had to help move, provided you supply the beer!


----------



## Chris

Good, I hope you like towing trailers.

Gun room will go in the new house. I still have the vault door and not going to give it up easily. New house already has a sweet basement to add onto.


----------



## slownsteady

As they say in Idaho; "Mazel Tov!!"


----------



## Chris

You know, I heard that a lot there.


----------



## inspectorD

Congrates!!!

New is good, only get one run at life, make it what you want, or sit back and watch it go by.
Good luck!!


----------



## Chris

inspectorD said:


> Congrates!!!
> 
> 
> 
> New is good, only get one run at life, make it what you want, or sit back and watch it go by.
> 
> Good luck!!




I hope I am making the right decision for my family. Starting over is going to be tough but at least so far financially I have made pretty good decisions. Let's just hope I am not throwing it all away.


----------



## zannej

Chris said:


> I hope I am making the right decision for my family. Starting over is going to be tough but at least so far financially I have made pretty good decisions. Let's just hope I am not throwing it all away.



It's a beautiful house! I do hope everything works out for you. 
I'm hoping you can get a good job there and that your family will love it.

Moving is always tough and takes some adjustment, but it can be worth it to gain new experiences. I moved around a LOT when I was younger. Some places sucked, but others were good. And there were good and bad things about most of the places.

On a complete side note, I could use some advice. I'm gathering up the medical bills and such related my car accident and I'm debating whether or not to submit the info to the insurance company first and see what they offer or if I should just go straight to the lawyer first. I don't know how much the lawyer charges, but the first consultation is supposed to be free.


----------



## Chris

Go to a lawyer, it is the only way you will get properly compensated. These insurance companies are set to give you nothing.


----------



## havasu

The lawyer won't cost you a thing. They will take it on contingency and will pull 30-40% off of what you get.


----------



## havasu

Chris said:


> Good, I hope you like towing trailers.
> 
> Gun room will go in the new house. I still have the vault door and not going to give it up easily. New house already has a sweet basement to add onto.



Just give me the word...I'll be there.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> The lawyer won't cost you a thing. They will take it on contingency and will pull 30-40% off of what you get.




What he said. I am dealing with the same thing myself. The insurance company did not even want to pay all my medical but only what they thought was fair. Only wanted to pay for my rental car for a few days when my truck was in the shop for a month. Lawyer will cost about 1/3 of your settlement which will be about three times your medical and any other out of pocket. They will get paid when you get paid. Also keep track of any mileage you have for doctors or anything else you had to do because of the accident and you will be reimbursed.


----------



## Chris

Just had one of my work trucks impounded. Driver must have pissed off the cop. Got impounded for no smog check. Everything is paid just haven't had the smog check done. I thought my employee took it in but I guess not. Live and learn I guess.


----------



## nealtw

That should cost you 500 to 600.


----------



## Chris

130 city admin fee
285 for the tow

I thank the sheriff for the costly reminder to go smog my truck.


----------



## nealtw

Plus cost of work not getting done, pick up driver, pick up truck.


----------



## bud16415

We pay 35 bucks or something in one county here for an emission test all they do is check the seal of the gas cap. They built a huge multimillion dollar testing place and closed it down before it opened. A guy bought it for cheap and it is now a brewery. I moved just across the county line and we don&#8217;t have testing so I save 35 bucks a year now.  

You couldn&#8217;t pay me to live on the left coast.


----------



## Chris

Ours is pretty harsh testing. Very easy to fail. It's not so much about emissions but a money scheme. If it were just an emission test that would be great. 

Worst part is truck gets impounded and I can pick it up immediately as soon as it offloads because my registration is paid they can't keep it. I paid 500 bucks to have it towed back next to my shop. About five miles. 130 is a city admin fee that they could not tell me what it was for. Tow company charges more because it was an impound. Here is my memo on the check. I probably shouldn't post my company name but I'm sure most already know it and heck it's public anyway.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1473707163.101392.jpg


----------



## nealtw

We had it different up here, you couldn't get insurance unless you past the test. But all the newer are cars were passing so they had few retests and the tester was a private contractor from NY that had a guaranteed income so they dropped it.

You want to see what they do to a truck when someone dies in an accident.


----------



## Chris

Probably what they should do to trucks when someone dies.

They don't care about not having you drive it here they just want money, plain and simple.


----------



## zannej

Chris said:


> What he said. I am dealing with the same thing myself. The insurance company did not even want to pay all my medical but only what they thought was fair. Only wanted to pay for my rental car for a few days when my truck was in the shop for a month. Lawyer will cost about 1/3 of your settlement which will be about three times your medical and any other out of pocket. They will get paid when you get paid. Also keep track of any mileage you have for doctors or anything else you had to do because of the accident and you will be reimbursed.



Insurance companies really suck. I'm sorry you're going through that. I'm even more sorry that I know you suffered the back injury from it. And I bet the person who ran into the back of you doesn't even care or think about it. 

As for emissions tests-- in some ways we are "lucky" here because it is the worst state for environmental concerns. They don't do emissions tests. I'm sure if they did, there would be a LOT of cars/trucks taken off the road (or that would just be driven illegally-- bc a lot of people drive things without inspection and just know what places to avoid).


----------



## frodo

we had safety inspection stickers on our cars,   5 bucks a year,  per inspection.

they repealed that law this year,,  no more inspections  yea!!!


----------



## havasu

In Kommiefornia, we have to do smog checks every 3 years, at the tune of about $65. Every place I know is crooked as hell, because if you slip them $200, they will pass anything. One more thing Governor Brown has done to ruin a great state.


----------



## nealtw

Ours was 75 per year, all computer so there was no buying your way thru. They were set up to do a drive thru but most often it was a parking lot.


----------



## oldognewtrick

True story, took my Jeep in to get the emission test, attendant come up and said they couldn't get an exhaust reading because I had an exhaust leak. Sure enough, he couldn't get any reading when he put the probe in the receiver for the trailer hitch...here's your sign...


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> In Kommiefornia, we have to do smog checks every 3 years, at the tune of about $65. Every place I know is crooked as hell, because if you slip them $200, they will pass anything. One more thing Governor Brown has done to ruin a great state.



It's every two years and 150 bucks.


I found out why that truck failed before. It used to be a gas company truck that had a locating device, when they added that device it plugged into the OBDII port and added a new port for reading. Well the last smog guy plugged into the dead port so it wouldn't read and he failed it. I took it to my guy today and it passed within a few minutes. Told my employee to go drive around the same place he got impounded so he can get pulled over again just to rub it in the cops face for being a prick. It will be worth the hourly rate I am paying.


----------



## bud16415

True story at my old house in the county that has emission as part of the state inspection once per year I always took my truck to a guy that has inspection shop and makes all kinds of repairs (full Service garage) he is told by the state he needs to do emissions or else he will lose his inspections. He agrees and is told he needs to invest close to 10 grand in a computer system and go on line to the state. He says 10 grand to inspect gas caps and tells them he will replace every gas cap that comes in his shop for inspection as he can buy a lot of gas caps for 10 grand. Answer of course is No. he then tells them he has a computer and internet why can&#8217;t they use his computer with software and use his computer? Answer is no. can I use this new computer to do my book work and such? Answer is no.  

Now down the street is a dealership with ten bays and they say no problem 10 guys can use one computer no problem they just roll it up and down the bay. 

The little guy had to put off investing in his business adding a second lift something he really needed to waste his money on this stupid stuff. The really dumb part is if he moved his shop 15 miles down the road he wasn&#8217;t required to do any of it. 

It is all about money.


----------



## oldognewtrick

It is all about money.

As is most of the feel good laws that help protect us. &#128580;


----------



## Chris

Just booked another trip to Idaho for this weekend to do our walk through and sign some papers. I am burning through my AMEX points.


----------



## frodo

which one did you buy ?    i'm behind,  catch me up


----------



## oldognewtrick

2 racks of baby backs getting some hickory love in my smoker. Been raining off and on today. Hanging out under the awning waiting on Happy Hour. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474137622.672599.jpg


----------



## Chris

This is the reservoir across the street from our new house.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474146484.791849.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474146508.673656.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474146522.423033.jpg


----------



## zannej

I bet the kids are going to love it!

I can't remember, does your new house have a pool? I just remember that it had an awesome kitchen and master bathroom.

I'm so happy for you!

I got woken up by AT&T sending a technician out to fix my line. It went out during a power outage the other day & I had to contact them online to order a repair. Couldn't get logged in to the account for some odd reason so I had to use the online chat. First thing they did was give me the phone number to call to request a repair. I had to explain a few times that I wasn't able to make or receive calls. Then they processed the repair request for me & then asked for a phone contact number to call me in the meantime. I again referred them to prior info about no phone. LOL. But, the guy came out bright and early, hooked up to the box at my house and then said he had to go look at the box down the road. It must have been that box because it fixed the problem.


----------



## Chris

No pool and the yard needs a few years worth of love but really that reservoir and park are a one minute drive from the driveway


----------



## havasu

Damn, that is a great place Chris. 

I went to my ex's house (yeah, my old house) and installed a new stove top and oven. Something that I use to do for free now cost her alot of money.


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Damn, that is a great place Chris.
> 
> I went to my ex's house (yeah, my old house) and installed a new stove top and oven. Something that I use to do for free now cost her alot of money.



My ex and I can't be in the same zip code unless it involves grand kids...http://www.jforum.com/attachments/659299-machine-gun-gif.553/


----------



## havasu

Yeah, my G/F is not too pleased. She thinks I will be back with the wicked witch of the north, south, east AND west!


----------



## Chris

I get to work in the field today. I am replacing this 8" gate valve and PIV that won't shut down completely. It had a good life, it was put in service in 1987.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474398612.043179.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474398651.092565.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

What is PIV?


----------



## Chris

Post indicator valve. That stem has a window that lets you know if the valve is open or shut. Used on a fire sprinkler main and it is also alarmed to know if anyone is tampering with it.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474424617.094627.jpg


View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1474424632.627799.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

Ah, so. Thanks for the info.


----------



## Chris

No problem, they are pretty simple systems. Every fire system has a backflow device (we call them RPDA (Reduced pressure detection device) or DCDA (Double Check Detector assy) basically the same thing, one has one check valve and one has two. The RPDA has a blow off device to relieve pressure on the private side.. Then you have a PIV which is an isolation valve the shuts the system down so the a fire pumper truck can fill the system from an FDC (Fire Dept Connection) (those 2.5" capped openings you see on buildings) The valve gets shut and the pumper truck takes water from a hydrant and pumps the pressure up and fills the fire system to make the sprinklers work at maximum efficiency. From the FDC it goes into the building through another check valve and then onto the ceiling. Hope this makes sense? These systems are a big part of what we do for a living.


----------



## nealtw

As long as you don't give us a test next week.


----------



## Chris

Fire System 101 test next Tuesday Morning at 8am Pacific standard time.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Fire System 101 test next Tuesday Morning at 8am Pacific standard time.



doesn't the test have an acronym?:hide:


----------



## frodo

rescued a dog   some low down son of a biscuit eater dropped her off
out in the middle of nowhere.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Cute puppy Frodo. Looks like he's happy he found you.

People that drop off pets like that really annoy me...


----------



## nealtw

Somebody might be looking for her.


----------



## Chris

The news bugged me tonight. There was a man shot during a protest in NC, not by a cop but by another protester. The news kept saying that the police were at fault because they escalated and were mean (not in those words but kept repeating how the police are what made the situation worse for being there) Somehow it is the polices fault for showing up to a bunch of people jumping on cars and lighting things on fire.


----------



## havasu

Them idiots use any excuse possible just to get free crap at WalMart. I for one am tired of it.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Them idiots use any excuse possible just to get free crap at WalMart. I for one am tired of it.



#havasu tired of it and aint gonna take it no mo


----------



## Chris

I got the official letter that I am being sued for a lady tripping over one of my steel plates covering a trench. Now she has a soar shoulder and knee. I asked if she was paying attention to where she was walking and looking where she was going and the response I got from the lawyer is that their client was taught to hold her head high and be proud when she walked. I can't believe people can sue for this? They won't if she fell down or not and the date and time that this injury happened was exactly when I personally was in the same location meeting with an inspector. Nobody fell that day.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I got the official letter that I am being sued for a lady tripping over one of my steel plates covering a trench. Now she has a soar shoulder and knee. I asked if she was paying attention to where she was walking and looking where she was going and the response I got from the lawyer is that their client was taught to hold her head high and be proud when she walked. I can't believe people can sue for this? They won't if she fell down or not and the date and time that this injury happened was exactly when I personally was in the same location meeting with an inspector. Nobody fell that day.



hire a PI  to follow her to the grocery store,  video her pushing a cart and loading her car..extra bonus if you catch her at the gym working out


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I got the official letter that I am being sued for a lady tripping over one of my steel plates covering a trench. Now she has a soar shoulder and knee. I asked if she was paying attention to where she was walking and looking where she was going and the response I got from the lawyer is that their client was taught to hold her head high and be proud when she walked. I can't believe people can sue for this? They won't if she fell down or not and the date and time that this injury happened was exactly when I personally was in the same location meeting with an inspector. Nobody fell that day.



You can be sued for ANYTHING, legit or not. They're hoping you'd settle to avoid the legal fees. Fighting this will cost more than the award. Your insurance company will probably settle, just or not...just saying.


----------



## havasu

This country has just gone to s#!t. Since this is not a political section, I will just shut up.


----------



## frodo

,,,,,,,,,,,,,


----------



## zannej

Chris, people sue over the dumbest things. 

Frodo, I couldn't see the picture of your new doggie. I hate when people dump their dogs. All of mine were ones that were dumped and we rescued them (well, one was dumped and decided to enter our yard and stay).

My poor rottweiler isn't doing very well. I noticed there were lumps growing back around where she had her previous tumor removed. I checked her leg and found that there are lumps spread all over that leg on the inside of the leg and back and front. She also has at least one lump on her other back leg. The vet said the biopsy showed it to be an extremely aggressive form of cancer. He said that it probably wouldn't be worth it to try to cut them off because they would likely grow back and it would just make her suffer. So, for now all I can do is give her meds 3x a day to try to slow the tumor growth and keep her as comfortable as possible. It is looking like we will eventually have to get her put down if she starts to suffer too much, but I'm hoping that won't be for awhile now. My last couple of pets that had cancer just died on their own. This dog is the 5th pet of mine to get cancer in the last 9 years. 

The dog is having some trouble walking already. Her back legs are weak. My brother's stupid mutt knocked her over earlier and she got her back legs tangled up and couldn't get back up. I had to pick her up and untangle her legs and set her in the house. She was able to limp over to her bed and flop down.

I hate cancer.


----------



## Chris

Today we had my daughters fourth birthday party. Smoked five tri tips and two pork shoulders. Taught my young nephew how to drive a backhoe. Good times with all.


----------



## Chris

I am at a wedding where I know absolutely no one and I can't find any booze.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> I am at a wedding where I know absolutely no one and I can't find any booze.




You're at the wrong wedding.....


----------



## Chris

I was hoping to not be at a wedding. I found the bar and it is closed. I'm also fairly certain everyone under 30 is high right now.


----------



## havasu

What good is a wedding where there is no drinking?


----------



## Chris

The wife is good looking at least.


----------



## Chris

Man buns everywhere. I don't fit in at all.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I am at a wedding where I know absolutely no one and I can't find any booze.




night mare on wedding street..


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> Chris, people sue over the dumbest things.
> 
> Frodo, I couldn't see the picture of your new doggie. I hate when people dump their dogs. All of mine were ones that were dumped and we rescued them (well, one was dumped and decided to enter our yard and stay).
> 
> My poor rottweiler isn't doing very well. I noticed there were lumps growing back around where she had her previous tumor removed. I checked her leg and found that there are lumps spread all over that leg on the inside of the leg and back and front. She also has at least one lump on her other back leg. The vet said the biopsy showed it to be an extremely aggressive form of cancer. He said that it probably wouldn't be worth it to try to cut them off because they would likely grow back and it would just make her suffer. So, for now all I can do is give her meds 3x a day to try to slow the tumor growth and keep her as comfortable as possible. It is looking like we will eventually have to get her put down if she starts to suffer too much, but I'm hoping that won't be for awhile now. My last couple of pets that had cancer just died on their own. This dog is the 5th pet of mine to get cancer in the last 9 years.
> 
> The dog is having some trouble walking already. Her back legs are weak. My brother's stupid mutt knocked her over earlier and she got her back legs tangled up and couldn't get back up. I had to pick her up and untangle her legs and set her in the house. She was able to limp over to her bed and flop down.
> 
> I hate cancer.



Biscuit,  meet ms Zanne,  Ms Zanne, Biscuit


----------



## frodo

been in the hospital for a 4 days fighting a bad *** infection.


----------



## Chris

Found the free beer


----------



## havasu

frodo said:


> been in the hospital for a 4 days fighting a bad *** infection.



A bad *** infection, 

or

a bad, *** infection?

Neither sounds good!:down:


----------



## Chris

I almost stole the scarf from man bun boy to see what he would do.

Free beer is worthless when you are the driver


----------



## Chris

Wife has had one too many and is on the dance floor. What to do?

1. Watch and see what happens.

2. Pretend I have no idea who she is and go to the bar.

3. Go drag her home kicking and screaming.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Video and use for a "Get Out Of Jail" card later on....


----------



## Chris

I saved her the embarrassment and went and danced with her.


----------



## slownsteady

I can't think of many three-letter body parts......one of which Frodo shouldn't have


----------



## havasu

This thread is worthless without pics!


----------



## Chris

I didn't take a single pic last night.


----------



## havasu

Why are grandkids soccer games held so friggin early?


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Why are grandkids soccer games held so friggin early?



:agree:  I wish, my grandsons games are at 11:00...screws up the day...oh well, the world doesn't revolve around me I guess...


----------



## havasu

....................


----------



## frodo

nealtw said:


> Somebody might be looking for her.




i asked around.   she is a drop off


----------



## Chris

Went to the winery my company helped build. Had a great time.


----------



## Chris

Looks like the riots er I mean protests have come to LA? Doing doughnuts in a stolen car and spray painting on buildings is a peaceful protest.


----------



## slownsteady

Relatively peaceful...is better than violent, I guess.


----------



## zannej

Frodo, I hope you're feeling better. Adorable doggy!

My pets have been driving me up the wall. The medicine is keeping the rottweiler's tumors from swelling up but they are still expanding. The lump on the inside of her left leg has really spread, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her.

The cat with Leukemia isn't doing well at all. I had to start force-feeding him and now he's mad at me. He refuses to eat but he will drink a little bit of Pedialyte. He's supposed to go back to the vet on Thursday for another shot and I'm debating bringing him in today or tomorrow if he doesn't start eating or if he seems to get weaker.

One of my cats decided to try to cheer me up by bringing me a gift in bed-- a female cardinal. He jumped up on my bed, climbed on me, and set her down. She was still alive so I wrapped her gently in a cardigan and took her outside. When I let her go she flew away.

Late last night my Akita mutt got into the kitchen and when I was trying to get her to go back to the front room, she got weak and slumped down. She was on her front with her nose to the floor. I tried to administer her medicine (for hypothyroid), at which point she flopped on her side, kicked one of her back legs and peed all over and then became unresponsive. Vet was closed and the emergency clinic an hour away is useless. I had my brother get me the Pedialyte and a syringe. Within a few seconds of it hitting her tongue she sat up. I force-fed her about half a cup of Pedialyte and crammed her medicine down her throat. Twenty minutes later she was wagging her tail and feeling better. She's doing fine this morning, but for awhile we thought she was going to die. I just talked to the vet and the one good vet at the office is out all week. So, I'm just going to bring the cat in for his scheduled shots on Thursday.

So, I haven't been able to sleep and I'm exhausted.


----------



## frodo

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB2zoidUeLU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB2zoidUeLU[/ame]


----------



## Chris

Thats a good one.


----------



## frodo

wish it was longer,  i was getting into it


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Went to the winery my company helped build. Had a great time.



see if you can score a couple barrels bfoe you move


----------



## nealtw

Whiskey barrels are good, when they closed down the distillery we bought barrels for five dollars, add 1 gallon of boiling water, let the kids roll it around the back yard for a couple weeks, 1 gallon of whiskey, run thru coffee filter.


----------



## frodo

nealtw said:


> Whiskey barrels are good, when they closed down the distillery we bought barrels for five dollars, add 1 gallon of boiling water, let the kids roll it around the back yard for a couple weeks, 1 gallon of whiskey, run thru coffee filter.



LOL  smart.    i would like to have a couple to cut in half for big potter plants

my sister has a 30 x 12  3 sided and roof glass atrium 

has banna plants and other such weird jungle plants. i expect a monkey to jump om me when i am in there


----------



## nealtw

frodo said:


> LOL  smart.    i would like to have a couple to cut in half for big potter plants
> 
> my sister has a 30 x 12  3 sided and roof glass atrium
> 
> has banna plants and other such weird jungle plants. i expect a monkey to jump om me when i am in there



I did that too with the one I had, they don't stand up well over time.


----------



## frodo

nealtw said:


> I did that too with the one I had, they don't stand up well over time.



yeah,  they are wood.  but they look cool!!!!


----------



## nealtw

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1UJXErn1nY&feature=player_embedded[/ame]


----------



## bud16415

nealtw said:


> Whiskey barrels are good, when they closed down the distillery we bought barrels for five dollars, add 1 gallon of boiling water, let the kids roll it around the back yard for a couple weeks, 1 gallon of whiskey, run thru coffee filter.



You forgot the last couple steps. 

Drink the whiskey, Get out the power tools, Saw the barrel in half, and sell each half to yuppies for $25 each for planters.


----------



## nealtw

This is like watching your election, the words don't matter.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9KZ3jgbbmI[/ame]


----------



## slownsteady

So much prettier than our elections..............


----------



## nealtw

slownsteady said:


> So much prettier than our elections..............



Just fireworks no real discussion.:down:


----------



## Chris

Our elections are what I picture a trailer park argument to be.


----------



## nealtw

bud16415 said:


> You forgot the last couple steps.
> 
> Drink the whiskey, Get out the power tools, Saw the barrel in half, and sell each half to yuppies for $25 each for planters.



Get drunk first, use the wrong tools and the tubs have character.:trophy:

Or
https://www.google.ca/search?q=chai...-DwNnPAhUOS2MKHQqSB_sQsAQIIA&biw=1673&bih=825


----------



## frodo

I had an interesting day to day
My wife had a dr appt,  so we headed to jackson,  100 miles one way.
I had to meet a couple of buddies for a swap ..
after i left them,   my car temp shot up,  o i started looking for water and a hose. yeah right, try and find that now a  days
I popped the radiator cap..stood back and let it blow  
DAMMIT    oil in the radiator
i have blown a head gasket   100 miles for home....I am not happy..i am pissed
so,,every 30 miles, i stop add water and oil. limp the sucker home


----------



## Chris

Did you make it?


----------



## nealtw

It can't happen in the driveway, there must be a rule or something.


----------



## inspectorD

Sorrry to hear that...and yes..its usually always inconvenient,. However. At least you know what to do. Some folks are unable to even change a tire...sad really.:help:


----------



## zannej

Frodo, please let us know when you make it home safely. That really really sucks!

I've been taking care of the pets again today and had to run to the post office to pick up the Lysine for the cats. Gave the sick kitty his first dosage. I'm hoping it will help the respiratory and eye crud clear up soon. The kitty is walking around more, but still not eating enough. I need to start taking my cats in one by one for their vaccinations. I think I need to take 8 of them in (two are too old for vaccines according to the vet) plus some of the dogs are due for their rabies vaccines.


----------



## havasu

I had to put my beloved dog down today. Cancer sucks.


----------



## oldognewtrick

So sorry to hear of the loss of your friend Mark.


----------



## zannej

Mark, I'm very sorry to hear that. :-( 
I really really hate cancer. :-(


----------



## nealtw

Losing loved ones sucks no matter how may legs they have.


----------



## Chris

Sorry to hear mark. 


Today I smoked some chicken with apricot wood for dinner and it was the best chicken I have ever had. Have a brisket and pork shoulder on for a birthday party tomorrow.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Did you make it?



yes i made...now the fun begins



sorry to hear tht Mark,  they are like family, he will be sitting next to God, waiting for you


----------



## havasu

Thank you everyone.


----------



## Chris

Spent all night smoking a brisket and pork should for a lunch birthday party today. Hope they are good.


----------



## frodo

I bet that brisket is falling off the bone good.

with the left overs, My wife makes a smoked brisket stew,  OMG  !!!   it is so good



cant the site block the country ,  the spam is coming from ? 

this looks like the same group that shut down the site i used to belong to, before i came here


----------



## havasu

Problem is the spammers are pinging and bouncing their IP addresses all over so it would be a waste of time to just block out one country's internet users. Angie has it fine tuned so you should not see the idiots. 

To keep in tune with this thread, I got up, peed, and now sucking down my first cup of joe.


----------



## Chris

Spent all day. Sorting and counting coins. Bought a bunch of those coin books and have been filling them. It's amazing how little I see from the P mint.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Spent all day. Sorting and counting coins. Bought a bunch of those coin books and have been filling them. It's amazing how little I see from the P mint.




I have p out the butt,,it is S i need

 there is no P   the P is silent. lol  

do you have your steel pennies....i have extra, i got free..


----------



## zannej

I had montezuma's revenge early this morning. Spent a lot of the day either in the bathroom, trying to sleep it off, and looking after my cat. He had 3 seizures. Two after I moved him over a few feet so he wasn't blocking the door (he's been lying on the floor). And one after I gave him some lysine orally. It seems that it stresses him out. I'm not sure what to do. I'm pretty sure he'd really freak out if I took him back to the vet-- not sure he'd even survive the trip. Kept thinking he was going to die and just when I'm about to give up hope for him, he perks back up enough and tries to drink something. But he doesn't even stand up to pee anymore. He just pees on himself and I have to clean him up.


----------



## bud16415

I&#8217;m just glad Frodo switched to a less scary avatar. The other one was giving me nightmares.


----------



## inspectorD

Hi ho....hi ho....its off to the grind I go.... GOOD MONDAY MORNIN!!


----------



## zannej

I was up all night tending to my kitty. He had one more massive seizure and died this morning. :-(


----------



## nealtw

sorry to hear it zannej.


----------



## havasu

I'm really sorry to hear this Zanne.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> i had montezuma's revenge early this morning. Spent a lot of the day either in the bathroom, trying to sleep it off, and looking after my cat. He had 3 seizures. Two after i moved him over a few feet so he wasn't blocking the door (he's been lying on the floor). And one after i gave him some lysine orally. It seems that it stresses him out. I'm not sure what to do. I'm pretty sure he'd really freak out if i took him back to the vet-- not sure he'd even survive the trip. Kept thinking he was going to die and just when i'm about to give up hope for him, he perks back up enough and tries to drink something. But he doesn't even stand up to pee anymore. He just pees on himself and i have to clean him up.




tmi..LOL..................sorry bout the cat  .


----------



## zannej

Thanks. I wish I could have done more for the little guy. If I lived in an area with better vets they probably would have done more for pain management. Where my sister lives, they have 24-hour vet services and they make house calls. All I could do was be there for him and pet him and do my best to comfort him in the end.

It's business as usual for the other cats-- who were largely unaware of what was going on, but were upset about being barred from that room. My kitty Itsy climbed on me, headbutted me and licked the tears off of my face. I can't seem to find my shovel and I think it is over at a friend's house. My brother is taking it pretty badly since Kunta Kitteh was his favorite cat.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Zanne, so sorry to about your loss. I know how much you cared for the little guy, no more seizures for him anymore.


----------



## zannej

I took one of my kitties to the vet for updating vaccines. Will have to spread out getting the vaccines bc of the cost. The two oldest have been deemed "too old" for vaccines by the vet, so I don't need to bring them in. But I need to make sure the youngest ones have their FelV and Rabies shots. Rabies shots are now every 3 years instead of 1. 

A couple of mine have the feline Herpes (which affects the eyes and respiration) so I've been giving them Lysine. Found something on Amazon where the lysine is mixed into a paste with poultry flavor and contained in a syringe with a cap. So I can squirt out specific amounts of it (it has a dial on the plunger that lets me set dosage) into their food, on a plate, or directly into their mouths. It's already improved the fur texture of the cat who has it the worst. Poor thing needs some more teeth pulled though.

I've been able to go outside and go for walks again now that the weather has cooled off. I need to cut some weeds and then fix some outdoor faucets that broke during the winter. I've got some insulation so I can wrap them up to hopefully prevent them from freezing again.

I need to patch a hole in the side of the pump house where the cow leaned on it and it broke. I'm seriously thinking of just taking that aluminum tape used for ductwork and putting it on as a temporary fix.

I was exhausted the past couple of weeks but I think I'm starting to get a little energy back now.

Edit to add: I just realized I also need to clean the gutters. The bright side is, I just found my hedge clippers so I can manually tackle some of those monstrous weeds with all the stupid burs on them.


----------



## Chris

I tore an old fence down at a buddies house and brought it home to make some furniture. So far I made a headboard and footboard 

View attachment 1477883030362.jpg


----------



## havasu

Arrived in San Francisco this morning.


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Arrived in San Francisco this morning.



Is that a reward or a punishment?


----------



## Chris

He feels at home


----------



## Chris

Me and two of my employees are tearing out my backyard today getting it ready for papers. 

View attachment 1477927774815.jpg


----------



## havasu

This is the only place that i could wear a sequined g string and not look out of place!


----------



## zannej

Chris, I really like the color of your roof.

Havasu, LOL! Lovely pictures. Makes me miss California. I haven't been there in a loooong time. I was actually born in San Francisco.


----------



## Chris

Great place to visit.

I hate that roof.


----------



## Chris

I picked up a used trailer today. Idaho or bust!


----------



## zannej

Chris said:


> I picked up a used trailer today. Idaho or bust!


I hope you have a safe trip.

I finally gathered most of the info I need and called the lawyer my doctor recommended (better late than never). He was very nice on the phone and wanted to make sure the appointment time was convenient for me. I can see why my doctor likes him. My appointment is tomorrow (well, technically later today).

Went to visit a friend and found out that his ex gf claims she lost the key to his place, yet my brother saw her car over at his place when my friend was at work. Friend got home and found his front door wide open, his cat and two of her kittens missing. So I bought him a new deadbolt. He's going to help troubleshoot my mother's computer on his day off.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I picked up a used trailer today. Idaho or bust!



nice trailer, just big enough for your tools,  how is your wife going to get her stuff there ? :rofl:


When I moved from buda tx to bude Ms...LOL  I know right !

I made 3 trips in the biggest ryder has,  

then flew back.

pita...


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> nice trailer, just big enough for your tools,  how is your wife going to get her stuff there ? :rofl:
> 
> 
> When I moved from buda tx to bude Ms...LOL  I know right !
> 
> I made 3 trips in the biggest ryder has,
> 
> then flew back.
> 
> pita...



It's gonna be several trips. I planned my moved to take six months just so I don't have to rush.

I have two 20 foot storage containers that fit on my backhoe trailer, those should hold quite a bit too.


----------



## havasu

Good morning from San Diego


----------



## Chris

I finally finished my back yard paver project. 

View attachment 1478356652223.jpg


View attachment 1478356669790.jpg


View attachment 1478356681223.jpg


----------



## frodo

looks good,  send your boys over here.  I have a circle driveway that needs pavers


----------



## havasu

My driveway sure could use some pavers as well. Maybe Rik has more to give away?


----------



## Chris

My guys are far from efficient at installing them. I had to do a lot of it.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> My guys are far from efficient at installing them. I had to do a lot of it.



you done a good job,  looks good


----------



## slownsteady

Chris said:


> My guys are far from efficient at installing them. I had to do a lot of it.


Well then, on your way to Idaho can you pass thru NJ???


----------



## Chris

slownsteady said:


> Well then, on your way to Idaho can you pass thru NJ???



You buy the fuel and beer then maybe.


----------



## slownsteady

Chris said:


> You buy the fuel and beer then maybe.


Are you kidding?? The price of gas just went up here!  :down: 
Fortunately beer is still the same price. :beer:


----------



## Chris

I finished my bed frame and nightstands tonight. 

View attachment 1478576319817.jpg


----------



## Chris

Loaded up the trailer and heading to vegas tonight then idaho tomorrow 

View attachment 1478742139902.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

You and Neal will soon be neighbors...


----------



## Chris

He's bringing the beer


----------



## havasu

I hope it is Molson beer!


----------



## zannej

Ooh, nice pics of San Diego. I wish I had the time to go visit there. I miss my aunts and cousins over there.

Chris, excellent job on those pavers! It looks beautiful! I hope everything goes smoothly for you on the move and that you can have a successful business there (if that is what you want).

I've got a bit of a cold but I'm trying not to let it get me down. Changed my internet plan to get 150Gb a month limit and so far we seem to be doing ok with it. It means I no longer have to be up between midnight and 5am to use the "free zone" without going over the former 10Gb limit. I'm still trying to adjust to the change in sleep schedule.


----------



## Chris

I'm in Vegas let's see what gets stolen out of my trucks tonight


----------



## Chris

They don't have window cleaners in this hotel 

View attachment 1478760067595.jpg


----------



## nealtw

The new Molsons Coors plant will be walking distance from my house. They think it the best water in the world. I never touch the stuff.


----------



## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> The new *Molsons Coors *plant will be walking distance from my house. They think it the best *water *in the world. I never touch the stuff.



Which one? .....


----------



## nealtw

oldognewtrick said:


> Which one? .....



Can't fool you. I do put water in the coffee.


----------



## zannej

Chris, I hope nothing gets stolen from your trucks.
I finally got tired of not having a working light in the bathroom so I looked up online how to get the fixture open to change the bulb. I had to use a screwdriver to pry it down, but I finally did it and replaced the bulb. Something seems a bit off with the wiring though-- makes a zzt noise when I turn the light on and off and if you move the switch down even a little the light goes off. It is a very old Broan light/vent/heat one. Vent and heat no longer work.


----------



## Chris

Nothing got stolen  and we are 30 minutes from the nee house


----------



## havasu

How is the weather up there?


----------



## Chris

Cool tonight about 50. Was 68 when we got here. Just saw a big bucks eating my front lawn


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Cool tonight about 50. Was 68 when we got here. Just saw a big bucks eating my front lawn



What do you have there, white tail or mule deer?


----------



## Chris

Mostly mule deer, elk and antelope. Woke up to nine deer in my back yard.


----------



## slownsteady

zannej said:


> Chris, I hope nothing gets stolen from your trucks.
> I finally got tired of not having a working light in the bathroom so I looked up online how to get the fixture open to change the bulb. I had to use a screwdriver to pry it down, but I finally did it and replaced the bulb. Something seems a bit off with the wiring though-- makes a zzt noise when I turn the light on and off and if you move the switch down even a little the light goes off. It is a very old Broan light/vent/heat one. Vent and heat no longer work.


Probably shouldn't ignore this. Start a thread in the electrical forum.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Mostly mule deer, elk and antelope. Woke up to nine deer in my back yard.




antelope are sooooooooo  delicious

if you bag an antelope, please please please send me some summer sausage

we used to hang the elk meat in a old rv we used as a cooler...

no need for a freezer,,


----------



## Chris

Tonight I used my new jacuzzi for the first time. Now I know what bud has been talking about forever, it is awesome. Can't wait to use it in a snow storm.


----------



## zannej

slownsteady said:


> Probably shouldn't ignore this. Start a thread in the electrical forum.


It no longer makes the sound when turned on. But the light starts out dim and gradually gets brighter over several minutes. Not sure if it is a loose connection or if the fixture itself is just too old.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Tonight I used my new jacuzzi for the first time. Now I know what bud has been talking about forever, it is awesome. Can't wait to use it in a snow storm.



siting in a hot tub, on the 5th floor penthouse deck, of a 6 million dollar condo
during a snow storm was a fantastic evening.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> It no longer makes the sound when turned on. But the light starts out dim and gradually gets brighter over several minutes. Not sure if it is a loose connection or if the fixture itself is just too old.





[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tc803c6ngU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tc803c6ngU[/ame]


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tc803c6ngU


Thanks! Would it apply to non-fluorescent bulbs? The fixture takes an A15 bulb (although it might fit an A19).


----------



## Chris

Mine is a little less fancy.


----------



## Chris

Today I drove back from idaho, with all the times I had to stop for kids to pee and in laws to pee it took 16 hours. Left at 4am and got home at 8:20 pm.


----------



## zannej

Glad you made it safely, Chris. I hope you get some rest.


----------



## bud16415

Chris said:


> Tonight I used my new jacuzzi for the first time. Now I know what bud has been talking about forever, it is awesome. Can't wait to use it in a snow storm.



One by one I will convert you all. 

They are like a mini vacation.  Worked hard in the garage yesterday for about 4 hours and I just felt like doing nothing the rest of the day. After a 30-minute soak, I was ready to move on to the next bunch of stuff she wanted done. 

It has been getting down in the 20s here at night and I have it cranked back up to 102.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Mine is a little less fancy.




picture this in your mind.

we had a 8 man hot tub at a condo our co had rented for us, out of town.

I was sitting in it,  feeling fine.  one of the guys girl friends comes over and gets in. she had to borrow a bathing suit and the top was a little big.

the fabric  floated off to the right while ...er,,,other things floated to the left

who am i to point out such things..lol 


we talked for an hour.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Some how 8 men in a hot tub does nothing to excite me.  Although, me and seven Hooters Girls might. &#128521;


----------



## Chris

My tub is about a four person or me and seven women.


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Some how 8 men in a hot tub does nothing to excite me.  Although, me and seven Hooters Girls might. &#128521;



yuck yuck yuck

bunch of damn comodians


----------



## bud16415

:


----------



## slownsteady

bud16415 said:


> :


Now there's a scary image 'cuz we know how old you are, Bud


----------



## nealtw

slownsteady said:


> Now there's a scary image 'cuz we know how old you are, Bud



That's why they do it in the dark.


----------



## oldognewtrick

slownsteady said:


> Now there's a scary image 'cuz we know how old you are, Bud




But you haven't seen his sweetie have ya. &#128563;


----------



## Chris

Celebrated my youngest daughters 2 year birthday yesterday, heading to idaho today for the week. 

View attachment 1479645559875.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

She's a cutie Chris!


----------



## havasu

Damn, time is flying. Great pic Chris


----------



## zannej

I got to go rescue some friends who got stranded over 100 miles away. Transmission went out in my friend's truck late at night so I volunteered to go pick them up and take them home. Got home after 1am.


----------



## Chris

In 6 hours I am leaving for the airport to go to NC for a few days. A guys weekend. Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into.


----------



## inspectorD

Chris said:


> In 6 hours I am leaving for the airport to go to NC for a few days. A guys weekend. Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into.



NC..where?


----------



## Chris

Charlotte....


----------



## Chris

I guess Mathew is more exact.


----------



## havasu

You aren't sober, are you?


----------



## Chris

Nope, visiting places church goers don't go.


----------



## Chris

Good times tonight.


----------



## Chris

3am and made it to the waffle house


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Nope, visiting places church goers don't go.



Pics or it....awe heck, nevermind....


----------



## Chris

I played like a 21 year old now I feel my age.


----------



## Chris

Went and met with my cousin for lunch. Hadn't seen him in about 15 years. Good times.


----------



## zannej

I fed the animals and went for a walk before I had to go to the post office to pick up the crap mom ordered from Liquidation Channel.

While I was outside I got to see animals trying to mount one another. Firs it was the chiweenie trying to mount the russell terrier but  his chest barely comes up to her back when he's on his hind legs. There was a bit of a tiff with the shepherd (who is now our largest dog). The chiweenie took him down and got him to lie down in submission (I guess it's all attitude). Then for no apparent reason my female cow was trying to mount her daughter. Just kept jumping on her back. Her daughter didn't seem to care.


----------



## inspectorD

Chris said:


> I guess Mathew is more exact.



ah yes  the outer loop.. Ashville is the place to go..if you ever get the chance... then out to the Blue ridge..youll never go home.

My buddies Log Cabin is in Clyde.. incredible views. ENJOY!!


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Went and met with my cousin for lunch. Hadn't seen him in about 15 years. Good times.


my damn widdle pheelings  are hurted...my bottom lip is pouched out.

chris went to NC  and did not stop in for a visit.


.


----------



## frodo

anyway,,,in my spare time, I have been making rifle slings,  [and selling the **** out of them]


----------



## oldognewtrick

How much Frodo? I need a new sling.


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> How much Frodo? I need a new sling.



$60.00 shipped

 I need to know the length you want,,

if you want loops on the ends or  swivels   [see pictures]

you can pick any 2 colors you want,

and if there is anything special you want done, these are custom to the buyer

one guy wanted a cross on his and 38 special nickel cases on the cord ends


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> my damn widdle pheelings  are hurted...my bottom lip is pouched out.
> 
> chris went to NC  and did not stop in for a visit.
> 
> 
> .



I flew and I'm just a passenger. 

View attachment 1481494147011.jpg


View attachment 1481494157719.jpg


View attachment 1481494166659.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

Dang, a lot of empty seats there. Reminds me of NASCAR.


----------



## Chris

Started raining and 37 degrees so everyone just left


----------



## oldognewtrick

I sat and watched the Bengals play the Steelers in Cincinnati and the high for the day was about 6*. There was 6" of ice on the seats and the stadium was packed. That was a long time ago, I watch it on tv now... &#128526;


----------



## Chris

It was pretty full and we all knew the chargers blew it. I stayed and then we even BBQ in the parking lot after.


----------



## inspectorD

frodo said:


> $60.00 shipped
> 
> I need to know the length you want,,
> 
> if you want loops on the ends or  swivels   [see pictures]
> 
> you can pick any 2 colors you want,
> 
> and if there is anything special you want done, these are custom to the buyer
> 
> one guy wanted a cross on his and 38 special nickel cases on the cord ends



NICE!! Very Talented


----------



## zannej

Those paracord slings are awesome, Frodo!
Yesterday I put together a space saver that was advertised as "wood" but turned out to be particle board. it didn't even have holes drilled in the right spots so I had to add holes myself. I will have to paint the particle board exposed parts and replace the cardboard backing with plywood. Although I am seriously thinking of just taking measurements of all of the pieces and buying the wood and building my own. I think even MDF would be better than this crap. My friend who had the house fire said he would take the particle board one if I didn't like it. I think I can make some improvements on the design anyway.

Got a fastcap blind nail kit that came in handy for punching the holes that were needed.

Took my brother to the doctor because he looks like someone hit him in the eye (turns out its from his sinus infection) and then babysat my friend's girlfriend. Kid is 19 and weighs 90lbs. She's terrified of Creepy McCreeperton (what we call the neighbor who breaks into other people's trailers and steals stuff all the time). He made some inappropriate comments to her about what he wanted to do to her and she's afraid he'll break in when she's home alone and attack her.

I'm about to call my lawyer today because I got a message to call. 

Edit: They settled with the insurance company. Apparently Farm Bureau has a pretty low max payout for pain and suffering but it was more than I was expecting to get.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Got it today Frodo. It's found a new home on my Sako 7mm mag. Thank you sir, nice work. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Repair1482359009.806695.jpg


----------



## Chris

Sure is purdy.


----------



## Gary

Started planning the frame and panel entry wall today. One of those projects I've wanted to do for years and haven't gotten around to it. Tomorrow it starts, depending on how much job type work I have to do first. Between Christmas & New Year, is a good time for me to play hookie & get some of my own stuff done.


----------



## Chris

Went golfing this morning with a client, then loaded up some stuff from my office. Leaving Monday with a dump truck and two truck and trailers for Idaho.


----------



## frodo

inspectorD said:


> NICE!! Very Talented





the rest of them before I sent them in the mail
Olddawgs is 6th from the left




An AR 15 single attachment




while making another one tonight,  I noticed this guy looking at me.
if I had 2 dots of red paint I would give it eyes


----------



## Chris

I need a grayish camouflage one for my m48.


----------



## frodo

chris said:


> i need a grayish camouflage one for my m48.



chose a color combo
I use black inner strands of para 1100hd  it has a 1100 pound tested limit.
on the inside and i use paracord 550 on the outside,  typically 3-8' 1100 strands,  and 100' of 550
the strap can pull a atv 4 wheeler, it will stretch 20%
all i need is length, typical is 40''  if you want over 42'',  there is an $10.00 extra charge for more cord, but no extra for labor  
if you want swivels on the ends or loops,  i use uncle mikes 
http://www.outdoorgearbarn.com/images/Product/large/44142.jpg


http://paracordgalaxy.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=grey&submit_search=


----------



## frodo

take your pick,

or go to galaxie paracord and ick out a color there,  the have over 500 dif colors


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> chose a color combo
> I use black inner strands of para 1100hd  it has a 1100 pound tested limit.
> on the inside and i use paracord 550 on the outside,  typically 3-8' 1100 strands,  and 100' of 550
> the strap can pull a atv 4 wheeler, it will stretch 20%
> all i need is length, typical is 40''  if you want over 42'',  there is an $10.00 extra charge for more cord, but no extra for labor
> if you want swivels on the ends or loops,  i use uncle mikes
> http://www.outdoorgearbarn.com/images/Product/large/44142.jpg
> 
> 
> http://paracordgalaxy.com/search?co...rderway=desc&search_query=grey&submit_search=
> View attachment 13077
> 
> 
> View attachment 13078
> 
> 
> View attachment 13079
> 
> 
> View attachment 13080
> 
> 
> View attachment 13081



The second color down, the lighter mix.


----------



## Chris

Just spent a half day grading my road a couple days ago after the last storm and then we get an unexpected storm twice as big. Going to pull out the backhoe and move some mud this morning. Going to have to regrade it tomorrow when it dries out a bit


----------



## Chris

What would my neighbors do without me? Pulled 40 yards of mud from the paved part of our road. 

View attachment 1482427013868.jpg


----------



## havasu

Make a berm, then demand payment to cross!


----------



## slownsteady

What _will_ they do without you? 

Keep the dirt for payment


----------



## Chris

If we lived in a city that cared they would have done something long ago to fix this. It didn't used to do this, one of the neighbors at the top of the road has a 40 acre lot they clear cut and ever since it flows down the road until it gets to deep to cross in a car. I don't care because I drive trucks but I am trying to sell my house so I need to at least make it look like nothing is wrong.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> The second color down, the lighter mix.









you want any other color with it ?  blue ?  grey ?    titty pink ?


----------



## Gary

Started the frame & panel wall in the foyer.


----------



## oldognewtrick

frodo said:


> you want any other color with it ?  blue ?  grey ?    titty pink ?




Yes, pink please.


----------



## Chris

You choose whatever looks good with it in person.


----------



## nealtw

rainbow...............


----------



## slownsteady

pink is the new black


----------



## frodo

here is a grey and blue for my swede,  it is in a grey stock.
I started this today,


----------



## Chris

Swedes are blue and yellow.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Frodo, took mine to the woods yesterday and love it, Thank-You for your skill and craftsmanship! The strap is a lot more sturdy than I imagined and nicer than any other type I've seen in stores.


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Frodo, took mine to the woods yesterday and love it, Thank-You for your skill and craftsmanship! The strap is a lot more sturdy than I imagined and nicer than any other type I've seen in stores.




Thanks,  i have an idea,  I am thinking about making a shoulder pad to go on the sling,  the pad will be made from a piece of 4'x8' tarp. bound togeteher with cord.  it can be used as a Hammock and rain cover if you get lost or
stuck somewhere..


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> Thanks,  i have an idea,  I am thinking about making a shoulder pad to go on the sling,  the pad will be made from a piece of 4'x8' tarp. bound togeteher with cord.  it can be used as a Hammock and rain cover if you get lost or
> stuck somewhere..



OR even a pouch to hold one of those silver blanket things


----------



## oldognewtrick

Can you use a rubberized cord for the inside so it won't slip. Is that even available?


----------



## Chris

Window screen rubber?


----------



## nealtw

oldognewtrick said:


> Can you use a rubberized cord for the inside so it won't slip. Is that even available?



Use my favorite product
https://www.flexseal.ca/?mid=7070443


----------



## Chris

So yesterday I bought a new steering gear box for one of my trucks. Had to pay a 120 dollar core charge, not a problem until I take the core back today and they won't refund me because I don't have the card I used with me. Also normally not a problem until that card is missing. I gave it to one of my employees to buy some gravel and he lost it. I have a replacement card on the way but it has a different number than the one for the core. I am supposed to get a hold of their corporate office to see what they can do. Worst part is that I have a corporate account at this auto parts store.


----------



## nealtw

You just have to climb the later until you find someone who can override the policy.


----------



## Chris

Shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get my deposit back


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> OR even a pouch to hold one of those silver blanket things



pouch's are doable,  I have made small pouch's

knife sheath, tazer pouch


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> You choose whatever looks good with it in person.




look at the middle one,  just finished these


----------



## Chris

Those look good. My favorite of those three is the one on the left but they all look good


----------



## Chris

I bought a smell laser engraving printer if you need something engraved. It does a good job on leather and wood, haven't tried anything else. This picture is a test I did on my wallet. I could make you some tags for your slings. 

View attachment 1482547584627.jpg


----------



## havasu

A laser engraver! How cool. We demand more pics of the process...


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I bought a smell laser engraving printer if you need something engraved. It does a good job on leather and wood, haven't tried anything else. This picture is a test I did on my wallet. I could make you some tags for your slings.



that is slick as hell

more info please


----------



## Chris

Just a Chinese laser cutter. Will engrave a lot of different things but not pvc or other plastics. Painted metal will cut the paint off. I need to play with it to see what I can do. It's a small printer and can only do maybe an inch and a half square of any picture or drawing that you can save to a computer.


----------



## Chris

I was going to get some 1911 grips and cut my name into them.


----------



## Chris

Merry Christmas to me. 

View attachment 1482555382386.jpg


----------



## Chris

Frodo I need your help. I need to make a mold of a 1911 grip that I can melt metal and pour in. What should I use for the mold material?


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Frodo I need your help. I need to make a mold of a 1911 grip that I can melt metal and pour in. What should I use for the mold material?



wax.   and sand


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> wax.   and sand


Sort of like lost wax casting? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost-wax_casting


----------



## frodo

http://www.instructables.com/id/Worlds-easiest-silicone-mold/


https://www.polytek.com/?
gclid=COyEsojlkdECFUe1wAod6I8Lng


----------



## Chris

I was about to hook my truck to the trailer to leave town today when my AC compressor decided to fail during warm up. Not a big deal as it is winter except that it seized and almost caught my truck on fire it was so hot.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> I was about to hook my truck to the trailer to leave town today when my AC compressor decided to fail during warm up. Not a big deal as it is winter except that it seized and almost caught my truck on fire it was so hot.



That would have happened half way for me.:hide:


----------



## Chris

Just got into vegas, took 8 hours to get here, normally a 4-5  hour drive Max. Horrible traffic.


----------



## Chris

Seems like a waste of a hotel room I'll be back on the road in 3 1/2 hours.


----------



## havasu

Are the kids in the bed of the dump truck? :nono:


----------



## Chris

No just me, my brother and father in law this trip. This is the last week of work for my wife then she is a stay at home mom.


----------



## Chris

100 miles from ely Nevada and tired, running on three hours sleep


----------



## Chris

Made it to idaho, three hours to my driveway. Can't wait to sit by the fire and sip some whiskey.


----------



## Chris

It snowed..... 

View attachment 1482875356716.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

Get use to it Chris.


----------



## havasu

I take it you have some alternate drivers with you?


----------



## Chris

Nope just me and coffee in my dually


----------



## nealtw

Are we there yet?


----------



## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> Are we there yet?




I think Chris is cuddled up with his Teddy Bear and blankie.


----------



## Chris

It was a rough night. Trip went well until I got to my driveway. Took five hours of dragging and pulling to get both trucks on the property. Little over a foot of wet snow and uphill. Even with chains on it was a piano. Need to find a tractor to plow so I can get the trucks the next 500 feet to the shop.


----------



## Chris

Picture wouldn't upload


----------



## nealtw

operator has finger trouble.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> It was a rough night. Trip went well until I got to my driveway. Took five hours of dragging and pulling to get both trucks on the property. Little over a foot of wet snow and uphill. Even with chains on it was a piano. Need to find a tractor to plow so I can get the trucks the next 500 feet to the shop.


And I thought the complaining would start sometime after you moved in.:rofl:


----------



## Chris

Picked up a new trailer today.

I would show you a picture but tge forum is broken.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Picked up a new trailer today.
> 
> *I would show you a picture but tge forum is broken*.



I told you not to let Havasu play with the Flux Capacitor.


----------



## havasu

Yeah, well, I got nothin. I did take down the Christmas lights today.

BTW, has anyone else seen "Narcos" on Netflix? Damn, best thing I've seen since Breaking Bad!


----------



## Chris

No I don't watch TV. I spent 11 hours between last night and today getting two trailers about 500 feet in the snow


----------



## havasu

why would you buy a trailer when you really need a tractor?


----------



## diyProjectsByDave

Worked on a blog post from a project my husband done a few days ago, to replace the recessed lighting from compact florescent to LED.  

http://www.diyprojectsbydave.com/2016/12/recessed-lights-using-led-retrofit-kit.html


----------



## Gary

Cut my fingers on the table saw. 4 stitches in one finger 9 in the other, shattered bones in both and I have to go to a hand specialist to see about tendon or ligament damage. 
Cautionary tale. Don't get in a hurry when operating power tools. I'm 64 years old, used power tools all my adult life and have never had an accident like this, that is until today. All it takes is a nano second of carelessness. Yes, I admit I was in a hurry and did something stupid.


----------



## havasu

Ouch. I see this often. I spoke to a guy last week who was also in a hurry while cutting some wood on his table saw. His daughter asked him a question, he turned to her to answer, and in a split second, he lost 3 fingers. 

In high school, my schoolmate lost a finger on a Friday using a table saw. The following Monday, nobody would use that saw. The teacher (Mr. Thornstrom) cut a piece of wood using the same saw, and while explaining to us that the saw was not dangerous, severed his thumb off. Man, that was 45 years ago, and still remember that day vividly!


----------



## Gary

yes, the ER people were very familiar with the table saw. The good news for mine is I cut down the fingers rather than across. At least I have something to salvage that way. You can bet I'll have more respect for the saw in the future.


----------



## havasu

Damn rough talk, especially now, when I am shopping for a new saw. Would you think the extra $400 for the auto stop saw is worth it?


----------



## Chris

I was looking at the auto stop saw myself. I have been looking for a good quality saw. Been leaning towards the Mikita for a bunch of reasons but it would be nice to keep my fingers


----------



## Gary

havasu said:


> Damn rough talk, especially now, when I am shopping for a new saw. Would you think the extra $400 for the auto stop saw is worth it?



I was talking about that in the ER today. $400 seems pretty cheap to me.


----------



## zannej

Gary, I'm so sorry that happened. I hope you will recover quickly. Ouch. 

And people in my woodworking class mocked me for being very cautious, focusing on the cuts, and going slowly-- I used push sticks for a lot of things and made sure that my fingers didn't get anywhere near the blades. I'm sure most of you know what kind of luck I have, so I don't chance it. 

My woodworking teacher used to hold up his hand and hide some of his fingers on the first day of class when he was talking about safety. 

Havasu, that bit about the wood shop and nobody wanting to use the saw reminded me of how nobody in my Home Ec class wanted to use the one sewing machine that had a permanent blood stain next to it from when a student sewed through her finger.

Today, I got some much needed sleep, made lunch for mom, and took my sister to the grocery store. I picked up a new toy for my brother's dog at the Dollar Tree and used it to distract him while we carried groceries in.

Tomorrow the plan is to bring some friends over to play Cards Against Humanity with my sister. She leaves on Friday so we need to get something fun in before she goes.


----------



## Chris

On my way home from town today about a ten miles drive. I counted 141 deer. I think the freak snow storm brought them down for food. I hit one last night on the highway. 

View attachment 1483062783032.jpg


View attachment 1483062801503.jpg


View attachment 1483062817973.jpg


View attachment 1483062834363.jpg


----------



## Gary

Chris said:


> I was looking at the auto stop saw myself. I have been looking for a good quality saw. Been leaning towards the Mikita for a bunch of reasons but it would be nice to keep my fingers



I was looking online tonight and came across this. Anyone have experience with these? Did they work as advertised?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgQMjdOwIqI[/ame]


----------



## Chris

Today I'm driving back from idaho. Just passed through vegas. 

View attachment 1483144832587.jpg


----------



## nealtw

Gary said:


> I was looking online tonight and came across this. Anyone have experience with these? Did they work as advertised?
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgQMjdOwIqI



To much set up time, just more junk for the shop. You will always find something that won't work and you are back to using your wits.

For what he was cutting a chunk of 4x4 could have been made into a jig in half the time, and back in the junk pile. No storage or figuring instructions.


----------



## Gary

Went to the doc this afternoon  & then spent the evening with the grandkids, just got home.
Everything is looking good, I have feeling in both fingers and movement. 
I have to go back in a week for further evaluation (give it more time for the swelling to go down). Then there's a pretty good chance I'll need surgery on one maybe both.The issue is the bones are split. I asked about going back to work as long as it's wrapped up & he said probably not for up to 2 months. Didn't want to hear that. Hopefully the news will be a little better when that time comes. Just have to wait & see.


----------



## havasu

I picked up my grandson so I could spend the afternoon playing with his new toys here. Unfortunately, my ex-wife dosed him with cough syrup because of a slight cold, so he came over here and slept the entire time.


----------



## Chris

I'm still on my way home from idaho. Left there at 5am. In california now about three hours from home. 

Got my idaho driver license yesterday so I guess I am no longer a California resident. Registered a few of my vehicles for about 10% of what it costs in california. Only another ten trips to get my junk there.


----------



## Chris

I dropped a tractor wheel on my toe a few weeks ago. Pretty sure I broke my toe but never went to the doctor and just continued working limping around. It's been about three weeks and my toe still hurts like hell. Do you think it's even worth going to the doctor at this point? Nothing they can do now for a break except take my money and send me home.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Nothing to do for a broken toe, I've had a couple over the years. Suck it up and move on unless it's crooked or out of joint.


----------



## Gary

I broke my toe last spring. I had the same long term pain, i think by the nature of pain I may have re-broke it a time or 2 early on. Cracked like cracking a knuckle, followed by stabbing pain. I tore my hamstring on the other leg at the same time so the attention was on that, toe was secondary. Doctor sounded like it's one of those breaks that just has to heal on it's own, so I didn't bring it up again. Eventually the pain subsided and other than it's at a little different angle than the other one, it seems to be fine.


----------



## havasu

Seems all you old folks do is talk about your pain. I sure hope I never get old!:hide:


----------



## Gary

havasu said:


> Seems all you old folks do is talk about your pain. I sure hope I never get old!:hide:



lol. That reminds me of some words of wisdom I heard recently.

If you think you're having a bad day, try missing a couple.


----------



## havasu

I just got off the phone with my sister, who is dealing with Stage 4 cancer. She was chuckling about everyone always talking about money, and how they wished they had more. She replied, "money is nothing, all I really want is a few extra days!"  That kinda brings everything in perspective for me.


----------



## Gary

Very sorry to hear about your Sister havasu. Please tell her a complete stranger (me) said a prayer for her. She is right, we tend to get our priorities out of whack once in awhile, getting all caught up in what we think is important.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> I just got off the phone with my sister, who is dealing with Stage 4 cancer. She was chuckling about everyone always talking about money, and how they wished they had more. She replied, "money is nothing, all I really want is a few extra days!"  That kinda brings everything in perspective for me.



That's the drive behind my move. Money isn't everything.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> That's the drive behind my move. Money isn't everything.



Money is never important until you don't have any.:hide:


----------



## oldognewtrick

Prayer sent for your sister Mark. So sorry to hear.


----------



## havasu

Hey guys, I had no intention of posting a "downer" for everyone. She has had Stage 4 Ovarian cancer for the last 4 years. She was given 6 months to live, but with great doctors and great advances in chemotherapy, she is still here to talk about it. Her and her husband are currently packing their suitcases for a weeklong trip to Mammoth Mountain for some great skiing, so although she knows her end will be shorter than for others, she is living her life to the fullest. That is more than many of us can hope to expect, right?


----------



## Chris

Today my brother and I replaced the alternator and did an oil change on my RV. that was not fun.


----------



## Chris

I should probably clean that thing^ Too bad I have to pull the floor out of the bedroom to get to it.


----------



## nealtw

You did good, no blood spots in sight.


----------



## Chris

I am happy, my alternator was still working but fluctuating and squealing a little. I figured I would rather rebuild it now then in the middle of nowhere. I gave my brother one of my work trucks so he wants to repay the favor so he is here all week helping me with projects I havent had time to do.


----------



## frodo

I had a dr appointment today, in louisana  little town called vidalia  across the river from Natchez.
as i crossed the missisippi it was full and water was white capping

it was an awesome site.  going back in 2 weeks will take a video of it


yesterday.  I had to fix a broken pipe undr the house,  so i crawled on my belly for 50' to get to it
as i am crawling,  i look to my right and my dog is crawling right beside me
crazy *** dog, she can walk around under there,  she was being cute


----------



## slownsteady

You shoulda taught her how to fix the pipe, as long as she was gonna be under there anyhow....


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> I had a dr appointment today, in louisana  little town called vidalia  across the river from Natchez.
> as i crossed the missisippi it was full and water was white capping
> 
> it was an awesome site.  going back in 2 weeks will take a video of it
> 
> 
> yesterday.  I had to fix a broken pipe undr the house,  so i crawled on my belly for 50' to get to it
> as i am crawling,  i look to my right and my dog is crawling right beside me
> crazy *** dog, she can walk around under there,  she was being cute


That is just so adorable!

In the TMI department, I've been having my period for over 3 weeks straight now. Apparently I started menopause last year-- it explains the weight gain, memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, excessive sweating, and other unpleasant symptoms. In some ways I'm relieved, but if the bleeding doesn't stop I might have to get a uterine ablation surgery. The upside is that my cramps have not been as vile as they used to be and my mother now understands why I keep forgetting things so she's being a little more patient. The memory lapses have had some humorous results. Like, I put a frozen dinner in the microwave still in the box-- which is something I have never done before. Fortunately it turned out ok. Or when I went to put the milk away and I started to walk into the bathroom with it before I realized that the milk goes in the refrigerator. I tried to put it in the microwave and while almost putting something that was supposed to go into the microwave into the fridge instead. Supposedly the memory issues are temporary so I hope they go away soon.
In other news, my brother is about ready to throw in the towel on his truck, cut his losses, sell it for whatever he can get, and buy something else. The transmission just started slipping. The meth addict who worked on it screwed up all sorts of things on it but he found a new guy who is actually reliable-- but the parts are pricey and he saw how much our friend sunk into his truck and doesn't want to bother with it. And then there is the matter of an outstanding traffic ticket he has-- the ticket printer was running out of ink so it wasn't legible enough for him to see the court date or find out how to pay it. He looked up the number for the office to call about it and nobody ever answered the phone-- they don't have an answering machine. Not sure what he's going to do about it.


----------



## havasu

Zanne, I believe you are too young for plumbing problems. I'd recommend seeing a doctor.


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> Zanne, I believe you are too young for plumbing problems. I'd recommend seeing a doctor.


Well, I am 40 and it is not that unusual to start menopause at this age-- but I did make sure to talk to my doctor about it and I will see a specialist if this plumbing issue doesn't clear up. A friend of mine had the problem for 6 months and had to go to the ER from blood loss several times before getting the ablation procedure.


----------



## havasu

My girlfriend just had an ablation and a D and C (must have something to do with electricity) a few weeks ago. It was an outpatient surgery and easy-peasy according to her. She did shut down the hen house for awhile though!


----------



## havasu

havasu said:


> I just got off the phone with my sister, who is dealing with Stage 4 cancer. She was chuckling about everyone always talking about money, and how they wished they had more. She replied, "money is nothing, all I really want is a few extra days!"  That kinda brings everything in perspective for me.



This same sister is in Mammoth Mountain as I type. Take a look at the snow, and her smile!


----------



## Chris

I had a great day today and I am beat. I ignored most all business calls. I spent several hours on the roof of my RV fixing bad seams and leaks and replacing my shower skylight. Then I spent several hours installing my gate openers and getting them working. All is good now.


----------



## havasu

But yet no pics of the gate? I'm ashamed of you.


----------



## oldognewtrick

They would be sideways anyway.


----------



## Chris

These are old photos. I'm sure you have seen it 39 times now. 

View attachment 1484715654849.jpg


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> These are old photos. I'm sure you have seen it 39 times now.




38 but who is counting


----------



## havasu

I want to see how the motor is attached to the gate.


----------



## slownsteady

Enlarge that photo and have it framed. Then, every year in February in Idaho you can look at it and wonder why the hell you ever moved!


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> I want to see how the motor is attached to the gate.



I'll take a picture today once the sun comes up.


----------



## Chris

slownsteady said:


> Enlarge that photo and have it framed. Then, every year in February in Idaho you can look at it and wonder why the hell you ever moved!



Good idea.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Good idea.



We will let you look at old photos here.:thbup:


----------



## havasu

Also Chris, are you required to have a Knox Box for fire and law enforcement?


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> Also Chris, are you required to have a Knox Box for fire and law enforcement?



I didn't ask so no. If I would have asked then I put have to put on the sensor so no one gets squished even though mine are set to go the opposite way with any resistance.


----------



## Chris

I am ready to stab my neighbor. At the bottom of my road it is another dirt road which turns to pavement a few hundred feet down and is pavement for about 1000 feet or so then T's off to another paved road. All the pavement parts are newer and have curb and gutter and tract homes. At the bottom where it T's it gets built up with dirt runoff from the lower dirt road and gets to be a foot or more deep. Its smooth and easy to drive over in any car. Over the last couple years I have been going down there with my backhoe and dump truck and bringing the dirt back up to the top to do road repairs. I took my dump to Idaho last month so it is not easy for me anymore so I don't do it. It would be 50 trips with the backhoe up and down the road, would take me all afternoon. My neighbor came to me last night (this is the neighbor who always has a reason I should not put gravel down or base or pave the road). He came to me to say thanks for grading the road every time it rains for free but that he wants me to go down to bottom and bring that dirt up and clean up the mess. He thought I would have done it by now and was disappointed that I hadn't done it.


----------



## havasu

You got my permission to stab him. Can I have your Idaho house until you get out of prison?


----------



## nealtw

havasu said:


> You got my permission to stab him. Can I have your Idaho house until you get out of prison?



But now you are a conspirator.


----------



## Chris

This is California I won't go to prison as long as I plead crazy and own nothing


----------



## nealtw

So you are crazy and if you hire a lawyer you will be broke in a week.


----------



## bud16415

Chris said:


> He thought I would have done it by now and was disappointed that I hadn't done it.



If I had a dollar for every time I ran into a character like that. Around here there is a saying if you do it once you own it. When I was plowing snow quite a bit around my old neighborhood there were half a dozen old couples and single widows trying to hang on and if I didnt see their drive plowed I would do it for them for free, or for cookies as most cant shovel but they sure can bake. Always one or two though that would call during a storm to make sure I was coming bright and early or to complain in the spring I ripped some grass up or left a tire track. Then there are the rich ones that ask why I plow one neighbor for free but charge them 20 bucks for a 50 dollar plow job. I tell them it might be because you have two brand new cars in the garage a guy you pay to cut your grass and 3 teenage kids that never leave the house.


----------



## oldognewtrick

You guys have to remember the old saying:

"NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED"


----------



## Chris

It's raining now. And supposed to for a few more days, I'm going to leave town tomorrow in my rv for the weekend. I'll let them figure out how to make the road driveable.


----------



## zannej

It's been raining here. My brother has thrown in the towel on his truck and we are trying to find a replacement. He's letting me have input on it this time because he failed to listen to me when I told him not to buy the hunk of junk he got in the first place.

Took one of my cats to the vet because she was lethargic, nauseous (the threw up and it wasn't hairballs or food), and just not herself. They gave her some shots and $85 she's feeling better.

Chris, I can't stand people who just expect stuff for free all the time. Back in Guam, my father was the OIC (Officer in Charge) and his AOIC (Assistant Officer in Charge)'s wife passed away. There was a woman who was supposed to be sitting with her but for some reason she wasn't there with her so she died alone. The AOIC and his wife had given the lady lots of stuff and helped her out with things quite a bit. After the wife died, the lady and her family came to see the AOIC and to give their condolences and then informed him that since he was now widowed, he didn't need the second car and he should give it to them. They were shocked when he told them to gtfo.

Meanwhile, my TMI plumbing issues continue and the earliest appointment I could get with the specialist is in February. Bleh. But it could be worse. My brother has been extremely nice to me so that has helped put me in a better mood.


----------



## Gary

Lettered a truck today, my first since the encounter with the table saw. I go back for a follow up appointment Monday to see if the fingers are healing right after the surgery. Pain management takes up a lot of my time lately, but things seem to be moving in the right direction.


----------



## havasu

Good to hear Gary.


----------



## Chris

I drove my rv to Arizona in what felt like a hurricane. Finally made it. Now for a cocktail. Should have left the dogs at home. I don't like taking them out in the rain 

View attachment 1484971824189.jpg


----------



## Chris

Decided to stay an extra day in arizona. Flooding at home and nice weather here. It just makes sense. 

Picked up a new toy for the shop today. 

View attachment 1485149454492.jpg


----------



## havasu

My neighbor at Lake Havasu wired a traffic signal at the back of his patio. it lets all of us neighbors know when the bar is open at his house. It works great!


----------



## Gary

Went to the doc and was able to ditch the big single splint for 2 smaller splints. I have a little more dexterity now.


----------



## Chris

I drove back from Arizona then had the grade my road just to get the rv in the yard


----------



## zannej

I went to Samsclub an hour away with some friends and my bro. Ate Chinese buffet and snuggled puppies at another friend's house. Some of the little buggers were running up and tugging on my pantlegs-- they are so adorable at this age. I'll have to post a pic later.


----------



## zannej

The puppies!


----------



## Chris

Picked up a new to me lawn tractor for almost nothing. Did some labor for a guy I know that had this sitting around and didn't use it anymore because he got a Gardner. 

View attachment 1485707800983.jpg


----------



## zannej

I got my new computer all set up and gave my old one to a friend. I kept the primary hard drive to put in my new one. I'm going to transfer the data over to a new drive when I figure out where the hell I put my 3TB drive. My current one is almost out of space. I deleted a duplicate folder and freed up 300Gb though.

I need to go through and get rid of duplicate stuff, and then use Acronis TrueImage to back it all up. New PC has Bluray reader/ DVDRW.

I've also been making plans to go visit my bro and some friends at Pizza Hut every Sunday now. Every Sunday they get this group of people from one of the local churches. They come in just before closing, stay an hour past closing, make a huge mess, and rarely leave a tip. They were in there when I stopped in to eat with some friends. One of the friends had his hair dyed a weird color and looks somewhat effeminate. My brother took a 5 minute break (since there were no orders up) to come grab a bite and sit with us.

The next day his boss called to say that there was a complaint from the church group about a cook coming out of the kitchen to sit with a gay couple and that the gay couple were kissing. Now, there is no rule against the employees going and sitting with friends on a brief food break. It happens all the time and the customers have never complained about it-- And even if the guys were gay, it would be none of those other people's business. But they weren't even gay and they never kissed so the people were just flat out lying. Anyway, when we told the guys about it, they and some other friends decided that they want to go there every Sunday now and act as gay as possible. One of my friends said he was going to act "so gay it will give them brain tumors". LOL.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> I got my new computer all set up and gave my old one to a friend. I kept the primary hard drive to put in my new one. I'm going to transfer the data over to a new drive when I figure out where the hell I put my 3TB drive. My current one is almost out of space. I deleted a duplicate folder and freed up 300Gb though.
> 
> I need to go through and get rid of duplicate stuff, and then use Acronis TrueImage to back it all up. New PC has Bluray reader/ DVDRW.
> 
> I've also been making plans to go visit my bro and some friends at Pizza Hut every Sunday now. Every Sunday they get this group of people from one of the local churches. They come in just before closing, stay an hour past closing, make a huge mess, and rarely leave a tip. They were in there when I stopped in to eat with some friends. One of the friends had his hair dyed a weird color and looks somewhat effeminate. My brother took a 5 minute break (since there were no orders up) to come grab a bite and sit with us.
> 
> The next day his boss called to say that there was a complaint from the church group about a cook coming out of the kitchen to sit with a gay couple and that the gay couple were kissing. Now, there is no rule against the employees going and sitting with friends on a brief food break. It happens all the time and the customers have never complained about it-- And even if the guys were gay, it would be none of those other people's business. But they weren't even gay and they never kissed so the people were just flat out lying. Anyway, when we told the guys about it, they and some other friends decided that they want to go there every Sunday now and act as gay as possible. One of my friends said he was going to act "so gay it will give them brain tumors". LOL.



run an add in craigs list, flood the place with gay peeps.
this will solve 2 problems
pay back

and the no tipping mess makers most likely wont come back

ever wonder why  christians,  who are taught , who among you is not a sinner cast the first stone.
and,  judge naught less ye be judged

are so judgemental ?  not a typo  lol


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Decided to stay an extra day in arizona. Flooding at home and nice weather here. It just makes sense.
> 
> Picked up a new toy for the shop today.



i have another toy for your shop...but shipping would eat you up

if you pay shipping. its yours free

fully functional, zodiac, 25 cent vending machine   with a light
it dispenses  a scroll  the same size as a cigarette 
i have 20 of the damn things.







cool for a man cave,  i shipped one to LA. calif   around $150.00  usps
the cast iron base is what tears you up,,you could skip the base
make your own  or set it on a bar/counter top


----------



## Chris

Does it come with a crap load of horoscopes?


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Does it come with a crap load of horoscopes?



no,   i can give you 1 for each of 12.months..you have to make copies
they are not made anymore.  the horoscopes are rarer than the machine

i friend uses his to dispense 22lr  another uses his for joints
LOl,,,
another uses it as just a ..light,,cool thing in the corner


----------



## inspectorD

Chris Gets all the perks..LOL 
Now a beer dispenser..sign us all up!


----------



## frodo

inspectorD said:


> Chris Gets all the perks..LOL
> Now a beer dispenser..sign us all up!




offer goes to you also,,,,you pay shipping


----------



## inspectorD

frodo said:


> offer goes to you also,,,,you pay shipping



Thank you for the offer, I honestly appreciate the gesture..I just dont know what I would do with the darn thing..


----------



## Chris

I'll take one but only because I am a sucker for things I don't need.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I'll take one but only because I am a sucker for things I don't need.




is ups cheaper than usps ?  or does any know ?


----------



## havasu

UPS is way cheaper than USPS


----------



## Chris

And I have an account there.


----------



## Chris

Picked this up for my daughter today, was pretty much given to me for grading the gun range. 

View attachment 1486010932471.jpg


----------



## havasu

My son bought me a S&W M&P 9mm Shield today. What a great feeling handgun, and with the Kydex IWB holster (in left handed) he bought me will work perfectly as a daily carry gun.


----------



## frodo

if you have an account,  i will get it boxed up

then..how does that work,,they pick up and charge your account ?

do you send me the labels ?


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> My son bought me a S&W M&P 9mm Shield today. What a great feeling handgun, and with the Kydex IWB holster (in left handed) he bought me will work perfectly as a daily carry gun.


nice pistol,  


buddy of mine is working at area 51,  and went to a gun show.
he found a  derringer in 410  I have been looking for.
he grabbed it for me,,that will be my new carry, for awhile

new tageet that SINGS when hit


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> if you have an account,  i will get it boxed up
> 
> then..how does that work,,they pick up and charge your account ?
> 
> do you send me the labels ?



I'm not smart, I'll look into it.


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> run an add in craigs list, flood the place with gay peeps.
> this will solve 2 problems
> pay back
> 
> and the no tipping mess makers most likely wont come back
> 
> ever wonder why  christians,  who are taught , who among you is not a sinner cast the first stone.
> and,  judge naught less ye be judged
> 
> are so judgemental ?  not a typo  lol



LOL!
I guess these people just think they are superior because they go to church or something. Pizza Hut is their regular hang-out spot ever since the Chinese place got closed down. Same group used to be rude at the Chinese buffet place. Like, one time one of the staff members sneezed while nowhere near the food and completely covering his nose and mouth. They started shrieking and screaming. One ran to the bathroom and claimed they threw up. Then they refused to pay for their food. The cops had to be called to make them pay.

One or two of the members will sometimes butt in to discussions between employees talking among themselves or employees talking to customers to ask them if they've heard about Jesus and try to pressure them to join their church. I wish they understood that when someone is working in a capacity where they aren't supposed to be rude, it is completely inappropriate to try to proselytize them. If someone walks up and wants to know more about their church, that is fine-- but trying to pressure people who have to be polite or they lose their jobs is rude.

Even worse is the fact that we think the individual who called in the complaint may actually be the father of one of the employees who is gay. 

I tried finding Craigslist in my area but there doesn't seem to be anything. However, we did spread the word over Facebook.

In a bit of sad news, a lady I've known since I was a child passed away yesterday from cancer. She'd gone in to remission twice but third time was the killer. She's the 4th person in our town to die of cancer thus far this year.

The good news is that I made it to my appointment with a specialist and everyone there was very nice. I'm going to need more tests to see if there are any bleeding tumors or polyps. If it looks clear then I might not need a biopsy. The doctor hopes that taking some estrogen pills might help if my cardiologist says it's ok. I'm scheduled for the ultrasound in about a week.

Visited a friend at AutoZone today. I found a dime in the parking lot and when I walked in I dropped it on his head. It stuck in his hair and when he pulled it out he facepalmed and laughed. (Previously I'd made jokes about how one day I was going to "drop a dime on" him). This is the friend who was in a car accident in 2015 and had his house burn in 2016. He didn't realize he could deduct his fire losses from his taxes. So, Mom is going to help him with his paperwork since she used to be a VITA volunteer and knows the tax rules better than some IRS agents. If the friend gets enough of a return, he said after he pays us back for the $ he borrowed to fix his car & pay some bills, he will use the rest to fix up his house. Fortunately he's got a friend who used to be a foreman for construction sites (until he was injured due to another employee's negligence) and us to help. The foreman has volunteered to help for free because our friend helped him get a job. I still have some 5 gallon buckets of Killz down at my workshop. They are old, but they might still be ok. I've already got a long-handled paint-roller and I can help with the painting and plumbing layout (I want to make sure he does his plumbing to code this time bc last time he used tees where he should have used wyes). My brother is tall so he can help with drywalling the ceiling. It's going to be an interesting project.

In reference to the UPS shipping thing-- do they ship COD?


----------



## Chris

So I was driving up my dirt road this evening on my way home when I see a silver honda civic parked in front of my neighbors house (Like ten feet from their gate) and I look closer and I see a naked body jumping up and down. I figured instead of being that crotchety old guy and calling the cops and then these two have to register as sex offenders because they were having sex in a car on a dirt road and he was too cheap to tint the windows I just drove by real slow and right next to their car. They both jumped up as I kept on driving and pulling into my yard, by the time I got out of my truck in my drive they were long gone. I hope my neighbors down the street got to see that show with both of them completely naked flying down the road. Who gets completely naked to have sex on the side of the road in broad daylight anyway?


----------



## havasu

Me, but I'm usually alone. :hide: :rofl:


----------



## oldognewtrick

No pictures Chris?


----------



## Chris

oldognewtrick said:


> No pictures Chris?



If I were only smart enough to pull out my camera.


----------



## havasu

You obviously were never a cop. Something like that justifies a full photo shoot....for evidence :thbup:


----------



## Chris

I have my memories.


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> You obviously were never a cop. Something like that justifies a full photo shoot....for evidence :thbup:


LOL. And i it has any nudity you can't get it printed at a Walmart. In fact, if you have one nude shot in stuff submitted to Walmart, they will throw out the entire order of pics. Which is pretty good reason to not have photos done at Walmart.
Save​


----------



## bud16415

havasu said:


> Me, but I'm usually alone. :hide: :rofl:



Without a doubt this post is my selection for funniest post I have read this year. 

Ok it is 6:30 am Im just checking the overnight spammers on the site with a hot cup of coffee I kill a couple Russian spammers and I flip to this thread. I read Chriss salacious post of young love. I take a big gulp of coffee and I scroll down and I read this and coffee snorts out my nose and mouth all over my shirt and keyboard. My god man I need a warning this stuff is coming. 
:trophy:


----------



## Gary

I'm going to get back to work today after a 2 day break because of the flu. 
Yesterday started out o.k. but I felt worse as the day progressed, so we'll see how much I actually get done.


----------



## Chris

I'm going to work today, maybe I will get to see some youngsters getting it on and hopefully not see Havasu naked alone on my road.


----------



## Chris

Today I dropped my truck off at a a new dealer for an oil change and fuel filter for 400 bucks. I want to do it myself but don't want any issue if I need to use my warranty down the road. I'm tired of dealers up selling and insisting my trucks need all sorts of maintenance for thousands of dollars every time I go in. This truck only has 25k on it so let's see what this dealer says I need. I already am not happy with them, I asked why is it my fuel filters are 190 bucks at the dealer and only 30 from napa? He just kept saying I don't want to run that junk in my truck.  I really think every dealership are crooks.


----------



## havasu

I was out to dinner with some friends tonight and the topic of conversation changed to what Chris reported. The next hour was spent telling stories about everyone else seeing kids 'bumping uglies' in cars. Some pretty funny stories!


----------



## Chris

I'm glad I can create conversation.

I just put a 17 pound brisket on the smoker for my hosting of a liberal party tomorrow


----------



## slownsteady

...hope you're not roasting one of the liberals :hide:


----------



## Chris

Nope. Father in laws birthday, her whole family is very liberal


----------



## zannej

Chris said:


> Today I dropped my truck off at a a new dealer for an oil change and fuel filter for 400 bucks. I want to do it myself but don't want any issue if I need to use my warranty down the road. I'm tired of dealers up selling and insisting my trucks need all sorts of maintenance for thousands of dollars every time I go in. This truck only has 25k on it so let's see what this dealer says I need. I already am not happy with them, I asked why is it my fuel filters are 190 bucks at the dealer and only 30 from napa? He just kept saying I don't want to run that junk in my truck.  I really think every dealership are crooks.


Does the dealer have a website where you can order maintenance online? I was shocked to learn that the nearest Honda dealership to me let me schedule an appointment online for a specific thing (oil and filter change) and they did it for $49.99 and no BS. Of course, I think it helps that my truck is absolutely filthy so they don't want to do more with it.
I wonder if you can bring your own filters and tell them "This is what I want in my truck".
Maybe they just look at you and think you have a ton of $ for them to siphon from you. I dunno. But it sucks that they do that to you.
We used to get overcharged for stuff on our Ford Expedition all the time. I guess the Ridgeline and CR-V don't scream "I can afford BS charges".


----------



## slownsteady

The service department of all dealerships is considered a profit center and service managers are rated on their profitability. Sure you could b ring your own filter, but the price won't change.

A few years ago, when I had a Ford Explorer, we needed a part changed (can't remember which one) for about $400. but after the dealer changed it, the motor had a new noise. I went back to the dealer and said it had to be related to the repair. The service manager muttered under his breath, something like; "oh, we'll fix it alright". Twenty minutes later he comes out to tell me that it needs another new part for $450. I told him to put it back together, and I'll take it to my local guy. My local guy fixed it with a spritz of WD40 at no charge. So moral of the story: Buyer Beware.


----------



## Gary

Since I cut my fingers I had no choice but to have my oil changed by someone else resently. I'm 4 days from turning 64, and other than tires & alignment work, that I have no equipment for, that is the first time my vehicle has been touched by anyone but me. When I was younger , doing repairs myself was an economic necessity. As I got older, it was just a habit I've never broken. I'm sure it has saved me more than a few $ over the decades.


----------



## Chris

I'm the same way Gary, I do almost everything myself and have a fleet of vehicles. I'm just paranoid that something will happen to this truck like a motor or trans failing and if I did the maintenance somehow they would pin it on me. Once I hit 100k on this truck everything will be done by me.

The worst part about this new truck is that the computer needs to be updated all the time. I asked them at what mileage does this stop and they said it won't, as long as this truck is on the road it will have updates.

So everytime I have taken it in which has need twice a year so far it is 400 for my oil and fuel filter changes and 50 for each update which this time there was five. Those are still under warranty until my next oil change. So without my warranty my 400 dollar oil change would be 650 twice a year. Over a hundred bucks a month on just service. Almost not worth it to have a new diesel.


----------



## Gary

I bought my last 2 trucks new, but still do my own work. Well, actually that pretty much only consisted of oil change, filter, battery, tires so far on this truck. The first new truck I did the same, plus exhaust, pinion seal, alternator  a few times, belt,rear brakes and replaced the computer with a junk yard unit. Repaired intake leak due to anti-freeze corrosion.(aluminum intake)
Oh I take that back, I did have a shop replace the A/C pump. It was a bad design that went bad at 5,000 miles. Replaced again before warranty expired. Then I had to buy one on my own dime, it went bad too but was covered by reman. warranty (I knew it would go bad so I bought the warranty). Then at 500 miles shy of 200,000 & 18 years I traded it for the current truck. 

I figured since you now have to reset the oil change warning display, the oil change dates & mileage are probably recorded in the computer, along with how high the engine has been reved, etc. Heck, they probably know I spilled a soda on the floor when it was new, so if the floor rots out, they can blame it on user error. :nono:


----------



## Chris

My old truck is an 07 ram 2500 diesel 4x4 with about 200k on it. I still drive it all the time and it runs like new, I have done everything myself except rebuild the tranny. It has had its share of issues and I just replaced the account pump but I have the equipment so it was a two hour job.


----------



## Gary

Our new(sort of) is a 2011, the one before that was a 1993. Before that I bought used and just kept them running. Full disclosure, in my younger days I owned a repair shop.  When I gave it up, I took parts with me off the shelf that fit the vehicles we drove. A few years later the trans died in the truck, (a used truck before the 2 new ones I mentioned). I had no garage at the time, so I pulled the trans. on the driveway. Picked a calm day to minimize dust contamination and rebuilt the trans with a trans kit I brought with us. It ran for several years after and was still working when we traded it in. 
Over hauled the engine too, but I used my brothers garage for that. 
Not sure at my age I'd get that involved in a repair job anymore, but back then I did what I had to.  Ahhh youth.


----------



## Chris

I usually don't buy new. I get a few years old because I'm frugal. I have been tinkering on cars since I was ten and still enjoy it. I have no problem pulling a motor and rebuilding it.


----------



## Gary

Yea, I've always bought used too until these last 2. The first I kept for 18 years/ 195,000 miles and the one i have now will go until the repair list no longer justifies holding on to it. The plan is to drive the wheels off this one, then buy one more new truck. That should about do me as my eyes may  be going bad by my mid 90's.


----------



## zannej

On Guam we had a Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer (only vehicle we ever bought new-- and it was discounted because it had typhoon damage) and a '91 cherry red Ford Escort LX. Brakes on it were absolutely terrible. Had it until 2001 when my brother crashed it in to a Rav4 and totaled it (he used a car with ABS in driver's ed and for his driving test so he didn't know how to pump the brake and ended up hydroplaning in to the back of the Rav4).

When we moved back to the mainland US we brought the Expedition and got a used Ford Explorer for our second vehicle. My brother then totaled the Explorer (speeding on our little road, lost control, and flipped it a few times but came out with no injuries). We replaced it with an '01 Honda CR-V. We lost the Expedition and CR-V to a huge chunk of tree falling in '05. Got a '99 Ford Ranger (which sucked bigtime- bought it from a friend's daughter who lied about the condition-- and the year-- she claimed it was an '01) and a 2005 Ford Expedition.

Tree branch fell on the Ranger and totaled it around the time a tree fell on our barn. Replaced it with a 2010 CR-V. Then an entire tree fell on the car port and both vehicles.

So, now we have the Ridgeline and CR-V-- both 2013s. They are not parked safely away from trees *knocks on wood*.

I think we've always had mechanics do the maintenance on our vehicles. Used to have a friend at Walmart who would do the oil changes and stuff but he moved to the Ford dealership now. He was the only one there that I trusted for that. 

I think location does matter on the price gouging though. When we got maintenance done in Albuquerque they didn't even do what we wanted done and said there was more stuff that needed to be done and charged up the wazoo. But in the small towns they didn't do that.


----------



## Chris

I think instead of a mechanic you need a tree trimmer to keep your vehicles longer.


----------



## havasu

Chris said:


> I think instead of a mechanic you need a tree trimmer to keep your vehicles longer.



Or switch your brother's mode of transportation to a bicycle.:rofl:


----------



## bud16415

Chris said:


> Nope. Father in laws birthday, her whole family is very liberal



Hope you still have that 4x8 Trump sign in front of the house. Talk about stimulating dinner conversation.


----------



## bud16415

This might have not been most of you guys and girls cup of tea, but last night we did something that we both really enjoyed and a once in a lifetime experience.

We went to our restored 1920 Warner movie palace that hosts our philharmonic. We watched a presentation of the 1943 classic movie Casablanca where the music score was removed and performed live and perfectly synchronized with the re-mastered movie. Our symphony has about 75 members playing. The Warner theater in Erie was one of the first showing of the movie in the country after it opened in NYC. 

Quite a few people wore cloths from the 40&#8217;s similar to the movie and entering the theater they had a trio dressed and performing as the Andrews Sisters and in leaving they had a fellow playing an upright piano as Sam. 

Was a trip back in time to even before my time. 

http://eriewarnertheatre.com/events/erie-philharmonic-concert-casablanca/

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7IWLZcVU64[/ame]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8of3uhG1tCI[/ame]


----------



## slownsteady

Movie theaters make a film so much better. Crowd reactions add to the show, and laughter is contagious.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Some movies are just made for the big screen. Ill bet it was cool with a live orchestra.


----------



## bud16415

slownsteady said:


> Movie theaters make a film so much better. Crowd reactions add to the show, and laughter is contagious.



I will agree that was always true until about the last 10 years. About the time cell phones and even worse smart phones came along some percentage of the young people in the world became self-centered jerks and not just young people. I always seem to sit behind one and I wont go into the stories as it is bad for my blood pressure. About then was when I got into front projection home theater and I do miss the social good aspects of movie theater I dont miss the bad. That and the price gouging of going out to the movies. We still watch about 6 movies a year in the theater but we watch several hundred at home. When we have company with 6 or 7 in our theater it is fun to all laugh together.


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> Some movies are just made for the big screen. Ill bet it was cool with a live orchestra.



Yes big screens and immersive viewing along with big sound is all nice. I have been able to duplicate the theater experience at home pretty well and I have a pause button when I need the bathroom. 

We go to the old warner theater a lot for concerts but I havent seen a movie in there in 40 years. That was a treat. And yes the orchestra was amazing. I watched John Wayne and Clint Eastwood kill about a 100 bad guys in there as a kid. Along with the first James Bond.


----------



## zannej

Bud, I tend to agree. I think it largely depends on the audience you're with. I don't like to be in an audience with children for the most part because they tend to make a lot of noise. Although, I still remember watching the Batman and Robin movie in the theaters and when Dick Grayson's parents fell to their death, it was dead silent and then I heard a small child's voice say "Only one left?" so loud that it just echoed through the theater.

I went to see the remastered Star Wars movies when they were re-released in the theater- some jackhole in front of me had memorized all of the lines and decided to say every single line just before the characters did. And I've had people kick the back of my seat. 

Now, there were a couple of funny moments. Like, I went to see Ever After with my sister (because I like Drew Barrymore). Guy right behind me apparently didn't know what the movie was about. We heard him say "Wait, this is a Cinderella movie? Oh s####!" Several minutes later when they had the father's death, the same guy just started blubbering. He was full-on sobbing and my sister leaned over and whispered in my ear "Oh s####, indeed."

The best moment had to be when we were watching the South Park movie and some idiot didn't pay attention to the rating and brought his 4 small children in. It got to the scene where the characters were watching the movie and the people onscreen were leaving the theater in disgust. It was during the Uncle song. That was when the idiot (who sat in the very front) jumped up, grabbed his kids, and dragged them out of the theater. The audience was laughing more at that than at the movie.

I love being able to pause movies so I can go to the bathroom or get a snack. or I can rewind if I missed something. 

Today I watched a few episodes of The Flash season 2 on Bluray and then decided to clean out some duplicate files on my pc. Found a draft of a letter my father was composing that talked about his life & interest in Cephalopods. For some reason it made me really sad and I just started crying. I hate crying, but it just reminded me how much I miss him.

I forgot to mention that the estrogen pills my doctor proscribed seem to have stopped the bleeding. I've gone 24 hours without bleeding and I hope it stays that way.


----------



## Chris

Today I scored a new generator for 28 bucks.

A buddy bought it new, used it once and then it fell out of his truck at 40 MPH. I saw it in the back of his truck last week and asked what he was doing with it and he said he was gonna trash it because it would run after the fall.

I took it and brought it home and found it had a broken fuel pump and tge pull start plastic was broken. Bought both those parts for 28 bucks and it fired right up and runs like new


----------



## Chris

A pic of it. I already had the Honda. He has a friend now. 

View attachment 1486518723111.jpg


----------



## Gary

Since I have a history of skin cancer I went in for my yearly checkup and got a clean bill of health. Back in my younger days of home construction, no shirt was the norm, paying for it now. :nono: Good thing to do for anybody that spent time in the sun in the past.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Gary said:


> Since I have a history of skin cancer I went in for my yearly checkup and got a clean bill of health. Back in my younger days of home construction, no shirt was the norm, paying for it now. :nono: Good thing to do for anybody that spent time in the sun in the past.



First of November I did the chemo creme treatment on my face, it was a bitch. Sunscreen and hats and avoid the treatment.....


----------



## bud16415

Gary said:


> Since I have a history of skin cancer I went in for my yearly checkup and got a clean bill of health. Back in my younger days of home construction, no shirt was the norm, paying for it now. :nono: Good thing to do for anybody that spent time in the sun in the past.



None of us had any idea as kids. I was sunburned half the summer as a kid. Have had two taken off so far both luckily were basal cell. Hollys cousin died a year ago at 35 from Melanoma. Get checked out once a year nothing to mess around with and you young guys shirts and hats always.


----------



## bud16415

Went to the home and garden show yesterday in Cleveland, 12 hour round trip from home 6 hours on my feet walking. Way more than you can take in for a day. It was 2 years ago that I have went over for it and the biggest change that stood out most of the builders at least at the show are now Amish or Mennonite business in that area. 

One young guy non Amish had a business building garages and for his display he framed in a garage about 20x20 no doors or windows or siding no roof. I&#8217;m sure to save money he just used as little wood as he could and just tacked it together to look like a garage and he could use the wood over after the show. Across from him the Amish built a 2 story barn. Had a tractor parked in it lights and windows and the second floor filled with bales. The guy with the stick built asked if I needed a garage and I said I could always use another garage but didn&#8217;t know about his. He asked why and I said well you only have 2x6 rafters on 48 centers and no ceiling joists or collar ties I didn&#8217;t think his building would take much snow load. I pointed to the Amish barn and said now that will take some weight. He said I know and stared telling me his building is not supposed to be a building. 

One guy came up after I had already seen 50 different booths of selling gutter leaf guards. Asking if I needed leaf protection. I told him dang you are the first guy I saw selling them here. He said really? I said no not really every 4th booth is selling them. Talk about competition and everyone was top price. 

Nothing really stood out as cutting edge new stuff though.


----------



## inspectorD

Chris said:


> A pic of it. I already had the Honda. He has a friend now.



how noisy are those two?


----------



## Chris

They are pretty quiet, you can have a conversation a couple feet away and it wont annoy you. I think the Ryobi is slightly quieter. They are both rated about the same, the honda is a little heavier and the Ryobi has a handle and a set of wheels which is nice. The honda is a Honda so that is nice. Not sure which will last longer? The Ryobi is much less expensive if you are buying new. Also the Honda is smaller so if space is a problem. Other than that they look to have all the same features.


----------



## zannej

I used to practically live in the swimming pool during the summer when I was a kid. My hair was almost green from the chlorine and I was fairly tan. Now I can't even be in direct sunlight for any length of time. 

Today I drank a gallon of water and had an ultrasound done to see if I have any tumors or abnormalities in my lower abdomen. My mother made it sound like it was going to be horribly painful (but she has a low pain tolerance). It didn't hurt at all. But man, my body is taking awhile to process all of this water and expel it.

On the way up, we passed someone in a Silver Ridgeline. After the appointment we went to eat and saw the same Ridgeline at the place we were eating. They were waiting in the car (since the place was not yet open-- we were a few minutes early). I told the driver "Nice truck!" and we talked a little about our favorite features. He told me that he had really wanted a white one (which is what we have) and I mentioned that I'd wanted a silver one. And I found out that there is a remedy for the airbag recall on the '07s.


----------



## Gary

Lettered a couple brand new 410E JD dump trucks. 40 ton.


----------



## zannej

It was my baby brother's 37th birthday but he had to go to work. I had some errands to run. My friend who had the house fire was over at the burned house cleaning up inside. I brought a broom for him and helped sweep a little. Then I had to go to the pharmacy to get my mother's insulin. I picked up a prybar and some dust masks and gave them to him for tomorrow's work.

I got a cake for my brother and took it to his work. Some friends of his showed up and I made some new friends. When there were no other customers they synced a phone to a bluethooth speaker and played the "Dick In A Box" song and danced to it (using pizza boxes as props) to entertain my brother.

There was a bit of a downer when we had some extremely rude customers come in-- ordered the waitress to tell us to STFU, threw pepperoni all over the floor, took the caps off of the condiments and spilled stuff-- cross contaminating the jars-- and then didn't even tip. The waitress (who is also our friend) said that they never tip. But she got some cake and felt better.

I was talking to one of the friends about our mutual friend's house and he remembered that his father just tore down his old house and there is a lot of good lumber, roofing, and some windows that can be re-used. Said that he needs to have it all hauled off and that our friend could have it for free if we come get it. It's enough stuff to re-build his porch to the way it was before the tree fell on it. And he has some friends who can help him haul our old hot tub over there and build the porch around it. It's just sitting in our yard going to waste.


----------



## zannej

I went to Lake Charles to pick up a recliner Mom wanted. It's got two USB ports and a 3prong power outlet inside the arm so we can plug in a phone and charge devices. Both arms have storage. Had a bit of shopping hell with the mothership (she goes around in the riding cart and I have to follow her and hope she will decide she's done so we can get our stuff and get out).
We ate at Olive Garden (which reminds me that I have leftovers-- I got 5 cheese backed Ziti).
Stopped by to check on my friend to see the progress on his house. He already had a new front door from the other friend's house. They took out an unstable wall and pulled out all the burned up cabinets. Hopefully the windows will fit-- although, my friend will just re-frame them if they don't.

I cleaned up more when I got home and my friend came over with his helpers to help me move the old recliner to another room and move the new recliner in. Friend even plugged it in for me. I gave them some starbucks mocha coffees and one of them got an old computer chair we weren't using anymore as a thank you.

There was a slight problem when I sat in the chair and the back came halfway off. I admit I had a bit of a tiff over it and stubbed my toe while kicking something in frustration. Then I googled how to take the recliner back off (friends had put it on for me since it came in 2 pieces). I realized I was looking in the wrong place for the connection so I tipped it over on it's front and pulled up the flap at the back to see what was wrong. Took my largest flathead and pried one of the bracket retainers open to slide it up and then got both brackets sliding over evenly and got it all locked in to place.

I'm going to do some more cleaning today. And I'm trying to figure out if the heating element in my dryer is just dead or if it is the "home wiring". If its the heating element, I found the part I will need online for around $50.

I also created some custom content eye colors for Sims 4 while waiting for my body to catch up with my brain in wakefulness.

This Medroxypr estrogen stuff has really been helping. I have a little more energy and am able to focus a more.

Oh, this is a catalog pic of the recliner:






It has good lumbar support and sinks down at tailbone level so it doesn't push up and cause pain.


----------



## Mastercarpenty

It's great when you find a comfy chair that works for your back problems. Mine are such that I can't sit on soft home furniture for long, all I can stand are hard-backed and hard-bottomed kitchen-type chairs. They make my bottom-side  hurt but it's tolerable compared to having back pain. Some car seats work for me and some don't but I haven't yet reached the redneck low of putting in a car seat in my living room. I must admit I've thought about that though!

Always keep moving forward even if it's at a snails pace. Progress is still progress whether it's fast or slow.

Phil


----------



## frodo

Mastercarpenty said:


> It's great when you find a comfy chair that works for your back problems. Mine are such that I can't sit on soft home furniture for long, all I can stand are hard-backed and hard-bottomed kitchen-type chairs. They make my bottom-side  hurt but it's tolerable compared to having back pain. Some car seats work for me and some don't but I haven't yet reached the redneck low of putting in a car seat in my living room. I must admit I've thought about that though!
> 
> Always keep moving forward even if it's at a snails pace. Progress is still progress whether it's fast or slow.
> 
> Phil



I use a jell filled seat cushion from walgreens  around $30.00

I have back problems also and can 100% relate to you


----------



## oldognewtrick

Nuttin redneck about car seat furniture Phil....


----------



## Mastercarpenty

Lol, sorry but even that is a bit beyond my tastes even though it is well done. 

People think I'm nuts, but I have a bucket seat taken from a 1974 Dodge Dart that I have been installed in 3 different vehicles so far and it will go into my current one this spring. It is perfect for my back and though it needs (and has) a seat cover it is still in great shape for it's age. I can live with the seat I have for now but it is marginal for really long drives. Since those are rare for me I can manage till spring. 

Now if I could only find another back brace which worked equally well. That one is long out of production and mine is getting just a bit frayed. I don't need or use it much, but when I do need it there's nothing quite like this one and I've tried all the similar ones I can find. As long as I can keep this one sewn together I'll manage. With luck it might last the rest of my working life and then hopefully I wont need it anymore. 

Phil


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## Chris

Picked up a tent trailer for my sister and spent the weekend cleaning it and making sure everything worked and resealing  the roof then got all the lights working properly. Finished it up and she took it home. Then I went out and finally put new leaf springs on my jeep and cleaned the mouse poop out of it and put the soft top on. Drives much better now.

I realized how much I hate working in a gravel driveway. Everytime I drop a screw it takes me 20 minutes and a magnet to find it. 

View attachment 1486959594640.jpg


View attachment 1486959605351.jpg


View attachment 1486959623072.jpg


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## havasu

Hey Chris. My son found a company that sells newly built hardtops in San Diego. It comes ready to mount with windows, weatherstripping, and positive latches. He got one for the new TJ on Saturday for $1k. Far cheaper than a replacement soft top for $650.


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## Chris

I have a hard top and full doors. I don't like wheeling with them so I only use them in hunting season. I got rid of my soft top a few years ago and just run multiple safari top which is just a longer bikini top. This soft top I have now is a rampage which is frame less, it uses my roll bars for the frame.


----------



## havasu

We tried installing the Rampage frameless top on that TJ jeep last week. Keep in mind it was a cold day, which I reminded my son was not a good idea. There was no stretch at all and we ripped it in 3 places trying to secure it. Worst instructions ever. it was taken back for a full refund. This build will be for my grandson, so being secure while driving to school is more important than soft top freedom.


----------



## Chris

Hard tops are nice. For many reasons. I am just scared of breaking mine when I tip it over. That and I don't like the full doors being a big guy I feel cramped. My rampage is the same way, I got it up there but I can't get it all on, I am gonna leave it in the sun and see if I can stretch it. I added a few bars to my cage so I'm not sure if I will get the back window in.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Picked up a tent trailer for my sister and spent the weekend cleaning it and making sure everything worked and resealing  the roof then got all the lights working properly. Finished it up and she took it home. Then I went out and finally put new leaf springs on my jeep and cleaned the mouse poop out of it and put the soft top on. Drives much better now.
> 
> I realized how much I hate working in a gravel driveway. Everytime I drop a screw it takes me 20 minutes and a magnet to find it.



relief spring steel makes damn good knives  


.


----------



## nealtw

frodo said:


> relief spring steel makes damn good knives
> 
> 
> .



But those coils are hard to sharpen:rofl::rofl::rofl:


----------



## Gary

Going to get my splints off this morning I hope.


----------



## nealtw

Hope all goes well. wait a few day before you go back to picking your nose wit it.


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## Chris

frodo said:


> relief spring steel makes damn good knives
> 
> 
> .



Let me know if you want me to ship you a piece or two. I have plenty.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Let me know if you want me to ship you a piece or two. I have plenty.



thanks but no..my copd will not allow me to run my forge any more
  last time i made a knife i spent 3 days in the hospital

to many years under a welding hood, breathing flux, smoking marlboro
finally took its toll

i would love to beat out a couple knives


----------



## Chris

Glad I quit smoking.


----------



## inspectorD

I sure would like to own a nice 4 wheelin jeep.. Id have to move out of New England though...all this crap they put on the roads eats away at all our vehicles and roads..
South is startn to sound better every day..


----------



## oldognewtrick

inspectorD said:


> I sure would like to own a nice 4 wheelin jeep.. Id have to move out of New England though...all this crap they put on the roads eats away at all our vehicles and roads..
> South is startn to sound better every day..



You had your chance big boy...


----------



## inspectorD

oldognewtrick said:


> You had your chance big boy...



Oh..well.. Emerald Isle next week Buddy..Im at the beach..:rofl:


----------



## oldognewtrick

To cold to go to the beach, unless your in The Bahamas....


----------



## Chris

Probably warm enough here today but I wouldn't go in the water.


----------



## Gary

Doc took the splints off today, but then gave me some plastic caps to put over the fingers when I work so they don't get bumped. Wed. I start therapy.  2 times a week for 4 weeks. The nurse came in and said, good news, you can go back to work and do light duty stuff now. I didn't have the heart to tell her I've been back to work for awhile now.


----------



## havasu

I shot my little S&W M&P Shield today. I'm really happy with how well it shoots out of the box.


----------



## Gary

Finger therapy this morning. Tomorrow morning too.


----------



## diyProjectsByDave

worked on this blog for my husband - he's Dave 
http://www.diyprojectsbydave.com/2017/02/how-to-install-kwikset-dead-bolt-and.html

:beer::beer:


----------



## frodo

headed out this morning to a msgo  meet an great

we are having breakfast cooked out doors over a camp fire then we will 

terrorize the woods with random gun fire the rest of the day

30 guys shooting every thing from a 22 to 50 cal  .  there is no telling what will show up


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> I shot my little S&W M&P Shield today. I'm really happy with how well it shoots out of the box.



congrats on new toy

polish the slide and ramp

hone the sear  make it smooth

a lot of guns come out of the factory needing the metal smoothd out
makes them a lot smoothrr to shoot


----------



## zannej

I finally got fed up with my friend's exgf (who is just a complete and total bunt with a capital C) and called her out for trying to stir crap up with my friend's current gf and for dragging my friend in to it. She gave lame excuses and poorly spelled protests before blocking me. LOL.


----------



## Chris

Today I will clean out the garage and get the new hemi prepped for tge charger.


----------



## havasu

How did you fair with the rains last night? I constantly got text alerts from our power company (Edison) apologizing for the power being out 100 miles from me. Like I really care. How the hell do you shut off these alerts on my phone?


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## bud16415

Get this Holly is hosting a baby shower today for her brothers wife so the guys are all meeting at the barn for a cook out. It is in the 50&#8217;s today. The party is called a diaper party and I have to bring a box of diapers to get in. This is all new to me except the cookout part. I got my pampers and ready to go. 

Pretty soon they will be throwing me a Depends party lol.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> How did you fair with the rains last night? I constantly got text alerts from our power company (Edison) apologizing for the power being out 100 miles from me. Like I really care. How the hell do you shut off these alerts on my phone?



My rain gauge says we got 2.5 inches last night. Since I know a pipeline guy my property is fine and since I know a guy with a skip loader I got to spend a couple hours grading my road this morning. Over the years I have been able to get the road to where it drains good and repairs are minimal. If I could get my neighbor to allow water to run through his property we could fix it proper.


----------



## oldognewtrick

bud16415 said:


> Get this Holly is hosting a baby shower today for her brothers wife so the guys are all meeting at the barn for a cook out. It is in the 50s today. The party is called a diaper party and I have to bring a box of diapers to get in. This is all new to me except the cookout part. I got my pampers and ready to go.
> 
> Pretty soon they will be throwing me a Depends party lol.



If there's no beer at the cookout we'll have to stamp your man card. ...


----------



## inspectorD

really...drinkin beer and wearin diapers....

:beer::beer::thumbup:

And I thought Vegas was rough....


----------



## frodo

Had a fine time today.  met up with friends for breakfast and some therapy
"The Boys"



10 pounds of bacon




I got cakes on the Griddle, Life aint nothin but a funny funny riddle
Thank GAWD I'm a Country Boy !!!!




waiting on the cook


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## bud16415

I swear frodo and I went to the same party today.


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## frodo

bud16415 said:


> I swear frodo and I went to the same party today.


...............


----------



## Gary

While you had fun I had to letter a track hoe. 
But it was in the mid 60's, lite breeze, sunshine and I had the place all to myself, so it was a good day.


----------



## frodo

Gary said:


> While you had fun I had to letter a track hoe.
> But it was in the mid 60's, lite breeze, sunshine and I had the place all to myself, so it was a good day.



you work to much,,,but, i can understand,that track hoe is working during the week,


----------



## inspectorD

bud16415 said:


> I swear frodo and I went to the same party today.



Dang... I was late as usual...Same crew is still here:rofl:


----------



## Gary

frodo said:


> you work to much,,,but, i can understand,that track hoe is working during the week,



Yea, no rest. Road construction signs today.


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## zannej

Looks like a fun gathering, Frodo.

I took my mother and brother in for their doctor appointments today. The clerk called this morning to apologize because the doctor had a "dental emergency" and was out in the afternoon so they had to see the nurse practitioner. She's very nice-- although my brother thought she leaned a little too closely when talking.

She set up some stuff for my mother to get some tests and got a prescription for my mother to get a new blood sugar tester (hers gave up the ghost and she's procrastinated on getting a new one). Mom has a sinus infection and my bro still has bronchitis. I'm hoping I won't get anything so I'm crossing my fingers and hiding from them. LOL.

We went to the Mexican restaurant in town afterward. My bro and I have been there a few times but Mom hadn't been there before. The food is good. Mom grew up in Chula Vista so she is familiar with American Mexican food and can be fairly picky, but she liked it.


----------



## inspectorD

Its sap season up here in the Northern Hills..


----------



## oldognewtrick

Gee, you have all the fun...&#128053;


----------



## frodo

dang it,   my 'puter caught a malware trojan,,i have been battling theat mf last night and this morning
wounsd up resetting the pc to day 1, wiped the drive clean.

yep , i used a rag, lol lol

hopefully i got the nasty little bugger,  need some good advice on a better firewall,

i am currently using defender, it caught the thing and alerted me


----------



## slownsteady

I use Mcafee on my PC. It's a subscription, so they are constantly updating it. So far, so good.


----------



## oldognewtrick

On newer versions of windows I've been running Microsoft security essentials and malwarebytes.


----------



## zannej

I have to wonder WTF is wrong with people sometimes. 
My friend told his ex to stay away from his place but he has house guests who will answer the door (one of them stole the house key from someone who was allowed to have a key).
The house guests let the ex and her current bf in and my friend returned home to find them having sex in his bed. 
I would have called the cops and burned the mattress. 
The ex has been harassing my friend ever since-- so much so that he asked if he could come stay at my place for a short while bc she can't come out here. If she tried to come out here I would greet her with an M-14.

Frodo, free version of Malwarebytes and Spybot Search & Destroy. SS&D will immunize your PC if you choose.


----------



## Chris

Wow, I need to go to people's houses and have sex in their beds. Havasu, can you leave a key out?


----------



## havasu

Anytime buddy. BTW, how is that beautiful wife of yours?


----------



## Chris

She puts up with me.


----------



## zannej

LOL.

Today I went over to my friend's house to hang out. He and his latest ex-gf are currently in the friendzone with the possibility of dating once they both get their acts together. Things calmed down with the twunty ex and my friend is still going to sell her the trailer (because she's paying him more than he put in to it and he needs the $). He's going to stay at my house while he fixes his place up and in return he's going to troubleshoot the electrical to see if he can figure out why the lights don't work on the porch and front room and he's going to help fix some stuff up that I can't do myself.

But the most amusing thing of the day was that his twunt ex came over to feed her dog (she left her dog in his yard and has to come inside to get the food to feed the dog). Normally she hangs around and tries to antagonize the nice ex and cause problems-- but this time she saw me and was intimidated. She muttered "hi" to me and then got the food and got the hell out. My friend had gone to the bathroom to shave and when he came out he was like "She's gone already?" and I told him that I apparently made her really uncomfortable so she fled. So, now they know that if she's bugging them, they just have to call me over and she'll leave. LOL.

After that I went over to Pizza Hut and one of my friends who works there was feeling really crappy. She'd dealt with a lot of rude customers (the local church group people who never tip) and was exhausted. I helped her clear the tables because she was too lightheaded to carry stuff and then I swept the floors for her. The brooms absolutely suck so I went to Walmart to get some Mucinex and medicine for my mother and I snagged a decent broom from the cleaning aisle and then headed back to Pizza Hut and handed the broom to my brother. He's going to put his name on it and possibly draw a **** on it too.


----------



## Gary

We just had a tornado warning. Seems to be pretty much past us now. We were hit about a year and a half ago by an Ef3, so we take those sirens seriously.


----------



## inspectorD

Glad it passed..
Good luck to those not so lucky


----------



## Gary

inspectorD said:


> Glad it passed..
> Good luck to those not so lucky



Sirens went off two times here, but we only had rain, thunder, lightning and some wind. Ottawa, about 45 minutes from us got hit pretty hard it sounds like. reports are sketchy so far.

One confirmed death in yesterday's Tornado, in Ottawa.


----------



## zannej

My best friend went to go hang with some other friends and got drunk so I took his gf home so she wouldn't be stuck with his rude house guests alone.

I have to vent about these house guests-- typical abusers of the system. Guy is a former convicted drug dealer. He and his wife (who is due to have a baby any day) have two children already. Neither one are employed. They came in to my friend's home with no $ to help pay for the bills or buy food but somehow they have the $ to buy cigarettes, marijuana, and booze. They sit around drinking and smoking all day (they were told no smoking in the house, but my friend came home to the smell of weed in his bedroom-- which they are not supposed to enter). They use his electricity and a lot of water and eat all of his food. When their hands are idle they use their phones (not sure how they can even have cellphones) to access the internet and harass and trash-talk my friend's girlfriend. These are grown a** adults with children and they are ganging up on and bullying a 19-year-old girl. I believe they are both in their 30s.

My friend brought home a pizza the other day and didn't get to touch it. The house guests ate it all without even asking. They used up all of the toilet paper and then the gf bought some more. But then it disappeared. Turns out the house guests hide it and only told the twunty ex about it and didn't want her to let the gf know where it was (bc they have teamed up with the twunt to try to make the girl miserable). The gf bought some mouthwash and caught the pregnant woman straight up drinking it directly from the bottle. Almost all of my friend's towels have gone missing as well. For a brief time, the guy stole the gf's house key off her keychain and claimed he "lost" it. But he was locking and unlocking the door so my friend called him out on it and he returned the key to him (not to the gf). But, the guy is still unlocking and locking the door so he must have had a copy made.

The house guests just got $7k from their tax returns and won't even supply any food or help with the water or electric bill and they are just taking from my friend instead. The only reason my friend hasn't kicked them out yet is bc of the kids-- and he said he's just about to tell them the kids can stay and they can gfto. He's going to start bringing stuff over to my house to make sure they don't steal it when they do leave.

He was going to change the locks, but I told him that if he's selling it to the twunt, it can be her problem.

TLR? Now you know why I don't like people. LOL.


----------



## Chris

They got money, kick them out before they are broke again. Not sure why he is inviting issues into his life


----------



## zannej

Chris said:


> They got money, kick them out before they are broke again. Not sure why he is inviting issues into his life



Because he's one of those people who wants to help others and ends up getting walked all over. Initially the male house guest called him and asked for a lift to a homeless shelter just before Christmas. Said he and his pregnant wife and their two kids had been put out of his mother's house for refusing to buy her a beer. My friend didn't want to see the kids and the pregnant wife going to a homeless shelter so he offered to let them stay for a bit. They were supposed to leave once they got their tax returns. They already have a place to rent, but they need the electricity turned on before they can move in. And unfortunately, the person who does the inspections and allows electricity to be turned on can be a bit of an *** and doesn't show up for appointments. Some of my friends got stood up for 2 weeks by the guy-- took time off work to wait all day for him and he never showed.

Although, my friend is about ready to tell them to go deal without electricity and GFTO of his place.

Meanwhile, his twunty ex had the stupidity to go to my brother's workplace and ask him for the house key (she still hasn't bought the place). My bro refused to give it to her so she left.

I need to get more of a life so the small town soap opera thing isn't mostly what I have to report on. LOL.


----------



## zannej

Today, (well, technically yesterday since it's after midnight) I scrubbed mom's feet and took her to a podiatrist so she could get her teeth checked out. She takes good care of her fingernails, but her toenails were a mess so the podiatrist took care of that. She's got some kind of fungus on a couple of her toenails and a combination of oral medication and topical stuff didn't get rid of it. The podiatrist explained that the fungus came from the root of the toenail and that if you kill it at the root (with oral medication) that the fungus will go away when the toenail grows long enough and the infected part is cut off. 

We went to the Chinese buffet and Mom had sushi. Then we went to Sam's and the checkout line was wrapped around the aisles but Mom managed to sneak over to the other side in the riding cart and a guy told her to go ahead of him (while I was holding her place in line). She called me to tell me she had checked out so I could get out of line.

Since my mother observes Lent, I made a batch of tunafish with chopped pickles and celery and made her a sandwich for dinner (which is what she wanted). I hid the tunafish because last time my brother saw it he ate almost all of it in a couple of days.

I also put some kind of cream on my mother's toes (around her toenails) for the toes that have fungus on them to see if it will possibly get rid of the fungus. I'm expecting her to page me any moment now to come wipe it off (since it is supposed to sit for awhile and then be wiped off).


----------



## diyProjectsByDave

Created a video of my hubby Dave talking about quick fix to Venetian Blind

https://youtu.be/SSDO3CKTlM0

By the way, Happy Birthday to Dave today!  :rofl::rofl:


----------



## inspectorD

Snowblowin....  watching the snow come down in sheets.
About 18 inches and still blowing strong. Everything is already cancelled for tomorrow so we can all dig out.

All my buds are in Florida...at bike week..


----------



## oldognewtrick

inspectorD said:


> Snowblowin....  watching the snow come down in sheets.
> About 18 inches and still blowing strong. Everything is already cancelled for tomorrow so we can all dig out.
> 
> All my buds are in Florida...at bike week..



So, why didn't you go. The moped out of gas again...


----------



## zannej

Picked up flea medicine for a couple of my cats who have really bad reactions to fleas and took one of my kitties for his vaccines. I still need to take more of them in for vaccines. He was very well behaved and actually snuggled with the vet. Even though something was wrong with one of the syringes and she stuck him more than 5 times before going to get another syringe, he didn't cry or squirm. I gave him some lunchmeat and snuggled him when we got home.

Meanwhile, I've been doing research on windows.


----------



## Chris

Got invited to fly a few ww2 planes on Thursday. I may go.


----------



## slownsteady

Chris: definitely go!

I shoveled (well actually used a snowblower and shovel) the whole day. Got about two feet of snow.


----------



## frodo

GO!!!!!!!!!!!!,,,AND come back with some cool video


----------



## oldognewtrick

:agree:.............


----------



## Chris

I think I'll be going. I usually don't go to invited things because I'm so busy working but this doesn't come around everyday so why not.


----------



## havasu

Hey Chris. That is a dream of a lifetime. My neighbor runs the p-51 supply house next door to the planes of fame museum. Don't forget to go to Flo's Restaurant while you are there.


----------



## zannej

Chris, that sounds absolutely awesome! I hope you get to go and have fun!

So far today I've been trying to get my brain to wake up-- but it is not cooperating. It wants to be in sloth mode. Some of my "plumbing" issues are back and if they don't clear up in a few days I'm going to have to call the doctor again.


----------



## havasu

Headed to lake Havasu...


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> Headed to lake Havasu...


Looks like good weather. I hope you have fun!


----------



## inspectorD

oldognewtrick said:


> So, why didn't you go. The moped out of gas again...



Ummm..yeah. Howd you know.? Darned Taxes up here it CT... tis the season to pay...


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Got invited to fly a few ww2 planes on Thursday. I may go.



enjoy the ride.


----------



## zannej

inspectorD, are you in one of the areas with blizzards? I have a few friends in CT and they were telling me there were blizzard warnings and snow was piling up high.

Meanwhile, it's like 48 degrees here-- but what we lack in snow we make up for in rain.


----------



## inspectorD

zannej said:


> inspectorD, are you in one of the areas with blizzards? I have a few friends in CT and they were telling me there were blizzard warnings and snow was piling up high.
> 
> Meanwhile, it's like 48 degrees here-- but what we lack in snow we make up for in rain.



Officially 21 inches of snow.. however we live with that stuff over here in the hills.
50 mph winds make for some good sized drifts though.

Upstate VT received over 50 inches at my buddies house...yikes.


----------



## bud16415

We got 18&#8221; but I didn&#8217;t even plow. Normal snowfall for here. 

The reason I didn&#8217;t plow is when it was 77 a week ago I racked all the gravel back and the spring flowers are up 4&#8221; and I don&#8217;t want to pile snow on them. It will be gone soon enough.


----------



## zannej

I remember getting a good amount of snow when I lived in Virginia over 30 years ago. It was fun as a kid, but I know it must be a pain for adults. I've already had some friends in snowy areas report that relatives slipped on ice and broke their arms.

Meanwhile, if we get an inch of snow in Louisiana, everything shuts down. Local stores don't really sell any products to deal with snow and ice and people just don't know what to do.


----------



## Chris

Going up in these guys in a few. 

View attachment 1489698509402.jpg


View attachment 1489698521140.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

Todays a good day to be Chris....


----------



## Chris

I took the p51 and took a buddy to ride in the p40. 

View attachment 1489714672221.jpg


View attachment 1489714700133.jpg


----------



## Chris

First time I have ever been upside down in an airplane


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> First time I have ever been upside down in an airplane



Did breakfast stay right side up?  &#128561;


----------



## Chris

It did but I did get pretty dizzy


----------



## HandyOne

That is super that you had a ride in that plane.   Not too sure about that upside down business.


----------



## frodo

fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nice pictures...


----------



## slownsteady

Well Hello Dolly!
The P51 is one of my dream machines. I grew up on WWII movies.


----------



## zannej

Awsome pics, Chris. I'm glad you enjoyed it and kept your lunch down.

Today I took my kitty to the vet for her monthly shots (she has to get a steroid and B-12). On the way in I saw an abandoned dog (white pit bull with beige spots). I saw her last week closer to the blacktop and it seems she's traveled a few miles deeper into the woods. She can't put weight on her rear left leg and she was absolutely starving-- ribs sticking out. I stopped and opened up a bag of dog food we hadn't unloaded yet and put a few scoops out. I didn't see her on the way back home. I told my brother to keep an eye out for her and to take some food in case he sees her. Seriously thinking of bringing her home, but I don't know how she would get along with my other dogs and cats. She was very friendly to me though. 

I've also been looking for medical alert bracelets for my brother to take on his trip to Japan. Called the local medical supply shops but most closed at 1pm today and the one that was still open doesn't sell them. Can't order online since it wouldn't arrive in time for his trip.

But I did see something that I thought was cool and made me think of Frodo: Paracord medical alert bracelets.





They want about $40 for them. Looks like it's a standard paracord bracelet with the metal tag stuck on the front.

So, I'm filling out a form to print out a medical card for my brother for free.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Most drug stores carry alert brackets and necklaces.


----------



## zannej

oldognewtrick said:


> Most drug stores carry alert brackets and necklaces.


I wonder if CVS up in Alexandria has them. I checked the local Walmart and found nada. Samsclub doesn't have them either. The only local pharmacy (aside from Walmart) is already closed for the day and is not open on weekends.

I wonder how much it costs just for the little metal plates for the bracelets so I could get one made for my brother eventually.

Meanwhile, I called HD to ask a question about their windows. Phone rang in the dept, nobody picked up- back to the menu. Waited in silence until a person answered and transferred me back to windows, no answer, back to menu-- this happened about 5 times-- one time I tried to tell the person not to transfer me but she immediately hit to transfer. 8 minutes later I finally got transferred to a manager who wrote down my # and what I was looking for and then said he was going to walk to the window department and find out for me and call me back. Got a call back half an hour later from a woman I could barely hear but she answered the question.


----------



## diyProjectsByDave

Today I wrote a blog post for my husband's video about cleaning the GE Adora Quiet Power III dishwasher.  

http://www.diyprojectsbydave.com/2017/03/cleaning-dishwasher-ge-adora-quiet.html

It was fun.  but didn't fix our problem...  

:hide:


----------



## Gary

Y axis on the CNC quit. Turns out it was a bad driver on the control board. Control board is obsolete, so I had to buy a new one. That made the software obsolete so I had to buy that. Software made the computer obsolete so I had to buy a new one. Got it all running again today & finished the job that started the whole deal. At least I have all the new bells N' whistles now, although I was fine without the bells N' whistles before. 
Kids & Grandkids came over for awhile, so that was my silver lining for today.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> I wonder if CVS up in Alexandria has them. I checked the local Walmart and found nada. Samsclub doesn't have them either. The only local pharmacy (aside from Walmart) is already closed for the day and is not open on weekends.
> 
> I wonder how much it costs just for the little metal plates for the bracelets so I could get one made for my brother eventually.
> 
> Meanwhile, I called HD to ask a question about their windows. Phone rang in the dept, nobody picked up- back to the menu. Waited in silence until a person answered and transferred me back to windows, no answer, back to menu-- this happened about 5 times-- one time I tried to tell the person not to transfer me but she immediately hit to transfer. 8 minutes later I finally got transferred to a manager who wrote down my # and what I was looking for and then said he was going to walk to the window department and find out for me and call me back. Got a call back half an hour later from a woman I could barely hear but she answered the question.



next time that happens, call corporate office and ask if that store has been closed.  or if there is a kidnap situation that may need the assistance of the police.  no one answers the phone during business hours and you are concerned


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> next time that happens, call corporate office and ask if that store has been closed.  or if there is a kidnap situation that may need the assistance of the police.  no one answers the phone during business hours and you are concerned


Heh. they'd probably dismiss me as a loon. But that would be funny to do.


----------



## Chris

Idaho........ 

View attachment 1489967306800.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Idaho........



Ok, tell me the California view is better than that.....


----------



## frodo

My wife has an Aunt that lives in Boise


----------



## Chris

oldognewtrick said:


> Ok, tell me the California view is better than that.....



That's most of my front yard.


----------



## slownsteady

Chris said:


> That's most of my front yard.


What? The potatos???   :banana:


----------



## frodo

Chris is going to be a Spud farmer


----------



## slownsteady

All jokes aside...Man, are you gonna love the spring there.


----------



## zannej

Looks great, Chris! I bet the kids will love it. If you can get them involved in growing stuff they might like it. And if you have trouble with your back, sometimes you can put planters on top of hay bales (that's a trick my uncle told me about).

There's just something so relaxing about having big open fields and not having to see other people.


----------



## frodo

check it out

jeep and atv handles

upper roll bar strap and side rail strap with metal thimbles to protect the cord

also comes with shackles..they are slow getting here


----------



## Chris

Now all you need is a website.


----------



## frodo

yea  i looked into that, i dont have an extra $200. laying around


----------



## Chris

I can get you the domain for 20 bucks. Then you can buy a super easy site or something similar


----------



## oldognewtrick

Facebook and you tube will generate just as much traffic.


----------



## zannej

Do they charge you to sell your stuff on Etsy? Because you make awesome stuff and I bet people on Etsy would be interested.


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Facebook and you tube will generate just as much traffic.



I got a thing about facebook,  do not like nor trust that site

you tube is an option i have not thought about,   

Chris, send me a link or info on theses sites.

thanks zanne, I will look at esty


----------



## Chris

Will do this weekend.


----------



## zannej

Frodo, apparently there are charges for using Etsy. 20 cents to list something and 3.5% of whatever you charged for it (not including sales tax and shipping).
Someone broke down the costs: https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/15395983/

There is no longer a free for editing your listing.

I do know that some people sell things via Deviantart.com as well but I don't know if there are any fees for that.

My bro posted a bunch of pictures from Japan. He went to a bird cafe where there were live owls sitting around. There was a sign that cautioned people that the owls above would poop without warning. He also went to a cat cafe where there were a bunch of cats. I guess it's for people who can't have pets or don't have time for them who want to get to see them. He went to some old temples and seems to really be enjoying himself.


----------



## slownsteady

A website alone doesn't sell stuff, because if no one knows about your website then no one will go there.


----------



## nealtw

slownsteady said:


> A website alone doesn't sell stuff, because if no one knows about your website then no one will go there.



I can taste the spam already.:trophy:


----------



## Chris

slownsteady said:


> A website alone doesn't sell stuff, because if no one knows about your website then no one will go there.



Advertising is step two.


----------



## Chris

Did my good deed for the week. Picked up this WWII military CleTrac from a museum in idaho and I am taking down to the planes of fame air museum in california all free of charge. 

It is going to be restored to working order. It was used as a tug and maintenance for the military planes. 

View attachment 1490727784088.jpg


View attachment 1490727802326.jpg


----------



## zannej

Pasting from another post because I'm lazy.
Around 8:30pm last night the power went out. I'd already made soup for my brother (Mom woke me up to cook for him) and Mom had a salad I got for her. I hadn't eaten so I decided to go into town to grab something. I noticed the traffic lights were out. Kept driving and found all the fast food places were dark. I drove out to Walmart and it was dark. I pulled in to the parking lot to turn around and noticed carts slung all over the place, trash can lids, and random debris. I saw police cars over at the gas station and saw that the roof of the gas station was scattered in the parking lot. Apparently a tornado touched down last night. I immediately headed over to check on my friends in a trailer park and saw the police were blocking off several roads. Friends were fine but had no power. They asked me to drive them around so we could look at the damage. By the time we got back to Walmart the lights were back on, but the employees were at the door turning customers away.
I parked in a handicap spot and called home to tell them what was going on. As I was talking to my brother, some jerk in a white truck pulled up and stopped next to a riding cart. He jumped out and then picked up the riding cart and tried to put it in the back of his truck but it was too heavy so he dropped it. He was right in front of the store with lights on him, employees looking, and the security cameras were probably on. He then jumped back in his truck and took off. Meanwhile, my friends and I were saying "Did that idiot really just try to steal a riding cart? WTF?" Then we had a good laugh about it. But seriously? WTF is wrong with people? What a moron!
But that just gives you an idea of what this town is like.
Later today I'm going to drive in and see how bad the damage is. I know the tornado hit Maple St but I want to see if my elderly friend's houses on Oak St are ok.


----------



## frodo

snapped this out the kitchen window bout 10 minutes ago
he is about 50 yards off


----------



## Chris

Thats neat, I love wildlife.

I loaded two projects onto my trailer to take to Idaho Thursday. Put my free charger and my jeep on there and wish I had bought a bigger trailer. I have about three inches to spare, hope nothing comes loose on the way.


----------



## Chris

Heading to idaho today after turning the water on at the golf course we repiped and switched to reclaimed. Anyone up for a road trip? Neal I think I won't be living to far from you up there.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> Heading to idaho today after turning the water on at the golf course we repiped and switched to reclaimed. Anyone up for a road trip? Neal I think I won't be living to far from you up there.



You could pop over for coffee, it's only about 14 hours each way.


----------



## zannej

Drive safely, Chris.

My body has decided to go into the mucus production business-- it's non-profit and highly unpleasant. I threw up in the kitchen trash last night and I haven't been able to drive for the past couple of days. I'm hoping this crud will clear up soon.

My phone lines are out because of flooding-- the boxes with the wires are currently underwater so there is nothing the phone company can do about it until the water goes down and the boxes dry out.


----------



## Chris

Nevada desert this morning. 

View attachment 1491930352539.jpg


----------



## EmyJ

Still haven't done anything productive...............Still short of planning. feeling lazy...............


----------



## frodo

put a metal roof on a dog house then went to the river and waded around while looking for drift wood

let the dog swim and chase sticks.


----------



## frodo

Mississippi river and Louisiana   bridge, state line

I wanted a picture of the paddle boats,  but they were out on the river

we have two  gambling paddle boats that go up and down the river


----------



## Chris

Eastern Sierra at the Nevada California border 

View attachment 1492007002171.jpg


----------



## bud16415

Between Chris and Frodo I feel like I&#8217;m on vacation. 

Enjoying the pics men. Keep em coming.


----------



## frodo

McCall creek  after the storm  this is usually only 20'across


low water bridge by my house,  this is where i go to wade around and get cool

you can park up on the left and there are camp sites along the river
this is national forest land


the water was over the bridge


----------



## havasu

Frodo, do you ever hear that "Dueling Banjo" song while sitting in that river?


----------



## Chris

He plays the banjo song.

A couple pictures of my front yard doing some weed control. You can see the seasonal creek that runs through my property 

View attachment 1492021564441.jpg


View attachment 1492021577558.jpg


View attachment 1492021588730.jpg


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Frodo, do you ever hear that "Dueling Banjo" song while sitting in that river?



Hear it, Heck he's the one that plays it...


----------



## frodo

my favorite hang out

https://www.screencast.com/t/mNiM0aCZ6r


----------



## frodo

That Idaho prairie looks like it is a cold sunny beach in the winter

my dog eating a bone

View attachment 13856





View attachment 13858


----------



## Chris

A very cold beach 

View attachment 1492087237602.jpg


----------



## slownsteady

I bet their fries are really fresh.  :banana:


----------



## frodo

love spicy tater logs


----------



## Chris

Driving out to Compton this morning. 

View attachment 1492172944204.jpg


----------



## johnsongilly016

Hmmm.. I am in India right now..too hot weather here. Looking for some advancement in house styles.


----------



## frodo

I like the color.  needs some bright yellow dots on it


----------



## slownsteady

I watched hockey and drank beer :trophy:


----------



## havasu

I spent the day at the range today. Had a great time and even had some lead ricochet into my leg. Ouch!


----------



## Chris

I sold my house. Escrow starts Monday. 32 more days in California.  Went to dinner yo celebrate and got to see two road rage incidents on the way home, sure won't miss those.

Here is a picture of my daughters just because. 

View attachment 1492233181943.jpg


----------



## HandyOne

Chris, Congratulations on selling the house.  You have beautiful daughters.


----------



## Gary

Just about have the engraving station finished. Missing a com. cable from the chiller to the laser and I'm ready.


----------



## Chris

Woke up to a flat tire on one of my trailers


----------



## havasu

Chris said:


> Woke up to a flat tire on one of my trailers



After the 19 hour drive, I hope?


----------



## Chris

Yes, after. I blame my wife


----------



## slownsteady

when in doubt, blame the wife!


----------



## Chris

She got a little trailer wobble when we hit the California border on the way up. Then she was to scared to go more than 55 the rest of the way which was 700 more miles. Took us 19 hours to do a 15 hour drive.


----------



## Chris

This is how I fixed it for the ride home. I'm taking both trailers. 

View attachment 1492483919740.jpg


View attachment 1492483930354.jpg


----------



## nealtw

So it's still riding on three tires.


----------



## Chris

I filled it. It will be flat by morning.


----------



## frodo

I used to pull an RV from job to job
they have sway bars that are that bees knees.  no sway/wobble  you can go down the road at 80 with out a problem

congrats on the sale of the house,  and you have beautiful kids

Havasu,  sorry bout that leg
 looks like it burns


----------



## Chris

Back on the road again, heading back down to ca.


----------



## frodo

Havasu, if you like shooting steel
my boy Phillip can hook you up
steel  fits in a flat rate box so shipping is not a problem














if you are worried about your gun making holes in the steel
do not be,  at 100 yards. the above 50 cal bmg just dented it


----------



## havasu

I'd love to shoot a BMG! 

Those are some really nice targets.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> I'd love to shoot a BMG!
> 
> Those are some really nice targets.



made out of ar600 plate steel

you can hear it ping 200 yards away

I got to shoot the 50,   I killed an ant,  he looked dangerously thugish

the gas blow back from that was awesome in of itself

bullets are 5 bucks each


----------



## zannej

I'm trying to catch up.
Hi guys!
Chris, I'm glad you made the drive safely and sold the house. Adorable kids!

Gary, that looks awesome!

Frodo, those targets are awesome too! LOL about the thuggish ant!

I'm still not 100%. Got really really sick for awhile. I described on the garage forum about the whole hallucinating thing. My mind does crazy stuff without drugs so I'm glad I never took drugs because I don't want to know what would happen if I did. 

I'm still coughing a bit and have some fatigue, but I'm no longer coughing up blood, I have my sense of smell back and my appetite has returned.

The truck my brother wanted to get dropped enough that he can now buy it with a loan from me. So, unless it sells before Monday, we will be heading out to Houston on a road trip. Initially I was going to loan him 80% of the cost but my mother is going to surprise him with 40% so I'm putting forth 80%. He doesn't know that yet. We're bringing our mechanic friend to inspect it and I checked the maps for the area and there is an Autozone two streets away so we will take it there to check the computer and battery. We will use any little thing to negotiate the price down a little more if we can. And the dealership is supposed to give a $200 gas card with each used car purchase. Even without getting the price down, it is a good price.

Mechanic friend's girlfriend is tagging along. She's never been out of the state so she's super excited about a road trip. She's adorable. Only 5' and weighs 90lbs so when I give her bear hugs I can pick her up. She absolutely adores me and is a total sweetheart so it will be fun to see her enjoying the trip. There are a ton of truck parts stores near the dealership so I think my friend will really enjoy looking around. I'm hoping we will have time to swing by Fry's Electronics as well. I think he would love that place.

I'm happy that I'll be getting out of the house and Mom is coming too-- she needs to get out of the house as well.

I still need to finish gathering and organizing the information for my bathroom renovation post but I'm a procrastinator. LOL. And my brain doesn't want to focus. Reminds me of that joke "What do we want? A cure for Attention Deficit Disorder! When do we want it? Ooh, a squirrel!"


----------



## frodo

I went into an ATV dealership and installed 2 of my roll bar grab handles on one of his rigs
then I just stood there looking.
A salesman asks if he can help me, I told him to ake a look and tell me if he likes what he sees.
he LEFT..just walked off.
and game back with his boss, who really liked what he saw.
He said he would like to show it to the owner,  and started to take a picture.
I told him to keep the handles and show them instead of a picture.
I took a chance, maybe it will pay off.  
my goal,  sell to the dealer so he can sell as an option on the rigs


----------



## nealtw

Yesterday I was driving up the freeway at a nice 70 mph, dry road, lots of cars, no problem. Then a great flash of lightning and rain like a car wash. Turned on the wipers to see the car in front of me sliding sideways so I hit the brakes, and harder on the brakes and then to the floor with the brakes. I got the car stopped about 2" from his drivers door. In front of him was another car parked sideways in the lane and behind me was two small cars side by side in the same lane. It was still raining to hard to see much further than that but the good news, there was no hits. I expected I was in the middle of a 40 car pile up, but when things started to move again, every one just got the cars straighten out and left.:thbup:


----------



## havasu

I went to Harbor Freight to buy a new floor jack, just in case I ever get a flat tire. Well, frickin karma hit. On the way home from that store, I got a flat tire. I drove the car home and will deal with it in the morning.


----------



## Chris

I just checked into my motel and there was a roach on the bathroom floor. Instead of killing it I put it on the counter and put the trash can upside down on it. Cleaning lady is gonna get a suprise. 

View attachment 1492667557147.jpg


----------



## zannej

Frodo, do you have pictures of the roll bar grab handles you made? I'd love to see them. 

Neal, I'm glad that there were no crashes. Sounds like an alarming experience, but somewhat cool because nobody crashed.

LOL. Chris, I bet the cleaning lady will have fun with that-- if she even notices.

My oldest cat is a bit under the weather.She's dropped a lot of weight but last time I took her to the vet she got extremely stressed out and they couldn't do anything for her. It's just old age. I've been feeding her extra canned food-- but she has this weird thing where she won't eat it all at once. She'll eat and then want to sit on my lap and be petted then she'll go eat more and then back for snuggles and over and over. Right now she's sitting across my chest with her paws hanging over my shoulder. She's been clinging to me all night. She has a very soothing presence, so it is helping me feel a little better to snuggle her.


----------



## inspectorD

Headed to the upper parts of Michigan on Saturday, never been, On my way to Chicago for some work the next 3 weeks... ill try to keep posted on my whirlwin tour...


----------



## inspectorD

I wish I was takin this...but I need to bring my tools....


----------



## oldognewtrick

inspectorD said:


> I wish I was takin this...but I need to bring my tools....



Drive it like ya stole it inspector...or did ya...&#128561;


----------



## Thumper

Started moving into our house then went for a short hundred mile ride. Weather was too nice to be stuck inside.


----------



## nealtw

A friend went to Lowe's today to rent there van and buy some backer board. I guess sometimes you have to wait for the van so she rented it first and went to get the product. They were sold out so she drove over to Home Depot for the good. She said she never had so good of service at that store. I think some photos were taken too. That will likely be in their next commercial.


----------



## zannej

It's Mom's birthday today so I'm waiting for her to tell me when she wants food and stuff. She needs to renew her driver's license so we will be going in to town for that later on.
My voice is sounding less rough so maybe I can sing Happy Birthday to her. 

Hope everyone else is having a good day.


----------



## frodo

went to the dr today.  his office is on the missippi river

you can see the gambling paddle river boats from his waiting room

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DBBwpTsV3I&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DBBwpTsV3I&feature=youtu.be[/ame]


----------



## zannej

Spent yesterday with my friends trying to help comfort them while one of their dogs was dying from the antifreeze poisoning. The guy who poisoned them likes to keep an animal trap with canned dog food in it to lure in neighborhood pets so he can kill them. He's been doing it for years. He probably didn't expect anyone to go to the cops about it, but my friends took their dogs to the vet and had them tested for poisons-- found the antifreeze. They called the cops. The cops found his setup and there was a bowl of antifreeze right next to the trap. They took pictures and collected the evidence.

Anyway, last night was horrible. Vets were all closed and the dog Harley (who has some young puppies) had multiple seizures and started spasming/convulsing. My friends were totally freaking out and crying. I calmed them down a bit, but it was just so hard to watch. It lasted over 10 hours before she finally died this morning. I took video footage of some of it to give to the cops so they can use it in court against the scumbag. The other dog has kidney failure but we don't know if she's going to make it. Unfortunately, the way the laws are, I think maximum sentence is 6 months-- unless they can add some charge against him for putting a toxic substance in a bowl out in the open where children could get in to it.

We are all just beyond angry and sad about this. Don't suppose anyone wants to come out here and have some target practice on this guy's trailer... 

The cops definitely want to get this guy though.


----------



## nealtw

I hope they lock him up.


----------



## frodo

zanne
I know of a fella that bought some land that had a graveyard on the property.
he pushed the tombstones into the river with a dozer.
his house caught on fire one night,  then when he rebuilt,  damned if his new house didn't catch on fire also.
he moved away after that. I hope he went all electric in his next house


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> zanne
> I know of a fella that bought some land that had a graveyard on the property.
> he pushed the tombstones into the river with a dozer.
> his house caught on fire one night,  then when he rebuilt,  damned if his new house didn't catch on fire also.
> he moved away after that. I hope he went all electric in his next house


LOL. Well, the cops know who this guy is. We know his name and the cops are seriously pissed off. They want to get him. I just wish that 6 months wasn't the maximum sentence. But I think the guy will probably get run out of the neighborhood after he gets out. We will make sure of that.


----------



## nealtw

zannej said:


> LOL. Well, the cops know who this guy is. We know his name and the cops are seriously pissed off. They want to get him. I just wish that 6 months wasn't the maximum sentence. But I think the guy will probably get run out of the neighborhood after he gets out. We will make sure of that.



Nope, you should keep him there where everyone knows him. If you run him out of town, Frodo will have to deal with him


----------



## zannej

I found out the guy's name and told the vet and people at the animal shelter who he is. We're going to spread the word everywhere we can about what a colossal p.o.s. he is.

This is my friends' dog Naga. She's the only one who survived the poisoning thus far. But her kidneys are failing so we don't know if she's going to last long. We have her on an IV drip because she keeps throwing up and she won't eat.






Meanwhile, I got the airbag recall taken care of on my brother's truck. The dealership has a free shuttle service so they took us to Golden Corral while it was being worked on and picked us up when we were done eating. Wish I'd known about that service before. Would have been nice. They are claiming it needs all sorts of work-- so I guess Chris was right. LOL. I think they said it would be $4k for all of the fixes they claim it needs. But my mechanic friend said he can do all of the stuff for free if we buy the parts. Dealership wanted us to buy parts from them, but we are getting them elsewhere so we won't pay up the wazoo. Only thing we are letting them do is the timing belts bc that's a pita.


----------



## frodo

have they thought about putting the animal down ?


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> have they thought about putting the animal down ?


They had to this morning. She seemed to be doing ok for awhile but this morning she started hemorrhaging from her eyes and vomiting massive amounts of blood. My friend rescued her as a tiny puppy and bottle fed her so she's absolutely devastated. That was her baby.

I really hope they arrest the culprit soon.


----------



## nealtw

zannej said:


> They had to this morning. She seemed to be doing ok for awhile but this morning she started hemorrhaging from her eyes and vomiting massive amounts of blood. My friend rescued her as a tiny puppy and bottle fed her so she's absolutely devastated. That was her baby.
> 
> I really hope they arrest the culprit soon.



Will the police need lab results from the dog?


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> They had to this morning. She seemed to be doing ok for awhile but this morning she started hemorrhaging from her eyes and vomiting massive amounts of blood. My friend rescued her as a tiny puppy and bottle fed her so she's absolutely devastated. That was her baby.
> 
> 
> 
> I really hope they arrest the culprit soon.



my sympathies.


they won't do anything but a slap on the wrist

I am really leaning towards community discipline more and more as our court system does nothing.
I know it's wrong, but do not care anymore


----------



## nealtw

frodo said:


> my sympathies.
> 
> 
> they won't do anything but a slap on the wrist
> 
> I am really leaning towards community discipline more and more as our court system does nothing.
> I know it's wrong, but do not care anymore



The trouble with that is, as soon as someone does that the court system seems to work fine.:hide:


----------



## Chris

Loading trailers today, buyer of my house wants to meet in an hour. I never like that part


----------



## zannej

I looked up the laws and apparently if he has ever been busted for animal cruelty before it would be a 2nd offense and he can get up to 10 years. But I don't know if he's ever been caught. The cops certainly want him to go to jail and my friends and I will all testify in court that he deserves jailtime. Especially since he put out bait to lure the animals over and it wasn't like he just put out antifreeze to kill animals that happened to go over there. Also, the way it works, he's in a trailer park and the land where he put the trap does not belong to him. I don't know if that makes much difference legally though. I'm hoping they will push the angle that there are a lot of children in the area who could have gotten in to the antifreeze.


----------



## havasu

Problem is unless he confesses to setting out the antifreeze, or there is a witness to him doing it, it will never go anywhere. BTW, animal control services seems to care about these crimes much more than the typical patrol cop.


----------



## Chris

Finally done packing. Gonna hit the road in a few hours


----------



## frodo

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/04/28/Security-camera-records-Utah-boys-do-the-right-thing-talk/8601493398404/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=10


April 28 (UPI) -- A pair of young brothers found a quarter outside their neighbor's Utah home and their conversation about doing "the right thing" was recorded by security cameras.


Be careful on your drive Chris


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> Problem is unless he confesses to setting out the antifreeze, or there is a witness to him doing it, it will never go anywhere. BTW, animal control services seems to care about these crimes much more than the typical patrol cop.


Animal control is nonexistent here. The bowl of antifreeze was next to the guy's trailer next to a trap with canned dog food. It probably has the guy's fingerprints all over it. Neighbors have seen him putting out the trap in the past-- even without poison, he uses it to trap people's pets and kill them. Of course, I don't know if the local cops would think to check for fingerprints, they aren't exactly the most efficient police force. But they do really want to get this guy so hopefully they will actually check.

Meanwhile, the stupid lever thingamabob (that senses when the float is up or down in my water holding tank for my well) hasn't been working right. The arm thingy doesn't move so it doesn't trigger the pump to turn on when the tank gets low. So my jet pump keeps trying to push water when the tank is empty. I've had to go out and jiggle the lever 3 times this week to get the other pump to turn on to fill the tank. I don't even know what the correct name for the thingamabob is, but I want to get it replaced.


----------



## bud16415

The one thing that made our little town different than every other town burned to the ground yesterday. Our old house we restored is just down the block from the Riverside Inn opened 132 years ago. Just around the time our house was also built. The night before we wanted to eat out and stopped at the bowling alley for wings and they were packed and no tables so I suggested we go over to the inn for dinner. We ate in the newly redone bar room and had a wonderful meal and then strolled around inside looking at all the antiques. It had a dinner theater and ball room and was full of history of the area. We never thought when we left the building wouldnt be there 132 more years. I slept thru the night and heading out to work yesterday I couldnt get down the street as firemen had it blocked in every direction. Between 1:00AM and 5:00AM it had burned to the ground only thing left was the front porch as that was where the trucks poured two million gallons of water on it. Someone said 20 fire companies replied and we slept thru the whole thing. 

Devastating to the town actually as every business in town is kept busy by the people the hotel brought in. lots of antique shops and eateries and such. 

Makes one realize how important a role modern construction plays in safety. Fortunately all the guests and workers got out safe and two firemen were injured not fire related though. 

It is odd how attached a community can become to a building it really was the social center of our town. 

Just thought I would share as I dont know if I had mentioned the inn much in the past but it was a big reason we bought the fixer upper where we did. 

http://www.theriversideinn.com/
http://www.yourerie.com/news/local-...y-in-shock-after-riverside-inn-fire/705125448


----------



## nealtw

Bud; that is really sad.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Brings back memories of May 28, 1977. I was there the week before to see David Brenner, as luck would have it we missed it. 

Beverly Hills Supper Club fire https://g.co/kgs/GsxxqS


----------



## zannej

Bud, that is so sad. I wonder what caused the fire.

I got a call from UPS to say they couldn't deliver a package to us and asked for an alternate address because the truck can't go on our road. It's been raining nonstop for over 24 hours-- lots of thunderstorms. I will probably lose phone service again due to the flooding. I'm half-tempted to get one of those giant inflatable rubber duckies (if I could find one) and some kayak paddles... LOL.

I put off going to the store for a couple days because of the weather but I'm going to have to go in tomorrow to get milk, bread, medicine, etc.

My brother had to come home early from tonight because the power went off at Pizza Hut.


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> Brings back memories of May 28, 1977. I was there the week before to see David Brenner, as luck would have it we missed it.
> 
> Beverly Hills Supper Club fire https://g.co/kgs/GsxxqS



Thanks Neal, Tom and Zannej. It is a real mess and the fire siren is still going off despite a couple days of rain as it rekindles. In fact its going off as Im typing this. The fire marshal still cant get in to look for the cause as it is too hot still. I doubt they will ever find the cause. The manager got called at 1:00 as the alarm was going off but they had been having problems with that for a week. The fire chief also came to inspect. The door to the kitchen was too hot to open and thats when it got called in to 4 companies and they started getting the guests out. We were there 2 weeks before for the 3 day music festival spending all day there but sleeping at home. But during the festival there were easily a couple thousand people in there. Mothers Day coming up they had 1200 reservations for brunch. Thank God the fire happened when there were only 12 guests and they were those women from the red hat club if you are familiar with that group. They will have a story to tell forever. The Fire chief said every chief for the last 75 years that was their major fear and every meeting they went over the plan if it ever happened. 

It is really great to see how the local people pulled together when it happened. Some of the employees lived there so they lost everything and people took them right in and gave them what they need. The food and stuff donated for the firemen was unreal and the owner of a restaurant that had gone out of business opened back up and gave the firemen a place to eat and rest. They had food and water piled up to the ceiling as people wanted to help but didnt know what to do. 

This place was really big on weddings and they were booked the whole summer. All the other places that do weddings are offering to make room for them as best they can. 

Back in the 20s and 30s this town just happened to be half way between NYC and Chicago on the train line and they found water here that people thought would cure you of everything. They came here by the millions and we had 22 hotels back then. This was the last one left as a hotel. A couple have been converted to other uses like senior housing etc. most burned down. 

On a home improvement note I always liked the baluster design of the front railings on the rap around porches at the inn. About the only thing remaining are these railings. They were cut from flat boards and put together back to back to make a design. Our front porch was on the house and totally doesnt fit the Victorian design of the house it is a modern rail with the stained 2x2 pickets they sell everywhere. I got a jig saw off CL about 6 months ago and have been wanting a project and I think I will redo our front porch to look like the Riverside Inns porch. Maybe if I talk to the right people I can get one of the original pieces as a pattern and add it into mine.


----------



## zannej

Wow. Sounds like something in the kitchen was responsible. I hope it wasn't arson. Glad no one was hurt. And it's good that the fireman had contingency plans. Still sucks for the town and the people who lived there. I never even saw the place and it saddens me to think about such a wonderful place burning down.

At least the people in town are stepping up and helping. 

I hope you can get some of the original pieces of the railing. I'd love to see pictures.

My recurring epstein barr virus has reared it's ugly head again so my adenoids are swollen and I feel exhausted. I've been trying to get in touch with the guy who works on my pump and well system because the PVC attached to the jet pump is leaking and the square D switch on the holding tank keeps getting stuck and doesn't detect when the float goes down so it doesn't refill the tank and the jet pump keeps trying to push air. I have to go out and manually shove the lever down to make the other pump kick on to fill the tank. And because of the leak, water is getting in to the line so the water pressure is crazy-- low one second and then suddenly spurts out violently. I was amused by the sound of the spurt and my brother half-screaming in surprise though.


----------



## zannej

On a side note, I'm still sad that furniture traditions is going out of business. But I wonder if they would be willing to sell any of the plans they had for making their furniture pieces. They had stuff with hidden gun saves, hidden drawers, hidden compartments on platform beds, and all sorts of cool stuff. It was aromatic cedar lined drawers and solid wood construction. Expensive as hell though. I wanted to get the armoire with a thing for a flatscreen TV someday but they are totally sold out and aren't making any more.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgaJAn9wQJE[/ame]

I loved the hidden compartment things-- and the fact that they had gun safes in some of them.


----------



## Chris

I'm hitting the road in a few minutes. Leaving my California house for the last time. House sold and escrow ends tomorrow. Have moved everything out. Starting my journey this morning with a 25,000 pound load behind my dually. Hauling my backhoe up to its new home. One chapter of my life done and a new one begins.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Congrats Chris, wishing nothing but the best for you and the family!


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## frodo

Chris said:


> I'm hitting the road in a few minutes. Leaving my California house for the last time. House sold and escrow ends tomorrow. Have moved everything out. Starting my journey this morning with a 25,000 pound load behind my dually. Hauling my backhoe up to its new home. One chapter of my life done and a new one begins.



congrats.    i know you are excited to move on


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> On a side note, I'm still sad that furniture traditions is going out of business. But I wonder if they would be willing to sell any of the plans they had for making their furniture pieces. They had stuff with hidden gun saves, hidden drawers, hidden compartments on platform beds, and all sorts of cool stuff. It was aromatic cedar lined drawers and solid wood construction. Expensive as hell though. I wanted to get the armoire with a thing for a flatscreen TV someday but they are totally sold out and aren't making any more.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgaJAn9wQJE
> 
> I loved the hidden compartment things-- and the fact that they had gun safes in some of them.



do you have a fire place with mantel?
you can remove the end of the mantel, reframe it like a plug
a shot gun fits in the mantel nicly


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## slownsteady

Best of luck, Chris. I'm sure you'll keep us all posted with the progress.


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## Chris

Highway 395 Sierra Nevada's 60 miles south of bishop California 

View attachment 1494176465914.jpg


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## Chris

Towing my little load. John Deere 310j 

View attachment 1494177659086.jpg


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## havasu

Damn, I hate to see this. After telling Cindy about your bail out of Kommiefornia, she is begging us to do the same. She is again searching the area around the "Pines" in Prescott, Az.

It didn't help that we took her 5 year old granddaughter to dinner last night, and she didn't give her a hug or kiss, and just wanted to go home.


----------



## Chris

Come check out potato country.It's beautiful.


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## bud16415

Chris said:


> I'm hitting the road in a few minutes. Leaving my California house for the last time. House sold and escrow ends tomorrow. Have moved everything out. Starting my journey this morning with a 25,000 pound load behind my dually. Hauling my backhoe up to its new home. One chapter of my life done and a new one begins.



 To the real world.


----------



## HandyOne

Chris, sure looks as if you could see the weather coming, and the stars out at night in that area of the country.

havasu - that's rough on your wife about the granddaughter.


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## Chris

Downtown marsing idaho and then the snake river. 

View attachment 1494260186412.jpg


View attachment 1494260257231.jpg


View attachment 1494260269382.jpg


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## havasu

Chris... how far is your nearest Home Depot from your new place? Costco?


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## Chris

About 40 minutes. Grocery, ace, true value, tractor supply and any food is ten minutes away.

I mowed a couple pastures today. 

View attachment 1494294196288.jpg


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## frodo

you need some cows and a goat
couple chickens for eggs


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## Chris

I have 6 chickens. Working on some cattle. Going to let my neighbors put some horses on my property to eat it down a bit.


----------



## bud16415

Chris said:


> I have 6 chickens. Working on some cattle. Going to let my neighbors put some horses on my property to eat it down a bit.



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umS3XM3xAPk[/ame]





:rofl:


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## Chris

You nailed it, kinda.


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## frodo

cool!!!!!!!!!


take a deer feeder, fill it with chicken feed
put a wash tub over it, so it wont spread the feed, it will just fall down
 it is a  auto feeder

friend of mine raises cornish hens  ummmm good


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## zannej

frodo said:


> do you have a fire place with mantel?
> you can remove the end of the mantel, reframe it like a plug
> a shot gun fits in the mantel nicly


Good idea!



frodo said:


> you need some cows and a goat
> couple chickens for eggs


Goats are really cute pets and they do good on grass and weeds-- but they also eat paint off of buildings, chew bark off of trees, and need to be wormed frequently or they die. But I still enjoyed having them as pets.
Cows are good grazers and they make a lot of good "barnyard fertilizer". My elderly friend used to collect barnyard fertilizer from my yard. When he got too old to come out, I collected it for him so he could use it in his garden. We also tilled it in to the soil for our own garden and we had some good tomatoes, sunflowers, okra (even though I hate okra), etc.
I see Chris already has chickens-- great idea. Not only are the fresh eggs wonderful, but as a kid, I really enjoyed watching them, petting them, and feeding them. We got a bunch of chickens through 4H. Wish you weren't so far away because I have a huge brooder box for chicks that my father built. It's just sitting in the barn now.
I think moving to a farm was probably one of the best experiences for me as a child. I loved the open fields, the clean air, the lack of neighbors, and the animals. It can also keep kids from sneaking out when they get older (although none of us ever were the type to sneak out). It can keep the kids away from bad influences.

On a side note, the furniture traditions place I mentioned is having an auction to sell off their woodworking/furniture making equipment. http://furnituretraditions.net/auction/ (ignore the popup about the clearance sale). Looks like they are selling a forklift among their equipment.


----------



## Chris

Goats cost a guy I know quite a bit when they jumped on the roof of his new BMW and crushed it. Not sure I want an animal that will eat anything


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## nealtw

We have a guy up here that rents his goats out for weed removal.


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## zannej

nealtw said:


> We have a guy up here that rents his goats out for weed removal.


Yeah. I know some people who tether some goats up to trees with a long rope near the road so the goats can mow down the grass.

Chris, goats can be destructive buggers but they are adorable and fun to play with for children. Mine used to climb on me, sat in my lap, and were very snugly. Also, roasted goat is delicious. (Never ate any of my own goats though).

If you keep them in an area away from stuff you don't want destroyed it isn't so bad.


----------



## inspectorD

This is my latest, came out to Chicago to work on My cousins home.. they wont let anyone else near the house.. Took the long way up around Lake Michigan and visited all the lighthouses up to Mackinaw, to Superior, and down through Cheesy Wisconsin... What a trip, Beautiful country..

Changed his front door, and took down the old porch, built a new one...


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Goats cost a guy I know quite a bit when they jumped on the roof of his new BMW and crushed it. Not sure I want an animal that will eat anything



I had a truck that a cow ripped the mirror off of it
he tried using it to scratch on.


nice stairway,  got a crink in my neck looking at it


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## oldognewtrick

Nice job inspector!


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## nealtw

Looking good inspector.


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## Chris

Bought some new toys today. 

Just one reason to leave California 

View attachment 1494473470103.jpg


View attachment 1494473480268.jpg


View attachment 1494473494697.jpg


View attachment 1494473503175.jpg


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## Chris

I did a bid then worked on my rental then sat in the Jacuzzi. Good day.


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## zannej

Last night my brother's front left tire shredded so I had to go pick him up in town. Took my cat to the vet this morning because she had a fever (temp 106), was lethargic, and not eating. She's got her appetite back mostly now. I have to give her meds twice a day.
Then I had to drive my brother in so he could get the tire on his truck replaced. Got there and he saw that his jack was gone (it had been propping the truck up), then I pointed out that his tire had been replaced. Turns out his boss had it fixed for him this morning and paid for it-- he'd been hauling something for his boss when the tire shredded.


----------



## nealtw

zannej said:


> Last night my brother's front left tire shredded so I had to go pick him up in town. Took my cat to the vet this morning because she had a fever (temp 106), was lethargic, and not eating. She's got her appetite back mostly now. I have to give her meds twice a day.
> Then I had to drive my brother in so he could get the tire on his truck replaced. Got there and he saw that his jack was gone (it had been propping the truck up), then I pointed out that his tire had been replaced. Turns out his boss had it fixed for him this morning and paid for it-- he'd been hauling something for his boss when the tire shredded.



Now that is a boss that understands how to make friends and influence people.


----------



## zannej

nealtw said:


> Now that is a boss that understands how to make friends and influence people.


He's generally a nice guy. He can be an *** sometimes-- which he told my brother at the job interview. My brother's response was "You're adorable". Guy freaks out when things get busy, makes a lot of mistakes making the pizza, and understaffs/underhires. But he is always understanding when employees need sick leave or need to take care of personal business. He griped about my friends calling in when their dogs were poisoned, but he still let them take off. He will also work around people's schedules if they are taking college classes or if they work second jobs. A few people left for what they thought would be better jobs but came back when things didn't pan out.
He felt responsible for the tire because he had my brother drive to Dallas with him (5 hours one way) to pick up a griddle and other equipment for his wife's new restaurant as well as some stuff for Pizza Hut.
People at the tire place are very nice as well. They used to fix our tires for free a lot of the time. That was before they moved to a larger lot and had higher overhead costs. But they still cut people deals on the tires and labor.


----------



## joecaption

Mowed and wacked 6 lawns, one was over 3' tall so I had to mow it twice, replaced a 4 X 4 post holding a breaker box that had rotted out, repaired a wooden White Herons head that had broken off when it tipped over, sprayed 3 driveways with RoundUp, talked to a customer about replacing some deck boards, took mower to get fixed, went to Dollar General to buy mixer, it's Friday I need a drink.


----------



## Chris

I worked on my rental then drove to another rental to fix a washer and now I'm home making Frodos favorite drink


----------



## zannej

How is Frodo doing? Haven't heard much from him lately.

It turned out my brother's boss didn't get his tire fixed. The employees at the tire place saw the truck on the jack with the shredded tire and just figured he left it there because he wanted the tire changed so they changed it for him. The boss did still give my bro enough $ to cover the cost of the tire though.

Went and played D&D after taking my cat for a followup at the vet. Still had a fever but after the meds he gave her this time, she was feeling much better.

On the way home I thought I saw a large tree branch in the road and then I realized it was a man. He'd fallen asleep lying in the middle of the road. I got out and tried to wake him but he was unresponsive. I could see that he was clearly breathing strongly so I called the local police who contacted the sheriff's department. About 2 minutes before the cop got there, I finally got the guy to wake. He was confused as hell. I asked him questions and he only answered with hand gestures and head shakes/nods. He wasn't quite lucid and he kept drifting back off. I kept trying to keep him conscious and finally got him to tell me his name. When the cop arrived, the guy woke up enough to sit up. I described his behavior to the cop when I first found him. The guy was much more talkative with the cop. Turns out his truck got bogged down in the woods. He had some beer and then tried to walk back to his father's house (he started walking at 3am and it was after 6am when I found him). He said he was going to continue walking to his father's house, but the cop said he would drive him home. It was the same cop that pulled my brother over for the headlight issue. Nice guy. Said the only crime was that the guy was obstructing the road. I said it wasn't a big deal and I was just more concerned with his safety. I was afraid he'd been injured or that he was going to get run over. We all shook hands and parted ways.


----------



## nealtw

A friend bought an old for wagon, rear window wiper wan't working. 
Checked the motor, fine,
Learned how to check relays, fine.

Opened the boot where wire goes from tailgate to car. 

All the wires there were broken. Quality work. Made in America you say.

Another day, some time.


----------



## Chris

I had an 03 Ford super duty that the windows stopped working, I dealt with it for a couple years because I couldn't figure it out, finally I took out the boot between the door and cab and the ground wire was broken.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> I had an 03 Ford super duty that the windows stopped working, I dealt with it for a couple years because I couldn't figure it out, finally I took out the boot between the door and cab and the ground wire was broken.



They pulled the wires to tight, no training.


----------



## Chris

I think the wire was too thick. Truck had 350,000 miles on it and almost ten years old when it went out. It was a work truck since day one and who knows how many thousands of times the door was opened. Or they pulled the wires too tight. It was about an 8 gauge wire.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> I think the wire was too thick. Truck had 350,000 miles on it and almost ten years old when it went out. It was a work truck since day one and who knows how many thousands of times the door was opened. Or they pulled the wires too tight. It was about an 8 gauge wire.



This thing has 5 or 6 wires all different gauges. when they are too tight they bend in the same place all the time. metal fatigue. This is not new science, it is just not paying attention to detail.


----------



## Chris

I agree. But I also don't think it was a common problem.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> I agree. But I also don't think it was a common problem.



I checked a forum for ford focus and yes it is a common problem
The harness was made to short.


----------



## Chris

Ford focus is just like a yugo


----------



## nealtw

yugo buy a better car.


----------



## bud16415

nealtw said:


> yugo buy a better car.



I knew a guy that bought the 4 door Yugo. It was a nice car. I think it was called a Weallgo.  :rofl:


----------



## Gary

I hope to take the afternoon off and go to the NHRA nat. event at Rt 66. Maybe get a few photos. All depends how the day goes. It'll be hot, already 86°f @ 8:45 am.


----------



## Chris

Going to a rental I had to evict a guy out of and painting, replacing doors faucets and updating the lighting fixtures.


----------



## Gary

About to take off to watch the NHRA National event at Rt66 this afternoon/evening. As long as it doesn't get rained out.


----------



## Gary

Got a few shots yesterday. Working today to make up for playing hooky yesterday.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Nice Gary, looks like you enjoyed your day off.


----------



## Gary

Yes I did. I hope to do it again real soon.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Its not about how many breaths you take, its about how many takes your breath away.


----------



## Gary

oldognewtrick said:


> Its not about how many breaths you take, its about how many takes your breath away.



lol, everyone of the cars in these pics will take your breath away.....if your downwind when they warm up. :hide:


----------



## Chris

I painted a rental today. Not fun


----------



## slownsteady

Hey Gary, what's your shutter speed on the action shots?


----------



## Gary

I was shooting all over the place, seeing what the camera would do. I'd had it about 2 hours at the time I took these. 
I shot photo #2 at 1/3200.
Here's a blow up of that shot. You can see it pretty much stopped the beed lock bolts on the rear wheel, and this is about 1/2 track, probably in the neighborhood of 250MPH at that point.


----------



## slownsteady

Nice. I love that the heat distortion in the air is so frozen


----------



## Chris

Today I am on day 4 and hour 46 on getting a rental back on the market. I don't know how people can live like this place was left.


----------



## joecaption

Today was a joy trying to work with a 105 deg. heat index, mowed and wacked 3 yard then went to a big job I'm working on that looks like no one has lived in the house for 30 years.
The back yard was covered with trees so there was shade but there's also 10' high bamboo that I have to plow through with my DR Field and Brush mower.
I ran into concrete blocks, dozens of clay plant pots, bird baths, a night stand, rolls of wire.
Then I ran over an old rotted stump that housed a yellow jacket nest and got stung about 20 times.
I sprayed it down with wasp killer and started on the other side of the yard and ran into another nest and got stung again from head to toe.
God was trying to tell me something so I gave up and went home.


----------



## Chris

You should have brought beer and a camera. That sounds like my life


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> You should have brought beer and a camera. That sounds like my life



When I read it I thought it was you.:trophy:


----------



## zannej

Been busy driving people places. Friend's gf needed a lift to a doctor's appointment. Ran in to a few of her co-workers at the office. Met one who is a friend of my brother's and who wants to get the same kind of truck we have. Showed him the trunk and the features. 

Leads have gone cold on the chick who robbed my other friend-- cops didn't even try to look for her. She's probably left the state by now. I surprised my friend by giving him a 4TB hard drive. Poor kid was speechless. I thought he was going to cry for a moment and then he gave me a big hug and thanked me. I also gave him some food because I know he couldn't afford any. Not only did he get robbed, but McDonalds decided to short most of the employees by an entire week of their paychecks. So, he only got half of what he was expecting and they told him they won't pay it until next paycheck (in two weeks). Don't know how they can get away with that crap. And they don't let employees eat the food that gets messed up that is supposed to be thrown out. They have to throw out all the leftovers or mistakes or they get fired. So, even though he works at a food place, he can't bring stuff home and it just gets wasted. He's only 21 so hopefully he'll be able to move up and find a better job though.

The weather here has alternated between being suffocatingly hot with high humidity and raining (which only makes it cooler bc of the clouds).

This morning I took my cat to the vet for her monthly shots & when I got back home and parked, my red dog for some reason sat right next to the tire before I took my foot off the brake (after putting it in park). Next thing I know the dog is yelping up a storm. I got out to go see what the situation was and the tire had rolled back on her tail. I had to get back in and pull forward a couple inches. Fortunately it was just the edge so it only pinched and she was fine afterward. She's not the brightest dog in the world.


----------



## Gary

Just got back from a weekend at Keystone Raceway in Adrian PA. Got a bunch of cool shots from the wall at the starting line. Time to hit the hay now though, early day tomorrow.


----------



## Chris

Gary, I live about 15 minutes from firebird raceway in eagle, idaho. Still haven't made it out there yet but I hope I get a chance this summer.

I just got home from the mountains, tied a house into the sewer and abandoned the septic. Neighbors let me borrow their cabin on the lake, was a good time.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> I think the wire was too thick. Truck had 350,000 miles on it and almost ten years old when it went out. It was a work truck since day one and who knows how many thousands of times the door was opened. Or they pulled the wires too tight. It was about an 8 gauge wire.



10 wires all broken or damaged in two more places, 20 soldered splices in tight area.:nono:


----------



## Gary

Chris said:


> Gary, I live about 15 minutes from firebird raceway in eagle, idaho. Still haven't made it out there yet but I hope I get a chance this summer.
> 
> I just got home from the mountains, tied a house into the sewer and abandoned the septic. Neighbors let me borrow their cabin on the lake, was a good time.



Nothing like the smell of alcohol and nitro.


----------



## matt89

Eat a happy meal with my friends.


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## zannej

I played Dungeons & Dragons with my friend last night and made the mistake of eating some chicken tenders from the local Chevron station. My digestive system hates me now and I'm waiting for the medicine to kick in so I can try to get something done around the house. Need to clean the litterboxes and pick up in the kitchen.


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## Chris

You should know that gas station food is for teenagers and truckers and that's it


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## Gary

Finally got a few Keystone photos processed. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q4mXsB8YCv95MuIo2


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## Chris

Cool photos gary. It's family night at our strip on the 10th, I'm gonna try and make it.


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## zannej

I smelled something dead in the yard last night but it was too dark to see. This morning I found out it was my cat, Captain Fluffy. She was lying right next to my truck (but hadn't been run over). There didn't appear to be any injuries on her so I'm not sure what happened-- but I suspect my brother's dog jumped on her to play and since she was old and frail, she couldn't take it. The dogs seemed to have left her body alone, so I'm really not certain. The last time I saw her she seemed fine and she was bunting my face and being very cuddly and happy. I'm trying to keep that image in my head instead of how I found her. The heat and humidity didn't help so I had to bury her right away. Not a fun experience. :-(

At the gas station we saw one of my brother's former co-workers from Fred's store that went out of business a few months ago. She said that the store manager promised her (and other employees) that if she stuck around until store closing (instead of looking for another job right away) they would pay her a bonus of $500. Unfortunately, they lied to her. The bonus was only for the store manager and assistant manager or any employees who worked full time-- but they had her listed as part time because all employees other than the managers were only given about 26 hours a week. However, they worked her full time hours for the entire last month but because it wasn't for 12 weeks straight, she didn't qualify for any fulltime benefits. The pay even for the assistant manager there was less than people get paid at McDonalds. Basically, Fred's store sucks.


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## havasu

How long was the cat laying there dead?

Sorry to hear this.


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## Chris

Today my wife called a dryer vent cleaner guy because ours was plugged and for 79 bucks it's cheaper than me running to town and finding the tool.guy showed up and was about the most unprofessional guy I have met in a while. Shorts and a button up with maybe two buttons buttoned. Cleaned it in two minutes which i was fine with but spent another 30 acting like he was working then asked for 150 bucks.


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## zannej

Havasu, I'm not quite sure how long she was there-- at least several hours. I didn't smell anything dead when I went out the morning before. My brother had gone to work around 3 and he would have seen her if she'd been dead then-- so she died sometime in the evening. Animals start to stink pretty quickly around here due to the climate. It was just heartbreaking finding her like that. I hope that whatever happened was quick and painless. And I hope the dogs had nothing to do with it-- although, if they had, there probably would have been fur all over and bite marks on her body.

Chris, that sucks. On one hand, I never give much thought to how repair people dress, but if they waste time and overcharge, it pisses me off.


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## Chris

If he would have quoted 150 bucks if be ok with it. When he first showed up he kept saying how far out we were and being from California we didn't know what we were getting into. I guess he figures all of California is inner city?


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## havasu

So, yesterday, I thought I would conduct some preventative maintenance on my washer/dryer. The previous owner (master idiot) has the lint ducting up to the roof, which is a fire hazard and I need to repair, once the attic gets cooler. I removed the aluminum flexible lint tubing, and it was full of it. After cleaning this, I thought I would replace the water lines with steel braided water lines. I have three of them, since the dryer has a steam option. It is plumbed to the cold water spigot....anyone know if this is correct or did idiot boy mess this us as well?

(EDIT, just checked the online installation manual and it appears idiot boy was correct, and the steam option is tied to the cold water spigot. 

Connecting the inlet hose
The dryer must be connected to the cold water faucet using the new inlet hoses. Do not use old hoses.
1. Turn the cold water faucet off.
2. Attach the brass female end of the Y connector (A) to the cold water
faucet.
3. Attach the straight end of long hose (B) to the Y connector.
4. Using pliers, tighten the coupling with an additional two-thirds turn.)

I then noticed master idiot boy had the incoming water lines cross threaded, and only hand tight. We purchased the washer/dryer in the house, since it was virtually brand new and idiot boy wanted to get rid of them.

I went to HD and purchased the anti-burst safety steel lines, but with the front loaders, those anti-burst lines will shut off easily, making you to have to crawl behind the washer, break the vacuum at the spigot, then reinstall. To hell with that, I returned it as defective and just picked some good quality, American made steel braided lines.

I then treated the baseboards with bug poison, mopped the floor, then tucked everything back. I should be good once I move the dryer lint exhause to a better location.


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## Chris

I'm almost done making my shop half way usable. I think it's been five days out here now. It is much more enjoyable now


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## zannej

Chris, I could be wrong, but I'm willing to bet he guy charged you more for being from California.

Havasu, that reminds me that I still need to get my dryer fixed. Been hanging my clothes over the shower rod to dry.

Tonight really sucked. I was about to eat dinner when I heard one of my dogs yelping. I ran outside to look and 2 of the dogs came up, but Tina (the russel terrier) wasn't visible and then I heard her yelping. I got a flashlight and started searching around and then heard the dog yelping again. I found her sitting in the grass belly down, and seeming unable to move except for the yelping. She was a few feet away from where I found my cat dead and sitting in much the same position. I started trying to check her out to see if she was injured and she was completely paralyzed/limp. I carried her in to the house and set her on a cushion and then ran to tell my mother what was going on. My mother came and sat in the char next to where I put her and started petting her. I noticed she was cold and her tongue was hanging out (cat's tongue had been hanging out too). I got a towel and put it over her and started rubbing her to try to warm her up. Got another blanket later to put over her because the towel didn't seem to be doing much. I know my vet was closed and I checked with the emergency vet and they were closed too. So, I sat with her and tried to comfort her whenever she would start barking (she stretched and kicked a bit when she did it so I assume it was a seizure). The other dog, Brenda, whimpered and rested her head on my leg. Tina stopped breathing about an hour ago. I'm going to call the vet as soon as the office is open and ask for an autopsy. I want to make sure whatever this is doesn't kill more of my pets.


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## havasu

Zanne, my heart hurts hearing about this.


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## zannej

havasu said:


> Zanne, my heart hurts hearing about this.


Thanks. She was a good little dog-- always very sweet and cute. She did this little hop that was adorable. She'd look at me excitedly and hop just her front legs (if that makes any sense). She loved to cuddle and very loving with people. I'm really worried that there might be some toxin in my yard. And it's going to hit the pocketbook-- will probably end up being around $260 or more with tax for the necropsy and lab tests for poison (if they think it was poisoning).

I just have to wait and see what they determined was the cause (if they can even figure it out). And my main concern is that I need to make sure it doesn't happen to any of my other pets.


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## Gary

zannej said:


> How is Frodo doing? Haven't heard much from him lately.



I was wondering the same thing myself. Back in May Frodo sent me a gun stock to engrave. I sent back proofs of what I had laid out, but haven't heard a thing. I may just send the proofs by snail mail so I can get it done for him.


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## Chris

Gary said:


> I was wondering the same thing myself. Back in May Frodo sent me a gun stock to engrave. I sent back proofs of what I had laid out, but haven't heard a thing. I may just send the proofs by snail mail so I can get it done for him.



He had complications from a surgery, he is in recovery and rehab for about a month. I don't think he has internet where he is, I spoke with him a couple weeks ago when it first happened.


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## Gary

Sorry to hear that. I hope he recovers quickly. Maybe I'll just hold off on contacting him about the gun stock for a little while. Getting better is more important.


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## zannej

Yikes. I hope he'll recover fully and quickly. If you hear from him again, Chris, please send my regards.

Edit: Meanwhile, my friend is vacillating between fixing up a house that his mother owns or fixing up his burned house and moving in. He has legal ownership of the burned house but it is more expensive to fix. However, there is a very real possibility that if he fixes up his mother's house, she'll just take it back without any compensation. It should be his house because his maternal grandmother verbally willed it to him, but she didn't have a written will and the mother refused to honor the grandmother's wishes upon her death.


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## Flyover

1. Mowed three of my four lawns. I hate lawns. Why do we do this "having lawns" thing all over the place? It's nice to have a small patch of grass to walk around on, but I can't figure out why every house has to sit on a damn soccer field. Waste of time and effort, waste of gas, waste of space.

2. My laundry room has a disconnected wash basin, and the waste line was left open by the previous owners, with a nasty old rag stuffed in it! Because of the odors wafting out of that hole, the room always smelled like a giant dehydrated dog had taken a pee in it every 30 minutes for however many years the previous owners lived there. Well, today I finally got around to removing the rag, flushing bleach-water down that waste line, and capping it with a 2" PVC cap. Now those odor-absorbing volcanic rocks won't be fighting such an uphill battle.

3. We moved to this house two and a half weeks ago and our garage has been accumulating broken-down cardboard boxes to the point where they were taking up most of the volume of the garage. The bulk pickup we scheduled right after we got here is finally happening tomorrow morning, so I dragged probably 300 pounds of cardboard out to the curb, and I can finally walk around in my garage again! There are still tons of boxes and other items in there, but they're mostly stuff we haven't found a place for or needed yet. My next big project will be building a big heavy-duty shelving system in there, since this house is considerably smaller than our last one.

4. Two days ago I wanted off my current project at work. (I'm under-utilized, they're trying to squeeze me out of hours, and thanks to one employee and her insanity it's kind of a hostile work environment for me at this point too.) Yesterday I learned some nasty stuff about how the company is run, and what it means for me being able to do my work, so I realized it's definitely time for me to find a new employer altogether. I have a great supervisor right now but the organization (it's a big corporation) is just not structured in a way he can really do anything, even though he's trying and is desperate to keep me. We've talked and he understands my situation. I've been updating my resume and I have a couple decent-sounding leads. Wish me luck!

5. Tonight I finally cooked some Indian food that tasted almost as good as what I get at the restaurant! Still convinced those guys must be using magic or something.


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## Chris

Had three nice bucks come by the house this evening. 

View attachment 1501044107535.jpg


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## bud16415

Chris said:


> Had three nice bucks come by the house this evening.



They wont be hanging out together in a couple months. 

Great photo.


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## Chris

bud16415 said:


> They wont be hanging out together in a couple months.
> 
> Great photo.



Too bad it was my cell phone with bad light. My dog was barking like crazy in the upper part of my property so I drove up there to see what she was barking at and these three were just hanging out eating. Last year during season we had a bunch here but none were as big as these guys. There has been a big doe hanging out in my pasture and across the highway from me at the river. I'm hoping first that she doesn't get hit by a car and second one of these big guys wants to stick around with her.


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## oldognewtrick

Hard telling where they'll be come hunt season. We have huge deer on game cams that disappear when fall comes and bigguns that show that we've never had a pic of. We put out close to 10 cameras on 986 acres, guess its hard to see them all.


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## Chris

I have about 6 cameras, I am going to put an old pond liner I have in up by my fence and maybe plant some yummy foods. I need to put my cameras out and see what I have running around, will probably get 1000 pictures of my chickens.


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## nealtw

Chris said:


> I have about 6 cameras, I am going to put an old pond liner I have in up by my fence and maybe plant some yummy foods. I need to put my cameras out and see what I have running around, will probably get 1000 pictures of my chickens.



A friend of mine noticed the grass beat down in a grove of trees so he put out the camera. He got some real interesting pictures of his son and his girlfriend.:hide:


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## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> A friend of mine noticed the grass beat down in a grove of trees so he put out the camera. He got some real interesting pictures of his son and his girlfriend.:hide:



Your friends girlfriend...or the sons...?


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## nealtw

oldognewtrick said:


> Your friends girlfriend...or the sons...?



Must have been the kid, the wife was not to upset when she told me about it.


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## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> Must have been the kid, the wife was not to upset when she told me about it.



Well, you just never know the rest of the story....


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## zannej

Flyover, sounds like you've been busy. And I'm entertained by the way you describe things.  I hope you find a better job soon. It really is sad when companies don't realize they are losing good employees with stupid policies and allowing people who create a hostile work environment to stay.

My brother is getting fed up with his job. It's low pay and there are a few slackers at work so he has to do their jobs for them and then he's the one who gets yelled at by the boss- even though the boss has noticed which ones are slacking. He was due for a promotion and got the training for it, but either someone said something to the boss or the boss somehow got it in his head that my brother was the one responsible for a lot of the problems at work-- but the other co-workers have said that he's not. So, the boss is not giving him the shift-lead position he promised and the extra hours my brother put in for training were a waste. The boss is also drastically understaffing so there aren't enough people to do things. My brother has gotten to the point where he stopped caring about things getting done and is just leaving things that are other people's jobs to do for them to do (which is ironic because it's what happened at home when I got tired of constantly picking up after my brother and doing his share of the chores because he wouldn't do them)-- one of the slackers had a major temper tantrum about it because he doesn't like to actually do his own job. The work cuts in to his playing games on his phone and listening to music at work thing. So, my brother is looking for another job now.

I'm considering looking in to see what sort of training/certification I would need to officially be a caretaker for my mother. She constantly gripes about how I need to get a job, but I can't leave the house for more than an hour or two without her freaking out that I'm not there to take care of her. This state won't pay people to be caretakers for family members-- but if I've been told if I get some sort of certification, her insurance will pay for me to take care of her. And maybe I could learn something useful that could end up saving her life some day.


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## Flyover

Thanks zannej. I felt a little bad complaining back there since other people have much tougher problems than me--at least I have a job, I only have 4 lawns to mow and not 6, I didn't lose any beloved pets, etc. I guess sometimes I'm just in the mood to complain, and thanks to the internet nothing's there to stop me.

I'm sure your brother finds a better job soon and I hope you can get whatever certification you need so that taking care of your mom can be a sustainable option for you.

PS. My work situation might be improving--my supervisor hustled and now has gotten 3 new projects interested in using me. We'll see what happens.


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## zannej

Flyover, nothing wrong with venting if you are frustrated about something. Sometimes just venting about even the little things gets them off your chest-- and so long as you keep them in perspective. As much as I gripe, I recognize that I'm lucky to have loving family members (even if we drive each other crazy sometimes) and a home. I have friends who have lost their homes and have family members who steal from them.

I'm still trying to find out what I would need to become an official caretaker. Medicare doesn't pay for it, but she has blue cross blue shield and she is also a veteran's widow so she qualifies for some military benefits. 

I hope the new projects turn out well for you.

I have almost 32 acres of land (land was cheap here when my parents bought the place back in the 80s) so there is a LOT of lawn. LOL. I used to be able to use a riding mower for smaller areas and the bush hog on the tractor for larger areas-- but I can no longer be out in the heat/sun due to medicine I take. Before my health took a dive I used to be able to use a push-mower for some of the yard.
To give an idea of my yard's size, I've attached some pics. 2nd one shows the outline of the property line (rough sketch really). The tree in the middle of the front fell down and the one hanging over the house was cut back so none of it hangs over the house anymore. Tree that died was 300 years old. One we had cut is around 400 years old.


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## bud16415

Last night I was forced to do something I didn&#8217;t want to do. Her sister in law and a bunch of friends and family 10 people in all only 3 guys. Went to see a medium / psychic for a 3 hour of drinking wine eating finger foods and talking to our dead relatives. 

My desire to do this was absolutely zero. I have no belief in any of this stuff and I actually felt this whole concept is praying on people&#8217;s feelings giving some crazy false hopes etc. so for a few days before I did some research to learn some of the tricks they would use etc and was warned by friends at work to just go along and not to spoil it for the other 9 people. I kind of viewed it as going to a magic show only in the case of magic the person doing it is not claiming to really saw the woman in half just to amaze you at how much it looks like he did. These people want you to believe they have this power. 

Well after she collected 45 bucks from each of the 10 people her powers were turned on. 150 per hour for standing in your bare feet talking is not a bad gig. I actually started enjoying the show. The true believers were going thru piles of tissues eye makeup was flowing as deceased parents and grandparents were letting all know they were well.

I found myself enjoying the show and I don&#8217;t know if this woman was the real thing or not but she didn&#8217;t seem to be doing any harm. She was doing exactly the tricks I read they use starting out vague and then homing in as she gathered more information. I will say I couldn&#8217;t do what she did and she had an amazing ability to know when to pass on a clue and when to home in. In all this she threw out a few zingers that were dead on (no pun intended) that she had really know way of knowing. Lucky guesses maybe. If you throw a pot of noodles at the wall a few have to stick right. 

After it was over we all talked about what happened and I was called out as it was clear I was the biggest sceptic going in. I had a thousand things I could have pointed out but I took a look at how calm everyone was and how much better they felt and figured if it made them feel better and like they had closure to some longtime feelings that were bothering them why not let them enjoy the peace of mind. I was never going to convince them different anyway. So I just said however she did it. It was amazing. 

No hurry to go back but it was nice talking to my mom again.


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## oldognewtrick

If physics are real, why can't they give you this weeks lotto numbers. Or tell you where Jimmy Hoffa and Emilia Erharth are?


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## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> If physics are real, why can't they give you this weeks lotto numbers. Or tell you where Jimmy Hoffa and Emilia Erharth are?



I said all week I was going to get the power ball number when I went. She said the number 67 about 20 times and no one had anything to say that that number was relevant. Cant even play the daily number with two numbers.


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## Chris

I'm right there with you bud, I put in line with hypnotism. I don't believe in either yet somehow I was hypnotized to quit smoking 12 years ago. I smoked 2 packs a day and a guy I worked with went in and got hypnotized and quit, I went a week later and I have no idea how it worked but it worked. Never had a craving after and remember the whole thing. It's magic I tell you.

Well yesterday I spent about 10 hours on my tractors mowing, ripping and tgem doing some grading on my property.


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## zannej

oldog, I don't know if it is true, but when I was on the island of Saipan, the locals claimed that Amelia Earhart was captured by the Japanese and held prisoner there. They took us to the remains of the prison camp. It was basically a concrete shell with the roof missing and parts of the walls gone. Names were carved in the concrete above the doorways and the one they claimed was for Amelia had a hole/cavity where the name would have been. There was a carving of a woman's face on one of the far walls. Locals claimed that when the US was invading Saipan, the Japanese killed all of the prisoners and made the Chamorros bury the bodies. They claimed to have buried a red-haired woman and her co-pilot who wore a leather flight jacket. They didn't say where the bodies were buried though. These were the children/great grandchildren of the people who told the story.
Could have been a lie to attract tourists, but still an interesting thought.

My mother buys in to the whole psychic thing. She was a big fan and believer of the John Edward guy from "Crossing Over". But apparently, there is a long waiting list to get on his show/audience and they gather extensive information about the people and people are told exactly where to sit. So, his producers or he can pick which people they want to "read" and know exactly where they are sitting and start calling out to them.

I do think one valid skill they definitely have is cold-reading. They know how to read people's microexpressions to tell if they are on the right track or not.

I don't think it is absolutely impossible for someone to be psychic, but I know there are all sorts of tricks to make people appear psychic. Some of them make people feel better and that is ok, but I abhor the ones who either give people false hope or tell them someone is dead when they are not. IIRC, a notable "psychic" who used to appear on Oprah told some family their daughter was dead but she was actually alive and being held captive.

On a side note, the city paved more of the road and they also smoothed out the mud and put down gravel the end of my little road so it is not such a pain to drive on anymore. It had huge ruts and was a complete mess. Saw one of the neighborhood people out on what used to be my father's old tractor. He was smoothing down the edges of the road (bc the road people left huge lumps of mud) so that he water would be able to run off of the road if if it rained instead of being trapped on the road. He told me that next year they will pave more and get to the part that goes by my little road. I don't know how he could be out there in that heat-- it was 93 degrees but felt like it was over 100. Was like a sauna. I couldn't stand to be out there for 30 seconds.


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## Flyover

Zannej, after seeing those aerial photos, I will never complain here about mowing my lawns again.


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## Gary

I just got back from installing a sign. Did it after hours so I wouldn't block the office door, or get run over by the truck traffic.


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## zannej

Flyover, it's fine. Each person's experiences are unique to them and if something is annoying to you, it's annoying. I do have a couple of cows, but when we actually did mow the lawn in the fields it was with a tractor with a bush hog attachment and it took several days. I had a riding mower for awhile, but it went kaput and now I can't be out in the sun for more than 5 minutes. I'm not supposed to be in direct sunlight at all.

Which is why it was fortunate that yesterday it was very overcast but not raining. My friend needed the rear end off of my brother's old truck and his truck didn't have enough gas to get out here so I picked him up and brought him here and tried to help as much as I could. Had to use an old tie down strap hooked to the back of my truck to tug on the thing to move it. There were hornets on one side so I got to watch my friend and his helper freaking out about the wasps. The really funny part came when the helper (who is justifiably afraid of stinging insects) was approached by a big fat bee and started freaking out. I guess his cologne attracted it because he ran 30 feet away and it followed him. My friend had a vape with some sort of fruit flavor juice in it and the bee started flying toward that, so I watched the helper hopping around trying to dodge the bee and my friend blowing vape smoke at the bee to try to make it leave him alone and both of them "dancing" around trying to get away from it. I wish I'd recorded it, but I didn't have my camera. I eventually told them it's the harmless type of bee that doesn't sting. Those bees aren't aggressive-- I don't know if they even have a stinger-- but I learned a long time ago that sudden movements and freaking out will only agitate bees and wasps. Had to loan my friend some tools to cut a bolt that was stripped and wouldn't come out. Then I drove my friend back in to town and got him some food.

There was a little bit of unpleasantness with the helper. I think he's about 20 or 21 years old and I believe he has some form of autism or just wasn't raised properly (or both). He's a nice kid, but he's at that stage where he thinks he knows more than he does and tries to tell people things when he doesn't know WTF he's talking about. He tried to lecture me about something and I had to explain to him that it was something I had actually studied a long time ago and I gave him more info. I think that sort of thing is normal for kids his age (and yeah, I think of people that age as kids).

The problem with the kid is that he doesn't understand how to behave appropriately in other people's homes. He touches things and picks them up without asking. He also will start wandering around their homes and go in to other rooms even when doors are closed and snoop around at all of their stuff. The first time the kid came over to my house (when my brother brought him) he noticed my mother's laptop and made a comment. My brother asked if the kid could use it- she very clearly said "No" in front of the kid. The kid proceeded to pick up her laptop and start using it. 

Anyway, this time the kid was essentially shopping in our home (which I've been told he does in every home he goes in to). He looks around and sees stuff that other people have and informs them that if they don't want any of the stuff, he'll take it. He was snooping around our house when he was supposed to be taking a tool I'd handed him to my friend outside while I was taking care of feeding the pets. He set the tool down and picked up something that belonged to my mother. My brother came in and saw him looking at it and the kid was asking how much it cost and saying how he could really use one of those. My brother then started to seem like he was going to offer it to him. I reminded him it belonged to our mother. He asked me if she would mind if the kid had it and I said "Yes, she absolutely will mind-- she wants to keep it." The kid wanted to go ask her. I said "No, she's sleeping. Put it down." And then I handed him the tool and asked him to take it out to our friend. I went back to handling the pets (needed to refill the waterers and such). So, what does the kid do? He sets the tool down, picks the other thing (which happens to be relatively expensive) back up and walked further in to the house and stood outside my mother's bedroom door. Her little dog started going berserk so she got up to let him out and the kid was standing right there and started asking her if he could have the thing. At this point, I was fairly annoyed with the kid and my mother didn't want to be rude but she told him she wanted to keep it. The kid tried to argue a little and said he needed it. I was rather annoyed and I told the kid no and asked him what he did with the tool my friend needed, while taking the thing away from him and putting it somewhere safe. He finally decided to go get the tool and take it out to our friend, but he stopped to play with one of the dogs on the way. 10 minutes elapsed between me asking him for the first time to take the tool to my friend and when he actually brought it to him. If I'd known ahead of time, I would have just taken it myself. My mother was fairly pissed off about the whole thing. She doesn't like people messing with her stuff and she found it very rude of the kid to ask-- especially since she's never liked him.

I've been told that a lot of people don't like him after he goes to their houses and they are polite to him, but really don't like how he behaves.

Sorry for the long rant.. 

I don't know if anyone has ever told the kid that his behavior is inappropriate and he just doesn't care/understand, or if nobody has told him and he doesn't realize. I've been told that even when someone tells him they aren't interested in a topic of conversation or asks him to be quiet, he'll keep talking though. So, I think he probably just doesn't respect people's boundaries.

I'm tempted to have a talk with him and explain to him that his behavior was inappropriate and that if he's ever going to come over to the house again, to not touch anything and not to ask for stuff. If someone wants to get rid of something they would offer it, put it up for sale, or throw it away.


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## Flyover

Gary, the big apparatus suspended over that building in your picture is totally throwing off my perspective. It's like my eyes can't figure out whether it's in front of or behind or way up over the building. Funny how that kind of stuff works.

Zannej, I think you should talk to that kid (yes, he's a kid. Some 20 year-olds are adults, some aren't). At first you can try just making jokes like "Hey, why don't I come over your place next time and ask you if I can keep whatever I find laying around." Stick to a friendly tone but see if he gets the hint. If he doesn't, then it's probably a good time to be more direct.

I'm speaking from experience here because I'm pretty self-absorbed sometimes, and there have been times when people had to deal with me in a polite but firm way! But seriously though I think that kid might have some form of autism, at least based on your description.

PS. I mowed 3 of my 4 lawns again yesterday. I also tried using the edger the previous owners left in the garage. It's an electric B&D model, same kind I had when I was a kid with my own "lawn care business". The edger I had back then didn't work at all, and this time wasn't much better...I think it probably needs a new blade, and maybe a first pass with a trowel! Apparently the previous owners never edged. Not sure why they even had the edger in the first place...the neighbors keep telling me horror stories, which is kinda nice because it means the bar's not too high!


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## nealtw

Gary said:


> I just got back from installing a sign. Did it after hours so I wouldn't block the office door, or get run over by the truck traffic.



Flyover can't figure what it is. And the missing belt is what caught my eye.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, remind me to take a picture of my front yard so you can see the weeds from hell. LOL. Some of them are taller than me and they kill most of the tools I try to use on them. Had to go get a machete to chop some of them down. We have a bunch of tools for cutting the weeds and stuff, but the batteries don't last long and they are often too weak.

The kid has a very weak sense of humor. He can make jokes sometimes, but he doesn't seem to get jokes. Just the other day I was joking with him and he did not get it at all. He seems completely clueless to cues both verbal and nonverbal from other people. He can't seem to follow conversations and he will just interrupt people in the middle of a conversation. He will also walk away from people during a conversation-- even when he's the one talking. Part of it is that he just doesn't really listen or pay attention. He say she has ADD. He's also rather slow. He got a job at Walmart but didn't even last a month because he was too slow and wasn't learning. And I have to tell you, someone has to really really suck to be fired for being slow at this Walmart. They still employ some utterly useless employees.

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for my friend to find out if his mother will give him the deed to the house he wants to fix up (it would cost him less than half of what it will cost to fix his house that burned to fix this house up). If she does, I can help him with transporting materials, painting, and take him to the surplus warehouse for some stuff. I'll also help him with plumbing layout to make sure he doesn't use the wrong fittings and actually puts in plumbing vents. It's a smaller house but has a much larger yard-- which gives room to expand.


----------



## Gary

nealtw said:


> Flyover can't figure what it is. And the missing belt is what caught my eye.



I'm not sure what's going on with the conveyor belt. It's actually built into the building, or maybe the building is built around it? It's a very very old facility. I think there's a more modern set up in the backyard where the quarry is. I did the job after hours, because that place is a beehive of activity during the day. Trucks are lined up to get in. There's a huge multi year 4 lane highway project just a mile away from the quarry. I suspect that could be the cause, although they supply a large area beyond that project, not to mention an asphalt pant next door, seen in the background of the photo.


----------



## Gary

Started the day like any other. Then I guess I turned wrong and pinched a nerve ''Sciatic'' and spent the rest of the day in pain. I've had this before, but have been able to walk it off , not so much this time.Finally went to the ER tonight and got it checked out. I'll be out of commission for the next few day  it looks like.
I had a doc. appointment this morning too, and managed to get that done before the pain got too bad. Seems I have:
Acid Reflux ( knew that for a few years now)
New findings from test results. 
Hiatal hernia
Colitis
Fatty Liver Disease
Gallstones. Surgery to follow in Sept.  

I'm the guy that marks "NO" on all the medical  forms. Take no drugs prescription or otherwise, don't drink or smoke. 


Gettin' old ain't for sissy's I guess.


----------



## Chris

On your nerve pain, I can usually get mine to go away by taking some Motrin then hot and cold packs for about an hour. I had one so bad once I couldn't move. Had to lay down in the back of the SUV to get to the specailist, couldn't sit or move much. Worst pain of my life then gone. Might be worth a try.


----------



## zannej

Gary, its weird how there are people who eat well, exercise, take care of themselves, etc and still have all sorts of health problems. And then you have people who eat poorly, smoke, and are rather sedentary but are still healthy. I think sometimes it's genetic.

Yesterday I was exhausted and in pain all over for no apparent reason. I tried to sleep it off but still feel very tired. I was able to get up long enough to do the nightly ritual of washing Mom's feet and putting the fungus cream on her toenails. The podiatrist used some sort of grinding tool to grind down her nails and accidentally went too far and made her bleed. I think her big toe is infected now so I put triple antibiotic cream on the injured spot. I'm going to have to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get worse.

I 2nd Chris' suggestion of Motrin. Sometimes it can take inflammation down and help. And I'm sorry to hear about the sciatic nerve pain. I once got hit with it in the middle of a store and it was so bad that my brother had to half-carry me out to the car because I could barely move my right leg. Back pain sucks!


----------



## Gary

Sorry about your Mom zannej.
I tried alive, a little over the MAX dose to no avail. That's what prompted a trip to the ER. They gave me a shot of Steroids and Morphine . That fixed the pain. I'm still on a prescription pain med now, but I hope I'm off that by Monday. No driving with this stuff and my ride (wife) goes back to work then.


----------



## Chris

Aleve is naproxen sodium, very different than Motrin. Aleve does nothing for my pains. Motrin is ibuprofen and I think is the best anti-inflammatory


----------



## Gary

Yea, but the stuff they have me on now is working great. Might keep the Motrin in mind down the road when this is gone.


----------



## Flyover

nealtw said:


> Flyover can't figure what it is. And the missing belt is what caught my eye.


It's true, I get confused a lot by simple things!

Haha, seriously, I could tell it was some kind of apparatus to move stuff from one place to another, my eyes just couldn't figure out--because of the perspective of the photo and stuff like that--where it was spatially. And that was playing all kinds of games with my mind, because when I look at a picture my mind has to be able to arrange everything in a little replica "diorama" of the scene that I create mentally, or else it gets confused and starts spinning in circles.

At work, the elevator doors are covered with this material that's kind of like tiny metal scales. If there are people in the elevator when you get in, you have to stand close to the doors when they shut and then you're looking at them and they take up your whole field of vision. Well, something about the visual texture of that material is impossible for my eyes to focus on. My eyes don't know whether they're looking at something a couple feet in front of me or a couple yards or a couple hundred yards, and then I feel a kind of buzzing in my mind, like a camera's autofocus shifting from one object to another on its own. It's kinda fun, since I'm expecting it!


----------



## Chris

I ran into this sign today, I couldn't find the men's room so I pee'd outside.


----------



## Chris

Forgot the picture 

View attachment 1502046979003.jpg


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## havasu

Damn, I hate this libtard state. However, I did go to a mom and pop restaurant in Texas last week, and they had 4 individual bathrooms, for male or female. That was kinds cool.


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## zannej

The Pizza Hut where my brother works used to have two bathroom stalls in the women's bathroom, but one of the latches was put on backward so it could never lock. They kept having problems with the toilet in the handicap stall (which was the same size as the other stall-- very cramped and not really wide enough-- only difference was it had a grab bar on the wall). Anyway, they took out the partition wall between the stalls and pulled the toilet next to the grab bar, filled in the flange and now have only one toilet that is not anywhere near a grab bar. They also permanently bolted the door that had the backwards latch so it can't be opened.

I'm making plans to go to Baton Rouge to pick up a new radiator for my truck. Guy in the Ridgeline group had his truck totaled out (someone t-boned him) and he's cutting me a good deal on it-- even with gas it's much cheaper than buying it from a store and it's in the box and never used. Bringing along a friend and we're meeting in a public spot. It will be interested to see the scenery on the way since it's been awhile since I went out there.


----------



## Flyover

Wikipedia says transsexuals make up 0.3% of the population. (That number's probably inflated, but let's be generous and pretend it isn't.) So a company with 1,000 employees all working in one building might have three employees there who don't think they should be using the bathroom most normal people would say they  should be using.

If that company builds 10 special "all gender" solo-hole bathrooms, all 10 of them are going to be empty just about all the time, since most people--including transsexuals--don't spend that much time in the bathroom at work.

This means I don't hardly ever have to stand (or worse, sit) right next to another guy while I use the bathroom at work ever again. It's the best thing leftwing activists ever did for America.


----------



## nealtw

Flyover said:


> Wikipedia says transsexuals make up 0.3% of the population. (That number's probably inflated, but let's be generous and pretend it isn't.) So a company with 1,000 employees all working in one building might have three employees there who don't think they should be using the bathroom most normal people would say they  should be using.
> 
> If that company builds 10 special "all gender" solo-hole bathrooms, all 10 of them are going to be empty just about all the time, since most people--including transsexuals--don't spend that much time in the bathroom at work.
> 
> This means I don't hardly ever have to stand (or worse, sit) right next to another guy while I use the bathroom at work ever again. It's the best thing leftwing activists ever did for America.



I think there are bigger things to worry about.:trophy:


----------



## zannej

Some places already have "family" bathrooms that can be used by anyone. Statistically, they found that if they just had bathrooms serve both genders, lines would be shorter and people could get in and out faster.

I don't really care one way or the other so long as the bathrooms are kept clean.


----------



## Chris

I prefer private poopers anyway. Although I have heard that woman's rooms are filter than men's.  I don't care about shared bathrooms or private or whatever you might want, it bothers me more that it is somehow a huge deal now. I don't see what the issue ever was in the first place? If you look like a woman whether you are or not is anyone gonna know or say anything if you are crapping in the ladies room, same goes for if you look like a man would anyone notice or care if you were in a man's room? The only thing that would bother me is if I saw a man walk into the woman's room behind my daughter's because you never know his motive.


----------



## zannej

Chris said:


> I prefer private poopers anyway. Although I have heard that woman's rooms are filter than men's.  I don't care about shared bathrooms or private or whatever you might want, it bothers me more that it is somehow a huge deal now. I don't see what the issue ever was in the first place? If you look like a woman whether you are or not is anyone gonna know or say anything if you are crapping in the ladies room, same goes for if you look like a man would anyone notice or care if you were in a man's room? The only thing that would bother me is if I saw a man walk into the woman's room behind my daughter's because you never know his motive.


Yeah. They really are making a mountain out of a molehill. They've had unisex bathrooms for years now and nobody really cared. And quite frankly, if a man wants to go in to a bathroom to assault a woman, he's not going to be dressing as a woman to do it. And bathroom laws are not going to stop it from happening. It's like outlawing guns-- only the criminals will have guns then.
I find it ironic that in one place where they decided to try to enforce the gender rules on bathrooms, a male mall cop followed a woman in to a women's bathroom to demand she prove she was a woman and then forcibly dragged her out because he didn't believe her.  Having someone demand proof of gender is only going to lead to abuse and harassment.


----------



## havasu

A mall cop? How about an unarmed private security, who was either a criminal or too dumb to be a real cop? :nono:


----------



## bud16415

Flyover said:


> all 10 of them are going to be empty just about all the time, since most people don't spend that much time in the bathroom at work.



As soon as you make them private that time limit will likely increase.


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> A mall cop? How about an unarmed private security, who was either a criminal or too dumb to be a real cop? :nono:


I thought "mall cop" was the term for them. I could be wrong though.
Save​


----------



## inspectorD

Just got back from Narragansett beach... worked 5 weeks straight no days off.. it was a good weekend.


----------



## HandyOne

Just to be different, this is what I finished sewing tonight.  Something different from what you guys do.


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## Gary

Great Job Angie. 
Just ordered a hitch mounted crane for the shop truck. Doc says just because I can lift heavy stuff into the back of the truck doesn't mean it's a good idea, so I'm making things easier where I can. 
Now I ned to devise a digital print roll changer for the large format printer. Those rolls are heavy and require leaning over the machine from the front to load the media in the back, tight spot.


----------



## Chris

I did some work on my property then went to the lumber yard and picked up everything to put a new roof in the rental. Came home and put new tires on my hunting quad and rebuilt the carbs, still need to put it back together.


----------



## Gary

Off to the doc to get an MRI of my back today, to see what they can see. If all goes according to plan, they'll attempt to fix whatever needs fixin' Thursday.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Angie said:


> Just to be different, this is what I finished sewing tonight.  Something different from what you guys do.
> 
> View attachment 14442



Very nice Angie, I know inspectorD is into things like that...and pink Barbie cars...&#128561;


----------



## slownsteady

Gary said:


> Off to the doc to get an MRI of my back today, to see what they can see. If all goes according to plan, they'll attempt to fix whatever needs fixin' Thursday.


Usually they just sister in a 2-by, don't they?


----------



## Gary

:banana:





slownsteady said:


> Usually they just sister in a 2-by, don't they?





Maybe Aa laminated beam.


----------



## zannej

Gary, I hope it goes well for you. *hugs*

My brother just found out he qualifies for Medicaid because he has diabetes, COPD, and only makes about $15k a year-- although he's trying to get a second job somewhere to get some more $ coming in.

My friend who has bad luck seems to have had a little improvement in luck. Two of the auto stores in town are fighting over him. He used to work at one that was easier to see from the street but the management sucked and other employees were lazy. The main supervisor would just sit around reading her phone and avoiding work while my friend did the work of 5 people. Eventually he left because they offered him $9 an hour at the other place and the employees there actually do their jobs. So, first place got rid of the bad apples and has new management and they want him back so they offered him 30 hours a week (which is the max hours they will give anyone now bc they don't want to provide fulltime benefits for anyone) for $13.50 if he came back. He thought place #2 would fire him if he told them about it, but he let them know and they offered to match that pay if he stayed. He now gets paid more than anyone else there and he's only worked there about a month or two. But, he's their top salesperson and brought a lot of business from the other store to their store. They could not afford to lose him. They have better employee discounts and perks and the management members are nicer. He just can't let the other employees know what he's getting paid or they will be upset.

Also, he found out his father's name is on the title for the house he plans to move in to so his mother can't screw him over on it once he gets it fixed up. He already put some tarps on the roof to stop the leaks. I'm going to see if the 5gallon bucket of white Killz paint I have is still any good and I will help him paint. His ex tried to screw him on the deposit for the electricity. The bill was still in his name but he needed it put in her name so he could get the lights turned on at the other house. She owed over $300 and was supposed to pay the balance and then transfer the bill to her own account. Only she deliberately paid the balance with a bad check so it bounced and they took all but $9 of his deposit. Her new fiance felt bad about it so he paid down the deposit for him and said the lights will be turned on sometime this week.

I'll be ready to transport stuff with my truck whenever he needs and will help him get stuff set up. He'll need a new stove, so I'm trying to help him find a good electric glasstop- he doesn't like the old style ones and he never wants to have gas stove again after the fire-- that he can afford.


----------



## Flyover

Today I tried to install a jimmy-free lock on my front door. Got my hole saw attachment out from all the remaining moving clutter in the garage and tried to drill the hole for it. Drilled and drilled with my egg-beater drill. Nothing, just spinning. I figured I wasn't applying enough pressure from my shoulder.

Meanwhile my daughter was underfoot, making a lot of noise and picking up items she wasn't supposed to and generally being disobedient. And it was really hot and muggy. I got mad, and she lost her bedtime story. And this whole time I was cranking away with that egg-beater drill and wasn't getting anywhere.

Finally I took the drill away and saw a shiny spot. Realized my front door's made of metal. Probably should have checked that first. (My daughter quickly followed up this realization by sticking a bunch of her letter magnets on there.)

My eggbeater drill is my absolute favorite tool but that's not why I was using it. It's because today's the day I found out the second and last remaining battery for my Dewalt has died. It no longer charges. The first one met that same fate a couple years ago. Not bad for being at least 10 years old, I guess. I'll give it a proper cremation ceremony just like I did the last one. (Just kidding.)

Am I going to shell out 50 bucks for a replacement? I hope to put it off as long as possible and keep using my egg-beater, but eventually I'll have a project where I need to drill with one hand and do something else with the other, and then I'll need my cordless again.


----------



## havasu

Keep in mind, that the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), Home Depot sells DeWalt batteries for half price. This is when I get my batteries.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> Keep in mind, that the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), Home Depot sells DeWalt batteries for half price. This is when I get my batteries.


Usually I hide out on Black Friday. I don't think saving $25 is enough to lure me out from under my rock! Thanks for the tip though...if anything changes I'll know what to do.


----------



## nealtw

Last year I checked, they had a 12 volt battery that I needed, I waited for the sale and found they no longer carry it. I have one at the rebuilder now for more than the full price I could have bought it..


----------



## Flyover

I also have an 18V Craftsman drill with 2 spare batteries that I found in a cabinet in my last house, but I have no idea if it works because the charger's power cable is missing, almost like it got yanked out or something. One of my projects was to buy some spare parts and try to fix it but I never got around to it. I guess now I might have a good reason to get around to it!


----------



## zannej

Flyover, you don't have to actually go to the stores to get Black Friday deals. A lot of places now have online sales. 
Finally got a picture of the weeds from hell in my yard. They are over 6' tall. This is after the rest of the yard was bush-hogged. Tractor can't get in to this area to mow and that damn pig grass kills the weedeaters. Have to take a machete to that stuff.


----------



## zannej

I took my friend to look at carpet remnants today. He found some that might work if they are still there when he gets his paycheck.

In the continuing saga of the smalltown drama, it turns out that he has a restraining order against his father and his father has been violating it by staying in the same house (because the grandmother bailed him out and brought him home). The deal was he was supposed to stay off drugs and not pull any crap and my friend would tolerate it. But, his father started using again, got verbally abusive with the grandmother, and then threatened my friend. So, one call to the cops and his father was removed, but not arrested. They said if he violates the restraining order again, he will be locked up. And my friend said he won't even bother with the local cops, he'll call his cousin at the sheriff's department to come get him.

At least progress was made on fixing up the house my friend is going to move in to. The kitchen is pretty much destroyed from water damage-- floor is not sturdy enough to support any weight. But the nasty old carpet full of urine stains and who knows what was torn out and chucked. We found some drug paraphernalia and a bucket of cockroaches during cleanup. Walls have been scrubbed with bleach, new LED lightbulbs are in, and he's waiting for the crackhead former tenant to come get the rest of her crap out of there. She's leaving a couch and an air conditioner and a headboard for him.


----------



## slownsteady

Would you really want to keep a couch that has been subjected to who-knows-what?


----------



## Chris

We had a couch when I was young that I wouldn't even sit on now wearing your pants


----------



## slownsteady

So today I was mowing my lawn...(I know, big deal!) and a red tailed hawk flew by and landed on a branch not far from where I was working. I thought it was surprising that it would tolerate the noise from my mower and when I stopped to look it flew away. In a few minutes it was back, and I started to wonder why it would be hanging around. Could it be he was waiting for the mower to scare up some yummy reptiles? It was back for a third visit a few minutes later, hanging around the area I had finished mowing. I would have had some great photos if I wasn't so busy....


----------



## zannej

slownsteady, I personally woudn't keep that couch-- but my friend thinks he can clean it up. He can't exactly be picky since he can't even afford to buy used furniture at this point.


----------



## zannej

So, yesterday while cleaning out one of the dressers the tenant left, my friends found some syringes and a bag of heroin. Well, the girlfriend found it and didn't know what it was. Sent a pic and text to her boyfriend saying "Babe, just found this in the drawer. Don't know what it is." He said "It's heroin! Throw it away!"

Floor joists in the bathroom were rotted so he got them reinforced and just put in new subfloor. While we were working on the subfloor we kept hearing a rat squawking at us. At one point when we were out of the room it came out and crapped on the floor and then went through the wall to the kitchen. I started joking that it was "Master Splinter" looking for his teenage turtles.

Next morning my friend was asking if anyone could lend him a cat to catch Master Splinter in his kitchen. A few minutes later he looked in the kitchen and discovered it wasn't a rat, but a raccoon-- and it had one of his pens. He walked away and opened the front door and it sort of followed and moseyed out the front door with his pen. He posted an addendum saying it was a raccoon and it could keep the pen. 

He's borrowing my tools for now-- said my PVC cutter came in handy. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up more PVC and maybe some PEX and help him figure out the plumbing layout. Old setup didn't have vents. I'm trying to convince him to move the shower to the opposite corner because the roof slopes down and it's only about 6' where the showerhead would be. Other side is sufficiently tall. Lav is also too close to the toilet and set in an exterior wall (although it is directly in front of the exterior water heater). I'm going to try to convince him to move it to the opposite wall as well. I'll help him figure out the trap arm stuff. He wants to do an AAV on the lav (this is not a forever home) so I need to figure out the best way to set that up.

I'll eventually post some pics of the reno so far.

He also learned the hard way that the toilet bolts need to be secured enough to not fall over while setting the toilet. Had a snafu, bolts fell over, wax ring broke apart. I told him to jam the broken wax in to the flange slots to hold the bolts still and got some washers to put on top to further secure them-- they got mushed in to the wax. 2nd time worked and he now has the toilet in.


----------



## Flyover

Wow, zannej. I can't believe junkies left behind a whole bag of heroin. Usually that stuff is more important to them than anything--that's why they use needles instead of smoking it, because when you smoke it you waste some of it. I guess they must have been so strung out they forgot they put it in there. Can you imagine the fights they must have had when one accused the other of secretly shooting it?


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> Wow, zannej. I can't believe junkies left behind a whole bag of heroin. Usually that stuff is more important to them than anything--that's why they use needles instead of smoking it, because when you smoke it you waste some of it. I guess they must have been so strung out they forgot they put it in there. Can you imagine the fights they must have had when one accused the other of secretly shooting it?


I think it is possible that the owner of the drugs is the one who died in that house. The tenant's son lived with her and I don't know if they both did drugs, but the son certainly did. Not sure how he died, but I suspect heart attack or drug overdose.

Today I decided to be proactive again with trying to do something about the hag that broke my friend's stuff and stole from him. This is the newer friend that was born with some deformities and has clinical depression and anxiety issues. He has a 2-year-old child with the hag and neither of them have custody. She has rage issues and drug problems. But she lied to the cops so my friend lost custody of their kid and her parents have custody. Anyway, she fled and cops here didn't do squat about it. My friend said he called the DA but nobody cares. Last night the hag sent some new pictures of herself with their son (meaning her parents are harboring her) with the message "F*** YOU!" and sent several such messages mocking/taunting him. Because she endangered the child before (put him through a broken window while trying to kidnap him when my friend had custody) and has a violent temper, we're concerned she might hurt the child. 
So, I called the sheriff's department trying to find out who her probation officer was. I was referred to the DA's office. I called them and explained the situation to a nice lady who was very concerned for the child and said she would pull the police report from the local town. She then gave me the number for the probation office and told me exactly what to say to get the info I need. So, now I know the hag has a felony warrant and who her probation officer is. I called him but got an answering machine. Left a message but I intend to call back. I haven't told my friend yet because I don't want to get his hopes up in case they end up not doing anything.


----------



## slownsteady

Good for you for trying. And don't tell anybody if you don't have to. You don't need any enemies and your friends already know you're a friend. keep a record of who you talk to, so if anything happens to the kid, you'll know who screwed up.


----------



## Gary

Today I plan to have no pain after 23 days. 
A week ago last Thursday I had a spinal injection that worked for 2 days and then the relief was gone. This last Thursday they gave me 2 shots. 2 days later I'm still good. Just a wait and see how things go from hear.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Gary, hope your plan works out. Just don't overdo if you're feeling better.


----------



## zannej

slownsteady said:


> Good for you for trying. And don't tell anybody if you don't have to. You don't need any enemies and your friends already know you're a friend. keep a record of who you talk to, so if anything happens to the kid, you'll know who screwed up.


I wish I could remember who I spoke to at the DA's office. But I know who the probation officer is and he hasn't had her check-in in over 6 months-- so he's dropped the ball. He wasn't in the office on Friday. They said he's always out on Fridays and that he won't be back in until Monday. 
I also need to find out who the current DA is. My favorite teacher's son used to be the DA but I don't know if he still is. Latest info I found is from 2015.



Gary said:


> Today I plan to have no pain after 23 days.
> A week ago last Thursday I had a spinal injection that worked for 2 days and then the relief was gone. This last Thursday they gave me 2 shots. 2 days later I'm still good. Just a wait and see how things go from hear.


I hope you get feeling better. Have you thought of getting RF (radio frequency) treatments? They numb the nerves. Or is that what you've been getting?

I helped my friend with his bathroom some more today. Had to take his girlfriend to the store to distract her because his ex was over (because the ex's current boyfriend is helping him). I don't know where the kids were. His ex doesn't like to actually watch her kids and doesn't like to be left alone with them because then she's responsible for them. She's also a total biyatch to the current girlfriend and does stuff to antagonize her when my friend isn't looking. She was doing it again today so I went over to intervene. She knows not to mess with her when I'm around.

There was an accident in a parking lot near my friend's house. It looks like a small black car ran under the side of an 18-wheeler tanker. The kind of tanker that carries explosive materials too. Cops, fire department, and ambulance were all there.

Anyway, back to the renovations, I supplied the plumbing parts. Found a decent vanity online and transported it for my friend. He's using the layout I suggested and he went by a diagram I drew for the pipes (he didn't know about vents). He had to deviate a little because of a large floor beam. I didn't get to see what he did under the house. He has the shower set in place but still needs to put sealant under and around it to protect from water damage. He's going to build a wall around the 3rd side. He'll put an AAV inside that wall with an access / vent panel. There is a huge vent pipe connected to the toilet that goes out through the roof but it is cast iron and he couldn't tie in to it. The old lav is still on the wall and he's trying to figure out how to disconnect it and remove it, but it's some sort of copper and there are no shutoffs.

Here's the before (after he tore the original floor out bc it was rotted all the way to the joists)






Here's what he did with the joists (with help). His helper made the mistake of putting them 16" on center instead of 24" so it had to have extra reinforcements added underneath. They got the shower temporarily in place and connected to test how things hook up. Also got the drain stuff temporarily hooked up. I can't fit the pic of the opposite wall where the old shower used to be.





After he got the toilet set in with a new flange- it's turned at a slight angle for leg space. He wanted to move it over but lav was in the way and it tied in to cast iron and was a pain to deal with.





Here's what it currently looks like:


----------



## frodo

went to a meeting of Deplorable's, LOL,  A day of fellowship, Powder  Primers  Guns   Food  lies and half truths

























The little fella in the picture, was curious as to the vacuum pump I am wearing,  It makes a grunting noise like a bull frog
I had him convinced my bag was full of magic bull frogs that only come out a night.  I told him that I was Frodo and was keeping the magic frogs safe LOL....He followed me around helping keep the frogs safe


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## havasu

Frodo, that is nothing I imagined you looked like. You almost look normal, and not the swamp monster I expected!:hide:


----------



## Chris

He has webbed feet, don't give him too much credit.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Frodo, that is nothing I imagined you looked like. You almost look normal, and not the swamp monster I expected!:hide:



lol,,,I had  hair but shaved my head while in the hospital


----------



## Flyover

More like "what did I do this weekend" than "today" but...

I broke the sabbath yesterday and re-screened one wall of my screened-in porch. (Feel kinda guilty about that but as the song goes, "The Devil, he won't notice when I die. Don't you figger he's got bigger fish to fry?" On the other hand, God had a guy killed just for gathering wood. [gulp] ) I was surprised at how incompetently the previous owner had put up the screen. He installed it in one giant piece so it would have been impossible to repair easily, if it didn't all need to be replaced. And he used totally inappropriate nails used to attach the stop moulding. Etc.

Today I went to install a door closer on the door to that same porch because it kept swinging open and letting bugs in. The previous owner's solution had been to tie an old shoe string around the handle; this was wrapped around a nail on the other side of the door frame. He should have been on This Old House, right? Anyway, as I was deciding where to place the door closer anchor I realized there was already one installed! It was old and rusty and the rest of the mechanism was gone. Why the heck would they take it off? I guess they preferred the shoestring solution.

The previous owner continues to impress me. Very small shoes to fill, but he sure left a lot of filling to do.


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> went to a meeting of Deplorable's, LOL,  A day of fellowship, Powder  Primers  Guns   Food  lies and half truths
> View attachment 14496
> 
> 
> View attachment 14497
> 
> 
> View attachment 14498
> 
> 
> View attachment 14499
> 
> 
> View attachment 14500
> 
> 
> View attachment 14501
> 
> 
> View attachment 14502
> 
> 
> View attachment 14503
> 
> 
> 
> The little fella in the picture, was curious as to the vacuum pump I am wearing,  It makes a grunting noise like a bull frog
> I had him convinced my bag was full of magic bull frogs that only come out a night.  I told him that I was Frodo and was keeping the magic frogs safe LOL....He followed me around helping keep the frogs safe


Great pics! I love some of the nicknames people have. 
LOL @ the magic frogs thing. That's adorable!
I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to go to gatherings.



Flyover said:


> More like "what did I do this weekend" than "today" but...
> 
> I broke the sabbath yesterday and re-screened one wall of my screened-in porch. (Feel kinda guilty about that but as the song goes, "The Devil, he won't notice when I die. Don't you figger he's got bigger fish to fry?" On the other hand, God had a guy killed just for gathering wood. [gulp] ) I was surprised at how incompetently the previous owner had put up the screen. He installed it in one giant piece so it would have been impossible to repair easily, if it didn't all need to be replaced. And he used totally inappropriate nails used to attach the stop moulding. Etc.
> 
> Today I went to install a door closer on the door to that same porch because it kept swinging open and letting bugs in. The previous owner's solution had been to tie an old shoe string around the handle; this was wrapped around a nail on the other side of the door frame. He should have been on This Old House, right? Anyway, as I was deciding where to place the door closer anchor I realized there was already one installed! It was old and rusty and the rest of the mechanism was gone. Why the heck would they take it off? I guess they preferred the shoestring solution.
> 
> The previous owner continues to impress me. Very small shoes to fill, but he sure left a lot of filling to do.


They probably couldn't figure out how to work the mechanism and broke it. Shoestring sounds about like something my best friend would do. He doesn't have much $ to spend so he has to improvise a lot. He was joking with me when I was taking pictures in his house about how he knew I was going to show other people how redneck his house is. LOL. Didn't have a wall lamp. Ceiling lamp wouldn't work. So he screwed a table lamp to the wall.

I've been sitting here hoping the rain will go away soon. I'm out of the path of the hurricane, but there were tornado warnings. Called my cousin over in Texas to check on her. Her pool is overflowed but the water had not yet reached her foundation. Her old neighborhood is completely flooded. She and her family had just returned from a 20 day trip up to Oregon. They barely had time to get groceries before the storm hit.


----------



## Gary

I lettered a truck today. Not a big deal normally, but this was one of those big articulating off road trucks with 6' tall tires, so I had to climb around on it to get the lettering done. What makes it a big deal is my sciatica didn't flare up at all. Makes me cautiously optimistic that the worst might be over.


----------



## Gary

Thought I'd post a few shots of Frodo's Gun Stock. Should be showing up any day now.


----------



## frodo

that is SWEEEET!


----------



## Flyover

The 2nd Amendment ensures all the others.


----------



## Chris

Gary said:


> Thought I'd post a few shots of Frodo's Gun Stock. Should be showing up any day now.



That is awesome!


----------



## Gary

Thanks Frodo, Flyover & Chris.


----------



## Chris

Not today but yesterday I bought a 1948 Chevy Loadmaster which is a 1-1/2" ton flatbed. I bought it for yard art but it does run fairly well. I drove it home. I also picked up a 1949 Case DC tractor and then my neighbor gave me a Farmall 350 tractor. My junk collection is getting bigger.


----------



## Thumper

Picked up a couple hundred blocks for my outdoor kitchen. And busted a break line on my truck.


----------



## zannej

My internet has been sporadic with the storm, but I'm on high ground and still have power.
I made a run to the store to get some groceries and rushed back so the roads wouldn't get worse before I got home. The distribution center that sends groceries to the local stores is in Houston so we will be without some stuff for awhile.
Made a deal with my friend that we will help him buy what he needs to fix his roof and stuff and in return he's going to come over and help us clean and fix this place up (once he gets his place set enough that he doesn't need to keep doing major work on it). He feels bad bc he's borrowed a lot of $ from my mother and things keep happening to set him back so he hasn't made repayments in a couple months. 
The good news is that some nice people have been leaving gifts on his porch-- someone left a full set of dishes and cups and this morning someone left cupcakes.

I'll have to upload pics of my road later-- if they turn out ok. I took a video while driving and am not sure how clear it turned out bc my windshield had lovebug guts all over it and they haven't come off yet.

Gary, love that gunstock for Frodo!


----------



## havasu

Flying out in 2 hours, headed for Houston to help with the Red Cross efforts. You all stay safe and you, seems I will be keeping my head on a swivel. My job is supervisor/manager with safety and security of our own folks. Kinda like the cops of the Red Cross.


----------



## frodo

havasu said:


> Flying out in 2 hours, headed for Houston to help with the Red Cross efforts. You all stay safe and you, seems I will be keeping my head on a swivel. My job is supervisor/manager with safety and security of our own folks. Kinda like the cops of the Red Cross.



Be careful,  lots of bad hombre's out and about


----------



## slownsteady

Keep your feet dry, Havasu!


----------



## zannej

Good luck, Havasu! Hope you have a safe trip and that nothing goes awry.

I helped my friend move his furniture and computer out of his grandparent's house and in to his "new" house. He still needs to fix up some more things. He was going to put drywall around his shower but I suggested greenboard. And I suggested luan or plywood for the walls instead of sheetrock so it would be lighter and easier to put up (I have a nail gun). I have some paint we can use when the time comes. His bathroom is looking better.

Tomorrow (well, later today since it's after midnight) I need to remember to call one of my neighbors who used to own a flooring store and install stuff to ask if he has any carpet and/or linoleum remnants that he could sell. Also need to try calling the DA, a felon's probation officer to report on her possible whereabouts, and call DCFS to report her parents for letting a wanted felon take custody of the child she isn't supposed to see without supervision.


----------



## havasu

It is very hectic out here. We still have folks isolated in areas so we contracted with 3 helicopters to drop food off. In the background you can see some of the food trucks.


----------



## Flyover

More on my screened-in porch project today.

Stained/sealed a bunch of wood lathe for moulding on the outside of the porch. (My 4 y.o. daughter now knows the right way to hold a paintbrush, we just have to work on her technique.) I'm doing this project one wall at a time, as I fit it into my schedule.

In the process of removing some remaining moulding off the corner of the porch, I discovered that the previous owners not only put the screen on in enormous sheets (rather than strips that can be swapped out for repair/replacement) but _wrapped one big piece of screen around the porch!_ Is this a conventional way to do it?? Seems crazy to me.

The only possible reason I can think of is if they somehow acquired a huge piece of screen for free/cheap and wanted to use it instead of buying new screen on a normal-sized roll.


----------



## Chris

I got a 1958 farmall tractor  running that has been sitting in a junk yard for 20 years. Rebuilt the carb, new plugs and fixed the oil pan that was crushed in and broke the oil pump. Drove it around the yard


----------



## Chris




----------



## zannej

Chris said:


>


That is so cool! Hope you can find the replacement tires for it easily. Still in pretty good condition considering the circumstances though.
Save​


----------



## thwindowsdoors

Hopefully, you are feeling better now.


----------



## frodo

Chris will look like the guy on Green Acres driving that tractor

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbk81X6WHA4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbk81X6WHA4[/ame]


----------



## Chris

I need to buy a suit.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I need to buy a suit.



I think a tie and bib overalls is a fashion statement


----------



## zannej

Man, I haven't watched Green Acres in a loooong time.

Nothing much going on here. My brother finally decided that Mom's offer to pay for his food in exchange for cleaning up and taking out trash twice a week was reasonable (although now she is saying 2 to 3 times as needed because he declined the original offer). He just made some beef stew with collard greens, carrots, potatoes, and some other type of greens. He also briefly went into town to give some friends a lift and brought home pizza and pasta from work.

I got absolutely nothing done today because I've been exhausted for no apparent reason. I'm hoping I'll get more energy when the weather gets cooler.


----------



## Flyover

Our house has this big garden area in the corner of the yard. We hadn't touched it since we moved in and there were waist-high weeds growing. Today I took my weed whacker and used it like a brush mower, swaying back and forth and just cutting everything down. Figured out a good technique after a while.

It's an interesting experience; when I'd stop I noticed the air around where I was cutting was hazy, almost smoky, even though it's an electric weed whacker. That haze was vapor in the air from all the pulverized biomass. Pretty cool!

Took me about a half hour to clear the first 3rd of it, which is what you see in the picture. Have to find some time on Sunday to do the rest. Thinking of getting a scythe, but not sure where I could pick one up cheap and besides, I don't have a good way to keep my edged tools sharp right now.


----------



## nealtw

For the scythe we had an odd shaped stone that fit in the back pocket.

Like this guy has.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osNiBdDbod4[/ame]


----------



## Flyover

So the next question then is, do they make scythes for lefties?


----------



## zannej

Flyover, nice job! Cute little weeds. After 2 days, the friend I hired has my yard looking like this:





My brother's mutt apparently tried to go after the weedeater but got hit in the face (fortunately wasn't hurt) and decided it was a bad idea. The dogs had dug some pretty deep holes/tunnels to burrow in to so my friend filled them in. Pulled the vines off the house as well.

This is where a fence and gate used to be but they were knocked down by the falling tree and it was a huge debris pile





Farther back on that side part





I still need to go get pictures of the other side-- he cut down the chicken tree that keeps growing back.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> Flyover, nice job! Cute little weeds.


Haha, yeah, I knew you'd say that when I wrote the comment! Hey, at least I wasn't complaining this time.

I went back and almost finished the rest of that area today. Got most of it done and then ran out of cordage with about 50 square feet left. Not really comfortable daisy chaining two extension cords because neither of the ones I own are  that high a gauge, and I don't really want to buy another extension cord...we'll see. I think I could reach it if I could get a different one of my outdoor outlets working, so maybe that's the solution. (Actually I really should get it working because I have a sump pump connected to it!)

Also got another wall of the screened-in porch rescreened today. My Sabbath adherence sucks lately!


----------



## frodo

I am all tied up at the moment, Weaving a guitar strap for TwangBanger




Figured I would do a little cat fishing while I work


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I have no objection even if you do complain about the weeds. They are still weeds and they are in your yard. I wish I could figure out a way to keep the ones I have from growing back. I suspect I'd have to til the soil or something. Dog already re-dug one of the tunnels. I tried to get a picture but my phone decided to do an automatic update right then and turned in to a useless brick for the next hour.

Frodo, I love the paracord stuff you make. That is so awesome! Wish I had the patience and dexterity to do something like that. Love the kitty!

Speaking of kitties, the pregnant kitty we are fostering had her kittens. She gave birth to 6, but by the time my brother found them under the recliner, 2 were dead. He's afraid he may have killed one when he sat in the recliner-- not knowing the kittens were under there. I knew we were getting close to the kittens when the mother cat started growling at us and trying to distract us. I put the foot rest up to keep the chair from rocking and to allow better access to the kittens. I petted the mother while she was nursing so now she realizes it's ok to let us near the kittens. There is one solid black one in the litter so I just had to kidnap it briefly to show my mother. She immediately reached for it and held it up near her face and kissed it and didn't want to let it go, but it was hungry so I told her it needed to eat and she reluctantly gave it back. 

I'd love to get the cat to move the kittens someplace safer-- I'm going to the store later to get some microfiber mats at Dollar Tree-- my cats love sleeping on them. and I'll have to see if I can convince her to move them in to a box with holes cut in it. 

Right now I'm letting the cat have some space and am curled up with my shoulder cat and a lap cat.


----------



## Flyover

frodo said:


> I am all tied up at the moment, Weaving a guitar strap for TwangBanger


Paracord guitar strap! Cool idea.


----------



## frodo

Beat this..


----------



## slownsteady

frodo said:


> Beat this..


Is that Spider solitaire? I play that a lot, but the graphic looks different.


----------



## frodo

slownsteady said:


> Is that Spider solitaire? I play that a lot, but the graphic looks different.



yes it is,  I play a lot also.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> Flyover, I have no objection even if you do complain about the weeds. They are still weeds and they are in your yard. I wish I could figure out a way to keep the ones I have from growing back. I suspect I'd have to til the soil or something. Dog already re-dug one of the tunnels. I tried to get a picture but my phone decided to do an automatic update right then and turned in to a useless brick for the next hour.
> 
> Frodo, I love the paracord stuff you make. That is so awesome! Wish I had the patience and dexterity to do something like that. Love the kitty!
> 
> Speaking of kitties, the pregnant kitty we are fostering had her kittens. She gave birth to 6, but by the time my brother found them under the recliner, 2 were dead. He's afraid he may have killed one when he sat in the recliner-- not knowing the kittens were under there. I knew we were getting close to the kittens when the mother cat started growling at us and trying to distract us. I put the foot rest up to keep the chair from rocking and to allow better access to the kittens. I petted the mother while she was nursing so now she realizes it's ok to let us near the kittens. There is one solid black one in the litter so I just had to kidnap it briefly to show my mother. She immediately reached for it and held it up near her face and kissed it and didn't want to let it go, but it was hungry so I told her it needed to eat and she reluctantly gave it back.
> 
> I'd love to get the cat to move the kittens someplace safer-- I'm going to the store later to get some microfiber mats at Dollar Tree-- my cats love sleeping on them. and I'll have to see if I can convince her to move them in to a box with holes cut in it.
> 
> Right now I'm letting the cat have some space and am curled up with my shoulder cat and a lap cat.



It is easy Zanne
start out with a simple Cobra knot,  with it you can make key chains and bracelets
















you started on the left side,  the next knot, start from the right side
then alternate back and forth as you go


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> It is easy Zanne
> start out with a simple Cobra knot,  with it you can make key chains and bracelets
> 
> View attachment 14618
> 
> 
> View attachment 14619
> 
> 
> View attachment 14620
> 
> 
> View attachment 14621
> 
> 
> View attachment 14622
> 
> 
> you started on the left side,  the next knot, start from the right side
> then alternate back and forth as you go
> 
> View attachment 14623
> 
> 
> View attachment 14624
> 
> 
> View attachment 14625
> 
> 
> View attachment 14626
> 
> 
> View attachment 14627


Ooh! That is so cool! Maybe you could make a thread with that and show the stuff you are making. I think others would be interested in it and that way it wouldn't get lost in this thread.

The foster kitty that had kittens has moved her kittens to a cubbyhole on the desk my father and I built. I got some fuzzy rags from Dollar Tree and stuffed them in there and she loves them. I was wrong about there being an orange and white-- I confused that one with the calico. So there's a solid black, a calico, a gray and white (looks just like the mother), and a black and white. The black one is a male and we named him Yasuke (which is the name of the first black Samurai). If we keep the calico, I'm thinking of naming her Hatshepsut. The lady vet at the office has trouble saying some of the names and always looks forward to us giving the kitties strange names.

Meanwhile, guy who cut the weeds has offered to cut down trees in the chicken yard, but doesn't know how much to charge. He asked what Mom was willing to pay. She has no idea. So, we asked him what he thinks would be fair. Most of them are relatively slim trees, but there are a LOT of them. We don't want to rip him off, but my mother is also somewhat miserly.

On a side note, my sleuthing efforts and calling the DA's office worked. The felon on the run that robbed my friend is now in jail.


----------



## frodo

Zanne,  Our Mamma cat just had a litter,  she had 4 and 2 died

they are white with yellow strips 

she is a wild barn cat, and will not let us get close to her babies


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> Zanne,  Our Mamma cat just had a litter,  she had 4 and 2 died
> 
> they are white with yellow strips
> 
> she is a wild barn cat, and will not let us get close to her babies


Aww. Sorry to hear some of them died. I hope the others will survive.
This cat, Daisy, sort of growls at me, but I've been bringing her treats and petting her so she's calmed down. She won't let the father of the babies come near though-- and he's lonely. He doesn't understand why she's not his friend anymore. Hopefully she'll be nicer to him when the kittens get older.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> Ooh! That is so cool! Maybe you could make a thread with that and show the stuff you are making. I think others would be interested in it and that way it wouldn't get lost in this thread.
> 
> .



LOL...been there done that
I was a mod on a paracord forum, Till the owner decided I needed to be a paying contributor. 
I took offense to that Idea.
I figure giving my time and knowledge, not being paid for it
entitles me to be considered a contributor.
I DAMN sure am not going to pay him  to volunteer

nuff said on that subject


----------



## oldognewtrick

Awe, come on Frodo...we'll give you a discount.....


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Awe, come on Frodo...we'll give you a discount.....


//////////////


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> LOL...been there done that
> I was a mod on a paracord forum, Till the owner decided I needed to be a paying contributor.
> I took offense to that Idea.
> I figure giving my time and knowledge, not being paid for it
> entitles me to be considered a contributor.
> I DAMN sure am not going to pay him  to volunteer
> 
> nuff said on that subject


They wanted you to pay them to share your info on how to do stuff-- Wow... WTF? What is wrong with people?
It should have been the other way around. People should have been offering to pay _you_ for your information. That is just so... assbackwards.

Meanwhile, got an urgent call from my friend who's fixing his house up. Roof was worse than he thought and there was a big gaping hole in his kitchen roof/ceiling. He needed help getting some stuff to repair it. So, I went in, and fortunately Honda designed the Ridgeline to have the wheel wells spaced just right to slide in plywood boards so fit nice and snug (but not too snug). While at the store, I reminded him that I have a nail gun he could borrow. He called back later (after I went home) and asked if he could come pick up the nail gun (well, was sending a mutual friend to get it-- someone we both trust). It's the friend who's been cutting the weeds in my yard. Our riding mower wasn't working so we told him he could have it if he could fix it. He's using it instead of his old John Deere one now. Apparently when he shifted in to higher gear, the front wheels just about came up off the ground. LOL.

He's also going to find some people to look at the barn and figure out what it would take to salvage the good parts and prevent more of it from collapsing and then we can see if there is an estimate for repair or at least demo on the parts that are making the good parts collapse. He had fun looking around in the barn to see the old junk in there.


----------



## frodo

Flyover said:


> Paracord guitar strap! Cool idea.



finished the guitar strap


----------



## frodo

Then I made a rifle sling for my Ak that Gary engraved the 2A on
I am REALLY proud of the work he did


----------



## oldognewtrick

You make some very nice strap Frodo. I love mine, feel up to making me an adjustable one for my AR?


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> You make some very nice strap Frodo. I love mine, feel up to making me an adjustable one for my AR?



can do,   do you want  a single point sling?

like this       I think this is Chris;s wifes sling









Or do you want a regular 2 point sling, like you have but with a buckle?


----------



## oldognewtrick

Single point, black and gray.


----------



## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Single point, black and gray.



pm incoming


----------



## joecaption

Mowed and wacked two yards, changed the blades on my mower, found the front wheel bearing was shot so I rebuilt the whole thing.
Man across the street came over and his power steering belt had broken on his truck, I happen to have one so that got fixed.
He comes back over and says the electric clutch went bad on his old mower went bad and was not worth fixing so I loaded up his old mower and took him down to a friend that picks up and repairs used mowers and hooked him up with a brand new looking John Deere.
Picked up materials to install a new ceiling on a porch tomorrow.
Picked up my DR Field and Brush Mower I'd lent out.
Still had more jobs to do but I'd had enough and called it quits for the day.
Time for a cocktail.


----------



## frodo

joecaption said:


> Mowed and wacked two yards, changed the blades on my mower, found the front wheel bearing was shot so I rebuilt the whole thing.
> Man across the street came over and his power steering belt had broken on his truck, I happen to have one so that got fixed.
> He comes back over and says the electric clutch went bad on his old mower went bad and was not worth fixing so I loaded up his old mower and took him down to a friend that picks up and repairs used mowers and hooked him up with a brand new looking John Deere.
> Picked up materials to install a new ceiling on a porch tomorrow.
> Picked up my DR Field and Brush Mower I'd lent out.
> Still had more jobs to do but I'd had enough and called it quits for the day.
> Time for a cocktail.



you  deserve it


----------



## Chris

I drive from Laughlin to southern California. Then cleaned the rv and worked on one of the work trucks. Time for a cocktail.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I drive from Laughlin to southern California. Then cleaned the rv and worked on one of the work trucks. Time for a cocktail.



you deserve 2 cocktails


----------



## Flyover

Man, I don't know how you guys find the time to get so much done! Maybe you just don't have multiple small kids? 

I put the moulding on one more side of my screened-in porch. Same 80 sqft screened-in porch I've been updating about intermittently on this thread for weeks. Gives you a sense of how slow I have to go...still have the long side to do, too.


----------



## havasu

I used Mother's Mag polish and a Mother's foam ball, and with about 30 seconds attached to my drill, my daughter's headlights are clear once again. First pic has only one headlight polished to see the dramatic difference.


----------



## Gary

Not today, but yesterday I lettered this ambulance and did the mural on the delivery.


----------



## Chris

Flyover said:


> Man, I don't know how you guys find the time to get so much done! Maybe you just don't have multiple small kids?
> 
> I put the moulding on one more side of my screened-in porch. Same 80 sqft screened-in porch I've been updating about intermittently on this thread for weeks. Gives you a sense of how slow I have to go...still have the long side to do, too.


I have a 2 and 4 year old and ADHD


----------



## Chris

.......duplicate


----------



## zannej

Havasu, that looks great! I was just telling my friend who works at O'Reilly's about what you used and how awesome it turned out. 

Gary, that looks absolutely amazing!

I went in to town to pick up my mother's driver's license from the bank. They made a copy of it and forgot to give it back on Friday. She called them this morning and asked if I could pick it up for her. Got mail and took some friends to Walmart. My friend's kitchen is coming along. Some of the old cabinets are still in halfway decent shape-- just might need some sanding and clearly need painting. I told him I would paint them for him. Forgot to pick them up before he went to work though. But, I'll have to get him to put them in my truck so I can take them to the workshop and see how the painting goes so they don't just get thrown in the garbage. I was thinking I could paint them white, but then I realized it might not go with the kitchen, so I can see if I can find some other paint colors. Painting can be fun. He was going to get a really cheap microwave to give to his ex so he could get his microwave back from her (now that he actually has a kitchen) but she doesn't clean and the place is so infested with roaches that there were roaches coming out from the buttons on the microwave and he doesn't want to bring it over to his place. He apparently had to hose the refrigerator out and spray the outside with roach spray because it was covered-- but he wasn't going to let her keep that fridge. Trying to find him a decent replacement microwave that he can afford now.

Kitchen before:










After: 




I need to get a better updated after pic.

Meanwhile, I got some early birthday presents: replacement jigsaw attachment,  a reciprocating saw attachment, and a 15pc tungsten carbide router bits set in their own wooden box. Box is raw wood so I'm going to sand it and either stain it and coat it with poly or paint it. I might replace the hardware for the latch since the latch kind of sucks. I'm thinking of using some of the foam/padding stuff that came with some of my mother's junk jewelry she orders from wish as some padding inside the box. If I paint it, I'm trying to decide what color to use. The bits are blue, but I want the box to be easy to find-- so either red or orange. Possibly blue. I might do a test area and see how it would look stained on the bottom and if I don't like it, I can paint over it. But it definitely needs to be sanded.

On a side note, does anyone here know much about rental laws? The situation is: My friend let his bint ex-girlfriend move in to his trailer under the impression that she was buying it from him. Her tax returns were supposed to go to him as soon as she got them, but she never received them because she's an idiot and messed up on the filing-- and because the money was going to go to him, she doesn't care and won't do anything about it. She was extremely rude about the way she moved in-- insisting he get all of his stuff out as soon as he agreed to sell it to her (even though she hadn't paid a cent to him-- and still has not paid him anything).

I mentioned awhile ago that she screwed him over on his utility deposit which delayed him being able to start fixing up his grandmother's house. She had the utilities for his trailer put in her name without his authorization and her boyfriend is currently paying the rent for the lot (but neither of them are paying for the trailer itself). Yesterday, the twunt just announced to my friend that it doesn't matter that she didn't pay him for the trailer (and has no intention of paying him) because she is paying rent for the lot and therefor, he can't evict her. She also told him that because he can't do anything about it, if he doesn't get all of his stuff out of the trailer, she is going to sell it. He warned her that she's not allowed to do that because he owns it-- so she said she would sell his current girlfriend's stuff that got left in the closet because they didn't have any place to move the stuff to. 

What are the rules on this? I know she's paying for the lot and she's been staying in the trailer for several months-- although it was under the pretense that she was going to buy it. I'm fairly certain she has no right to throw any of his stuff out and absolutely is not allowed to sell it, but would he have to take her to court to get her evicted? If he does have to do that, can he sue her for his court fees (not that she'd pay-- she hasn't had a job in over a year and has no intention of ever getting a job again). Any ideas?

Right now, he said he's thinking of dumping her stuff out of his trailer and having it hauled to his yard and telling her she can live in a tent (although he'd probably never follow through on that threat).


----------



## frodo

a trailer has a title just like a car,  if the title is in his name, then he has proof of ownership
and he can start the eviction process
to start the eviction process,  talk to your local sheriff


----------



## Flyover

@zannej:

Did your friend get anything in writing from his ex before she moved in?


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> a trailer has a title just like a car,  if the title is in his name, then he has proof of ownership
> and he can start the eviction process
> to start the eviction process,  talk to your local sheriff


Yeah, he pretty much told her "B*** I have the title and you aren't paying me anything!" But I think she's still planning to give him trouble. 
So, if he talked to the sheriff, they could tell her to vacate the trailer without having to go to court?



Flyover said:


> @zannej:
> 
> Did your friend get anything in writing from his ex before she moved in?


If you mean printed out? Sadly, No. However, there might be some text messages discussing the arrangement. I advised him to screenshot them and print them out in case he needs to show proof to the amount she agreed to pay him and the arrangement of when/why he let her move in. It was very shortly before tax returns were supposed to come in and her taxes were still set to be directly deposited to his account. There won't be any tax returns this year because she quit her job last year and hasn't worked and has no intention of working because she doesn't want him to get any $.


----------



## frodo

Your friend needs  to have the sheriff serve eviction papers on her for non payment of rent
he needs to talk to the sheriff to find out the procedure in your state


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> Your friend needs  to have the sheriff serve eviction papers on her for non payment of rent
> he needs to talk to the sheriff to find out the procedure in your state


Thanks. In her case, there wasn't even a rental agreement. She had agreed to buy the trailer and pay him in full but she never made any payment and now has expressed that she has no intention of paying. IMO, that is basically theft. Especially since she started throwing his stuff out of the closet and is threatening to sell his possessions.
He may have to work out a deal with her fiance to get the fiance to pay since he lives there too. Problem is, poor guy isn't going to be able to save any $ with that shameless mooch latched on to him.

In happier news, the kittens have all opened their tiny little eyes. There are two males and two females in the litter. They are starting to crawl a bit more now.


----------



## nealtw

The say she said she was not buying it was the day she should have moved out.  See the sheriff. They are squatting and have no rights.


----------



## frodo

Zannie.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=oa1ez7yL_T4


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> If you mean printed out? Sadly, No. However, there might be some text messages discussing the arrangement. I advised him to screenshot them and print them out in case he needs to show proof to the amount she agreed to pay him and the arrangement of when/why he let her move in. It was very shortly before tax returns were supposed to come in and her taxes were still set to be directly deposited to his account. There won't be any tax returns this year because she quit her job last year and hasn't worked and has no intention of working because she doesn't want him to get any $.


Yeah, find those texts, screenshot them, print them out, back them up to 2 hard drives and the cloud! I don't even know if claims courts will accept that but it's better than nothing. I guess they might be able to subpoena data from the cell phone records too.

I feel bad for your friend but it goes to show: always get something in writing. Always. Don't care if it's your girlfriend, your ex-girlfriend, your best friend, your mom. You just never know what crazy stuff people will pull. Even innocent misunderstandings can blow up. It feels awkward and impersonal and you'll always get people shaking their heads saying "it was different back in my day when everyone just trusted each other and helped each other out" but that's better than being in your friend's position now. Or his ex's, to be honest: ripping off other people comes with its own stress, and if you believe in an afterlife...


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> Zannie.......
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=oa1ez7yL_T4


LOL. If that was about the tree stuff, he got our mutual friend (the one with the trailer/lousy ex problems) to come out. I watched them work-- primary guy cut the trees down and then both of them loaded up the trees/branches in to a trailer on the back of a john deer mower (which currently has the mower part removed pending repair). Second friend was driving the mower and hauling things out to a pile while more trees got cut down and the main guy was giving instructions and pushing the mower when it got stuck. They both nearly got heat stroke. I was only out there for about 10 minutes (standing in the shade) and I was sweating like crazy within a minute. They got a LOT of work done. They intend to come out earlier in the day next time. First guy took $100 and gave the other friend the $50. Other friend also fixed mom's laptop, gave tech support on her desktop (hard drive failed), and unjammed the garbage disposal (I got the glass out of it and I had the tool to turn the blades but I couldn't get it to turn).



Flyover said:


> Yeah, find those texts, screenshot them, print them out, back them up to 2 hard drives and the cloud! I don't even know if claims courts will accept that but it's better than nothing. I guess they might be able to subpoena data from the cell phone records too.
> 
> I feel bad for your friend but it goes to show: always get something in writing. Always. Don't care if it's your girlfriend, your ex-girlfriend, your best friend, your mom. You just never know what crazy stuff people will pull. Even innocent misunderstandings can blow up. It feels awkward and impersonal and you'll always get people shaking their heads saying "it was different back in my day when everyone just trusted each other and helped each other out" but that's better than being in your friend's position now. Or his ex's, to be honest: ripping off other people comes with its own stress, and if you believe in an afterlife...


Yeah. Some of it my friend brings on himself for letting the ex use him as a doormat. Although, her current fiance felt so bad about the situation, that he actually paid my friend a little bit toward the purchase of the trailer. My friend said that if the couple splits, he'll let the fiance stay and kick the girl out. She doesn't even have custody of either of the kids right now. She's unemployed and could be watching the kids-- but she has them staying with grandparents. Her son with her ex-husband is with her father and the daughter she has with my friend is staying with my friend's grandparents (until he can get a bedroom fixed up for her at his house).

On a side note, I wish I had purchased the shower and surround I'd wanted for Mom's bathroom a few months ago because it has now been discontinued on HomeDepot and the Lowes price is over $100 more. I need to see if I can find it cheaper somewhere that Lowes will price match. I wonder if Mom's Medicare part B would cover anything for it since she's unable to lift her leg high enough to step over the tub edge so she can't use her shower. Even with the shower seat that goes over the edge of the tub, she can't get in. She hasn't taken a shower since 2009-- she uses those body wipes for seniors/handicap people.

Another side note, I saw someone posting on Facebook about how she can't stand "a dam lair" and went on to kvetch that she asked someone to loan her money until she got her paycheck and the person declined (claiming they didn't have any money) and she was enraged that the person then had the audacity to spend their own money to buy themselves drinks instead of giving the $ to her. The first part had me picturing a dragon's lair full of beaver dams. Second part had me facepalming at the entitlement. 
Save​


----------



## Gary

Today I haven't done anything. Yesterday I have Gall Bladder surgery. All went well.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Good to Hear Gary.


----------



## frodo

Gary said:


> Today I haven't done anything. Yesterday I have Gall Bladder surgery. All went well.


 glad you are ok


----------



## zannej

Gary, I'm glad you're ok. I know there can be a bit of a recovery period from the surgery-- may have to change your diet and they might put you on some meds for awhile to prevent acid reflux or something. Mom had her gall bladder taken out awhile back.

Yesterday I was going to take my sick cat to the vet but he ran off somewhere and I haven't seen him since. I'm worried about him. 

Took mom to a doctor's appointment. Her good cholesterol is great, sugars are good, bad cholesterol is a tad high, but everything looks pretty good and she lost some weight. Stopped by and visited a friend and Mom played with a 5-week old orphaned yorkiepoo-- thing is absolutely adorable. Mediated a dispute in an online game and got the parties involved to calm down.

Mom's CPAP machine finally died after 14 years. I made sure to tell the nurse and doctor so she could get scheduled for another sleep study to get a new machine asap. 

I read online (which I know can be misleading at times) that Medicare Part B will sometimes pay for renovations to replace a tub with an ADA friendly shower if the doctor writes a prescription for it. Supposed to cover 80% of it according to what I read. Doctor said to let him know if it actually works and wrote the scrip. So, now I need to figure out how to go about ordering the replacement shower unit and see if we can get Medicare to cover it and whether or not Blue Cross/Shield will pay the supplemental part and so forth. According to what I read, it would also cover grab bars-- but we already have 2 of those incoming once my friend gets the stripped screws out.

Anyone familiar enough with Medicare and stuff to give advice on how to go about getting them to help cover it? For as much as she's paying per month for it, it would be nice for it to help her out on this as it is necessary and she hasn't showered in so many years because she's afraid she'll fall trying to get in.


----------



## havasu

I found this while doing a quick search...

Unfortunately for most seniors, walk in bathtubs are not considered to be durable medical equipment by Medicare and therefore Medicare will not pay for the cost of a walk-in tub nor will they contribute to the cost of installation. ... Even with all this support, there is no guarantee of Medicare's assistance.Apr 1, 2016
Does Medicare Pay for Walk-in Bath Tubs? Is Other Financial ...
https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/financial.../walk-in-bathtubs-medicare.html


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> I used Mother's Mag polish and a Mother's foam ball, and with about 30 seconds attached to my drill, my daughter's headlights are clear once again. First pic has only one headlight polished to see the dramatic difference.


Havasu, you inspired me! I bought a Mother's kit and did the headlights on my car today. It was tricky since my Dewalt died, so I was using a corded power drill where you get variable speed by trigger pressure alone, but I got it done. They look fantastic.

All this work on Saturdays, I'm really lucky God hasn't struck me down in a pillar of fire yet!


----------



## oldognewtrick

Its not work if you're not getting paid...


----------



## havasu

Me and 8 other neighbors walked two miles of bike path picking up trask left by our bums. We picked up a truckload.


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> I found this while doing a quick search...
> 
> Unfortunately for most seniors, walk in bathtubs are not considered to be durable medical equipment by Medicare and therefore Medicare will not pay for the cost of a walk-in tub nor will they contribute to the cost of installation. ... Even with all this support, there is no guarantee of Medicare's assistance.Apr 1, 2016
> Does Medicare Pay for Walk-in Bath Tubs? Is Other Financial ...
> https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/financial.../walk-in-bathtubs-medicare.html


I saw that but what I'm looking for is a shower with grab bars. I keep seeing conflicting info though. Some say they never cover, some say only from places that cooperate with Medicare for sales. I wish I could find the link again, but there was one site that does bathroom renovations to make them ADA friendly that claims Medicare covers their renos and that they will even do the paperwork or help with it. But, that may be a scam to get people's info and bilk the system.
If my father were alive and needed the ADA stuff, the VA would help with it. I don't think they do it for widows though. And Blue Cross Blue Shield has been refusing to cover a lot of things now. Wish we could buy something that is approved and then be reimbursed.


----------



## havasu

I would try calling an ADA bathroom remodel company. They may have some trade secrets similar to those little 4 wheel scooters that is also suppose to be  covered by Medicare. As I get older, I find the government has alot of programs available to people, but they don't advertise them and hope you just forget about it. Such as medical benefits and money for widows of our servicemen.


----------



## zannej

havasu said:


> I would try calling an ADA bathroom remodel company. They may have some trade secrets similar to those little 4 wheel scooters that is also suppose to be  covered by Medicare. As I get older, I find the government has alot of programs available to people, but they don't advertise them and hope you just forget about it. Such as medical benefits and money for widows of our servicemen.


Thanks! I wish I could find the link again to that one bathroom remodel place. I tried to remember my search terms when I found it, but I was half asleep and I accidentally closed the tab a long time ago. I should look in the history, but I forget which browser. LOL. I'll find it again eventually.

Not sure if this will work, but I loaded part of the video of Mom playing with the 5-week-old orphaned yorkiepoo to Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZZpno9Fpd0/

Cute little bugger.


----------



## havasu

That is a cute little s#it!


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> I saw that but what I'm looking for is a shower with grab bars. I keep seeing conflicting info though. Some say they never cover, some say only from places that cooperate with Medicare for sales. I wish I could find the link again, but there was one site that does bathroom renovations to make them ADA friendly that claims Medicare covers their renos and that they will even do the paperwork or help with it. But, that may be a scam to get people's info and bilk the system.
> If my father were alive and needed the ADA stuff, the VA would help with it. I don't think they do it for widows though. And Blue Cross Blue Shield has been refusing to cover a lot of things now. Wish we could buy something that is approved and then be reimbursed.



Did your Dad have tri Care insurance from the military?


----------



## frodo

''What did you do today?''
messed with a liberal by confusing him with facts,  then sat back and watched as his head blew up
HE could not answer any questions
 all he could do was mumble    .but but but your a raciest, homophobic,hillbilly Nazi

it was very entertaining 
I think I will do it again tomorrow


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> Did your Dad have tri Care insurance from the military?


That's the odd thing... We don't remember him having it, but sometimes my mother notices that parts of her medical bills are paid by Tricare when she never did anything to set it up. She is a military dependent and has a card that lets her get military discounts and has access to the base facilities. Just don't know how to do the whole Tricare thing.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> That's the odd thing... We don't remember him having it, but sometimes my mother notices that parts of her medical bills are paid by Tricare when she never did anything to set it up. She is a military dependent and has a card that lets her get military discounts and has access to the base facilities. Just don't know how to do the whole Tricare thing.



TriCare is like the SUPER DOOPER insurance
You really need to find out about her insurance
Tricare will pay $1000.00 per week for in home 24/7 care
that means YOU can take care of Mom and get paid for it


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> TriCare is like the SUPER DOOPER insurance
> You really need to find out about her insurance
> Tricare will pay $1000.00 per week for in home 24/7 care
> that means YOU can take care of Mom and get paid for it


Interesting. I thought they don't do that in this state because the nursing home people lobbied to prevent it, but if it's being done by Tricare, it might be good. Does being a caretaker count toward my working/social security? And what are the requirements? Would she have to be in a certain income bracket? 
I wonder if I would have to get any special training to be her caretaker. Over in New Mexico, my sister's friend gets paid to be a caretaker for her disabled sister even though she has no training and isn't even around most of the time.

If I can get Tricare to help with some stuff, that would be great. Would love to get Mom an ADA friendly bathroom.

On a side note, my brother's boss is going to be in hot water soon. He's been clocking in and leaving the "store" and not actually working there, but staying clocked in. So, the employees have started clocking him out. But, what they just discovered is really damning. Boss clocked in and left-- leaving a girl (let's call her K) as the person running the place for several hours. Boss was gone the entire time. He's been doing this to her for the past several days. Well, yesterday she checked the computer to figure out what she was going to get paid and saw that the boss had deleted all of her clock-ins as shift-lead and put them back in as production staff (which is $1 less per hour). They also think he's been altering the hours people were clocked in for to shave hours off when they are getting close to the limits on labor. Yet he's been claiming to be working 72 hours a week when he's barely there at all.
I'm encouraging staff to document everything-- every time the boss clocks in and leaves-- and make a report to his boss and corporate.


----------



## joecaption

Today we cut down a 24" X 50' tree and disposed of everything, mowed and trimmed 6 yards, trimmed hedges, moved my equipment trailer to go to plan B and get a house ready for a closing on Friday.


----------



## zannej

Just talked to my brother about his boss. Boss keeps accusing people of stealing chicken wings but is the ONLY person in the store who doesn't want them to be putting up cameras to catch whoever is doing it-- because it is most likely him. He stole the entire box of peppermints that were delivered to Pizza Hut and took them straight to his girlfriend's restaurant. A friend of mine who ate at the other restaurant said his takeout food was in a Pizza Hut container (which the boss stole). He's also been using the Pizza Hut credit card thingy to take money and buy things for his girlfriend's restaurant and taking it out of the Pizza Hut budget. He's basically embezzling money from the store and committing all sorts of fraud with the wages and screwing people over. It's likely he could go to jail over it if he gets caught. Only reason the employees haven't reported him for it yet is because they want to find new jobs in case the place gets shut down and leaves them unemployed.


----------



## Flyover

oldognewtrick said:


> Its not work if you're not getting paid...


I'm thinking of that chapter in Numbers (5, I think?) where the guy gathers wood on the Sabbath so God orders him stoned to death. I think it says "firewood," maybe depending on the translation. So...was it cooking firewood or blacksmithing firewood?

I know there's an exception for work you do in order to prepare food, so maybe that hints at a general exception for work you do to support the basics like (nowadays) a house and a car, which might include fun little  projects related to that like buffing headlights, which could be considered either work or fun. So that's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Aside from stuff like this, my life mostly got simpler after I stopped being an atheist!


----------



## oldognewtrick

Sin can be defined as things that separate you from God. Make the endeavors you do glorify Him and I don't think you'll have a problem. But just in case I'm wrong, gather the wood during the week...&#128521;


----------



## nealtw

So you have choice, freeze or maybe go to hell . I'll take my chances.


----------



## Flyover

oldognewtrick said:


> Sin can be defined as things that separate you from God. Make the endeavors you do glorify Him and I don't think you'll have a problem. But just in case I'm wrong, gather the wood during the week...&#65533;&#65533;


God spelled out  what separates you from Him, it isn't some fuzzy feeling you get. The problem is He spelled it out to people thousands of years ago in their language, so we have to figure out exactly what was said, how to understand it in our language, and how it applies to our lives now. In a way that's an impossible task, which I think is why so many people today go for the "fuzzy feeling" interpretation. I'm also nervous about the idea of buffing my car headlights and claiming it's to glorify God when I'm not sure it's really true.

(@NealTW: I don't believe in hell but I take your point!)

OK, apologies for going down the religion rabbit hole. I meant the Sabbath comments light-heartedly but it's hard to keep them that way.

Today I dropped my dad off at the airport after a really nice 3 day visit. If my math is right, I see him an average of about once every 4.16 years. He got to meet his grandson, and enjoy his granddaughter again now as a little girl instead of a toddler. I hope he'll be around long enough to see both of them really grow up, and I hope I'll keep being able to at least afford to bring him here if not take my family overseas to visit him.


----------



## Gary

zannej said:


> Gary, I'm glad you're ok. I know there can be a bit of a recovery period from the surgery-- may have to change your diet and they might put you on some meds for awhile to prevent acid reflux or something. Mom had her gall bladder taken out awhile back.
> .



Thanks everybody. Everything seems to be going fine so far.


----------



## zannej

So, I asked PizzaHut on Twitter a hypothetical question about what they would do if a manager was stealing supplies, clocking in and leaving, editing employee clocks to make it look like they worked less hours, etc. I didn't expect a response. They sent me a private message and asked for more details. So, I just ratted out my brother's boss. And my brother realized that if the store shuts down, he qualifies for unemployment while he looks for another job.


----------



## Chris

Flyover said:


> God spelled out  what separates you from Him, it isn't some fuzzy feeling you get. The problem is He spelled it out to people thousands of years ago in their language, so we have to figure out exactly what was said, how to understand it in our language, and how it applies to our lives now. In a way that's an impossible task, which I think is why so many people today go for the "fuzzy feeling" interpretation. I'm also nervous about the idea of buffing my car headlights and claiming it's to glorify God when I'm not sure it's really true.
> 
> (@NealTW: I don't believe in hell but I take your point!)
> 
> OK, apologies for going down the religion rabbit hole. I meant the Sabbath comments light-heartedly but it's hard to keep them that way.
> 
> Today I dropped my dad off at the airport after a really nice 3 day visit. If my math is right, I see him an average of about once every 4.16 years. He got to meet his grandson, and enjoy his granddaughter again now as a little girl instead of a toddler. I hope he'll be around long enough to see both of them really grow up, and I hope I'll keep being able to at least afford to bring him here if not take my family overseas to visit him.



Do we have the same Dad? I see mine about the same. He has met my kids once and they are 3 and 5.


----------



## Chris

zannej said:


> So, I asked PizzaHut on Twitter a hypothetical question about what they would do if a manager was stealing supplies, clocking in and leaving, editing employee clocks to make it look like they worked less hours, etc. I didn't expect a response. They sent me a private message and asked for more details. So, I just ratted out my brother's boss. And my brother realized that if the store shuts down, he qualifies for unemployment while he looks for another job.



It was probably for the better, I hate being a rat but if you are not nothing seems to happen these days.


----------



## frodo

You did the right thing zanne

crooks need to be turned in, especially if they are stealing from the workers

question,  What is wrong with ya'll over in Louisiana? 
You guys are giving us rednecks a bad reputation :hide:
The redneck SOP  [standard operating procedure]  if a boss is ripping you off.  Is to kick his *** n the parking lot
He will not call the cops. because then he has to admit to theft/fraud


----------



## Flyover

Chris said:


> Do we have the same Dad? I see mine about the same. He has met my kids once and they are 3 and 5.


The odds are higher than normal.


----------



## bud16415

Today I reached my expiration date at least as far as a working stiff. Retirement is officially here come 3:00 this afternoon. I have to make it thru a cake at 9:00 break and a pizza and wings party at lunch time, lots of hand shaking and then my 44 year run is over. 

Thinking about it that&#8217;s about 70% of my life, wow no wonder I&#8217;m ready for a change. 

I have no plans to sit on the back porch and fad away. As of today I have a couple job offers, but a full time job is not what I&#8217;m looking for. I&#8217;m thinking what I would like to do is some teaching in some form or another so maybe I will look into that. Lots of projects lined up as well. 

Really looking forward to tomorrow when I can tell someone for the first time &#8220; I don&#8217;t know how I ever found time to work!&#8221;


----------



## Gary

bud16415 said:


> Today I reached my expiration date at least as far as a working stiff. Retirement is officially here come 3:00 this afternoon. I have to make it thru a cake at 9:00 break and a pizza and wings party at lunch time, lots of hand shaking and then my 44 year run is over.
> 
> Thinking about it thats about 70% of my life, wow no wonder Im ready for a change.
> 
> I have no plans to sit on the back porch and fad away. As of today I have a couple job offers, but a full time job is not what Im looking for. Im thinking what I would like to do is some teaching in some form or another so maybe I will look into that. Lots of projects lined up as well.
> 
> Really looking forward to tomorrow when I can tell someone for the first time  I dont know how I ever found time to work!



Congratulations Bud. 1.5 years away for me.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Congratulations Bud! Hope you enjoy your time off, I must admit it takes some getting use to not punching the alarm every morning...


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> Congratulations Bud! Hope you enjoy your time off, I must admit it takes some getting use to not punching the alarm every morning...




Thanks guys. 

I hit mine (iPhone) at 5 am this morning and that was my first thought. Tonight I will have a short turning off the alarm ceremony before bed. Im sure right after I shut it off for good she will say dont forget we have to get up early tomorrow to do something.


----------



## Chris

Congrats bud! I can't wait for that day only because I will have more time for my projects


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> Congrats bud! I can't wait for that day only because I will have more time for my projects


Just be sure there's not to many projects at the end of the money...[emoji598]


----------



## Flyover

Congrats Bud. What line of work [were] you in?


----------



## Chris

oldognewtrick said:


> Just be sure there's not to many projects at the end of the money...[emoji598]


There is already too many projects for the money


----------



## oldognewtrick

Chris said:


> There is already too many projects for the money


I'm all too familiar with that.


----------



## oldognewtrick

bud16415 said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> I hit mine (iPhone) at 5 am this morning and that was my first thought. Tonight I will have a short turning off the alarm ceremony before bed. Im sure right after I shut it off for good she will say dont forget we have to get up early tomorrow to do something.


So, has being unemployed sunk in yet?


----------



## slownsteady

Congrats Bud. You can always get a job at Home Depot answering questions for newbies in person.


----------



## havasu

We booked a cruise in France next year. It is a Viking River cruise with 3 days in Paris, then 3 days at Normandy, to see the D-Day landing area, then another 5 days cruising the river towards Paris. Damn pricey, but on my bucket list.


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> You did the right thing zanne
> 
> crooks need to be turned in, especially if they are stealing from the workers
> 
> question,  What is wrong with ya'll over in Louisiana?
> You guys are giving us rednecks a bad reputation :hide:
> The redneck SOP  [standard operating procedure]  if a boss is ripping you off.  Is to kick his *** n the parking lot
> He will not call the cops. because then he has to admit to theft/fraud


There are some things that get settled that way. LOL. But the main shift-lead who is an MMA fighter and teaches martial arts at a local gym has too good of a temper to hit the jerk. And the jerk might just lie about why he got his *** kicked. My brother actually did pop him in the face before. He was on break and his boss tried to yank his phone out of his hand so he just slapped him and pulled the phone back.
The cops here do not give two craps about theft, domestic violence, or real crimes-- but if someone has an ounce of marijuana they are on them like white on rice.



Chris said:


> It was probably for the better, I hate being a rat but if you are not nothing seems to happen these days.


Yeah, I don't like to rat people out, but when this creep is stealing from the employees, he needs to be out. 

Unfortunately, last message I got was that an actual employee would need to contact them and I can't get people to come forward. I don't know how they can tolerate a guy stealing their pay that they earned and not be willing to do something about it.



havasu said:


> We booked a cruise in France next year. It is a Viking River cruise with 3 days in Paris, then 3 days at Normandy, to see the D-Day landing area, then another 5 days cruising the river towards Paris. Damn pricey, but on my bucket list.


I think cruises are my nightmare. But I can see how some people would enjoy them. I hope you have a very safe and fun cruise though. I have a friend named Chantou who lives in the Normandy area. Very sweet lady.

Oh, I found the website that said Medicare might cover stuff: http://www.thebathdr.com/does-medicare-and-medicaid-pay-for-handicap-bathroom-remodeling.php

I realize they are in Maryland, but I wonder if some of the rules from there apply here.

But maybe Tricare would be more likely to cover stuff? I think because Mom is over 65 and has Medicare Part B she has lifetime Tricare. Not sure how it all works though. The site sort of seems like a bait and switch-- saying things will be covered and then finding out they might not be. I already know what shower and surround I'd like to get, as well as what shower trim kit for controlling the water temp and pressure, but I'm not sure what to get for the showerhead (Mom wants one on a slide bar that she can reach from a moveable shower seat), and I have a general idea of the grab bars-- have two long ones that my friend is supposed to give us.

In other news, I've lost another kitty. He peed on me one last time to let me know he was sick. I scolded him but then held him and snuggled him for a bit before setting him down to eat. I was planning to take him to the vet in the morning, but he disappeared before the vet opened. I wish I'd put him up somewhere so he couldn't run off. He never came back and it's not like him to disappear, so I'm certain he either went off and died or something caught him. He was a sweet little kitty. His brother is wrapped around my arm right now.

Meanwhile, the kittens have opened their eyes and are starting to crawl around a bit. Since they are up on a desk, their father has been lying down in between them and the edge of the desk so they can't crawl off. He sort of sits guard over them when their mother goes to eat and drink and he grooms her and the kittens when they come out of the cubby. They are fat little buggers who love being petted.
Save​


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## bud16415

Flyover said:


> Congrats Bud. What line of work [were] you in?



I started off doing tool and die making and then moved into design. Then moved on to machine design and facility design. I worked (hard to not type work) for General Electric. Big companies have some good and some bad points to working for them.

We built everything from monster drag line equipment, large to medium size electric motors, speed variation drives, aircraft generators, mass transit cars, motorized wheels for mammoth mining trucks, and of course our main product locomotives. The works located in Erie started around 1912. the facility is about 1 mile square mostly buildings and at the peak employed 18,000 people. When I started there were about 15,000 and it was a small city in itself we even had our own power plant. The whole plant was self sufficient. I worked there for 44 years and I like to say I worked for the greatest company in the world for 25 years. The first 25. It would of and could of grown even larger but the company had policies to not employ over a certain percentage of the population of any city and they were well over that number. Reason being they didnt want to be the cause of destroying a city if for some reason a business failed. At that time there were a dozen other large industries that were in town to a lesser degree and some of them were dependent on us also. It is the trickle down effect. Right now they have forgotten all the heritage and are downsizing and moving everything to Texas to cut costs and be a non union facility and also moving a huge amount to India to another big plant they are hoping will fly. Erie will be left with less than 1000 jobs. Already starting to see the impact of the gradual take down over the last 10 years. Along with that all the other big players in town have all left for greener pastures. We are left with an insurance company as being the largest employer and second place is the hospitals. 

My personal timing has been pretty much perfect for myself. Everyone wants to leave on a up note though. And things dont look great for the city or all the younger people. Lots of start ups and the jobs are going to be more of the low wage type. My son left town for Az a number of years ago because there was nothing here. I think we will be seeing a lot more of that.


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> So, has being unemployed sunk in yet?



LOL I got up this morning and the first person I saw a neighbor I said My god Im so busy I dont know how I ever found time to go to work. He laughed and said give it a few week before you start using that line. So I said Well the worst part of being retired is I forget what day of the week it is. He said you might want to give that one a month also. 

Not sure if come Monday morning it will bother me or not Ill let you know. 

I will be busy till the snow flies with stuff I didnt get done outside this summer. Winter will be the strange part having all day to get the snow cleared out will be nice. Or waiting till the storm is over rather than trying to keep up with it.


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## bud16415

slownsteady said:


> Congrats Bud. You can always get a job at Home Depot answering questions for newbies in person.



That thought has actually crossed my mind. At our HD 90% of the people working there couldnt find their butt with both hands. There are a few exceptions and my favorite is a old plumber named Bo. When he sees me come in the door he runs for the back of the store to get away from me. The guy spent his whole life in the trade and he is amazing. I come in with my list and sketch and I pick out my stuff if I cant find him and then he comes up and starts in use this and this and takes 10 things out of the cart and replaces it with 2 by the time he is done he saves me 50% in parts and makes the job half as hard. 

I have a good friend that was a repairman at work and trained in tool making and he retired to Fla. Got bored and went to work at HD in the tool area. Says he loves it gets a kick out of meeting people and offering advice. 

Maybe a job in the kitchen and bath design section, that sounds fun. 

Im really thinking about a home office though and doing some freelance industrial designing though. 

First a month of doing nothing except puttering around here on the honey do list.


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## zannej

Bud, it really is a shame what is happening with GE-- with so many companies these days now. A lot of companies just care about the bottom line and don't care about the employees and they don't see how much it can hurt them in the long run. Sounds like you had some interesting work and that you got out just at the right time.

I hope you come to enjoy your retirement. I know it can be a hard transition. My father went from working 60+ hour weeks to retirement and as soon as he was retired he started busting his hump fixing things up in the yard, cutting down dead trees, removing stumps, bush-hogging the yard, putting up new fences, building stuff-- book shelves, cabinets, desks, etc. He just hated not having things to do. Although for awhile we got him distracted finishing up his masters degree in Invertebrate Zoology. I was his proofreader/editor. At one point he had a larger book collection on cephalopods than the Smithsonian Institute.

I love the idea of you doing some designing. I sometimes find that I can't find products I like and wish I was able to do the execution part or even be able to draw up what I had in mind. Things that I can't seem to find for sale and find it hard to believe no one ever tried to make or market them-- like toilet scrubbers with long adjustable/telescoping handles so you don't have to bend as far and have your face right in the toilet only with disposable/replaceable sponges at the end (so you don't scratch the finish) but that can also have scrub brush attachments and they would have comfort-grip handles and some way to have the cleaning solution dock inside and be able to be refilled or replaced with refills.  That probably just made no sense whatsoever. LOL.

Another thing I was wanting was decorative shower curtain hooks that have the little ball bearings to make them slide better AND have a way of closing up at the bottom to keep them from falling off the rod. We have the hooks with the little fish and they constantly fall off the rod. Although I think if I put a couple stopper beads in the right places and use those little thingamabobs that hold glasses strings on, I might be able to stretch them to make things stay on... But in an actual industrially created one, I would have it so there would be a part near the decorative thing that would fold up so you could slide the curtain grommet over and then once the curtain is in place and it's on the rod, it would swing down and clip to the opposite side to hold the ring on the rod.
Again, probably not making sense. LOL.

Got bored and did a little craptastic sketch of the curtain hook idea.


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## Chris

I think it may not all be GE making the decision. Government over the last 10-20 years have made it hard for companies to operate at an efficient level. I know for me it has been some tough decisions, you want to give your employees every bit of incentive you can but then regulation gets more expensive to the point where you have to make a decision of still making a profit and outsource or eventually loose everything slowly. Not saying this is what happened but I'm sure it was part of the reason. Look at home depot and every other company when they were told all full time employees had to have company healthcare plan available. They cut many people down to 28 hours a week to avoid it. I'm sure some did it because they didn't want to pay but at the same time that would have put many out of business. All of them made the smart financial decision but now those part timers tgat were working 36-40 hours are now taking home a lot less money. It's tough anymore to run a business and make money. That and every aspect of the US is buying foreign junk which I am sure is not helping GE in the big picture.


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## Flyover

I had a busy day...after the kids were washed and dressed around 9am we stained the trim for my screened-in porch (or, I stained it while my daughter chalked up the driveway and my son sat in his Bumbo chair and tried to eat some big plastic blocks). While the stain dried my daughter and I removed the old trim and screen. This is the last wall left to do, then the "re-screening the porch project" is done!

I had my daughter carry a box for the old nails. I'd toss them down to her after I yanked them out, and most of them she lost under the leaves but a few she tracked down. She scolded each one for being bad and put it in "nail jail."

Then my wife took the kids to the park which freed me up to install the new screens at a faster pace, and I tacked on as much of the newly painted trim as I could before they got back, which wasn't much unfortunately.

It felt late in the day when they got back but it was actually only about 3:15, so I had my daughter help me throw out all the old screen and trim, then I had her watch from a safe distance while I climbed up the big tree in our back yard and sawed off a couple branches that hang over the house.

I did it all without power tools, felt good. I copied some of the techniques I'd seen professional tree-trimming people using in my neighbor's yard last year, like dangling my saw from a long piece of rope attached to my belt loop, and tying the branch I was cutting to another higher-up branch so it didn't fall onto the house when I cut it. Everything worked exactly like how I envisioned so I was really happy.

I gave her her first tree-climbing lesson too.

Then my daughter helped me cut up the thick part of the branches for firewood (she stood on one end to help stabilize while I sawed the other end) and she watched me dispose of the thinner leafier end (she thought the sight of me dragging it to the stick pile was just hilarious for some reason) and then she got a wheelbarrow ride before we went in so I could cook dinner.


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## zannej

Flyover, it's great that you are involving your daughter in the repairs and yardwork. I have fond memories of helping my father with projects around the house and yard. Even when I wasn't actually able to help he made me feel like I was. LOL.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> Flyover, it's great that you are involving your daughter in the repairs and yardwork. I have fond memories of helping my father with projects around the house and yard. Even when I wasn't actually able to help he made me feel like I was. LOL.


Thanks. I figure there are a few good reasons to keep her involved:

1. Keeps her out of my wife's hair while my wife is busy with the baby and other stuff.

2. I want her to have the skills and interest to do some of this stuff on her own when she's old enough (in about 8-10 years) so I can be freed up to work on other projects. (Why have kids if you're not getting free labor out of them??)

3. I don't want her to grow up and be clueless about handywork or shy away from tools, even if she marries a guy who's real into DIY anyway. Self-sufficiency is something I value and try to instill in my family when I can.


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> Thanks. I figure there are a few good reasons to keep her involved:
> 
> 1. Keeps her out of my wife's hair while my wife is busy with the baby and other stuff.
> 
> 2. I want her to have the skills and interest to do some of this stuff on her own when she's old enough (in about 8-10 years) so I can be freed up to work on other projects. (Why have kids if you're not getting free labor out of them??)
> 
> 3. I don't want her to grow up and be clueless about handywork or shy away from tools, even if she marries a guy who's real into DIY anyway. Self-sufficiency is something I value and try to instill in my family when I can.


LOL. It worked out for my father. I helped him put up fences and do a lot of stuff around the farm. I wish we'd been able to work on more projects together.
The last time I saw him before he died was when I was showing him some work I was doing to fix up my bathroom-- I was chiseling out the rotted substrate and painting the scraped up wall.
Being able to fix things and use tools does come in handy. Even something as simple as knowing how to cut off and cap PVC lines outside was helpful. I wouldn't be able to have running water for the cows' water trough if I hadn't known how to do that-- and I've met people who think doing those things is so incredibly hard when it really isn't. Or things like snaking a drain-- not that hard. I need to work on my arm and hand strength though-- had to get a friend to help me un-jam the garbage disposal, but I did manage to get most of the glass (at least the bits large enough to cause it to bind up) out. I had to un-jam my grandmother's garbage disposal before-- mostly her problem was she had a bunch of tomato skins stuck to the blades and I had to pull them out and throw them in the trash. Not being afraid to get my hands dirty has helped.

Meanwhile, I made the mistake of looking on Facebook this morning and seeing people losing their minds about gun control and the shootings in Las Vegas. Early news this morning said 50 dead and 200 injured. Some online reports said 400 injured. There were different accounts about the number of suspects. TV news said there was a surviving female accomplice/suspect. Online said it was a solo act and that the perp may have shot himself as police got closer (but they are unsure of who fired the fatal shot). Said they found about 10 guns in his hotel room. So, cue all the people claiming that this wouldn't have happened if we banned guns. I had to stop myself from making an irreverent joke about it being the country music that caused it. I saw a few people blaming ISIS. Jerkwads misusing guns to murder people (particularly in senseless killings like this) is one of my pet peeves. And of course, the liberal newsmedia will probably not report anything if it turns out that the guy had the guns illegally.


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## Flyover

My personal crackpot conspiracy theory of the day: criminologists know that mass shooters are largely inspired by media coverage of mass shootings. But ammo manufacturers know that media coverage of mass shootings always sparks calls for gun control, which inspires gun owners to rush out and stock up ammo because they think it's about to be banned. So who do journalists listen to, the criminologists or the ammo manufacturers?


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## frodo

Did you hear about the mass shooting at a church a couple of days ago? 
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/us/tennessee-church-shooting/index.html


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## oldognewtrick

frodo said:


> Did you hear about the mass shooting at a church a couple of days ago?
> http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/us/tennessee-church-shooting/index.html


Sure did, its less than 10 minutes from my house.


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## havasu

I called DirecTV today to ask why I no longer get free Pandora. A very rude gal from India,  with a very thick accent, asked me to verify the phone number on my account. I gave her our two cell numbers and my house number and told her it was one of the three. She said before she could help me, I had to tell her which number was on the account. We went round and round for about a minute, until I got pissed and said I could not understand her, and asked to speak to someone from the United States. She said, "I speak good English" and no, she would not transfer me. She then said that with my DVR, I never received Pandora. Since I was just listening to it last weekend, I told her that she was incorrect. She insisted that I never had Pandora, because the box I have was not compatible. Well, that was it for me. I told her as a result of her rudeness, I wanted to be connected to the cancellation department. After a 10 minute wait, a guy from Texas was very nice and told me that the gal I was speaking to was incorrect, and would fix my problem immediately. Well, I filed a complaint on this beotch, and hopefully she will no longer have a job because it is their policy that once you ask for a specialist from the USA, they are required to transfer me immediately.


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## Chris

I hate every sort of cable, dish company.  They will do anything to keep you as a customer but treat you like crap while you are a customer. I hate that they all raise prices every year and expect you not to care or notice.


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## zannej

Yeah, and they offer all sorts of incentives to get people to sign up for their services and have cool perks for brand new customers, but longtime customers get zip-- except prices going up.

And the service has become less reliable over time. Signal goes out more often than it used to. I've had Dishnetwork since 2002. Tech support went from being in USA to being in India.

Havasu, I think a lot of the phone jockeys from New Delhi don't even understand the customers half the time and they are given scripts and things they are supposed to ask or say and if anything is off script, they don't know what to do. I had that problem with Hughesnet when I was stuck with them. It took me about 2 hours to explain to the woman that I needed to order a new modem because mine was fried-- I saw smoke come out of it, it would not come on, I tried all the troubleshooting methods, etc. She refused to let me speak to a manager or escalate. One time, when I was trying to explain to a phone jockey that what he was telling me to click on wasn't on the screen (he kept telling me to click on "the little man" and refused to accept that it wasn't there-- my modem had unregistered itself and didn't have the full diagnostics). I kept asking him to tell me the direct url in the modem so I could get to where I needed to go. He actually yelled at me. I told him I was filing a complaint, hung up, called and got someone else. I kept getting conflicting advice/suggestions from tech support. I eventually had to drive to McDonalds with my laptop and go to the dslreports forums to get help and fixed it myself. I have a very looooong negative review detailing the 10-year nightmare I had with those idiots over on dslreports. LOL.

In other news, yet another pet peeve of mine came about: People lying to the cops to frame/set someone up. So, some of my friends live in this slum of a trailer park and the landlady is a lying, cheating witch. A couple friends of mine moved in to the trailer next to the animal murderer (who still hasn't been arrested). Anyway, the landlady initially thought the guys were just friends but then she found out they were gay and dating one another. So she started trying to dick them around on rent-- saying they owed more than they did and was generally being a jerk. She wanted to kick them out, but didn't have any legal grounds to do so. They paid rent on time, didn't violate any of the rules, etc. Now, in the past when she had tenants she didn't like and wanted out, their trailers would mysteriously burn down-- happened numerous times. Anyway, while my friends (we'll call them P and J) were not home-- someone set the trailer on fire. J was asleep over at his grandparent's house and P was on his way to pick him up. They were both at the grandparent's house when they were called and told about the fire. Neither one of them was close enough to have started the fire. Anyway, miserable B of a landlady tells the cops all sorts of BS. Said J had keyed her car and she got the animal murderer to lie and claim that J tried to burn his (the animal murderer's) trailer-- but there was never a police report filed. Police picked up P and interrogated him and tried to bully him in to saying J did it. He refused and gave J an alibi. Then with zero evidence, they arrested J and splashed it all over their FB page that he's an arsonist. Two of the kickers: they have proof that the animal murderer killed people's pets and did nothing but they never charged him; and there is a convicted arsonist living in the same trailer park that they didn't even think to question. I'm afraid my friend is going to get railroaded and people will only focus on him being gay. He's never committed any act of arson before and he had no reason to burn the trailer.


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## Flyover

My screened-in porch is asking for more trim than I had stained. I kept buying more and staining it, thinking "This oughtta be enough" but it was never enough. I can't believe I went through &#8776;280 linear feet of that stuff and the porch still isn't done!

Well, another bundle of wood lathe is sitting in my garage awaiting stain. This time I know I've got enough trim. I just don't have enough time!


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## nealtw

In school they did tell you, you will use this math one day.


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## nealtw

Tonight I was coming home, it's a dark wet miserable night. Out of nowhere a deer was in front of me. I almost got the car stopped before I bumped here off her feet. As fast as she went down she was back up and walked around to my side of the car like she wanted to say something. I was flashing my lights at the oncoming car. That didn't help. that driver almost got his car stopped before bumping her off her feet and she was up and gone. No damage to either car. That really isn't the best place for a deer crossing.:hide:


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## frodo

nealtw said:


> Tonight I was coming home, it's a dark wet miserable night. Out of nowhere a deer was in front of me. I almost got the car stopped before I bumped here off her feet. As fast as she went down she was back up and walked around to my side of the car like she wanted to say something. I was flashing my lights at the oncoming car. That didn't help. that driver almost got his car stopped before bumping her off her feet and she was up and gone. No damage to either car. That really isn't the best place for a deer crossing.:hide:



You are lucky your car did not get crunched.
one morning around 5am I was driving in white out conditions
over the Uncompahgre Divide 
in the middle of the road was a huge bull elk, I stopped and flashed my lights
he dropped his head and challenged me.
I backed up, he walked back and forth pawing the ground and snorting at me

finally after 5 minutes he walked off


----------



## bud16415

nealtw said:


> Tonight I was coming home, it's a dark wet miserable night. Out of nowhere a deer was in front of me. I almost got the car stopped before I bumped here off her feet. As fast as she went down she was back up and walked around to my side of the car like she wanted to say something. I was flashing my lights at the oncoming car. That didn't help. that driver almost got his car stopped before bumping her off her feet and she was up and gone. No damage to either car. That really isn't the best place for a deer crossing.:hide:



They are just getting ready for the rut here. We have to both scan the road ahead as they are jumping out everywhere. Just when you think you are safe and are in the city one will run out between two houses. They are everyplace now. 

Im used to her yelling deer and Im on the binders so the other night she yells bear. Sure enough if I wouldnt have stopped we would have nailed a black bear. That is pretty rare to see. We know the bear has been around because the one neighbors bird feeder gets hit every night. I keep telling him to take it down but he keeps filling it up and putting it back together. 

The strangest run in with a white tail I had was seeing two run out and stopping and waiting for them to cross and then the big buck comes flying out of the woods and runs head on into my drivers door of the truck. I told the adjuster a deer hit me and he said you mean you hit a deer. I said no a deer hit me. 

Good thing you didnt have any damage Neal. Everyone keep their eyes open for them it is the season.


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## havasu

Once while in a patrol unit at work, a 400 pound black bear hit the side of my car. My boss also said, "you hit a bear" and I fought with him until I showed him the $3000 damage to the right side of my police unit, that started at the front passenger door, and all the way to the back of the car. The bear ran off, and appeared to not even phase the old guy.


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## nealtw

Our four legged building inspectors wouldn't be a 100 lbs . But the can make a mess out of a car when they get hit at speed.


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## havasu

Neal, i love the "out of nowhere" statement.  I used this when i wrote traffic collision reports. My bosses use to jump my butt for that because everything comes from somewhere!


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## frodo

finally came to the realisation i am getting old.
what triggered this epiphany?
I passed a group of young thangs washing cars in shorts and skimpy tops
And I checked out the mom


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## havasu

At least you weren't checking out the dad!


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## Flyover

OK this is a day late, but yesterday I finished my screened in porch! I also carved out the top piece of the parallelogram door frame a little so the door actually fits into it and will close all the way.

The best part of the day was climbing up into my tree to saw off the branches hanging over my house. Afterwards while I was sawing up the maple logs to season them for firewood, I was seriously trying to come up with ways I could make a career out of free-climbing trees without having to take a salary cut. All day at work today I was just looking out the windows thinking about being back up in the trees.

I think that's it guys, I think I'm done!


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> OK this is a day late, but yesterday I finished my screened in porch! I also carved out the top piece of the parallelogram door frame a little so the door actually fits into it and will close all the way.
> 
> The best part of the day was climbing up into my tree to saw off the branches hanging over my house. Afterwards while I was sawing up the maple logs to season them for firewood, I was seriously trying to come up with ways I could make a career out of free-climbing trees without having to take a salary cut. All day at work today I was just looking out the windows thinking about being back up in the trees.
> 
> I think that's it guys, I think I'm done!


Arborist work pays very well-- but if you are freelance, you'd need to get licensed and bonded for it, I think. My brother-in-law's business used to be tree climbing/cutting. His father (who originally owned the business) had multiple vacation properties, bought a couple Mercedes, and generally made a killing. But, that was years ago and it was in New Jersey where customers could afford to pay a lot. I think my brother-in-law would get along with some folks here. He likes to collect and shoot guns and doesn't suffer fools gladly.

My mother actually drove today-- my license expired Saturday so I didn't want to chance any bad luck. She took me to the DMV and I got the one nice lady at the place. No late fees because my birthday fell on the weekend and it was within 10 days. Got it renewed-- picture looks pretty bad though. LOL. My mother looked at it and said "Your face doesn't look that fat!" They no longer even show neck or shoulders-- just zoom in on the face. Not flattering. LOL. Anyways, I kept hinting that I wanted to drive after I got my license renewed-- because my mother's driving is terrible. She was weaving a bit, nearly going in ditches, went up on a curb, etc. At one point she missed the ditch by half an inch and my brother started complaining (he sat in the back). The little dog, Fippy came along too. My brother took him for a nice walk around the DMV.

The lady at the DMV noticed my thumb and commented that it looked painful. It actually looks worse than it feels. I thwacked it on something Thursday or Friday.






My sister called on my birthday and my uncle called the next day. He lives in an assisted living community/condo in Virginia now. He said my aunt spent some time in ICU recently, but she pulled through. I wish I could go visit them. My cousin apparently had to get some work done on his nose (deviated septum, bone spurs, and some sort of nodules that needed to be removed from the inside). My other cousin managed to make it through the hurricanes in Houston unscathed. Her new house didn't flood but her old house in her old neighborhood apparently got 8ft of water.

My new kittens are starting to crawl around and explore. We've named them all: black one is Yasuke (after the first black samurai), Sir Hammington (because my brother wanted to call him Hammy since he's so fat), Hatshepsut (first known female Pharoah), and Biscus (because my brother thinks it would be funny to say "Hi, Biscus").

Here's the daddy of the kittens. His name is Fry and he did not like the flash on my camera.





Yasuke and Sir Hammington





Biscus, Hatshepsut, and Yasuke





Biscus has some weird deformity-- her chest is flat and there is a hole or indentation in the center. I don't know if it is a birth defect or if something happened when she was under the recliner.


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## Flyover

I don't really know, but my educated guess is that more than half of the work an arborist does is from behind a desk, and of the remaining fraction, most of the time is not spent climbing trees. And when they do climb trees, it's never a free climb (no ropes or other gear to assist the climb), mainly for insurance reasons. I'd further guess the percentage of time spent behind a desk goes up as you grow your arborism business, hire people on, etc. So, arborist got knocked off the list pretty early.

Mainly I was joking--there probably isn't a profession that could reliably provide me with a comparable income and promise of future income to what I've got now, while allowing me to spend most of my time free-climbing trees. If I eliminate the "reliably" requirement, I could go be a filmmaker who makes movies about free-climbing and maybe gets popular enough to earn sponsorships. But we all know I have a better chance of joining the starting lineup of an NBA team.

Instead I'll just have to wait for the apocalypse, then I can "bug out" or "hunker down"--whichever affords me the best chance of climbing trees for sustenance reasons!


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> I don't really know, but my educated guess is that more than half of the work an arborist does is from behind a desk, and of the remaining fraction, most of the time is not spent climbing trees. And when they do climb trees, it's never a free climb (no ropes or other gear to assist the climb), mainly for insurance reasons. I'd further guess the percentage of time spent behind a desk goes up as you grow your arborism business, hire people on, etc. So, arborist got knocked off the list pretty early.
> 
> Mainly I was joking--there probably isn't a profession that could reliably provide me with a comparable income and promise of future income to what I've got now, while allowing me to spend most of my time free-climbing trees. If I eliminate the "reliably" requirement, I could go be a filmmaker who makes movies about free-climbing and maybe gets popular enough to earn sponsorships. But we all know I have a better chance of joining the starting lineup of an NBA team.
> 
> Instead I'll just have to wait for the apocalypse, then I can "bug out" or "hunker down"--whichever affords me the best chance of climbing trees for sustenance reasons!


Or you could see if there are any tree climbing clubs in your area. LOL.

Also, an amendment, I said Mercedes but I was having a brain fart-- it was Corvettes. 

I used to love climbing trees when I was younger. No longer have the confidence or coordination now. For one of my school group class photos in Singapore, I'm up in the tree.

Glad you got your porch all fixed up. Any photos? 
Save​


----------



## Flyover

Yeah, I should post pictures. I've been talking about the damn thing long enough...Mainly it's just not that much to look at. It just looks better than it did. Shoulda taken before and afters.


----------



## zannej

Poked that thumb with a needle and pus came gushing out. Had to squeeze it and spend awhile draining it. Green stuff was the last to come out before the clear fluid started. I've drained it a couple times now and it's on the mend. Itches though.

My friend in town had a disgruntled neighbor who reported him to the city for having his yard as an "eyesore" with "limbs all over the yard"-- someone came by and took the limbs he'd piled up neatly for the city to pick up and threw them all over his yard (probably the person who filed the complaint). They threatened him with fines AND jailtime if he didn't get it cleaned up. But his yard looks nicer than all of the yards around. They also complained about the couch on his porch (it's for people to sit on). Other houses in the neighborhood have couches and chairs on them but the city isn't sending them notices. He has a couple of suspects for whoever reported it, which brings me to the next part:
He went to the city to get the information on the size, location, and borders of his property and discovered that it extends back 200ft (and a city road actually intersects it at 190ft). But, the more important thing is that the trailers on the lot behind his house are on his property-- and the jerk who yelled at his girlfriend about them starting to cut down the bamboo (threatening her and saying that they better not cut down anymore of the bamboo or else) is a tenant. Or so he thought. He went and spoke to the guy and the guy said in lieu of money he pays his "landlord" by cutting lawns and doing yardwork. My friend then explained that he actually owns the property and the "landlord" has zero control or rights to it. So, he thinks the complainant was either the tenant or the "landlord". Oh, and he had his friend take a chainsaw and cut the rest of the bamboo down. He told the tenant he can stay so long as he doesn't cause problems and said he clearly doesn't need to do any work for the "landlord" anymore. He may end up having to go to court with the landlord if there was ever actually any money being collected within statute of limitations.


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## frodo

Friday the 13th started off with a bang.
About 2AM. A coyote got after Biscuit, Chased her under the house, where a helluva fight ensued
I ran out with a shotgun wearing only tidy whitys.  looking under the house as they broke a water line
&^$#$%^*^$$.  
Biscuit is OK
coyote got away
I have no water today

Flyover, Did you find your bumping pipe? 

Zanne
Texas law is Different than louisania
In texas, if someone is on your property for 10 years and you do not contest their presense
the land is then there's by some law.
You might want to have your friend research a similar law in your state
if not, he could lose his land
ask a realest agent, they are pretty much up on land laws


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## havasu

Frodo, I cannot erase that picture in my head!


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## zannej

frodo said:


> Friday the 13th started off with a bang.
> About 2AM. A coyote got after Biscuit, Chased her under the house, where a helluva fight ensued
> I ran out with a shotgun wearing only tidy whitys.  looking under the house as they broke a water line
> &^$#$%^*^$$.
> Biscuit is OK
> coyote got away
> I have no water today
> 
> Flyover, Did you find your bumping pipe?
> 
> Zanne
> Texas law is Different than louisania
> In texas, if someone is on your property for 10 years and you do not contest their presense
> the land is then there's by some law.
> You might want to have your friend research a similar law in your state
> if not, he could lose his land
> ask a realest agent, they are pretty much up on land laws


Poor Biscuit! I'm glad he's ok though. Glad there aren't any coyotes around here. I just have to worry about hunting dogs that people let loose in the woods.

IIRC, it's involving squatters rights and generally works if the property has been abandoned and property taxes are not being paid. If the person claiming to be the landlord was living there without permission and against the wishes of the real owner and the owner does not take action, then it could be squatters. If the property owner at any time ever gave the person living there  permission to stay, they can NOT claim squatters rights (at least under  Louisiana law). Since there is a person who has some sort of landlord/tenant agreement and he has not lived there for 10 years yet, he can't claim squatters rights. A person using another person's property without their knowledge/permission (like renting it out) does not count here, at least from what I read. The tax payments are up-to-date as far as I know. (I looked up the laws awhile back-- and suspect my former deadbeat tenants had been trying to get squatters rights to our house and property).
I believe the original intent of the law was so that someone who agreed to pay back taxes owed on an abandoned property could take ownership. But the laws have been twisted and used to allow people to stay in places that are being paid for.


----------



## zannej

Had to deal with my mother acting like a toddler. She asked me to bring her food in bed, but she couldn't find her spoon. I had to do something and said I would be right back. Was gone less than 3 minutes, came back and she'd thrown her bowl on the floor in a tantrum. I scolded her while cleaning it up. I asked her if she wanted me to bring her a spoon, but suddenly she decided not to talk to me. Folded her arms, put on her angry toddler face, turned her head away, closed her eyes and wouldn't speak. So, I took the bowl out and left her for a couple hours. Later went back to check on her and she was still being nasty to me-- griped about not being able to find things (not my fault she keeps her bed and nightstand cluttered). I found her spoon for her, but she was still being stubborn-- so I distracted her by telling her about a video of a cat smelling a durian and gagging. That got her laughing and then she agreed to eat a jello fruit cup followed by a banana.

Played with the kittens for awhile. I set up a cat tree for them and they have been climbing in it. One of my adult cats, Predicate, got jealous of all the time I've been spending with other kitties, so as soon as I walked back in the room he jumped on me and wanted to be held.


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## Flyover

@Frodo:

I've been out presenting at a conference for two days and haven't had a chance to do anything with the house. I'm gonna ease back into housework, but I'm not starting today.


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> @Frodo:
> 
> I've been out presenting at a conference for two days and haven't had a chance to do anything with the house. *I'm gonna ease back into housework, but I'm not starting today.*


That's what I tell myself pretty much every day. I need to stop the procrastinating. LOL.

Sometimes I'll be all "Time to start on this!" and then within a couple minutes I get winded/tired and am like "I'll just take a small break" that ends up turning in to a 12-hour nap. Chronic fatigue blows, but I really need to start working on getting my energy up and improving my cardio.


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## MrMiz

building a loft in the shop. I got the ledger, post, support beam and 1 joist in. I too am fighting off a cold. I was miserable by the end of the day. Came inside and fell asleep almost instantly and now I can't got back to sleep.


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## frodo

zannej said:


> That's what I tell myself pretty much every day. I need to stop the procrastinating. LOL.
> 
> Sometimes I'll be all "Time to start on this!" and then within a couple minutes I get winded/tired and am like "I'll just take a small break" that ends up turning in to a 12-hour nap. Chronic fatigue blows, but I really need to start working on getting my energy up and improving my cardio.



have yourself checked for lime tick disease 

I had a severe case of dongivafuks last year, it lasted about 30 days


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## zannej

frodo said:


> have yourself checked for lime tick disease
> 
> I had a severe case of dongivafuks last year, it lasted about 30 days


For me, it's not even that I don't care about things or don't want to do things, it's that I don't have the energy to do things. Lime/tick has never come up in my bloodwork, but EBV did. I got mono back in college (sadly, I got it from sharing a giant cup of iced tea with a group of friends) in the 90s (right before I was about to finish my degree-- I had ONE class left but was too exhausted and kept having throat infections) and have had chronic recurring Epstein-Barr Virus ever since. Some days I'll be fine and have decent energy and other days I'm like a zombie. And I'll have others where I have energy for a couple hours and then I just feel so exhausted I can't stay awake and I have to nap throughout the day. And now that my back is messed up, I have trouble with bending and lifting. Yesterday I was in zombie mode and slept almost all day- and after waking up to feed my mother, I was still exhausted and went back to sleep again. She woke me up around 3am to wash her feet and I napped for another hour and now I'm awake, although groggy.
My symptoms are similar to Klein Levins Syndrome, but that tends to only affect young people and seems to go away when they get older. It can be hard for other people to grasp that my brain just doesn't fully switch on, I can't concentrate, feel like I'm in a fog, and my eyes keep trying to shut, and sleeping doesn't make me feel refreshed or less tired, I can't have caffeine, and that exercising to try to boost my stamina usually makes me crash hard for the next couple of days where I can barely drag myself out of bed. People are always saying "Oh, just do x and you will get over it" but I've tried the suggestions (excluding energy drinks) and they don't work. I am wondering if I should ask my doctor to up my thyroid meds to see if it helps. I was worse before I started on them.
And I realize it must sound silly when there are people who live with chronic pain and serious injuries who get more done. I inherited my mother's wussiness I guess. LOL.

Speaking of Mom, I mentioned to her sisters about the bowl throwing tantrum and her eldest sister was worried that she is going senile. I had to explain that she's been having tantrums like that my entire life and has always had a hard time dealing when she doesn't get her way. But I guess since we traveled far away and haven't seen each other in years, she didn't get to see it happening over the years and didn't know about it.

On the good news front, the weather got cooler. It was 70 degrees the other day. When the sun comes up more, I'm hoping to take a look at some stuff outside to see what I need to do to fix the waterline for my dog waterer and maybe work on cleaning up some stuff in the house more as well. My brother has thrown trash all over the front room and is not going to clean it up. I want to start early on cleanup so my sister can sleep there when she visits. I know if I wait til the last minute, I won't get it done.


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## zannej

Had to go into town to mail a letter and get some stuff at the store. Got home and Mom had been sick and had an "accident" so I had to hand wash her pants.

Ok, it's still too hot today, but my friends came out and cut down more trees. I think all they need to do now is drag the cut trees out of the yard and burn them. They even fixed my side gate and cut down the trees against my car port and next in front of the barn. They also started looking at stuff inside the house to try to figure out what needs to be fixed on the electrical and talked about helping with replacing the subfloors and such. One of them noticed that the breaker for the dryer wasn't flipped all the way on so he pushed it more. I wonder if that was causing the error where it said the heating element wasn't working (according to the error code on the display). Will have to test it out later and see if it works.

My friend who was getting harassed about his yard (having someone complain) found out who was complaining-- a parishioner at the church next door. He tried to send a message to the pastor to discuss it but found he was blocked. One or more of the parishioners had lodged a complaint about EVERYTHING in his yard-- much of it wasn't even true. But, my friend wen to City Hall to protest the citations and mention that someone had vandalized his yard prior to calling. The mayor personally called him back later to apologize and said that they will no longer be sending citations and will ignore further complaints from the harassing party. To make things even better, my friend discovered that the church is actually built partway on his property and their fence and sign are way over on his property. He may not be able to get the building moved or anything, but he could move the fence and make them take down or move their sign and the mayor would back him up on it.


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## frodo

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGa70tVYVKo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGa70tVYVKo[/ame]

The vacuum machine was taken off today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## oldognewtrick

frodo said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGa70tVYVKo
> 
> The vacuum machine was taken off today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Do I sense a small amount of excitement in your post?


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## frodo

oldognewtrick said:


> Do I sense a small amount of excitement in your post?



just a tad bit excited.


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## havasu

What is a vacuum machine used for?


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## frodo

havasu said:


> What is a vacuum machine used for?



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative-pressure_wound_therapy


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## havasu

That don't sound fun at all.


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## frodo

havasu said:


> That don't sound fun at all.



it is not

i would post a picture,  but it is my butt and Zanne might get all excited !!!:hide:
:rofl::rofl:


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## nealtw

havasu said:


> That don't sound fun at all.



Yeah, it sucks.


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## zannej

frodo said:


> it is not
> 
> i would post a picture,  but it is my butt and Zanne might get all excited !!!:hide:
> :rofl::rofl:


LOL! I think I have some photos on the harddrive still that have my father's butt during and after surgery (for repairing damage after a botched one where they removed his cocyx).

I'm so happy for you that you got the vacuum off though. Must have really sucked (pun intended). 

Hope you continue to heal up smoothly.
Save​


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> LOL! I think I have some photos on the harddrive still that have my father's butt during and after surgery (for repairing damage after a botched one where they removed his cocyx).


Why would those be sitting on your hard drive? By now you shoulda sent them to CVS to be printed and framed, or made into Christmas cards you could mail out to everyone!


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## zannej

LOL! Thanks. I needed the laugh.

Just buried my brother's dog. I heard a yelping barking and realized it didn't sound right. I went to the living room and asked my mother if Fippy was barking. She said it was Shiro. I said it didn't sound right. So I went outside and saw him rolling around on the ground like he was fighting/wrestling with something. Got closer and realized he was having a massive seizure and just flailing like crazy. I told my mother he was dying and then messaged a friend who had borrowed my shovel that I needed it back. He came out and stood with me and tried to see what we could do to comfort the dog, but there really wasn't anything to do. Poor thing. Looks like some type of poisoning. My friend mentioned he saw the mosquito poison truck coming out my way yesterday. My other dog, Tina, died in a similar manner after the mosquito poison truck sprayed in my yard. Although, she had paralysis and sporadic seizures. This was nonstop seizures like when Shiro's sister died of antifreeze poisoning (deliberately from that jerkwad who is still free). I don't know if someone is deliberately poisoning my animals, or what is going on. But that is the 3rd pet to die from what seems like poisoning and the 5th pet of ours to die this year. I don't know WTF is going on.

Just in case, I'm going to call the city and tell them to make sure their mosquito spraying trucks stay the hell out of my yard. Shortly before Tina and Captain Fluffy died, they pulled into my yard, backed up with the poison sprayer facing my house and stopped-- just spraying directly on my truck and the front of my house for a good two minutes before leaving. They aren't even supposed to enter the yard at all. They used to just turn around at my gate instead of coming inside.


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## Chris

I just got to the cabin, gonna do some elk hunting tomorrow


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## frodo

Chris said:


> I just got to the cabin, gonna do some elk hunting tomorrow


............


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## Flyover

frodo said:


> ............


Shouldn't that say "Vewwy vewwy"...


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## zannej

Had to "fix" my water pump this morning. Last night the water stopped working. Breaker was on but the pump wasn't running. I went out and tested the pump that pulls water in to the cistern (by pushing down on the float) and it was working. Pressed the reset button on the pump but it didn't work, so then I just gently tugged on the wires going to the pump and it kicked on. Must have shorted out. I'm guessing some wires are fried and will need to be replaced. I really need to get a whole house surge protector, but don't know what kind to get for certain.

Also, I finally got off my a** and cleaned the litterboxes. After I cleaned and refilled the first one with fresh litter, one of the cats decided she just absolutely *had* to go-- but she went in one of the dirty ones-- the last one on the end. I had to be careful when cleaning that one, but got all four cleaned out and filled with fresh stuff. Later on I'm going to clean up the one my brother is supposed to be responsible for because he's not going to do it. But I'll wait until he's home so he can keep kittens out from underfoot. Some of them have become proficient little climbers already.

Now I'm just waiting for my mother to wake up so I can make her dinner. I'm thinking she might like some soup.


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## nealtw

It sounds like a wire is just loose and could be tighten up.


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## zannej

nealtw said:


> It sounds like a wire is just loose and could be tighten up.


Possibly, although the last time this happened it was because a power surge damaged the wires and the pump guy had to replace them. But, the pump was shutting off repeatedly and I had to keep going out and tugging the wires to get them at the right angle. Pump guy showed me that one of the wires in the cable had burned. 
Even if it's not burned and is just loose, it would still be a good idea to get the surge protector.


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## Flyover

Made an A-frame birdhouse out of flooring samples. Climbed about 15 feet up one of the trees in my yard and hung up the birdhouse.


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## matt89

writing and meet client. That's it for today.


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## Chris

I've been building a pole cover for firewood, I need to finish the roof and put gravel down.


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## zannej

I cooked beef stroganoff for the first time for my mother. I used a Hamburger Helper mix and it turned out pretty good. Wish it had been more specific about heat settings, but I figured things out ok and it was pretty easy. Turned out ok. My mother actually liked it. 

Was sick last night (unrelated to the food) and lost some of my dinner. Then I was shivering and having horrible abdominal pain. Took some painkillers and went to lie down and grabbed a couple of cats to use as heating pads. One stayed against my abdomen and warmed me, the other climbed on my shoulder and laid down across my side and purred for me. At one point another cat came in and walked on my face but I was too tired to move.

I've been trying to help my friend find a cheap used washing machine. He's going to give it to his ex and take back his good washing machine. He already took back his fridge after finding a replacement for her (she was really pissed about it though and had a tantrum-- fortunately she didn't break anything though).


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## havasu

Zanne, you need to concentrate on your own health. It seems all you do is care for others.... let's take care of yourself for a change!


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## zannej

havasu said:


> Zanne, you need to concentrate on your own health. It seems all you do is care for others.... let's take care of yourself for a change!


Thank you. I'm fine now. Just a little stomach bug that was going around. I had years of being spoiled and taken care of by my parents. My mother takes care of me financially now so taking care of her is my job. I just wish I had the energy and motivation I had in my early 20s before I got hit with mono. I'd be getting a lot more done.

Chris, great idea-- making the cover for the firewood. Hope it goes well. Are you posting pics of your fixes and projects anywhere? I'd love to see the pictures if there are any.


----------



## nealtw

zannej said:


> Thank you. I'm fine now. Just a little stomach bug that was going around. I had years of being spoiled and taken care of by my parents. My mother takes care of me financially now so taking care of her is my job. I just wish I had the energy and motivation I had in my early 20s before I got hit with mono. I'd be getting a lot more done.
> 
> Chris, great idea-- making the cover for the firewood. Hope it goes well. Are you posting pics of your fixes and projects anywhere? I'd love to see the pictures if there are any.



Have you had any tests for the thyroid, what you described is what I went thru about 20 years ago. I take one pill a day for that.  :thbup:
Initial symptoms of hypothyroidism might include:
Fatigue.
Weight gain.
Cold intolerance.
Dry or brittle hair.
Memory problems.
Irritability and depression.
Higher cholesterol levels.
Slower heart rate.
More items...
Symptoms of Thyroid Problems: What Every Woman Should Know ...
https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens.../what-women-need-to-know-about-thyroid-...


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## tuffy

Re-weather stripped the back door. Boy did it need it.


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## oldognewtrick

tuffy said:


> Re-weather stripped the back door. Boy did it need it.



That reminds me, I need to replace the front door weather strip and caulk the frame to the brick. &#10052;


----------



## havasu

I went shooting today. Had a blast, or actually 300-400 blasts.


----------



## Flyover

Actually remembered to bring my plants inside tonight (some cacti, aloe, bamboo, a bromeliad, a few others). Fortunately the frost last night didn't kill them.


----------



## Chris

Here is my wood shed I built over the weekend. I cut out part of my slope, this is between my house and my shop. built it like a pole barn with stuff I had on my property and some remnants of stuff like roofing left over from one of my rentals. Then I sided it. It has an 8x8 enclosed shed to store my logsplitter and chainsaws and the rest is 5x16 for wood storage. Took me three days from start to finish and spent 376 bucks on materials, everything else I had laying around.


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## oldognewtrick

Looks nice Chris!


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## havasu

Is that my bedroom? BTW, I don't see my jacuzzi, satellite dish, or limousine pad yet.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> Is that my bedroom? BTW, I don't see my jacuzzi, satellite dish, or limousine pad yet.



Look harder, I can see a jacuzzi and a satelite dish in that picture. The limo pad is on the greener side of the house where there is grass.


----------



## zannej

nealtw said:


> Have you had any tests for the thyroid, what you described is what I went thru about 20 years ago. I take one pill a day for that.  :thbup:
> Initial symptoms of hypothyroidism might include:
> Fatigue.
> Weight gain.
> Cold intolerance.
> Dry or brittle hair.
> Memory problems.
> Irritability and depression.
> Higher cholesterol levels.
> Slower heart rate.
> More items...
> Symptoms of Thyroid Problems: What Every Woman Should Know ...
> https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens.../what-women-need-to-know-about-thyroid-...


Yes. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid I think a year or two back. I take 25MCG of Levothyroxin (generic for Synthroid) but I think the dosage needs to be upped.  



Chris said:


> Here is my wood shed I built over the weekend. I cut out part of my slope, this is between my house and my shop. built it like a pole barn with stuff I had on my property and some remnants of stuff like roofing left over from one of my rentals. Then I sided it. It has an 8x8 enclosed shed to store my logsplitter and chainsaws and the rest is 5x16 for wood storage. Took me three days from start to finish and spent 376 bucks on materials, everything else I had laying around.


That looks great! Love the blue sky in the background. I know you have a lot of work ahead of you, but it looks like you're making good progress and will have your own piece of paradise.
Save​


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## nealtw

zannej said:


> Yes. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid I think a year or two back. I take 25MCG of Levothyroxin (generic for Synthroid) but I think the dosage needs to be upped.
> 
> 
> 
> Save​



25 is where I started and they moved it up every six month until I got to 150 and have been here ever since. but it gets checked ever 6 months.


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## zannej

nealtw said:


> 25 is where I started and they moved it up every six month until I got to 150 and have been here ever since. but it gets checked ever 6 months.


Yeah. My brother just got bumped up to 50. My mother is at 125 I think. My next appointment is in November.
I think I'm going to go for a walk after I take some Ibuprofen and grab some lunch. The weather is nice and cool today.


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## zannej

Took Ralphina to the vet for her monthly shots and made the vet cry by showing her the video of Shiro having seizures. Well, didn't help that I cried when I described what happened before I started recording and how long it took for him to die and so forth. She said it looked like strychnine poisoning. My brother asked how he could have come across it and she said someone had to have deliberately given it to him. Not sure if it was neighbors or hunters. She said there had been two other dogs who had similar seizures recently, but that at least one of them had been ill for over a week. Shiro was perfectly fine all week and in the afternoon when my brother left for work. 

My friend who has been working on removing the trees also started seeing what he could salvage on the barn. He said he's almost to the point that he can cut up the tree that fell on it. But that he'll have to work slow since more of the barn started collapsing. If we can get the collapsed parts cut off, we might be able to stop it from pulling down the rest of the barn and still salvage part of it. The side wall that was made of tin apparently collapsed completely. But the center and front of the barn are still ok.


----------



## Flyover

Finally started painting the master bathroom yesterday. It's probably a 20 square-foot room but fitting it in around work and family life means breaking it up into quick sessions. Rolled two walls yesterday, will roll two more walls next time (hopefully today), then another day or two for the brush work.

Then the fun part begins, painting and installing shelves and the mirror frame, which creating out of a couple long pieces of scrap moulding. Pictures maybe to follow.


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> Finally started painting the master bathroom yesterday. It's probably a 20 square-foot room but fitting it in around work and family life means breaking it up into quick sessions. Rolled two walls yesterday, will roll two more walls next time (hopefully today), then another day or two for the brush work.
> 
> Then the fun part begins, painting and installing shelves and the mirror frame, which creating out of a couple long pieces of scrap moulding. Pictures maybe to follow.


Nice! I want to make a mirror frame to build my own medicine cabinet-- think I found a good mirror to use, but need to figure out how to make a frame/door with the trim. Any tips?
I'd love to see pics of your progress!

Today I changed a lightbulb in the laundry room. Couldn't find the stepstool so I piled up dirty laundry until I could reach the bulb on tiptoe. Also helped a friend with planning for his realm in Dungeons and Dragons. I help him flesh out the various villages, towns, and cities in the realm by giving suggestions of what trades, types of buildings, etc they would need and such. Might sound silly, but the kid needs something to help him relax and planning D&D stuff makes him happy.


----------



## Flyover

Turns out the two walls I rolled already will need a third coat. Two steps forward, one step back. Plus I won't get around to it for a few more days because I have to scramble to write a scientific paper to submit to a conference by Sunday. (I compensate for my lack of formal education by writing scientific papers and submitting them to conferences. Makes me feel smart when they're accepted, and improves scientific discourse to get an outsider's view--it's a win win!)

I'll try and remember to photo-document my mirror framing process. As we've seen by now I usually don't remember to take pictures until everything's done and even then I often forget, but I promise I'll try and remember this time!

Using laundry as a step stool...hilarious. I'm sure I've done that too.


----------



## zannej

Thanks! I saw a mirror that has no frame for around $20 that is about the right size to use and I would just need to make the frame. Wonder if I should get the polished edge or one with beveled edge.
Now I just need to wash some of the laundry and test out the dryer to see if my friend pushing the breaker switch farther could have fixed the issue. It's no longer giving me an error message, so I'll have to see.

Meanwhile, my friends are almost done clearing the trees from the chickenyard. Just one more tree to cut down and then the rest is hauling stuff out. The moving the stuff out is what takes the longest. Hopefully he'll also be able to get to the tree on the barn roof to take some of the weight off, and then we'll have to see what it will take to try to salvage what we can of the barn so it doesn't completely collapse. Gonna have to be careful with the wiring bc some of it is still live.

I'm also wondering if I should try to sell the giant brooder box we used for the chicks years ago. Not sure if anyone would want a used thing like that though.. But it's still in good shape.


----------



## frodo

zannej said:


> Thanks! I saw a mirror that has no frame for around $20 that is about the right size to use and I would just need to make the frame. Wonder if I should get the polished edge or one with beveled edge.
> Now I just need to wash some of the laundry and test out the dryer to see if my friend pushing the breaker switch farther could have fixed the issue. It's no longer giving me an error message, so I'll have to see.
> 
> Meanwhile, my friends are almost done clearing the trees from the chickenyard. Just one more tree to cut down and then the rest is hauling stuff out. The moving the stuff out is what takes the longest. Hopefully he'll also be able to get to the tree on the barn roof to take some of the weight off, and then we'll have to see what it will take to try to salvage what we can of the barn so it doesn't completely collapse. Gonna have to be careful with the wiring bc some of it is still live.
> 
> I'm also wondering if I should try to sell the giant brooder box we used for the chicks years ago. Not sure if anyone would want a used thing like that though.. But it's still in good shape.



cut 4 - 1x4s on a 45 degree angle, to make a frame
make the frame 1'' smaller than the mirrior
using your table saw, set it to rip a  1/2'' grove in all 4 pieces
so the mirror is inletted into the frame


----------



## Chris

Today I am cleaning out my shop and moving a bunch of my junk upstairs into my storage so I can get started on my projects.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> Today I am cleaning out my shop and moving a bunch of my junk upstairs into my storage so I can get started on my projects.



Speaking of projects, I just got back from home depot
i needed some treated 2x4's
i saw the price at $4.42  each
then i saw treated landscape timbers at $3,37 each
I bought landscape timbers, and will rip them
prices are crazy


----------



## Chris

frodo said:


> Speaking of projects, I just got back from home depot
> i needed some treated 2x4's
> i saw the price at $4.42  each
> then i saw treated landscape timbers at $3,37 each
> I bought landscape timbers, and will rip them
> prices are crazy



I don't know what it is with building materials but they must be made of gold now. 7/16 OSB used to be 6-7 bucks a sheet and now it is 19. It's only been a few years.


----------



## frodo

Chris said:


> I don't know what it is with building materials but they must be made of gold now. 7/16 OSB used to be 6-7 bucks a sheet and now it is 19. It's only been a few years.


20 over here
I bought 8- 8' pieces of roof tin  33'' wide for $100.00
and i shopped for that price
the screws were 30 bucks !!!!!!


----------



## bud16415

frodo said:


> Speaking of projects, I just got back from home depot
> i needed some treated 2x4's
> i saw the price at $4.42  each
> then i saw treated landscape timbers at $3,37 each
> I bought landscape timbers, and will rip them
> prices are crazy



I bought a truck load of the 3x5 landscape timbers a year ago as they were $1.50 on sale and looked nice. I ended up using them as rafters on my pergola covering the hot tub and as decorative post on my railings on the deck and a bunch of other fence posts and such. They seem pretty strong and are holding up well. I dont know how straight they will stay if you rip them. I would leave them to size even if they will seem over kill in size.


----------



## frodo

bud16415 said:


> I bought a truck load of the 3x5 landscape timbers a year ago as they were $1.50 on sale and looked nice. I ended up using them as rafters on my pergola covering the hot tub and as decorative post on my railings on the deck and a bunch of other fence posts and such. They seem pretty strong and are holding up well. I dont know how straight they will stay if you rip them. I would leave them to size even if they will seem over kill in size.



Thanks for the advice,  the longest will be 4'
I think they will be ok


----------



## zannej

frodo said:


> cut 4 - 1x4s on a 45 degree angle, to make a frame
> make the frame 1'' smaller than the mirrior
> using your table saw, set it to rip a  1/2'' grove in all 4 pieces
> so the mirror is inletted into the frame


Thanks! I was thinking of using plinth blocks for the corners because the vanity has a bullseye rosette look and the block would match that aesthetic. I was trying to find some fluted window trim as well, but couldn't find the right size. I suppose I could probably make my own. My father made some mirrors in the past, but he didn't make the groove large enough I think and some cracked when he tried to secure the frame. I think I need to bring my planer up to the house and plug it in with an extension cord and try to plane some of the boards I have down in the barn. When I try it at the workshop it flips the breaker.
Lumber/material prices have really inflated. I'm worried prices will go up even more, so I'm hoping for some good black friday sales or something where I can get my mother to come with me for the military discount. 
I saw some landscaping timbers on sale that we almost bought last time we were there, but they were all pretty badly warped.
I took advantage of the post-Halloween sales. There were these plush animal head masks and I really wanted the black cat one, but it was $20. I went to the store yesterday and they were on sale for $4.99. I got the last one in the bin. Rest of them were all panda heads. I put it on and walked around trying to see if my pets would react. Cats did not care at all. Just rubbed against my legs. The chiweenie was jumping up on my leg and trying to figure out what was on my head and was wagging his tail. I had planned to go in to my brother's workplace with the mask and surprise him, but he'd gone home early because he was sick. Manager sent him home bc he couldn't stop throwing up. Having the cook throwing up very loudly in the bathrooms is not good for business.


----------



## zannej

So this morning, out in my neck of the woods (literally, in the woods-- in a wildlife management area where hunting and trespassing are not allowed) a guy (let's call him DS) shot and killed a woman. He claimed he "stumbled" and accidentally shot her. He was drunk and high on marijuana and meth. They are charging him with negligent homicide, hunting while impaired, and drug possession. Now, might not seem like a big deal, unless you rewind to 2010 when this guy went hunting with his friend RF who had allegedly been having an affair with DS's wife. RF went missing and his body was found in the woods sans hunting gear and they initially ruled it a suicide. Publicly that was the declaration although apparently they found out somehow that DS had shot him but he passed a polygraph (I'm guessing he claimed it was an accident) so they didn't charge him. One time is hinky. I remember driving by the crime scene where they found the first body. The District Attorney was out there grinning away like everything was fine. Now, maybe I watch too many crime shows, but I would think that if this was the 2nd incident, that maybe they should take a closer look at the first ones and consider that this might be a pattern and that neither death was accidental.


----------



## slownsteady

Too weird. The case should be sent to a different jurisdiction.


----------



## Flyover

I didn't know polygraphs were legally admissible.


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> I didn't know polygraphs were legally admissible.


They are not admissible in court-- generally that is for when deception is indicated. The main problem with polygraphs is that they don't register lies-- they register stress/emotion and not everyone reacts the same way and also, the results are up to interpretation. Studies have shown that polygraphs are no more accurate than flipping a coin (although the "results" shown to Bush when he was in office were skewed-- claiming he "inconclusive" results as successes). There is a bias against minorities, bias against the innocent (more likely to say someone is being deceptive when telling the truth), and a subconscious confirmation bias. If the examiner goes in after being told who is suspected of having done something, they will almost always claim that person lied even when the person is telling the truth. Sociopaths and psychopaths can often pass polygraphs. The murderer/kidnapper in the Suzie Jaeger case initially passed a polygraph and was ruled out as a suspect early on in the case. They'd even dosed him with sodium pentathol and he still claimed he hadn't done it.

Sorry, polygraphs are a pet peeve of mine. My father had a co-worker who was accused of killing his wife. He told the cops she'd just abandoned him and taken off. He failed the polygraph and they indicted him. It hit the newspapers and his wife showed up to tell them she was alive and well, she just didn't want to be married to him anymore. And my father's supervisors always told him polygraphs were absolute garbage and to never agree to take one.

Meanwhile, the yard behind the barn and workshop is looking very good now. My friend thinks it will take just one more day of hauling stuff. Then he's going to help us on some cleanup in the house that my brother won't do and that I can't do because of my health problems.


----------



## havasu

Just returned from a quick trip to Havasu. Dead plants, broken sprinkler lines, mice in the garage, dead battery on one golf cart, dead battery on my truck and two dead batteries on the pontoon boat. Oh yeah my battery jump box was dead as well.


----------



## oldognewtrick

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/battery-tender

You're welcome.....


----------



## Chris

I have a stack of those battery tenders but don't use them. Best thing I did was move to a place where I can use my junk.


----------



## havasu

All my vehicles have battery tenders on them. The problem is there have been some reported fires if left on for months so I only plug them in when I am there.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> All my vehicles have battery tenders on them. The problem is there have been some reported fires if left on for months so I only plug them in when I am there.



That was the same reason I didn't run mine. I heard if you put an inline fuse in the positive it will be fine.


----------



## zepper

Measured baseboard.
Cut baseboard.
Trimmed baseboard and/or scraped away bit of wall that prevented fit.
Nailed baseboard.

Measured baseboard.
Cut baseboard.
Trimmed baseboard and/or scraped away bit of wall that prevented fit.
Nailed baseboard.

Measured baseboard.
Cut baseboard.
Trimmed baseboard and/or scraped away bit of wall that prevented fit.
Nailed baseboard.

Measured baseboard...


----------



## nealtw

zepper said:


> Measured baseboard.
> Cut baseboard.
> Trimmed baseboard and/or scraped away bit of wall that prevented fit.
> Nailed baseboard.
> 
> Measured baseboard.
> Cut baseboard.
> Trimmed baseboard and/or scraped away bit of wall that prevented fit.
> Nailed baseboard.
> 
> Measured baseboard.
> Cut baseboard.
> Trimmed baseboard and/or scraped away bit of wall that prevented fit.
> Nailed baseboard.
> 
> Measured baseboard...



Hopefully 4 different pieces:hide:


----------



## zannej

nealtw said:


> Hopefully 4 different pieces:hide:


LOL! I don't know why, but that made me think of a time I was watching one of those programs where people come in from a TV show and renovate a home. Someone dropped an upper cabinet on the carpenter's head and afterward he kept measuring and cutting the wood wrong. After about the 4th time he got it wrong they said "Ok, you're going to the hospital NOW!" and took him away.
Save​


----------



## havasu

Today my G/F's 2013 Kia Surrento had a dead battery. I should buy stock in a battery company.


----------



## zannej

I did my brother's chores-- picking up the trash, sweeping the floor, etc because I got fed up with tripping over trash. Still haven't finished because my back decided it couldn't take anymore lifting/bending. Been working on laundry as well. Got a bedspread washed just in time for my old cat accidentally peeing on the other bedspread (I mentioned before he has a hard time holding it in and can't move very fast-- I set up a puppy pad on the bed, but it got folded over so he peed on the plastic and it rolled off and got on the bedspread. Fortunately, I was able to wash it immediately. He goes in the litterbox whenever he can make it, but sometimes he just can't. At least he doesn't just pee on himself while lying down like the dog does. She's now refusing to eat her regular food and drink water. I think she misses my brother's dog. Past few days I've been going out and sitting on the porch and letting her lay her head in my lap.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> Today my G/F's 2013 Kia Surrento had a dead battery. I should buy stock in a battery company.



Buy Ford Motorcraft batteries. I get them at Orielly and they are the only ones with a 10 year warranty. I run them in everything now. Most batteries have a 1 year warranty nowadays.


----------



## Flyover

The whole family's sick. If I can get one load of laundry done today I'll be lucky.


----------



## tuffy

frodo said:


> Speaking of projects, I just got back from home depot
> i needed some treated 2x4's
> i saw the price at $4.42  each
> then i saw treated landscape timbers at $3,37 each
> I bought landscape timbers, and will rip them
> prices are crazy



I never thought of that GREAT idea how many 2x4s will you get out of 1 timber? I'm going to steal your idea.when ever I need a bunch 1x stock I usually buy a 1x12x12 and rip it down lot cheaper.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I hope you and your family get well soon. 

Tuffy and Frodo, please let me know how that works out-- ripping the 4x4s.


----------



## Chris

I put a fireplace in my shop yesterday. Chimneys are so simple they have me worried now.


----------



## nealtw

Chris said:


> I put a fireplace in my shop yesterday. Chimneys are so simple they have me worried now.



Clean them often.:hide:


----------



## Flyover

Finally got the bathroom walls rolled. Now it's all brushwork, which is much easier to fit in around life.


----------



## zannej

I took my mother to her podiatrist's office for an appointment yesterday. There was very ill woman in the waiting room who was nauseous and kept moaning. I procured an alcohol swab from one of the nurses and gave it to the lady and told her to sniff it a little bit periodically to relieve the nausea. It worked and then she wanted to set me up with her 50-year-old son (who was sitting nearby rolling his eyes). Podiatrist said that the fungus cream I'm using seems to be working and the new nail growth coming out is free of fungus, but it will take a year for it to clear up.

I got sick from eating some soup at IHOP-- the tomato whatever the hell it is that is basically pure acid and I think it has green peppers--which I have an intolerance to. It didn't quite hit me until I was in HomeDepot later and I doubled over in pain and had to leave abruptly. My mother had me get her a chocolate shake at McDonalds and she felt very sick afterward. I was also sick around the same time, but she's still having the stomach issues and, while I still feel bleh, my stomach issues have mostly cleared up. She had the flu vaccine already so I wonder if it was the McDonalds.
I have to go pick up her syringes from the pharmacy later, but for now I'm serving as a bed for my kitty that has leukemia.


----------



## MrMiz

Been pricing out tig welding stuff. Pricing from 3 different spots in town and it's really strange all 3 have different individual pricing but they all total the same thing... seems fishy to me. #1 $150 for the Bottle, $40 for the gas. #2 $160 bottle, 30 gas #3 $155 bottle, and you guessed it $35 for the gas. Am I the only one that thinks that is weird? The other thing that really bugs me is they don't list any prices on their in store inventory. So you walk in see a few things you like but you have to go to the counter to price each thing. I don't like that but I'm to amiable to ask why. For example I'm looking at a new helmet find one I like take it to the counter ask how much... $498... after collecting my jaw off the floor I go back to the wall of helmets and think... which one of these isn't going to make me want to cry. Can't decided so I decide to go home and shop on amazon.... seems like local business is making it hard to spend with them. Anybody know why some companies are like this? There is a construction supply company in town like this too so it doesn't seem to be just welding supplies.
Thoughts?


----------



## bud16415

Today Holly went in to town and called on the way home telling me chicken wings sounded good from the bowling ally. I said order them I will pick them up as I was just locking up the workshop for the day. Just as I was leaving for the wings she pulled in the driveway and said lets take her car it is warmed up. We go in the restaurant and the guy tells me $16.09 and I hand him a 20. Holly always trying to save a penny said wait I have the 9 cents and digs out a dime and tells him keep the change. So he takes the 20.10 and hands us the wings. LOL. She looked shocked and I said come on big spender our wings are getting cold. 

She&#8217;s as mad as a wet hen. Lol. I normally tip them a buck or something on take out. 

Other than that my little workshop is almost to the place I know where things are. Haven&#8217;t had that feeling in 5 years. Retirement is great for puttering around.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Holly keeps that up and your butt will be back to slapping the alarm clock every morning....&#128340;


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> Holly keeps that up and your butt will be back to slapping the alarm clock every morning....&#128340;



I told her that in fact. Said hey we are on a fixed income now. 

She is so frugal but her mom is tighter than two coats of paint. I cant wait to tell her the story.


----------



## zannej

MrMiz said:


> Been pricing out tig welding stuff. Pricing from 3 different spots in town and it's really strange all 3 have different individual pricing but they all total the same thing... seems fishy to me. #1 $150 for the Bottle, $40 for the gas. #2 $160 bottle, 30 gas #3 $155 bottle, and you guessed it $35 for the gas. Am I the only one that thinks that is weird? The other thing that really bugs me is they don't list any prices on their in store inventory. So you walk in see a few things you like but you have to go to the counter to price each thing. I don't like that but I'm to amiable to ask why. For example I'm looking at a new helmet find one I like take it to the counter ask how much... $498... after collecting my jaw off the floor I go back to the wall of helmets and think... which one of these isn't going to make me want to cry. Can't decided so I decide to go home and shop on amazon.... seems like local business is making it hard to spend with them. Anybody know why some companies are like this? There is a construction supply company in town like this too so it doesn't seem to be just welding supplies.
> Thoughts?


That is strange. But, not too uncommon. I've been in places that don't bother to put on price tags. I remember in Guam *nothing* had a price tag-- but that was for a specific reason. I still remember I picked something up and asked the price and they told me some rather high price. I put it down. Awhile later, a local Chamorro walked in and picked up the same item and asked the price. I overheard and it was half what they told me the price was. I mentioned it to someone else who'd been on the island awhile and they explained to me that they have 3 different prices. They charge the locals/Chamorros base price. They charge the haolis (white people) double, and the Japanese tourists were charged triple. 
I wonder if you can just go to each place and get the things separately at the lowest prices... Or do they make you buy it all at once?


----------



## nealtw

MrMiz said:


> Been pricing out tig welding stuff. Pricing from 3 different spots in town and it's really strange all 3 have different individual pricing but they all total the same thing... seems fishy to me. #1 $150 for the Bottle, $40 for the gas. #2 $160 bottle, 30 gas #3 $155 bottle, and you guessed it $35 for the gas. Am I the only one that thinks that is weird? The other thing that really bugs me is they don't list any prices on their in store inventory. So you walk in see a few things you like but you have to go to the counter to price each thing. I don't like that but I'm to amiable to ask why. For example I'm looking at a new helmet find one I like take it to the counter ask how much... $498... after collecting my jaw off the floor I go back to the wall of helmets and think... which one of these isn't going to make me want to cry. Can't decided so I decide to go home and shop on amazon.... seems like local business is making it hard to spend with them. Anybody know why some companies are like this? There is a construction supply company in town like this too so it doesn't seem to be just welding supplies.
> Thoughts?



We have wholesale parts and machinery stores that sell mostly to mines and mills and other small businesses. They will sell  retail, wholesale with bigger discounts depending on the size of the customers.
It is irritating when the first question they ask is , do you have an account.
They sell mostly to perchance agents over the phone or by quote. 
Often they are the only place to shop for the best quality stuff and prices are about the same as other stores but you can try to bargain with them too.


----------



## zannej

So, today my 14-year-old cat (who was fine last night) started acting strange-- drooling, puffing his tail in alarm, putting his left ear near the ground and being all twitchy and paranoid. Took him to the vet asap. It was the least experienced vet who saw him (others were busy in surgery). He gave him ear mite medicine, a shot of antibiotics, and a shot of steroids. During the exam, my cat started growling- which he very rarely does. I suggested the cat might need to stay overnight, but he said we should take him home. Halfway home he started yowling and then had a major seizure. I immediately turned around and had my brother call ahead to say we were bringing him back. They took him right away and checked him out and said they would keep him overnight so they could treat him if he had a seizure. Said they would try to get blood from him if he would calm down. I called back hours later to check up on him. Other vet had looked at him and said he's doing a bit better but it might be neurological and they will keep watching him. Said he was still growling at them and they were afraid to try to take blood in case he tried to fight and got stressed and triggered another seizure. I'm supposed to call back in the morning, but I'm also planning to go in to visit him. I really hope whatever it is can be cleared up with the right meds, I don't want to lose a 6th pet this year. 
When I got home I noticed a strong odor of what smelled like pesticide in my yard-- and we don't use pesticides and don't even have any. So, I don't know if someone else is spraying stuff in my yard or what-- but if I find out someone is deliberately poisoning my yard, there will be hell to pay. 

I picked up a frameless mirror and some bullseye rosettes and fluted trim to try to make a frame. I want it to double as a door to a medicine cabinet so I need to figure out how to put it together. I went with the 24x30 beveled edge mirror. I'm trying to decide if I should just route the backside if the trim about 1/2" in and put something behind the mirror to secure it to the trim or if I should cut a groove in to the side of the trim about 1/2" deep and wide enough to slide the mirror in to place (and then maybe add some sort of backing for extra support). Ultimately, I want to add hinges to attach it to a home-made medicine cabinet. Still need to get the wood for that, but my mother got hangry at the store so I didn't have time to look and had to take her to eat.


----------



## slownsteady

zannej said:


> So, today my 14-year-old cat (who was fine last night) started acting strange-- drooling, puffing his tail in alarm, putting his left ear near the ground and being all twitchy and paranoid. Took him to the vet asap. It was the least experienced vet who saw him (others were busy in surgery). He gave him ear mite medicine, a shot of antibiotics, and a shot of steroids. During the exam, my cat started growling- which he very rarely does. I suggested the cat might need to stay overnight, but he said we should take him home. Halfway home he started yowling and then had a major seizure. I immediately turned around and had my brother call ahead to say we were bringing him back. They took him right away and checked him out and said they would keep him overnight so they could treat him if he had a seizure. Said they would try to get blood from him if he would calm down. I called back hours later to check up on him. Other vet had looked at him and said he's doing a bit better but it might be neurological and they will keep watching him. Said he was still growling at them and they were afraid to try to take blood in case he tried to fight and got stressed and triggered another seizure. I'm supposed to call back in the morning, but I'm also planning to go in to visit him. I really hope whatever it is can be cleared up with the right meds, I don't want to lose a 6th pet this year.
> When I got home I noticed a strong odor of what smelled like pesticide in my yard-- and we don't use pesticides and don't even have any. So, I don't know if someone else is spraying stuff in my yard or what-- but if I find out someone is deliberately poisoning my yard, there will be hell to pay.
> 
> I picked up a frameless mirror and some bullseye rosettes and fluted trim to try to make a frame. I want it to double as a door to a medicine cabinet so I need to figure out how to put it together. I went with the 24x30 beveled edge mirror. I'm trying to decide if I should just route the backside if the trim about 1/2" in and put something behind the mirror to secure it to the trim or if I should cut a groove in to the side of the trim about 1/2" deep and wide enough to slide the mirror in to place (and then maybe add some sort of backing for extra support). Ultimately, I want to add hinges to attach it to a home-made medicine cabinet. Still need to get the wood for that, but my mother got hangry at the store so I didn't have time to look and had to take her to eat.


24x30 is going to be one heavy-*** door.


----------



## zannej

slownsteady said:


> 24x30 is going to be one heavy-*** door.


Yeah. I'm thinking of using a continuous (piano) hinge, but could just try to use 3 sturdy hinges. I want them to be hidden.

For the frame, I'm now thinking that maybe if I put together the bottom and sides with a groove cut for the mirror, I can slide the mirror in to place (using some sort of caulk or something inside to secure it, but still allow for expansion/contraction) and then put the top piece on and secure it. I'm still debating whether I need some sort of backerboard-- like cork or something to sit behind the mirror as a buffer/protective layer. The mirror I got is designed to be sturdy enough to hang without a frame though. If I do slide the mirror in to a groove, I'm trying to figure out how far from the front/back to place it. I'll need to measure the thickness of the trim I got.


----------



## Chris

MrMiz said:


> Been pricing out tig welding stuff. Pricing from 3 different spots in town and it's really strange all 3 have different individual pricing but they all total the same thing... seems fishy to me. #1 $150 for the Bottle, $40 for the gas. #2 $160 bottle, 30 gas #3 $155 bottle, and you guessed it $35 for the gas. Am I the only one that thinks that is weird? The other thing that really bugs me is they don't list any prices on their in store inventory. So you walk in see a few things you like but you have to go to the counter to price each thing. I don't like that but I'm to amiable to ask why. For example I'm looking at a new helmet find one I like take it to the counter ask how much... $498... after collecting my jaw off the floor I go back to the wall of helmets and think... which one of these isn't going to make me want to cry. Can't decided so I decide to go home and shop on amazon.... seems like local business is making it hard to spend with them. Anybody know why some companies are like this? There is a construction supply company in town like this too so it doesn't seem to be just welding supplies.
> Thoughts?



I usually don't buy much from stores that won't put a price on things, I'm not sure if they do it because they think you don't care or that you have done your research or what? I like to know what something costs before I go to the checkout and I'm not gonna ask 20 times what things cost.


----------



## Flyover

So, as much of a Luddite as I am, I actually have something of an internet addiction problem. (Might be partly why I'm such a Luddite. Coping mechanism.)

Anyway, to make a long but funny story short I got banned from a kind of chatroom because I made too many jokes at the expense of furries and goth kids over the age of 14--neither of whom did I realize actually exist.

I'm not proud of having found my way to a chatroom, but I am proud of the jokes I made. I wish I could reproduce them for you decent people here (some of them were comedy gold) but I had half a shot of pretty darn good whiskey earlier and am feeling too tired to remember anything specific. (One thing I enjoy but definitely have no addiction problems with is brown liquor.)


----------



## Chris

Flyover said:


> So, as much of a Luddite as I am, I actually have something of an internet addiction problem. (Might be partly why I'm such a Luddite. Coping mechanism.)
> 
> Anyway, to make a long but funny story short I got banned from a kind of chatroom because I made too many jokes at the expense of furries and goth kids over the age of 14--neither of whom did I realize actually exist.
> 
> I'm not proud of having found my way to a chatroom, but I am proud of the jokes I made. I wish I could reproduce them for you decent people here (some of them were comedy gold) but I had half a shot of pretty darn good whiskey earlier and am feeling too tired to remember anything specific. (One thing I enjoy but definitely have no addiction problems with is brown liquor.)



Don't worry, I had whiskey last night too. But I didn't make fun of Furries and Goth kids. Or did I?:rofl:


----------



## zannej

The mirror I got is designed to not need a frame so it is fairly sturdy. So, I'm wondering if I should just put a frame on the edges or if I should use a plywood backer (I'm leaning toward the backer). I wonder if I could use luan. I got some side trim and bullseye plinths for the corners but the plinths are just a fraction wider than the trim (couldn't find any other trim close to the right size). I wonder if I can find a very small half-round trim that I can use for the difference or just lay it out and see if it looks bad to have the rosettes either sticking out more on the edges or sticking in a little bit more.

I can't remember if I mentioned, but the podiatrist said the fungus cream I've been applying to my mother's toes is working. The new nail growing out is fungus free-- but the cream has to be applied for a year. Been doing it for a few months now. I just have to keep at it. 

My doctor said my bloodwork looked pretty good. My thyroid is within "normal" ranges but it's the "low side of normal" so he's going to increase the dosage and see if it helps with the fatigue.

My brother actually hung a curtain rod by himself-- drilled holes and screwed it in. The screws apparently stripped, but it looks pretty good for his first attempt. He called while I was driving our friend to U-pullit to get some parts from derelict vehicles and asked my friend if he knew where the drill bits were-- they are at his house though but I mentioned a toolkit in my bathroom and that the screwdriver bits were in my room. My friend said after he hung up "Why didn't he just wait for us to come back? We could have put it up really fast." LOL.

They were supposed to finish working on the trees but a stump punctured a tire so they had to stop. I bought a "new" used tire. It had to be the one that didn't have roadside hazard warranty that popped.

Speaking of tires, ordered some Pirelli Scorpion Verde tires for my truck. Hopefully the holiday won't delay the delivery too much.


----------



## tuffy

spent most of the night in the er my 2 yr old grandson had a seizure and turned blue had to call 911 turned oud out it was caused by a high fever 103.4 gave him Tylenol and ibuprofen and fluids and sent him home after 6 hrs.


----------



## nealtw

tuffy said:


> spent most of the night in the er my 2 yr old grandson had a seizure and turned blue had to call 911 turned oud out it was caused by a high fever 103.4 gave him Tylenol and ibuprofen and fluids and sent him home after 6 hrs.



Hopefully all goes well from here. That will give you something to be thankful for.:thbup:


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## havasu

Tuffy, as a retired police officer, I seemed to get those radio calls of a baby not breathing often. They are pure frantic and we got there as fast as those lights and sirens would run. Even did quite a bit of CPR waiting for that damn slow ambulance. Glad all is good now. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!


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## zannej

Jeez, Tuffy, that must have been horrifying. I'm glad your grandson survived and hope he will be ok.


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## oldognewtrick

Tuffy, hope all is well with your family.


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## Chris

I got bit by my scope today. 

I'm sure any of you shooters know what I'm talking about


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## tuffy

Thanks for all the well wishes except for a bad cough. doing good a real blessed thanksgiving


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## havasu

Chris said:


> I got bit by my scope today.
> 
> I'm sure any of you shooters know what I'm talking about



Please tell us more Petey!


----------



## Chris

No Thanks, I will leave it up to your imagination.


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## Flyover

Built a proper shelf in the laundry room. This is an example of my super rough woodworking, which is why I always describe it as "hobbling things together." I measure twice, cut once, then always seem to have to cut again...anyway, my wife will be super happy to not have to store everything on top of the dryer anymore.


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## nealtw

You don't need to half lap stuff like that, two screws would have done it.  Looks like a shelf.


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## bud16415

Looks good to me. 

When I redid the house the first time in a super big hurry I built Holly a shelf just like that in her walk in closet that was called a bedroom when we bought the house. Worlds smallest bedroom. The other day she was cleaning her closet and this shelf/ clothes hanger shelf, she said saw weak. I went in and said this thing will hold a ton and gave it a yank and the whole thing came down with the 2 tons of stuff she had crammed on it and hanging from it. I was buried alive. The shelf 2.0 now will hold 3 ton. 

Moral to the story is pretty is nice but stronger is better. Yours looks pretty strong.


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## zannej

Looks like a nice shelf!
My father called his work "meatball carpentry". 

I need to start cleaning up my laundry room. Bro left his stuff all over the floor and cats messed on it.

On a side note, I watched a funny video that is supposed to be anti-meat-eater but is just amusing. This is the censored version-- it's tofu-cken (the vegan version of turducken).
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5QAjcbvbDg[/ame]


----------



## Flyover

nealtw said:


> You don't need to half lap stuff like that, two screws would have done it.  Looks like a shelf.


The half lap was to give the front piece a little extra support, to counteract the downward pressure it'll be enduring along its length since it's only secured at the two sides. It's 65" wide. (But I know I tend to over-engineer things, maybe because I'm better at designing stuff than building it.)

Thanks for the reassurances, everyone. I'm sure much is owed to the low quality camera on my flip phone.


----------



## nealtw

Flyover said:


> The half lap was to give the front piece a little extra support, to counteract the downward pressure it'll be enduring along its length since it's only secured at the two sides. It's 65" wide. (But I know I tend to over-engineer things, maybe because I'm better at designing stuff than building it.)
> 
> Thanks for the reassurances, everyone. I'm sure much is owed to the low quality camera on my flip phone.


The shear of one #8 screw has a sheer strength of 90 lbs so four would give you 360 lbs. So with your two screws you have 180 lbs to work with but the new weak spots you have is the inside corner of the notch. if you over load the shelf the lumber will start to split at one of four places. So the front timber becomes the strength of a 2x2. Worse for the side pieces as a split there would travel to and split on the line of the screws. 
The notch can be made stronger by drilling a hole first so the inside corner has a radius 
Here is an explanation in steel steel stresses and it would be similar for wood. This is why engineers will not let you notch beams
All that being said, your shelf is fine because the metal part has a double front rail so you likely didn't need the front 2x4.
http://www.ewp.rpi.edu/hartford/~ernesto/Su2012/EP/MaterialsforStudents/Aiello/Roark-Ch06.pdf 
This stuff is just to easy 
http://www.lisefuller.com/effortless-installation-wall-mounted-wire-shelving/


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## tuffy

Took my 26 yr old daughter to get a new cell phone on our plan. because her 3 yr old son destroyed hers and she didn't have the 300.00 replacement cost .the worst part of the whole ordeal was waiting in the darn long shopping lines . I think every body in town was there..


----------



## Flyover

Good to know Neal, thanks. That knowledge will help me next time. This is why I'm on this forum!

I worked as a contractor's assistant for a while after high school, but apparently not long enough to learn all this important stuff, or maybe just not long enough for it to stick!

Man, tuffy! That's roughy. Three hundred bucks for a cell phone! My wife's laptop cost less than that. I use a dumb phone--it cost 15 bucks and it's relatively indestructible.


----------



## nealtw

Flyover said:


> Good to know Neal, thanks. That knowledge will help me next time. This is why I'm on this forum!
> 
> I worked as a contractor's assistant for a while after high school, but apparently not long enough to learn all this important stuff, or maybe just not long enough for it to stick!
> 
> Man, tuffy! That's roughy. Three hundred bucks for a cell phone! My wife's laptop cost less than that. I use a dumb phone--it cost 15 bucks and it's relatively indestructible.



We all see barn timbers and the nice work they did. But the engineers are quit happy to correct us when they get involved.


----------



## joecaption

Oh my what a day I had.
I have a realtor that has a closing coming up this Wednesday he talked to me weeks ago about doing a punch list and gave me a key.
Wrong Key.
Gives me another key, it opens the screen door, but not the inside door, and he has no key for that door.
I show up today, screen door key works, inside door is unlocked, so I'm in.
He want's me to change 2 door knobs on two closets, there's so many layers of paint and the doors are so oversized they do not even pass the jambs.
Go to plan B reconnect the drain and supply lines to a vanity that had been cut off instead of just removing them.
Come to find out whoever installed the vanity moved it over 2" so now the drain does not line up, the shutoffs will not not open.
Get all that taken care of nothing leaks under the sink, no the faucet will not stop leaking.
He bought a new faucet, but it's the wrong one, no hole for the stopper shaft.
Time for plan C.
Caulk all the new trim, 1/4" gaps in the corners, none of the nails had been set, at least ten they had bent the nail over and left a mess to deal with.
Deal with that and it's time for plan D, Install missing outlet covers, sounds simple enough, not.
He has two boxes of covers and not one screw.
I gave up and went home


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## oldognewtrick

Joe, I understand, been there myself.


----------



## Chris

Towed my backhoe 2 hours one way to the land I bought in the mountains to do a septic evaluation as they call it. I asked the health department guy if there was anything else I need to bring to be prepared since it is pretty remote. He says no just the backhoe. I get there and dig the two holes he wants and tgen he tells me to go ahead and put the pipe in for the observation point. You know, the pipe I didn't bring because all I needed was a backhoe. I unhooked my trailer and left it and my backhoe in the middle of nowhere so I could drive 2 hours back home and get the pipe and drive back in the morning to bury these holes. I wanted to stab the guy


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## zannej

Joe, that sounds frustrating.

I took my 4 kittens to the vet for their first round of vaccines. Holy cow, the prices at the vet have gone up. In the past it was under $100 for something like that. It was nearly $300 this time. And we still have to get the mother spayed.

Also got some very sad news-- my best friend (the one with the bad luck) called to inform us that his father had died suddenly. Said he wasn't feeling well and went to lie down. His mother (my friend's grandmother) went to check on him 2 hours later and see if she could get him to go to the doctor but she found him on the floor dead. It's really going to make Christmas tough for them this year. 

On a happier note, the Mighty Mule 360 automatic gate opener with solar panel was on a big sale so we ordered it, but we need to find a good battery and battery box.


----------



## Chris

Any 12volt battery will work. You can do a cheap solar charger or plug in maintainer. I have installed several of those mighty mule openers.


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## zannej

My mother had already ordered the gate lock before you said it wasn't necessary and it just arrived. 

I took my friend to the store and bought him the work boots he'd been wanting (but couldn't afford) as well as a black button up shirt to wear to his father's funeral. His old boots were literally falling apart and he said the new ones are the most comfortable boots he's ever put on. I even got the clerk to agree to match the "online only" price so it took $10.04 off the in-store price.

I also got his daughter to start saying "primary" because her idiot mother (my friend's ex) can't pronounce it. She liked the word and kept repeating it. My friend was facepalming.

I'm doing more laundry and resting my back for now.


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## zannej

Did more laundry. Went to the funeral. It was rough.

My friend's grandmother was wailing and sobbing. My friend's 5-year-old daughter was wiping the tears from his face. I admit it was heartwrenching when she looked at her grandfather's body and put her favorite My Little Pony in the casket with him and said "I wish he could come back to life". That set her great grandmother off in to wailing "My baby" over and over for awhile- which in turn made her sons and my friend cry. I was with my friend's girlfriend holding her and trying to comfort her. My mother actually showed up even though she didn't know the deceased-- but she was there for my friend.

We saw some old friends that we only seem to see at funerals (last three previous times we'd seen him were at funerals for a mutual friend and his grandparents). He's still very fond of my mother and helped her out of her seat because she was having trouble. It was good to see people and there were lots of hugs. Just wish it was under better circumstances. I said to the one friend "We have to stop meeting like this".

It makes me want to plan some sort of get-together where we can just meet up to eat and catch up without it being a funeral or sad event. And I'm not one for big social gatherings, but some sort of reunion would be cool.


----------



## HandyOne

Sounds as if you need a family reunion.


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## Chris

I need a family reunion, Where do I go to pick the family I want to meet?


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## havasu

You are welcome here. I haven't pissed my bed in years. Do I qualify?


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## zannej

LOL. Chris, if you still lived in California I'd say you could visit my family members. The majority of my mother's side of the family live in San Diego area.

My brother's boss had messaged him wanting him to go in to work 2 hours early yesterday, but it was during the funeral (which his boss knew he was attending) so my brother ignored it. Then when my brother was 1 minute late (stuck in traffic) his boss was blowing up his phone and freaking out because my brother is almost always 30 to 10 minutes early. Apparently guests went back to the funeral home to eat, but my mother and I didn't know that so we went straight home-- cemetery was out a road directly opposite of the road we turn down to get home so we just went straight instead of going back in to town.
I'm resting today before doing some cleanup and tomorrow I'm going to see if my mother will go visit my friend's grandmother.


----------



## Chris

havasu said:


> You are welcome here. I haven't pissed my bed in years. Do I qualify?



Sure, I hate piss. My wifes dog over the last couple weeks has pissed on my bathroom floor about 10 times, Now I have to tear it out and put tile in. I'm ready to shoot that dog.


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## zannej

Ugh. Having to replace flooring bc of dog piss would really make me angry. 

I was getting very frustrated about my elderly cat peeing on my bed-- although not as bad once I got a waterproof mattress pad that I cover myself (and my bedding) with. It seems that he's regained control of his bladder now that he's feeling better and he hasn't gone on the bed in several days. I know the poor thing couldn't help it, so I couldn't get too mad about it. My mother's little dog pees on puppy training pads in my mother's bathroom (since she doesn't wake up when he scratches to be let out). Sometimes he misses a little, but at least he tries to go on the pads. But we can't have bathmats on the floor in there because he thinks they are pee pads too.

I was looking for signs to put up on the gate once we get it working and I saw this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GW7438E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
LOL. 
I also want BEWARE OF ATTACK COW or something like that.


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## tuffy

Coat rack I built fell off the door . probably had 100# of coats ,jackets ,hoody's. on it.  it was custom made of a 2x6 1xstock and crown molding. it was screwed to a solid door pulled the screws right out . this time I added more screws and liquid nailed it.


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## zannej

tuffy, sounds like a neat coat rack. Got any pictures?

I'm still waiting for the increased thyroid med dosage to start kicking in. I did some cleaning today. Changed out the trash in the bathroom and put down clean puppy pads for my mother's dog. I filled two 33-gallon bags with trash in the kitchen and living room and put them in front of the door for my brother to take out when he was leaving for work. He just stepped over them and left them.

Went to the grocery store and picked up Mom's prescription and then visited a friend. He fell asleep in his computer chair so I left. Got home and made dinner for Mom.

Meanwhile, I'm excited about the gate opener and am hoping I can get someone out to help me with the gate posts soon. Still need to order a few things-- egress button (hoping for wireless-- may just mount one of the remotes outside), wire, pole/mount for the button, lag bolts, keypad, and a wireless doorbell. I plan to see how much of the stuff I can get at HD or Lowes and get the military discount.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> I filled two 33-gallon bags with trash in the kitchen and living room and put them in front of the door for my brother to take out when he was leaving for work. He just stepped over them and left them.



Dang! First of all, that's a lot of trash. That's like, 11am on Christmas day trash! How'd you let it build up that high man?? Second of all, I haven't lived with my brother since we were in high school but if we lived together now there might be fisticuffs if he did that. I hope yours isn't always such a bum!



> visited a friend. He fell asleep in his computer chair so I left.


That's something heroin addicts do. I hope your friend's alright and that's not why he's falling asleep in his computer chair.


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## tuffy

here is a picture of the coat rack i made


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> Dang! First of all, that's a lot of trash. That's like, 11am on Christmas day trash! How'd you let it build up that high man?? Second of all, I haven't lived with my brother since we were in high school but if we lived together now there might be fisticuffs if he did that. I hope yours isn't always such a bum!
> 
> That's something heroin addicts do. I hope your friend's alright and that's not why he's falling asleep in his computer chair.


Taking out the trash is supposed to be my brother's job. I wash dishes, fix plumbing, do the grocery shopping, feed the animals, take animals to the vet, clean the litterboxes, take my mother to doctor's appointments, prepare meals for my mother, take vehicles in for maintenance, pick up prescriptions for all of the family members, help my mother with things she's unable to do, and wash her feet (since she can't wash them herself). It's all become a lot harder since my back got messed up and since I grew a 6cm tumor in my abdomen that causes abdominal pain. I have trouble bending and lifting. I'm also still waiting for the adjustment to my thyroid meds to start kicking in so I'm always fatigued. I have congenital heart defects which give me arrhythmia and I have two  prolapsed valves so I don't get enough oxygen, which also makes me  fatigued.
My brother kept not taking the trash out and I couldn't lift the bags so it would pile up. My mother would just put trash in walmart bags and throw it across the room. A lot of the trash is empty 1-gallon water bottles (which I crush) and boxes from deliveries. Those take up a lot of space. I got to the point where I was overwhelmed with having to do all of the household chores alone and the chronic fatigue started kicking my *** so I lost motivation. I've been slowly trying to catch up on the cleaning since my brother won't do it. If any trash spills over out of the can, he leaves it. He also piles trash on top of the refrigerator and between the refrigerator and wall. I see people who keep their houses clean and I don't know how they do it. I just don't have the energy. I'm really hoping the increased thyroid medicine dosage will help with that.

My friend's father was a meth addict and he saw what drugs did to people and would never touch the stuff. He doesn't smoke, drink, or use drugs. It was fairly late and he'd worked a long shift-- a freight day where he had to unload lots of boxes so he was exhausted. He's had less energy since his vehicle wreck 2 years ago (he'd had it worked on and they forgot to put a cotter pin or something back in the tie rod so the tie rod came loose and the truck flipped & tumbled-- he nearly died). We joke that between the 2 of us, we have some pretty bad luck.



tuffy said:


> here is a picture of the coat rack i made


That is a very nice coat rack! I like it! Thanks for sharing the picture!


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> We joke that between the 2 of us, we have some pretty bad luck.


Jeez, yeah I can see why. Good luck with everything!

I fail at a lot of important things--some of which you're clearly better at than me--but I do keep my house clean, despite having a pre-schooler and an infant. The way I do it is just to have routines, so it isn't something my wife or I have to think about, it's just a set of habits we can't help but do by default. Like, it feels strange if I do the dishes but don't also clean the kitchen counters and sweep under the dining room table. Or, I start to feel anxious when the recycling bin gets full so I feel relieved after I've emptied it into the bin in the garage. While I'm brushing my teeth I always wander around and make the bed, so now it's a weird morning if I don't. That kind of thing.

Break "keeping your house clean" down into little tasks and make each one a habit. Every human is wired to form habits, and this is very handy when you exploit it and put it to good use. (Addiction, nervous ticks, etc. are the downside of this wiring.)

Of course it's easier said than done; I'm not dealing with any serious medical problems or caring for anyone else who has them, so I understand if that advice isn't immediately actionable. But that's how I keep my house clean anyway.


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> Jeez, yeah I can see why. Good luck with everything!
> 
> I fail at a lot of important things--some of which you're clearly better at than me--but I do keep my house clean, despite having a pre-schooler and an infant. The way I do it is just to have routines, so it isn't something my wife or I have to think about, it's just a set of habits we can't help but do by default. Like, it feels strange if I do the dishes but don't also clean the kitchen counters and sweep under the dining room table. Or, I start to feel anxious when the recycling bin gets full so I feel relieved after I've emptied it into the bin in the garage. While I'm brushing my teeth I always wander around and make the bed, so now it's a weird morning if I don't. That kind of thing.
> 
> Break "keeping your house clean" down into little tasks and make each one a habit. Every human is wired to form habits, and this is very handy when you exploit it and put it to good use. (Addiction, nervous ticks, etc. are the downside of this wiring.)
> 
> Of course it's easier said than done; I'm not dealing with any serious medical problems or caring for anyone else who has them, so I understand if that advice isn't immediately actionable. But that's how I keep my house clean anyway.


It doesn't sound to me like you fail at a lot of things. Seems like you accomplish quite a bit. I wish I had that motivation to clean the way you do. Cleaning was never something my mother did much so we didn't learn by example. 
You are absolutely right about getting in to a routine. It's something I need to do. I've just struggled to even wake up at the same time each day. I am a night owl and have trouble getting my brain to rest at night. Even when I've tried adjusting my schedule it doesn't work out for me. Partially because my mother is a night owl and she will wake me up if she wants something (we got a panasonic phone system that comes with an intercom-- you can page any other handset in the house from any handset -- and she likes to page me a LOT). It can be anything from her having low blood sugar and needing me to bring her something to eat to her wanting me to come see what she's done in her coloring books or to tell me about something she saw online. She just automatically assumes I'm always awake. LOL. Good thing my room is across the house and she can't hear me swearing when she wakes me up sometimes.

My brother works in afternoon to night shift so he's usually asleep in the morning. It's rare for anyone to get up before noon.

During the daytime I sleep a lot. Just browsing the internet can make me tired. I set an alarm but I always sleep through it lately so I don't wake up when I should. I really do need to get in to some sort of schedule. I try to start cleaning stuff and then get tired and need to sit down or lay down. Although, I'm about to wake my brother up (since its his day off) to help me clean.

I'm always in awe of people here who get so much done-- particularly Chris who suffered back injury and still keeps working hard. And Frodo came out of a coma and is still more active than I am.


----------



## Flyover

I don't know anyone's back story here but based on zannej's comment it sounds like many of you have been through a lot. Way more than I have, that's for sure. (Back injuries? Comas? Tumors? Thyroid issues? What are the odds??) Cheers to you guys for being able to remain active enough to get use out of a home repair/DIY forum!


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Flyover.
Today/yesterday was much more productive. It looks like a hoarder house in here. I filled about 4 or 5 more bags in the living room and am still working on it. Our wedge seat that came with our sectional sofa broke (the back on it broke free from the seat) and the sick cat used it as a litterbox. We had so much stuff piled up no one could even get to it. So, I cleared a path and then cleaned it off (bc it was piled with crap-- literally). No wonder we were getting sick. It's just not healthy and I should have done it much sooner. I let my brother have at the wedge seat with a sledgehammer to break it up so it would be easier to remove. Seat went out the back door, back went out the window. I have another trash bag almost filled but in one of the bags I found my late father's notebook. It had sketches and measurements of the entire house, sketches and measurements for things he wanted to build, a nice drawing of the kitchen (when still in planning stages), and the most heartbreaking thing for me was seeing his drawing of his dream house-- the front view was on one page and the floorplan was on another. I've tucked it away in a drawer for safe keeping. I wish he'd gotten to live in that dream house. I'll be honest, it's making me cry to think about it-- plus I really miss him. And there are symbols in his sketches that I don't know the meaning of and I wish I could ask him.

But at least I've been getting stuff done. My brother held bags for me and he got the chair out and helped with a little bit of picking up. My back is "talking ugly" to me so I'm taking a little break, but I'm going to head back in a few minutes to continue working. I want to get it set up so my brother can bring the new massage recliner in before daylight. And I have to take my fried's girlfriend to a doctor's appointment in a couple of hours. My mother was saying "You should get some sleep" and I said "Can't sleep-- brain won't let me. Keeps thinking about how I have to get up early in the morning."

I should have gotten some "before" pictures of the room but I admit I'm ashamed of how bad it was (and it's still pretty bad through most of the room). But I'll get some "after" ones when I get it picked up more.

I found a friggin' printer behind the wedge seat. I also found a waterproof mattress cover still in a bag. That is going over the massage chair in case my sick cat decides to be a jerk.


----------



## zannej

Everyone out in California OK? I saw the news about the wildfires and I'm concerned.

Internet went out last night due to snow. Schools and all sorts of things were shut down today bc we got 2 inches of snow. Power went out for several hours this morning. 

I've pretty much been useless-- huddled under the blankets with kitties piled on me most of the day. Just did some dishes and made dinner and have crawled back under the electric blanket.


----------



## tuffy

Hemochromotosis, Fibromyalgia, Spinal stenosis, herniated disks, arthritis, diabites, high cholesterol , high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, gerd, fatty liver, copd, bells palsey, migraines, bi polar disorder, carpil tunnel, nash, hiatal hernia '


----------



## zannej

tuffy said:


> Hemochromotosis, Fibromyalgia, Spinal stenosis, herniated disks, arthritis, diabites, high cholesterol , high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, gerd, fatty liver, copd, bells palsey, migraines, bi polar disorder, carpil tunnel, nash, hiatal hernia '


Wow! I feel like a total wuss with how I react to my paltry ailments. I'm not familiar with "nash". Rest of it is nasty just alone but all combined makes for a lot of pain. *HUGS*

I managed to crawl out of hibernation long enough to put together the new cat tree that is almost taller than me. Only problem I had was when I accidentally used the one long screw in the wrong spot and then couldn't figure out why the part that needed the longer screw wouldn't fit until I realized it was the wrong screw and I spent awhile looking for the other one (thinking I'd dropped it) and then decided to check to see if I used it in the wrong place. First thing I removed had the screw I needed. Fat cats climbed on it as soon as I dragged it out into the kitchen. I meant to put it in another room, but it was too heavy and I figured I'd let them sit on it if they liked it.


----------



## tuffy

nash is a liver disease


----------



## zannej

Liver disease does not sound good at all.

I took my friend's girlfriend to the store and then brought her over to my house so my mother could wrap the Christmas presents for her. We had things of wrapping paper that hadn't been opened in years and my mother is good at wrapping presents so she seemed to enjoy it. Took a few hours. Then I drove the girl back in to town and she asked me to take her to the store again, and then to Walmart. I really hate shopping. I finally convinced her we should leave. We were almost out to the car when my friend texted her and asked her to get something. I sat in the truck while she ran back in and got it. I was supposed to wait for her to wrap the new stuff and take her over to my friend's grandmother's house, but my mother called and wanted food. So my friend had to take her over.

I adore my friend's girlfriend-- she's a sweet kid, but I hate shopping with her. I like to get in, get my stuff, get out. I spend less time shopping than my brother does. The exceptions are at hardware stores and computer stores.


----------



## tuffy

It's not to bad yet there is 4 stages of liver frailer and I'm in stage 2 so as long as i watch my diet and loose weight I'm good. I also hate shopping being dragged around from store to store takes up all day but will they to home depo NO nothing for them to look at I'm at the mercy of the driver with all the medicine I'm on i cant drive.


----------



## havasu

I always wanted a Nash but after what Tuffy said, I no longer want that type of car!


----------



## tuffy

havasu said:


> I always wanted a Nash but after what Tuffy said, I no longer want that type of car!


 LOL now that was funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## zannej

When I was younger I hated being at the mercy of someone else driving. Now I'm the primary driver in the house.

Was stuck in shopping hell with my mother today. 5 times she said "Do we have everything we need?" and I said "Yes" but she decided to go look at other stuff.

On the bright side, she has her new CPAP machine and the lady showed her how to set it up. It is extremely easy to use and comes with detailed instructions and there is a number to call if there are questions. It's much smaller than her old one and the new mask snaps on magnetically. It was my brother's day off and no cleaning was done, but he did help carry stuff into the house. For a moment I thought he changed the trash bag in the kitchen but then I remembered that I did it the night before.

Also, is there anyone who can help a guy out on the plumbingforums? He's got a question about venting and has some really convoluted setup. Thus far, no actual plumbers have stepped in.


----------



## tuffy

My day started out normal enough then about 2:30 my daughter came running in the house and wanted to know if i wanted to go to the hospital i said why mom passed out at work i said hell yes lets go. i get there and she is hooked up to all kinds of stuff they drew blood did an ekg,chest x-ray long story short she just had very low blood sugar.. 4hrs later we find this out


----------



## zannej

tuffy said:


> My day started out normal enough then about 2:30 my daughter came running in the house and wanted to know if i wanted to go to the hospital i said why mom passed out at work i said hell yes lets go. i get there and she is hooked up to all kinds of stuff they drew blood did an ekg,chest x-ray long story short she just had very low blood sugar.. 4hrs later we find this out


Yikes! I'm glad she's ok, but that can be alarming. I worry about that with my mother. It's why I can't be gone too long when she's home alone.


----------



## zannej

I got tired of looking at the mess in the kitchen. Could barely get to the microwave, sink, or broken stove. It was covered in trash-- my brother's fault. I finally told myself that all I needed to do was just start sweeping up trash. I found a bunch of missing flatware, some bowls, a broken waffle maker, a broken griddle (both things my brother used), and just all sorts of crap. It was a lot more than sweeping. I had to do a lot of picking up of random stuff. Sink is piled high with things that need to be rinsed (non-dish stuff as well). All of the counters and the dishwasher have stuff piled up so it isn't on the floor. But the floor is clear-- even though the wood is ruined. I need to find some pet-safe paint remover for the latex paint my bro spilled and never cleaned up. I need to scrub down the cabinets, get everything washed and put away, and so forth. But for now the floor is clear enough to walk on and that makes me happy. I took pictures for posterity (in case cats knock stuff down before my mother leaves her room again) and showed them to my mother. She was shocked and actually thanked me. She said she knew it couldn't have been easy. I filled three 33 gallon trash bags. My brother came out and took one of the bags out of the trash can for me, dropped a used paper towel on the floor (after using it) and went back to his room to watch porn (I discovered this bc he left something in the microwave and I was nice enough to take it to him-- he was not appreciative).

The paper towel he used was when he was trying to pull something out of the wound on the cat he's supposed to be responsible for. He got into a fight and had a nasty wound so I was cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide and there was some sort of white fiber. My bro wanted to pull on it but it made the cat cry. I told him to leave it for the vet and had him put the cat back in the front room.

I wanted to wipe the counters down (and wipe off the bottoms of anything going back on the counter) but my back disagreed with me.

I went and crawled on to the foot of my mother's bed and let her see the pictures on my phone while I sang "All by myseeeeelf" about the cleaning. LOL.


----------



## slownsteady

Your brother is sick and needs help.


----------



## zannej

My friends took pity on me and came over to help me clean. They came over two days in a row. One of them had been up with a fever until 6am and still came over because he realized how stressed I was and that I was upset that my brother wasn't helping at all. He suggested waking my brother up to come help and my other friend said "No, he'll just stand around and get in the way". When my brother finally did get up hours later, the job was almost done. He helped move the bed (which was on wheels) a little. 

I worked on the kitchen more and once I got the floor cleaned up, I went to help my friends in the front room. I saved a bunch of my brother's stuff that they were just going to throw out. He used the room as a trash can. Since he never changed the litterbox even once since he brought the cats home, there was cat crap and pee *everywhere*. He didn't heed my warnings to make sure the waterproof mattress pad was put back in place (it came loose on a corner) so the cats peed directly on the electric heated mattress pad and through to the mattress. It was so soaked that it made my friends gag even with masks on. They sprayed it with vinegar and baking soda, flipped it over (once it dried) and I put a new waterproof mattress pad on it and washed the old ones (fortunately they are both machine washable). The kittens climbed in to the liner underneath the boxspring and used it as a litterbox-- which dripped down on everything under the bed. My friends tore the liner off and cleaned up the underside. Floor got cleaned and vacuumed.

My sister was pleasantly surprised.

I still need to work on the kitchen and living room more though. Friends are going to come back over again to help move the old TV out. Front room was such a mess we never got to it. And my back gave out on me. I tried to stand up at the airport. Back said "Nope" and I fell over. I'm sore today, but hopefully I can get some more cleaning done.

Kittens cheered me up bc they found the new layout of the room exciting. They had fun when we tried to put bedding on. They thought the sheets must be attacked and once the sheets were on, they formed a chain attacking one another's tails. Litterbox is in an easy to reach and clean spot so no excuses from my bro. I'll set him up with a scoop and something to dump the litter in. He promised to keep it clean-- but we all know how well he keeps promises.


----------



## tuffy

Sounds like you have some great friends! I clean on Wednesday and Saturdays those are the days my wife works and it keeps me busy until she gets home . Due to my anxiety disorder its the only way I can cope being alone.


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## zannej

I wish that cleaning made me feel good, but it just exhausts me. LOL. At least my sister was comfortable last night-- except when the pregnant cat tried to chew on her head (you know how cats kind of chew into the fur to groom themselves and each other? She tried that on the back of my sister's head). She's been playing with the kittens and they are happy to have human company-- although one of them peed on the blankets so those are in the wash. Fortunately the waterproof mattress pad stopped the pee from going through to the mattress.

I do my best to help my friends out-- they know they can call me at any hour for help and I will be there for them.


----------



## zannej

Washing machine water pipes froze and a pipe to a water faucet out back ruptured. Turned out it was on the in-house water supply so we had to shut off the main waterline. I asked my friend to get my pipe cutter back and he said he'd come over and help if I just picked him up in the morning. I was up at 6am but it was below 25degrees & I wanted it to get up to 30. By 8am it was still below 30. So I just went to get him, woke him up, brought him back to the house & he started the repairs. Pipe was split for about a foot but I had a scrap the right size. Had a spare elbow since it had split all the way to the elbow. Unfortunately it also split to the ball valve above the elbow and I didn't have one. Had to run into town and get one. Gave it to him and had to run back into town to give his girlfriend a lift to work. I caught some attitude from her manager and was not in the mood for BS so I came close to slapping her. First her manager charged at her in a threatening manner and shouted at her right when we walked in the door, I stepped in between them and told the biyatch that if anyone had a problem with her arrival time (less than 15 min late after she'd given notice of running late and was told it would be ok to come in at 30 min late), they could talk to me about it.

Drove back home & turned water back on. Success! On 3rd load of laundry now and we are leaving early tomorrow morning to take my sister back.

Mom gave our friend a little $ to thank him for getting up early and letting me drag him out there to fix the pipes and check the other pipes to make sure they were ok. Bought him breakfast afterward and dropped him off at home-- his uncle was just leaving and told him that the city had just cut off all water.


----------



## tuffy

Basically the same thing happened to us. went thru a week of low temps of between -12 to -18 every thing was fine then it warmed up to+6 came home from a doctors appointment and the bath tub and ice maker water dispenser were froze up. we have one of those faucets that if 1 water supply doesn't work the whole faucet doesn't so i had no idea if it the cold or hot was frozen .our water lines are in the ceiling so since i cant climb up there any more had to Waite until my son got off work to climb up there and uncover the water lines from about 2 feet of blown in insulation and take a hair dryer and go along each line.took him about 30 minutes turned out to be the cold line . as for the ice maker its in an out side wall behind the cabinets have no idea where its frozen turned the main valve to the line off and will have to wait until another day hopefully warmer and hopefully it doesn't burst.


----------



## Flyover

After four interviews, a lot of positive feedback and "when not if" type language from the people interviewing me, I was expecting an exciting job offer this week. Instead today I found out they decided to pass on me, and they gave an explanation I don't really understand. They said they still really like me and I'm a top contender for the right project when it comes along (and I like them even more because they're obviously very picky about who they hire), but I'm still kinda bummed out.

Nothing lost since I still have my current job, I'm just not thrilled with it and I had already sort of mentally "moved on." Cleared out my desk before I left for Christmas break and everything, expecting to be putting in my 2 weeks around this time. Now I've gotta bring all that crap back and re-acclimate to the idea that I'll be working there at least a few more months.

Grr. Phooey.


----------



## Flyover

Imagine you moved into a house and your front hall was a big mess with coats never being put away because people were too lazy to open the closet, pull out a hanger, and hang up their coat properly. Instead, coats wound up draped over the chair by the door, or thrown over the small table that leads out into the hallway, or sometimes just cast off onto the floor. Same with the wife's purse, which gets left here there or anywhere instead of hung up on the hook on the back of the closet door, because that hook is already occupied by like 6 other coats.

How long do you think you'd muddle through, grinning and bearing that situation? What if you already had a strip of quality coathooks that mount on the wall, just sitting in your garage waiting to be installed? How long would you let this go on for?

Apparently for me the answer to that question is 8 months. Today I finally put an end to it and installed those dang hooks on the wall above the shoe rack.


----------



## nealtw

I didn't have to Imagine anything just had to look over my shoulder. The guy that lives here is a slob.


----------



## Chris

Flyover said:


> Imagine you moved into a house and your front hall was a big mess with coats never being put away because people were too lazy to open the closet, pull out a hanger, and hang up their coat properly. Instead, coats wound up draped over the chair by the door, or thrown over the small table that leads out into the hallway, or sometimes just cast off onto the floor. Same with the wife's purse, which gets left here there or anywhere instead of hung up on the hook on the back of the closet door, because that hook is already occupied by like 6 other coats.
> 
> How long do you think you'd muddle through, grinning and bearing that situation? What if you already had a strip of quality coathooks that mount on the wall, just sitting in your garage waiting to be installed? How long would you let this go on for?
> 
> Apparently for me the answer to that question is 8 months. Today I finally put an end to it and installed those dang hooks on the wall above the shoe rack.



I wish I had a coat closet, big giant custom home and no dang closet. I have two nails in the wall where I am going to hang my coat rack once I build it but its only been a year, maybe I will build it next year?


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## Gary

Today I didn't go anything, and that didn't start until after lunch.


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## nealtw

Gary said:


> Today I didn't go anything, and that didn't start until after lunch.



and you are doing a good job of it.


----------



## mudmixer

For the fourth day in a row, I thought about painting the hand rail on a stairway. I kept putting it off because it was inconvenient and unsafe to not use the stairway in a 3 level split level home.

Fortunately we have 4 TVs so I can always see a football game without endangering someone.

Dick


----------



## tuffy

thawed out a water line took 3 hours .tomorrow going to fix it so it wont freeze again :hide:


----------



## Wuzzat?

Took antibiotics for something "that may evolve into pneumonia."  And MucinexDM, OTC.
Thanks for asking. . .




tuffy said:


> thawed out a water line took 3 hours .tomorrow going to fix it so it wont freeze again :hide:



"Surprisingly, ice forming in a pipe does not typically cause a 
break where the ice blockage occurs. It&#8217;s not the radial expan- 
sion of ice against the wall of the pipe that causes the break. 
Rather, following a complete ice blockage in a pipe, continued 
freezing and expansion inside the pipe causes water pressure 
to increase downstream -- between the ice blockage and a 
closed faucet at the end. It&#8217;s this increase in water pressure that 
leads to pipe failure. Usually the pipe bursts where little or no 
ice has formed. Upstream from the ice blockage the water can 
always retreat back towards its source, so there is no pressure 
build-up to cause a break. "

Dunno' if this means the blockage is overstressing your icemaker valve.


----------



## zannej

tuffy said:


> Basically the same thing happened to us. went thru a week of low temps of between -12 to -18 every thing was fine then it warmed up to+6 came home from a doctors appointment and the bath tub and ice maker water dispenser were froze up. we have one of those faucets that if 1 water supply doesn't work the whole faucet doesn't so i had no idea if it the cold or hot was frozen .our water lines are in the ceiling so since i cant climb up there any more had to Waite until my son got off work to climb up there and uncover the water lines from about 2 feet of blown in insulation and take a hair dryer and go along each line.took him about 30 minutes turned out to be the cold line . as for the ice maker its in an out side wall behind the cabinets have no idea where its frozen turned the main valve to the line off and will have to wait until another day hopefully warmer and hopefully it doesn't burst.


Ugh! Those temperatures are horrible! I thought it getting down to 20 was bad! My brother-in-law introduced me to a phone app called "What the Forecast" which makes funny remarks about the weather in a certain area. Like "Bolfa! Bolfa deez nuts!" or "Balls! It's cold as balls!" You can adjust the profanity level of the messages so you can get major cussing or mild words.



Flyover said:


> After four interviews, a lot of positive feedback and "when not if" type language from the people interviewing me, I was expecting an exciting job offer this week. Instead today I found out they decided to pass on me, and they gave an explanation I don't really understand. They said they still really like me and I'm a top contender for the right project when it comes along (and I like them even more because they're obviously very picky about who they hire), but I'm still kinda bummed out.
> 
> Nothing lost since I still have my current job, I'm just not thrilled with it and I had already sort of mentally "moved on." Cleared out my desk before I left for Christmas break and everything, expecting to be putting in my 2 weeks around this time. Now I've gotta bring all that crap back and re-acclimate to the idea that I'll be working there at least a few more months.
> 
> Grr. Phooey.


That's a bummer. I hope they will call you back and that you won't have to wait months. At least you got positive feedback though.



Flyover said:


> Imagine you moved into a house and your front hall was a big mess with coats never being put away because people were too lazy to open the closet, pull out a hanger, and hang up their coat properly. Instead, coats wound up draped over the chair by the door, or thrown over the small table that leads out into the hallway, or sometimes just cast off onto the floor. Same with the wife's purse, which gets left here there or anywhere instead of hung up on the hook on the back of the closet door, because that hook is already occupied by like 6 other coats.
> 
> How long do you think you'd muddle through, grinning and bearing that situation? What if you already had a strip of quality coathooks that mount on the wall, just sitting in your garage waiting to be installed? How long would you let this go on for?
> 
> Apparently for me the answer to that question is 8 months. Today I finally put an end to it and installed those dang hooks on the wall above the shoe rack.


LOL. Sounds like my house bc the hall tree (I'll have to get a pic of it one day when it isn't so covered) is all covered. We have a large coat closet, but often times things get put in front of the door and we can't open it. People in my household are lazy so we leave things lying around.



Wuzzat? said:


> Took antibiotics for something "that may evolve into pneumonia."  And MucinexDM, OTC.
> Thanks for asking. . .


Yikes! I hope the antibiotics work and that you'll recover quickly. All the cold/flu crap sucks.

I actually went out and got the flu shot this time and have only had a mild cold thus far. Almost went off on a Facebook friend who is an anti-vaxxer who was spreading a meme about the flu vaccine causing alzheimers. Rather than tell her she's a moron, I just linked the snopes article that said it was false.

I'm at my sister's house. Drive out here went ok. We got delayed in traffic near Dallas due to some road closure for some reason-- was about 2 hours where we traveled the distance of 20minutes worth of distance according to the original schedule. I'm having to share a queen sized bed with Mom and I'm against a wall so if she's in bed I have to work my way to the foot of the bed and squeeze out between a bunch of junk my sister has piled up. We keep inadvertently waking each other up at night. Someone farts and the other person laughs or comments, or she snores even with her CPAP, or I roll over to try to get more comfortable. She sleeps on her back but I'm a side sleeper and have to roll over bc my side gets sore after a few hours.

I've discovered that the only decent food at Cracker Barrel is the breakfast & that the biscuits here are better than the ones in Louisiana (ones in Louisiana were hard as rocks). Just went to Olive Garden and had a super-nice waitress who found out we were in a rush and made sure to bring everything very quickly, gave us to-go boxes and extra food and containers for our drinks and was just an excellent server. The other staff seem fond of her as well.

I tried Church's chicken for the first time and liked it. My sister is already back at work so we can't spend as much time with her so we're mostly sitting around using the internet and listening to my brother-in-law curse at his games. LOL.

I'm going to miss the high-speed low latency unlimited bandwidth internet when I go back.


----------



## Chris

Today was day two of digging my pond, its about 4,000 SF and should hold about 200,000 gallons of water.


----------



## havasu

Will you install a stationary dock for the kids (and me?)


----------



## Gary

nealtw said:


> and you are doing a good job of it.



I do what I can :trophy:


----------



## zannej

Chris, that sounds awesome! A pond will be nice if you decide to get any ducks, geese, and/or pigs. Pigs love ponds.


----------



## Flyover

I've been very verrrrrry slowly painting my master bathroom, which is the size of a closet but is taking longer than the Sistine Chapel. That's what happens when you fit it in around work and family I guess, and maybe when you blow a bunch of time on the internet too.

You might recall months ago I said I had finally finished rolling the walls. Tomorrow I should be able to put on the last layer of brushwork on them! (Or, in the corners/along the edges of them and around the outlets I guess.)

Feels like I got a lot done today, even though it was all normal everyday stuff like swapping out laundry loads, taking out the recycling, scanning some documents I'd been procrastinating on...plus I picked the kids up from their daycares and cooked and fed them dinner all by myself, AND the house was basically neat and tidy (even the dining room!) by the time my wife got home.


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> I've been very verrrrrry slowly painting my master bathroom, which is the size of a closet but is taking longer than the Sistine Chapel. That's what happens when you fit it in around work and family I guess, and maybe when you blow a bunch of time on the internet too.
> 
> You might recall months ago I said I had finally finished rolling the walls. Tomorrow I should be able to put on the last layer of brushwork on them! (Or, in the corners/along the edges of them and around the outlets I guess.)
> 
> Feels like I got a lot done today, even though it was all normal everyday stuff like swapping out laundry loads, taking out the recycling, scanning some documents I'd been procrastinating on...plus I picked the kids up from their daycares and cooked and fed them dinner all by myself, AND the house was basically neat and tidy (even the dining room!) by the time my wife got home.


Excellent! I'd love to see the finished paint job when you're done.
Wish I could say I did much. Having health issues so I was in bed in pain for a long time. Went to the store with my sister and started having bad back pain and got dizzy and then took a nap. 
My brother reported that the cat back at home gave birth to one kitten (thus far) and it was starting to freeze to death bc she left it alone so he put it near the space heater where it could stay warm. I'm hoping it will still be alive when I get back home eventually. Hoping to leave Sunday or Monday. My sister was supposed to have Friday off from work (she gets every other Friday off) but she had meetings & ended up gone most of the day. She's having breakfast with her rude friend tomorrow morning so I'll probably end up just sitting in her house for most of the morning waiting for her to get back. Her friend doesn't like me (but she doesn't like many people and has zero social skills) so I wasn't invited to the breakfast.


----------



## billshack

Shoveling snow , 3 different times on the same day   , total accumulation 14 inches .


----------



## Chris

I'm digging my pond still, getting closer.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej, just picture a small bathroom the size of a closet, walls now painted some shade of white when they were previously gray. Maybe I'll share a picture once I get the shelves and mirror frame done, since those will be a different color. So, get ready to wait a year for that! Hah.


----------



## tuffy

Installed a phone on the wall had to run the wire install the jack now i have the mess to clean up .And i really don't know why i did it we don't have home phone service just cell but the phone is one of those antique looking phones and living in an older home i thought it looked cool.:rofl:


----------



## zannej

Flyover, hopefully you can finish it soon. My mother started having a fit bc she didn't remember approving the idea of a tub in the guest bathroom. I explained that the tub unit was actually cheaper than the shower unit. I also explained that having a tub improves the value of the home (my aunt is a real estate agent so I asked her about that), and if the drain ever clogs, it will have higher sides to hold the water. She was saying "It will cost $10k to redo the bathroom!" and I said "That's if you hire a contractor. We have friends!" If there is anything I'm really not comfortable with, I will try to price it out and see if I can afford it. I'd like to spend under $5k but it might not be feasible. I will need to buy the materials. I wonder if I could find someone who could get the stuff tax free for me-- the AC guy offered to do that before (or at least get his contractor's discount). His aunt and uncle used to own the house. The good thing for the electrical is that the circuit box is right in the laundry area so it's not a long run and I saw how the current electrical is run (through studs).

Today, I went to breakfast with my sister and then went to Costco to get some more godiva chocolates. Found out they are available at amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCQBC97/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. Expensive there but soooo good.

I just heard my brother-in-law (who is watching a movie) shouting "Shoot him, you f***ing idiot! The one time a black guy *doesn't* shoot a white guy! Kill him, you moron! Shoot him in the head! Shoot him in the head!!" LOL.

He's actually been in a better mood today. I was cleaning the kitchen after I got back from breakfast and he thanked me. We discussed what a pita it is to clean white appliances.


----------



## zannej

I should have mentioned that the AC guy, "Cotton", might have to do the ductwork for the vent fan-- or at least help with it-- so he can justify getting supplies for us as customers. 

We grabbed some candy from See's candies. While we were in the store the clerk gave us a few sample candies to try. They are soooo good. I think Mom bought like 2lbs of candy.

I got my hair trimmed while my sister got to go shopping. Found out it's supposed to snow tomorrow (well, later today) so Mom wants to postpone our departure again. My sister made nachos with queso fresco, mixed shredded cheese, beans, and some kind of meat (I think beef) and it was delicious.

On one hand, I don't want to drive on icy roads, but on the other, I do want to get home soon. I love my sister, but I miss my own bed.


----------



## Chris

Hi guys! My pond is done for now. Still have to plumb everything and do some planting. Gonna grass all around it to hopefully avoid a weed infestation. Next will be filling it.View attachment 20180115_144832.jpg
View attachment 20180115_145754.jpg
View attachment 20180115_145838.jpg


----------



## zannej

That looks great, Chris!
You have a beautiful piece of property. Looks like you could find some good hills for a slip-n-slide.
Goats and children could have fun with that layout.
You could set up a "lookout" post for the kids on one of those hills I bet (if you were so inclined). When I was a kid, having a large property with lots of places to run and play was fantastic.
Are you going to be putting in some sort of liner to keep the water from percolating through the soil? We had a problem where we tried to make our pond deeper, but it broke the natural clay seal on the bottom & allowed water to percolate down through the sandy loam. Our pond hasn't held water since.

Today has been nice. We had a nice breakfast at a place called LePeep. My sister eats there frequently enough that she has coupons for the place. I've been getting some rest and prepping for the drive tomorrow.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Put some pigs in the pond Zanne, they'll take care of the loose soil.


----------



## nealtw

I went shopping today. I was in 6 different stores. Where do the good looking people shop.


----------



## oldognewtrick

nealtw said:


> I went shopping today. I was in 6 different stores. Where do the good looking people shop.


Right here in Music City USA...&#127482;&#127480;


----------



## nealtw

oldognewtrick said:


> Right here in Music City USA...&#55356;&#56826;&#55356;&#56824;


 Sounds like trouble.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s60hOgqLFGg[/ame]


----------



## tuffy

Cleaned the shelves off above the computer desk my wife is a bit of a hoarder got a whole 13 gallon trash bag of trash of there . going to do the kitchen while she's at work tomorrow.propably going to cause an argument oh well its worth it i like a clutter free house.


----------



## nealtw

tuffy said:


> Cleaned the shelves off above the computer desk my wife is a bit of a hoarder got a whole 13 gallon trash bag of trash of there . going to do the kitchen while she's at work tomorrow.propably going to cause an argument oh well its worth it i like a clutter free house.


 When did you want to visit.


----------



## tuffy

I always wanted to visit Canada in the summer time.:thbup:


----------



## slownsteady

Beautiful country there, Chris. But I gotta ask; what's that shadow of a penis doing in the bottom of the picture? You should keep your fly closed while working.


----------



## nealtw

He was excited about his new hole.


----------



## bud16415

slownsteady said:


> Beautiful country there, Chris. But I gotta ask; what's that shadow of a penis doing in the bottom of the picture? You should keep your fly closed while working.



It is going to take a long time to fill the pond that way.


----------



## havasu

Oh my........


----------



## zannej

LOL! You guys crack me up!

I got home from Albuquerque around 1:30am. Snow on the ground, ice on the sidewalk, and pipes are frozen. Cats were excited to see me though. One of them ran up and jumped on me and wanted to be held and then followed me around for awhile. 

Since one or more of the kitties peed on my electric blanket (somehow pulled the waterproof cover off) I decided to sleep in the front room with the kittens. They were happy to sleep on top of me.

Got up to move to my own room and took the pissed on bedding off and slept under clean stuff. My cat with Leukemia ran in and started clinging to my neck for dear life and would not let go. She tried to sleep on my face. She's not looking so great & I think she has a fever. My orange kitties came up and wanted to snuggle-- got one in my arms right now, purring away. Oldest kitty yowled until I told him to get on the bed and come over to me, so he buried his head under my chin and is now asleep on my lap. It's warmed up so there are only 3 kitties on me instead of the six that were there earlier.

I'm hoping no pipes ruptured, but need it to get warm enough for stuff to thaw. I'm pretty sure the town plumbers are busy with calls in town so I'll have to see what we can do from our own end. In all the years I lived here, it never got below 30 before, so having temps like 18 and 22 is just wrecking things for the whole area. (I know, people in the north can have a good laugh about it).

At least I get to be in my own bed-- even if I don't have it all to myself and it seems some kitty puked on my keyboard while I was gone. New kittens are adorable, but I need to find a better way to help keep them warm bc their mother is a bit of a derp. 

Mom's little dog Fippy was absolutely ecstatic to see her. He was jumping up on her leg and then he ran up his little stairs on to the bed and was jumping on her and trying to lick her face. When she sat down he climbed on her lap. 

On the thing about the pigs-- once we broke the clay layer, even pigs didn't keep water in the pond. I don't know if it had been a man-made pond or natural one. It could just be the soil type we have though. I remember the pigs loved playing in the pond. We had been told hogs would kill piglets so we put the hog in the yard with chickens, ducks, and geese. He ended up calling the piglets over to him, they climbed through the fence, and he led them to the pond and supervised them while they splashed around in the water. They got along great.


----------



## tuffy

Thawed out my frozen water line that goes to the refrigerator stuck a little heater under the cabinets and let it do its thing took about 5 hours. cleaned house while that was working. Sister is coming up Saturday to bring me some kitchen chairs.


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## Chris

slownsteady said:


> Beautiful country there, Chris. But I gotta ask; what's that shadow of a penis doing in the bottom of the picture? You should keep your fly closed while working.


Just trying to make friends


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## zannej

I had a ruptured outdoor faucet that was connected to the indoor water so had to shut down water for the whole house. Friend came out and fixed it early in the morning. A few days later a pipe ruptured under the house when it was friggin 17 degrees. Water pipes in town ruptured and the whole town was without water. Walmart had to have port-a-potties brought out and set in front of the store.

I thought the ruptured pipe was either hot or cold for the rough-in to the sink in the laundry room (right next to the exterior wall) because it was spraying water out from under the house. Turns out it was the hot water to the washing machine way under there. My friend had to come back and dig a hole to get under there and hit an obstacle so he couldn't dig any deeper and had to squeeze under. No way my fat behind would have fit under there. Gave him some $ as a "thank you" as well as some cookies and candies to take home & bought him lunch. His truck is acting up so I took his girlfriend to the store later. She was asking me for help on shoes and figuring out sizes and I have no clue. They have some convoluted system that just boggles me. I said "You're asking the wrong person-- Shoes are not my thing".

I forgot to mention that I made sure to hit the hardware store before picking up my friend. I have plenty of PVC but not CPVC. Good thing I got some because it was the hot water line that broke. Only the guy who was bringing out pipe for customers didn't know what CPVC was and they just had to tell him "hot water pipe". A bunch of people were there getting 1/2" and there was some confusion because I was the only one asking for 3/4". First they brought 1/2" to me, then they brought 3/4" PVC and then I just had to drive around back to pick up the 3/4" cpvc. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

Took my wife and kids to one of the bigger parks nearby in the afternoon. It was warm enough I didn't need a hat; the snow was melting everywhere. I guess a few days ago, near one of the playgrounds, some people had rolled a giant 4-foot-tall snowball.

While my daughter was trying to figure out what she could do on the playground without getting too wet, I don't know what got into me, I sprinted at that snowball, then jumped up on it thinking I'd land on top in a crouch and then stand up and be king of the giant snowball.

Instead, it gave way under my boots so I ended up straddling it, carving it into a saddle shape in the process, then before it had a chance to stop my momentum I fell off backward onto the very wet ground beneath, landing with my butt and back first, as several items including my cell phone went flying out of my pockets. I was soaked to the bones. My wife was cracking up even harder than I was. I wish I had video of that!


----------



## tuffy

Went to wal mart and bought a drimmel tool to sand some chairs I'm going to refinish. then fixed a cabinet. Then cleaned house.


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## nealtw

So Flyover is a good name.:help:


----------



## bud16415

Flyover said:


> I don't know what got into me, I sprinted at that snowball, then jumped up on it thinking I'd land on top in a crouch and then stand up and be king of the giant snowball.




Just be glad you can still do stuff like that. 

I put air in the car tires and doing the 4 squats wore my knees out. 

Or it could have been tackling the project I had on my list for 5 years since we bought this house. It came with a good size cement mixer in the basement. Seems the guy that owned it before us made bird baths down there. Reason it didnt come out sooner besides the fact it weighs a ton is it didnt fit up the stairs or thru the doors. 

Ever take a cement mixer apart where it is incased in hard cement and all the bolts are rusted globs? I can now say I have. 

Carried it out piece by piece and then got to the drum. Holly has been working out doing cross fit so I told her time for your cardio workout. Two of us got it into the kitchen and then dolly took it to the garage. 

Next project is rebuild the mixer. Its missing a few parts so should be a fun project. 

Thats what I did yesterday.


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## zannej

Sounds like you've all been busy and productive.
I just went to the grocery store and picked up an RX for my sick cat. Vet said her symptoms sound like she could have a brain tumor/cancer. She only seems to do the twitching while she's asleep, but it looks like little seizures and since she pees on herself while doing it, it's a sign of epilepsy. He said it's very rare for cats to get that unless something is seriously wrong. Said all we can do is try to make her comfortable and try some meds to stop the seizures. Since she knows how to push my door open and insists on sleeping on me, I've had to sleep underneath a waterproof mattress pad. I had to fill her prescription at Walmart and the clerk at pickup thought it was for a child. I explained it was for my cat to stop seizures. She joked a little with me about how I had to put that I was the guardian and had to show my own ID because Ralphina clearly wouldn't have ID. I gave her the first dose and thus far she hasn't been twitching. Fingers crossed that it will work.


----------



## tuffy

zannej said:


> Sounds like you've all been busy and productive.
> I just went to the grocery store and picked up an RX for my sick cat. Vet said her symptoms sound like she could have a brain tumor/cancer. She only seems to do the twitching while she's asleep, but it looks like little seizures and since she pees on herself while doing it, it's a sign of epilepsy. He said it's very rare for cats to get that unless something is seriously wrong. Said all we can do is try to make her comfortable and try some meds to stop the seizures. Since she knows how to push my door open and insists on sleeping on me, I've had to sleep underneath a waterproof mattress pad. I had to fill her prescription at Walmart and the clerk at pickup thought it was for a child. I explained it was for my cat to stop seizures. She joked a little with me about how I had to put that I was the guardian and had to show my own ID because Ralphina clearly wouldn't have ID. I gave her the first dose and thus far she hasn't been twitching. Fingers crossed that it will work.


Ill keep my fingers crossed and say a little prayer too. all that i did today was go to wall mart and hobby lobby to get supplies for are new curtains my wife and i are making for our front room ill post pictures when there done we only get about 2 days a week to work on them due to baby sitting the grandchildren.


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## bud16415

Yesterday I started making a Newton Cradle. Before I retired our test guy was cutting apart a bunch of ball bearings to test hardness of the inner race on the rolling surface. He had a 5 gallon bucket full of 1.5&#8221; steel balls. And was getting ready to dump them in the scrap bin. So I grabbed a dozen telling him I was building a cannon. He suggested I take the whole bucket. I told him 12 will take care of my problem. 

If you have never seen a Newton Cradle here is a link. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_cradle

It is a device I made as a kid out of .75 ball bearings my dad had in the garage most likely came out of some machinery he got his hands on. The one I had as a kid had 5 balls and this one will have 7. I saw it in grade school science classroom when we learned about conservation of energy. 

I just like the clicking sound of the balls colliding and to watch it in action. As soon as I saw those big 1.5&#8221; balls I wondered how it would work. 

Making the top and bottom plate out of some white oak I had sitting on the shelf and the upright supports will be 3/8 aluminum rods about a foot long. Hoping it comes out good enough she will let me keep it in the house, haha. If not the man cave / workshop will find a place. 

Will post some pictures when it is done.

Working on it today also. Working I&#8217;m told is a loose term since I retired. She normally says one of two things when describing my time in the workshop. I&#8217;m ether destructing something or playing around with something. Fairly accurate observation on her part actually.


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## oldognewtrick

I'm often accused, though not falsely, of " Puttering". When one putters, progress doesn't necessarily result. It does require dedication and the ability to not be easily distracted. Now, what were we talking about...


----------



## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> I'm often accused, though not falsely, of " Puttering". When one putters, progress doesn't necessarily result. It does require dedication and the ability to not be easily distracted. Now, what were we talking about...



Her dad came over the other day and asked what I was doing down in the basement. She said well he put all that PEX plumbing in the house and hes down there cutting out all the steel and copper and PVC pipe. 

He told her OMG he is turning into grandpa (his father). LOL. 

I thought about it after she told me and he was right. Grandpa is a pretty cool old guy I told her.


----------



## Flyover

My gas and power companies contract with another company that sends people out to your house to assess your energy efficiency. They give you free LED bulbs, a fancy power strip, and huge rebate vouchers if you get work done based on their recommendations. My wife found some kind of deal for them to come out for free, so we had the guy out today.

At first I figured it was some kind of scam and I was watching the guy like a hawk because I was sure he was casing my house. But after a while I decided he was legit and I relaxed.

I had never really looked around in my attic before, but there really is very little insulation up there. The ductwork is well insulated but that's it. I also discovered somebody installed a light fixture up there with a pull string! There's nothing going across the joists -- i.e. no reason you'd ever spend any amount of time up there -- but someone still installed it anyway! I thought that was funny.

Then later we were in the dining room going over paperwork and I looked out the back window and saw a female turkey strutting around just behind the chain link fence that separates me and my neighbor's yards. I haven't seen turkey in the suburbs since about 2009 pr 2010, and I've never seen any where I live now, so I was pretty surprised. Wish I had had a good camera at that moment, I would have taken a picture. Plus it's just a cool sight; those things really look and move like little dinosaurs.


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## tuffy

Installed new porch lights what should have taken 20 minutes tops ended up taking 2hours one of the lights didn't have the mounting screws with it so back to home depot  and low and behold i bought the last 2 lights and they were no help in finding replacement screws so i got pissed off and left ill go back tomorrow and get what i need i fond enough stuff lying around here to make it work loos kinda funny the lights are rubbed bronze and the hard ware i had was black :help:


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Tuffy. The first couple of doses went ok but then she started fighting me & spitting the medicine up and she was twitching in her sleep again (although not peeing). I'm worried she will and one of the times I was giving her medicine, I used milk in the syringe to make it a little more pleasant. She still hated it, but she wanted to drink the milk I had in a little cup, even though it still had some of the medicine smell/taste on it. I decided to try an experiment: pour about a tablespoon of milk into her bowl, get the medicine in to the syringe and push it in, add a little water to clear out the syringe and put it in with the milk, mix it up, and see if she'd drink it. Thus far she has lapped it up & I gave her some canned food and chicken to go along with it. Still a little twitching, but I'm wondering if she's just having weird dreams. She's not crying out like my other pets did when they had seizures. 

The kitty who just had kittens decided to move them to a bad spot right near the foot of the bed underneath a blanket that was hanging off. I almost stepped on them. I put a box in that spot, put an old torn sweater of mine in it along with a microfiber rag that they like sleeping on, and pulled the blanket over the box to give it some cover. I put her in the box with them and thus far she seems content with the arrangement. The little ones are safe from being stepped on, they are warm, and they can't crawl away and get hurt or lost. They are fat little babies too.

Other than taking my friend's girlfriend to the store, I pretty much curled up in a ball because of pain that didn't want to go away for the whole day. Friend's girlfriend needed some new skivvies because the water pump on their washing machine broke during the freeze and their little dog apparently got in to the laundry basket and chewed some of her clothes.


----------



## Chris

Today I drove five hours south because my wife and her mother are heading up from California but she was too scared to drive her mom's Camry in the snow storm that is coming in so I drove my wife's truck down and will drive the Camry up while she drives her 4x4, she has a pretty nice truck.


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## tuffy

painted 1 of the window trim .now just waiting on the wife to get the curtain done so i can hang it back up. and start on one of the other windows.


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## zannej

I brought some dog food over for my friend's dog because they'd run out a few days earlier and didn't have enough $ to buy any. I wish they'd told me sooner. Poor little doggie didn't eat for a couple of days. I decided not to lecture them about how if they are going to have a pet, they need to make sure they buy food for it before they buy stuff they don't need for themselves, but I know they felt bad about it enough already.

Forgot to mention that we got some sad news. Other friends' dog got hit by a car and killed. He was such a sweet doggie. His name was Mr. Peanutbutter and he was the same color as peanutbutter. They didn't keep him tethered because he would whine and yelp like he was being killed and they didn't keep him in the trailer because he destroyed stuff. Those were the same friends that had two dogs poisoned by a neighbor. 

My cat with Leukemia seems do be doing better. I just ran out of her meds and need to get more though. None of the cats have peed on my bed in over 24 hours though-- so that is a good thing. I'm hoping it will continue, but I'm still keeping the waterproof mattress pad spread over the blankets and pillows just in case.

Chris, have you heard anything from Frodo? He hasn't posted since New Years and I'm getting a bit worried. I hope he's ok.


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## tuffy

zannej said:


> I brought some dog food over for my friend's dog because they'd run out a few days earlier and didn't have enough $ to buy any. I wish they'd told me sooner. Poor little doggie didn't eat for a couple of days. I decided not to lecture them about how if they are going to have a pet, they need to make sure they buy food for it before they buy stuff they don't need for themselves, but I know they felt bad about it enough already.
> 
> Forgot to mention that we got some sad news. Other friends' dog got hit by a car and killed. He was such a sweet doggie. His name was Mr. Peanutbutter and he was the same color as peanutbutter. They didn't keep him tethered because he would whine and yelp like he was being killed and they didn't keep him in the trailer because he destroyed stuff. Those were the same friends that had two dogs poisoned by a neighbor.
> 
> My cat with Leukemia seems do be doing better. I just ran out of her meds and need to get more though. None of the cats have peed on my bed in over 24 hours though-- so that is a good thing. I'm hoping it will continue, but I'm still keeping the waterproof mattress pad spread over the blankets and pillows just in case.
> 
> Chris, have you heard anything from Frodo? He hasn't posted since New Years and I'm getting a bit worried. I hope he's ok.


That was really nice of you to get dog food for your friend . i also was wondering about Frodo.


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## havasu

I just texted Frodo, and I will post his reply if he responds.


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## zannej

I attempted to make some dumplings using my mother's drop noodle (aka knadle) recipe. Only her recipe just said "add enough water to make a soft dough". Only I don't know what she meant by "soft"-- like how soft? So, I just went with 3 eggs, 3 cups of flower, 3 tsp salt, and 1 cup water. When I tried it with 2 of each and 1 cup of water it was too runny. Mom said it was still a bit runnier than it should have been, but not too bad. I always remembered her using a large spoon when she was making them and I forgot that she would scoop up the dough with the large spoon and then scrape off small amounts with a "baby spoon". So I ended up with these huge lumpy ugly things. Mom tasted the dough and said it didn't have enough salt so I added a tsp of garlic salt to them. I hope they will at least taste ok.


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## tuffy

Sounds delish can I come down for some? been touch up painting the living room walls boy did they need it the only problem is now I can tell how dirty the rest of the walls are time for some scrubbing I guess !!!!!


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## zannej

Sure, come on down, if you don't mind a house that is a total disaster! LOL. I still need to finish cleaning the stove and counters and figure out where the hell to put stuff. I have lacked motivation.

My cat is refusing to eat her medicine today and peed on the mattress pad a couple of times. Not sure if it was on purpose or if it's because she lost control of her bladder from not taking her meds.


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## tuffy

Well right after writing my last post i decided to start a fire since its going to get down to 9 tonight well that caught our flue on fire flames were shooting 2 feet in the air and their was a horrible rumbling sound coming from the fire place so we called the fire dept took them about 1 hour to put it out in the process thy cracked our flue knocked some of the bricks loose. so no more fires for us . i guess its time for a gas insert.


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## oldognewtrick

Tuffy, fireplaces, flues, chimneys can be repaired, glad you and your family are safe.


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## nealtw

tuffy said:


> Well right after writing my last post i decided to start a fire since its going to get down to 9 tonight well that caught our flue on fire flames were shooting 2 feet in the air and their was a horrible rumbling sound coming from the fire place so we called the fire dept took them about 1 hour to put it out in the process thy cracked our flue knocked some of the bricks loose. so no more fires for us . i guess its time for a gas insert.


 
The sound of a rocket taking off at the Cape , I know it well.


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## bud16415

I caught one on fire when I was 20. I heard the jet engine sound ran outside and the flames were 20&#8217; above the chimney. I ran in the house and covered the opening with a table top and thank God it went out. The house I was renting and the next day after cleaning my pants out I saw the landlord who lived next door. Asked him if anyone ever used the fireplace. He said ya go ahead. I said any chance we can get it cleaned first. 

We are all glad you and family are ok. Fireplaces can get fixed. You will remember that like it was yesterday forever.


----------



## nealtw

bud16415 said:


> I caught one on fire when I was 20. I heard the jet engine sound ran outside and the flames were 20 above the chimney. I ran in the house and covered the opening with a table top and thank God it went out. The house I was renting and the next day after cleaning my pants out I saw the landlord who lived next door. Asked him if anyone ever used the fireplace. He said ya go ahead. I said any chance we can get it cleaned first.
> 
> We are all glad you and family are ok. Fireplaces can get fixed. You will remember that like it was yesterday forever.


 I remember the fire  we had and dad thru boxes of baking soda in the stove and everyone run around like chickens when the sky is falling.
The second was the day before we had scheduled the yearly cleaning. Still no damage to the chimney which had be completely built out of fire brick.

After that we never cleaned it as the fire did a good job and there was never any damage. But one night we had a good rocket going off some guy in a suit and overcoat come running in swearing at us for watching TV and went to the kitchen where my dad was reading a book and never looked up and said. Wait 2 more minutes. And as if he had timed it the fire went out right on cue.


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## slownsteady

definition of "chutzpah"


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## bud16415

Most days I start my retired day by making coffee and then reading the obits on line if no one I know is in there it&#8217;s a good day and if I&#8217;m not in there it&#8217;s a great day. I am puzzled why everyone seems to die in alphabetical order though. After I get thru that I come here and read the overnight offerings and comment where I can. Then to my home theater forum for a few minutes and then the hot tub forum and on to Craigslist I have about 5 categories there I look thru Free is first then Tools. 

Yesterday I saw someone selling NM-B #12-3 with ground and they said they had 15 pounds of it. I didn&#8217;t really need any and I use more 12-2 than 3 and the ad said 100 feet but it looked more like 150 in the photo. So I priced it at HD and divided by what they wanted and it was close to double the new price. So I took a minute because I&#8217;m retired and still had most of a pot of coffee to drink and wrote a note saying you are charging to much if you really want to sell it ask around half to 75% and someone will grab it up and that I didn&#8217;t need it. I get a thank you back and the kid tells me his grandfather died last year and he is clearing out his shop and he has a ton of stuff to sell and if need tools just ask because he might have it. then he tells me I bet you are going to be mad when you need wire and didn&#8217;t buy this wire. So I ask if he has a rototiller for sale as I&#8217;m looking for one for spring. He says no and I tell him just send me some pictures maybe I will see what I might need. So I start getting emails full of photos of a lot of really nice power tools that look hardly used. Might I add stuff I already have. So I tell him his stuff looks nice and he should go thru it slowly and check prices and post the items one at a time and make some money on them if he doesn&#8217;t think he will ever use them. I told him I wouldn&#8217;t offer anything because I was set on tools and the only offer I would make would be a garage sale price and he could do better. He writes back he&#8217;s a college kid with a baby on the way and has no interest in tools and hit him with my low ball prices. 

So just as an example I told him Makita orbital sander, Drill Doctor sharpener, Ryobi hammer drill, big bench grinder and 150&#8217; of wire I also didn&#8217;t need. Everything looked only slightly used the hammer drill might have been used once or twice. I said I could only offer him 100 bucks for all that. He comes back with it&#8217;s a deal. 

Come to find out he lives in Erie and his grandfathers place is near Pittsburgh and he would be coming past my exit at 7pm. I have his cell number and that he drives an old black Lexus and will meet me at Wal-Mart. Holly is telling me I&#8217;m crazy buying stuff I don&#8217;t need so I point out a lot of stuff she didn&#8217;t need we recently bought and then it was ok. 

So I drive to Wally world and there is an old black Lexus parked away from the store with a kid in it texting on his phone so I pull up next to it and he looks over and smiles and I smile back and roll down my window and he does the same and I say are you Jeremy and he says no, what do you want. Tell him sorry and drive around some more and find the right Lexus. Do all poor college kids drive Lexus now a days or what? 

So we talk a bit He&#8217;s going to Pitt and Moving from Erie soon and he checked out as legit had his trunk loaded with tools and he will be coming thru next weekend again and will be sending me pictures of more tools I don&#8217;t need. 

Ok now I have to go check CL today.


----------



## zannej

My brother's truck broke down on his way to work yesterday. Error code for diagnostic indicated it was the catalytic converters (it has 3). It was running but barely moved-- he managed to get it to limp over to the side of the road. I got him to call the insurance company to request roadside assistance. He hadn't known the number and I had it memorized and they gave him 3 numbers for tow companies. First guy (who is a jerk) didn't answer. 2nd guy was very nice and said he'd be there right after dropping off a truck. Showed up about 40 min later-- apologized profusely and said just as he was leaving, the insurance agents rolled up and needed him to pull a vehicle from impound and sign a bunch of paperwork. This guy actually has a flat bed and got my brother loaded up and took his truck to a mechanic's shop and called the mechanic to let him know he'd dropped it off. 
The boss told my bro to take the day off bc he got his shift covered. 
So we went home. Next morning, my brother called the mechanic and talked to him to see if he could get the catalytic converters rodded out. I drove in to bring the key and the guy said it wouldn't start but he'd jump start it. Then he called to say that it wouldn't shift gears (which is odd bc it was shifting gears the day before). It is beyond that mechanic's knowledge and he said he'll need it hauled somewhere else. So, now my bro needs to get it hauled to another mechanic-- one who blew him off and was rude to him the last time he tried to do business.

I'm trying to find if we can get refurbished catalytic converters or find good replacements for a lower price. The mechanic I talked to said getting parts online would be cheaper. But I need to figure out which ones to get. There's a front warm-up three way converter (bank 1) a rear WU-TWC (bank 2), and an underfloor TWC. 

When I went to take the key in, the CR-V wouldn't start. So, we will have to jump start it. 

I wish I knew more about vehicles.

I still need to get an oil change in my Ridgeline-- planning to do that today after I go to the post office.


----------



## tuffy

Tried to patch some pin holes in the walls but my back wouldn't  let me tried doing laundry same thing wife had to finish  it she was not a happy camper said I should have staid at work  I tried do it she just doesn't get it.


----------



## zannej

Tuffy, that sucks but I know the feeling. My back started to give out on me when I was waiting in line at the pharmacy for Mom's meds. The pharmacy was closed (they were supposed to be open). They opened 20 minutes late and there were a bunch of grumbling crabby people in line. Had my oil change done while I was waiting. It only took 8 min for the oil change apparently. Then, when we got home, they had shorted my mother by 17 pills (she always counts her meds as soon as she gets them). It came up 2 short the last time she got a prescription filled. So, I have to go back tomorrow to get the right amount. (She counted 3 times to make sure she didn't just miss some).

My brother is trying to figure out what to do about his truck. It was raining so he took my truck in rather than try to jump start the cr-v in the rain.

I just ate too much (ham sandwich, rotisserie chicken, and two cookies) and now I'm ready to hibernate.


----------



## tuffy

Painted 2 window casings and the wife made new curtains .the last picture is of the old. wouldn't let us down load all the pictures.


----------



## Gary

Not today, but yesterday I took photos for the 13th Habitat for Humanity home for our affiliate. We got a fair amount of snow, but that didn't stop people from coming out to celebrate with the new HFH family.


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## zannej

Tuffy, looks good! Is that a butterfly curtain? It's cute.

Gary, that is awesome! HfH isn't active in my area, which is a shame. Blue-haired girl looks like she's freezing. LOL.

I spent a few hours babysitting my friend's girlfriend because she had a seizure and fell and hit her head at work. The supervisors told her to shut up and get back to work when she told them she felt light-heated and needed to sit down. She hit her head and they didn't even call an ambulance or mention that she hit her head (just mentioned the seizure). She only realized she hit her head several hours later when she felt the pain in the back of her head and felt a lump. My friend called me to come sit with her while he was at work, but he ended up coming home early because he was worried about her. Shortly before I left she was crying and complaining that she felt overheated and her head was really hurting. I told my friend he should take her back to the hospital if it got worse or if she started to feel nauseous, and to call me if they needed anything. I got her some Tylenol and Powerade before going home. 
Later on my brother called and needed something to numb his gums and wanted me to get him some milk from the store so he would have something to take his medicine with. So, I went and got some and then picked up some food for Mom. On the way home she called me and asked where I was. I explained I was driving home and she got upset bc she wanted me to get her something from Pizza Hut. She hung up before I could tell her that I got her something from Pizza Hut. LOL. She wasn't mad though, she just really wanted to watch something on the Olympics.


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## tuffy

Yes they are . thank you for commenting how's your friend? your mom sure much like the Olympics.:rofl:


----------



## nealtw

tuffy said:


> Painted 2 window casings and the wife made new curtains .the last picture is of the old. wouldn't let us down load all the pictures.


 The GF has plants and sill damage that goes with that. I tiled all the window sills with cheap white tiles. After that I have done few of her neighbours and I have a few more houses to do.:thbup:


----------



## zannej

Tuffy, my friend's gf is still feeling sick. A friend of mine who is a pediatrician thinks it could be cardiac related. The girl is 20, but her mother drank alcohol and used meth while pregnant. So, it affected her health and stunted her growth.

She wanted me to come sit with her again today, but I'm trying to help my brother. He's still having severe pain in his gums. He was given a steroid shot and prescribed antibiotics, but they wouldn't give him anything for pain (and the narcotabs he got for his prior tooth removal aren't working). I'm worried it will mess with his blood sugar bc of the stress and I might have to take him to the ER. I wish I could trust the doctors at the local ER to actually help him if he went in to get something for pain. I tried to get the dentist to numb his gums but she wouldn't. Not sure why.


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## nealtw

zannej said:


> Tuffy, my friend's gf is still feeling sick. A friend of mine who is a pediatrician thinks it could be cardiac related. The girl is 20, but her mother drank alcohol and used meth while pregnant. So, it affected her health and stunted her growth.
> 
> She wanted me to come sit with her again today, but I'm trying to help my brother. He's still having severe pain in his gums. He was given a steroid shot and prescribed antibiotics, but they wouldn't give him anything for pain (and the narcotabs he got for his prior tooth removal aren't working). I'm worried it will mess with his blood sugar bc of the stress and I might have to take him to the ER. I wish I could trust the doctors at the local ER to actually help him if he went in to get something for pain. I tried to get the dentist to numb his gums but she wouldn't. Not sure why.


 If you call ahead they might have a dentist on call that could help him.
Our hospitals all have one on call 24 seven up here. The dentist just meets you at his office.


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## zannej

nealtw said:


> If you call ahead they might have a dentist on call that could help him.
> Our hospitals all have one on call 24 seven up here. The dentist just meets you at his office.


None of the hospitals in my area have dentists on call. Hell, most of them don't have dentists period. Medical in Louisiana is terrible.
But, I ended up taking him to the ER because the gums kept swelling more and the pain was intensifying. Told the ER nurse and doctor everything he'd taken for pain, that we'd called his first dentist, gone to another dentist, gone to the gp, etc and nothing was giving relief. His blood pressure was dangerously high. It was a slow night though, so they took him in right away and the nurse was a sweetheart. He was given oral medication to reduce his blood pressure, anti-inflammatory injection, antibiotic injection, and a painkiller injection that took the edge off and let him get sleepy. He nearly fell asleep in the car on the way home. I guess he got enough sleep last night bc he already went to work.
I had to cook for my mother before I left and had to cook for her when I got back. I didn't get much sleep so I'm exhausted and my eyes are fatigued. But, I'm relieved that he's doing better. He said he could feel the swelling going down in the gums last night, so I think that helped.


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## inspectorD

Just came back from the Blue ridge Mountains..3 day trip to swap out some bikes.
Just beautiful... and now back in Ponce inlet enjoying the beach...Life is good.


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## tuffy

Were lucky Jane we have a dental school here where you can get on a slide scale and only have to pay 25 dollars to get any thing done except dentures and we have 6 dentist working there and a whole slue of students and they are super nice won't turn any body away. Btw my name is Dave:thbup:.


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## oldognewtrick

inspectorD said:


> Just came back from the Blue ridge Mountains..3 day trip to swap out some bikes.
> Just beautiful... and now back in Ponce inlet enjoying the beach...Life is good.


Hanging out in Mosquitto Lagoon again are ya?


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## Flyover

Wednesday: put together a new dresser for my preschooler daughter, slid the old one (which used to be her changing table) out into the hallway. It's a big heavy old thing. Luckily, trash pickup was the next day and I looked up "my zip code + bulk trash removal" and learned that bulk items like unupholstered furniture can be picked up along with your trash, just set it neatly by the curb. So I called my neighbor over (first time ever) to help me carry the dresser out to the curb. Thanked him profusely and figured that was the end of it.

Thursday, late morning: the trash can was emptied but the dresser remained by the curb, in pouring rain. I can't even put it up for free on Craigslist now. I rushed to the internet to find out what went wrong and realized the city I technically live in but near the border of, and the city whose garbage trucks pick up my trash, are not the same. (My wife warned me about this yesterday but I didn't believe her, because I'm such a genius. And humble too!) Found out I have to schedule a special bulk pickup with the city that collects my trash. Did this. Pickup is in 2 weeks.

Thursday, this night: had to call my neighbor back up to ask a favor...he helped me move the dresser into my garage, so it won't be sitting out front lowering all our property values, and my and my wife's self-esteem...especially since my son's birthday party is on Saturday and there's going to be like two dozen people over.

Worrying about what other people think of the appearance of your property is an irrational waste of time, but it's also what keeps civilization civilized! Funny how that works.


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## havasu

I stand there holding a $5 bill, and never been declined. I even had the trash truck driver wait 5 minutes so I could load up three more barrels he emptied for me.


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## tuffy

In our town you call the trash company and they tell you when to set it on the curb then you set it out  the week of your scheduled regular trash pick up.


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## Gary

In our town we set garbage back by the alley for Tuesday monring (or sometime thuesday) pick up, recycled tote gets picked up every other week. If you set anything out there with any sort of value at all, it's gone before the garbage truck gets here. 
Once, I was building an attachment for the Bobcat. I set the attachment outside the weld shop back by the alley to clean to shop. Minutes later a guy came by and asked if I was getting rid of the iron. I said no, and he drove away. Good thing I didn't go in the house right then or it may have been gone, if he could have lifted it into his truck that is, it was pretty heavy.:hide:


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## bud16415

I was driving thru my neighborhood a mile from my old house and saw an air compressor sitting by the curb next to the trashcan. I pulled over and no one was home so I threw it in the truck and started to leave and I saw a huge plastic tool box on the other side of the can so I stopped again and could hardly lift it as there was a floor jack and socket set in it. I tossed that in the truck and figured I better look in the can. And when I looked it was full of men&#8217;s work clothes. I kind of figured out what went on. So I drove home and asked a neighbor about it and he said he knew the couple and she just threw him out. I told him to tell the guy come and pick up his tools. He later told me the guy moved out of town and he never saw him again. I use the compressor and jack all the time. 

When we throw out furniture I set it by the road with a free sign and its always gone in an hour. One day I thought I was going to have to break up a fight two people both wanted a couch.


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## tuffy

I built a custom mail box stand about 8 years ago and now its starting to rot in places (in hind sight i should have used pressure treated like i did on our window trim)so i got all the bad pieces out today tomorrow ill put it all back together.


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## zannej

InspectorD, glad you had a good trip!

Man, all this stuff about mailboxes and trash pickup makes me envious. They won't even deliver mail here so we don't have a mailbox at the house (have to drive in to town to get it). In order to get trash pickup, we have to drive 1/2" mile to the end of our road and leave the cans and hope that they bother to come out. If it rains within 5 days of trash day, they won't come. And often times, the cans get stolen. My neighbor stole 11 trash cans from us over the years. We spray painted our surname on the cans, they stole the cans and spray painted black over the name. We finally just started burning our trash that could be burned and hauling the rest to the city dump (which is only open for a couple of hours twice a week). Now we have my brother dump the non-burnable stuff in a dumpster at work.

I thought of three different things related to people putting out furniture and stuff getting grabbed:
1. When my family lived in Georgia a childhood friend of my uncle's came to visit. He left his luggage on our porch and Salvation Army people thought it was a donation and took it. Had to ask around and finally found out where it went and he was able to get it back. (Neighbors recognized the Salvation Army people).
2. I was at my elderly friend's house and the people across the street were throwing out an oak captain's chair. I mentioned it to my elderly friend (who loved to do carpentry) and he asked me to bring it over. The seat had split a bit, but otherwise it was in great condition. We worked on it together to re-glue it, sand it, and refinish it. Another elderly friend asked if he could have it the next time he was over. 
3. When we lived in Guam, it took a long time to get in to housing and by the time we got in, our stuff had been in storage for months-- only they didn't have a dehumidifier and our couch was all moldy. So we got a new one and put the old one out next to the garbage can. Someone from the housing department called and asked if they could have it. We told them it had mold but they said they didn't care, they liked it, so they came and got it.

My friend's girlfriend is still having headaches from hitting her head at work. Pretty much everyone is telling her to sue McDonalds. She's afraid they will fire her if she does. Because I care about my friend and I want to make his life easier (by helping reduce his girlfriend's stress so she isn't freaking out) I took her shopping (and I hate shopping). She has 2 weddings to go to and needed another dress and another pair of shoes (I personally would have gone with the same pair for both, but that's me). She kept complaining that I wasn't up-to-date on modern clothes & kept wanting to do "old timey" style. I reminded her that I'm more than twice her age and I wasn't up-to-date on the modern style when I was her age. We found some ribbon with flowers and crap on it that can be put on the dress to make it more appropriate for a wedding and I've enlisted the help of another female friend who is better with fashion and girly stuff and can sew. I can sew a little, but my last sewing class was before the girl was born. LOL.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my cat Assclown realized that the mat I bought for him is very comfy and now he lounges on the mat next to the water bowl-- or lounges on the mat with his head on the water bowl. He's been curling up and sleeping on it a few inches away from his beloved water bowl.


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## havasu

We get about 500 pounds of lemons from the trees in my yard. On many occasions, I will place lemons in buckets but that stopped when some idiot also took the containers holding the lemons. I now just collect bags at friends and neighbor's requests.


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## Flyover

Tried to flush my hot water tank today. Turned off the input, set the dial to pilot, opened up the hot water in the bathroom sink farthest from the tank. Then I opened up the spigot at the bottom of the tank and...nothing happened. Kinda worried.

I'm sure the previous owners never flushed it but the tank's only about four or five years old...could the scale be so bad it's blocking the outflow through the spigot?? I feel like I'd have noticed that in my hot water usage, but everything seems normal otherwise.


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## zannej

I cleaned the litterboxes while sweating my *** off bc it's hot as hell and the air conditioner isn't working. The new litter I tried didn't clump up and dry like it's supposed to-- instead it was like wet cement and was really sticking to the inside of the litterbox and the metal trowel I resorted to using to dig it out. I'll have to take the trowel and litter scoop outside and rinse them off at the back faucet later.

Then I went over to hang out with a friend for a bit and then stay with his girlfriend and wait for another friend to arrive to figure out how to make her new dress fit her more snugly. 

While I was visiting, got a call about one of my friends nearly being killed by his brother. He was letting his brother and the brother's girlfriend stay with him. The brother had just gotten full custody of his child from a previous girlfriend (no idea why she would let that violent jerk have the kid though). The brother's current girlfriend decided to leave him and ran off with some other guy. It's not clear if he was helping her escape or if she was having an affair with him. But she left at 6:30pm and around 11pm her boyfriend was losing his mind that she wasn't back. They got in touch with her uncle and he tried to bring her back, but when she realized he was trying to take her back she attacked her uncle in the car and jumped out of it while it was moving to get away. So the brother wanted my friend to take him to go look for her so he could "beat her ***" and drag her back home. My friend refused. So his brother attacked him and beat him up.
He then went outside and got a knife and threatened to stab him to death in front of the kids if he wouldn't drive him. He wrestled the knife away and told him to get out. So the brother went and got a shotgun, kicked the door in and threatened to shoot him if he didn't drive him. Another tussle ensued, my friend got his brother shoved out the door, the brother fired a shot, my friend went out and wrestled him for the gun and got it away while my firend's girlfriend called the cops. So, now the brother is in jail and will probably send the next 5 years there.

Flyover, could it be that the spigot just has crud clogged in it because it is lower down and sediment has built up? It looks to me like the water on a water heater comes out the top so the water can still flow, but lower down it could have gotten gunked up? I could be wrong on that.


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## Chris

zannej said:


> I cleaned the litterboxes while sweating my *** off bc it's hot as hell and the air conditioner isn't working. The new litter I tried didn't clump up and dry like it's supposed to-- instead it was like wet cement and was really sticking to the inside of the litterbox and the metal trowel I resorted to using to dig it out. I'll have to take the trowel and litter scoop outside and rinse them off at the back faucet later.
> 
> Then I went over to hang out with a friend for a bit and then stay with his girlfriend and wait for another friend to arrive to figure out how to make her new dress fit her more snugly.
> 
> While I was visiting, got a call about one of my friends nearly being killed by his brother. He was letting his brother and the brother's girlfriend stay with him. The brother had just gotten full custody of his child from a previous girlfriend (no idea why she would let that violent jerk have the kid though). The brother's current girlfriend decided to leave him and ran off with some other guy. It's not clear if he was helping her escape or if she was having an affair with him. But she left at 6:30pm and around 11pm her boyfriend was losing his mind that she wasn't back. They got in touch with her uncle and he tried to bring her back, but when she realized he was trying to take her back she attacked her uncle in the car and jumped out of it while it was moving to get away. So the brother wanted my friend to take him to go look for her so he could "beat her ***" and drag her back home. My friend refused. So his brother attacked him and beat him up.
> He then went outside and got a knife and threatened to stab him to death in front of the kids if he wouldn't drive him. He wrestled the knife away and told him to get out. So the brother went and got a shotgun, kicked the door in and threatened to shoot him if he didn't drive him. Another tussle ensued, my friend got his brother shoved out the door, the brother fired a shot, my friend went out and wrestled him for the gun and got it away while my firend's girlfriend called the cops. So, now the brother is in jail and will probably send the next 5 years there.
> 
> Flyover, could it be that the spigot just has crud clogged in it because it is lower down and sediment has built up? It looks to me like the water on a water heater comes out the top so the water can still flow, but lower down it could have gotten gunked up? I could be wrong on that.



I'm glad I dont live in your neighborhood.

today I drove up to the mountains to start my septic obvservation on the property I bought. 4 feet of snow on the ground and no ground water in the well.


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## Gary

We had very heavy rain and thawing snow the last couple days. Our sump pump quit and we woke up to 15" of water in the basement. Everything is on risers, but not all are raised 15" off the floor. It's an unfinished basement, known by us as the dungeon,so the appliances are the only concern. We've got an old chest type freezer that was on it's last leg....didn't survive. And an old dryer that was buzzing, which is what alerted us to the problem. Picked up a new one today. Washer, humidifier, hot water heater and furnace, all o.k. Fortunate that the 2 units that died were on life support anyway. I have a well for a second sump that's almost done. That will be high on the list for new projects. 

For a related story, the local river is way out of it's banks. A guy got some  news coverage when he attempted to get through a flood road. There were police, firemen, even a helicopter news crew to help him out. :hide:


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## nealtw

Gary said:


> We had very heavy rain and thawing snow the last couple days. Our sump pump quit and we woke up to 15" of water in the basement. Everything is on risers, but not all are raised 15" off the floor. It's an unfinished basement, known by us as the dungeon,so the appliances are the only concern. We've got an old chest type freezer that was on it's last leg....didn't survive. And an old dryer that was buzzing, which is what alerted us to the problem. Picked up a new one today. Washer, humidifier, hot water heater and furnace, all o.k. Fortunate that the 2 units that died were on life support anyway. I have a well for a second sump that's almost done. That will be high on the list for new projects.
> 
> For a related story, the local river is way out of it's banks. A guy got some news coverage when he attempted to get through a flood road. There were police, firemen, even a helicopter news crew to help him out. :hide:


So what do you do for excitement?:hide:


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## Gary

nealtw said:


> So what do you do for excitement?:hide:



I tell myself I'm thankful I wasn't the guy that thought it was a good idea to drive through rapid moving water on the road. I bet that was exciting though.


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## tuffy

zannej said:


> I cleaned the litterboxes while sweating my *** off bc it's hot as hell and the air conditioner isn't working. The new litter I tried didn't clump up and dry like it's supposed to-- instead it was like wet cement and was really sticking to the inside of the litterbox and the metal trowel I resorted to using to dig it out. I'll have to take the trowel and litter scoop outside and rinse them off at the back faucet later.
> 
> Then I went over to hang out with a friend for a bit and then stay with his girlfriend and wait for another friend to arrive to figure out how to make her new dress fit her more snugly.
> 
> While I was visiting, got a call about one of my friends nearly being killed by his brother. He was letting his brother and the brother's girlfriend stay with him. The brother had just gotten full custody of his child from a previous girlfriend (no idea why she would let that violent jerk have the kid though). The brother's current girlfriend decided to leave him and ran off with some other guy. It's not clear if he was helping her escape or if she was having an affair with him. But she left at 6:30pm and around 11pm her boyfriend was losing his mind that she wasn't back. They got in touch with her uncle and he tried to bring her back, but when she realized he was trying to take her back she attacked her uncle in the car and jumped out of it while it was moving to get away. So the brother wanted my friend to take him to go look for her so he could "beat her ***" and drag her back home. My friend refused. So his brother attacked him and beat him up.
> He then went outside and got a knife and threatened to stab him to death in front of the kids if he wouldn't drive him. He wrestled the knife away and told him to get out. So the brother went and got a shotgun, kicked the door in and threatened to shoot him if he didn't drive him. Another tussle ensued, my friend got his brother shoved out the door, the brother fired a shot, my friend went out and wrestled him for the gun and got it away while my firend's girlfriend called the cops. So, now the brother is in jail and will probably send the next 5 years there.
> 
> Flyover, could it be that the spigot just has crud clogged in it because it is lower down and sediment has built up? It looks to me like the water on a water heater comes out the top so the water can still flow, but lower down it could have gotten gunked up? I could be wrong on that.


         Sounded liked you had a exciting day glad you didn't get hurt. I think your dead on about your spigot.


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## zannej

Chris, is no groundwater in the well a bad thing? Do you mean a drinking water well?

Gary, sorry to hear about the flooding. I'm glad the only things that were damaged were already on the way out.

Thanks, Tuffy.

Today I had to call the air conditioning repair people because the AC isn't cooking and it was 88 degrees with a lot of humidity in the house. I couldn't sleep. When the guys were walking in from the kitchen to the hallway (where the air conditioner is in a compartment), my cat Itsy decided to flop on her side right at the threshold of the hallway and block them. She stretched out on her side and then rolled on her back while cooing at them for attention. They just laughed while I picked her up and moved her to the cat tree. Both of the guys were sweating like crazy from the heat so I gave them bottled water to cool off. After checking pressure on the unit outside, checking freon levels, and taking panels off the AC to examine it, they determined some part that affects pressure for something was broken and needed to be replaced. They banged on it and it got the pressure to lower a bit and the temperature dropped a single degree. They said unfortunately the part has to be ordered and it can take a week to arrive. 

I took my mother for an appointment with her podiatrist. She only has fungus on three toenails now and the said she's making such good progress that she doesn't have to come back as soon for the next visit. I'm hoping that by then the fungus might be gone from those toes since I've been using Fungicide PM or something like that on them-- and it seems to be working.


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## Chris

No water in the well is a good thing. It is a pipe 10 feet into the ground to be able to measure ground water


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## zannej

Ok, that's good then.

Today was not so good. I went to take the cat to the vet for some shots and my mother wanted me to stop by the post office to get packages first. I had my arms full and couldn't really see while going down the stairs at the post office and misjudged the last step. Twisted BOTH of my ankles on my way down. I stepped on the top of my right foot and scraped it up, ankle twisted. I tried to catch myself with my other foot, but bc I had misjudged where the ground was, I twisted my left ankle and crashed to the ground.

Kid across the street was the only one who saw and came running over to check on me. He tried to help me up, but I am probably twice his weight. Sheriff was driving by and saw me on the ground and came over to see what happened. He put my packages in the truck for me and offered to call EMTs. I declined since I don't have insurance and he waited to make sure I could stand and walk. Went straight to the vet's office and asked for "vet wrap" and used what little I remember from my college First Responder course 20 years ago and wrapped my ankles and then elevated them. 






Drive home was not fun and carrying the cat back in to the house was even less fun, but I'm lying down now with my feet up. No ice and it's now 89 degrees in here. I have a sound file from Youtube of winter windstorm to make me feel cooler though.


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## havasu

And that is just one of a million reasons why I dislike cats.


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## zannej

LOL. Even without the cat I still would have fallen, and then I wouldn't have had a reason to go to the vet to get the wrap. It's really been helping. I'm able to flex my right foot with no pain and left foot with minimal pain. Odd that the left one hurts more, but I think it's because I twisted them in different ways.
My brother just brought me a large chocolate chip cookie from Pizza Hut and a gallon of water. I'm going to try to not eat the cookie all at once.

In other small town news, a kid at the local middle school was detained by police for allegedly saying that "someone" was going to come in and kill people there. He was expelled from school. Around the state there were several reports of children making similar comments and being arrested/detained and expelled. One child apparently commented that the square root symbol looked like a gun to him and kids ended up misconstruing it and spreading a rumor that he said he was going to bring a gun or had a gun or something and he was picked up by the police & interrogated. They cleared him, but the school has suspended him and may expel him. So, now kids have figured out that if they accuse someone of saying something, the cops will come and get them and they may get kicked out of school. There will be much wasting of police time.


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## Flyover

tuffy said:


> Sounded liked you had a exciting day glad you didn't get hurt. I think your dead on about your spigot.


Maybe this isn't the right thread to ask, but how do I fix that? Is there an easy way?


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## Gary

I have some sign stuff to do today. Then later the young guys, Son & Son-in-law, are coming over for pizza and help swap out the dryer that died in the flood. Then some playtime with the Grandkids.


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## zannej

I have no idea. The plumbingforums.com has a section on water heaters though. It's been a bit quiet over there as of late.

I unwrapped my ankles this morning because the wrap was staring to irritate my skin. Left ankle looks good, just a little tenderness in the joint and I have to be careful when walking on it. Bruising is so mild it doesn't show up in pictures. Right ankle has a nasty scrape on top that is more sore than the sprain although the sprain looks uglier. 





I've since put some cause over it and put a copper wear ankle support on the right foot. My abdominal muscles are sore, probably from the way I twisted when I fell, and my back is a little tender, but I can still move freely-- I just feel it when I do. Took some Ibuprofen liquid gels to reduce inflammation.
Note to self, clean toes and toenails. LOL.


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## tuffy

OUCH that looks painful. hope you heal fast. if I remember right you on well water you might get a whole house water filter.


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## zannej

It's not nearly as bad as when I busted my left ankle back in 2008. It took 2 years for me to be able to walk normally again and it still gives me some trouble to this day. I've got a permanent lump where the tendon pulled away. It didn't help that I had to be on my feet a lot more back then.

This time, I'm able to rest a little bit more since I don't have as busy of a schedule. I know they could be a lot worse, so I'm glad. I think having sturdy leg bones and thick ankles helped.

I'm not the one having the hot water problem this time, but I do need to get a whole house water filter.


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## tuffy

Finished putting the finishing touches on my custom mail box just have to caulk and repaint.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> I have no idea. The plumbingforums.com has a section on water heaters though. It's been a bit quiet over there as of late.


Yeah, I pretty much just come here now.

Guess I'll start a thread in the plumbing section...


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## zannej

Flyover, I hope you can find a solution to the problem.

Tuffy, I'd love to see your custom mailbox.

My ankles are on the mend. I was able to walk to the truck gingerly and I drove in to town to go to the pharmacy-- no pain while using the pedals, so that was good. I had to use a riding cart in the store since I have to take small careful steps.

Left one is healed enough that I can put most of the weight on it while standing. I made two batches of some 3-cheese tortollini (pre-made stuff from Samsclub that I had to cook). It was supposed to be enough to feed 8 people and it's almost gone because my brother found it. He actually vacuumed the floor and cleaned up the litterboxes in the front room yesterday and carried all of the groceries, so that helped.
The weather turned cool again so it's a decent temperature in the house again.


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## tuffy

Sanded and painted the last window frame. the others get stained. bought a latch dead bolt combo  had to chisel it in then all the boards behind it split so tomorrow i have to sawzall  them all out and start over what took me all day would have taken any body else 4to5 hours due to my back.


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## zannej

At least you got something done, Tuffy. I'm not getting anything done lately-- and my mother wants me to take her to the store tomorrow. I think if I get a riding cart I'll be ok. But I completely understand. It takes me longer to do things now too. 

Btw, any of the plumbers around? Someone at plumbingforums is trying to figure out how to tie in a washing machine to old plumbing in a house built in the 60s. No AAVs allowed in his jurisdiction. http://www.plumbingforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12766&page=2

I'm not sure what to tell him since I don't know. He cited some of the code from his area. I think he can make an auxiliary vent and have it tie in to the cast iron one somehow-- unless he has to just run an individual vent outside the house. He thinks the cast iron pipe is the vent stack, but I don't know if it carries sewage.


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## tuffy

Finished the back door came out good if i do say so my self. hung up a curtain in the kitchen, never had one before. back didn't hut near as much today. go and see my therapist tomorrow.zannej i will post some pictures of the mail box once i get it painted been raining now the temps are dropping again.


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## zannej

Glad your back isn't hurting as much, tuffy. I'm hoping the weather will get better for you to paint the mailbox.

Left foot has mild bruising that is a greenish color (basically makes my foot look dirty)








I stubbed my 2nd toe years ago and the discoloration never went away so I have a purple spot on it.

I unwrapped the right foot to take pictures and then recovered it afterward. It's still looking ugly.








It looks worse than it feels, but both are still sore.

I admit I have a fascination with how bruises look as injuries start to heal.


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## Gary

Good thing it feels better than it looks. 

I replaced the faucet & sink out in the shop last night. Years of cleaning shop stuff in a plastic sink made it look real bad. That and I had to pound on the top of the faucet to shut it off as the handle wouldn't work anymore. I figured it was just a matter of time before  forced shut offs would result in a geyser. It took nearly 20 years of abuse, so I guess it was time for an update. This weekend I'll have to clean up the rest of the shop as the new sink and faucet makes the rest of the place look bad. :hide:


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## bud16415

I was pushing the water life in the hot tub trying for better weather to change it. We got the better weather and I still put it off. Last nights weather said we might get up to 10 inches of snow tomorrow and it was 50f this morning so I got to work on it drained cleaned and filled in about an hour. Getting it down finally. First time took me 4 hours. Hot tub is 52f right now and the power meter is spinning should be 103f in the morning for a snowy soak.

Yesterday I put up a new projector in my theater. With the big $$$$ 4k&#8217;s coming out the 1080 are getting really attractive. Had my eye on this projector for over a year and the price dropped below 500 bucks I pulled the trigger on it. Amazing picture just like having a 110&#8221; flat screen if you have a light controlled area for it. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C92FE70/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Gary

My daughter and Son-In-law installed one of those in their basement. They walled off a corner with black curtains, installed interlocking padded flooring squares, made it look like a theater inside the walled off area. Set up a snack bar complete with popcorn popper and fridge for the kids. They have movie nights down there and have a lot of fun playing video games when they aren't watching movies.


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## bud16415

Gary said:


> My daughter and Son-In-law installed one of those in their basement. They walled off a corner with black curtains, installed interlocking padded flooring squares, made it look like a theater inside the walled off area. Set up a snack bar complete with popcorn popper and fridge for the kids. They have movie nights down there and have a lot of fun playing video games when they aren't watching movies.



Mine is a room off the living room. In my old house I did the basement cinema theme. The room was originally a den I thing back in 1880. I built a wall dividing the room and the old door now enters a small pantry. As its just off the kitchen. The larger half of the room I made a new arched entrance into with plush black curtains that make the room bat cave dark when wanted. We didnt want to overstate the cinema theme but have a few small art signs with an old time movie feel. At my old house I had tiered seating and it held 12 people this time I went for a single row of 6 seats. Six is the magic number in this house we can seat 6 for dinner and we have a 6 seat hot tub. More than 6 and people have to take turns. 

We have friends and they all seem to have the 60 4k UHD HDR LCD and nice sound bar or small wife friendly surround sound. When they come over and get seated very immersive in front of a screen 4 times the area and hear my old school surrounds with two 12 subs driving home the explosions where you feel it in your chest. They mostly love the full on IMAX feel of it. 

Its a great hobby and the media now thats out there to play on it is amazing. We watch all our TV OTA in HD and then Blu-Ray movies and so much internet content to describe and more every day. 

The best part is the pause button and the lack of annoying people in movie theaters I always find myself sitting close to. Not to mention not costing 50 bucks for the two of us to go to a movie. 

Now that Im a welder LOL, Im building a swing away holder for my laptop so I can sit in the theater and surf all the cool internet content and swing the laptop out of my way when not needed.


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## zannej

Gary, sounds like it was a good time to replace the sink and faucet. Shame the faucet went, but 20 years is a good long while.

Bud, that theater setup sounds awesome. They are now coming out with the 8k TVs, OLED (organic light emitting diode) and other fancy stuff, so the 4k TVs are starting to go down in price. Curved TVs made the price of the flat ones drop a little bit, and prices should continue to drop as they come up with new stuff.

The theater setups sound awesome. I'd love to see pictures.

The hot tub thing reminds me that we have an old hot tub sitting out in the yard with the wood rotting away. It's too big for me to move it. Wish we could find someone who wanted it and would haul it away for free.


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## tuffy

Put base board in the kitchen now for the quarter round. went and paid personal and property taxes. got the van safety inspected.


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## Gary

Going to be a nice weather day, so this will be garage & shop clean up day.


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## zannej

It was cold as Hel here recently so I spent the night covered in cats. They really piled on and were huddled together.
I went to the doctor, explained what happened, and showed him photos of my feet. He actually recoiled when he saw how bad my right one looked in the photo. It doesn't look so ugly now. He checked out both feet-- just some swelling in the left one-- right one he said I tore a tendon and possibly fractured the bones but there were no protruding bones or anything, so an x-ray would be a pointless expense because the treatment wouldn't change. Antibiotic ointment on the scrape, wrap the ankle to hold that tendon in place, soak it on warm water with epson salt in the mornings and ice it at night, and do some flexing exercises.
I'm hoping it will heal quickly.
I'm about to go make dinner for Mom-- 5 cheese tortollini.


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## zannej

The torotollini was better this time and it didn't last very long. LOL. 

Yesterday my brother got his truck back after having it fixed up. They cut him a deal on the labor and didn't charge him for the extra labor it took (the estimate was 17 hours but it took them 2 days). The owner of the repair shop is going to have surgery to get part of his intestines removed, they are training new employees, and the son of the owner (who is running the place) was overwhelmed. He forgot to charge for some of the parts he put in but we reminded him. Not that we wanted to pay more $, but it was only fair since he got the parts and did the labor. He said he'd give a discount on the next thing that needs to be fixed (it needs new strut mounts). He also told my brother how he could get a huge discount on parts by getting autozone to price match.

Took my unlucky friend with us. His washing machine hadn't been working so his mother got him a used one to replace it. They hauled off his old one and it turns out the water had been turned off outside so his old one might have been fine, but it was already gone. The replacement was in worse shape. Leaked like crazy and didn't work properly. So, I took him to Best Buy and he got a floor model that was guaranteed to work. Old one was top load and new one is a higher end LG front load that will be easier for his girlfriend to work with because she's short. But, he bad news is, his dryer died. Probably the heating element though. He's hoping to find a matching dryer to the washer he got someday though.

They wrapped that thing in a ton of bubble wrap and loaded it into my truck. I keep tie downs in the trunk just in case.


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## tuffy

my brother in law was in a wreck a week ago and still in the hospital. he has a broken jaw,broken chin bone straight down the middle and 11 broken ribs. they had him in surgery for almost 12 hours . we went down to hospital with our daughter and her 3 boys. not a good idea they are just to young to understand the concept of being quiet or setting still so we went to the mall and it about killed me with my back problems! I'm still not over it my legs are so sore and my back hurts worse than I thought possible. my brother in law has a long road ahead of him but think he will make it.


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## havasu

Damn Tuffy, that is one hell of an auto accident. I wish him well!


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## tuffy

Ill pass your wishes along.


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## slownsteady

Yeah, please send him the best from all of us here.


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## havasu

I watched it rain today after a trip to Bass Pro, looking at guns.


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## tuffy

Been spending the last two days working on the wife's mini van did a complete tune up plus egr valve and struts and shocks. going today to look for tires.


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## zannej

Tuffy, I'm very sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. I hope he'll recover quickly and smoothly.
I don't know what an EGR valve is but I've heard of one before. My brother just had his front struts replaced on his truck. One of the struts was OEM and the strut looked OK but the spring was dead. The other looked like an aftermarket el cheapo one that was shot, although the spring looked ok. He replaced them with "performance" struts and now his truck is running very smoothly. I wonder how long before he should have his rear struts replaced... 
Are the tires supposed to be aligned/balanced after strut replacement?


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## havasu

I added a 1" spacer to the top of my struts on my Toyota pick up, in order to level out the truck and not look so squatty on the front end, and in doing so, it was necessary for me to get a full 4 wheel alignment. It has nothing to do with the balancing of the tires, but he will need to go to an alignment shop. It will also ride nicer and smoother, and his tires will last alot longer when the alignment is set properly.


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## zannej

Thanks, Havasu. I let him know that. He said it's already running pretty smooth right now.
He's starting to frustrate me again because he hasn't been doing his chores or cleaning up after the cats in the front room again. He had two days off and both days instead of doing at least some cleaning, he left without a word and went in to town to hang out with friends or do whatever. He's currently house-sitting for our friend who had to go to his girlfriend's sister's wedding out of town. It's a very real chance that someone would break in while he's gone so, my brother is over there to make sure nobody gets any ideas.

I'm probably going to end up having to clean up after the cats in the front room just so I don't step in crap (literally) trying to go out the front door. I was going to head in to town today to go to the store and take my dog to the vets to get bloodwork so her thyroid meds could be renewed but it's been raining all day-- and my phonelines are acting up again even though they just fixed them. The phone rang once at like 6:47am and woke me up, but it's been silent since. When I picked up, it was all static and buzzing again. It must be something on the outside because everything was fine with the inside ones after they fixed it. I wonder if there is something wrong with the box itself, but I don't know much about phonelines and their boxes.


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## tuffy

Been working on the new computer desk nothing fancy  just something that will fit in the tiny space we have look good and is better than store bought. Ran out of nails for my nail gun went to home depo to get some ,got home remembered i forgot glue so put that project on the back burner for the day since i didn't feel like getting back out in the rain again . So i started to clean house.


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## zannej

Tuffy, I hope the desk turns out well. I hate when I go to the store and forget to buy something that I need for a project-- happens to me all the time.

I should probably clean up the front room since it's evident my brother won't do it-- only problem is the kittens think the broom is a toy-- and the little calico kitten Aminatu thinks I'm a tree.


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## tuffy

Got the shell done today still have to make a drawer and some shelves and a place where every thing plugs in at.


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## zannej

Is it going to be a desk with a hutch/ shelves around the monitor?


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## tuffy

No nothing that fancy just a regular ole desk with drawers on the bottom +shelves on the bottom also.If my back will stay with me I'll have it done in a week.


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## zannej

Sounds good. I hope your back holds out.

My brother is continuing to piss me off this week. Despite having numerous of his own snacks, he ate almost all of my granola bars. He made a huge mess in the microwave and didn't clean it up so I had to scrub the whole microwave *again* before I could use it. He hasn't cleaned the litterboxes or taken out the trash in weeks so stuff is starting to pile up and fall on the floor, he's been incredibly rude to me the last few days, and last night he woke me up in the middle of the effing night to show me a dog he brought home. It's clearly a well-groomed and well-cared-for pet that must have gotten loose. And rather than leave her so she could get back to her owner, he brought her home. She's an inside dog-- she slept on his bed peacefully and is very quiet and calm. Now, it wouldn't have been so bad if he kept her inside where it is safe and took her for walks outside where she could be supervised, but nooooo, he put her outside without watching her and she ran off. I heard yelping from afar and I think a neighbor's violent dogs might have gotten her, but I couldn't find the source of the yelping. So now someone has lost their beloved pet because my brother is a selfish irresponsible jerk.

Just venting because I'm frustrated and a bit cranky from lack of sleep.


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## tuffy

Poor little dog.Sounds like its time to have a nice long talk with your brother and lay down the law.


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## zannej

Tuffy, I've tried that before numerous times. He won't listen. He tells me to shut the f*** up and will walk away and shut the door in my face.
The good news is, the yelping must have been a different dog. The water inside stopped working so I had to go out to the well-house to see what was wrong (one of the pumps wasn't getting signal to turn on and fill the cistern-- I jostled the float lever and it kicked on). The dog came out from under the house and started following me, but she was afraid of the cats. I picked her up, took her inside, set her on my brother's bed and gave her food, water, and puppy pads.
My brother left his door open when he left for work today and she just sits on the bed and stays. She's very well behaved. I'm relieved that she's ok, but still hoping to find her family. My brother will not maintain a good standard of care for her.


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## zannej

This thread has been quiet. Since the last post, my brother finally changed the litterboxes yesterday. My mother turned 68. And I did my best to take care of my oldest cat who passed away in my arms Sunday morning. Vet was closed so I couldn't call for any help & he was terrified of going on car rides. It was heartbreaking, but he's no longer suffering.

My unlucky friend was just telling me that he's having a problem with a neighbor. His property extends over at least 2 lots (with a street on the front and back). One of the streets is actually built on his property. A few months ago, someone bought a trailer park next to his property (on the back side). He made sure to let the guy know where the property line is & showed him the survey. Yesterday he found out that the jerk is planning to move trailers on to his (my friend's) property and rent them out. He's trying to get in touch with the jerk to let him know that it is not ok and he will not allow it. I've offered to help him set up some "private property" signs and mark off his property to prevent the guy from using it. He eventually wants to put up a fence and set up a playground area for his daughter in the area that the trailer park guy is trying to steal.


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## tuffy

Sorry to here about your cat. Tell your friend to go to the police and show them the property lines they will have a talk with the guy that is theft. I had a problem like that three years ago had a new neighbor move in a single guy kinda scary looking just didn't fit into our family neighborhood turns out this guy is a major meth head  trying to steel part of my property even tho it is clearly marked we went round and round with this idiot .his garage is actually on our property by 2 feet .he kept saying that our markers were wrong because the house was surveyed when he bought it (when momma bought it for him).so we paid to have it re surveyed and we were off we gained an extra 8 inches . so we went to show this survey to him and he told us to f***k off .so we went to the police with the survey and told them what had been going on they said they would send an officer down to have a talk with the guy he spat in there faces so they put him in jail .long story short we ended up having to go to court over this of course we won .so we put up a privacy fence we have 2 lots so he had to take his window air out so we could finish our finish our fence.


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## zannej

Wow, that doesn't sound like a pleasant experience, Tuffy. I'm glad you got it sorted out though.
I wish I could remember more of the details, but a friend of mine (who has since passed away) had a property dispute with the daughter of someone he purchased some property from for his hunting cabin (well, it was called a "hunting" cabin, but he mostly used it to have gatherings of friends and some fishing-- in the woods near the river). He had the bill of sale, deed, and even paid to have a land survey done to prove what part was his. The daughter kept claiming the land was hers (bc she inherited when her father died) and was trying to evict him & take over his camp for herself. It was called a "camp" but it had a house with full kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, etc-- sort of like a cabin in the woods. He paid a lot for the survey & then the wench & her husband kept calling him and harassing him and demanding that he give them the survey paperwork to prove it was his land. He told them to pay for their own damn survey & to stop calling him. He got so upset over it he had a stroke (but survived). I don't know how things were settled but I know they eventually were.

As for my younger friend, the piece of property the trailer park guy is trying to take is very large. Like more than half of the property. About 200ft north to south and 100ft east to west. So about 20,000sqft of land.

Today I made my mother happy by locating one of her lost medicine boxes (the ones that are for day and night for a week). It had fallen behind her night stand. I also called the doctor to get them to call the pharmacy to approve of her prescription renewal. Since I've still been physically exhausted, I played around with google sketchup and updated my sketches for my laundry room and bathroom idea. I couldn't find upper cabinets that were the right size & look for the space, so I just marked on the screenshot where they will go. The tub/shower combo I wanted has been discontinued though. So, I'll have to find something else to put in. I'll post the pics in my thread about it.


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## Flyover

Been a while. I was doing a good job kicking my mild internet addiction lately but the last few days have been on the bad side...so here I am.

The bathroom's done for now. Shelves mounted, trim painted...forgot to take pictures of the crown molding mirror frame as I was making it, as promised to Zannej, and for that I apologize. I will say, the tutorials you see on the internet for this kind of thing almost all do it in a way I thought was foolish, basically just cutting the frame pieces and gluing them directly onto the wall around the mirror. Looks OK in the pictures online but I know in person it's gotta look like crap, and it's permanent so you're stuck with it once it's up.

What I did was rout a rabbet on the inside back of the molding before cutting it, so when I cut the pieces and put the frame together the mirror fit inside, just like a picture frame you buy at the store. I used heavy duty double-sided tape to fasten the mirror to the frame so it was one unit, then I fasten that to the wall with the same heavy duty tape. It's on there securely but won't be too hard to pull off -- all in one piece -- if I want to redo the vanity later (which I do).

Also, I did it all with no power tools (except the router) in under 3 or 4 man-hours (including painting) without screwing it up, which is really good for me.

Next I'm gonna build a chain link fence so stray dogs don't run into my yard again.

What else...went to a gun show for the first time yesterday, that was cool. Exactly what I expected: calm, quiet, lots of interesting/beautiful stuff besides the guns. Wish I had a few spare hundred bucks to leave there!


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## tuffy

Been making the drawers for the computer desk , raking up all the leaves and mowing the yard with our new mower. we made about three passes with our old one before it decided to lock up.and pruning the rose bushes this winter was especially hard on them. fertilizing and debugging the yard.


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## zannej

Flyover, no need to apologize on forgetting the pictures. I'd forgotten that I asked. But the explanation is good and you can still take pics of the finished project. 
I was thinking of doing about the same for the one I plan to make. Although, I want it to stay together so I plan to use some sort of strong adhesive. I got 4 bullseye plinth blocks and some fluted mdf door/window trim but I think the plinths are a tad wider than the trim. I wish I could have found wood trim instead of mdf, but they didn't have any available. I hope the router can still work on mdf without problems. I want to notch the back of the trim and the plinths. I'm even thinking of using some of that rope putty like stuff used to install window screens or something (not certain what it's used for but it looks like string) under the edge between the mdf and the mirror for a little cushioning. I'm trying to figure out if the width difference will be obvious and if it is, maybe I can find some sort of very thin quarter round trim to make up the difference. I've never built a project like this before so it will be interesting. I still have an old piece of my father's attempts to make a framed mirror that cracked when he was putting it together as a reminder down in the workshop (which is part of why I want a little bit of a buffer between glass and wood). He did make some of the framed mirrors successfully though-- and put them at the back wall of the hutch on his massive custom desk. Anyway, on mine I plan to put the mirror on plywood or luan and I'm thinking of having the trim notched to hang over the very edge of the plywood just a smidgen to hide the plywood edge. I'll have to find out if I have the right tools for that job. The last time I used a chisel for carving, I used the wrong kind and it did some weird funky grooves instead of being flat like I'd wanted (but my woodworking teacher thought it looked cool).

Tuffy, that reminds me that I need to get my lawn cut again. In some ways I'm regretting having given my riding mower away (but it was broken). Guy who has it now fixed it and made some $ mowing people's lawns. I still remember when we lived in Navy housing and I got too sick to mow the lawn. My father worked 60+ hours, my mother never did yardwork in her life, and my brother would quit after 2 minutes. The navy started sticking notes on our door threatening to have one of the lawn ninjas (navy didn't call them that, but they were called that bc they wore full face covering things like ninjas) mow our lawn at our expense. They even called once and my father said "Go ahead, I would gladly pay them to have my lawn mowed." Even when it didn't grow long, that grass was very thick and constantly choked up the lawnmowers and there was too much of a slope in some areas to safely use a riding mower-- plus we had nowhere to store one without it getting stolen or damaged by the neighbor's kids. yard wasn't large enough to have a shed & there were no fences allowed. But they never kept good on their threats. Just kept posting notes and my father would laugh. They posted notes on an empty house for months before I saw someone putting a note up and told them "No one lives there, they got med-vaced out 6 months ago." I probably told that story before. LOL.


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## zannej

It's been quiet here for awhile. Everyone doing ok?
Haven't heard from Chris in awhile. Hope everything is going well for everyone.


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## Gary

I look in from time to time, but haven't taken the time to post much. This is my busy season, so it's nose to the grindstone around here.


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## tuffy

Well I fell down a flight of stairs a week ago . no major damage just banged my right knee up pretty bad put me in an immobilizer for 6 days. couldn't do much to hard to bend over. The city inspecter red flagged us for having the paper lawn and leaf bags sitting in our driveway ready to be hauled of which we were doing when he red flagged us when he found this out he tore up the ticket. mowed the yard three times this past week and a half. that's about all that's been happing in my little world. Maybe next week will be better I hope.


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## zannej

Yikes, Tuffy. Sorry about your fall. Hope you are feeling better now. Sheesh, I don't think I would like living in an area with a city inspector that was picky about lawns and yards. I know that shorter lawns are less likely to have snakes hiding, but I don't like that level of control/interference. I get why they do it, but it's just not for me.

I made some charts for pipe sizes with inner and outer diameters for ABS and PVC as well as info on trap arm length according to UPC and IPC for the plumbing forums. I initially made tables in HTML but that wouldn't work on these forums so I tried BBCode and that didn't work. Just made it in images now and am trying to find the right spot to start a thread with that info. I figured knowing at least the outer diameter might help people to know how large of a hole they will have to drill and so forth. I got some of the info from a website that listed a lot more stuff, but I just simplified it to be something that would most likely be used in residential structures.


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## tuffy

Worked on the yard some more pulled up all the weeds. now to order some 3/4 river rock for the flower beds . don't know how many tons to get my sons truck will hold 2 tons at a time so i guess we will start with that and go from there. but he has to clean the bed of his truck out first so who knows when this take place.


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## Sisi

drank coffee, I will do the cleaning


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## zannej

I cleaned the toilet, bought a new wax ring to prepare for replacing the old one (but will need help from my doofus brother to lift the toilet-- also still need to get my tools back from my friend, that is, if they haven't been stolen from his house bc there are squatters staying there while he is taking care of his grandfather). I got up early and had my blood taken for regular testing (every 6 months or so I go in to have my thyroid levels checked). Had to go back in later to take my friend's girlfriend to the store to get some medicine for her & the friend's 5-year-old daughter. My friend was out taking his grandfather to a doctor's appointment. Stopped by his house so the girlfriend could pick something up and found some people squatting there (a friend who doesn't know when to GTFO didn't lock the door before giving the keys back to the girlfriend and now he's living there, using the water, electric, internet, computer, etc). He even had other people over there without having asked. He spilled something on the carpet and badly stained it. The place was an absolute mess. I need to go there and search for my tools to make sure the mooch didn't steal them like he stole my brother's headlights & tail lights (from his old vehicle). The girlfriend was very stressed out but can't complain to my friend because he already has a bleeding ulcer from stress. His mother is mooching off of him and expecting him to fix her car at his expense and constantly calling him. She didn't even raise him & was barely involved in his life except when she needs something from him.

I saw a kitten under a work truck and was afraid it was going to get run over. Nearby workers looked like they were spraying some sort of poison on to the ground, so I rescued the kitten. My brother is still in town watching the kitten at my friend's house. I need to find someone to take the kitten because we can't bring in any more of them.


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## zannej

My brother's boss didn't say anything to him about missing about a week of work without calling in, but when my brother did show up at the time he saw he was scheduled for the boss pretended that he didn't know his cellphone # and claimed he'd been texting him (but the boss has been texting him for 2 years & didn't have the wrong number so he's full of crap). But, he's cut my brother's hours to one day a week. Since my brother is applying for multiple other jobs, he doesn't care. I'm seriously thinking of ordering this guy some Haribo sugar free gummi bears and having amazon send them as an anonymous gift.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Btw, anyone mind if I post the charts I compiled of inner and outer pipe diameters for PVC, CPVC, and ABS in the plumbing section? I posted it at the actual plumbingforums.com but I know there are people here who don't go to that site and I thought it would be a useful reference for figuring out what size holes to cut & how to determine what the nominal pipe size is if there are no visible markings.


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## Gary

Lettering a couple trucks this morning, putting a baseball sponsor sign together this afternoon, maybe install Medic perforated prints on the back windows of a couple ambulances if time allows. Then off to play with the Grandkids and take the family out to PF Chang's for an "End of the School Year" party.

Good idea on the pipe sizes zannej. I'm in the middle of installing a couple vac systems in the shops and have found the O.D of a PVC drain pipe coupler fits perfectly inside the I.D. of a schedule coupler. That worked out well as a transition in a couple spots. Also found the 2" quick coupler on a shop vac hose set is a loose fit inside a schedule 40 - 2" coupler, but tight enough that it can be glued in with liquid nails, so I could make use of the push button hose release.


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## zannej

Ooh, I'd love to see pics of the lettering. I love seeing things like that. It's an art form I've always been impressed with. So many people see the lettering on vehicles and never even though about how much work and precision goes in to it.

I hope you and your family enjoy PF Chang's. I've heard of it but there aren't any in my area.

I first thought of the idea of finding out the outer pipe size when my friend was trying to find the right size hole to drill for his new plumbing. The outer diameter was larger than the listed pipe size (and that is without the flares for female ends). So, I started looking it up and decided that the inner diameter might be useful as well. It illustrates clearly the differences in size between ABS, PVC, and even CPVC (with CPVC having a thicker wall & smaller inside diameter).

The vac systems sound cool!


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## tuffy

Went yard sailing. Actually a couple of my diseases have progressed to the point I'm having more and more accidents. and i found out that i can no longer dress my self i new this day was coming been having a harder  and harder time dressing my self. so i guess i have no choice but to get some one to stay with me during the day when my wife works.this day just plain sucks.


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## TGMcCallie

Praying that God will cure my 59 year old son who has just found out that he has Myeloma which is suppose to be a deadly blood cancer that kills off his red blood cells.  I would appreciate everyone that reads this to send up a 
prayer that God will heal my Son DeWayne McCallie.  Miracles through prayer.

Thanks for everyone that will do this.

Tom


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## Gary

Will Do


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## zannej

Tuffy, I'm so sorry to hear that. My mother isn't quite to that point, but sometimes I have to help her with her socks. It hasn't been as bad since she lost weight. Last appointment with her doctor he commented on how great it is she's losing weight and I said "but I found it" and it took him a minute to get it. LOL. I gain most of my weight on my belly. 
I'm not sure what the issues are in terms of your mobility, but there is a type of yoga for people who have injuries/disabilities that can help (or so I've been told). I'll have to ask my brother what it was again. He's been doing some of the yoga himself and it's made him feel better. I think it was developed by WWE wrestler DDP and actually helped some of the wrestlers who had bad injuries-- particularly back ones.
Ok, I googled it and it is called DDP Yoga. Apparently Mick Foley lost 100lbs and is doing better. I wonder if that means he can put his own socks on now-- he got to the point where he had to have his wife put his socks on him.


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## john360

Nothing much!
Just completed my regular work and then played with my kids.


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## zannej

I found my elderly dog outside near the cow water trough. She wasn't able to stand up and walk so I carried her to the porch and fed her and then got my brother's help to take her and our newer dog to the vet (newer dog needed rabies vaccine). At first the vet thought the older one was paralyzed but she's just lacking strength. He gave her a shot of some steroids and said to keep giving her shots twice a day and report back on Monday to see if she's improved. For now she's resting on a 3/4" thick kitchen mat with her head near the water bowl and a food bowl right near by. The other dog had her vaccines and threw up in the truck but seems ok. She didn't want to eat the wet food, but she can be a picky eater. She's sleeping right now. The older dog devoured a whole can of wet food in 5 seconds.

It was 85 degrees around 10am and its 93 degrees now. My good neighbor has been out here since around 9am bush-hogging the yard and he's still out there. It looks like we just now got some cloud cover though. I went out earlier and helped him pick up some stuff but as it warmed up, I couldn't take the heat.


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## Gary

Removed the wall A/C from the CNC shop ( got it used from the neighbor many many years ago when they switched to central air) it finally gave up.  New one's a little smaller and 110 instead of 220 so I did a little altering to get it to fit. I'm ready for a hot summer now.


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## zannej

I am never ready for a hot summer. LOL. This weather just slays me.
Also, my neighbor had been around since 8am. Typo. LOL. But it won't let me edit my post. He bush-hogged about 10 acres. I need to go over with a thank you card and some $. And next time I need to have a cold beverage for him.


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## Gary

Yea, I'm not a fan either. The older I get the more I like 68°f-72°f with a light breeze.


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## tuffy

Been trying to fix my wife's favorite water feature.


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## zannej

Gary, that sounds about like the right temperature range for me. I like to have a breeze going. In my room I have a desk fan on each of my nightstands pointed at me and I have a ceiling fan. I have trouble sleeping if I don't have a breeze. Even in winter I still need a fan on low to circulate the air and help me sleep.
I've been taking care of my dog. I didn't know a dog that size could hold so much fluid and excrement. She soaked 2 puppy pads and it still ran off on to the wood floor and soaked the surrounding area. I had to clean around her and then move her and try to lift her without hurting her to clean under and get fresh pads under her. You'd think she was the size of a cow from the size of the excrement. And the poor thing can't stand up and then gets upset when she messes on herself. She can drag herself a bit to move away from it, but that's about it. She did manage to turn herself around, but it apparently took a lot of effort and she yelped while doing it. I was up all night with her. So, I was trying to get some sleep in this morning and my brother woke me up a few times to give me progress reports. He gave her the shot this morning and she perked up. He gave her some roast beef and that seemed to make her happy. Right now she seems to be resting comfortably on the anti-fatigue mat. I need to see if I can find some extra large puppy pads or something that would be put in a kennel to put under her.


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## Mastercarpenty

Today's joy was going to the County Courthouse for jury duty. It ended for me an hour later when the Judge learned that I'm nearly deaf, just having no documentation to prove that. I'm working well out of town so that sort of shot the whole day down. I'll find something to do here at home and get back on track tomorrow!

Phil


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## zannej

Since my last post, my dog has had some ups and downs (literally). She's fallen a few times and scraped her leg and got an infection. So now I have to change bandages as well as diapers. I decided to move her on to my bed to make her more comfortable. She's on a waterproof mattress pad and I have my desk fan rotating so it blows on her and on me. She's go her head toward the fan and seems to be relaxed. Princess isn't thrilled about having another dog on the bed (she's fine with cats) but she can deal. She gets along with Fippy OK, but Brenda is larger and Princess is afraid of her or something. I just need to remember to flip the old girl over from time to time so she doesn't get bed sores.

I got in some bonding time with my cat who has leukemia last night. She kept running in to the living room, trying to climb on things, and kept falling. The vet thinks she might have a brain tumor but said if she does, there's nothing that can be done for her other than keeping her comfortable and treating her seizures with medication. I held her on my chest while watching TV. There was a new episode of "New Tricks" on PBS. The kitty was absolutely ecstatic. I've been so busy with the dogs that I wasn't paying enough attention to her.

My bro and I went over to visit our friend (the one with the bad luck) at work and keep him company because he was the only employee there for several hours. There were no customers or calls for a long time and then starting like 8 minutes before closing, there was an influx. Fortunately, there were no more customers within the last 2 minutes so my friend was able to close up on time.


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## zannej

I've only been called to Jury Duty twice but both times I was eliminated during voir dire. Those defense attorneys do not like me. LOL.

My dog seems to be doing better today. She decided she wanted to sleep on her dog bed on the floor and spent several hours there. She barely budged when I changed her diapers but she ate well. Her leg wounds seem to be closed up and she got up and walked around for awhile. She's currently sleeping against my brother's door.

Speaking of my brother, he just let me enjoy a bit of schadenfreude by telling me that one of the new employees has been reporting his former boss for all of his violations- most notably the going in to the computer and changing the hours employees worked to screw them out of pay. He made the mistake of doing it to her and she's a shift lead and was able to document it. The district manager came in and informed two employees that the boss is probably getting fired soon and asked if they would be willing to take over. My brother didn't want the guy to lose his job, but he really deserves to be fired. Plus, he further slandered my brother to cover for more of his screw-ups. Apparently he didn't want to do some mandatory paperwork in the manager's book so he tore the pages out and started telling everyone that my brother did it.  None of the employees believed him because they knew my brother wouldn't have done that and furthermore couldn't have because he wasn't there when it happened. That probably won't stop the jerk from spreading that lie to corporate.

My brother has an eye doctor appointment tomorrow so I will have to drive him. And Friday he has a job interview. They wanted him to bring his high school diploma. He pointed out that he graduated 20 years ago in Guam and that getting his diploma from the high school before Friday was not possible- but he got his transcripts from the college we went to.


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## Gary

I finished up a backdrop for Superman. I made this Metropolis background for a drive inn display along route 66 not far from us.


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## zannej

That is super cool, Gary! I used to be big in to comic books. The backdrop looks great!

My brother went for his job interview and there were quite a few people there for the job. There were 3 interviewers (2 men in hard hats and a cranky woman who was snapping at everyone). Unfortunately, my brother was interviewed by crankypants who hadn't even read his resume & was asking questions that were already answered but not even listening to the answers and getting the details wrong. She claimed he had never worked anywhere longer than 6 months (even after he told her multiple times his last employment was 3 years) so he didn't get the job. Every single person she interviewed before him got rejected. Meanwhile, guys who interviewed with the hard hat men got hired with zero prior job experience. But, there is still another opening on the other end of the place (he was applying for the "wet" end of the lumbermill) and he knows someone who works on the "dry" end who might be able to put in a good word for him.


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## tuffy

Those are so super cool .


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej & Tuffy. I'm getting anxious to get it installed.


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## joecaption

Today my only goal was to go collect money people owed me, no one was home of course so I mowed 4 lawns, pick up two more new customer (last thing I need) interviewed a new employee, and measured for the material need to rebuild a deck. another job I did not need) and two of my regular customers called and had long list of things they needed done. 
This year I by far more work than I've ever had, now if I can just find some employee's worth a darn. So far this year I've through 3 and the forth one most likely will be fired tomorrow.


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## zannej

Joe, the collecting the $ part is not always easy. When people owe $ they suddenly become scarce. My late elderly friend used to go door to door to collect people insurance premiums so the people wouldn't have to go in or mail them. There was a lady that had a reputation as having killed her husband and most of the collectors were afraid to go to her house, but my friend would go and she was a bit sweet on him. Kept inviting him to attend some of her wild parties, but he always declined.

Sad to hear about the employees. Too bad you're not in my area. I know quite a few hard workers who are looking for jobs. I just found out that people can't even get construction jobs around here unless they go to Lake Charles (2 hours away) and pay $120 for a TWIC (at least that's how it sounds-- not sure on the actual acronym) card. All they have to do is fill out paperwork, show proof of citizenship (either birth cert + ID or a passport) and pay the fee. Then wait a few weeks to get the card. No physical, no background checks... Just show up and get the card. Pay to play (or work in this case) type thing. Yesterday I drove my brother & some friends to get the TWIC cards. Only one of my bro's friends didn't have the $ so my brother spotted him. Somehow I don't think he'll ever get the $ back. His friend has a problem with not listening to people and not being able to follow simple instructions/directions. He also likes to argue when he has no clue what he's talking about. He's never had a job for more than a couple months bc he keeps getting fired for either mouthing off or for incompetence. He's a nice enough kid, but he's a bit dense and I highly suspect he's on the autism spectrum. My mother _hates _him. 

My elderly dog is doing better. I only had to help her get up once in the past week-- she had no traction on the floor again. For the most part, if she struggles enough she can get up, but it's not always easy. She actually came to me the other day to ask for a diaper change (the diapers keep her from peeing on the floor & then slipping in the pee). If the weather was cooler I could let her outside. I've been giving her a little bit of time without diapers on so she doesn't get skin irritation. This morning my back was so sore that my brother had to put a diaper on her for me. I took something for the pain so I was able to change the diaper later.


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## joecaption

It sucks when they get old like that.
Today I had 6 jobs line up.
I stop to pick up the first helper, never came out, would not pick up the phone.
Go to the next one and the same thing happened.
Time for plan C and I went to work by myself.
Second helper called and text all day begging me to give him a second chance, second chance, this happens every week!


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## zannej

Man, Joe, that really sucks about the helpers not coming out or answering the phone. Don't blame you for firing any of them if they do that. I can understand if it happens once and there is a good reason for it-- like an emergency where they were at the hospital or something-- but even then, they should have at least texted with an explanation ahead of time. People being unreliable is one of my pet peeves. It's why I always hated group projects in school because I always ended up doing the entire thing by myself because nobody else would do their part.

I went to the store to pick up some prescriptions but turns out the pharmacy was out-of-stock. Dollar Tree was out of the coconut water my mother wanted, so I came home with some rotisserie chicken (not from Dollar Tree) for her instead. Walked in and the old dog was next to the cat food bowls with one of the bowls pulled out into the middle of the floor and she was asleep with her face in the bowl. Now I know why the cat food is going so fast. I might need to relocate their food somewhere else so the dogs don't keep eating it. I already feed my cat who has cancer up on top of the cat tree instead of down on the floor. She eats and eats but won't gain weight, and she's become super clingy-- literally. She will latch on to me and cling-- just wraps herself around my neck and won't let go.


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## joecaption

Since I drove off and left him he now stands at the end of the driveway waiting for me and worked his butt off all day.
I just hope it's not just a flash in the pan.
Today we ground about 10 stumps at 4 different houses and he was trying to carry the stump grinder, gas can, and rake in one trip instead of three, it was funny to watch.
We also mowed and wacked 4 yards and I saw him making sure the trimmer was full of gas and checking the string before he started.
He did so good I even bought him lunch


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## tuffy

Wasn't feeling good today so all I did was went to PT which all that did was made me sore. Got all of my tools gathered up for the week end,Going to tear the wavy ceiling down in my sons room. And put a new one up and hopefully even get it painted, If every body shows up that is suppose to.


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## zannej

Joe, that sounds like a lot of work! Those stump grinders are heavy. We used to have one but we sold it after my father died. Kinda wish we'd kept it because we could have used it recently-- but, it would have been sitting unused for years and might not have run. I'm glad the employee is working hard now. I guess the thought of losing his job lit a fire under him and I, too, hope that it isn't just a flash in the pan. 

Tuffy, I hope you get feeling better soon. I still need to get my tools back from my friend. They are at his house but he's been staying at his grandfather's house to take care of him. Last time I looked around at his house, I didn't see stuff, but I didn't look too hard. Not sure where he put my stuff and I really hope it didn't get stolen. He's got a guy staying there who isn't all that reliable and who stole some stuff off my brother's truck so I'm a bit concerned.

My brother's truck is running better now that he got silicone put in the cracked tail light housing. it had filled with water and caused a short. But, someone vandalized his truck prior to him being let go from Pizza Hut. They ripped some trim off of the top, cracked his windshield, managed to steal his inspection sticker (bc he sometimes forgets to lock his truck), and removed some screws to his sun roof. He's got things patched with duck tape for now. With the electrical fixed the tail light works again, his VTM-3 is working again, and his cruise control is functioning (all 3 had stopped working). He got a new inspection sticker (despite the crack-- guy said he wasn't supposed to give it bc of the size of the crack but that bc it didn't interfere with visibility, it was ok).

I'm supposed to go back and get my mother's prescriptions-- she said they called and said they were ready. Just feeling like a slug today. I went to bed before midnight and slept all night but i'm still tired.


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## zannej

Did the backdrop for Superman get put up yet?
My chronic fatigue has been kicking in again so I've been sleeping more.
My dog is doing much better-- she hasn't needed help getting up in the past week and has been walking around and standing without wobbling. I gave the vet an update and she was very surprised.
My brother got his TWIC card to apply for more jobs. Medicaid gave him an extension for another year after the contacted them. He got a note back from Unemployment saying he was ineligible because he was fired for insubordination. They didn't even give him a hearing or give him a chance to give his side, so he sent them a long e-mail detailing what happened and how he wasn't properly fired. Meanwhile, his boss got off with a warning/reprimand for the stuff he was reported to (because according to their rules, there has to be a warning before he can be fired-- something my brother never got). He also figured out which employee reported him and retaliated against her by cutting her hours way back so she loses money. My brother then called the district manager and told him what happened and the guy told him "I wish you'd told me this when you still worked there". He said now it will look like retaliation, but he did believe him. He also let him know that the boss accused him of all sorts of things that he knew he hadn't done, but that it would be hard to make corporate accept that. My brother has several friends who will testify on his behalf if it goes to court, but right now he's trying to find a free/cheap unemployment lawyer.


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## havasu

free/cheap unemployment lawyer? I've never seen this.


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## oldognewtrick

Better Call Saul.....you'd have to be familiar with Breaking Bad to understand.


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## zannej

Ah, ok. So it might not be worth it to sue if all the pay goes to the lawyer...
Although, I wish he could sue his boss for defamation because the lies from the boss are what caused him to not get Unemployment & it may affect future job prospects.

Meanwhile, there was a power surge the other day and the wall outlet for the TV, modem, & router stopped working. Fortunately everything was through an APC unit so the aforementioned electronics are all still ok, but that outlet seems fried. My mother said she smelled fried electrical briefly. For now we have a long 12-gauge extension cord running from the opposite side of the room from one of the only 2 outlets that still work in the room (there were only 4 outlets but two of them are now fried). My friend said he will come over next week and take a look to see if replacing the outlets will help. I got 20amp outlets instead of 15 to see if that will help any. I'll need to get my flashlight to see if the breaker is 15 or 20 though. I think the previous outlets were only 15, but not sure on the breakers.

Last night I visited my friend at work to hang out. He had a chatty customer her overheard him telling me the plumber his grandfather hired had put AAVs on the washing machine & kitchen sink instead of tying them in to the existing vents (which were right nearby). I mentioned that they weren't even supposed to be allowed here and that it's not a good idea to put one on a washing machine vent. The customer then started talking about how he used to be a contractor and mentioned some other guys he worked with in the area (who are now dead). He then tried to mansplain to me about plumbing and said that kitchen sinks can't have P-traps because they will get clogged. This led to a brief argument where I explained about P-traps being self-scouring & how slip-joint PVC is used under sinks so it can be taken apart and cleaned out if need be. He continued to insist I was wrong until I mentioned the change in plumbing code (from the LPC that was done away with in 2016 and reverted to IPC 2016). He finally conceded that I knew more about it than he did. LOL.
He was a nice enough guy- stuck around and chatted about how he refurbishes guitars and has been making modifications to his motorcycle. Stayed until 9pm (which was closing time). Since the employees weren't allowed to tell him the store was closed, I let him know & said that the lights were going to go out automatically in a few minutes (they go out at 9:05pm) so the remaining customers in the store decided to stop chatting and buy their stuff.


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## tuffy

Haven't been feeling well this heat and the mixture of my meds really get me down . Been spraying weeds late in the evening. Its cooled off a lot today so I'm going to mow tonight. I've got this neighbor who is a real jerk if their is a way to make a dime with out moving from his easy chair he's all over it the last 2 times I've mowed he has filmed me trying to make it look like I'm  not disabled  but I've got to much documentation and people  who know me that can say that I'm am and they find more and more problems every day. so he can waste all the film on me that he wants.


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## shan2themax

tuffy said:


> Haven't been feeling well this heat and the mixture of my meds really get me down . Been spraying weeds late in the evening. Its cooled off a lot today so I'm going to mow tonight. I've got this neighbor who is a real jerk if their is a way to make a dime with out moving from his easy chair he's all over it the last 2 times I've mowed he has filmed me trying to make it look like I'm  not disabled  but I've got to much documentation and people  who know me that can say that I'm am and they find more and more problems every day. so he can waste all the film on me that he wants.


People like that are just useless, I dont even understand why they even try to be that way


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## zannej

Tuffy, I'm sorry to hear that-- both about you not feeling well and about the jerk neighbor. The heat seems to be getting worse during summers around here. Jerky neighbors is just one of the reasons I don't like living near other people. I also don't have time for people who don't understand how disabilities work. Just because a person sometimes has a good day where they are able to do things doesn't mean they can do things every day or that they don't have pain or problems.

I hope you get feeling better and that you can stay cool.


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## Rusty

Finally going to get a couple cooler days. Highs only in the upper 80s.


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## tuffy

Been a good couple of days .Had a good 4th of July hotter than heck tho . Finally getting around to replacing my bad dusk to dawn sensor. going to fix some of the cracks in my masonry walls tomorrow, and finish cleaning out the garage on Sunday. Then I will be worn out for the entire week.And  I have quit smoking a 2 pack a day habit going on 1 month.


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## oldognewtrick

Congrats on the stop smoking stuffy!


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## tuffy

Why (cough) thank ya (cough) old dog . stuffy.


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## Gary

Regular work day here. I'll be gone a couple days next week coupled with the internet being down because we had a lightning strike a few days ago. That adds up to, no Saturday off of me.


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## shan2themax

I got hurt at work 2 weeks ago, so I'm on light duty, can't lift more than 20 pounds.... haven't gotten to dig into my table saw I bought. Haven't gotten to work on a chest of drawers I'm refinishing.  I'm having an MRI Monday to make sure my rotator cuff isnt torn. I just had rotator cuffed repair surgery on my other shoulder 2 years ago. 
Oh, and I'm going back to college next month to finish my bachelors degree. I've been working on statistics all evening trying to get ahead of the game before class starts in the end of August


----------



## Sean Parker

oldognewtrick said:


> Better Call Saul.....you'd have to be familiar with Breaking Bad to understand.



Haha. Yeah, I know him from Breaking Bad. Walter White rocked, lmaoo xD


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## zannej

It's been hot and I haven't gotten much done. Did change the air filters and got some stuff picked up around the house (on the inside) but haven't done much outside due to the heat.
My sick dog is doing much better. She actually charged in to the living room when the door opened, wagged her tail, and ate out of another dog's food bowl. She wants to be in that room because it is cooler than the rest of the house and she has thick fur.
Took the little chiweenie to get his nails trimmed & get a bath. He came prancing out all happy afterward.
My mother slipped on one of the puppy training pads in the hallway and fell down, but she's ok. She has a doctor's appointment on Monday. My brother got me to start playing Elder Scrolls Online (which is free to play) and it's fun.


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## shan2themax

So.... I had my MRI this morning. Picked up the results this afternoon. I won't know the plan for at least a week, but it looks like I have a small tear in one of my tendons in the rotator cuff (from the typed radiology report)  
Oh well, it could always be worse.  I also know what to possibly expect because I had my right shoulder rotator cuff repaired 2 years ago. Puts things in perspective for you that's for sure!
Hope everyone has had a great day


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## zannej

Yikes. That is not good, Shan. I hope it will be a relatively easy fix. My uncle tore his rotator cuff recently & was telling me how much it sucked. Here's hoping it heals quickly.

I took my two youngest female kittens (who are now 6 months old) to be spayed this morning. Called to check later & was told everything went well & they are fine. I get to pick them up tomorrow afternoon.

It's still hot as balls outside. The humidity makes it like a sauna, so my cats are all inside because they don't like the heat.

My old dog is continuing to improve. She's had no trouble getting up and actually tried to run in to the living room earlier. She even started wagging her tail again. She pushed past me when I was going in to the living room and last night she actually noticed that we have a "new" dog and started sniffing her (she had not really acknowledged her presence before that). The "new" dog has adjusted well. She likes to play with the little dog's favorite toy (and he doesn't seem to mind). I was trying to get her out of the living room so I threw it in to the kitchen. She went after it, brought it back in to the living room, dropped it, and ran out. She knows it's supposed to stay in that room so she returned it. LOL.

I'm trying to work up the energy to work on the hot water knob for my shower. It has a screw right down the center (on the outside) that was loose. I tightened it but the water still won't turn on when I turn the knob. So, I need to shut off the water to the house & take the knob off to see what is going on.


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## shan2themax

zannej said:


> Yikes. That is not good, Shan. I hope it will be a relatively easy fix. My uncle tore his rotator cuff recently & was telling me how much it sucked. Here's hoping it heals quickly.
> 
> I took my two youngest female kittens (who are now 6 months old) to be spayed this morning. Called to check later & was told everything went well & they are fine. I get to pick them up tomorrow afternoon.
> 
> It's still hot as balls outside. The humidity makes it like a sauna, so my cats are all inside because they don't like the heat.
> 
> My old dog is continuing to improve. She's had no trouble getting up and actually tried to run in to the living room earlier. She even started wagging her tail again. She pushed past me when I was going in to the living room and last night she actually noticed that we have a "new" dog and started sniffing her (she had not really acknowledged her presence before that). The "new" dog has adjusted well. She likes to play with the little dog's favorite toy (and he doesn't seem to mind). I was trying to get her out of the living room so I threw it in to the kitchen. She went after it, brought it back in to the living room, dropped it, and ran out. She knows it's supposed to stay in that room so she returned it. LOL.
> 
> I'm trying to work up the energy to work on the hot water knob for my shower. It has a screw right down the center (on the outside) that was loose. I tightened it but the water still won't turn on when I turn the knob. So, I need to shut off the water to the house & take the knob off to see what is going on.


I am so happy your pup is feeling better. I have 2 myself, one of which has a seizure disorder. They are the best things ever.
I have been soooooo whiny over this. I am very independent and this just makes me whacky. I need to be doing things around the house and cant (I suppose I could take this time to perfect cleaning :-/ ). 
I'm a little worried about what it all means as far as my job is concerned. If I would have to change jobs it would be a 14k a year paycut. Ugh Being an adult is zero fun, being alone is ok but its times like this that would be great to have a S/O
Speaking of pups.... it's time to take them out for the night! I hope your kitties are healing quickly also


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## Gary

I'm deciding if I want to install a sign downtown today. It's threatening rain so I'll have to keep an eye on radar weather for a gap in the showers.


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## shan2themax

I took the door off an empty bedroom today and installed it on the doorway of my laundry room, my moms cats keep going in there, getting in the window, knocking stuff over and putting holes in my dryer vent.. so, I was able to cut several inches off the dryer vent, install the door and then I bought a new doorknob and installed that. Now they can't get in there and I'm less stressed.
I also find out this week whether I'll do physical therapy for a few weeks or go to an orthopedic surgeon.


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## Gary

I got the sign installed despite the threat of rain.


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## shan2themax

Looks great!


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## oldognewtrick

Gary said:


> I got the sign installed despite the threat of rain.


Nice!!!


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## Gary

Thanks shan2themax & oldogewtrick.


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## zannej

The sign looks awesome, Gary!
I tried to upload pictures of my shower knob but for some reason they didn't go. Internet has been terrible.
The dog has been moving around even more & comes in to sleep on her dog bed on my floor when she can't get in to the living room (or when she's not asleep with her face in the cat food bowls).

The weather here absolutely sucks & bc there is no insulation in the laundry room, it is boiling in there so I've been putting off doing laundry. I have a large pile to do on a day that is hopefully cooler. Heat index today got up to 111. My brother & I had to go in to town to get mail & cat litter. My mother went nuts on Amazon Prime day so there were some large heavy packages (badly beaten up, but the contents seemed ok).

We stopped to visit a friend and for some reason sat outside in his car port despite being hot as balls. I ended up being distracted by the plight of a carpenter ant. My friend's gf had fed some rice & beef stew to the dogs & 2 grains of rice fell on the ground. The ant found the larger grain & spent about 10 minutes trying to pick it up, but it was almost as large as the ant and was stuck to the ground. Then when it finally started making progress, one of the dogs noticed it, ran over, pushed the ant with her nose, and ate the rice. At which point the ant lost it's damn mind & started running around in circles trying to figure out WTF happened. The gf took pity on the ant and saw another grain of rice. She put it down right in the ant's path as it was running. At first it started to move away, but then it realized it was food. This was a slightly smaller grain that was lighter. Ant picked managed to pick it up, retraced some of it's steps, and worked it's way off the pavement to the grass where it disappeared under some leaves. In retrospect, I wish I had recorded some of it.

Can't seem to find the source of the fire ants & they have continued to bite me. Got about 3 bites on my little toe on my right foot. Still trying to figure out the best way to get rid of them without endangering my pets or getting anyone in the house sick.


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## Gary

Thanks zannej


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## havasu

Is that an OSHA approved scaffold system?


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## Gary

No it's home made. I'm a sole proprietor, 1 man shop, OSHA does not apply. I went through that extensively when I built it about 10 years ago. The only place it does apply is if I'm working on the property of a company that is under OSHA rules, then they supply scaffolding for me. But, I haven't done that kind of work for many years.


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## havasu

If your scaffolding is as good as your work Gary, ya got nothin to worry about!


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## zannej

When I lied in Southeast Asia, I used to see scaffolding made from bamboo. I always wondered how sturdy it was.

But right now I'm distracted because I just saw this video and am geeking out over how cool the dinosaur is.


(I've always liked dinosaurs and I wish I were a billionaire and could have one of those in my yard).


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## zannej

It should say "lived" in Southeast Asia not "lied". LOL.
I checked the store yesterday for a replacement hot water knob-- all they had was one really cheap acrylic one that is hard to grip and turn when your hands are wet. So, I was planning to go to HomeDepot and/or Lowes today but my mother insisted that she had to go with me & she wasn't feeling well today so she wants to go tomorrow (this will probably mean we will have to wait a few more days bc she will do this where she says "tomorrow" and then it ends up being two weeks later).
After I went to the store, my friend called & asked if we had a blood sugar meter. His grandfather was having some sort of problem & he wanted to know if he could come borrow one. I offered to drive in  (to save time). His grandfather was getting confused & couldn't remember my friend's name. We checked his sugar levels and they were fine. He'd had a blood pressure spike though. I also think he might be in the early stages of dementia. Stayed for a couple hours afterward to make sure he was ok & then went back home. It's apparently hot enough outside that my cats didnt' want to go out. They are spread out in my room and on my bed.


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## Gary

Got a call from a friend of mine asking if we'd like to go halves on a beef again. He shows livestock at the State Fair and will be at the auction this weekend. I said sure, then decided now might be a good time to replace the freezer down in the dungeon that expired a few weeks ago. I just unboxed it and set it up and was surprised by warning labels both inside the unit and outside that said WARNING THIS UNIT USES FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANT. Then it goes on to warn NOT TO USE MECHANICAL DEVICES TO DEFROST and DO NOT PUNCTURE  REFRIGERANT LINES. Two actions that honestly, hadn't even occurred to me until I read, DO NOT DO THAT. (but, 1 or more people have apparently).
I didn't realize refrigerant was flammable. Is that just the new stuff or has it always been? Back when I charged Auto A/C, nothing was said in school about it being (explosive)  flammable. They did however, impress upon us that being exposed to heat turned freon into a deadly gas.  A heavy gas that could and would find it's way into low places, like a grease pit, and adversely affect anyone working in the grease pit in a very serious way, very quickly. So, don't let the freon get sucked into the carburetor, they said! (Notice the reference to ''letting freon escape'' and a vehicle with a ''carburetor'', sort of dates my A/C experience).


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## zannej

Flammable refrigerant? I never heard of that before, but then I don't know much about refrigerators or AC units.
I do know that if you mix acetone & bleach & keep it iced & cold it becomes chloroform- but that if you don't keep it cold it gives off toxic fumes of hydrochloric acid & chlorinated compounds.

I went to some stores today with my mother. It was 99 degrees outside (actual temp-- not heat index). WTForecast said it was hotter than a redneck's *** on chili night.

Got a new handle for my tub to replace the old one. Had to use the metal adapter spud with 3 little screws to make sure it gripped the splines on the stem properly. Turned it and saw that the stem turned. Still no water came out. :-(

I wonder if there is a cartridge inside that is clogged. I'm really hoping I won't have to open up the wall to get to it. Ugh. I really want a shower and it's the only working shower in the house.


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## Chris

Hi guys. Long time no talk. Today I trenched my neighbors property to get irrigation water to my property


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## slownsteady

Well Hello Chris. How's life in the wild north country?


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## zannej

Chris! It's great to hear from you. Sounds like you've been very busy. I hope the irrigation works well. How is live treating you over there? How are your wife, kids, and dogs?


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## Chris

slownsteady said:


> Well Hello Chris. How's life in the wild north country?


Been great but busy.


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## Chris

zannej said:


> Chris! It's great to hear from you. Sounds like you've been very busy. I hope the irrigation works well. How is live treating you over there? How are your wife, kids, and dogs?


Everything is great, had the inlaws living with us for a bit but finally got rid of them.


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## havasu

Still got Rik up there?


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## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Still got Rik up there?


I heard the vacancy sign is back up...


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## Chris

Its vacant other than my wife and kids. We have two weeks off before the next guests show up


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## zannej

It must be nice to have the place back to yourself again-- even if it's only a short while before more guests arrive.
Do you have any current photos of the house & stuff? Have you changed much with it?
I know you've put a lot of work in to the landscaping. Hope the wife and kids are enjoying the place.

Since I have trouble with bending & get out-of-breath easily, my friend's fiance came over & helped me clean (although, she did most of the cleaning because she has tons of energy & moves a lot faster-- but she's also 20 years younger than me). Got the living room picked up quite a bit & made my mother happy. Still needs some more decluttering, putting stuff away, dusting, vacuuming, etc. She also got the kitchen cleared up quite a bit too-- needs the same things done-- need to find places to put everything as well as clean up the pantry to make room. We have a few rooms where cats are not allowed so the mice were playing-- one of my cats got in & went on a mouse catching spree. She got at least 7. My elderly dog is doing better & has started rushing in to the living room when the door opens. She just seems a lot happier now and she has a much easier time moving if we try to get her to move out of the way. Before she wouldn't even try to budge, but now she is much more cooperative.


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## zannej

To make a long story short, while riding with my bro in his truck, the sun roof started to fly off (screws had come out). He tried to tape it down with gorilla tape, but it didn't take. So, we made an hour-long trip to the Honda body shop (on my suggestion) with me holding the sun roof on from inside. When it first flew up and I went to grab, I made the mistake of grabbing the side, and the plastic trim on the underside came loose. So, I ended up having to hold on to the glass part from behind it. Made it to the Honda place & one of the people took pity on us-- particularly since my bro was supposed to have a traffic court appearance at 5pm (according to the ticket). He helped my brother pop the sun roof back in place & temporarily fixed it with a screw. Said not to operate it & sent us on our way with his business card. Nice guy.

Turns out there was no court house & my bro was confused about what the cop said about Oberlin (which isn't even in the same Parish). We went there 1st & were told we had to go back to McNary-- which does not have a court house. Got lost trying to find the place bc GPS for it was wrong, but google street view showed it was the tiny building with the "CLOSED" sign. Turns out it wasn't actually closed. The mayor was inside & handled everything. We had tried calling the phone # on the ticket multiple times but nobody ever answered. The mayor was nice. Knocked out the citation for inspection sticker bc my bro got a new one (old one had come off somehow) & reduced the speeding ticket to a moving violation.


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## Chris

I dont have any pictures of any progress, I'm working on my irrigation piping right now. I'll get some pictured


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## CallMeVilla

Replacing all outlets and switches in a 2 story major remodel.  Coordinating with tile guy and cabinet guy on their problems.  Knocked off at 3:00 because its freakin' hot in Southern California


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## slownsteady

It's freakn' hot everywhere! Hi CMV! where ya' been?


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## shan2themax

I'm still sitting here waiting to be seen by the orthopedic surgeon. I do like what they have me doing at work... which is a plus.  I had someone come and give me an estimate for a new roof,  metal.... it was a little less than I thought it would be and it included, gutters, fascia, soffits, and roof $8262..... I really really want a metal roof but holy cow.  So, now I'm trying to find another company to give estimate for shingles plus the house stuff.
I think I'm at a place in life where I've gotta ask for more help and stop trying to be a tough girl..... lol I'm thinking I'm going to take the table saw that I purchased back.... I won't be able to use it till next spring and I just cant justify hurting another shoulder while trying to be independent and save money.
I hope you fellas have a good night!


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## zannej

My to do list is incredibly long & it's getting harder to do things. With this heat I've been having a harder time breathing. Friend's fiance has been coming over once a week to clean up-- trying to get rid of tons of cardboard boxes & she's the only one who can get my brother to actually take the trash out. He just blows me off whenever I ask him to do it, but if she asks him he'll get up and do it. Poor girl has a heart condition (hole between two of the chambers) & needs surgery, but she still has more energy & can move faster and more easily than I can. She vacuumed up the couch & living room while I did some laundry (she helped me with some of the lifting bc my back hates me). I cooked some 5-cheese tortollini from Sam's Club for her & my mother. Added a garlic butter sauce to it & they both enjoyed it.

Yesterday I drove her to a cardiology appointment, bought her lunch, & got her some new shoes (on clearance) bc the cheap flipflops she got from Dollar Tree were falling apart. I got her some of the tortollini from Sam's & told her how to cook it. Spent a little time at my friend's house & his grandfather told me about the time he worked on the demolition/explosion effects team for a movie called Hurry Sundown. He talked about how they brought in food trucks & he was invited to come eat with the cast. 

My brother's COPD is acting up. I heard some strange squealing noise and asked what it was-- he said "It's my lungs" but he's got an appointment set up with the doctor. I'm going to see if he can get a referral to a sleep center to see if he needs a CPAP or something. I asked at the cardiology clinic if they knew of any sleep centers in the area (since the one my mother went to closed down & the Red River one won't take Medicare/Medicaid). They weren't sure what insurance some of them take, but they gave me a list. Will probably call tomorrow to find out & then ask the doctor to give him a referral (bc I know he's going to have me drive him).

I still haven't fixed the hot water in the shower so it's been cold showers for the time being. I'm on a different sleep schedule than my mother & brother so it's been difficult to find times where we are all awake & Mom is out of the room so we can move the furniture. I'm still trying to figure out the best approach for finishing the hole in the wall for the access panel. I'm hoping that if my brother is feeling well enough tomorrow that I can take another crack at it (I need his help moving the furniture). I get winded far too easily.

When I say "tomorrow" I mean later today. LOL. But I really need to stop procrastinating.


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## shan2themax

So.... I took my tablesaw back yesterday..... it wasn't quite as painful as I thought it may be. I'm not even sure that I was all that sad. I've found a person who lives close by the give me an estimate for just a shingled roof.... I've just got to catch him at home. 
I'm really liking what I'm doing at work, I'll be sad to have to leave that dept. They said maybe I could stay and work casually on top of my regular job.
I may have lost my temper a little with my mom, over her stuff..... she seems to be going through it, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now


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## oldognewtrick

Shan. I lost my mom to dementia last November. It was the toughest thing I've been through in life watching her slowly succumb to a disease the strips your mind and body. I'd love to have a chance to spend one more afternoon sitting with her and talking about nothing. Cherish the moments you have with your loved ones no matter how difficult it may be at times. Once their gone, their gone for good.


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## zannej

Family can always seem to get under our skin more than anyone else. I love my family members, but they can be aggravating at times. As flawed as they are, I see what other people's families are like & feel very lucky to have the ones I have. At least mine aren't manipulative thieves like the families of some friends. I'm trying to help one of my brother's former co-workers out-- giving him info on what forms to fill out how to get help. Trying to get some mental health counseling to deal with his depression & anxiety. It's always important to appreciate family while they are here & to let them know you love them, but it's also ok to lose your temper from time to time. It's only human.

Friend's fiance called in the morning & woke me up bc she wanted to come out and clean again today. I was just absolutely exhausted & ended up sleeping while she was here. She found a chicken snake behind the recliner, tried to wake me up to help but I was out, so she got my brother up. That was the only time my brother got up apparently. He slept all day too. I had to drive her home & then get dinner afterward.


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## shan2themax

I do cherish the time..... even though it's difficult, we have had a tumultuous relationship for decades. I just can't take the stuff.... I've taken a lot but the stuff is hard, she had 40 cats at one time, she had to get rid of them, she has 6 or 7 now. I don't mind her being here.... I don't want her to want for anything.... and i know a day will come that i may wish she and her stuff were here. I do. I see death daily...... the problem lies in that i can't have friends over, I can't use my dining room, I can't use my back porch. I told her when I blew up that I would almost rather be dead than to continue to live this way..... no, I am not suucidal...  I have fought to hard to get where I am to give up now. I am ok with her stuff in her own home. If that's what she needs for comfort so be it..... but I don't want it in my home. I am literally dying inside from it. I've struggled with mild depression since I was 12. I'm finally to a point that I realize self care is so important. I'm great when I'm not home, I come home and I'm paralyzed. If I didn't have dogs to tend too. I just wouldn't come home until bed time.
So...... even though I desperately need a new roof minimally, I'm searching for a very cheap mobile home to purchase for her.She has always wanted to own her own home and never made good decisions in order to be able to do that. Shes lived with me or in my home for 17 years. 
Im really hoping to find something for her, she doesnt have alot of years left and I want her to have that dream fulfilled. She deserves that at least.
On the selfish front, I deserve some happiness and to live in a clean home that isnt embarrassing, that doesnt make me worry about who is at the door and that allows me my own peace and comfort before I stress myself to death before I ever even let myself live life fully....

Now..... yes, i am in counseling, yes he is aware of my words.... and no i am NOT suicidal
I'm tired from having to be so strong for so many for so long. I need peace. I'm ready to have a great life but i need for these material things to go away.
Today was a great day, my son and his girlfriend came over with her son and we chatted and had a great time. My others son bought his business license and got his Eic # today and has big plans for his future. My daughter had a relaxing day with her boyfriend at her house.... so MOST is well in my world!


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## shan2themax

So.... my half bath sink has never been connected since I bought the house 11 years ago.... if you look at my previous post, I just made it back into a half bath last year. 
In refusing to have a bad day today, I dug through all my parts and came up with enough pieces to make the sink work. It looks silly in their because it's so much smaller than the medicine cabinet... but... IT WORKS!!!
I do need to get some plumbers putty to put around the underneath of the drain because it has a very small leak, but it's in my room and I have something under the sink to catch it. Hopefully I'll be the only one to use it, at least for now.... noone knows it works....haha
For s plot second, I thought about putting denture paste on it and I was like girl, you have lost your mind.....
So, I'll get some and finish it soon.
Yeah for me, I can put all my stuff in their, get ready for work in there.
If the electrical box weren't on the other side of the wall, I could move the laundry and make it a second bathroom.... 
I am so happy though! I hope everyone is having a good day


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## oldognewtrick

Congrats Shan!


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## tuffy

been throwing up  and have had  diarrhea the past two days have felt just horrible.


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## oldognewtrick

tuffy said:


> been throwing up  and have had  diarrhea the past two days have felt just horrible.


Don't bring that stuff round here...


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## shan2themax

Oh no! I hope you feel better soon. Stay hydrated!


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## slownsteady

Finally, an opportunity to use the vomit icon!


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## havasu




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## zannej

Shan, that makes complete sense. If you don't take care of yourself then you won't be able to take care of others. I hope you can find a place for your mother to stay & that she won't give you any grief over it. I'm glad you got your sink hooked up & working.

My chronic fatigue is kicking my behind again. I've been having a hard time staying awake the last 2 days. I did still get up and cook for my mother, feed the cats & dogs, and clean up after the dogs but other than that, I've mostly been racked out.

The girl who was coming over and helping clean is having medical issues & can't come back until it clears up so I need to go through some piles of stuff to organize/put away/throw out.

My cousin's oldest daughter turned 20. Her mother linked her instagram account and I discovered one of the reasons why she's no longer speaking to her father (my cousin's daughter is the one not speaking to her own father). She's been dating some dark-skinned Hispanic guys & her father is a raging bigot who thinks all "Mexicans" should be shot dead.


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## shan2themax

zannej said:


> Shan, that makes complete sense. If you don't take care of yourself then you won't be able to take care of others. I hope you can find a place for your mother to stay & that she won't give you any grief over it. I'm glad you got your sink hooked up & working.
> 
> My chronic fatigue is kicking my behind again. I've been having a hard time staying awake the last 2 days. I did still get up and cook for my mother, feed the cats & dogs, and clean up after the dogs but other than that, I've mostly been racked out.
> 
> The girl who was coming over and helping clean is having medical issues & can't come back until it clears up so I need to go through some piles of stuff to organize/put away/throw out.
> 
> My cousin's oldest daughter turned 20. Her mother linked her instagram account and I discovered one of the reasons why she's no longer speaking to her father (my cousin's daughter is the one not speaking to her own father). She's been dating some dark-skinned Hispanic guys & her father is a raging bigot who thinks all "Mexicans" should be shot dead.


I totally understand! I have moderate muscle pain intermittently that's almost debilitating for just a small amount of time. Once I get moving, it seems to be ok. My muscles in my legs feel like I have run a marathon at times. I promise, I do not run marathons.... as a matter of fact, if you find me running, you probably should be running too!
I hope your friend is on the mend so they can help. That's part of my frustration with my mom, she wont allow me to help and feels like I'm impatient and move too fast. I've been waiting for 18 months for the dining room to be cleaned out, I'm not sure how much more patient i need to be.
I just want her to enjoy a little bit of life, but I've got to get it through my head that that is up to her. I need to enjoy life! 
Hope everyone has had a great day!


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## tuffy

I have a lot wrong with me also. I have hemochromatosis, fibromyalgia, spinal stenosis, herniated disks, arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, thoughts of self harm, anxiety, gerd, fatty liver, copd, bells palsey, this is just a partial list. since I posted a full list a few months ago.


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## shan2themax

My friend had twins with hemochromatosis! All those are hard, especially when acting up together..... I have found since becoming a nurse that you can't define who you are by your diseases. Try to find positives in all of that. You will feel better and have fewer flares with positive thinking. I see it daily.....
Speaking of positive. I got an injection in my shoulder, I'm doing PT for 6 weeks and then checking back in and maybe being released.
Enough about me and back tou you..... you are more than those diagnoses.... I have several of them myself. I'm proud of how far you've come, keep up the good work!


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## tuffy

We were having trouble with our cable and internet lines. because I only brought 2  main lines in instead of 5 and had them all spliced together with cheap splitters and cheap ends. so I ran all new pre made the good  ones or better be as much as I paid for them lines. out to where the cable company ties in. and hopefully that takes care of our problem. should have done it rite when I hade all the walls and ceilings opened up . and to make things worse I fell off a small latter bruised my left bicep pretty bad and not so sure I didn't tear something in my right. Soon as I could get in the doctor is Friday so we'll see.


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## shan2themax

Sometimes you have to add a filter I believe for better line quality.
That's a bummer about your bicep. I hope it's nothing but, make sure you check it out though


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## zannej

Tuffy, I hope the bruise heals quickly. I also hope you get the cable situation sorted out too. I know hindsight is 20/20. There are a lot of things I would have done differently. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine to go back & get things done on the house properly.

Last night I went to visit the aforementioned girl in the ER. She was having severe chest pains, shortness of breath, & migraine. My friend was afraid to go in to the room & see her bc they put her in the room his grandmother died in. So I sat with her and related info to the nurse & explained things to her. She's a bit on the slow side & has to be told more than twice (sometimes more than 10 times). They didn't release her until 5 min after midnight (which means they get to bill Medicaid for 2 days instead of 1).

I tried to get some sleep but my mother woke me at 2:40am wanting me to cook for her and I had to get up early to take the girl to the social security office so she could apply for benefits (since she currently can't work & needs surgery). I had to do most of the talking for her because she didn't know what to say or do & I had to explain how to do things. They had a thing on the computer for her to fill out-- it took her over 2 hours and the last 20 min or so, I just started putting things in for her bc she's really slow. She didn't get a proper education and I think the fetal alcohol syndrome & ADHD affects her brain. People at the office were very nice & helpful. Left the house around 10am and didn't get home until after 5pm. As an aside, while at the SSI office, I found out she was taking Meloxicam which can explain the chest pain symptoms she had. It's caused by some of the side effects.


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## zannej

My friend was injured at work (tore something in his elbow) so he can't work, drive, or lift stuff. On Tuesday his grandfather needed a lift to Lake Charles (about 2hrs away) for an appointment with the doctor that makes his leg braces. He has some condition where his ankles got very weak and kept turning so he was walking on the sides of his feet. They won't go straight anymore so he needs physical therapy & the braces. The braces were rubbing so he went in for an adjustment. But he was recently given some new meds & kept falling asleep every 20seconds to 2 minutes. He kept taking out his phone, dialing, and then falling asleep-- sometimes while dialing and sometimes after dialing. A few times the phone slipped from his hand. He was reading a magazine but kept falling asleep and it fell to the floor. He said he didn't understand why he kept dropping things and I said "You keep falling asleep".  I started catching stuff for him. I texted my friend to keep him appraised. The old man took out his phone dialed, and I got a text saying "TF **** called me and fell asleep!" I could hear my friend shouting through the phone so I woke the old man up and told him his grandson was on the phone. During another phone call I noticed he was falling asleep so I gently woke him up. He said "Stop pestering me!" then smiled and said "I'm just messing with you".
I went in to the room with the doctor with him to find out what the issue was with the braces (at my friend's request). Old man kept falling asleep while the doctor was talking to him. She sighed and turned to me and explained things and we discussed how he needs "aggressive" physical therapy to stretch the muscles. She was very concerned about the narcolepsy & said he needs to talk to his GP about the prescription. She said he needs to use the walker so he doesn't fall & insisted that he not drive. She added some straps to his brace & told me what needed to be done with the braces so they wouldn't rub (basically that he had to tighten them an hour after first putting them on after his muscles loosened a little). While waiting for the adjustments to be made, the old man was reading a catalog, fell asleep, woke up and sang "I saw the light" and fell back asleep again. 
We went to eat later and he kept falling asleep while trying to order. The waiter was a bit impatient and disappeared for about 30min. Once we got the food, the old man kept falling asleep while trying to eat. He was holding the food up to his mouth, then his eyes would close and he'd droop, then he'd sit back up and continue eating. When it came time to pay, he fell asleep while trying to get the money out. Waiter was more patient and actually laughed a little (but I think he noticed I was leaving a tip so he was more mellow).
Conversations were rather interesting because he would start to tell a story and partway through he'd fall asleep. Then he'd wake up and either continue the story, start a new story, or pick up in the middle of a story he hadn't started yet. LOL.
I gave him a neck pillow to make the ride more comfortable so he slept quite a bit. When we got back into town, he woke up and sang "Hooray Hazel, she put me down" and then went back to sleep again. After dropping him off he asked me to run to the store with my friend's fiance to grab a few things. Left the house around 7am and didn't get back til after 5pm. They made him wait 2hrs past his appointment time at the doctor's office and he took over an hour to get ready after I arrived to pick him up. LOL.
My friend apologized for the trouble, but I found it amusing and it was interesting to hear his stories when he could manage to stay awake long enough.
Today I took my cat to the vet for what are now weekly shots. It was a different doctor in the office this time and she reiterated what the other doctor said-- it's only a matter of time for the poor kitty and all we can do is keep her comfortable. I gave her wet food when we got home and just gave her some rotisserie chicken a few minutes ago. She doesn't seem to be in pain, her breathing is fine, but she can't really walk-- she falls over and drags herself. She's very determined to get to where she wants to go and she pulls herself up on the cat tree and pulls herself up on my bed and climbs on me for cuddles. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable.


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## zannej

Turned out both vets were wrong about my cat having tumors on her face- they were abscesses. I had mentioned to the 2nd one that she had a wound open up & it drained and I asked her to check to see if they were abscesses but she declined (saying it must be tumors). Well, the "tumors" started to grow at an alarming rate and really freaked me out. Then the skin ruptured & pus poured out. I started draining them and took her to the vet asap. He lanced one of the bulges & exclaimed "Oh my God! That was a LOT!" I am squeamish about watching cutting so I didn't look. I brought her home, cleaned her up, put a warm compress on her neck (which is where the biggest pus bag was). Then she managed to crawl away and disappear for over 24 hours. I thought she must be dead. Early this morning she dragged herself back inside (she had burs in her fur so I realized she'd been outside somehow). She was lying next to the water bowl. I put fresh water in and she drank it. I fed her as much as she would eat and brought her to my bed. She slept with me for hours & then tried to crawl away. I put her next to the water bowl again and got her to drink more and eat a bit more. I put her in her hammock on the cat tree but she got out and fell, so she's now in a box on the floor with fuzzy clothes & a waterproof pad. I drained more pus and cleaned her wounds. She won't hold still for the warm compress anymore. I'm going to take her to the water in a bit to see if she'll drink again. She probably needs the pad changed too. I'm so relieved that she didn't crawl off and die.
Went to the store and got some more rotisserie chicken. While I was deboning it, my mother's little chiweenie wanted to be near me to beg for scraps.There were two boxes stacked full of 1gallon water bottles. A total of 12 bottles. He pushed with all his might to shove them aside so he could get over to me.
Meanwhile, I had to console my friend's fiance because one of her foster sisters was killed in a hit-and-run. She was walking on the side of the road (no sidewalks in the area) and someone just nailed her, kept going, hit another car, & ran through a red light.


----------



## Gary

Not today, but last weekend we went out to Iowa to make my wife's folks' entry stairs a little safer. Her Dad has fallen on the steps a couple times in recent weeks, so we had to do something. They're in their early 90's & still living at home, but getting in and out of the house has become difficult. After contemplating several options, we decided to add onto the existing deck, for more room around the entry door. Stretched the steps out so the risers are shorter and the steps wider. The steps have no overhang over the risers, as that's just a trip hazard, (the reason her Dad fell on the old steps), making them easier to negotiate with their limited mobility, and hand rails for 2 handed support. We opted for steps rather than a ramp as they get a lot of ice & snow in the winter.


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## zannej

The new steps look great, Gary!

My poor little kitty didn't make it. She passed away very early Saturday morning (not the recent one but one before that). She was clinging to my arm while I held her until the end.

My injured friend's fiance fell in the hallway and got a radial distral fracture in her left arm. I took her to the orthopedist an hour away today & she's at my house resting (since my friend had an appointment for his teeth). They put her cast on a little too tight and she's complaining about it cutting off circulation and hurting her arm. They told her to keep her arm elevated above her heart for 30 min to see if it helps but if it doesn't, we have to go back and have it removed & get a new one put on.

I've been trying to keep up with cleaning up after the dogs, cats, & my brother. Between that and playing chauffeur I'm exhausted.


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## HandyOne

Yesterday I took Aunt to be a early voter as she will be out of town on Nov 6th.   So, now I've seen what's on the ballot.  Was neat.   (I'm her scribe.  She has macular degeneration and cannot focus well, so I help her).


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## havasu

I have to do the same once we get our ballots. We will be in Normandy, France on Nov. 7th.


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## zannej

Havasu, I hope you have a great trip! I have a friend who in that area. She's sent me pictures and it's beautiful.

I had to take the girl back to the orthopedist to get a cast change. This time it's not too tight. I need to find out if I can vote my mail-in so I don't have to worry about trying to find the polling place out in the middle of nowhere with no street lights & not much room for parking.


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## HandyOne

havasu said:


> I have to do the same once we get our ballots. We will be in Normandy, France on Nov. 7th.



You're running away to France.   My goodness.  You do get around.   Will you get to stay a while for some touristing?


----------



## havasu

Oh yeah, 4 days touristing before we get on the long boat. I just hoped the planning director (the G/F) penciled in time to sleep a few hours.


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## Gary

Played around with the laser engraver this afternoon. Grandkids are scaaaaarrrrry.


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## havasu

Awesome!


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## HandyOne

That's amazing.


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## zannej

Laser carving on pumpkin is a cool idea!
I've been sick with the flu. Spent my birthday in bed coughing & trying to sleep.
Monday I drove my friend's fiance for her cardiologist appointment. She was getting a scope down the throat to look at her heart but they kept her awake so she had a panic attack, her nose started bleeding profusely, blood flew everywhere, & she started panicking more & screaming. So they had to stop the procedure. Today  we have to go pick up the DVD of when she had the scope done before at a different hospital & then go get her cast removed from her arm. Tomorrow it's back to the far away cardiologist.

Meanwhile in redneck drama, I think I mentioned before that my cousin's husband declared he wanted a divorce after 20+ years of marriage. Mediation is finished & divorce is finalized next month. Turns out he has a mistress that he's been spending a lot of $ on, but he got fired for being a jerk so he currently has no income. My cousin got the house (but has to sell it), half his income, & custody of the kids. He gets visitation but I hope it's supervised. For some reason he got violent with her, she called the cops, & her oldest son stepped in to help her. So, I guess his relationship wit the kids isn't great now. I can't say I'm surprised bc he's a complete tool, but I do wonder what prompted it given that he's the one who cheated & filed for divorce. His oldest daughter is no longer speaking to him. No sure about the two younger kids. It really is a shame. My cousin deserves so much better.


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## havasu

Divorces are ugly on all sides.


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## shan2themax

Guess what guys???!!!! I am so excited, I am getting a new roof this week!  It is affordable and I know multiple people he has done roofs for and it looks great.


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## shan2themax

I am so excited about the roof, I forgot to add that I do have to have rotator cuff surgery November 8th. Not so excited about that. 
I had so many things I wanted to accomplish this summer/fall. Just thankful I'm getting a roof!


----------



## oldognewtrick

shan2themax said:


> I am so excited about the roof, I forgot to add that I do have to have rotator cuff surgery November 8th. Not so excited about that.
> I had so many things I wanted to accomplish this summer/fall. Just thankful I'm getting a roof!


Congrats on getting the new roof!


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## shan2themax

So.... the new roof was done in 2 days, its looks really nice. I didn't think a roof would lift my spirits but it has..... it can just in time also because we have had 20+ mph winds and rain on and all all afternoon and evening and I feel pretty confident that the other roof wouldn't have fared well at all. It's been nice to just listen to the wind and not wonder if there would be a problem


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## zannej

I've been sick the past few weeks and am just getting over it. So of course something had to go wrong. LOL.
Long story short, I was making a left turn & a drunk driver tried to pass me on the left (said he was swerving to avoid a car that passed him on the right & he couldn't brake in time so he decided to gun it and try to get around me at a higher speed). Other dude completely totaled his vehicle & had his gas tank bust open, pouring gasoline everywhere. His vehicle spun sideways and slid about 30 feet but didn't tip over. Firetrucks, cops, EMTs, and eventually parish sheriffs arrived.
I requested a specific towtruck driver bc their default one is a jerk.
While they were taking care of the accident at my location, down the road a woman hit a deer so they had to send some people over there.
One of the EMTs was asking if they had picked up the deer yet bc he wanted some deer stew.
My friend picked up my brother & the groceries and drove them home so my bro could put the groceries down & come back for me. We did that so the tow truck wouldn't have to wait. My guy was called 10 minutes later than the other guy but he showed up and carefully took my truck away and my brother arrived back to get me before the other towtruck arrived.
Not sure if the other driver got arrested or not, but the cop told me it was the other guy's fault completely and he was getting a "hard ticket". Luckily nobody was hurt but I'm already having sore muscles from the tension.
It wasn't as bad as the last accident so I feel lucky. I just hope the frame wasn't bent and that his insurance will cover all of the damages.
Pics aren't great bc it was dark and there are no street lights in that area.



Hard to see the damage to the tire-- there's an avulsion & the rim is scraped up.
Corner of the hood got bent, but I think it can be hammered back.


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## slownsteady

Whew! Could've been a lot worse. Glad you're okay. Maybe see a doctor just in case.


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## zannej

slownsteady said:


> Whew! Could've been a lot worse. Glad you're okay. Maybe see a doctor just in case.


I will see when I can get in for an appointment with my doctor for a checkup. I'm not having any unsual pains this time around. 
We were all lucky that I was in a truck with great safety ratings. One of the reasons I got this particular one was because it did great in crash tests for occupant safety. If I'd been in a smaller vehicle it likely would have been worse.
The other driver is damn lucky he didn't hit a car full of kids or a vehicle that wasn't as safe. But, he's probably going to lose his license for awhile & have to pay all sorts of fines. People around here drive while drinking so it's not unusual for even cops to have some beers before driving. Although, the cop who told me it was the other guy's fault entirely was pretty ticked off at the guy. Said he should have known better.
My insurance company's computer system was down last night when I called but they wrote down the info. I will have to go in on Monday & talk to the insurance agent in the office as well as contact the tow company.
I wish they had told me the guy's name and insurance policy # but they refused to, which means I have to wait 10 days to drive down to another town to get the police report.
Hopefully things will be smoother than last time and I won't get harassed by his insurance adjuster. My insurance company was telling me I'll have to pay the $250 deductible and I was saying "Hold up, this was someone else's fault, HIS insurance company better pay all that."
But again, I know it could have been worse.
My brother is nagging me to take him to the store-- good thing we have the CR-V as a backup.


----------



## shan2themax

I am so glad that you are ok! Hopefully you get your truck fixed and quickly with no problems


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## zannej

Thanks, shan2themax!
I tried again to get the info about the other driver from the cops but they said I have to wait the 10 days. The guy did apologize but apparently its not in the computer yet. The towing guy said it usually takes less time for the police report, but I guess bc there might be criminal charges filed it will take longer. They didn't even have me write a statement, just wrote own the gist of what I said. Last time the cops had me give a written statement.

Called my local insurance agent and she was utterly useless. She actually asked me why I even bothered to call her. Said State Farm would not communicate with the other insurance company for me & that I had to choose which company I wanted to have pay for the stuff-- couldn't file a claim with them and have them deal with the other company. Said I had to deal with the company myself (towtruck guy said that was BS and it sounded like she was being lazy). She also told me I had to go call the claims department again & get all the info from them bc she couldn't (I suspect wouldn't) answer my questions. Towtruck guy said he'd give me an estimate tomorrow and was delighted that I'm considering using his services for the repairs. I read reviews of the honda place & it was only 1 review but it was 1 star & described how they kept the car for 3 months, didn't fix it, and screwed up more stuff. People at the scene told me the towing guy is good at repairs.

I wanted to see if I could find parts cheap so it wouldn't go over the limit & total my truck out. Went to Rockauto and the parts were reasonably priced, but then I had it calculate shipping.
Anyone see what's wrong with this picture?






On the upside, my brother's first day of orientation for work went well. Another one of the supervisors wanted to hire him for his restaurant when he heard him talking about how he does Japanese cooking at home. Near the end of the orientation they had sort of a jeopardy game about what they'd gone over to see who remembered & my brother won. One of the witnesses/volunteer firemen at the scene actually works in the restaurant part that my brother will be working at. Said he got promoted fast-- got a $2 raise within a few months & said they treat people well there.


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## shan2themax

That's a crazy shipping amount


----------



## zannej

shan2themax said:


> That's a crazy shipping amount


Fortunately, it turned out to be a glitch in the system. I kept getting that same estimate when I reloaded but I went back a few hours later after contacting the company & they fixed it. Shipping was $173.


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## shan2themax

Much improved amount!


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## havasu

Flying to Paris, France. See you in a few weeks!


----------



## tuffy

Well I'm back been in the hospital the past 7 weeks with acute liver and kidney failure. They thought I was going to have to have a liver transplant but it started to heal its self. So now i'm home still week but glad to be home. they don't know what caused me to get so sick they are leaning towards taking to much Tylenol. I was in 3 hospitals one of them told my wife that they didn't think I was going to make it . but I was given a second chance at life now to see what I can do with that. I don't remember much of that as they had me in a coma while I was healing. on a bright note I got to take my first helicopter ride even tho I don't remember it.


----------



## oldognewtrick

tuffy said:


> Well I'm back been in the hospital the past 7 weeks with acute liver and kidney failure. They thought I was going to have to have a liver transplant but it started to heal its self. So now i'm home still week but glad to be home. they don't know what caused me to get so sick they are leaning towards taking to much Tylenol. I was in 3 hospitals one of them told my wife that they didn't think I was going to make it . but I was given a second chance at life now to see what I can do with that. I don't remember much of that as they had me in a coma while I was healing. on a bright note I got to take my first helicopter ride even tho I don't remember it.


Well, dang tuffy, you really are tuff aren't ya? Seriously, take care of yourself, hope you're on your way to better health!


----------



## shan2themax

I'm so glad you're better.... tylenol is rough on the liver, ibuprofen is rough on the kidneys.... Second chances are wonderful and I am thrilled you got one!


----------



## zannej

yikes, Tuffy, I'm so sorry you went through that but very glad you survived and I hope you are feeling better.

I've been trying to deal with repairs at home & dealing with the insurance company about my truck. Last week they were supposed to have it towed to a repair shop (the guy who towed it couldn't work on it because he has to be out of town for a few weeks for his recertification training for his towing license, but he let me know and referred me to another repair person who has good ratings). Last week the insurance made arrangements and got my authorization to have the vehicle towed to the shop-- but then the insurance didn't pass that along to the tower. So yesterday I went to see my truck at the shop-- drove all the way out to Mamou-- only to find they had never towed it. This was a surprise to the insurance adjuster who showed up a little before me to look at the truck. (They will not send adjusters to my town to look at vehicles but they will send them out to Mamou). I got along well with the guys at the shop. We commiserated about the insurance companies & all the red tape. I showed the owner some pictures of the damage that I took on the night of the accident and he took down the info on some of the replacement parts that will absolutely be needed. The truck was supposed to be towed to the shop yesterday afternoon, but I'm waiting for a good time to call and confirm. Another adjuster is supposed to be by today to look at it. I'll have to bring someone with a phone with GPS with me since the CR-V doesn't have gps and my phone battery is having issues.

I finally got around to pulling the valve stem from the shower (I know, procrastination is bad). Took it to Lowes to see if they could find anything comparable but struck out. Took it to HD where they had a book and a guide that you could stick the valve stem in to in order to find a matching end. Nothing in stock, but the book had a contender. The screw and washer didn't come out with the valve stem so I didn't have a match- it's stuck in the valve seat so I'll have to get pliers and pull it out later (after I shut off the water again and pull the valve stem). I bought some spare washers & screws to use just in case that is the problem and I got the tool to pull the valve seat. I wonder if the screw coming out of the valve stem & staying inside the valve seat has anything to do with the issue.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get things moving on replacing Mom's fugly shower/tub combo. The Sterling one I wanted is becoming harder to find, so I'm considering the Delta Classic 400 but I'm not sure if grab bars can go in due to the curves. They have them in stock at the nearest HD so I wanted to take my mother there to look at it and see what she thought. I got her to order the Moentrol valve that has threads and she ordered the Moen Kingsley trim kit (handle & escutcheon) but lamented that it's chrome & not polished brass. But, we found the chrome one for around $45 and the cheapest I could find the brass was $190 but it averages around $250. I'm wondering if she would prefer a Lasco Simpatico Legend kit (if it works with the valve) with an acrylic handle. It's much less expensive, but not as nice. But then, if she went with polished brass, it would limit her options for slidebars, handheld showers, grab bars etc if she wanted to match. She ultimately agreed that it's not worth the expense for having things so fancy in this old farm house.

My brother was telling me about more of the perks at his new job. They have a very fancy coffee machine that does cappucino, mocca, espresso, hot chocolate, etc and they can even tell it how many cups to make-- all free. There are dispensers for sodas, water, different juices (apple, orange, etc), and Borden milk. That's just in the kitchen. In the break room they have free cereal and milk as well as a less fancy coffee machine- also free. The employees all get paid breaks. The other day he wasn't feeling well so his supervisor told him to go sit in the break room and eat a hamburger that the customer didn't want (bc they put onions on it by mistake). The philosophy of the business is to be hospitable & courteous and they extend that to the employees as well as customers. He just got his first paycheck for the orientation and said his next one should be almost double. I think they said he may be eligible for promotion in 3 months and the supervisors think he'll move up the ranks quickly. They also offered to pay for him to take culinary classes to officially become a chef. Yesterday between looking for the valve stem replacement, we stopped in to a store and found him some running shoes that he can wear at the gym. They were the only pair in his size and he said they fit perfectly.

I've been getting political calls today even though I did early voting last month. The last one was from some group involving fantasy sports that wanted me to vote "yes" on the bill to allow gambling on fantasy football online. Seriously, with all of the problems this state has, and they actually had fantasy football on the bill. I voted "No". People get in enough trouble gambling over real sports. Gambling on fantasy sports is just absolutely ridiculous & is just asking for trouble.

I'm about to call the auto repair place to find out if my truck made it. Hope everyone is having a good day.

Edit: I called and they are going to tow it today and it should be there by 2pm. Insurance was still giving the tower the run-around after I talked to them again.


----------



## Gary

Just got back from our annual Wedding anniversary vacation. Great time, but too short. 
Went to Lancaster PA - Amish Buggy ride and a musical at Sight & Sound. Saw the Mayflower II being restored at Mystic CT, Went to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and whale watching.


----------



## Gary

Toured a cranberry bog. Saw all things Pilgrim in Plymouth MA. Went 1/2 way up Mount Washington. That's as far as the cog rail would go after a foot of snow the day before, -6°f on the summit, burrrrr.


----------



## Gary

Toured the Ben & Jerry's factory (mandatory tasting). Drove down Rt 100 through Vermont for a little more snow and some fall colors


----------



## Gary

Stopped at Niagara Falls on the way home.....


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## shan2themax

What a wonderful trip! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I used to live in Carlisle, PA it is quite beautiful in that area


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## Gary

Thank You Shan. It was our 43rd.


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## zannej

Belated Happy Anniversary! The pics are beautiful.

I'm still trying to get over being sick. Just when I start to get better and think I'm going to be over it, I get sick again. Been going on since September. 

I took my newest cat to the vet to get spayed yesterday and picked her up today. She's a bit crabby from the pain (even though I had them give her pain meds), but she's happy to be home. $246 for vaccines & spaying. One of my kitties, Biscuits, slipped out when I was leaving and hasn't returned. I'm hoping I can find him soon & that he's ok. He's a derp, but he's very sweet and cuddly.

I'm still waiting to hear from my insurance company or the repair shop. I don't want to keep constantly calling and annoy the repair guy but my insurance company doesn't seem to be keeping up on what's going on.

My mother's computer is on the fritz so she's using the Alienware laptop that weighs like 30lbs. She has trouble lifting it on her own so she needs my help to move it for her. I'm trying to get her to look at plumbing stuff for her bathroom remodel. I want her to be happy with whatever surround we go with and also to decide what sort of slidebar setup. There's the traditional kind that sits next to or under the regular showerhead arm and connects with a drop ell with the hose-- or directly to the shower arm with a hose. Then there's a slider that clips on to a grab bar and connects to either a drop ell or shower arm with a hose. Then there's a kind where the top connects to the shower arm and the water runs through to the bottom where a hose comes out to carry water to the handheld. I believe the bottom in that configuration is suction cup.

I still need to fix the hot water valve but I'm currently trying not to throw up. It's been raining a lot & it's not being kind to my sinuses.

I'm also having to deal with my friend's fiance who thinks I'm her personal chauffeur. I don't mind taking her to doctor's appointments or picking her up from work (she just got hired at the casino hotel as a cleaner) from time to time, but she wants me to drive all the way in to town to pick her up and take her 2 blocks to visit friends. I explained that I love her but that I can't be driving in to town for stuff like that-- especially since I'd already been to town twice that day.

On the upside, I transferred a little $ from my savings in to the "Christmas Club" CD with 2.5% interest that comes to fruition next November. I don't plan to touch it for awhile & it's better interest than in the savings.


----------



## inspectorD

Gary said:


> Toured a cranberry bog. Saw all things Pilgrim in Plymouth MA. Went 1/2 way up Mount Washington. That's as far as the cog rail would go after a foot of snow the day before, -6°f on the summit, burrrrr.



I live here and still Love New Englands Charm, Glad you had a good time, Happy Anniversary!


----------



## Gary

Thanks Zannej & Inspector. Might have to revisit that part of the country again sometime.


----------



## zannej

I used to live in that part of the country but it's been a very long time since I've visited.
My mother is thinking of visiting my sister sometime this month before it starts snowing. It's already been cold-- 49degrees today. I went to the post office & my cat Sir Hammington jumped in the car. I didn't have time to go put him back in the house (had to rush before post office closed) so I just started driving. He had a mini-freakout and started crawling around the car before he decided to curl up on the front passenger seat and hide his face against the seatbelt. I turned the heated seat on high so he fell asleep and stayed there the entire trip. I took the mail in and came back to get him & carried him in to the house. He was happy to be inside with his siblings where it is warmer than outside. Biscuits came back as well so he's in there with the rest of them. Bethesda is recovering from being spayed and wanted lots of cuddles. Hatshepsut jumped on my back when I bent down to pet the kitties on the floor. The fluffy ones are growing in their winter coats.
I still need to fix the plumbing, but I'll probably do it on my brother's next day off so he can help but shutting the water off at the pump.


----------



## topher5150

Every Saturday for the past month or so I've been going to the ReStore and buying a case or two of flooring for the basement.....just need about 10 more boxes then I'm good to go.


----------



## slownsteady

Do you get the same color/style/thickness every time? That's a good trick if you can.


----------



## topher5150

slownsteady said:


> Do you get the same color/style/thickness every time? That's a good trick if you can.



Everything in the store is donated with the exception of this flooring which they keep stocked on a regular basis.


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## slownsteady

What kind of flooring is it (just curious)?

And watch out for differences in batch colors. You can do that by mixing boxes as you lay the floor


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## topher5150

It is that wood vinyl plank flooring. The company is Home Decor i think it's 8mm, with padding and a warranty.


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## slownsteady

cool. wanna write a review when you're done. I'm always curious as to how these things turn out.


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## zannej

I just had to check to see if I was on the flooring forum. LOL. I think I've heard of that type of vinyl plank.
Is it clicklock or does it have to be glued down?
Today was a stay-in-bed sick coughing up crud & trying to keep my nose clear day.  I did call the auto repair shop to confirm he's ordered parts & will begin repairs when they arrive. I asked for an estimate on replacing the back bumper (which Mom damaged backing in to a tree) and let him know that one of the lug nuts on the wheel requires a special adapter to remove & told him where it was. Mom didn't get out of bed until after 10:30pm but she wasn't picky about food so she let me microwave her some Chinese noodles. I'm sure she'll be hungry in about an hour or two and page me to get her something.
All I ate was a bowl of tomato soup.
I think tomorrow I'll make a big batch of potato soup. Hot soup seems more comforting in this weather.

Hope everyone else is doing well.


----------



## topher5150

I'll try to remember to write something up about it. It's going to be a while before I start on it, and I have to do some work on the floor before I start.  Hopefully I can sell my Xterra and get some money and a real truck to help speed things along a little. 

I believe it is some kind of click lock system


----------



## zannej

Good luck with that, topher.
I took some meds the previous night and didn't wake up until after 5:30pm. Ended up just microwaving some Stoufer's meal for Mom instead of cooking soup. 
The Moentrol valve arrived from E-bay. Now we need to work on getting a good shower pan & surround & fixing the floor. We'll have to make sure it is a one day project so we won't be without a working bathroom. Although, I really should fix the floor in my own bathroom so I can install a toilet.
I just had total brainfreeze.


----------



## Gary

Good luck on the Bathroom project  zannej. I have a Bathroom remodel on the schedule for the winter.
I played hooky today and worked on the Christmas set for the foyer window. I bought some t-light lanterns and made the poles out of copper & PVC pipe laying around the shop. The rest of the stuff is old sign material that I hadn't had time to throw out yet.  I made the small parts out of 1/2" acrylic, also from a sheet I've been nibbling on for years. 
 The carolers, we've had for 20+ years, they still haven't sung a note.  Got a little tweaking to do tomorrow and then it'll be ready for the Christmas season.


----------



## Gary

Got the inside done this morning. Got the switch wired to the window  shelf outlet, so it's ready to light up after Thanksgiving. Digital print on the back covers up the frame and wiring on the foyer side. This project has been on the back burner since we built the house a little over 20 years ago. No need to rush into deals like this.


----------



## zannej

That is so cool, Gary!
We haven't done the whole holiday decorating thing in many years. There is a house in town where the people just go all out on their decorating- all sorts of things that light up at night. It never disappoints. Their whole front and side yard are always filled with decorations.

I made some stovetop stuffing last night-- added a chicken bullion cube and some garlic salt and stirred in some shredded rotisserie chicken. It turned out pretty well. I'm still intending to make some soup when I'm feeling up to it.

Hope everyone else is having fun and doing well.


----------



## cindiw

Glad to see this thread, since I've been so depressed lately. I went driving, it was a "nice day" here in southwest PA. I went into Morgantown, WV to a Goodwill there and got something for $1.99 I needed to put over my door. (Hooks to hang coats on.) I donated something to Goodwill also. I have a lot to do and am not very good at doing it because my husband is sick, can't lift heavy things, don't have too many friends who volunteer to help me, can't pick up things like shoes too easily because I am in pain. I have these pick-up sticks to grab things on the floor, it helps but my thyroid is low so I'm always tired and could be it makes me more depressed. I bought a small pizza at Sheetz drive-through. I didn't like it. The pizza is more expensive at Speedy Gas, but it's much better. I also went to the Chinese restaurant to eat, it was good. I was not in a good mood when I walked in, and the person was not very nice, so I turne around and walked out. She followed me and said in broken English, "Come back, why are you leaving?" I said because she didn't smile. (I know it sounds a bit nuts.) She said, "Oh, I am sorry, I am not feeling well, I have a stomach ache. Come back." So I went back. Hoping they weren't going to spit in my food. I felt sorry for her, and told her so. They were very nice to me, as I said, I don't think they spit in my food, but anyway, I took my chances. And told her when I left that I hope she feels better. She said thank you, she said she works so hard in the kitchen preparing food. (She was very, very small...) I will say a prayer for her.


----------



## zannej

Hi Cindi.
Sounds like you've been busy. I'm sorry to hear you are in pain. I have the grabber arm thingies for picking stuff up too, but I can't always remember where I put them.
Are you on any medicine for the hypothyroid? Everyone in my household has it so we are all taking Levithyroxin. I was still feeling very worn down so my doctor had to up my dosage.
I haven't had pizza in awhile, but I have a Chinese place I like to go to where the staff are always friendly because I know how to say "Thank you" and "How are you" in Mandarin. I hope the lady from the restaurant is feeling better.
I made another attempt to fix my hot water in my shower but it didn't work. Was going to call my friend over but he had to go to the hospital bc he's peeing blood. He needs to lay off the sodas and drink more water. I think I will make another attempt later on though.


----------



## havasu

Boy, after reading the few posts from above, I feel wonderful. I should count my blessings, huh?


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Boy, after reading the few posts from above, I feel wonderful. I should count my blessings, huh?


Yes, you should....we all should!


----------



## cindiw

zannej said:


> Hi Cindi.
> Sounds like you've been busy. I'm sorry to hear you are in pain. I have the grabber arm thingies for picking stuff up too, but I can't always remember where I put them.
> Are you on any medicine for the hypothyroid? Everyone in my household has it so we are all taking Levithyroxin. I was still feeling very worn down so my doctor had to up my dosage.
> I haven't had pizza in awhile, but I have a Chinese place I like to go to where the staff are always friendly because I know how to say "Thank you" and "How are you" in Mandarin. I hope the lady from the restaurant is feeling better.
> I made another attempt to fix my hot water in my shower but it didn't work. Was going to call my friend over but he had to go to the hospital bc he's peeing blood. He needs to lay off the sodas and drink more water. I think I will make another attempt later on though.


Sorry about your friend. Thanks for response. First time I've been to that Chinese restaurant, now that you mention it, maybe I'll try again and see how she is. I, too, can say thank you in Mandarin and hello in Cantonese and Mandarin, but did not say anything then. Today--what did I do? OK, I went out to P.O. to mail the dvd's I sold on eBay -- I went to supermarket to pick up a few things, dropped into the Salvation Army and bought a book about healthy eating (that before I ate a zillion Reese's peanut butter cups tonight), and now I'm reading your post. I gathered the garbage together because tomorrow is collection day. I heated up some chicken & corn for my husband. I put my guitar in a case that is broken, I am sorry to say, I'll have to put safety pins to keep it closed, it's a fabric case. 
We have two guys here in the trailer park that help fix things, they've been promising to do the roof for about four years now. I had an estimate, and it was like about $5,000. I'll just take the leaks, so far we haven't really had any but the roof is tar. I hope you get your water fixed soon at a reasonable price. One man came over a few years ago for the heater (gas) since I couldn't turn it on. For nothing he charged $100. 
I have grabber things in almost every room. And I'm working on getting rid of things, painful as it is for me to get rid of stuff.
Nice hearing from you.


----------



## HandyOne

Gary said:


> Got the inside done this morning. Got the switch wired to the window  shelf outlet, so it's ready to light up after Thanksgiving. Digital print on the back covers up the frame and wiring on the foyer side. This project has been on the back burner since we built the house a little over 20 years ago. No need to rush into deals like this.  View attachment 21288



Amazing


----------



## Gary

Thanks Angie.


----------



## shan2themax

Today is post op day 1. Rotator cuff repair surgery yesterday.  Nerve block took well with this one. My mom never made a path for me to be able to take the dogs out that way. My son is laid off currently so he can take them out thankfully. 
My mom told me today that I only think of myself because I have not said wether or not I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner (I have one usable arm currently) or asked her to do it.....I just don't understand her at times. Recovery so far is good. Hopefully it will continue to progress this way.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I might get some Chinese this year. No must, no fuss


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## zannej

Cindi, if you are worried there might be leaks, there is some kind of sealant that can be mopped on. Trying to remember the name of it, but we used it on a metal roof years ago. 
I'm still hoping to get the hot water thing resolved myself bc getting the plumber to come out is not easy and the only one who will come out is not very competent. A late friend of mine hired him to fix a shower handle in his bathroom and it never was fixed properly. Had him over multiple times too.

Shan, I hope your recovery goes smoothly. My uncle had rotator cuff surgery not too long ago and is in recovery. I'm glad that your son can walk the dogs but sorry to hear that your mother is being inconsiderate. I know how that goes.

I talked to the insurance company and the auto repair place today. Turns out a strut got bent in the accident and they discovered it after they pulled things apart so they need to order it. Insurance said they noted there might be more damage than estimated so they are prepared to pay him whatever it costs over that amount. Hopefully it won't take too long, but I suspect the holidays will slow things down.

I made potato soup for dinner and my mother was happy with it. She must have known I was talking about her bc she paged me while I was typing that. LOL. She wanted some of the chocolate log cake I picked up at Walmart. She wasn't getting out of bed earlier so I put a bowl of soup under her nose to convince her to get up. She's now watching TV. Her computer is still down bc we have to replace the video card.

I attempted to patch the leak in the pump house with flex tape but it turns out it's not that flexible and is much thicker than expected so it didn't want to cooperate, but it at least slowed the leak by a lot.

A few of the cats zerged in to the living room bc it's the warmest room in the house and they are sleeping there.


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## cindiw

shan2themax said:


> Today is post op day 1. Rotator cuff repair surgery yesterday.  Nerve block took well with this one. My mom never made a path for me to be able to take the dogs out that way. My son is laid off currently so he can take them out thankfully.
> My mom told me today that I only think of myself because I have not said wether or not I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner (I have one usable arm currently) or asked her to do it.....I just don't understand her at times. Recovery so far is good. Hopefully it will continue to progress this way.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I might get some Chinese this year. No must, no fuss


Hi, shan2. I hope you recover quickly from the surgery. I like cats especially, but my husband is allergic and so we can't have any. Last time we had a cat my husband constantly was having asthma attacks, so we can't have any cats. I'd like to have a cat, but then I may not even if could, because of the responsibility attached. Sometimes I think I will go to the local animal shelter and just pet the cats and dogs for a while. Try not to think too hard about your mother talking to you like that. On the other hand, it's good to communicate. I have that problem with my husband. I work on telling him my intentions, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. He doesn't always tell me so that upsets me. I have to humble myself sometimes because I don't always want to tell him what I plan to do. Chinese sounds good. (Why not?)


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## cindiw

zannej said:


> Cindi, if you are worried there might be leaks, there is some kind of sealant that can be mopped on. Trying to remember the name of it, but we used it on a metal roof years ago.
> I'm still hoping to get the hot water thing resolved myself bc getting the plumber to come out is not easy and the only one who will come out is not very competent. A late friend of mine hired him to fix a shower handle in his bathroom and it never was fixed properly. Had him over multiple times too.
> 
> Shan, I hope your recovery goes smoothly. My uncle had rotator cuff surgery not too long ago and is in recovery. I'm glad that your son can walk the dogs but sorry to hear that your mother is being inconsiderate. I know how that goes.
> 
> I talked to the insurance company and the auto repair place today. Turns out a strut got bent in the accident and they discovered it after they pulled things apart so they need to order it. Insurance said they noted there might be more damage than estimated so they are prepared to pay him whatever it costs over that amount. Hopefully it won't take too long, but I suspect the holidays will slow things down.
> 
> I made potato soup for dinner and my mother was happy with it. She must have known I was talking about her bc she paged me while I was typing that. LOL. She wanted some of the chocolate log cake I picked up at Walmart. She wasn't getting out of bed earlier so I put a bowl of soup under her nose to convince her to get up. She's now watching TV. Her computer is still down bc we have to replace the video card.
> 
> I attempted to patch the leak in the pump house with flex tape but it turns out it's not that flexible and is much thicker than expected so it didn't want to cooperate, but it at least slowed the leak by a lot.
> 
> A few of the cats zerged in to the living room bc it's the warmest room in the house and they are sleeping there.


You did a lot today, zannei. I didn't do too much. At the end of the day I went to a religious meeting which I enjoyed. I opened up a can of soup <g> and had that for dinner, unfortunately I also ate a few (?) peanut butter cups also. I sliced up some tomatoes and put tomato sauce & mozzarella cheese on top, it was good. I took a shower. LOL. That's about it, other than reading and sitting in my recliner chair all day.
I get my tires at Walmart, I think they have good deals, and I buy insurance $10 each tire. It came in handy a few times when I ruined a few tires due to potholes around here. I really need to call the DOT in WV to find out why they aren't fixing some pretty big potholes on a major road. I mean the car plunges and bounces through this ridiculous pothole, I don't leave there but go into WV sometimes and then I forget exactly where the pothole is, I'm pretty sure that's what ruined my tire at least once. Now I look for the pothole and try to avoid it. But it makes me wonder why they just can't patch up these holes.


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## HandyOne

shan2themax said:


> Today is post op day 1. Rotator cuff repair surgery yesterday.  Nerve block took well with this one. My mom never made a path for me to be able to take the dogs out that way. My son is laid off currently so he can take them out thankfully.
> My mom told me today that I only think of myself because I have not said wether or not I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner (I have one usable arm currently) or asked her to do it.....I just don't understand her at times. Recovery so far is good. Hopefully it will continue to progress this way.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I might get some Chinese this year. No must, no fuss



Wishing you a good recovery and do the PT.   I've had a cousin that has had that and the PT makes a difference in how well the use come back.  (Your mom sounds a bit not in touch with your reality of this arm issue.)


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## zannej

I can't imagine life without cats. My parents got cats before they had kids so I grew up with kitties. My father grew up with cats as well. He told me how the only time he ever remembered having a tantrum as a kid was when his mother nagged the father to take all of their cats to a shelter to get rid of them. When my father got home and found his cats were gone he pitched a fit so my grandfather went straight back to the shelter and brought them all home.

Today I've been coughing and feeling bleh. UPS rolled up so I had to go out and get the package. I really should go for a walk but my lungs are being hateful today.

The logging trucks have destroyed parts of our road. There was a huge pot hole combined with a lump of the paved part and mud pushed up that managed to tear some plastic under the CR-V. The paving is substandard. I don't think it's even a full inch thick and they didn't compact the soil before laying it down. So when the big trucks drive on it, it gets all deformed and chunks break off. It's mostly when it has been raining. They keep violating the "no driving on the road w/in 24hrs of rain" rule.

I'm thinking of making more stuffing with chicken and adding corn. I wish we had some cranberry sauce because I've been craving that. Too much watching food network. LOL. I was wanting to pick up another rotisserie chicken but I feel to crappy to drive. I also wanted to get some potatoes so we could have mashed potatoes. Tomorrow we are considering going to eat at the casino restaurant where my brother works (it was Mom's suggestion).

I really need to get myself motivated to do more each day. I read some of the things people here accomplish and feel useless (but also inspired). I just need to quit with the procrastinating.


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## shan2themax

Thanks guys! So far, this recovery is going much better than when I had the other side repaired in 2016. I am most excited to getting through the next 4 to 6 months of recovery and getting back into the groove of normal life.  Hopefully I will only be off work for 6 weeks, and can go back light duty after that .
I cant drive for 6 weeks, so I know I'll be off that long at minimum.
My mom is difficult,  um not sure what she was thinking, or not thinking. Its times like this that I wish I had a sibling or 5 to share her with. Today was better, no snide remarks.... tomorrow , well, we shall see. I plan on being thankful and having a good day no matter what!
I hope you guys each have a blessed holiday full of love and yummy vittles and thankfulness!


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## zannej

Shan, I'm glad to hear you're recovering well. Sorry that your mother is being a pain. Mine can be at times too, although in some ways she's improved. She never used to say "thank you" or apologize. I think I was 40 before she apologized to me for the first time. She's been more appreciative since she depends on me for so much now, but every once in awhile she forgets that I'm only human. I think sometimes older people have a hard time understanding or empathizing with others-- particularly their offspring and/or younger generations. They want things to be a certain way & get cranky when things aren't the way they want.

I made the stuffing with corn and chicken and it turned out great. I used Bird's Eye sweet corn that is steamed in the microwave and added a little more butter than the recipe called for. My mother was happy with it and had seconds. Her only gripe was that the chicken pieces were too big.

It's 39 degrees outside so when I woke the cats were piled on. Rupert was up against my left arm. Itsy was on my left arm. Predicate was on the left side of my chest. Ginger was on the right side of my chest. Mewlatto was on my abdomen/upper legs. The dog, Princess, was curled up against my left hip and leg. I delayed getting up for 45 minutes because I didn't want to disturb them. I did get up earlier than usual and cleaned the trash up in the living room. My mother creates nests of trash (which attracts mice). Since my brother doesn't take trash out like he's supposed to, she just dumps it all over around her desk. I filled three 33 gallon trash bags. Cleared a path to be able to pull out her computer bc her new video card arrived. Took it apart and discovered that mice had pissed on her old card, which I'm guessing is why it died. There were mouse droppings & some kind of larva inside the chassis. I cleaned out it a bit and put the new card in. Not sure how the mice got in there, I couldn't see any openings as large as my pinky fingertip. But, I got it in and tried to boot up the computer. Disk read failure. Then it wouldn't load the user profile. It's running a repair scan right now. I hope her hard drive didn't get borked. My tech-savvy friend doesn't have a day off work until December 5th so he won't be able to help.


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## cindiw

zannej said:


> I can't imagine life without cats. My parents got cats before they had kids so I grew up with kitties. My father grew up with cats as well. He told me how the only time he ever remembered having a tantrum as a kid was when his mother nagged the father to take all of their cats to a shelter to get rid of them. When my father got home and found his cats were gone he pitched a fit so my grandfather went straight back to the shelter and brought them all home.
> 
> Today I've been coughing and feeling bleh. UPS rolled up so I had to go out and get the package. I really should go for a walk but my lungs are being hateful today.
> 
> The logging trucks have destroyed parts of our road. There was a huge pot hole combined with a lump of the paved part and mud pushed up that managed to tear some plastic under the CR-V. The paving is substandard. I don't think it's even a full inch thick and they didn't compact the soil before laying it down. So when the big trucks drive on it, it gets all deformed and chunks break off. It's mostly when it has been raining. They keep violating the "no driving on the road w/in 24hrs of rain" rule.
> 
> I'm thinking of making more stuffing with chicken and adding corn. I wish we had some cranberry sauce because I've been craving that. Too much watching food network. LOL. I was wanting to pick up another rotisserie chicken but I feel to crappy to drive. I also wanted to get some potatoes so we could have mashed potatoes. Tomorrow we are considering going to eat at the casino restaurant where my brother works (it was Mom's suggestion).
> 
> I really need to get myself motivated to do more each day. I read some of the things people here accomplish and feel useless (but also inspired). I just need to quit with the procrastinating.


Sometimes there is so much to do that it's disheartening to think about it. So NOW my big objection is: do I get rid of all the magazines I've been collecting and haven't read, or do I stack them up neatly again? OK, there are other problems, but that's what's in front of me right now.


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## cindiw

shan2themax said:


> Thanks guys! So far, this recovery is going much better than when I had the other side repaired in 2016. I am most excited to getting through the next 4 to 6 months of recovery and getting back into the groove of normal life.  Hopefully I will only be off work for 6 weeks, and can go back light duty after that .
> I cant drive for 6 weeks, so I know I'll be off that long at minimum.
> My mom is difficult,  um not sure what she was thinking, or not thinking. Its times like this that I wish I had a sibling or 5 to share her with. Today was better, no snide remarks.... tomorrow , well, we shall see. I plan on being thankful and having a good day no matter what!
> I hope you guys each have a blessed holiday full of love and yummy vittles and thankfulness!


Thanks. Nice talking to all of you. As far as your mother is concerned, I guess she's used to expressing her mind. ?? I know I've gotten in trouble for that -- not everybody takes to that too well. But since you know your mother (like I try to know my husband), I work on telling him what my plans are -- because if I don't, he can overturn me by doing something else. So I'm learning that if I even think there may be a conflict, I have to mention what I intend to do or not do. And THAT's after 43 years of marriage.


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## cindiw

zannej said:


> Shan, I'm glad to hear you're recovering well. Sorry that your mother is being a pain. Mine can be at times too, although in some ways she's improved. She never used to say "thank you" or apologize. I think I was 40 before she apologized to me for the first time. She's been more appreciative since she depends on me for so much now, but every once in awhile she forgets that I'm only human. I think sometimes older people have a hard time understanding or empathizing with others-- particularly their offspring and/or younger generations. They want things to be a certain way & get cranky when things aren't the way they want.
> 
> I made the stuffing with corn and chicken and it turned out great. I used Bird's Eye sweet corn that is steamed in the microwave and added a little more butter than the recipe called for. My mother was happy with it and had seconds. Her only gripe was that the chicken pieces were too big.
> 
> It's 39 degrees outside so when I woke the cats were piled on. Rupert was up against my left arm. Itsy was on my left arm. Predicate was on the left side of my chest. Ginger was on the right side of my chest. Mewlatto was on my abdomen/upper legs. The dog, Princess, was curled up against my left hip and leg. I delayed getting up for 45 minutes because I didn't want to disturb them. I did get up earlier than usual and cleaned the trash up in the living room. My mother creates nests of trash (which attracts mice). Since my brother doesn't take trash out like he's supposed to, she just dumps it all over around her desk. I filled three 33 gallon trash bags. Cleared a path to be able to pull out her computer bc her new video card arrived. Took it apart and discovered that mice had pissed on her old card, which I'm guessing is why it died. There were mouse droppings & some kind of larva inside the chassis. I cleaned out it a bit and put the new card in. Not sure how the mice got in there, I couldn't see any openings as large as my pinky fingertip. But, I got it in and tried to boot up the computer. Disk read failure. Then it wouldn't load the user profile. It's running a repair scan right now. I hope her hard drive didn't get borked. My tech-savvy friend doesn't have a day off work until December 5th so he won't be able to help.


That's so nice about your cats and dog snuggling next to you. Sweet. By the way, I got a very good laptop if you ever want to think about it from eBay, a refurbished Dell for less than $200. No trouble at all, except for the keyboard when I drop crumbs and sweep it out, jamming the keys.


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## zannej

I have a staunch "no food near the computer" rule. My mother has an Alienware gaming laptop that is heavy as hell. Bought it from a friend who got it for around $5k. It has been kept updated with better hard drives, processor, RAM, etc. It's a beast but it weighs like 20lbs.

The repair thing ran but now my mother's computer can't load the user profile. There's a fix for it, but it requires loading safe mode and her computer will not load safe mode no matter what I do. I will need to get a boot disk for it.

cindi, I'm bad about keeping old catalogs & magazines for the pictures. I'm a hoarder so I have a hard time letting things go. I have a huge stack of TV Guides from the 80s in a drawer.

We went to the Casino but my brother's restaurant was farther than Mom wanted to walk so we went to the overpriced buffet. It was in a smoking section and the food wasn't that great.  I popped in to see my brother and met some of his co-workers. Mom wanted to stop in at Walmart to get water but ended up getting a bunch of junk and taking forever. I'm glad to be home and plan to take a nap as soon as I can get my brain to wind down.

I brought a ziploc bag so Mom could stuff the fat from her buffet meat in it for her little dog. Ended up getting some turkey that I didn't like so that went into the bag too. Princess and Fippy ate well. Brenda didn't get any bc she's sleeping on her dog bed on my floor. I cuddled her and brushed her to make up for it (she has no idea there was food so it won't bother her). I'll have to get her a treat later when she gets up and wants food.


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## cindiw

So let's see -- today I didn't do much. I'm having a thyroid condition, PLUS too much to do. I put a few things away put magazines in a pile, took laundry out of dryer, heated up a pork chop for hubby, heated delicious salmon I made for myself and now in my recliner.


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## zannej

I feel you on the thyroid thing. Even with the medicine I still get absolutely exhausted and I can't have caffeine because of a heart condition. Sounds like you accomplished more than I did. I slept until after 5pm. Made dinner for Mom, ate some leftover stuffing, and as I was about to put it away around 8pm my friend's fiance called and wanted me to go pick up her friend from another town. I didn't realize how far it was otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to go. It was over 55 miles to get there and it was extremely foggy. My visibility was utter garbage. I couldn't see houses, side roads, or much of anything. GPS had the location of the road for the girls house off by half a mile. With the fog I couldn't even see that there was a road much less see street signs. My friend's fiance was with me so she called her friend and the friend saw my headlights and said I needed to turn around. Spent about 15 minutes totally lost. She wants me to drive her friend back home today. It should be easier to see since it will be daylight and hopefully it won't be raining or foggy. The friend will be with us to spot her road though.
Got back into town around 11pm to drop the girls off and my friend was in severe pain from a tooth infection (bc his teeth all broke in a car wreck). He wanted to go to the ER so I drove him and dropped him off. Mom asked me to hit the store to get bread. Fortunately I arrived post-Black Friday madness and was able to just get my groceries and get out (I shopped while hungry so I grabbed some milk, chicken, & donuts as well as some Ibuprofen for my friend). Took the groceries home and then went back to take the meds to my friend who was still in the waiting room. I sat with him until they took him in to a room. Got back home after 1am. Unloaded some stuff from the car (there were some bags of cat food & kitten chow still in the back) and went to lie down. I ate some of the chicken this morning and now I'm feeling a bit nauseous. At least my dog is now sleeping on the pillow I got for her. She's sharing it with the cat.


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## shan2themax

My mom is only 69, but a firm believer in I am older so you owe it to me, I should get the last word and that sort of thing. 
I refuse to give a play by play for her, especially after something as sensible as me being in a brace for 6 weeks so of course I'm not going to be able to cook Thanksgiving dinner 3 days post op. My kids are grown, but they still go to their dads on the holiday, they always have... my oldest doesnt go to hus but he had to work until 1 am.... the kids and I understand the importance of loving one another every day and being thankful every day.... shes wrapped up in her own expectations of what Thanksgiving should look like.... I on the other hand was thankful for the repair to have gone smoothly and to not be in tremendous pain.... I'd have eaten cereal and still been happy. She did end up cooking, I ate what she fixed and was thankful.  My ex husband sent leftovers for us, because that is how we have lived the past 18 years since divorce.   My mom has great ideas and great wishes but she cant seem to understand that you have to have action with those.  It's more often than naught about her and her wants, and I guess that's ok.... I just wish she had her own place to live so that I could enjoy the few years she has left instead of being irritated. That would be such a blessing


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## havasu

I just stepped on dog poop in the living room! Damn geriatric dog!


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## Gary

Spent some time this weekend and this afternoon finishing this edge lighted sign. It's my first attempt at this type of sign, so there's a few things I'd change if I had it to do again.
Last night they were forecasting an inch or less for us. Now they're saying we could get up to 10" and high winds. I'm ready for Spring.


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## zannej

Shan, my mother is 68. She never had a job (other than being a mother), never really did much housework, and always had high expectations of other people and can be very critical (although she's softened a bit in recent years). She doesn't have a grasp on what it takes to do things and is not terribly sympathetic to others when they are sick. She sometimes fakes being sick or having low blood sugar and I don't know why. In some ways she is a very caring and generous person and in others she is apathetic. It's odd.

My friend's grandfather is in his early 70s and I think he was raised in a culture where just being an older white male meant people were automatically supposed to defer to him, always think about him, and do everything for him. He's been disabled for over 30 years so he's had people waiting on him hand-and-foot and pretty much demands servitude from family members. Without my friend there to dose out his meds for him, he's been taking them incorrectly again- so he's taking his night-time meds in the day then calling people on the phone and falling asleep. He repeatedly called my friend and his fiance when they were at work and when my friend finally answered all he did was yell at him for not coming over to clean his house-- my friend doesn't have time bc he doesn't have a day off until December. The fiance is having some issues. I swear the girl is mentally challenged. She has the attention span of a fruit fly, starts talking over people while they are talking to her, or gets on her phone and starts reading messages or even calls people during a conversation with another person. She also is unable to grasp very simple concepts-- like, she doesn't understand that having a cold is not a reason to go to the ER and that they won't be able to do anything for her. But she has panic attacks about things. My friend is highly intelligent but he keeps dating girls who are below average intelligence and I don't know why.

Gary, that looks awesome!

Havasu, I just stepped in dog crap in the kitchen so I feel ya. Geriatric dog as well-- and I found the dumbass with her nose in the litterbox like she was trying to eat out of it. I put out more food for her and had to grab her behind her front legs to pull her over closer to the bowl because she just stood 4ft away staring at her full food bowl stupified.

Other than the dog crap, I had a good day. Played Elder Scrolls Online, cleaned up the kitchen floor, brought in stuff from the car (that my brother was supposed to bring in but didn't), cuddled the cats, made stuffing for dinner again, and ate a donut.


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## shan2themax

I had my post op appt today. Surgeon was much kinder, said it was in fact a full thickness tear and not a partial tear, therefore it wouldn't have healed on it's one. I'm glad I held my ground. Start physical therapy next week, thankful to get that going !


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## havasu

went to Arizona to look at homes. No luck, the prices are incredible, and  not worth it, especially after bringing a Socialist Senator to ruin the good economics. On our way home, I stopped by my Lake Havasu house to flush toilets and inspect the gardener's job. well, he is fired. The place looks like crap! While leaving, I stopped by to visit my 56 year old friend and neighbor, but strangely, nobody was home. As I was driving away, I found out he passed away on Thanksgiving morning, because he would rather drink Jack Daniels than to deal with life issues. I am really torn up.


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## Gary

Thrashing to get stuff done so we can take a long weekend to Branson. Havasu, your avatar looks familiar. When we get back I have to letter the police squad's trailer, complete with a thin blue line flag on each side.
Shan, I feel your pain with the injury situation. Hope you get better soon.  I tore a hamstring a couple years ago. They first said it was just stretched. but after my leg turn black & blue and swelled to the point my jeans where a tight fit, they said it was torn. That wasn't a surprise to me, the pain even with medication was as bad as any I've had. Right up there with kidney stones and running my fingers through the table saw. I have a knot on the back of my leg now and get cramps at the slightest wrong move. I guess the old body doesn't heel like it did 30-40 years ago.


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## zannej

Shan, I'm glad the doctor was nicer this time and hope the PT goes well.

Havasu, that sucks! If it's any consolation, Arizona has had outbreaks of Bubonic plague and the temperatures have gotten insanely hot in the warmer months. I wonder if Nevada is a better place to live. I think they don't have any state income tax.

Gary, the lettering sounds like it will be cool. Sorry to hear about your leg though.

Yesterday was not great for me bc I went from the excitement of getting my truck back to realizing the repair guy effed up. He also jumped in his car and drove off with the payment after I asked for a receipt. I think he's having some family vacation and was in a hurry to leave, but he also messed up on the repairs badly enough that it could have led to a fatal accident. The outside of the truck looks fine and he told me the error codes would have to be cleared by the computers at the dealership. He was gone before I got in to drive it and discovered the steering wheel wasn't aligned properly. It didn't feel right while driving so after we dropped the CR-V and the dog (who wanted to go for a ride) off at home, I went straight to the dealership. Good thing bc the strut wasn't put in right (wasn't secured tightly-- fasteners were loose) and the nut for the tie rod was missing so it was starting to come loose. Dealership said my tire could have come off while driving and that the truck wasn't safe to drive. Spent a few hours waiting while they checked it out and informed me that they were calling all stop and not touching it further until my insurance sent someone to look at it so they wouldn't get blamed for any problems. The said the tire itself wasn't even on tightly. We had to call my brother to come pick us up. They called today and said the adjuster told them that re-doing the strut & alignment was something I'd have to get reimbursed for from the other repair guy but that it needed a 2nd strut bc they are supposed to be done in pairs. Also said my brakes were due for replacement and rear tpms sensor was blown & needed replacement. They wanted $200 for the latter but I can get it done much cheaper at the local tire shop and I know they are competent there. I will still get a new tpms sensor for the front tire bc it was part of the accident.  They also suggested not mentioning the problems to the other repair guy until I got a receipt from him. I called him today and could barely hear him over the kids in the background. He's on vacation and won't be back 'til Sunday so I can get the receipt Monday (or so he claims).

I don't know if he's just incompetent or if he had a lazy worker or what the deal was. I don't think he deliberately tried to make my truck a death trap. I know the usual protocol is to take a vehicle back and give the person a chance to do it right, but it would be more expensive to have it towed back there since it isn't safe to drive and considering it could have led to a potentially fatal accident, I'm not taking my chances. Insurance can withhold $ from whatever else he was owed in the amount of what it costs to repair what he screwed up. He owes them at least $89 for the alignment. 

Other than making phone calls today I cleaned up a bunch of dog crap, took my friend's fiance to the cardiologist, got my brother some socks, picked up mail, fed & watered the critters, petted the cow, & got food for Mom. Friend's fiance forgot her medicine in my car so I had to drive back in to give it to her. Been talking to my friend about fixing the house up. He's going to be getting 2 days off a week so he'll have time to come help (I think some time in mid December/early January). I need to check the cat I got spayed to see if her stitches are still in. I've been so busy I totally forgot about getting them removed. I'm thinking of changing her name to Butterball or Blubberball bc she is F A T. If she hadn't just been spayed I'd think she was pregnant.

Tomorrow I get to take my friend to the dentist early in the morning.


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## zannej

My friend wasn't able to get his teeth pulled bc he had an abscess. 
Cleaned out my old microwave that was having problems and took it to my friend (his ex has his but she doesn't clean and it's full of roaches so he doesn't want it back). He thinks he can fix it up. I cleaned the countertop and  got the new microwave in place. My mother also ordered a new toaster bc I hated the old one. It had buttons that were supposed to change settings for bagel or frozen bread-- there were no indicator lights and it never seemed to do anything different. The cats knocked it on the floor multiple times so the outer case is all askew and the bottom won't stay shut. I think my friend can probably fix it and I don't believe he has a toaster. He doesn't care if something is beat up so long as it works for his purposes. Last time I was over I noticed he's been using the pots and pans we gave him.

Finally got my truck back. The body shop guy still won't take my calls or call back so I may have to go down to his shop. I'm hoping I won't have to go to small claims court. Got my brakes done and airbag recall taken care of while it was at the dealership. They did a full inspection and said everything was fine except for the stuff related to the accident & the brakes. Need to take it back and get some of the error messages cleared though- it's still showing it is due for maintenance (which I had done) and something is up with the DRL (daytime running lights).

My mother got some useless piece of copper that is supposed to make meat defrost faster-- some snake oil gimmick. Didn't work so I had to soak hamburger meat (in a ziplock bag) in hot water for 20 min to thaw it out. I made hamburger & potato stroganoff from a hamburger helper mix. Added a little garlic salt & half a cup of sour cream. There were no leftovers.

I need to do something productive today.


----------



## Gary

Had water trickling across the shop floor. So, today I replaced the water heater in the shop restroom. Then back to work on regular stuff.


----------



## shan2themax

I had my hot water heater go bad about a year after I bought the house, came home from work and water was all over the driveway


----------



## Gary

They always go bad at the wrong time it seems. We just replaced the one for the rest of the house a couple years ago, so we should be good to go with hot water fro awhile.


----------



## shan2themax

I certainly hope so.  My current hot water heater is a 100 gallon tank. I hope it lasts 10 more years!


----------



## zannej

We got a new hot water heater probably 10 years ago & the pressure relief line is done improperly. We'll have to replumb it and get a new one eventually. I'm thinking of trying to find a way to set up a filter to clean at least some of the sediment out of the line before it gets to the heater-- something that won't shorten the life of the rod. Will need to put a drip pan under when we get a new one as well, right now it's sitting on wood.

I got some of the stuff sorted out with my truck. Finally got ahold of the other repair guy and he was annoyed and claimed the dealership was spouting BS about stuff being loose. I told him that the tie rod was absolutely loose bc it started having problems as soon as I started driving it away and I took it straight to the dealership and had to get it fixed and have the alignment done again. He gave no indication that he has any intention of reimbursing us for our out-of-pocket expenses and he said he left the receipt with the towing guy. So I have to get ahold of the towing guy and see whether or not the repair guy was truthful about how much we paid him. I also noticed, on closer inspection there are some missing paint spots on the fender and hood that I will have to touch up. The paint is very smooth at least and it looks like the factory paint. The hood looks like it was never bent, so that much is ok. They just screwed up on not tightening stuff up.

I'm hoping to go back Monday to the dealership to get the daytime running lights fixed. They didn't authorize it even though it was one of the problems with the vehicle as a result of the accident. I also need to get the dealership to clear the notification that the truck is due for maintenance since I just had it done. We had the brakes and alignment done at our expense and with tax it came out over $500. I'm not getting my brakes done there again. We are going to buy the right side strut and get it installed by a friend who has experience with it and get the tpms fixed by the local tire shop that we know we can trust.


----------



## David Newell

Today I did many things.

The "funnest" was playing "Wii Golf" with Wifey-poo.

The "puzzlingest" was being directed to download   "FRST64",  and then seeing that "Windows 10"  wouldn't let the file be run because of a security violation.

_*?Wazzup wit' dat?*_

But the tree is up,  and all is well..

Hope the same for all..


----------



## shan2themax

My oldest and I took his cat to the Vet today.... she had emergency surgery Nov 16 and her blood sugar was high then, but she was septic..... I checked her blood sugar yesterday twice because she keeps peeing and is ravenous and is losing weight and her blood sugar was 400 and 423, so..... we now have a diabetic kitty, shes had her first dose of Lantus and I've misplaced my glucometer somewhere today.... we dont have to check it every day, but.... I'm a nurse so I'm not comfortable with not checking it.....  so.... I'll have to search harder shortly


----------



## topher5150

Did training for a week, I got home and there was a pile of dishes in the sink and some water that was having a hard time draining. So I ran the dishwasher not thinking anything would happen got home and the sink was backed up to the top. So down the the basement I go undo the dishwasher line and drain the sink. Back up to the kitchen and I start disassembling the drain pipes the vertical pipe and the first bend of the s trap were plugged solid with grease.


----------



## shan2themax

Topher, I hioe you got that fixed.... I had a problem like that once because my sons then girlfriend kept putting grease down the sink.... I just about never got that straightened out


----------



## topher5150

It was 100% plugged fortunately the blockage was just before the bend and with a couple of good whacks against the inside of the garbage can it cleared right out and now it drains better than ever.


----------



## zannej

Ugh. I hate dishes. I'm the one who has to wash all the dishes and other people don't even rinse their stuff. My brother actually griped at me for not washing his dishes when he hasn't taken out the trash in months.

I ended up not going anywhere on Monday. Tuesday I went with my mother and my best friend and his fiance to the town that has the hardware stores. Looked at several places to find some carpet for his house (the cheap carpet we bought him before got chewed up by mice and a friend who squatted there spilled stuff on it). They now have a kitten that they hope will learn to hunt mice. Anyway, finally found something decent at HD and used Mom's military discount. Put it in the truck and took it to his house and I swept up the floor, helped move furniture, and helped install the padding and carpet. Mom made some disparaging remarks about me not sweeping at home (because she stays in her room or at her desk and doesn't realize that I sweep almost every day).

While we were at Surplus Warehouse we saw some vinyl plank flooring my mother liked, but the AC ratings were not listed and I couldn't find any information on whether or not stuff was waterproof. The salesman insisted it was all entirely waterproof, but when I went to the website to look up some of the stuff, that wasn't true. Some of it said "water resistant" which is not the same thing. I don't think he meant to be misleading, I think he just doesn't know.

I was absolutely exhausted today and I kept getting woken up by the phone now that the lines are fixed. Some scam/phishing thing kept calling over and over about apple computers (of which we have none-- we don't have any apple products). I think they called about 8x but there is no way to tell them to stop calling since it's a robocall. I heated up leftover stuffing and chicken for mom and got some cranberry sauce for it this time. She liked it better than when I first made it- hence why she ate ALL of it and didn't leave me any. LOL.

Tomorrow I'm going to take my friend to go pick up a used stove he saw on facebook marketplace. It has a problem with the LED display but he knows how to fix stuff like that. I'm hoping it won't rain.

Pics of my friend's new carpet:
His fiance likes to watch some really crap "music" videos with some mumblemouth hooker. LOL.


For now they have a floor heater but he wants to get one that can be mounted on the wall. Here's his fiance with their little dog, Callie, on her lap.


My friend is happy with this couch but the fiance wants to get rid of it. If they get a new one I know who they can ask to transport it. LOL.



Here's their kitten, Tux, dramatically splaying herself out on the floor in front of the heater.


----------



## shan2themax

That looks great. You are an awesome friend!


----------



## Gary

Nice carpet laying job zannej. I did the usual sign work, but I took time out to sign up for SS. I'll be officially (semi) retired in March.


----------



## zannej

Thanks Gary. My friend did most of the heavy lifting and the trimming, but I helped get it in place and held the roll steady while he did some cutting and then helped move some stuff back in.
The oven was incredibly heavy, but I helped him load it into the truck and brought along a tarp and some tiedowns. It was pouring rain on the way there but it didn't rain on the way back. When I was backing in to get it close to his porch we discovered that my front driver tire is rubbing the inner fender and my 4wd is not working. So, I'm going to have to take it to the dealership and figure out why the VTM4 button won't work and why the tire is rubbing.

I told my friend the stove is probably 40 to 50 amp and would need 8/4 or 6/4. Turns out it was the latter so he will need a new breaker and some wire. He messaged my brother to come help move the stove into the house bc he knew I wouldn't be much help transferring it from the truck to the porch. They got it in and I went home to feed Mom. 

I'm going to play elder scrolls online for a bit and then take a nap.


----------



## Chris

Hi guys.  Think I'll stick around long enough to see a response?


----------



## zannej

Oops, missed ya, Chris.
How are things going in Idaho?
Hope you and your family are doing well and have a great Christmas. I'm guessing you got snow already. Some beer and a nice wood fire can help keep you warm though.


----------



## inspectorD

almost Friday again..hehe.. Hope all is better than this response!!


----------



## zannej

I did more cleaning in the kitchen. My brother *finally* took some of the trash out. He hasn't taken it out in months so I've been filling trash bags with trash & they've been piling up & stuff got spilled on the floor (partially bc he just throws it there & also bc of cats & dogs). So, I swept up the floor and filled another trash bag up. Mom had been griping about not being able to get through certain areas well so I cleared those spaces for her. Her initial response was to just gripe about the parts that hadn't been cleaned yet (bc my back decided to puss out on me).

My brother also decided he didn't want to be responsible for the 12 cats in the front room anymore so he just opened the doors and let them loose so now they are my problem. They sat on my bread, knocked the new toaster on the floor and dented it all up, unplugged the microwave, knocked over boxes, and then one of them got into my room & sprayed right behind one of my fans and knocked a heavy can down on my foot. The older cats are not happy about it & have been hiding out in my room. Predicate has been ultra clingy and wants me to carry him everywhere now. He literally screams if he sees the fluffy orange cat, Fry. The dogs don't like a couple of the kitties so they chase/bark at them. Hatshepsut hasn't figured out that she can come back in through the cat door so she climbs the screen on the front window and howls to be let back in.

For the most part, they are still getting along and they are all accounted for. Poor Gravy Jones is afraid to go very far so he will come just out of the front room and hover near the fridge. The others have made themselves at home all over the kitchen. They were coming into my room until I closed the door-- knocked over some lamps, my monitor, etc. They like the cat tree-- much to Predicate's chagrin. And I just discovered they go completely berserk over rotisserie chicken (I was trying to make a chicken burrito for Mom).

My sister and her husband went to DisneyWorld for X-mas. They drove down in his corvette & then stopped by a town north of us to meet up on the way back. We only spent a couple of hours with them before they had to get going again, but they like the food at the Chinese buffet and it was good seeing them. My brother-in-law had a cold but was still in good spirits. I'm hoping that next year we can have the house cleaned up enough for them to come out here.

My mother finally got fully on board with the laundry room reno (after I showed her my google sketchup drawings) and said she would pay for it. The idea of easier access to the laundry room was appealing. I'm trying to print it out, but the printer is being a pain. Keeps claiming we have a used or counterfit ink cartridge & refuses to print. It was printing ok earlier but I'll have to see if I can sort the stupid thing out later. 

I think I've found the right flooring for the laundry room- a click lock waterproof vinyl plank with 20mil wear layer and built-in waterproof underlayment. It's currently on sale & even with tax will cost less than the flooring we were considering at Sam'sclub (which only had a 12mil wear layer & no underlayment). I'll post links in my thread.


----------



## zannej

Too quiet in this thread. Everyone doing ok?


----------



## oldognewtrick

zannej said:


> Too quiet in this thread. Everyone doing ok?


So far, can't wait til spring to get some yard work started.


----------



## havasu

3 more inches of rain expected here in Democrap land. I hear our new Governor is working on a way to tax us for the rain we are about to receive. 

Speaking on our new idiot Governor Gavin Newsom, he is cancelling our much needed bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and spending the $100 BILLION towards that famous bullet train from Bakersfield to Merced, which will accommodate two Hispanic families who need to pick fruit. Silly *** politicians.


----------



## joecaption

Spent most of the day dealing with just trying to get my front brakes replaced.
I just had it inspected last month, the pads where so far gone it destroyed the rotors, so it went from $25.00 in parts to over $200.00.
Of course they sold me the wrong pads, so that's another trip, I come back and find out the bearings and seals are shot also so there's another trip and more money.
I got lucky on the labor, the guy doing the work needed stumps ground and Crape Myrtle trees cut so I did that while he was working.


----------



## oldognewtrick

joecaption said:


> Spent most of the day dealing with just trying to get my front brakes replaced.
> I just had it inspected last month, the pads where so far gone it destroyed the rotors, so it went from $25.00 in parts to over $200.00.
> Of course they sold me the wrong pads, so that's another trip, I come back and find out the bearings and seals are shot also so there's another trip and more money.
> I got lucky on the labor, the guy doing the work needed stumps ground and Crape Myrtle trees cut so I did that while he was working.


Story of my life, one little thing turns into one big thing...or two...


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> 3 more inches of rain expected here in Democrap land. I hear our new Governor is working on a way to tax us for the rain we are about to receive.
> 
> Speaking on our new idiot Governor Gavin Newsom, he is cancelling our much needed bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and spending the $100 BILLION towards that famous bullet train from Bakersfield to Merced, which will accommodate two Hispanic families who need to pick fruit. Silly *** politicians.


You live in California?! That explains everything. 

Speaking of being taxed for rain...here in Oh Hah, some cities don't let you use rain barrels because (the argument goes) it depletes the amount of rainwater going back into the ground, which disrupts the sources the cities use to provide water as a public utility. I haven't looked into whether this is an argument formulated by politicians vs. people who know what they're talking about, but I guess I could see both sides: on one hand, groundwater is a huge source of fresh water; on the other hand, a city's water cycle is not a closed system -- and it's not like the water in a rain barrel disappears into an interdimensional portal or something.

Either way, I miss being able to legally own a rain barrel, mainly because I'm miserly and I hate to see good water flowing out of my downspouts and into the ground when I could be collecting it and it could be mine, all mine.


----------



## zannej

I wish I could send you guys some of my rain, but I don't think the land would handle it well since it's not used to as much rain as we get here. I think it's rained more in a single day here than it does for a year in California.

I can sort of see both sides, which, as much as Louisiana pisses me off with certain things, I am glad that we have plenty of water. Does California recycle the water like Singapore does?

I think the sales tax in town went down to 10.9%  here (was 11%). I'm debating whether to cave and call the plumber on some things that I tried to fix that didn't work out. My friend pulled the toilet to replace the seal & found the flange was broken. Used a metal repair ring but it wasn't secured bc I couldn't find my screws (found them later). He pulled it again and secured the flange but the toilet still moves so it doesn't seem to be seating properly. I think the anchors for the repair ring conflict with the contours of the underside of the toilet or something. The plumber pulls toilets & installs them all the time so I think he'd have a better shot at getting it on right & tightening it down. I'm also considering getting a different type of seal under the toilet instead of wax. Something that won't be harmed by Lysol toilet cleaner. I'm thinking of checking the weather outside and seriously considering seeing if I can locate shutoffs for the defunct shower under the house. It involves crawling under from the opposite end of the house. Hopefully there are no snakes around.

I made a couple batches of hamburger stroganoff so there are leftovers to eat tonight. I also tried Bird's Eye frozen veggie pasta with Alfredo sauce and it was good. The "pasta" (made from cauliflower & lentils) actually tastes better than traditional noodles and seems to absorb the sauce flavors better.

Yesterday, my mother gave my best friend a red air fryer/oven thingy since his oven doesn't work. He just bought a "new" car for his fiance- a 2018 Ford Fusion with 20k miles on it but that has already had to go to the shop twice for repairs. I told him he was nuckin' futs for getting it. The car payments are more than half his fiance's monthly income. Even though he works on cars & is a certified mechanic, I have a better track record for picking reliable vehicles than he does.

The weather hasn't been too cold or too hot so I'm feeling a little better. I went for a walk outside and it was nice- although the cats kept trying to trip me & then the cow decided to start following me around. It wouldn't be a problem if she didn't have such huge horns & didn't accidentally bump me with them. I really need to get more exercise. Stepped on the scale at the doctor's office & I'm at 228lbs. I've almost caught up to my mother's weight.

My brother is enjoying his job as a line cook. Some of the staff mistakenly call him "Chef" & the supervisors and chefs are encouraging him to get a culinary degree to officially be a chef. He's finished his probationary period so that means a pay raise & more benefits.

I have to go clean the pantry in a bit because I unintentionally locked one of the cats in last night (he was hiding on a lower shelf) and he didn't have a litterbox.

I'm also looking at the lightbulb on my ceiling fan and it's dangling at least 6" from the fixture. It's dangling from a black wire with a blue nut in the middle & the white wire looks like it's broken off close to the fixture. I think I need to replace the whole socket bc it sparked and the bulb smoked awhile back. It's weird bc the whole fan sort of wobbles, and the broken fandelier part I made out of clear plastic beads (that my brother broke while playing with my Highlander sword) is swinging, but the bulb is staying completely still.


----------



## tuffy

Haven't done much at all this winter. Just waiting on warmer weather,I have lots of things I want to do. It was 55* yesterday picked up the yard of fallen branches from the ice storm, now it's 16* today. So tired of winter!!!


----------



## Mastercarpenty

Today? Did some aluminum trim on windows, then came home in first gear which was all that was working after a mile from the jobsite. This after having the transmission fully rebuilt about 6 months ago. It had a problem shortly after they got done; they put a selector switch in and said something was wrong with the computer but they couldn't say what which I thought was a BS answer so they're probably not going to warranty it now. Work and my health have been bad, I'm essentially broke, and without my workvan I don't know WTF I'm going to do. 

Are we having fun yet? 

Phil


----------



## zannej

Tuffy, it's good to hear from you. I hope the weather warms up soon.

Phil, that absolutely sucks. I hope you can get the work van fixed.


----------



## NathalieBou

I made sketches of products that interest me for my cooking. I am currently visualizing which backsplash I will choose. But for the moment, for the counter of the island, several options interest me.







What do you think?


----------



## joecaption

We also have had record rains here in VA and it's still not letting up.
It's rained for the past 3 days, more coming on Wed. and Sat.
I have many yards I can not even drive over with a lawn mower without getting stuck.
Everything I own is covered in mud
This time of year it's cutting down Pampas grass and Crape Myrtle trees time so if it's not raining or below 40 deg. I still have plenty to do


----------



## Flyover

Mastercarpenty said:


> Today? Did some aluminum trim on windows, then came home in first gear which was all that was working after a mile from the jobsite. This after having the transmission fully rebuilt about 6 months ago. It had a problem shortly after they got done; they put a selector switch in and said something was wrong with the computer but they couldn't say what which I thought was a BS answer so they're probably not going to warranty it now. Work and my health have been bad, I'm essentially broke, and without my workvan I don't know WTF I'm going to do.
> 
> Are we having fun yet?
> 
> Phil


What kind of van is it (year/make/model)? Is this an automatic transmission? I've heard bad things about the automatics in Nissans and Hondas but I'm guessing your workvan is a Ford or Chevy...

I do know in these newer cars every last thing is very dependent upon computer control, and sometimes they put those computers in places where moisture can enter and cause shorts and things, so if they're saying the computer is causing this issue that actually sounds plausible to me.


----------



## zannej

NathalieBou said:


> I made sketches of products that interest me for my cooking. I am currently visualizing which backsplash I will choose. But for the moment, for the counter of the island, several options interest me.
> 
> View attachment 21641
> View attachment 21642
> View attachment 21643
> View attachment 21644
> 
> 
> What do you think?


I like the 1st and 3rd options for the counter top, but the 1st is my favorite.

I was going to be productive but pulled my back trying to take the trash out (which my brother is supposed to do).

I've been cooking for my mother every day (by "cooking" I mean mostly microwaving stuff, but I did make stroganof two nights in a row). Cats have knocked a bunch of stuff on the floor so it's harder to get around and I can't bend to pick stuff up so it's a pain. My best friend's fiance is going to come over next week and help me clean (she's in better shape & works a lot faster than me).


----------



## Rusty

Watched 10 year old granddaughter compete in Gymnastics. In a meet against 11 and up, she got a first and two seconds. This was against several hundred girls.


----------



## zannej

Rusty, congrats to your granddaughter!

I took Mom's computer over to a friend to try to fix the user profile error. Just wanted him to use a win8.1 boot disk to get it into safe mode to fix it, but apparently the computer somehow updated itself to win10 and refused to do 8.1 & required a re-install (while keeping her files but borking her programs). While it was installing I took him to Lowes to get a new bedroom door bc his old one literally fell apart. Found one for about $80 & got military discount on it. He wanted to have the door swing out from his room, but the floor is very uneven & the floor in the outer room is much higher. I told him he should set the new prehung door in front of the doorway and see if it could swing outward & said it looked to me like it would hit the bottom of the door. He insisted it wasn't that much of a difference & we worked to get it set into the doorway (without nailing it yet) and I suggested he try to open the door-- it hit the floor & wouldn't swing. Since it was hollow core it couldn't really be cut much on the bottom & he had to have it swing into the room (like the old door did). While he and a friend were getting it nailed in, I took the doorknob off the broken door for him. Next time I went over the knob was missing-- it apparently broke after I left.

Friend's cat chewed his ethernet cord & her computer doesn't have a wireless network card so I had to bring over a cable to finish the updates & get Chrome installed & imported bookmarks. Removed IE from the task bar. Took it home and set it back in it's cubby (after I had a good swearing session & had to set it down on the couch while I cleared away trash she just left on the floor all over in front of where the computer goes. I plugged everything up, powered it on. Lights & fan came on. Monitor said "No signal". I checked to make sure monitor was still on, checked power cord, checked dvi cable tightness- still no signal. Ended up going to BestBuy to get a DVI to HDMI cable bc my friend had the video card plugged in to DVI at his house & it worked. I waited until she went to bed to attach the new cable and it worked. Fun part will be getting her games & programs back in order. One of the games is like 60Gb & I can't find the right cable for my portable drive.

But, her computer is working again so that's something. I'd love to be able to get one of those mini-computers we can hook to our TV so we can use it as a monitor & I could show her stuff on the internet when there's nothing good on TV.


----------



## HandyOne

DailySale has some good refurbished small laptops that might work for you.  I bought a $98 Samsung Chromebook like the ones that are new at Best Buy for $360.   I wanted to see if junk or if it would work.   Seems to work fine, it's just refurbished.  They have macs, Dells are being offered right now.   About 13 inch sized.


----------



## zannej

My mother refuses to buy anything refurbished & also refuses to buy any Dell products after several bad experiences with them (and their customer service). She has an Android touch-screen All-In-One (which is basically a 21" tablet that she uses all the time to play games- it's lightweight so she can lift it easily).

My brother needed a haircut but the hair salon in town was closed (despite their FB page saying they were open). So we went to a salon at one of the super walmarts in Alexandria. He got his hair cut while I picked up some kitchen supplies and was looking at the inventory in electronics. There was a really nice All-In-One with a nice touch screen- picture was beautiful on it. But it was over $900 so hard pass. I found a little tray thing for monitors to sit on with enough space underneath for a keyboard. I got it for Mom's desk since her monitor stand is very short & can't be adjusted & the crap she piles up on her desk covers the bottom of the screen. I was in the process of clearing a space when she walked in so I had to abort. I need to get her to go through stuff to throw away or put away elsewhere so I can get it set up.

I would get one for my own desk, but cats are jerks and I know they will knock my monitor off the back if I raise it up. They managed to knock my monitor off of my desk a couple of times (fortunately, I have stuff behind to catch it).

I picked up more frozen meals for my mother to try but she wanted Taco Bell, so we got her some chalupa supremes and nacho fries. I got what was supposed to be a steak quesadilla but there was a real "where's the beef" situation going on. There was none in the edge pieces and only a little bit in one of the center pieces (it's cut in to like 4 pieces).

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get my mother to look at slidebar/showerhead options so we can get her bathroom renovated. The one I'm leaning toward is an off-brand that screws on to the shower arm at the top & has a suction cup at the bottom and a diverter at the bottom so she can switch from handheld to rainshower. The slidebar is about 25" long. No extra drilling & it can be adjusted more than one that is drilled in to place. The plan is to have a vertical grab bar close to the entry for her to grab as she steps in (about a 24" bar) and the handheld would be in reach while she's sitting on an adjustable height shower seat. The shower controls will be just below the slidebar, and there will be another 24" or 36" horizontal bar on the back wall (which will be to her left). I'm also considering a 16" horizontal grab bar with a removable shelf piece that will sit below the shower controls. It can be an extra piece to help her in case she loses her balance and it can hold her soap & washcloths.


----------



## HandyOne

I hope you can get your mom with the program so you can help her.   I get to go to the VA this afternoon for paperwork for Dad.      I hope you can get the bathroom figured out with your Mom and that the monitor stand works for her.


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Angie. I hope things went smoothly at the VA. 

I got my mother to clean up her desk a little bit. She partially cleared one little spot (took her 3 hours bc she was moving so slow & kept complaining about how annoying it was that she actually had to go through her own stuff). Mice had been busy on her desk chewing in to things. I had to get her gloves and clorox wipes. She eventually gave up without completing the task, but there was enough space for the tray. I held the monitor up while she pushed it in to place and moved any obstacles out from under the legs. Now she can slide stuff under the monitor and even put short items on top of the tray so she's happy. Her chair had somehow gotten lowered so I had to raise it back up for her so she's at a better height to look at her screen. I turned her computer on for her and the first thing she did was load youtube to watch cyst/pimple-popping videos while she ate a second dinner (she was still hungry after the first meal & two sides).

She wasn't happy that her passwords & such were saved & there were some things she didn't have written on her piece of paper where she keeps her notes on stuff. I knew she had some of her passwords & junk saved on her laptop so I booted it up & wrote down the info for her so she can login to her e-mail on her desktop. She apparently re-installed one of her games she likes to play on the computer bc she was playing it (and it was loud) when she talked to me on the intercom.

I finally got her to look at my e-mail that had links to the shower stuff. She liked the grab bar with the shelf. She didn't like the rainshower thing but while I was doing price comparisons for the grab bar, a related link showed up for a Moen version of the showerhead & slidebar. Moen's recommended pricing was something like $270, Lowes had it for $182, but I found it at Menards for $99 (w/ free shipping) so she ordered it. It's more expensive than the off-brand options but it's got a lifetime warranty. I think she may have ordered the grab bar as well bc it was on sale.

She also wants me to order the shower pan & wall kit (I have the account set up for Lowes to order online & can get the military discount). That one I think we would have to ship to store and ask them to open it up so we can inspect it for damage (bc it's cheaper than having it shipped to home).

Mom also discovered that she doesn't hate the meals with cauliflower & she actually liked the "mac" and cheese dish with cauliflower instead of pasta. My brother was eating some and she wanted to try it and really liked it and wanted me to get more. She then tried other stuff with the mashed cauliflower & decided she was wrong about hating all of it (she only hated the one with the bitter garlic in it). I hope she will go back to liking some of the stuff she liked for awhile and then got tired of. I stocked up on it and I worry she'll get tired of the stuff she likes now. It's funny because she used to complain about how picky one of our elderly friends was, but she's just as picky-- if not more.


----------



## zannej

Mom is enjoying the monitor tray & was telling my sister on the phone how happy she was with it. She's not usually one to praise things or show much appreciation very often so it made me happy that she's happy with it. She still griped about wanting me to move some stuff in the living room, but I need to get more stuff cleared out.

I'm going to have to start calling my friend's fiance "my friend" bc she really helped me out today (well, technically yesterday). It was her day off from work so I brought her over (not sure if her little car would make it down my road) and we worked on the kitchen together. She's a hard worker and fast cleaner. I was feeling better this time so I was able to clean with her. I still have trouble with bending, but I was able to lift some stuff & I held the dustpan (which has a long handle) still for her and then dumped it in to the trash can. When a bag was full, I pulled it out & tied it off while she put a new bag in. We worked for four hours, taking about a 20 minute break in the middle to grab some food. I had just bought a family size butter garlic chicken so I dissected it & let her eat as much as she wanted. She also had a piece of the cake I baked the night before & she really liked it. 

I had to re-clean the floor of the pantry because one of the cats has decided it's his home & litterbox. He keeps sneaking in when the door is opened & he gets locked in. He likes to hide in there bc two of his older brothers keep beating him up. We need to get them all fixed & hopefully that will reduce the hostility.

I put a big plastic bin in the pantry that I planned to store stuff in. We didn't get around to that yet because she had to leave go to pick up a co-worker. She's coming back Monday to help with more cleaning. She got the sink cleared up pretty well & loaded dishes in to the dishwasher (although we will have to take them out to wash them since they aren't all dishwasher safe & that dishwasher sucks- it is basically just a storage island). I have to clean out the cabinets before we can put stuff away in them though. If I'm feeling ok tomorrow (later today) or this weekend, I'll try to do some cleaning before she comes back.

At some point (hopefully soon) we really need to organize the pantry better. I need to make sure anything in cardboard boxes or plastic bags is stored where bugs & mice can't get to them. And we need to throw out stuff that has expired.


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## Flyover

Finally had a fence guy come out to work up an estimate -- we had about 40 feet of 6' privacy fence blow over in the windstorm a couple weeks ago. I wish it was something I could fix myself but I went out and looked at it right after the storm, and it definitely isn't something I could do. Fence guy hasn't called yet with the estimate but I know it ain't gonna be pretty.

The fence is just a straight shot on fairly level terrain. The posts go (er, went) right into clay soil. If anyone here knows about that kind of work, let me know the lower boundary of what an outrageous estimate might sound like.


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## Flyover

OK, fence guy says it'll be a little over eleven hundred. To me that seems fair but I really don't know.


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## oldognewtrick

That's 27.50 a foot for fencing. Too high, I don't have a clue, get another quote and see where it lands...just my 2 cents.


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## slownsteady

https://www.lowes.com/l/fencing-ins...iorInstallServices:C:NoDivision:Other:Fencing

Home Depot has something similar, but I couldn't open the page for some reason


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## Flyover

We tried getting quotes from multiple contractors but everyone was so swamped only one actually got back to us and came out to give us a quote. Not sure what we can possibly do about that.

Keep in mind this is for a remove/replace of six fence panels. And it's below freezing out; the ground's basically frozen. But again, I don't know what the baseline price should be given those conditions...


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## zannej

Flyover, I hope you can get the fence fixed soon- but that price sounds very steep to me. Is it covered by insurance?

My friend was supposed to come out Monday but Sunday night she said she was going to be busy & that she'd come out Wednesday. She never contacted me after that and I saw her posting on social media about how she was drinking vodka & I knew it meant she wasn't going to come out. I do appreciate the help she gave me before, but I wish people were more reliable. She doesn't really have the $ to be out drinking and she got sick from drinking & missed 2 days of work. She's going to get herself fired. I know she's 21 & wants to have fun, but I didn't go out drinking at that age- I was focused on college.

I did a bit more cleaning in the house myself, but Tuesday morning one of the cats my brother brought home (who had been abused by a previous owner) flaked out and suddenly bit me very hard without warning or provocation when I was petting him. He's suddenly gone to biting or scratching before and even chased after me and attacked my leg bc he was mad when I stopped petting him, but he never bit very hard. This time he was trying to inflict damage and bit as hard as he could and sunk his teeth to the gums into my right hand on my palm, base of my thumb, and edge of my wrist. He bit more than once so there are 5 punctures. Made a bloody mess in the bathroom when I was trying to get out some gauze to press on it to stop the bleeding. Used compression until the bleeding slowed, rinsed the blood off, cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, and put triple antibiotic cream on. Yesterday I couldn't grip things but it's starting to heal now and I have more mobility in. Still highly annoying. 

Since I couldn't clean in the house I decided to finally clean my e-mail inbox. I had over 14k messages. Went through and moved ones I wanted to keep to other folders and deleted the rest. Cleared out all of them now. First time my inbox has been cleared since 2014.

Once my hand has recovered enough to hold a grinder, I want to try the grinder on my bathroom floor to see if I can smooth out the botched self-leveling job. Trying to find a one-use grinder that will do the job. HF has some off-brand ones between $15 to $30. Lowes has a Porter Cable one for $40. The diamond cup wheel is about $35+, but I will need to find one that fits the tools. I want to get something that is in stock rather than ordering online.


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## inspectorD

Brrrrrrrrr... cmon summer!!


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## oldognewtrick

inspectorD said:


> Brrrrrrrrr... cmon summer!!


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## zannej

I'm not looking forward to summer bc it gets hot as hell, but I wish we could have some more middle ground. I wish we only had fall & spring instead of only having summer & winter now.


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## slownsteady

Cat bites are more dangerous than you realize. See a doctor.

I like cats, had some as pets. But that cat would be vulture food now if he did that to me.


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## Flyover

@zannej, my insurance would only cover the last hundred bucks or so and I'd be responsible for the first $1k, plus then I'd have an insurance claim and I'm guessing my rates would go up, so I'm just going to pay for it. (Also, I got a second quote yesterday for 3x as much.) My wife and I agree, this kind of stuff is exactly what our emergency savings are for.

That cat attack sounds pretty intense. I agree with @slownsteady, if my cat did that it'd be coyote food.


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## zannej

Flyover, that makes sense on not wanting the insurance premiums to go up. Some insurance companies will find BS reasons to cancel policies if they have more than a couple of claims in a few years-- that's what our insurance did to us. The "reasons" they gave for the termination weren't even true.

I don't really blame the cat because his previous owner used to beat the hell out of him & I think it contributed to his erratic behavior. Most of the time he's a very sweet cat. It doesn't help that my brother hasn't gotten the cat's sons neutered & some of them have been picking fights with him so he's agitated. Unfortunately, our vet charges something like $160+ for neutering a single cat and there are 7 of them. It will be over $200 per cat if they have to get vaccines as well.

I know how bad the cat bites can be. The bacterial infections can be nasty. My mother and father both had to get antibiotics from cat bites in the past. That's why I made sure to clean it immediately & use triple antibiotic cream. So far it's healing well. There is a little bruising & some scabs where the punctures are, but there is no swelling and it only hurts if I press directly on the punctures.

I had a completely unproductive day. Kidney stones were acting up again & I spent most of my time lying down with a heating pad trying to sooth the irritation. Sometimes that helps, but it wasn't doing much Thursday. I'm going to try to go to the post office & store today (since it's already Friday).


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## Flyover

Last week I got a second in-person quote on the fence, and yesterday that guy (who seemed more legit than the first guy) agreed to match the first guy's price, so I'll be sending him the signed contract today. (He never asked to see the first guy's estimate, so I missed my chance to tell him it was much lower! If only I was more dishonest.)

Yesterday I also finally fixed the master bathroom door. Or rather, the hole where the latch slides through the strike plate. Since before we moved there, the hole had been about 1/2" too low, so the door never really stayed closed. My 2yo would toddle in there all the time, and then proceed to open up the cabinets under the sink and treat everything under there as toys. To this day there's a stick of my wife's deodorant that has completely disappeared.

So to move the hole up I knew I'd have to plug the existing one first. I figured I'd create the plug with my hole saw and a piece of scrap plywood, but my smallest hole saw bit was still too big by about 1/2" diameter, so I ended up tracing around a 3/4" socket from one of my socket wrench sets and cutting that out with a coping saw. Then I had to shave the plug down a bit more with a chisel to get it to the right size, but finally I got a nice snug fit and glued it in place, and it was even perfectly flush. That was Monday. Then yesterday I drilled the new hole with a spade bit, chiseled out two corners a little to make it a D shape, as well as a thin layer slightly further up the door frame so the strike plate would fit properly, and voila. I recorded a 10-second video showing a close-up on the door closing, making sure you could hear that satisfying "click" as the latch slid home, then sent that to my wife. She was thrilled.

The sad thing is, those are pretty much the only two productive things it feels like I did yesterday.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Last week I got a second in-person quote on the fence, and yesterday that guy (who seemed more legit than the first guy) agreed to match the first guy's price, so I'll be sending him the signed contract today. (He never asked to see the first guy's estimate, so I missed my chance to tell him it was much lower! If only I was more dishonest.)
> 
> Yesterday I also finally fixed the master bathroom door. Or rather, the hole where the latch slides through the strike plate. Since before we moved there, the hole had been about 1/2" too low, so the door never really stayed closed. My 2yo would toddle in there all the time, and then proceed to open up the cabinets under the sink and treat everything under there as toys. To this day there's a stick of my wife's deodorant that has completely disappeared.
> 
> So to move the hole up I knew I'd have to plug the existing one first. I figured I'd create the plug with my hole saw and a piece of scrap plywood, but my smallest hole saw bit was still too big by about 1/2" diameter, so I ended up tracing around a 3/4" socket from one of my socket wrench sets and cutting that out with a coping saw. Then I had to shave the plug down a bit more with a chisel to get it to the right size, but finally I got a nice snug fit and glued it in place, and it was even perfectly flush. That was Monday. Then yesterday I drilled the new hole with a spade bit, chiseled out two corners a little to make it a D shape, as well as a thin layer slightly further up the door frame so the strike plate would fit properly, and voila. I recorded a 10-second video showing a close-up on the door closing, making sure you could hear that satisfying "click" as the latch slid home, then sent that to my wife. She was thrilled.
> 
> The sad thing is, those are pretty much the only two productive things it feels like I did yesterday.



Well, at least you accomplished something, good job!


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## tuffy

Installed a new garbage disposal and re routed the dishwasher drain hose.


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## oldognewtrick

tuffy said:


> Installed a new garbage disposal and re routed the dishwasher drain hose.


Yesterday I had to rent a sewer jet and unclog the drain that swmbo decided that anything and everything is a candidate for the garbage disposal. I guess they are a necessary evil...


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## Flyover

oldognewtrick said:


> I guess they are a necessary evil...


Referring of course to the sewer jet, not the garbage disposal or the SWMBO.


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## tuffy

oldognewtrick said:


> Yesterday I had to rent a sewer jet and unclog the drain that swmbo decided that anything and everything is a candidate for the garbage disposal. I guess they are a necessary evil...


Yes we have to do that also, but the wife thinks she needs one. but our main line gets full of roots, need to replace it but it is going to have to wait until warmer weather.


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## zannej

You guys have been more productive than me. I've been trying to keep up with keeping the kitchen clean, but the cats knocked more stuff on the floor & my brother still hasn't been taking trash out. He's got some sort of arm injury & is seeing the doctor about it today.

He's frustrated with his job bc they were supposed to move him from part-time pay to full-time with benefits over a month and a half ago, but HR never processed the paperwork. He's working full-time hours but is not in the system as full-time so he can't get benefits or accrue PTO. He's tried calling the lady from HR but apparently she only works part-time & the few times he's actually talked to her, she said she was going to put him on hold & then hung up. One of the supervisors (who was unaware of the HR issues) just asked my bro how  he's enjoying his promotion to Cook2 & my bro had to explain to him that he's still listed as part-time. The guy said that he had signed the paperwork to approve my brother's promotion & didn't know why it wasn't done & that he was going to raise hell to make sure he got that promotion. My brother's Medicaid is going to expire soon & he'll need medical insurance to cover his medicines.

We are thinking of switching our car insurance bc we just got the bill for the next 6 months premiums-- they raised our insurance by $400 (for 6 months- so $800 a yr). The only accident we've had was caused by someone else & that insurance is supposed to be reimbursing them & us, but they are majorly raising the price w/o explanation.

Kidney stone finally passed this morning- made itself known on the way down. Ugh.

I thought Mom had fallen for a scam from people pretending to be from Dishnetwork that called & got info from her & said they were sending someone out the next day. She claimed they told her that our equipment would stop working in 5 days so it was imperative to get it done asap. I left a message with Dish CS & googled to see if it seemed like a scam & it raised all the red flags.

Turns out it wasn't a scam & she just misunderstood/misconstrued what they said. Our old equipment is being phased out & is now obsolete & they upgraded us to Hopper & DVR. I was shocked when the technician called & I told him how I thought it was scam when they first called. He said he'd show the work order to prove it was correct & I said I needed to do some cleaning. I asked him if he'd ever been on a hoarder house & he said yes. The dog was chasing a possum last night and knocked over the litterboxes & just dumped them all over. I cleaned some of it up, but my back wasn't cooperating. My brother never completely cleaned up the ones in the front room & the dog has been peeing on the carpet in the hallway. I'm mostly nose-blind to it, but I knew it would be bad for a visitor. He told me he'd been in worse places-- ones that other technicians arrived at and flat out refused to enter. The cow came over to see him while he was working on the wires. He told me his mother raises cows & has about 80 of them.

The new primary receiver is close to the size of the old one, but it has a DVR. The remote has a microphone button to do wire tap- I mean, voice command. I believe he connected the receiver to the router but he said it would only use internet when we told it to. Said we can run Netflix through it if we want, but I cited our bandwidth restrictions.

The new picture is so much better- although the TV in my room isn't HD so there's no difference in picture. The auxiliary boxes are itty bitty. Maybe an inch high, 5" wide & 3" deep or so. The power cable can remove from the back of it, but it locks in so it can't pull out accidentally. Coaxial input is now more streamlined. Our old cables were good so they were re-used.

The new remotes are backlit so you can read them in the dark. It will take a bit to get used to them though. Only potential issue is the guy pointed out that the crape mertle trees are now tall enough to obstruct the dish when they grow leaves so we will need to have them cut, but they are touching the powerlines so we'll have to get the power company to do it. I wish I could convince Mom to just let us cut the nearest one down, but it provides shade for her bedroom window.

I did do a bunch of cleaning for the two hours before the guy arrived so I'm tired, but I need to be more active and built up my stamina.

Flyover, I'm glad you are getting your fence fixed & hope there won't be any problems.

My brain is trying to shut down on me. LOL.


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## zannej

Ok, I was wrong: The Dish thing *was* a scam. It's kinda my fault bc I couldn't get logged in to our account and went to the verified official Twitter. It linked to @DISH_Answers for customer service. I didn't notice when I clicked the link that it redirected to @dish_answers. Capitalization matters in twitter handles. The latter is a fraud account. They will pretend to be CS, ask for people's acct info, login as them, pretend to be the customer & call to set up a tech visit & installation. Then they will call afterward and demand payment for the installation (which was actually a free install).

After the install, a nasty woman from India called and kept demanding that my mother give her CC# over the phone. I told her "No, this isn't right. Hang up". Mom argued that it must be legit bc the tech came out and did the installation. We were not aware of just how advanced this scam is. The Twitter account gave me a phone # that was supposed to be their verification #-- but it just takes you to more scammers. I called Dish & confirmed it is not a valid # for Dish.

After I told Mom to hang up, I went to the bathroom & the scammer called her back and she gave them her CC#. /facepalm 

I called back today to talk to billing & they transferred me to fraud dept-- which has US people rather than outsourced from India. They explained how the scam works, I talked to fraud dept, & I gave them the numbers & fake names the scammers gave. Mom is calling her CC company right now to report the fraud. I'm collecting data to send to the FBI's fraud department.

I'm mad at myself for thinking it was the official/legit Twitter I was talking to, but Mom is the one who fell for the phone scheme after I told her it was a scam. Ugh.

Mom just paged me & for some reason she didn't remember some of the details & it turns out the CC company already paid the $ out & said they won't do anything about the fraud report until Saturday bc somehow my mother claimed that the install was supposed to be Saturday but she told me the day they called her that it was the next day. I have to go argue with her in a minute. LOL.


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## tuffy

zannej sorry for your situation with the scammers. I've had a person try and steel my identity once, It was real hard to get it all straighten out. Went to clean out under the bathroom vanity today and throw out the expired stuff and my wife told me that the sink was draining slowly this morning, I found all kinds of hair in the p-trap and wrapped around the pop up assembly boy was I mad I've told my wife and adult daughter not to let their long hair to fall down in the sink. Luckily I was able to get it all out with much trouble.


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## zannej

How the hell does their hair get in the sink? Do they wash their hair in it? I can understand hair in the shower...

So, I discovered that I think the mydish website got hacked to link to the fake Twitter account and misdirect people. I immediately called back to let the fraud dept know.. The lady I spoke with this time apologized & said that her aunt just fell for the same scam a few months back. She said she was going to contact their social media people ASAP to get it sorted out.

Since I've been on the phone I haven't gotten anything done in the house other than cooking lunch for Mom.


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## joecaption

I pulled 66 gals of weeds by myself.
Sure glad I finished high school and went to college so I can be the smartest weed puller out there. 
That's OK at $25.00 an hour I'll pull your weeds all day with a smile. 
It's impossible around here to find a school kid willing to do anything so there stuck with me.
The ones I've tried hiring never last more than a day and in 6 hours all they pulled was a 5 gal. bucket full!


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## joecaption

I read this one in Readers DIgest this morning.
"I never knew how poor I was until someone stole my identity once and it ruined her life forever".


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## Flyover

My wife blow-dries and straightens her hair in the bathroom at the vanity about once every two weeks. She puts a towel down over the sink but there's always tons of hair that gets around it anyway. We had a very slow drain there for a while and half a bottle of Draino wasn't doing anything, so last weekend I snaked it, pulled out clumps of hair (mostly hers, I'm pretty sure) that had accumulated over probably 6-12 months, and now it drains real quick.

Yesterday I had to be a diplomat:

I had three estimates on my fence repair. Let's call them A, B, and C. A's price was lower than B's so I called A and told the secretary "Let's go ahead with the work." She said "OK, what we do is put you on a waiting list and our guy will get back to you within 7-10 days, just leave a message when I forward you." She forwarded me, I left the message, and that was that. Never heard back.

Then a few days later C came out, gave me an estimate, agreed to match A's price and said he could start in a couple days. I said great, he seemed a bit more legit than A anyway, so we signed the agreement and I paid the first 1/3rd up front. He was supposed to start today.

Yesterday I got home from work and A's truck was in my driveway, and his guy was out back already starting to work. I went back there and said "Hold up, we never signed anything, I never paid you anything, and I've already signed with C." So then the guy put A on the phone for me and he said we had a verbal agreement (based on the voicemail I guess?) and that he might have to charge me anyway for sending his guy out.

I wasn't about to pay that but I felt bad about the misunderstanding, plus switching to A meant I might get the work done earlier, and the guy who was there was very professional, so I checked with C to see if I could cancel and get a refund on my up-front payment. I had to be very apologetic etc. and I felt bad about that too, and I detected a note of mournfulness in his voice, but he agreed to refund my money without a problem. Then I came back out and gave A's guy the thumbs up to continue the work. A apologized for the misunderstanding, since it was after all his fault, and had his guy give me the paper work order to sign, and from then on it's been smooth sailing. Hopefully he'll finish up today.

But boy do I hate being in the middle of situations like that! Who the heck sends people out to do work without anything written down and without any up-front payment?!?! That's like a small claims lawsuit waiting to happen.


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## oldognewtrick

I don't know about your state, but here in Tennessee we have a grace period to cancel a contract, it's either 48 or 72 hours, I forget. 

Just remember, communication on any project, both ways, always makes things go better.


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## zannej

They will do stuff without contract around here all the time. My best friend had some problems bc he had broken glass in a window & asked a local place for an estimate. Instead of getting an estimate, they went to his house, broke the window up even more, put on a new piece that wasn't the right size-- had a huge gap of no glass large enough for a person to crawl through-- & left. He came back and called the glass installers if they knew anything about what happened. They had to send someone back to put a larger piece of glass in to cover the gap, but it messed up his window so it wouldn't open anymore- but he just wanted the glass to not have a huge hole in it so he accepted that. He hadn't even authorized them to work on the window, they did it while he wasn't home, and left his house vulnerable to burglars. They then sent him a bill & charged for both visits & the glass that they first put in & had to take away bc it didn't fit. He said he would pay for the 2nd piece of glass & labor to install it, but the rest was on them because they messed up. But the owner of the glass place started complaining to everyone in town that my friend was a non-paying deadbeat and even went to my friend's boss at work and told him he would lose a customer if he didn't make my friend pay the bill. The boss was not happy to get that sort of ultimatum but said the guy could take a hike. My friend decided to tell the glass guy to "eat it" bc he never gave them permission to touch his window in the first place & they didn't even do the job right. They threatened to sue but never followed through. They would have lost because there was no contract & he ended up having to spend more $ to get the window fixed properly.

I picked up mail, cleaned up dog crap, & got food for Mom so far today. I really should do some cleaning. I can't remember whether or not I took my medicine yet today.


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## Flyover

Funny news and not funny news. Funny news first:

Fence guy finished the work, haven't heard from him since. He never collected payment info, never sent an invoice, nothing. On paper, he didn't do any work. If I was a dishonest person I'm pretty sure I could get away with never paying him. In reality I'm going to give him until Monday and then call.

Unfunny news: We had an attempted burglary on our house late last night. Would have been a home invasion since we were home. Would-be burglars stood 10 feet from where my youngest was sleeping...**mumbling dirty words**... Luckily the idiot tried the front door, found it locked, and then walked away. Turns out it was a couple people who live nearby, and several of my neighbors know them well! They tried a bunch of other houses on the street too. I sent the cops to their place then finally got to bed around 12:30.

I was going to the gym anyway this morning but last night really put me in the mood to work out...probably wanting the feel of a cold heavy piece of iron in my hands.  Ended up lifting heavier (arm day) than I ever have before, so at least last night's incident was good for something!


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## oldognewtrick

Cut the front yards for the first time this year, I have a very healthy set of weeds coming along. This just might be the year I do battle with my weed crop. Mower started right up, thanks to using Sta-bil...


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## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad the attempted burglars didn't get in. 

I didn't really do much today. Stomach was out-of-sorts. I cleaned up after the cats & cooked for Mom and that was about it. I'm barely staying awake right now.


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## zannej

I noticed something (that I commented about on the flooring forums) when looking again at pics of my plumbing under the house. It looks my mother's toilet may have had a vent at one time. It goes down to a sanitary tee (incorrect fitting) & goes back and then has another sanitary tee to go up presumably inside the wall. It's between the drain for my toilet & hers so my only guess is that it was a vent. The late plumber told me that when he did the plumbing on this place in the 40s or 50s, he put in vents. He said someone had removed them when he came to look at our plumbing after we moved back. So, I think there may be a vent for Mom's toilet that is venting either into the wall or into the attic (unless it is capped). If it isn't capped, I wonder if it could be affecting the air quality in the house & if the gases could part of why everyone always feels so tired. Whenever we have visitors, they say the house makes them feel sleepy after they've been inside for awhile. I mean, it could be the ambiance & sounds from the AC. There have been some mystery odors in the air from time to time as well. I need to remember to bring this up on the plumbing forums.

Right now I'm tired for no apparent reason. I've been taking my thyroid meds but I'm struggling to keep my eyes open.


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## tuffy

Fixed the gates into our side yard the were starting to sag. Cleaned up the barbeque grill as it was starting to get some rust on it. going to clean the patio area of leaves and dirt from the winter tomorrow.


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## zannej

Tuffy, you've been more productive than me. LOL. I still need to fix the sagging front gate & get the automatic gate opener installed.

My sister called & she will be in this state in April & wanted to make arrangements for us to visit her. We could either go out & spend the night in a hotel over in Shreveport or we could bring her home with us to spend the night & drive her back. One is a lot more gas but there will be hotel bills & I'll be away from my pets & my computer. I think having her visit would be good motivation to get the front room cleaned (and might be able to get my brother to help-- *might*). It's a brutally long drive & Shreveport is a total PITA to navigate, so I'm leaning toward having her stay with us. Plus she can see the newer kitties and snuggle her favorite, Sir Hammington.


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## zannej

Tuffy, I forgot to ask: How do you fix gates so they don't sag?

My cousin called on the 10th anniversary of my father's death. She's my closest cousin & she was always very fond of him. She gave us an update on what's going on with her life, her kids, her divorce from her cheating a-hole husband. Sometime prior to the divorce he emptied their joint bank account & put all the $ in his own account & started funneling $ to his mistress & he's refusing to pay child support. He's also refusing to turn over the deed to the house to her even though she was awarded the house in the divorce and is required to sell it, but she can't sell it w/o the deed. She can't push too hard bc he's got a violent streak & he owns firearms. She agreed with my assessment that he struck me as the sort who might someday snap & kill people. Despite that, she's working to get a degree in education & is working as a substitute teacher. Their oldest daughter needs 1 credit hour to graduate from college, her oldest son just joined the Marines, their younger son is technically still in high school but taking AP classes (homeschooled), & their youngest daughter is going to a charter school. The younger son shot up to 6'4" so he towers over everyone. He's been helping his mother to make sure the little sister gets to school (since there is no bus). He's always been a sweet nurturing kid & has looked out for his sister since she was little.

I just cleaned up my bathroom floor & pulled back the sheet vinyl & cleaned under it to get ready for my friend to come over to grind down the botched self-leveling job. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it wasn't quite as bumpy, sharp, & pronounced as I remembered, but it still needs some of the highest spots taken down. I have a spare flange in case it gets damaged. I will use a fresh leveling mix to smooth it out & get it level afterward so the toilet & chest of drawers will sit level. When I was removing the painter's tape, part of the wall started peeling (the wood panel was peeling away) several inches up-- higher than baseboard would cover-- so I'll probably have to put some wainscoting on. I'm hoping to have that done & have things fixed up enough that I can get the toilet installed within the next couple weeks. I'm going to use acrylic double-sided tape (specifically for sheet vinyl) to secure the floor in a few key places. Having another toilet will be great. The shower won't be usable yet bc the wall panels are falling off, but I believe the Delta direct-to-stud wall panel system might fit. I have decided to go a cheaper route for the shower control system- instead of paying $100+ for the valve & $80+ for the trim kit, I can get the Delta Lahara for around $80 & the valve around $30. It is still thermostatic & allows both pressure & temp control but instead of pulling out for pressure, there is a 2nd lever that turns. It's not as pretty as the Kingsley, but it's still nice. The MultiChoice valve allows for different methods of connection. I still think I want to splurge & get the nice tub spout though. I just need to figure out if the existing one twists on or if it has a set screw. 

The fixes to the DWV system can wait until we are ready to fix up my mother's bathroom. I may have mentioned that I found where I think there was a vent for that side of the house (but it doesn't go through the roof & may terminate in the attic or wall). I will have to find out if it is capped or not. It could be venting gases into the house & that is not good-- but it might explain why we are so tired all the time. I need to find out if the plumber can be trusted to put a hole through the metal roof to run the vent through it or if I should see if it's feasible to run it out through the wall & around the soffit. The latter requires a longer run & is uglier, but it won't risk creating a leak in the roof.


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## Flyover

One of the trees in my back yard is dead. It's kinda shaped like an arm sticking up out of the ground, with something like half a dozen main "finger" branches spreading out from the "wrist" (where the trunk terminates) at about 7' up. I've been going out there with a hand saw (partly because that's all I've got, partly because it builds character, and partly on principle -- just like all the other times I use hand tools) and gradually working away at it for an hour here and there when I get a chance.

It's been an ongoing project since about November. If it started out with about a dozen "fingers", it's down to 5 or 6 now. I cut down three big ones today. I had to be strategic to make sure they don't fall on my house or my shed.

With a hand saw it's quite a shoulder exercise! I wish I was ambidextrous so I could work out both shoulders more evenly, but as it is, in order to be efficient/effective my weak arm only does about 10% of the cutting and then I have to switch back to my strong arm. Now there's these huge branches lying all over my yard and I'm too exhausted to go saw them up into firewood, and I know I won't get another chance tomorrow or Friday. This weekend maybe. Hopefully it doesn't rain.


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## zannej

Flyover, that's a lot of work. I strained something in my shoulder using the mop somehow-- I was using the scrubber brush on my mop to try to get up some stubborn crud. I really need to exercise more if mopping causes problems. LOL.


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## thebuilder20

Cooked for my family


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## zannej

I helped my best friend cut get his kitchen sink put in the new countertop. Last week I hauled the cabinet & countertop for him from the store & earlier this week I put waterseal on the bottom of the cabinet to protect it from water leaks. He was going to try a complicated way of cutting the countertop & I had an easier solution. I had him put the sink face down on the top, figure out where it would sit, then mark out the area w/ painter's tape, set it again, traced around the sink, then measured 1/2" in (that's how much overhang there was) in multiple places, used a straight edge to connect the marks, then told him to drill 4 holes (1 in each corner). So every time there was a direction change, he just lined up the jigsaw inside the hole at the correct angle. Ran out of battery power & the charger I brought wasn't working so I had to drive home & grab my other charger & bring it back.

I brought my mother over so she could do her taxes (he fixed her computer & had it set up there). She finished them & watched TV while we waited for the batteries to charge. Tomorrow I'm going over early to help him w/ the DWV part of the plumbing. He needs a new drain & some slip-fit pvc bc the old setup broke. I also am going to get him to put a vent on it. He was just going to do an S-trap but I talked him out of it.

This time I made sure he's using a wye instead of a tee for the bottom & I'm going to have him put a cleanout on it. Once we get his sink & plumbing all fixed up, he's going to help me try to mouse-proof Mom's computer. I got some fiberglass screen to try. Little buggers have ruined 3 video cards by somehow squeezing in & pissing all over.

If there's time, I might help him stain the cabinet.


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## zannej

Got up early & went over to my friend's house so we could get some stuff done before he got to work. I meant to come over at 7 but slept in. He had told me to come as early as I wanted but expected it to be around 9 or something.

I talked him out of getting an S-trap kit. He didn't want to run the pipe outside the house so he got a cheap AAV. It was the only kind they had. Picked up a new slip-joint double drain kit, trap adapter, S-tee, & the AAV. He was too tired to grasp what I was explaining as I was telling him how it would all go together. When we walked out of the store I saw the truck of one of the only two local plumbers (it's the guy who won't come out to my house). Apparently he was standing right next to me as I was explaining how it worked to my friend. My friend said I must have been right bc he knows the guy & the guy would have butted in to tell me if I was wrong. When we got back to his house I put it all together for him & showed him how to fit it in. I also marked where he needed to cut pipe (leaving an allowance for the difference with solvent weld). I also marked the countertop with painter's tape & marked where it would be cut so the fridge can fit next to the counter. He had previously hooked up his water supply lines but I forgot to tell him to purge the lines before hooking them to the sink. He tried to turn the sink on & nothing came out. I asked him if he had purged the lines first & he said "No. I never do that." I told him that even if he thinks the lines are clean, he should always run the water through the supply lines for a little bit before hooking the sink up. I asked him if he had a bucket & he said he had a pot. He went into the bathroom and was dumping a pot out when I noticed a bucket right at his feet & pointed it out. So, after detaching the sink, he turned the water on & cleared the lines. There were bursts of air & it came out muddy. He ran it until it was clear. Then hooked back to the faucet but it was still clogged. So we made a trip to Walmart to grab a new faucet (much better one than the fugly cheap one he had before). Got that one set up & running, and then we started staining the cabinets. Got one door done but his stupid ex called & wanted something for their kid (she of course waited until the last minute to spring it on him) so he had to go. I'll have to go back later to finish the staining. It takes more work for the look he's going for-- have to really rub the stain in so the wood grain still shows through it. I still have to take my mother over later to print her taxes (she said the program won't send her taxes electronically unless she also prints them at the same time).

After watching how much glue my friend uses when he connects pvc, I've decided that I will do the gluing when we work on the stuff at my house. I had to quickly wipe some of the excess out of the trap adapter so it didn't run it.


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## zannej

Went back over after a nap & brought Mom to print her taxes. My bro finally found his tax info so she filed his as well-- well, his federal. Louisiana doesn't allow electronic filing for state taxes.  While she was doing that, I finished staining the cabinet. My friend didn't give his fiance a heads up about the new faucet so she was pleasantly surprised & immediately started doing dishes.

We went to eat afterward & just got home. I'm tired but feel good about being productive & I know my friend appreciates it-- and it will be more motivation for him helping me with my bathroom.

I made a picture of the old type of faucet he had vs what I got him now (decided not to go w/ a pull-down bc his fiance would break it).



This is a stock photo of the unfinished base cabinet:



And here's the cabinet (they wanted it to look sort of ash gray but still see wood grain). This is just the first coat.



I think at least the middle panels still need a 2nd coat but it turned out nicely.
I'll have to see later if the footboard will take stain or if it will need primer & paint bc I don't think it will look right if it stays that color. They eventually want to have dark gray flooring put in.


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## Flyover

Hah, I like the granite countertop + high end stove + $5 plastic drawers used as more kitchen cabinets and to hold the coffee maker. Priorities!


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## topher5150

Broke up what I could, in the basement, with the 20lb demo hammer before the rental was up. Now I just need to haul all that cement up from the basement to my truck....If only I could get a rental on a tiny conveyor belt....ooooooooo and some of those R/C front end loaders


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## zannej

Flyover, that's an $80 laminate countertop (cheapest one they had in that size), used stove w/ broken touchscreen for the oven (just needs a replacement part), & the drawers will go back in the bedroom after they get more cabinets for the kitchen. This is the home of my friend who's old house burned and this house was previously a meth house that he's fixing up. The kitchen was originally off to the right in another room (absolutely tiny) but the roof keeps leaking & ruined the old cabinets & everything in there so he's having to just build a new kitchen. He's going to close off most of the old kitchen & turn the remainder into a pantry. He really needs to get his roof fixed but that's going to be expensive.

I hit it with a 2nd coat of stain. Still not perfect so it needs some touch-up. Looks more like paint than stain now. Helped him cut the countertop & get the fridge moved in. They need more counters to hold the microwave & coffee maker.

Today (well, technically yesterday) I got up at 5:30am, took my medicine & got things set up for a long car trip. Rest of the family was ready to leave at 6am. Then a 3hr drive to go pick my sister up from her hotel (she was in another city for a convention). Drove another hour & a half to visit an elderly friend (she's going to be 95 in July). Had lunch with her & sat and chatted for a few hours. Refueled the truck, then drove back to my sister's hotel, grabbed some Arby's, went to her hotel room & ate, then I managed to get in about a 20min nap. My mother managed to get a longer nap but I don't like her driving so I still drove the 3hrs back home. We made a pit stop at a 24hr walmart for bathroom breaks & my mother & brother grabbed some frozen food. Got back after 1am. My brother carried some of the groceries in but just left them out so I had to put everything away.

Tomorrow (later today) my friend was supposed to come over to help me fix my floor but his ex is dumping his daughter on him so he won't be able to come out. I'll probably sleep all day anyway. He's not off from work again until Thursday.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> Flyover, that's an $80 laminate countertop (cheapest one they had in that size), used stove w/ broken touchscreen for the oven (just needs a replacement part), & the drawers will go back in the bedroom after they get more cabinets for the kitchen. This is the home of my friend who's old house burned and this house was previously a meth house that he's fixing up.


Oh, wow.


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## zannej

The meth house was once a nice house that belonged to my friend's grandmother. She wanted it left to him when she passed away but she didn't have a written will so his mother took it & rented it out to meth-heads. When we were first clearing it out his fiance found heroin & syringes in drawers. It had gone to crap so much that the mother couldn't rent it anymore so she gave it to my friend so he can fix it up. Roof is still leaking terribly in the room beyond the hanging blanket so that still needs to be fixed & he needs more cabinets.
One of the doors needs some touch-up but it's looking better now. Countertop was cut & fridge is in place.



My cooktop I ordered from Lowes (that I went to pick up on the 5th & they couldn't find it) never got delivered. I got 2 e-mails from Lowes. One from a real person at CS saying delivery would be today and noting the conversation they had with the management. The other was an automated reminder for me to come get my item. Called the store & they had no idea WTF I was talking about. Employee tried to put me on hold & I got transferred & had to explain things all over again to another clueless employee. First one had said my name wasn't on delivery list. 2nd one confirmed they had no record of delivery order & had no intention of delivering it & only way for me to get it would be to physically go there & pick it up. She did confirm that it's actually there & said she put her hands on it so when I get up there it should be there. I e-mailed the CS person back to update him on that & am waiting for my mother to finish her computer game to go with me to the store. I'm still exhausted from yesterday's driving & she's better at raising hell with people over money stuff. She already spoke with the store manager before so she knows what the person looks like & can speak with them again. I'm too tired to deal with people.


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## zannej

Mom wasn't feeling well & decided not to go so I went without her. I remembered that she wanted me to pick up the pills the pharmacy shorted her & I had a prescription to pick up. There was a looong line & when I got up there they couldn't find her stuff. They shorted her 8 pills but they only put that they owed her 7 so I just took the 7 pills in a bottle & headed to Sams club (bc she nagged me about getting more bottled water there before I left). Fortunately, Sams is right near Lowes. Light turned red on me as I pulled out of Sam's so I cut through the Hobby Lobby parking lot & went straight there. I turned on my phone to load up the order # & show the e-mail where they told me my item was going to be delivered today. Phone immediately rang & Mom wanted me to pick something up at Sam's. I told her I'd already been there. Went inside & I asked for the store manager who wasn't in. I got the assistant store manager & showed her the e-mail & explained the situation-- that I'd already been there on the 5th to pick up my item & they couldn't find it & I'd been waiting & they said they would deliver it but when I called they said they wouldn't deliver it & I was rather frustrated. Showed the order # so she went and got the box. I mentioned how I should get some compensation for all my trouble but she just ignored it & I'm not aggressive on things like that like Mom is so I didn't push the issue (plus I was just too exhausted to argue). I did have her open it so I could confirm it wasn't damaged & it was fine. When she took it out of the shipping box, I saw that the NuWave box had a handle so I asked her to leave it out so I could use the handle. I did take both boxes just in case. Went back to Sam's to grab the stuff Mom wanted- pulled it up on my phone to ask an employee where it was bc it had been moved. Picked up a 3/4" anti-fatigue mat to set on the floor in front of where the new NuWave sits to buffer if it manages to get pushed off again (plus they are so nice to stand on).
I put the NuWave box on the counter to open it & 3 cats rushed over to sit on the box. Got it unboxed & was trying to take it out of the plastic. One of the cats climbed on it and laid down while I was tearing plastic while another continued to sit on the box. It says not to place it on a magnetic surface & not to put it on a gas or electric range. My old one sat on the electric range before & I put the styrofoam that had been on it's surface underneath it. I think I will get some sort of non-slip mat to go underneath & a silicone mat to protect the top for when it isn't in use. If I do a review of it for Lowes I can be entered into a sweepstakes to win a $300 gift card. I get 2 entries if I post pictures.


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## zannej

Went to Pizza Hut for the first time in a long time last night. Got some friends who still work there. Had a new employee there who misunderstood something my brother said so he tried to pretend he was going to fight him, only I stood up and walked toward him & he ran away. I was all "You scared of a middle-aged woman?" and he kept running. LOL. Sat back down & he came back out with a knife & tried to convince us he was going to cut us. Kept claiming he was "gangsta" & any minute his friends were gonna roll up & stomp us. We just laughed at him & told him "Nope, not scary". He didn't even know how to hold a knife. He probably would've hurt himself. His hands were shaking & he was all mouth. But someone called the cops so they showed up after he went back to the kitchen. He calmed down quick & apologized. We found the whole thing funny so we didn't press charges & he was much calmer & apologized again once they were gone & said he was cool with us. I wish someone would record his boss's face when he gets told what happened. He's going to fire that dude.

I'm thinking of writing a yelp review but not sure how to title the experience of an employee threatening us with a knife but running away from a 5'5" middle-aged woman. LOL.


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## inspectorD

Worked..its the usual OMG can we have it done by Memorial day Spring...HA!!
I love customers.....and whats with the record rain.. I dont have time to build an Ark...


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## zannej

It's been raining a lot down here. AC isn't working & it's also been very warm.
Cats broke my old monitor so I got a new one on sale (I'd been wanting a new one but couldn't justify the expense when my old one still worked). It's an extra-wide monitor that can have split-screen feature. It can be split multiple times & in different sizes. So, I could have normal-sized screen divided out on one side & then have a smaller section for notes & reference pictures. I haven't installed the software yet bc it works with Win 10 & I have Win7 so I will need to download the appropriate software & drivers, but I can currently resize windows & move them where I want on the screen to get the split-screen effect. There wasn't enough space on my old screen for that. I'm liking it a lot thus far.
Trying to get myself motivated to do something productive but the heat saps my energy & I've been having problems with my arm- I pulled something in it.


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## zannej

Finally got AC fixed. My best friend knew a guy who was able to come out right away & fixed it in less than 5 min. He doesn't have a high opinion of the guy who installed the AC in the first place. Put a new capacitor in & added some freon. Said the capacitor has a 6mo. warranty so if it goes out before then, replacement is free. He also told me I need to find a way to get a hose out to the outside unit to spray it off & keep it clean so it won't clog up & overheat.

My friend wanted to pay us back a little by doing some work (bc he's had a lot of stuff go wrong & we helped him out) so he changed out the faucet in Mom's bathroom to a new Moen one. Old one kept leaking & I couldn't for the life of me get it detached w/o breaking something. He has stronger hands & better coordination. It took a lot of work, but he finally disconnected the old one & put the new one in. Eventually the whole drain kit needs to be replaced but that will be when I get rid of that chrome plated stuff under the sink.

He then called the AC guy bc it was way too hot inside. After it cooled off he helped me with the flooring mix. Patch level went on much smoother this time. It got rid of most of the bumps where the toilet will sit. Still needs another coat or two (maybe 3) but it went on much smoother this time. I might be able to finish it off myself (although I'll test my smoothing/trowel skills in an area that isn't important first). I'll have to take pics tomorrow.


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## Flyover

- Installed a bunch of cable hides (or whatever they're called) so now the living room doesn't look like college students are squatting in it.

- Installed a rain barrel I picked up by the side of the road.

- Hauled bags of mulch all over the place.

- Bought all the broken scalloped pavers I could find for $0.50 a piece, then lined my patio with them so Mr. Racoon won't be able to get in (or out if he's already in...hmm....).

- Cut my son's hair.

- Installed a new latch on the privacy fence gate to the backyard so my wife could get in there (she's shorter than me by half a foot). This was the most challenging project because I had to fabricate wooden parts of the fence so the latch would fit properly, and modify the latch so the gate would open properly.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> - Installed a bunch of cable hides (or whatever they're called) so now the living room doesn't look like college students are squatting in it.
> 
> - Installed a rain barrel I picked up by the side of the road.
> 
> - Hauled bags of mulch all over the place.
> 
> - Bought all the broken scalloped pavers I could find for $0.50 a piece, then lined my patio with them so Mr. Racoon won't be able to get in (or out if he's already in...hmm....).
> 
> - Cut my son's hair.
> 
> - Installed a new latch on the privacy fence gate to the backyard so my wife could get in there (she's shorter than me by half a foot). This was the most challenging project because I had to fabricate wooden parts of the fence so the latch would fit properly, and modify the latch so the gate would open properly.


Well, at least you got something accomplished.


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## Flyover

I was out walking around the block with my kids after dinner and noticed there was a nice bright moon in the sky. I ran in and grabbed my camera and the telephoto lens, then came back out and took this shot.

I like how the craters look near the lunar south pole (i.e. the bottom right of the moon visible in the picture, where it starts to go into shadow).


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## zannej

That's a beautiful picture of the moon!
I've been playing chauffeur for friends again. My best friend's fiance was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance a couple days ago & my friend wanted someone to keep her company while he went to orientation for his 2nd job. He also needed a lift to the orientation since it was at a different store than where he's going to work & was farther away but he didn't have $ for gas. He would have been OK but someone skimmed the numbers off his tax return card & emptied it so he didn't have to pay his grandfather's phone bill to keep his own phone from getting cut off.

Speaking of phones, my phoneline has been out since Thursday. AT&T claims it's on my end but they've said that before when it was on their end. They sent a technician out Monday when I was home but we never heard him arrive & later found an angrily written note on the door about how he had tried to call our phone but nobody answered. Uh, duh! We don't have a working phone! That was the whole point of having him come out. But, I'm going to replace the old phone line. The stuff we had was meant for indoor only and I'm putting in 24/4 indoor/outdoor that can be run under a raised house. It's technically meant for RJ45 but I'm going to use an RJ11 plug. So, while my friend was at orientation, I took his fiance to Lowes with me & got the wire, a splitter that will come out of the surge protector to go to two different phones, and a kit that came with the crimping tool & a bunch of RJ45 & RJ11 6P4C ends. Now to find my electrical tape so I can tape the new line to the old one and pull it through to the box.

I also got my hair cut nice and short bc it was just making my neck too warm in this heat. I had to be up at 6am to go pick up my friend and he didn't finish with orientation until after 3:30pm so there was a lot of time to kill. Got home after 4 just in time to make some food for Mom. I'm hoping to be productive in the house tomorrow.


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## thebuilder20

Filed a complaint to the phone company for our non-working set, applied fresh new paint in the living room, and then rewarded myself with an episode of GoT, which, after the ep turned out, didn't feel like a reward at all.


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## Flyover

My friend had an extra ticket so I saw the Foo Fighters last night. Summary: mediocre music performed really really well.

Today I pulled up a bunch of poison oak vines out of my back yard. 

@thebuilder20: I just noticed your signature about education killing faith. I saw a study once that showed % of religious people by education level. There is a dip as you go higher in number of years of education, but then the percentage climbs again when you get into people with 1 or more doctorates.


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## zannej

Took Mom to get her bloodwork, stopped at the Mexican restaurant for lunch, went home & was looking up parts I need to fix my water system. Waiting on my brother to get home bc he was supposed to help clean today, so he's hiding at a friend's house to avoid it. Friend actually came over today bc my phone still isn't fixed & he needed help. His mom technically owns the house he's in (although her mother wanted to leave the house to him but didn't have a written will). He gave her the $ to pay the taxes on the house. she apparently used it to buy meth or something & he just got a notice that if he didn't pay the taxes by tomorrow, the house (that he lives in) will be auctioned off this Wednesday. He already had to pay his grandfather's phone bill to get his phone turned back on, & someone skimmed the # off his tax return card & emptied it of all the $ he got from his returns (no fraud protection so he's s.o.l.) so he needed to borrow enough to not lose the house. On the way back into town I think he hit a pot hole & messed up his truck. I'm waiting to hear from him on whether he needs help with that. He can't seem to catch a break.


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## thebuilder20

@Flyover: Well, isn't that interesting. Did the study say which religions?

As for what I managed to do early in the day, I budgeted, listed the things that need to be replenished, squeezed in a re-read of Frank O'Hara Meditations in an Emergency we have in the house, and read about AmazonFresh on https://www.meccanohome.com/what-is-amazon-fresh/ which I just recently learned is available in the UK.


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## zannej

I got up & was getting ready to take Mom to her doctor's appointment & on my way through the hallway I heard her shouting for help. She fell down & couldn't get up- she said she'd been shouting for awhile. My brother's room is right next to hers but he didn't hear her and I was on the other side of the house so I couldn't hear her. I was trying to get over to help her but her little dog kept getting in the way & growling at me (he knew she was distressed & didn't understand why and was guarding her). We had to move his dog stairs bc they were in the way so when he tried to climb back on the bed, he couldn't get up so I had to help him. He wanted back up because we got her turned around so she could try to get on her knees to grab the bed, but she's got bad knees & kept insisting she couldn't do it. My brother & I both tried lifting her to her feet a few times but she kept complaining that she couldn't get her feet underneath her. I eventually got her to turn her back to the bed while I sat on the bed, reached down, hooked my arms under her arms & pulled her up on top of me. She initially started saying she couldn't do it and my brother just stood watching, stupefied, when I asked him to brace her feet. She wanted to give up but I insisted she at least try & that she could sit on top of me to get to a spot where she felt she could get her feet under her. Once I got her on my lap, she was able to get her feet flat on the floor & stand up- with my brother ready to catch her & help her steady herself. She's now sore where she fell & she twisted one of her ankles so she's going to feel it later. I'm already feeling it bc I pulled my arm again. At least she's lost enough weight that I was able to lift her this time. I got her a sports whistle that she can hang around her neck so if she ever falls again, she can blow it for help. I stressed that it was ONLY for emergencies and not just bc she wanted attention or something minor (which is what she does with the phone intercom). Her ears are burning bc she's paging me now.

Also heard back from my friend on what happened with his truck. Pot hole busted his rack & pinion- the jolt was so strong his grille fell off (taking headlights with him) and he ran over one of the headlights. My brother spotted him for the rack & pinion (and late fee on the property tax) but he needs a new tire 265/70R16 tire and a new headlight. He wants to replace all 4 tires & both headlights. He'll have to save up the $ to get them though.


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## Flyover

@thebuilder20 It's something I remember seeing maybe 10 years ago, so I'm hazy on the details. I know it was an American study, so presumably the sample set was mostly Christians or people with a Christian background.

Today was (is -- I'm taking a break) my first day back at work in a week. I was out in San Francisco/Palo Alto visiting family who were visiting there too: it was cheaper for me to meet them there than go where they live. I've lived in CA but had never been north of Los Angeles, so it was neat seeing the Bay Area for the first time. I wasn't expecting to like it but I had a great time. Still not a place I'd want to live, but nice to visit.

We didn't do a lot of conventional sight-seeing because we're not those kind of people, but we did walk through Chinatown and the piers a bit, and then on another day we went out to a redwood forest which was amazing. My best moment aside from that was one morning where I got up earlier than everyone else and just walked around Palo Alto near Stanford appreciating the landscaping, plants, and architecture. Here in Oh Hah none of the flora and fauna are very exotic, and it's pretty flat, so going out west is always a bit thrilling for me. Then I found a little park with lots of tiny lizards darting around, and worked out on an empty playground. Pullups, dips, and pushups, out in the California sun.

Right before I left for SF I built a simple little triangular shoe rack for the kitchen by the garage door, someplace we can put our flip flops. Just need to paint it.


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## zannej

I've been trying to keep up with housework but not doing so well bc I'm the only one even trying. My brother refuses to clean up after himself & actually lectured me for not cleaning his dishes for him or for not picking up stuff when there's no place to put stuff bc he won't take the trash out & I can't lift it bc of my back. Whenever he has a day off & I ask him to help me take the trash out, he makes sure to leave & go crash at a friend's house for the whole day to avoid helping me.

I had to help my best friend bury his yorkiepoo the other day. She was less than 2-yrs-old. His fiance used some kind of Hartz flea spray on the carpet & it killed the dog (but not the fleas). I've told the girl not to buy any Hartz products-- particularly their flea stuff, but to say she's not very bright is an understatement. 

I still have a lot of stuff to fix up that I'm working on. I need to replace the phone jack (eventually need to do the whole line) bc the landline has been out for weeks. I also need to finish working on my bathroom floor. And there is a nasty leak from the suction side of the jet pump for our water. I just got the parts in to fix it & will try to do it tomorrow morning if it's not raining. I will lay out the parts & tools and make sure I have everything I need before I proceed.

I think I need to change the AC filters as well-- that one should be easy enough though.


----------



## havasu

I just cleaned all 4 of my a/c intake registers. Boy, with all the construction going on in here, they were really dirty.


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## zannej

I keep forgetting to change them. The one in my brother's room I have to change once every 2 months or so, but the one in the hallway I have to change at least twice a month because of all the pet fur. Dog likes to sleep right in front of it. I have to vacuum the hair out of the grille when I change the filter. I actually forgot to go change it though.

I did a lot of cleaning the other day & my body is now hating me for it. It hurts to walk, bend, or move. I'm hoping I'll be feeling better in the morning. I need to do something about the jet pump leaking. I finally got all of the parts but my pipe cutter disappeared. A 10" frying pan also went missing & I have no clue where it could have gone. Last I saw it, it was on the counter. I checked the floor, under the table, in the hallway, in my brother's room, in the living room, in the front room, outside... No idea where it could have gone. Also found my brother left a 1/4 full container of milk on top of the fridge. Even though I took the trash out, he couldn't be bothered to put it in the trash can 2 feet away. At least this time it didn't fall on my head when I opened the door. That's how I usually discover garbage that he puts on top of the fridge.

I'd purchased a bunch of fittings for the jet pump at Lowes but the bag ripped on the way home. I found some of the fittings on the floor of the truck & some on the front lawn the next morning, but one or two were nowhere to be found. I also discovered that I grabbed a fitting that was in the wrong bin (either that or it's defective). I wish I had tested it to see if it fit on the pipe-- it was supposed to be 3/4" and had the same OD as 3/4" but the inside wouldn't fit around 3/4" pipe. So, either it was meant to go inside a sleeve, or it was 1/2". I ended up getting the correct size fitting at the local hardware store. After assessing the space (or lack thereof) and taking into account the rigidity of the flex hose (not being able to flex as tightly as I needed) I decided to get another metal street elbow. Every other time they'd told me they didn't have stainless steel & the big box stores only carry galvanized so I was looking at the galvanized fittings, but they didn't have the right one & some of the things they did have were rusty. I mentioned offhand to the clerk that I'd really wanted stainless steel but they didn't carry it. She then told me "Oh! We have some! We were so excited at the trade show when we found the stainless steel bin!" So, new SS fittings wrapped in plastic and sorted neatly into bins w/ sizes marked on the outside. I got a replacement for the galvanized fitting I bought (maybe I can return it if I can find the receipt) and I got another SS elbow. I also got some spare PVC fittings just in case. I also started thinking about how I should support the PVC once it is attached to the SS because it will make it heavier & I'm worried it might break, but then I remembered I have some sort of packing foam I might be able to set underneath it. It's long enough that it might be able to support the full horizontal length lower down Nothing to support the vertical run, but maybe I can figure something out. Now if I could just find my damn pipe cutter, I'd be set. I'd hate to have to go buy another one so soon. Although, the older PVC that is already there might shatter so I'm thinking I might need my jigsaw. But both my cordless and corded jigsaws are at my friend's house. I may have to resort to using a handsaw & use a little elbow grease.


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## Flyover

I was tired of driving around with an advertisement for a car dealership on my car, so last night I attempted to remove the offending license plate cover and one of the screws on there was the most stripped, stuck screw I have ever encountered.

First I was frustrated because the screw stripped. Hammering the screwdriver in first, using a rubber band, applying vise grips to the screw head -- nothing worked, and I became annoyed. I tried every trick in the book and finally had to borrow my neighbor's Dremel tool and cut a notch in the screwhead so I could use a flat-head. I had to turn the flathead with my channel locking pliers.

I went from annoyed to impressed when the tip of my flathead screwdriver cracked as if it was made of dry lasagna noodles. I switched to a flathead bit mounted in a socket wrench, and as the notch I had cut began to also strip, I had to stop and cut it deeper and deeper, then go at it again with the socket wrench. Finally the head just split in two and I had to pull off half of it with pliers.

I managed to use the Dremel tool and remove the rest of the screw head and get the license plate off, and then the headless shaft of the screw was the only thing poking out of the back of my car. I cut a notch in that and tried to turn it with the flathead bit/socket wrench combo and that started stripping so I stopped, feeling hopeless and ready to give up.

Then for whatever reason I got the idea to try the vice grips again. With great effort, I turned them and when I had completed a turn, to my unbelieving eyes I noticed the notch was now oriented differently! I kept going until the whole screw was out, an hour and a half after I started my endeavor. I'm considering framing the broken screw and hanging it on the wall.

They don't call this the Rust Belt for nothing!


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## topher5150

I thought those were plastic nuts they used on license plate holders.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> I was tired of driving around with an advertisement for a car dealership on my car, so last night I attempted to remove the offending license plate cover and one of the screws on there was the most stripped, stuck screw I have ever encountered.
> 
> First I was frustrated because the screw stripped. Hammering the screwdriver in first, using a rubber band, applying vise grips to the screw head -- nothing worked, and I became annoyed. I tried every trick in the book and finally had to borrow my neighbor's Dremel tool and cut a notch in the screwhead so I could use a flat-head. I had to turn the flathead with my channel locking pliers.
> 
> I went from annoyed to impressed when the tip of my flathead screwdriver cracked as if it was made of dry lasagna noodles. I switched to a flathead bit mounted in a socket wrench, and as the notch I had cut began to also strip, I had to stop and cut it deeper and deeper, then go at it again with the socket wrench. Finally the head just split in two and I had to pull off half of it with pliers.
> 
> I managed to use the Dremel tool and remove the rest of the screw head and get the license plate off, and then the headless shaft of the screw was the only thing poking out of the back of my car. I cut a notch in that and tried to turn it with the flathead bit/socket wrench combo and that started stripping so I stopped, feeling hopeless and ready to give up.
> 
> Then for whatever reason I got the idea to try the vice grips again. With great effort, I turned them and when I had completed a turn, to my unbelieving eyes I noticed the notch was now oriented differently! I kept going until the whole screw was out, an hour and a half after I started my endeavor. I'm considering framing the broken screw and hanging it on the wall.
> 
> They don't call this the Rust Belt for nothing!


This begs the question, did you get your plate back on?


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## tuffy

Cleaned all of the flower beds of dead leaves, sticks and weeds. Also cleaned the back sitting area and power washed it. Also mowed the yard. Now to go swimming with the grand kids!


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## Flyover

@topher5150: Some license plate holders might have plastic nuts. This one just had holes where you put the metal screws that secure the license plate.

@oldognewtrick: Yes, my plate and the new license plate holder (a simple black plastic frame with no writing on it) is now snug -- but not overtightened! -- on the car.


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## bud16415

Flyover said:


> Yes, my plate and the new license plate holder (a simple black plastic frame with no writing on it) is now snug -- but not overtightened! -- on the car.




I hope you used the nylon screws?  :D


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## bud16415

I got tired of walking thru the house with the water can for all the hanging baskets and plants on the new Riverside front porch.


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## oldognewtrick

I had some leftover pvc pipe laying around, so I fabbed up a portable camper ceiling fan.


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## zannej

oldog, that's pretty cool! (pun intended)

I was exhausted today from cleaning yesterday. Had a 22-yr-old friend come over and help me haul out the trash bags my bro was supposed to haul out months ago. I can get them to the front room, but can't navigate steps & out to the burn pile with them. Just standing near the front door with 95+ degree heat was too much for me. So I got the bags to the door & my friend hauled them out to the burn pile & emptied the litterboxes my brother never emptied.

When I got up today I went into the living room & discovered that my brother left trash all over the couch from when he made sandwiches for himself earlier. I had specifically asked him to make sure he threw away the cheese wrappers & stuff, but there it was all over the floor & couch.

Ugh. My dog just licked the inside of my mouth. She started whining & I asked her what was wrong. I was talking to her when all of a sudden she jumped forward & licked.

I cooked dinner-- potato stroganoff again, but we hadn't had any for awhile. Still can't find the frying pan I usually use. It just disappeared one day & I haven't been able to find it. Cleaned up half the house looking for it. I still need to clean out some cabinets, sprinkle in peppermint oil to repel bugs & mice, & put away some stuff. I have a bunch of stuff sitting in bins on the floor. Need to clean them all out, clean the pantry again (which my brother was supposed to do-- but, I think you can see the trend when it comes to what he's supposed to do). I'm a bit cranky bc I've been having to clean up after him constantly bc he leaves messes everywhere & his cats have been using the pantry as a litterbox & knocked things on the floor. I know I'll have to clean it eventually-- sooner rather than later-- but it's frustrating. I'll have to enlist my friend's help since I still have trouble with bending. She even offered to come cut the weeds in the yard. I have a guy who is supposed to do it but never showed up. It's hard to find reliable people.

After we get things cleaned up more, we can do some major dusting & reorganizing. I need to use some pledge on a few pieces of furniture. I also still need to finish my bathroom floor. Been procrastinating on that since I had to work on the plumbing for the water well & work on other stuff.

I just had total brain freeze.

Hope everyone else is doing well.


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## thebuilder20

zannej said:


> Ugh. My dog just licked the inside of my mouth. She started whining & I asked her what was wrong. I was talking to her when all of a sudden she jumped forward & licked.



Ours did the same once to me, it was nasty. My sister tasted the dog's paw unintentionally too. We just try not to think where the dog goes... but now that I mention it, ugh.

Anyway, what I did today is look up information on what to pick for my gamer nephew - a laptop or a PC. I won't cover all the costs but would contribute to his father, but seeing that I am the least Luddite in the family, I was given the task to look the info up. Pros of a desktop: more bang for buck, better performance (I suppose the smaller device is more limited than the alternative?) and easier to upgrade; pros of a laptop: portability (source). Leaning on the desktop, obviously, but not sure what the nephew really wants.

Aside from that, I re-watched Godfather Part II, which is my favourite over the magnum opus Part I, looked up recipes for the next family gathering, and watched videos on woodworking. I can only dream of becoming like the Japanese woodworkers I see on YouTube... or maybe a little more practise and patience.


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## Flyover

Neighbor A had a big maple tree, maybe 60-80 feet tall, perfectly healthy, not leaning over anyone's house. Neighbor B kept complaining about the tree for some reason; maybe it blocked the light on her lawn or something silly like that. To everyone's surprise, Neighbor A had the tree cut down.

While the crew was sawing up the logs, I stopped by and asked if I could have a section of trunk to use as a wood-chopping log in my backyard. They said sure, they'd set it aside for me when they were done. I thought they were going to give me something the size of a suitcase. I showed up and there was a cylinder of wood the size of a short barrel. It was probably 30" across and 3 feet tall. I'm betting it weighed at least 200 lbs, maybe 250. I went in my garage and got four little caster wheels and screwed them right into the base, then used all my strength to get the thing upright, then started pushing it down the sidewalk. (The Google Street View car missed its golden opportunity at that moment.)

I probably advanced about 100 feet before two of the caster wheels broke and ball bearings spilled everywhere. Then I borrowed another neighbor's dolly (and the neighbor) and we got the thing all the way down the street, into my back yard, and over to the corner by my shed. This journey cost the dolly one of its wheels.

But now I have a huge luxurious chopping stump in my backyard. I broke it in with one of the logs from my woodpile, and it's fantastic! Level, plenty of room, just the right height. And it's definitely not going anywhere.


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## zannej

thebuilder, are you able to ask your nephew if he would prefer a laptop or a desktop?
From what I've seen laptops tend to be more expensive & have issues with battery life. You can't customize them quite as much as you can a desktop.
There are other options in between though-- All-in-One computers, but you want to make sure they can be upgraded. He'll want something with a mainboard that has an M2 slot for an SSD hard drive (faster than standard hard drives & more stable), a good cooling system, fast processor & good amount of RAM. Not sure what the options are for the All-in-ones but they tend to be pricey.
There are the workstation thingies (not sure exactly what they are called) that are basically like tablets but can work like laptops. Pros: small, lightweight, portable, touch-screen, better battery life than laptops etc-- cons: expensive, can't be customized much, & tend to have lower ram & processor speed & video card.
CyberpowerPC actually builds custom PCs w/ good stats. I've had a few built from them. I used the specs for their computers as a guideline to pick parts to build a desktop computer for my mother recently. Mice got into her old one & ruined everything but the power supply.
Speaking of power supply, if he goes w/ a desktop, he'll want at least 600w (800 or higher gold plus certified would be good).
I digressed... Desktops come in different sizes and there are some cases that even have handles on them so they can be carried. They have full towers, mid-towers, cubes, & other types. With the smaller ones it's important to have good cooling.
Base computer should have 3GHz 6-core or higher processor, 1Tb hard drive (game files take up a lot of space), USB 3.0 or higher, 2Gb or higher video card, 16Gb RAM, & probably a DVD or Blue-ray drive (if the case even has a slot for it). Case should have good ventilation. Mainboard should have at least 4 RAM slots. 
My mother's computer has:
RAM: Patriot Viper 4 16GB Kit (2 X 8GB) 3400 MHz (PC4-27200) DDR4
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Processor with Wraith Spire LED Cooler
Heatsink: ARCTIC MX-4 2019 Edition
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B450
SSD: Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
It's working well for her thus far. I'm not sure what the video card is bc my friend gave it to us. I have a Radeon RX480 4Gb video card in mine.

Been having a headache & feeling bleh. Did some more cleaning, been cooking, & re-filled all the pet waterers. My brother bought me all 3 seasons of the Syfy series Defiance on DVD so I binge-watched it. I can't stream movies or TV shows bc of bandwidth restrictions. We have about 4Gb left of our monthly allowance (which resets on the 12th). If we go over they can cancel our plan or we can pay $10 for every 1Gb over the limit.

I never watched the Godfather movies. My father was in federal law enforcement & felt the films glorified criminals so he didn't want us to watch them when we were little & I never made an effort to watch them when I got older.

Meanwhile, I've been compiling a list of things I need to buy for the house repairs & renovations. The back door has gotten a lot worse. We bought some awnings to put up over the back door & the sliding glass door but it's going to be fun getting them installed. I will need to get the weeds & a tree cut. We've cut the tree down about 5 times but it keeps growing back. It grew its roots under the stairs at the sliding glass door. Eventually we need to replace the sliding glass door.

I was planning to install our new door & put in a cat door after replacing the floor in the back area but with the current door being in such bad shape & the cat door having completely fallen apart, I might just have to put it in & do the floor after. I can always adjust the threshold and such later. I think I'll stick with Neal's suggestion for a header (having it at the ceiling instead of just above the door) so I won't have to move the electrical for the exterior light. I also want to add internal braces to anchor the awnings.

Yesterday evening (before the sun set) I went for a walk out in the yard. I need to do that more often but can't be out in the heat or direct sunlight so I have to go out when it's cloudy or the sun isn't in full force.


----------



## topher5150

All those years of watching This Old House are finally paying off. Week before last the bathroom sink and tub were plugged. Then the kitchen sink got plugged so I used one of those plastic dollar snakes, the dang thing got stuck so we left to do what we had to do, came back water ever where. Apparently the drain snake punched a hole in the steel P trap so I had to replace that. All that water pooled up in the bottom of the counter next to the sink which has a sliding garbage can. The MDF board on the bottom gave and all the screws pulled out. 
Finally I got around to painting the siding the roofers replaced come to find out due to bad design, and years of neglect I had a wall of rotted studs so now I have a giant hole on the side of my house.


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## oldognewtrick

topher5150 said:


> All those years of watching This Old House are finally paying off. Week before last the bathroom sink and tub were plugged. Then the kitchen sink got plugged so I used one of those plastic dollar snakes, the dang thing got stuck so we left to do what we had to do, came back water ever where. Apparently the drain snake punched a hole in the steel P trap so I had to replace that. All that water pooled up in the bottom of the counter next to the sink which has a sliding garbage can. The MDF board on the bottom gave and all the screws pulled out.
> Finally I got around to painting the siding the roofers replaced come to find out due to bad design, and years of neglect I had a wall of rotted studs so now I have a giant hole on the side of my house.


Ahhh...the trickle down effect of home ownership.


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## topher5150

Kind of makes me wonder if the previous home owners figured out what was going on found a way out and ran.


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## slownsteady

You know how some homeowners give their property a name ( Like "Tara"). I want to call mine "Can O' Worms" cuz once it's opened you can't get 'em all back in.


----------



## slownsteady

So i spent a good portion of today vacuuming my sister's lawn........with her upright vacuum.

Allow me to explain. My sister is moving. She's been in this house about 40 years and over that time there is a lot of stuff that has accumulated. A few years ago (actually more like 15-20 years) she had the bathtub removed for a walk-in shower, so the old shower doors ended up downstairs in the basement. They were in good shape so I thought it might benefit someone if I moved them up to the curb for the suburban version of dumpster-diving. They were kind of heavy but I found it was easier if I used the towel bar as a handle as I brought them up the basement stairs. I got the first one out to the curb and stood it against some chairs that I had brought up earlier and went back for the second one. Got that one up the stairs fine too, and down the steps by the front door. No bumps, no dings, just fine. 
I don't even know what happened, I took one step onto the lawn and the whole piece of glass just disintegrated. I was left holding the towel bar as the whole thing just showered down in a thousand little pieces. Thankfully it was safety glass, so it all just bounced off me, nothing but one drop of blood on each forearm and a small chunk that found it's way into my sock. But all that safety glass was now a thousand little pieces laying on a nice thick suburban lawn. Okay, a rake and a shovel should be a good way to get this up, and I knew where the plastic snow shovel was. But the rake had already gone wherever it is that rakes go when you are moving out of a house. I tried using just the shovel to see if I could scoop it up, but got very little. So my wife and i teamed up with the shovel and an old broom and picked up quite a bit. But there was still plenty left, and now it was settling into the grass. No Shop-vac... that was gone too. So i grabbed the upright vacuum and attached the utility hose and just started sucking up every piece i could see. It took a long time, but it worked pretty well. I got all the glass and few pebbles and acorns.

Now here's the weird part: as we were just about finished vacuuming the lawn, we heard a strange noise, and turned around to see that the other glass panel had also shattered. No wind, no passing car to knock it over - nothing that we could see. Fortunately for us, most of this glass was on the sidewalk, so it was easier to sweep and the vacuuming was easier on concrete than it was on grass.


----------



## bud16415

slownsteady said:


> So i spent a good portion of today vacuuming my sister's lawn........with her upright vacuum.




My grandmother and mom called them stay in bed days. I can still here them saying “I should have stayed in bed today”.


I’m the opposite guy I’m the guy that would have been driving by and see those doors and said man I could use those and then they would have waited to pop in my car or garage where I would have stored them for the next 30 years if they didn’t pop.


Now you can apply another of my grandmothers sayings, “tomorrow will be a better day”.


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## oldognewtrick

Well, here's my take on it, you have developed a bad case of " My Luck"


----------



## slownsteady

Do you think the change in temp. could have done that? It was a hot and sunny day and basement was pretty cool.


----------



## Flyover

slownsteady said:


> Do you think the change in temp. could have done that? It was a hot and sunny day and basement was pretty cool.


That was my first thought when I read it.


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## oldognewtrick

My guesstimate is no. Glass goes through changes in temp all the time from when it's mfg to lifecycle. I'd guess stress cracks.... That's just a guess.


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## bud16415

When I was a kid a bunch of vandals were taking black tape and running a line across windows in the downtown shopping stores. When the sun would come up and hit that side of the building the windows would explode glass will take a lot of temp change as long as it is fairly even. It was likely a combination of a lot of things.


I saw a guy break a side window in a junk car one time with a tiny piece of a broken spark plug. It was the white porcelain chip. He flicked it at that window and it went in a million pieces.


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## slownsteady

I have a feeling that the towel bars might have something to do with it. I was holding the one that broke first by the towel bar and it may have caused stress at the point where it was attached. But that doesn't explain the second one which broke while it was standing on edge.


----------



## Flyover

Found out I'm gonna lose my job soon. It's not my first rodeo so it doesn't sting so bad this time around. Still a little scary though. Wish one of my other irons in the fire would hurry up.


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## slownsteady

...when one door closes, another door opens. Be adventurous.


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## Flyover

slownsteady said:


> ...when one door closes, another door opens. Be adventurous.


Yeah, I've got what I hope will be the last of 3 interviews coming up next week for a new job, and I'm waiting on a second interview at the place where I really _want _to work. I know another door will open. Like I said, it's just a little scary in the meantime.

On the home DIY front, I set a shelf-building personal speed record by putting up two more garage shelves in the time my wife took our daughter out to pick up a new pair of shoes.


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## tuffy

Been cleaning up the yard and flowers beds, Also been cleaning off the back porch, getting it ready to make it into a craft room for the wife.


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## zannej

The glass doors shattering sounds like the kind of luck I would have. We just had a tropical storm blow through so haven't been able to work in the yard. I need to replace an outdoor spigot that got broken by a falling tree but I can't be out in the heat & it's been in the 90s. With the humidity it's like a sauna & I nearly pass out after a couple of minutes in that kind of weather.

Other than trying to keep the kitchen & living room clean, I haven't gotten too much done. It rained for over 12 hours straight during the storm so there was a lot of flooding. I did make it in after it subsided a bit & grabbed some groceries. They mis-labeled a rotisserie chicken as "traditional" but it was really lemon pepper-- and I'm allergic to pepper. Gives me a massive headache & makes my nose drip.

My best friend's roof was leaking so we got him a huge tarp & I loaned him my collapsible ladder. He got the tarp up just before the big storm & it held. His former kitchen no longer floods. Once it dries out & he sprays all of the mold with bleach, cleans it up, & gets all of the rotted wood stuff out we're going to cover the whole room in Killz. He plans to turn it into a pantry once it's fixed up enough. We gave him a couple of metal adjustable shelf racks that we had sitting around outside the workshop. He has them in his kitchen now but he plans to put some counters in their place when he moves them in to the pantry. When he gets the new cabinets I'll stain them for him.

My landline is still out-- I replaced the jack but there's no power to it so either the line is fried coming out of the box or the technician lied in his note when he said it was on our end. He was pissed off that we didn't answer the phone when he called (because we had no working phone & that was noted in the repair request).


----------



## bud16415

Yesterday I had a SnS day. I woke up on the floor of the bedroom after dreaming a bear was chasing me thru town and I was trying to duck into a little bar but I fell in a pothole just outside the door. Holly’s brother is moving to a new house and I spent 2 days filling a 36’ U-Haul truck with boxes and furnature 2 trips. So when we went to bed I told her my chest was sore meaning too much lifting. She took it the other way and she said I woke her up yelling gibberish and my legs were going like when the dog dreams its running. She said I thought you were having a seizure until you ran right out of the bed sideways. Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the bed.


Anyway I recovered from the bear attack and she went to work and I remembered her brother had a big pile of railroad ties in his woods at the old house he said I could have for landscaping. I wasn’t going to get them but thought I could drive over and see what shape they were in. I pulled in his second driveway really a dirt path into the woods with my little KIA and saw it was a little soft. Right then all hell breaks loose ant the remainder of tropical storm Barry hits NW PA. I couldn’t move and it rained buckets for 30 minutes. I call the expedition off and try and back out and can’t move and I try forward and it looks like I can go. I eye some high ground thinking it might be dryer so I stomp on it and spin my way along to the top of where their yard is. After eyeballing a pathway across the yard of their old house about 100 yards and thinking if I stay close to the garage it should be more solid. Because there is no going back when life is throwing you a stupid situation. So off I go and each yard the situation gets a little worse as far as traction goes. But forward progress keeps me on the gas peddle. Nearly clipped a couple big maples but made it to the driveway and the rain comes again. So sitting there and looking across the yard I see two black lines just what someone wants when they are closing in 4 days on a house they are selling and the rain is washing away any evidence on the KIA I was ever there. I sat there with the two little guys on my shoulder one saying get the heck out of here some dang kids must have rode thru the yard, the other saying Bud live up to your mess you made. So I got the heck out of there. LOL. and then texted her brother I was the jackass that drove thru his yard and I’m no longer interested in the free railroad ties. He’s a nice guy he just laughed and said **** happens.


Some days you should just stay in bed.


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## slownsteady

..."an SnS day"? Now hold on a minute!


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## Fireguy5674

Ok, I have to ask because I am not smart enough to figure it out.  "SnS Day"?


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## oldognewtrick

Fireguy5674 said:


> Ok, I have to ask because I am not smart enough to figure it out.  "SnS Day"?


SlowNSteady. He posted about a day he should have stayed in bed. So, the decree went out that henceforth, all days when everything turns out wrong will be forever known as S-N-S Days.


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## bud16415

Fireguy5674 said:


> Ok, I have to ask because I am not smart enough to figure it out.  "SnS Day"?


Some members have too long of usernames to type a lot. Many times I’m just Bud and oldognewtrick is oldog and slownsteady is SnS.  From now on I nickname you Fire.


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## zannej

Bud, sounds like your day was off to a bad start the moment you got out of bed in your sleep. You didn't get a chance to stay in bed with that. Hope your chest is feeling better. I've had the SnS days many times.
One of the good things about being a caregiver is that some days I can just stay in bed (although I do have to get up at some point to cook). There have been a couple of days where my mother was able to grab stuff out of the fridge & make herself a sandwich when she knew I wasn't feeling well so I was able to sleep all day. I am spending more time awake lately but I have some days in between where I'm almost dead to the world. No matter how long I sleep I don't feel rested.
Today is an in-between day. Got a mild sinus headache & am tired but still have some energy although its fading. I always have to nap after eating.


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## slownsteady

S-low-N-S-teady


----------



## Flyover

I drained the 650-gallon inflatable pool we had in the backyard. Lifted the tarp, saw algae growing on the bottom, decided "Enough of this!" and drained it, then broke everything down and got the pool ready to store in the shed.

Now, I knew all the grass underneath where the pool was would be dead, but I was not ready for the stench. It's like the pig sty at a historic re-enactment farm. (Anaerobic bacteria, I figure.) I was catching whiffs of it even walking around the block with my kids, and the smell got into my mouth and I can still taste it. Not sure what to do, just hoping the brief rain we had last night and sunlight during the next day or two will help.


----------



## slownsteady

...maybe it could just stand for "SNooSe (actual spelling be damned)


----------



## zannej

I finally got around to replacing an outside water faucet for hoses to attach to. I got scraped up by blackberry bushes but didn't even feel it. I only know bc my arms and hands are bleeding & have scratches all over. It leans a bit because it doesn't have something to reinforce it to make it stay upright. It had originally been right next to a fence where it was tethered to a wooden post to hold it upright. Unfortunately, when the tree fell it took out the post which brought the pipe down with it. I put in all new pipe & new spigots but now I need to find a way to hold it up so it won't break if anything tugs on it. It's right next to the house, but there is a gap and I don't know if I want to try to tether it to the house. 
Any suggestions?


----------



## zannej

As an addendum, I found a hose holder that stakes into the ground & has a stabilizer. I got some foam wrap for the pipe & some all weather tape. Taped it all up, stuck the stake into the ground, and tethered the pipe to it. I'm not happy with the current position exactly so I might move it though. Guy at HD gave me some zip ties to use but they wouldn't reach. So I'm going to move the thing later. Thorn bushes were eating me up though. I got a machete to try to cut them down but it didn't quite work bc they are tough.


----------



## zannej

Today was busy. I picked up my friend to help me with the phoneline. He opened the box & we plugged in a phone-- no dialtone. Went & got a second phone just in case. Dialtone-- so a new corded phone was apparently bad. Tethered new line to old line & tried to pull it through-- wouldn't budge. I climbed under the house (meeting many stickerbushes, sharp objects, spiders, etc along the way). Followed the line all the way back to the hole & found it shared a hole with an electrical line (that I couldn't pull out). The electrical line was inside PVC & the phoneline was next to it but was sealed in with what looked like tissues or cotton but it was so compacted it wouldn't come loose. We couldn't access it from the top bc it's under the bed so ended up deciding to just drill a new hole (bc the line wasn't long enough to wrap around the outside). I had to crawl in & out a few times bc of some issues. The old line actually broke off when I was pulling on it so we had to do a new line. My friend threaded the new line through the floor and I pulled on it and then tethered it to the old line when I realized I was too fat to fit through some of the spaces to get it all the way to the front-- there were waterlines, electrical, and defunct metal plumbing in the way. I did have to crawl around and move it over and around some things that it snagged on, but then I got my friend to go to the front & pull it-- unfortunately we didn't think to have him tie a knot in the end so the new line came out. I had to crawl out to tell him & then go back under and push the wire back up-- but the carpet was getting in the way. Eventually he managed to see the end and pulled it up. I decided to see if I could fit out from under the edge bc I was right next to the exterior wall-- instead of crawling back to my entry point. I had to lie on my back and drag myself. Fortunately, I'm at the age where if I'm on my back my "ballons" fall into my armpits so they were out of the way. My friend had opened the window and could hear me grunting and muttering about being too fat-- he looked out and shouted "PUSH! PUSH!" so I started laughing while trying to drag myself out. I grabbed the edge of the house to get some leverage and made it out-- flattening a bunch of weeds in the process. My friend also used the machete to annihilate some of the weeds in the front.

Then we tested the inside line-- no dial tone. Turns out the new jack I bought was defective-- or at least not assembled properly. My friend has better vision & saw that one of the internal wires was never connected properly to begin with. So he fixed it & then we ran the line to the surge protector but it seems it is fried & wouldn't work (or maybe one of the lines going to it was messed up-- not sure) but it had to be taken out of the connection so it's now wired to the phone instead. But it works. I'm going to have to get a new surge protector bc I'd rather have to replace a surge protector or jack than get a new phone again. That thing was expensive to replace.

My friend had already changed the wheels of a truck & removed a tree from someone's roof before he came out. He was exhausted & sore & out of $ for food so I bought him, his fiance, & his daughter a bunch of food from Popeyes.

I ended up getting a chocolate shake after dropping him back off in town (and popping in to the hardware store to see if they had the surge protectors-- which they didn't-- but their huge yellow dog was there so I petted him for awhile before heading to pick up my prescriptions at Walmart). I'm exhausted & sore but happy that we got the job done & can now make phonecalls.


----------



## Flyover

Had some scrap 1/4" plywood lying around and a half-empty box of shingles in my shed, so I made a cute little A-frame birdhouse. Climbed about 15' up into one of the trees in my back yard to hang it up so it's clearly visible from the dining room windows.


----------



## Gary

We installed a weather station. Pole unit is wireless, solar powered and has no moving parts. Measures Wind speed/direction. Rain amount, duration of rain and real time intensity of the rain. Measures UV, solar radiation and tells you if the sun is out or not (good if you happen to be gone somewhere I guess).
Ground unit has temp, barometric pressure, dew point, humidity, records lightning strikes and how far away they are and records when they happened. Hub connects to the home network, so we can get backyard weather anywhere on the phone or notebook. Has phone alerts for lightning and or approaching storms. And it uses AI to continually calibrate the system so it stays accurate. Also can be connected to Alexa, so it can do things like close the garage door if  the wind picks up or adjust the home AC with changing weather conditions. etc.


It's a toy I've been wanting to get for awhile, finally did it. It'll be fun to see what the weather is doing when we're on the road.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, that's a cute birdhouse! My late elderly friend used to make a bunch of birdhouses. We had a nice one up on a pole in the backyard but I think the storms eventually took it out-- but hornets had started nesting in them so the birds were staying away.

Gary, that looks cool! I wish I could trust my ankles on the roof slope these days. My balance isn't what it used to be. I used to be like a mountain goat & could climb on all sorts of things easily but now I sometimes start to fall over on level ground. LOL.

It's raining & my stomach isn't doing well today so I'm checking messages & looking through Ultimate Guide WIRING 8th updated edition to see the rules for grounding wires. I actually am 10 pages ahead of that section because it's explaining amperes, volts, watts & the capacity of different wire gauges.

The inline surge protection for my phoneline needs to be grounded so I'm trying to figure out the best way to accomplish that. I highly suspect my main wiring is not properly grounded & need to figure out how to remedy that.


----------



## Fireguy5674

Thank you Bud for your explanation.  I was out of town all week helping my daughter with a project and had not checked e-mails.  Trying to rehab a flooded finished basement.

I understand the "should have stayed in bed" days.  Seems they come very often anymore.  One of my father's favorite sayings was "My mother told me there would be days like this, she just didn't tell me there would be so many so close together."  He grew up in southern Illinois and they had saying for everything.
  :green man:


----------



## topher5150

Had to run a couple of errands and spotted a power washer sitting at the curb for free. I stopped and checked it out gave it a couple of cranks and about two tablespoons of sludge and oil came out of the exhaust. I got back in the car and drove as far and as fast as i could.


----------



## oldognewtrick

topher5150 said:


> Had to run a couple of errands and spotted a power washer sitting at the curb for free. I stopped and checked it out gave it a couple of cranks and about two tablespoons of sludge and oil came out of the exhaust. I got back in the car and drove as far and as fast as i could.


If you lucks like mine, free stuff costs me more in the long run than if I would have just went and bought one.


----------



## zannej

It's raining here & the power has been surging. I'm hoping it won't kill the phone-- still waiting on the surge protector to arrive. I was finally able to call the power company to come fix my security light (which got knocked down by the storm).
My stomach is still feeling queasy so I'm trying to get motivated to be productive.


----------



## bud16415

Fireguy5674 said:


> Thank you Bud for your explanation.  I was out of town all week helping my daughter with a project and had not checked e-mails.  Trying to rehab a flooded finished basement.
> 
> I understand the "should have stayed in bed" days.  Seems they come very often anymore.  One of my father's favorite sayings was "My mother told me there would be days like this, she just didn't tell me there would be so many so close together."  He grew up in southern Illinois and they had saying for everything.
> :green man:




Your Grandma wasn’t one of The Shirelles by any chance?


----------



## Flyover

Dang, I've been singing it wrong the whole time?? 

(Actual Youtube link in case video fails to embed: [link]


----------



## tuffy

Flyover said:


> Dang, I've been singing it wrong the whole time??
> 
> (Actual Youtube link in case video fails to embed: [link]


 LOL I've been singing it wrong the whole time wrong way also:lil guy:


----------



## Fireguy5674

bud16415 said:


> Your Grandma wasn’t one of The Shirelles by any chance?



No, I don't think so.  But maybe I should check into that.  Might be a fortune laying around somewhere with my name on it.   



Flyover said:


> Dang, I've been singing it wrong the whole time??



I guess I need to listen more carefully in the future.  I was unaware of the correct lyrics as well.  Everyday is a learning experience!!!!!


----------



## Flyover

Well there it is, I got a new job. More money, and actually more in line with what I like doing. I start later this month.


----------



## tuffy

Flyover said:


> Well there it is, I got a new job. More money, and actually more in line with what I like doing. I start later this month.


      Congratulations!! Good things come to those who wait. That's what my grandpa use to tell me anyways.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Well there it is, I got a new job. More money, and actually more in line with what I like doing. I start later this month.


Congratulations!


----------



## Gary

Congratulation Flyover. 


I picked up some stuff for the office. The plan is to give the office a facelift over the next few weeks, starting tomorrow morning.


----------



## Flyover

Thanks, y'all.


----------



## bud16415

Flyover said:


> Well there it is, I got a new job. More money, and actually more in line with what I like doing. I start later this month.


 Congrats


----------



## Gary

Got a start on the office Saturday. Since I have to work out of this office, it'll get done in phases. Get done what I can, then put it back together so I can work. Repeat.


----------



## zannej

Congratulations, Flyover! I hope you enjoy the new job!
Gary, new flooring looks good!

My plans to go help my friend with flooring install in his great uncle's house got derailed bc my friend was sick on Tuesday & then his great uncle died on Thursday. I just found out about it today bc I hadn't been checking Facebook.

Not much going on today. I'm going to the store in a bit to grab more groceries & check on my friend.


----------



## Flyover

There was a mass shooting recently in a city where I know a lot of people. Some reporters were on the radio today trawling through the shooter's social media, trying to divine what his motives were. I switched it off as soon as I realized that's what they were doing.

I wish I hadn't learned about it unless I directly knew people involved (fortunately this time I didn't know anyone). Every time I see or hear anyone talk about it I know it's just amplifying the shooter's signal, and other would-be shooters will get the idea that killing a bunch of people is a good way to make a big wave. I wish history would just swallow them whole instead. I wish we'd give people the idea that shooting a bunch of strangers is the surest path to being forgotten. I don't even want to write or think about them, so I'm gonna stop now.


----------



## zannej

Yeah. They are just giving him publicity and humanizing him to get empathy/sympathy.
We have a bunch of would-be Charles Mansons out there pulling the strings-- but these people are still choosing to go out and kill.

The guy who sent the mail bombs used his sob story to get a reduced sentence. The law called for him to get Life + 10yrs for his crimes but the judge settled on 20 years instead. Although, one mitigating factor is that the judge believed that the guy could have sent active bombs that had a better chance of exploding if he'd chose to, but he deliberately sent ones that had very little chance of actually exploding.

It turns out my best friend still wants to do the floor in his late great uncle's house bc his cousin will still be living there. I'm supposed to go over after 6pm to bring my floor saw for him to borrow.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej Are you referring to Ted Kaczynski a.k.a. the Unabomber?


----------



## Gary

Since installing the weather station a few days ago, we haven't had any rain to test it. Last night we got some, so.....

We had .25" rain overnight. Rain started @ 2:45a. then tapered off in intensity, ending @ 4:28a. There were 7 lightning strikes within 3 to 7 miles, during the rain event. Wind is out of the WNW @ 3.1 MPH with gusts from 2-5 MPH. 100% cloud cover. UV 0.6. Brightness is 7325 & Solar radiation is 61W/m2. @ 7.21am. Temp. is 68.5°f, dew point is 67° with 95% humidity. Sea Level Pressure is 29.841 inHg. and rising. Expecting 80°f for a high and 60°f for a low today.

Still waiting for the big downpour with wind and lightning to see what it does. The lawn could use it too.


----------



## homerowner

Flyover said:


> @zannej Are you referring to Ted Kaczynski a.k.a. the Unabomber?



I think he was referring to the guy in Florida that was sentenced recently. The guy living in his van with the political stickers covering it.


----------



## Gary

Got the office finished  up over the weekend for the most part. I have a couple shelves to build yet, a material rack & a cabinet for the network and hard drive storage. Putting the floor down was nothing compared to moving 20+ years of accumulated "stuff" and then going through it all to see what went back in. BUt, it's back together enough for another work week.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Nicely done Gary!


----------



## piper27

Looks Great!


----------



## Fireguy5674

Are you to tired to work now?  Looks like it was a pretty big job. Nice result!


----------



## Gary

Thanks oldguynewtrick. 

Yes, Fireguy, I'm pooped. I may have mention on the last project, this stuff was a lot more fun 30 years ago.  

I just have a couple jobs that have to go out today, then I think I'll get the shelves, material rack & network cabinet built, so this project will be officially done.


----------



## Flyover

Just got back from four or five days off the grid. That weird feeling where I'm happy to be back to work, my routine, etc. but not happy to be living as on the grid as I do most of the time.


----------



## Flyover

This is my last week at my current job. People keep coming up to me and saying really nice heartfelt things, and it's almost enough to buoy me out of the depression I've been in for the past week. As for the tequila I'm sipping on, I can't tell if it's helping or hurting.

Wow, my life is like a country and western song right now.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> As for the tequila I'm sipping on, I can't tell if it's helping or hurting.
> 
> Wow, my life is like a country and western song right now.


I guess time will tell.


----------



## slownsteady

A little tequila is always helpful. A lot of tequila......well, not so much.


----------



## Gary

Spent the day building a material lift for the large format printer. Those 54" rolls of media get heavier as I get older. It's a wireless remote ATV winch with nylon cable and a 12v transformer so I can use house current. Used a uni-strut / trolley so I can move the rolls from the rack to the printer. It's something I've been wanting to do for years, but recent back problems gave me the incentive to get it done.


----------



## Flyover

Gary, that's really cool. So you just manually hook up the harness or whatever the rolls are carried on, then press a button to hoist it over to the printer, then put it in place and unhook the harness?

To address previous comments, I like to sip a 2oz glass of tequila now and then. Nothing crazy, but it's enough to feel my mouth get a little numb.


----------



## Gary

Yup, that' it. Sure beats dropping the rolls over the back of the printer. More important, it's easier than getting them back off the printer, lifting them up and over.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad people at work are showing you appreciation. That makes things bittersweet.

Gary, that is awesome!!

I've been busy dealing with crazy life stuff again. Things really hit the fan with my best friend & the situation with his ex & their daughter. The ex had been making the daughter sleep in the same bedroom as her older half-brother & the girl started getting UTIs. I reluctantly expressed to my friend that I was concerned there might be sexual abuse going on but he said the boy was too  young for that. Awhile later his ex suddenly had her boyfriend build a new room in the trailer for the girl so she had her own bedroom. But, she still put them in the bath together unsupervised. Anyway, it turns out I was right. The ex's boyfriend caught the boy doing inappropriate things to his sister TWICE (at least that he would admit to my friend). First time he was playing with himself in front of his sister & she was laughing. Second time he was actually molesting her. She said it had been going on for a long time. The ex claimed it had only been a month since it happened-- but she continued to let the boy be around his sister unsupervised. Now, back when I was suspicious I tried to get the girl to talk about what was happening at her mother's house, but I'm no child interview specialist & I know that a well-meaning person can unintentionally sway a child to say something that isn't true. She told me that her brother was "hurting" her but when I asked for details she said he punched her in the stomach and beat her up. I asked her if she told her mother & she said her mother didn't believe her & punished her & that she couldn't tell her mother anymore bc she'd get punished & she didn't want to be around her brother. I told my friend & he confronted the ex about it & said it better stop happening.
Anyway, so these people knew there had been abuse for at least a month before telling my friend about it-- and the only reason they told him was bc the girl blurted it out when they were all together so they explained it. As soon as I found out I told my friend to call DCFS. He was afraid his daughter would be put in foster care, but I made it my mission to get it reported & I convinced him to call them & report it. Once it was reported I went over to the child's doctor (who is also my doctor) & talked to the clerk to give the message to the doctor about what was happening with the girl. She put a note in the file & said she was going to tell him asap so he could see what DCFS wanted him to do & see about referrals for an exam for her.

So, now we are trying to get my friend's house fixed up so DCFS won't say it's "unsafe" for her to live in-- although it's a lot cleaner & nicer than the trailer she's in with the p.o.s. that's supposed to be her mother. But right now the mother is holding the kid & refusing to let my friend see her (although she doesn't know DCFS was called). I'm just worried that the brother will continue the abuse bc the mother said there's no point in even trying to tell her son to stop bc he won't listen. He wasn't even punished or chewed out for it when he was caught. Mind you, he's still pretty young, so he might not really understand what he's doing, but the mother is doing nothing to protect her daughter. To say I'm miffed about the situation is an understatement.

I think my friend's house is in good enough condition-- there's another friend who didn't have his kids taken away & his yard was pretty much a junkyard of old vehicles & the place was a total mess. They did tell him he needed to clean it up, but they let him keep the kids. I just hope both kids can get the help they need in terms of therapy & that they are both removed from the mother's custody permanently.

I've been trying to keep up with the cleaning in the house but fell behind again bc I've been sick. I need to get up and sweep the floor today.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej I'm glad you made the call to talk to your friend about that. It's a really tough call to make, and in some cases (hopefully not this one) it could cost you a friendship, but that little girl's long-term health is worth it. Good for you, that took a lot of guts!


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad I did it as well. My friend has been dealing with a lot lately so it was extremely stressful for him. Normally I if I know something is a sore point with him, I don't bring it up much, but with something this important I could not just let it slide or drop. I pestered him for HOURS. I even contacted a friend in another state who is a pediatrician to ask her for input & she stressed that calling DCFS was paramount. She said if he didn't report it he could lose custody permanently. I told him that & made it clear that however much he feared his daughter being taken away if he reported it, she absolutely *would* be taken away if it was discovered later & he hadn't reported it. I also said it would help him if he wanted to take her away from her mother & he could tell the cops he'd reported sexual abuse to DCFS. I actually communicated with his fiance & she said that she was going to call if he wouldn't so she tag-teamed him with me until he finally called. He's heard some horror stories about foster care & the family that adopted his fiance kind of messed her up (no sexual abuse, but there was emotional abuse) so the idea of his daughter being taken into foster care terrifies him. I made him promise me he was going to call & he said he was going to do it later in the day & then the next day so I told him I know it was hypocritical of me to complain about procrastinating, but that this was something that was urgent so he finally called that day. I'm just hoping they get the girl out of there asap. As far as I know, his ex has no idea about the call. I'm sure she'll have a major fit about it. What I'm hoping is that both kids get removed from her custody, my friend can get full custody & cut off his ex's phone (which he pays for) & stop paying her child support & that the ex only gets supervised visits.

I think my friend is now somewhat relieved but still nervous about what will happen. Reporting it was just the first step. He has multiple people who are willing to testify on his behalf about what an unfit mother his ex is. The sad thing is, her current boyfriend is actually a nice guy but he could be in a lot of trouble for not reporting the abuse when he saw it. We have all tried to warn him that the twunt he's with will ruin his life. I just hope that the ex & her boyfriend don't lie & deny it and that the ex doesn't manipulate the daughter in to lying or recanting.

Fortunately, my friend appreciates it because he knows I'm doing this to help him & his daughter. On one of his next days off I'm going to see about getting him some drywall & luaun for his pantry so he can move some stuff in to his pantry (which was the old kitchen). Then we can look at cabinets for his kitchen. He already has one piece with oak doors & trim so oak would probably be best & the surplus warehouse place has a good selection. We're going to price things out & see which store has better options.

In terms of home projects, I need to replace my bedroom door. It's hollow core & now there is a hole at the bottom from the cats digging to try to get in/out of the room. It also won't stay shut properly so the cats & the dog can push it open when it's locked. I have a door picked out at the store, I just need to go see how it looks & make sure it has the right handing (I think the picture on the HomeDepot website is wrong).


----------



## zannej

My friend got a letter from DCFS telling him they were not going to investigate the report because it didn't meet their standards & policy for abuse or neglect. WTF? Seriously? How is continued sexual abuse that caused UTIs NOT considered abuse? How is it NOT neglect for the mother to allow it to continue & not report it?


----------



## slownsteady

Hey Flyover, do you have a favorite tequila? Most people can't drink it straight or on the rocks....but that's cuz they haven't tried a good quality tequila (IMHO). Best you can do with most tequilas is shoot it down fast and hope it skips your taste buds. My favorite for some time now is Tres Generacions (probably didn't spell it right)


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> How is continued sexual abuse that caused UTIs NOT considered abuse? How is it NOT neglect for the mother to allow it to continue & not report it?


It's a pain, but maybe have your friend try to get a doctor to verify as much as possible and share those documents?

@slownsteady I've only ever bought a few different brands, never anything very fancy. Cuervo, Altos, Sauza, etc. I've had 1800 and Petron a few other fancier small-name brands at bars and those were even better obviously, but out of my price range if I was going to buy a whole bottle to have at home. Sauza makes a fancy version that's 100% blue agave, and I thought that was pretty smooth. Regular Sauza obviously isn't, but it's still OK for me. (I have a bottle of that right now.)

I'm not that picky about my tequila, so long as it's reposado. I must be one of those weirdos who likes the taste and can just sit there sipping it neat even if it's cheap and relatively harsh.


----------



## Flyover

I can tell you my favorite whiskey, though: Gentleman's Jack.


----------



## Gary

Got a start on a new project. Tore out all but a few plants and a fair amount of weeds  from the flower bed today. Replant to follow, once we figure out what to plant. Also have an office window sash to replace, but I'm having a hard time locating one. It's a 2000 vintage  Pella with  low E glass, standard off the shelf  size, at the time we purchased them. No big box stores around here carry Pella, (they did when I bought them) and the on-line Pella sights want you to give them your life history and schedule a representative to come out and sell you windows. I just need a sash. I think I may have a line on a local Pella installer. Just have to get their contact info. from a customer of mine that suggested him.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, it's extremely aggravating because the child is continuing to be abused. I spoke with her today. She's been trying to stop her brother from touching her but he's been covering her mouth so she can't scream and "hurting" her. She told her mother & her mother spanked her for it-- and she doesn't even know why she was spanked. Her mother knows she's being abused & is punishing her for it. The kid has been depressed about the abuse & wants it to stop & is upset that she gets punished for it on top of being hurt. She needs to be out of that situation asap. Tomorrow they are calling the kids' shrink, & trying to talk to a judge to get a temporary custody order to protect her. I've been having trouble sleeping bc I'm so enraged at this kid's useless mother.

Gary, good luck with the gardening. Lovely photos. I love the one with the bee!

I found the countertops that match the one my friend already has on clearance. He needed the mitered one for some corner cabinets. It was in Lake Charles though so we drove down there & picked them up. Stopped to eat at a Hibachi place. I'm currently on the phone with my friend discussing tomorrow's plans. I'm going to go with to tell the judge & the shrink what's going on.


----------



## slownsteady

Zannej, The boy is going to need counseling as much as the girl.


----------



## zannej

slownsteady said:


> Zannej, The boy is going to need counseling as much as the girl.


I completely agree. I'm worried about how he's going to turn out. He's already shown several markers for being a serial killer. He's a bed-wetter, hurt animals, burned down a house, has no empathy, threatens other children, abuses his sister both physically & sexually, & is often neglected by his mother. He can be a very sweet boy when given affection & positive input but his mother is just a complete piece of crap who ignores him, hits him, swears at him, & tells him to go away. I witnessed him walking through the door when he just got home from school & saying "Mama!" excitedly because he was happy to see her & she just angrily shouted "God, what the f*** do you want?!" in response. I also heard her telling him he was "f***ing retarded". I feel sorry for the kid. If he'd had a decent mother he probably wouldn't be like this.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej Is there a way to take video of any of this? Judges, lawyers, & bureaucrats might find it persuasive.

You obviously already know this, but this is the internet so I feel compelled to add for the benefit of anyone who randomly finds this page: please turn your phone on wi-fi mode when using it to record video of a sensitive nature. Get the video off your phone as soon as possible, using a reasonably secure connection (from most to least secure: USB cable > Bluetooth > emailing it to yourself -- and, duh, NEVER send or post it on social media), and then copy it to a USB thumb drive. Give the thumb drive to the judge or lawyer. With bureaucrats it's better to show them the video on your phone, without handing them the phone, and only relinquish the thumb drive to an accountable authority.

If you've already done that and your friend's situation really is decent and they still won't give your friend custody, then your friend should lawyer up. There are law firms that take on cases like this pro bono.


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Flyover. I no longer have contact with my friend's ex because I can't stand her. There's no real way to get video now BUT we went to the DA's office today & he talked to several people who connected him with someone from the sheriff's department & then we went to the sheriff's department for an in-person interview. The first visit took about 30 min & it was over an hour at the sheriff's taking down info. The guy from the DA's office has daughters so he was motivated to protect the little girl.

I learned more details-- such as, her brother has been sneaking into her room at night after their mother goes to bed. He then abuses her & when she tried to run out of the room to get help, her brother grabbed her & covered her mouth and then dragged her back into the room to abuse her. The mother refused to get either one of them counseling because she said it's pointless. She promised my friend she would keep an eye on the kids and not leave them alone together, but she didn't-- she leaves them alone together during the daytime while she plays on her computer or phone. And now the daughter is afraid to tell on her brother (at least to her mother) because she gets punished for it. My friend also messaged his daughter's principal to give him a heads up about what is going on bc she has an appointment tomorrow to be interviewed. There are multiple people who will testify to the neglect & mistreatment we've witnessed. At least they are taking things seriously now & hopefully my friend can get custody & both kids can get counseling.

I forgot to add that because there's an appointment tomorrow, we decided to get the cabinets today. I helped bring them in, cleaned the floor, & helped get stuff in place. My brother showed up & helped too. I got shims so the cabinets got shimmed to be level-- still not perfect but better than before. We still need to cut off the overhang near the doorway. There will be end caps put on as well. There are some grooves on the bottom of the countertops where something is supposed to go to hold them together but I'm not sure what goes there & the countertops didn't come with anything. The plan is to get them tight together & level then mark where to cut & take one of the pieces down to my workshop to use the tablesaw to trim it.

Sometime this week I will probably stain the cabinets & maybe do a clear overcoat to seal it.




A lot of stuff had to be moved & flooring will go in later, but for now there is counter space. Hooray.
Also, my friend likes his toast on the dark side. 

Litterbox will obviously be moved somewhere else. We're going to have to fix up the pantry either this week or next week. At least we are going to get some insulation in though.


----------



## Flyover

Flyover said:


> please turn your phone on wi-fi mode when using it to record video of a sensitive nature


Oops, meant to write AIRPLANE MODE, not wi-fi mode. The point is to prevent even accidentally sending the video out.


----------



## zannej

Flyover said:


> Oops, meant to write AIRPLANE MODE, not wi-fi mode. The point is to prevent even accidentally sending the video out.


That's what I figured you meant.


----------



## Fireguy5674

The cutouts in the bottom of the counter tops are for T-bolts to hold the corner together.  You should be able to get them where you bought the counter tops.  You also need to glue the corner seam when you install the T-bolts to maintain alignment and prevent moisture intrusion which will cause delamination over time.

*Hampton Bay  *
*Miter Bolt Kit*




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----------



## zannej

Thank you, Fireguy! I looked for those & found a kit that includes the glue for the mitered countertops. I just have to pick them up today when I stop at the store. I was lazy & just added them to my cart for pickup so Lowes employees can have them together for me so I don't have to wander around the store looking for things. It's probably going to be getting late by the time I get there & I'll want to get back home to make dinner.
I had some leftover stroganoff, but I just discovered the empty container in the fridge. My brother struck again.


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## Gary

Making good progress on the cabinets zannej.
Finished up early today, so we took a trip to the plant place, brought some home and stuck them in the ground. Fills it in enough to make it look like we're doing something. We'll probably fill in the rest with bulbs or seeds, this Fall and/or next Spring.


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## Gary

....and this morning at daybreak a bud opened a little, by 10a it was open in full bloom.


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## zannej

Gary, the garden looks great & that is a beautiful flower! My uncle always had very pretty flowers around. He likes to plant the kinds that attract butterflies.

Right now my 4-0'clocks are growing strong. They have gone wild like weeds but they smell wonderful. The weeds have gone crazy in the yard again & I tried to cut some of them down but started feeling light-headed. The heat out there just saps my energy. I was sick last night & this morning. I spent the day getting some rest. My arrhythmia is acting up a bit so I'm not feeling productive. I cooked stroganoff last night & this morning discovered that my brother found the leftovers-- but this time he put the empty container in the sink. My only gripe was that he didn't ask. It's a good thing there was leftover beef stew for me to heat up for Mom. My brother also got to the sour cream so now I'm out.

Wednesday I stained my friend's cabinets but accidentally spilled the bucket on the unfinished floor. I still managed to get good coverage & the cabinets needs some touch-ups & I still need to hit the sides, but I'm waiting until they are set in place properly & countertops are secured before I do that part. He doesn't have a day off until Tuesday to really work on stuff, but I'm hoping we can get the countertops cut sooner than that early in the morning before he has to go to work.

He also wants to see if I have the lumber to make a railing for his steps so my mother doesn't keep having trouble going up them.


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## Flyover

I've been to the south rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset, but Gary, that birdhouse you've got out front is one of the most glorious things I've ever seen.


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## zannej

I just had to scroll up to look at the pictures. I didn't even notice the birdhouse. It is awesome!
Today I went into town to get mail & go to the store. Then I went in a 2nd time bc I got asked to go pick up medicine for my friend's grandfather. The usual people who help were injured & the old man was out of his blood pressure meds & needed it tonight. I brought my friend's fiance with me & she helped me at the checkout & loading the car. I'm a bit slow today-- not sure if it's from being sick or from the meds I took for being sick but my brain is just not fully on so I'm in sloth mode.


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## havasu

I'm headed to Florida to help with the hurricane for the Red Cross. I'll be gone up to 3 weeks, depending on how bad and where it hits.


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## Gary

Thanks Flyover & Zannej.  The birdhouse  number is EF3 South Broadway, remembering the tornado. It gets a smile from people walking by.   It'll have to come down sooner or later as the tree is getting softer by the day.

Good for you helping out Havasu. I went down to Buras Louisiana  3 times over 2 years helping after Katrina and Rita. It's an experience I'll never forget.

Got a start on the front entry steps. I'm hoping to get it it close to done by tomorrow. After 20+ years, the steps were starting to tilt out and there's some uneven pavers & low spots. The steps were starting to get a little dangerous in the winter. I put a concrete/rebar footing under the retaining walls/steps, so they should hold up for as long as we're around. I did put a footing under the wall that supports the posts & fence originally , so it hasn't moved. I should've just pored  footings under all the steps right from the start. Live and learn.


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## zannej

I love that the birdhouse has images of your house on it. 
The steps look like a lot of work. I hope you don't hurt your back working on them. They look good so far.

Havasu, good luck with the Red Cross work in Florida. I'm hoping the storm won't do too much damage, but it's looking like it's going to be nasty.


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## Flyover

Last week I hit the jackpot: Went to the thrift store and found a router table with a $3 price tag on it, plus when I got it home I discovered that my router fit in it and that I had some longer machine screws of the correct diameter from an unrelated garage sale purchase, with which I managed to affix my router to the table.

This weekend I took an old MDF shelf I had lying around and made a very simple fence for the router table.


In the second picture you can see the bit quick-switcher I've installed on my router. I think it might be one of the dumbest most useless things I've done. Every time I press the housing down to remove a bit, it ends up being 15 minutes of tugging and cursing before the stupid thing comes loose, and me thinking I might as well have left it how it was originally and just used my 11mm wrench to tighten and untighten it each time like I used to. Anyone else have one of these stupid things on their routers?


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## Gary

That looks like a handy table flyover. And for 3 bux how can you go wrong. Good find.

I got pretty close to done on the front steps. Put a concrete footing under the last step early this morning,(in the fog). My back is telling me I probably shouldn't have. Took just over 10,000 lbs. of fill to bring everything back up to grade. Where does all that material go? 
Pressure washer sure brought the pavers back to life. I have some concrete sealer on the shelf I figured I'd use up on this job. When that's dry I'll broom in the paver sand. I also have a partial bag of lava rock I think I'll pour around the gas meter, then it'll be a done deal.

27,000 steps today according to the fit bit knock off.  But at least it's another honey do project in the books.


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## Flyover

@Gary That looks fantastic. I've been teaching my kids (ages 2 and 6) all about brick-laying patterns because I heard it was a dying art form, so now it's something I notice everywhere too. Any particular reason you went with the running bond over a herringbone or basketweave or something else?


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## Gary

Thanks Flyover. I'd like to say I had a grand plan, but in actuality, it was the easiest pattern with the least waste.


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## Flyover

That sounds like a really good reason.


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## Flyover

I hate to post on here so much, but hilarious stuff keeps happening to me.

This afternoon my wife said "So you're gonna take out that beehive after the kids are down, right?" One of those questions with only one answer. We had a quote from Terminix and they wanted $300 just to remove one hive, plus they were going to spend hours trying to upsell us into some ridiculous kind of quarterly contract where they come out and try to maintain the charade that this isn't the insect's planet anyway. So we'd decided this was going to be one of my jobs.

After I put my daughter to bed I got into my tough brown carpenter pants, tucked a hoodie into those, then put on my camo jacket over that. I synched the hoodie all the way up over my mouth and eyebrows. I duct-taped my leather work gloves over the cuffs of my jacket. I tucked my pants into some tall waterproof boots and laced them up tight. I put safety goggles on over my hood. I put my headlamp on over that. Only my hose was exposed -- a risk I was willing to take, I guess. Then out I walked from my garage, looking like some kind of insane redneck meth cook.

After some digging and not finding the hole I'd thought I spotted earlier in the week, I decided to shove a large rock out of the way, and ZING -- there it was, a hole about the size of a half-dollar with a lot of angry bees pouring out of it, right at me. I sprayed the heck out of 'em until the spray ran out, and then I ran out too! I probably said something like "Get some, muf**kas!" but I don't remember.

I had the presence of mind to run toward the street rather than back into the garage. A few bees had followed me, but they seemed to give up once they realized I wasn't stingable. So after a minute or so I walked back to the hive, sprayed some more just in case there was anything left in the can (there wasn't), then out to the street again, then back into the garage.

In there, I heard one or two buzzes by my head so I waited until the coast was clear, then closed the garage and quickly slid inside the house and shut the door behind me. My wife was standing there in the kitchen grinning. She'd been watching out the front window, said I looked insane. (But she already knows I'm crazy.)

As I was shedding gear, I reached inside the collar of my hoodie where something besides my hoodie strings was rolling between my fingers. A bee dropped out and onto the floor. I wasn't surprised because I figured one or two would get through my armor somehow, but I kind of was surprised anyway. I quickly put a glove back on and squished it to make sure it was dead. I noticed one more crawling on my pant leg but before I had a chance to get it, my wife was already in panic mode, like "Get in the laundry room! Get in the laundry room!" and when I got in there and looked back down it was gone.

Then I realized these aren't bees, they're yellow jackets. And one is loose in my house.


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## tuffy

Flyover I had similar experience. Back in the early 70's I was around 8 or 9 at the time. we had a cabin at the lake,it was high on a hill and the bank leading to the dock was covered in large rocks and the yellow jackets had made nests in between the rocks so my dad had the bright idea topour gas on the rocks and light it on fire, well as it turned out that was a very bad idea the yellow jackets flew thru the fire very pi**ed off and begun stinging us. I ran to the dock and jumped into the water, my dad couldn't swim (which I found hard to believe because he served in WW II  and was in D-day and various other battles.) he just ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. when it was all over with I had been stung around 10 times and he had been stung 30+ times. needless to say that was the last time we ever tried to get rid of wasps, yellow jackets, bees that way. I can still to this day remember how much that hurt.


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## zannej

Flyover, the router table & the fence are cool! I always think it's awesome when people find a good deal. I like to hoard scrap materials & I hate to see stuff thrown out. The other day I stopped my friend from throwing out some scrap 2x4 pieces. I said he might need it for something so he said "Fine. I'll keep it" and tossed it on the side of his house. Today we were working on multiple projects at his house. First we pulled off the baseboard & trim. Found lots of bugs hiding in there & found an old card from the Grand Casino tucked behind a baseboard. The floor had been built up after the baseboards were in so we had to pry them up & out. With the baseboards out of the way we were able to get the cabinets flush against the walls-- unfortunately the walls aren't plumb-- they lean back a bit. Got the cabinets leveled & tried to connect the countertops together but we need a tool to get the t-bolt thingies secured. Trimmed the edge off the long countertop & ironed on the edge trim. In between the edge trim though we tried to fix up the back of his house. It was just open where there had been sliding glass doors that fell off. He'd covered it with clear plastic. Moved a bunch of junk & then got some lumber & some concrete blocks. The floor under the doors had fallen out so we were putting a temporary piece in underneath to put the glass doors back on (although the bottom track is long gone). There wasn't enough material to lift the 2x6 up high enough so I ran and grabbed the scraps I had my friend keep. He muttered about how I got to say "I told you so" on keeping them. Used them to shim & then ended up having to use a floor jack to hold one side up bc we need to get another concrete block & some 4x4s. But at least for now it's closed up better. Then we went back inside & worked on the countertops. They still need more work. The adhesive didn't work perfectly so we're going to use some gorilla glue in spots where it wouldn't stick.

Another day when we have more hands available we're going to do more adjusting. In the back room that had the glass doors we found a little folding tv tray table. I'm going to sand it & stain it to match the kitchen & then use some polycrylic seal on it. I still need to do more staining but we need to put in a toekick cover for the gaps. I'm going to find my clamps & see what I have in terms of filler so we can clamp the cabinets together properly. But that will be a project for another day. Probably would have had the countertops done today if we'd had an extra set of hands available. But, we made some progress, which is good. When the countertops are off I'm going to do touch-up stain where I missed spots & stain spots that are now exposed due to adjustment. The corner cabinet doesn't go all the way back-- it's smaller than the others so we recessed it a bit to get more space. We made sure the door for it doesn't hit the other cabinets when fully opened.

I also lugged in 4 cases of water & 25lbs of cat food (at my house). My brother was supposed to help with that but he didn't feel like it.



I don't mind bees but I hate yellow jackets. Those things are a-holes with wings. I'm glad you didn't get stung, Flyover.

Tuffy, that really sucks. I've been stung by those things a few times. My father used to make them angry & they would always come after me for some reason. But at least I'm not allergic like my brother is. He got stung right between the eyes just before his 18th birthday & it was all swollen up & he looked like a neanderthal.


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## Flyover

A couple newsbits...started my new job yesterday. I like it, and I know it will get better, and I'm very excited about the work I'll be doing. Two frustrations are 1) the onboarding process sucks; they don't even have a desk for me yet so I have to squat in cubicles of whoever's out that day. And 2) I got spoiled by my last job where they had a fitness center right there on the ground floor. Now I work in one of the biggest most "state of the art" office buildings in the country and come to find out there's no gym in it! But that's really silly, I'm lucky to have a job I like, to be paid well for doing I'm interested in, and to have coworkers who I respect and who appreciate me. 

Back at the thrift store last week I picked up a belt for my bandsaw, so now it's ready to become operable, for the first time since I've had it. I just need to build a stand for it, so that's officially my next project. I designed the stand, and figured out I can use the 8-foot 2x4 I've got in my garage (those will be the verticals); I just need to buy two 8-foot 2x3s (those will be the horizontals) and a new set of caster wheels. So, a $15-$20 project. 
(If you'll recall, I destroyed my old set of caster wheels trying to get that 250lb red maple trunk section down the sidewalk to my house earlier this summer.)
I can bring the price down further if instead of buying 2x3s I use some of the old 4x4 fenceposts I've got in my shed. But that might be excessive, and not leave enough room for the motor.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> A couple newsbits...started my new job yesterday. I like it, and I know it will get better, and I'm very excited about the work I'll be doing. Two frustrations are 1) the onboarding process sucks; they don't even have a desk for me yet so I have to squat in cubicles of whoever's out that day. And 2) I got spoiled by my last job where they had a fitness center right there on the ground floor. Now I work in one of the biggest most "state of the art" office buildings in the country and come to find out there's no gym in it! But that's really silly, I'm lucky to have a job I like, to be paid well for doing I'm interested in, and to have coworkers who I respect and who appreciate me.
> 
> Back at the thrift store last week I picked up a belt for my bandsaw, so now it's ready to become operable, for the first time since I've had it. I just need to build a stand for it, so that's officially my next project. I designed the stand, and figured out I can use the 8-foot 2x4 I've got in my garage (those will be the verticals); I just need to buy two 8-foot 2x3s (those will be the horizontals) and a new set of caster wheels. So, a $15-$20 project.
> (If you'll recall, I destroyed my old set of caster wheels trying to get that 250lb red maple trunk section down the sidewalk to my house earlier this summer.)
> I can bring the price down further if instead of buying 2x3s I use some of the old 4x4 fenceposts I've got in my shed. But that might be excessive, and not leave enough room for the motor.


Congrats on the new job!


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## Gary

Remembering 9-11.


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## zannej

Congrats on the new job, Flyover!
Today is my sister's wedding anniversary. 

I got a panicked call earlier from my best friend's fiance. She's in jail bc the 14-yr old girl they've been letting crash at their house (while her mother is at work) attacked her. Now, the 14-yr old is larger than her & outweighs her by at least 50lbs (the fiance is 22 & weighs only 80lbs-- she's also bipolar & has some mental deficiencies caused by her mother drinking & using drugs while pregnant). She threw her phone at the teenager in self defense after being kicked in the stomach. The 14-yr old jumped up & started slapping her. It all started bc the 14-yr old started being rude, disrespectful, & entitled. Her mother told the 22-yr old to "do whatever is necessary" to get her out of the house after telling her to leave & the girl refused. So the girl was trespassing. Unfortunately, the phone left a gash on her forehead & the girls' mother called the cops. The cops arrested the 22-yr old and charged her with felony assault. She's never been arrested for anything before but they are putting her in the prison tonight & her bail hearing is in the morning. My friend is calling everyone he can to make sure she gets a decent lawyer & try to get charges dropped. I don't know if it will help or hurt things that the 20-yr old is on medication & doesn't have as good impulse control bc of her mental/medical conditions. Or if it will matter that the 14-yr old is larger than her. I do know that my friend can't afford to pay bail & he really doesn't need this crap right now.

Before that call I was having a pleasant day. I'm just hoping the girl will be OK in jail tonight. I know she's going to be crying all night & possibly have panic attacks. I'm just hoping the prosecutor & judge will be reasonable. My friend said that in this state, if someone attacks you in your own home you have the right to defend yourself regardless of the attacker's age. I'm hoping the charges will just be dismissed.


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## thebuilder20

zannej said:


> thebuilder, are you able to ask your nephew if he would prefer a laptop or a desktop?
> From what I've seen laptops tend to be more expensive & have issues with battery life. You can't customize them quite as much as you can a desktop.
> There are other options in between though-- All-in-One computers, but you want to make sure they can be upgraded. He'll want something with a mainboard that has an M2 slot for an SSD hard drive (faster than standard hard drives & more stable), a good cooling system, fast processor & good amount of RAM. Not sure what the options are for the All-in-ones but they tend to be pricey.
> There are the workstation thingies (not sure exactly what they are called) that are basically like tablets but can work like laptops. Pros: small, lightweight, portable, touch-screen, better battery life than laptops etc-- cons: expensive, can't be customized much, & tend to have lower ram & processor speed & video card.
> CyberpowerPC actually builds custom PCs w/ good stats. I've had a few built from them. I used the specs for their computers as a guideline to pick parts to build a desktop computer for my mother recently. Mice got into her old one & ruined everything but the power supply.
> Speaking of power supply, if he goes w/ a desktop, he'll want at least 600w (800 or higher gold plus certified would be good).
> I digressed... Desktops come in different sizes and there are some cases that even have handles on them so they can be carried. They have full towers, mid-towers, cubes, & other types. With the smaller ones it's important to have good cooling.
> Base computer should have 3GHz 6-core or higher processor, 1Tb hard drive (game files take up a lot of space), USB 3.0 or higher, 2Gb or higher video card, 16Gb RAM, & probably a DVD or Blue-ray drive (if the case even has a slot for it). Case should have good ventilation. Mainboard should have at least 4 RAM slots.
> My mother's computer has:
> RAM: Patriot Viper 4 16GB Kit (2 X 8GB) 3400 MHz (PC4-27200) DDR4
> CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Processor with Wraith Spire LED Cooler
> Heatsink: ARCTIC MX-4 2019 Edition
> Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B450
> SSD: Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
> It's working well for her thus far. I'm not sure what the video card is bc my friend gave it to us. I have a Radeon RX480 4Gb video card in mine.



How did I miss this? Thanks for such a detailed reply, zannej, and I apologise for the delayed response. My nephew did end up with a desktop. The capability to upgrade did matter in the end--you're right that laptops are pretty limited in that aspect.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. Nothing special, just want to catch up on my reading and have some quiet time. The past weeks have been very busy, and I need a breather. I could benefit going somewhere like the beach, but now having some alone time will probably do. I checked in on my mum, who was fine, but it's been a while since we've talked. Also did some reading on the articles I've bookmarked, so I ended with plenty of tabs, is anyone else like that? Answered a friend who sought me for advice if calculators like this could be trusted, I said there shouldn't be any problem. Searched for cinema schedules, I thought I could also catch something during the weekend.

Btw @zannej, that's horrible what happened to your best friend's fiancee. Teenagers can really be horrible. Hope her mental illness isn't used against her. Bipolar is horrible but I don't think it has anything to do with being violent. I suppose being on her medication is a good thing, bipolar can be difficult to manage without it.


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## zannej

thebuilder, I hope your nephew likes his desktop.

I'm still waiting to hear back from my friend on his fiance's status. We got to go see her at the jail. They never transferred her to the prison bc the judge never signed off on the warrant. They are still waiting for him to do it. He is supposed to sign within 48 hours of arrest or they have to release her. Once it is signed (if he doesn't just dismiss it), they have 72 hours to give her a bail hearing. So, she's still in limbo waiting on the new judge in town to sign off or to just drop charges.

The girl who attacked her has at least one prior arrest, her father is currently in prison, & her mother has spent time in jail too. When the fiance got to the jail they had her sign off on a restraining order against the girl. The 14-yr old has already been released & served the restraining order- so of course she was hanging out directly across the street from my friend & mocking him when he got home. It's a good thing he has self control bc he almost slapped her. She came up to him & started trying to talk to him when he was talking to the neighbors & he told her she best GTFO. The fiance said when the police arrived she had red marks all over her arms and chest from being slapped & attacked by the girl but they didn't take any pictures. All the cops we talked to said the arrest & charged w/ 2nd degree assault was BS. But someone decided to bump it up to state charges. Not sure who, but we are still waiting. The next bail hearing is at 2pm & the cops have promised to call my friend to let him know as soon as the warrant is either signed or dismissed. He said it was likely she would be RoR given she has no prior criminal history & she only threw the phone as a reflex in self-defense. She said her stomach is still hurting where she was kicked. As far as I know, they haven't given her any of her medication for her heart condition, bipolar, or ADHD. I know that bipolar doesn't make people violent, but it can lower impulses & cause people to become more angry very quickly. The cop said he probably would have chunked something at the girl if she'd kicked him like that too. I'm hoping the judge agrees.


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## zannej

Update: either the police station sat on the warrant or they took their sweet time. They transferred her to the prison around 6pm (which means the warrant was signed). The cop said that she has a right to a bond hearing within 48 hours of the warrant being signed, but they aren't giving her a bond hearing until Monday at the earliest. They also charged her with 2nd degree battery-- which entails intentional serious bodily harm. It was a reflex without any intent & the girl was not seriously harmed. They are really making a mountain out of a molehill on this one. They also never allowed her to speak to a lawyer.


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## Gary

Sounds like you've got your share of excitement zannej. Hope things turn out O.K.

I got a start on a railing for the front steps tonight. A friend of mine gave me an old rusty section of commercial stair rail. It was about 8' long so I was able to cut lengths out of it. It's a little pitted, but I have some Por 15 coming tomorrow. That stuff likes rust and works pretty good as a pit filler. Everything's cut out. Hope to have it done tomorrow, if all goes according to plan.
Just to make the steps a little safer in the winter. We ain't gettin' any younger. lol.


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## zannej

Thanks, Gary. Looks like an interesting project.
Speaking of rust: is there a way to get rust off of flatware? I found a spoon my brother had left submerged in some crud in a bowl & it rusted. It's a spoon I like & want to try to salvage.

More drama around here. The sister of the teen who attacked my friend's fiance was openly conspiring on facebook to organize a group of people to go "fukk up" the fiance when she gets out of jail. They were going to go over to my friend's house & were idiotically discussing it & agreeing to do it on a public FB post. It's a group of trashy grown women who have kids who were involved. They tried to rope in a guy who has a ton of photos of himself with guns to join in too. Fortunately screenshots were taken & my friend showed them to the parish police, filed restraining orders against every single one of them, was told by the cops that he can use as much force as he wants if any of them show up or try to lay a hand on his fiance, and both he and the cops notified all of them of the restraining orders & that my friend would put them in the ground if they tried anything. Just in case I'm going to be over at his house sitting with her when he's at work. If they see someone is over they will be much less likely to try to come by. My mother also said she can come over to our house bc there's no way they would find her out here.

It saddens me that I live in an area with people like that-- but at least I'm out in the woods away from them.


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## tuffy

Zannej wow it sounds like you friends are having a sting of bad luck.Hope that it all turns out for the better for them. I have ben getting the exterior of my house ready to paint. It seems like it is taking forever, the paint on the house wasn't in all that bad of shape mostly just faded with some peeling. On the other hand the trim was horrible, most of it was peeling with some rot. So the pieces that were rotting I had to replace. About 20 years ago our city came up with the brilliant plan to make our neighborhood a historic neighborhood which doesn't  wake a lot of since, since they have tore down a lot of the old houses and replaced them with Apartments for the college kids to live in, so it makes it difficult to choose a paint shade that they will approve.


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## zannej

Tuffy, it's a bad situation & we really need some criminal justice reform. My friend heard from his fiance today & she wants out of the prison very badly-- but he knows a lot of the other inmates (either through having met them, having some family association, or from knowing their husbands) so they are being nice to her. There's at least one inmate in there that will beat the crap out of anyone who tries to lay a hand on her. But she has medication for her heart condition that she needs to take & the prison hasn't given her any, nor have they given her any of her meds for anxiety & bipolar disorder.

I agree that it doesn't make sense to tear down a bunch of buildings & then claim it's "historic" and restrict what other people can do. I kind of wish they'd done that in this one area in Alexandria where there's this old building that used to be an orphanage. It's a beautiful building & they built something next to it (much smaller) in the same style, but then they built a very ugly apartment complex right in front of it so you can no longer see the beautiful building from the road. It made me sad because I always liked looking at the building.

We used to have some sort of white coated aluminium siding on our house but years ago we had it done in vinyl & all the trim (except around the back doors) is vinyl too. The windows suck though. A plane flew over earlier & the windows shook & rattled like crazy.

I hope you can find a paint color you like that the government will approve. I need to get motivated and work on stuff in the house again. I can't seem to find any of my brooms & haven't been able to sweep (not sure what happened to them). I've been ordering stuff for the laundry/bathroom reno. The magnetic vent for the dryer duct doubled in price & became hard to find so I finally ordered it (after having it run out of stock on me a few times). I'm thinking of getting a wrap-around curtain rod for the bathroom window so I can have a vinyl curtain that wraps around the side to prevent water from hitting the window. I started looking at drip pans for the washing machine & saw there are some combo ones that also sit under the dryer so they can be pushed flush together-- which is what I want. It would also offer some protection for the floor. People on Youtube had custom made metal ones that cost $250+. There's a Duraflex plastic one for $240+. There's a Driptite plastic one that is slightly larger & costs $98 + $39 s/h but that still comes out cheaper than the previous one. It's designed to work with pedestals and comes with the drain fitting. It claims to be "unbreakable". (As an aside, I saw a negative review where someone was mad that it was slightly damaged in a dryer fire but it protected the floor from damage-- owner of the business said that fire was not one of the things covered in the warranty as this was supposed to deal with water). It's translucent so if you already have your drain hole drilled in the floor, you can see it through the pan to drill the hole. I'm trying to figure out the best spot for the drain hole & figure out what sort of strainer would fit over it. Worst case I could probably use some sort of shower drain or regular floor drain instead. It's still expensive though.

If things weren't so crazy for my friend right now, I know he'd be helping me with stuff.

I'm waiting for the closing on my sister's new house & for her to get moved in & settled before we plan a trip to visit her. If we show up when she still has moving boxes, maybe I can help her unpack. Things will be too crazy for me to visit on my birthday though (since it's the first week of October and the closing for her house is Sept.30).


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## Gary

Almost done, but not quite. Got it welded up and set in place so all the holes are drilled. I ran into a little snag. I didn't even consider what's inside the vinyl post I'm mounting it to. It's been 10 years or better since I installed them. Turns out it's got a metal tube running up the center with the void filled with expanding foam. So, I dug through the iron pile and found a length of 4''x1/4" steel.  I cut 2 lengths, drilled 2 bolt holes through, then sandwiched the post. Welded one plate to the railing and I was back in business.
I painted the railing with por 15, then a couple coats of bronze metallic, then a couple coats of black. The plan is to sand it down tomorrow, exposing a little of the bronze here and there to  somewhat match the Oil Rubbered Bronze hardware on the front door & porch light fixtures. Then I'll give it a couple coats of satin clear and it should be ready to install.
I made a plug for the end of the railing out of a length of round stock I've had for eons. Turned it down on the lathe. Drilled 3 holes in the railing end, slid it in and button welded it on. The idea is, if water condenses in the pipe, it'll drain out at the bottom since the end isn't welded solid. Just drilled a small weep hole in the other 2 tubes at the low ends


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## tuffy

Looking good Gary. You have gave me inspiration to try something similar. Even tho I don't own a lathe but I have a friend that does.


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## Gary

Thanks Tuffy.
I finished it up this afternoon, so this project is in the books.  I always held my breath when someone (especially elderly) would use the steps in the winter. Should be much safer  when it's slippery out.


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## zannej

Oh wow! That looks great, Gary! The metal lathe is so cool.What was the tool that added the texture? Some sort of stamp? That is so cool!

I've been doing what I call "browser shopping" instead of "window shopping". I look at stuff for sale online. Paid off though bc I found some stuff for my friend. He got a new LG washing machine on clearance awhile back but has an old fugly dryer that doesn't work well. I saw someone selling the washing machine & dryer plus 2 pedestals for $270. I thought maybe the pedestals were not included or that it was the price for just one, but apparently its the whole lot. The washing machine needs repair but seller said the dryer is "perfect condition". I'm guessing she just got a new set to replace them. So Tuesday we will go out to pick them up. I also discovered there was a flood at Surplus Warehouse so they have a huge clearance on the cabinets that got "water touched". My friend was planning to get a pantry. We saw one on the list for over $100 off the regular price so tomorrow (after his fiance's bond hearing) we are going to go up there to see if there are any ones still there decent enough to purchase. Then I can stain it to match the other cabinets.


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## thebuilder20

@zannej, that wasn't how I expected it to turn out! I would have probably done the same as your mate's fiancee, wouldn't be the one to initiate it but would certainly do something if I was attacked. She doesn't deserve all the stress, especially since you said that she has heart problems on top of her mental issues. How old is the teen's sister? I would normally seek the parents' help but as you said this seems a non-option in their case.


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## Gary

Thanks Zannej. That's a knurling tool, normally used to put a diamond or X pattern in metal, usually to make a grip like you'd see on dials and knobs. I just used it to add a little detail.  Probably not many will notice when they use the railing, but....


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## zannej

thebuilder, even most of the cops said they would have done the same thing in her place. She gave more details to me after we bailed her out (more on that fiasco later).
The brat had taken the girl's new shoes & was wearing them. Girl told her to take them off & give them back. Brat refused, swore at her, said she would hurt her if she tried to take them back & was generally being a pain. The brat's mother told the girl to deal with her & said the girl would get violent with her (the mother) or the brother if they tried to make her leave but told her to do what she needed. So the mother sort of set her up for it.

After the brat kicked her in the stomach & knocked her back across the room (while knowing she might be pregnant), she threw her phone & realized it hit the brat in the head & left a white mark. No gash. No blood. The brat then jumped up & said she was going to kill her, started punching her, slamming her against the wall, slapping her, & trying to knock her down. She pushed the brat back & started grappling with her and managed to wrestle her to the door. The brat tried to shove her down to the ground but she got enough leverage to just shove really hard and throw the brat out the door & off the porch. The brat then threw herself on the ground wailing & started rolling around (which is when we think she hit her head on a paving stone or maybe one of the steps). She started bleeding from her head. She ended up running off (still wearing the girl's shoes).

The brat's father is currently in prison. The mother has been to prison numerous times and will be going back shortly. It turns out she was one of the people on FB trying to organize a violent attack. My friend went to the parish police & filed charges against all of the people involved who said they were going to attack her. He also filed numerous charges against the brat-- trespassing, assault, battery, theft, violation of the restraining order, etc. We don't know what will happen on that.

We also found out that the warrant for the girl had been signed at 8:30am & we were all being lied to about the warrant not being signed. They didn't want to admit it bc the next day was a parish holiday (which does not count as an official holiday that pauses the timer on the 48 hour detainment limit for bail hearings). They just putzed bc they intended to keep her until Monday (when she had been arrested on Wednesday) so they could pretend it wasn't more than 48 hours. When they did set her bail, it was $4k. My friend tried to put his house up as collateral (the house that he had to pay late fees & stuff on for the property taxes bc his mother took the $ he gave her for paying the taxes & probably bought drugs). He paid over $600 to the parish & $60 to the city (which is what they told him he owed). They had sent him a notice saying he was going to have his house taken away & auctioned off in 48 hours if he didn't pay the taxes the very next day. We spotted him the $ to do it & he paid & never heard anything back from them afterward. No auction & it seemed fine. Well, when he went to put it up as collateral they said that he hadn't paid parish taxes bc he's got homestead exemption so he doesn't pay. I explained he had the exemption set up AFTER he paid the taxes to them. They then found notes that he did pay. But they said the city was claiming they owned it bc they said he never paid them. Whoever he paid at the city must have pocketed the $ & never wrote in the file that he paid it. They also (without giving him written notice) added $100 a month to what was owed in taxes on it in order to get it back. It is now at $610 for him to re-claim ownership. Nevermind there was no notice & he paid. But he changed vehicles & has been remodeling so he can't find the receipt to prove he paid. His mother- who co-owns the house-- was absolutely LIVID. She went down and chewed out the mayor in person over all this BS. My friend feels very defeated right now & I'm trying to get him to consult a lawyer (if he can find one for a free consultation) about what to do. This is pretty much robbery on the city's part. Also, the other cops all said that the charges against his fiance are excessive & unwarranted.

She spent all that time in prison without being given medicine. She also related to us that a woman she knows was put in there with her and was all bloodied up. Her face was all swollen & bleeding, her rib was broken, and she was throwing up blood. The woman has an ectopic pregnancy and needs emergency surgery but they threw her in jail instead of taking her to the hospital & refused to give her medical treatment. The only upside was that a woman who is in there for 1st degree murder decided she liked her & was chatting with her & being nice to her so nobody was willing to beat her up-- and apparently there were some nasty fights in there.

The bail bondsman is a really nice guy. We explained what was going on & he said how much we would have to come up with to get her out that day, waived half of his fee, & said the other half could be paid at a later date. He also said they had no business putting someone as tiny as her in genpop & that in all the years he's been a bondsman (more than 50) he's never seen them charge someone like that. So he said she's being screwed over. My friend had called the guy on the phone & then I saw the bondsman on the lawn in front of us in front of the courthouse & pointed him out. So we got to talk to him in person. He even knew my father & had apparently been out to my house before & remembered it. Apparently while we were overseas he'd been sent to retrieve my neighbor.

Meanwhile, the cabinet we wanted to get was sold out. :-(

We are still going to try to get the dryer tomorrow though.

The highlight of the day was we briefly stopped by the flea market & the furniture set that matched mine was still there. The lady had said it was sold & that it was only sold as a set. The old man was there instead & when I asked if I could buy just one piece he said "Yes. Twenty-five dollar." So I gave the guy the $ and my friend and I lifted it in to my truck. Now I have to clear a spot for it. In the light it's in rougher shape than I'd realized but I don't care so long as it serves as more storage space. My brother & I had a hell of a time getting it up the steps of the porch & up the steps of the front door, but we got it in. It had gotten rained on & we didn't have a tarp so that didn't help, but I'm happy with it.

I'm going to have my friend help move it in to my room once I have cleared a path & moved some other furniture over.

Today has been exhausting-- mostly from the frustration of dealing with the total BS.


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## zannej

My friend consulted lawyers & was told that this town is so effing corrupt that they would probably manufacture fake return receipts to claim he received notice & that he should just go ahead & pay and then fight for reimbursement later so they can't take his house away. The laws I looked at said he would have two to three years to pay before they could take his house. I was also told that the fee is supposed to be based on the value the house is assessed at and $100 is excessive. The original amount was something like $99 so the fee is more than the amount they claimed he owed in the first place.

It's legal here to record someone without their knowledge so my friend recorded his conversation with the tax clerk at city hall. He had her admit that they had sent all of the notices to the wrong address so he never received any of them. It all went to his step-father who has no claim to ownership of the property. Clerk said it didn't matter that he didn't get notice so he had to pay. He's going to ask his attorney about that bc they shouldn't be able to apply late fees w/o any notice of being in arrears to begin with. She told him the property taxes were due by the 21st of Dec every year & he can find out what the assessed value is in late October. She encouraged him to speak with the tax assessor about the price evaluation for the house bc it's dilapidated. I mentioned that I've met the guy & he is very nice and the clerk agreed. We'll touch on that later. I noticed there were security cameras in the building & said my friend could have a lawyer request the tape for the day he went & paid to show him paying. But the clerk told him he would need to show the receipt to be reimbursed. A lawyer's fees might be more than the taxes though... The receipt is a very thin piece of paper with very pale ink. I had him take pictures of the receipt as proof in case it faded &/or deteriorated. Still hoping we can find the other receipt.

Then he got his electric bill & it was $689 & he has no idea how the hell it could be that high. It's normally $200. His water bill (which is normally $40) was up to $153. He had a credit of $150 and somehow he miraculously used that much up. Many people have complained about the city claiming they used more water than they actually did though. Traffic tickets & the water bills are two of the cities largest sources of income. Newspapers have published articles about the discrepancies & suspicion of fraud, but no one has done anything about it. He's getting clobbered with lemons.

This is my new piece of furniture. I think it would be called an entertainment shelf maybe? It's in rough shape but its laminated particle board & was made in the 90s so it could be a lot worse. Yasuke approves of it as a seat.


The particle board on the bottom got wet & has crumbled a bit & it's hard to drag across the floor without stuff falling apart. I want to put something over it on the bottom to reinforce it & add something to help it slide better.
Any suggestions?


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## Gary

Sounds like your friend will have to be extra vigilant documenting everything going forward. It's a shame when the people put in place to serve, abuse their power.

Yesterday I hopped in the truck to go uptown for some stuff. Without paying attention I turned the windshield wipers on as I got ready to back up since I noticed it was raining. lol. But wait, I hadn't backed up yet. Water was dripping out of the ceiling.
The only overhead plumbing in the house is above the garage for the upstairs bathrooms. And sure enough a valve under a vanity had a bad seal. I ended up tearing the wet drywall & insulation out of the ceiling and installing a couple new vanity shut off valves. I think I'll just leave the drywall off for the foreseeable future to give it plenty of time to dry out. We've been kicking around the idea of updating that bathroom/bedroom as it's seen it's better days. We just happen to have some leftover tile from our bathroom. I do believe there' enough to re-do this bathroom. That might be a project for after vacation in October.

The joys of home ownership...........I guess.


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## zannej

Yeah. I'm going to have to find my friend a good filing cabinet or something where he can store his important documents. He's misplaced a lot of things. Many things were lost in the house fire a few years back & ever since the wreck he was in where he got tbi (traumatic brain injury) he's been less organized & loses things more often. He's joked with us that he owes my mother both his kidneys & his liver at this point bc she's helped him out financially so much. He said sometime when the weather cools off, he's going to take a week off work to come help us work on our house to get it fixed up. 

It really is sad that the city officials have to screw people over. He's really worried about which DA will get his fiance's case. If he gets the one we know, she'll be fine. He's reasonable. If he gets the other one, she's screwed. That guy gets paid to win cases & doesn't care if the person he's going after is innocent. He will railroad them. 

Ugh, sorry about the plumbing leaks. That always sucks. Hopefully it was caught before any mold could develop. I hope your reno will go well on that & I look forward to seeing the pictures.

One of these days I'm going to stop procrastinating & start working on stuff in my house. I have so much to do & my physical abilities are not up to my mental ones. I know how to do things & what I want to do, but knowing and doing are two separate things. My body does not like to cooperate so I have to get help on things. Right now my friend is having a lot of back pain & he's been stressed to the max. But he does want to come out tomorrow to run the antenna cable to boost our cell signal in the house. The antenna is already mounted on our tower (he said it turns the entire tower into an antenna as well since it's metal). Just need to run the cable into the house & mount the booster somewhere. I think he was also planning to cut some weeds down but needed a more powerful cutting tool bc these weeds are tough. One of these days I'm going to just till up my driveway, level it, pack it, & put down pea gravel or something that will allow water through to the oak tree roots, but that won't let the damn weeds grow up. Maybe add some paving stones and a path to the air conditioner. There is a pit next to the air conditioner that needs to be filled in & to stop the ground erosion. air conditioner is already starting to tilt in to it a bit.

Today I was exhausted. After I went to bed last night I slept until almost 7pm (when the phone woke me up). Some political bullcrap. I told the person not to call again & hung up. Then I got up and made dinner. stovetop stuffing with corn. I heated up some chicken cordon bleu for my mother to go with it. I'm still tired so I might take a nap again soon.

I'm going to have to take my poor elderly dog in to the vet soon. Even though she eats, she's not gaining any weight. She's gotten super skinny & she refuses to sleep on a dog bed-- just on the floor. She's developed wounds on her hips & I don't know how to prevent them or help them heal. Only thing I can think of is to attach protective pads to them somehow.


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## zannej

Mom was sick all day yesterday, having back pain & nausea. I got her some lidocain patches (which have helped) and she kept calling me every few minutes & hours during the night so I didn't get any sleep. Around 6 something when it was still dark, she called again & said she wanted me to take her to the ER. She kept vomiting & couldn't keep anything down & she felt horrible. She was shivering & her whole body was hurting. Fortunately she has good insurance so they were nice to her. At one point the doctor came in & said they were going to do a CT scan on her head for the dizziness & we said there was no dizziness. I asked him if he was sure he had the right patient. He stepped back out & asked the nurses & was told he had the wrong patient. LOL. They apparently have a new system for testing blood that doesn't let them use the old containers bc the openings are too small so instead of being able to use one or two vials of blood, they had to draw blood from multiple spots. One of the times the nurse went all the way through the vein & had to call in another nurse to help her get a vein. They hooked her to an IV to give her fluids with intravenous anti-nausea medicine. I had asked them for a barf bag so they gave her the meds. After all the needles her blood pressure shot up to 205/89 so they gave her something to lower it. She had to get the anti-nausea meds twice. They did an x-ray for some reason, ct scan, & we mostly sat & waited. I covered her up with blankets & her jacket & put on some music she liked on my phone. Around 9:30am I was able to step out to get breakfast. We didn't get out of there until after 11am. I went to Walmart to pick up the medicine they prescribed as well as some gatorade & powerade bc they said she can't eat solids & can only have clear fluids for the next few days. Didn't get home until almost 1pm.

Close to 7pm I went back into town to take an adapter cable for 4prong to 3prong dryer plug/receptacle. That was when my friend discovered his dryer had the plug for a range instead of for a dryer. He went with me to go buy a $15 vanity light from someone in town. It has cut crystal shades & gold color on it that my mother really liked. The seller gave me her address & I recognized the street and said something about a house with a tower & a very long slide. She said she lived right next to that house-- which made it easier to find. Rolled up in her driveway & she had two blue CR-Vs there. I complimented her on the car choice & mentioned that our other vehicle is a blue CR-V. She'd never seen the Honda trucks up close so I showed I gave her a tour of it-- she liked the trunk. Very nice lady. Now we will have to figure out where to install the light (vanity is on an exterior wall) & how to wire it.

Meanwhile, when I got to my friend's house, his fiance was just getting back from the police. The girl who attacked her who has a "stay away" order keeps coming over in front of the house & staring at her-- not even on the other side of the street even-- just directly in front of her sidewalk & driveway. She also keeps calling my friend's dog & trying to steal him. She apparently stole the dog from the person across the street. Her mother (who also has a stay away order bc she made threats) also walked by. They took video and pictures of the mother & daughter violating the stay away order. Unfortunately, the local cops refuse to enforce it & said "It's a public street". The brat has a restraining order on my friend's fiance as if she's afraid of her, but she's going out of her way to go see her & antagonize her. I told my friend to just go to the Parish police with all the videos & proof. I don't know if it will help in her case to show the girl isn't afraid of her & that she's antagonizing, but at least it will be on the record. I wish I'd gone with the girl to the cops bc she apparently told them that the brat is just begging for an ***-beating- which I don't think helps her if she wants to appear non-violent. She's all bark though-- but a DA might not care about that.


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## Flyover

Finally built a stand for my bandsaw. I spent probably 20 hours designing it over and over again in my head over the past week, and 3 hours building it today while my kids were on a play date. It was a magical moment when I hooked up the motor and saw the bottom wheel spinning. (Nevermind that the rubber crown or whatever it's called flew off with a loud bang.)




Now all I have to do is secure the motor, clean everything, then get the blade on and set it up. Then find a project to use it for! But right now it's Miller time.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Finally built a stand for my bandsaw. I spent probably 20 hours designing it over and over again in my head over the past week, and 3 hours building it today while my kids were on a play date. It was a magical moment when I hooked up the motor and saw the bottom wheel spinning. (Nevermind that the rubber crown or whatever it's called flew off with a loud bang.)
> 
> View attachment 22606
> 
> 
> Now all I have to do is secure the motor, clean everything, then get the blade on and set it up. Then find a project to use it for! But right now it's Miller time.



Nicely done sir! I'll pop a top with ya, been working on a friend of my daughter's boat who failed to winterize it last year. Replacing both exhaust manifolds, core plugs, fuel lines, lower unit hydraulic hoses, braised the oil cooler back together rebuilt the 4 barrel carb. Hopefully I'll get it out of my driveway this weekend. Fingers crossed.


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## zannej

Flyover, that is a very cool & sturdy looking stand! Great job!

Oldog, good luck on fixing the boat up.

I got in some sleep today but then had to go to the pharmacy bc they shorted my mother by 15 pills on one of her prescriptions. She called in & they had it behind the counter. I also picked up more lidocain patches on her. I have to swap out to a new one every 12 hours. I'm hoping her back pain will go away soon. She said her throat is hurting so she's having a hard time swallowing the gatorade but she's drinking water as well. When I was at the store I grabbed a box of chicken broth. She asked for half a cup so I heated it up for her & she drank it a few minutes ago. She's now watching Halloween Baking Championship on TV & I'm checking e-mail & about to take a nap.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to rope my brother in to helping me clean up. I haven't told him that yet bc I know if I mention it, he'll stay at a friend's house to avoid coming home bc he hates cleaning.


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## zannej

Hurt my back catching my mother when she started to fall in the doorway & hurt it more when I tried to pick her up when she fell in front of the doctor's office. Fortunately, the clerk saw her fall & got the nurse & the doctor. They got a wheelchair out there & I tried again to lift her to her feet but couldn't quite manage so the doctor came over, repositioned her legs, & tried to lift her. He was trying to lift her from the front but her legs were not cooperating so I got behind her & lifted again & together we both got her into the wheelchair. He then canceled her appointment & told his nurse to take her to the ER (right across the street). They did some x-rays on her knee & ankle (which were fine bc I helped break her fall- trying to catch her) and her blood pressure was ok. I think she was weak bc she refused to eat before going. I got her some liquid food stuff & more chicken broth. I just gave her more chicken broth & she's happy. She said her leg doesn't hurt at all but my back really hates me right now. I need to take some classes on how to assist her better & how to do the lifting. I told her she needs to do some exercises to strengthen her legs. I will need to do some squats or something to improve my lifting strength as well.

My sister called & said she's working on the closing for her new house & trying to figure out what to do with the old one. She wants to rent it & is debating whether to go through a rental management company or through a HUD program. I'm wary of HUD bc I worry the tenants won't take care of the place (I've seen how some people treat HUD housing). She needs to replace the carpet & some baseboard. I suggested vinyl baseboard which is waterproof (her sickly cat ruined the wood baseboard). She needs some painting done (which I can do some of if I have enough time when we visit). She's debating getting new carpet or getting LVP. I linked her the LVP we got for the laundry room that is waterproof, has a 20mil wear layer, and built-in underlayment. It's clicklock so it doesn't need to be glued. But it went up in price over $1 since I bought it. She needs 300 to 500 sqft done & it's over $66 a case- eight 7"x48" planks per case. So it would be about $1k just for 300sqft. Not sure if it's worth it or not. 

Anyone here ever had a rental property through HUD? It's in an HOA community so there would be rent & HOA fees. Her new house will be about 2 miles away. I know one stipulation will be that they are not allowed to alter the mantle over the fireplace in any way since my father custom built it.

My brother has avoided cleaning the entire time he had off work, but he did help me get my mother in to the house when we got home from the hospital. We visited my friend & found out more details from a witness to part of the fight the 80lb girl had with the 140lb brat. The brat's brother was coming to pick her up & said he saw his sister get pushed out the door, "trip over her own two feet" and fall down on the porch with her head near the metal column. Said there was no blood before & she wasn't crying until she fell. Then she put her hand over her head, started crying, threw herself on the ground & rolled around dramatically until he told her to get her behind in the car. She got up & walked over & took her hand off her head & blood started gushing out. We think she hit her head on the scrollwork on the column. The girl ran & got her something to sop up the blood and hold on the wound & the brother drove the brat to the hospital. The brat then lied to the cops & said the phone hitting her is what busted her head. I saw the pictures-- it's impossible for the phone to have done that. For one, it's the wrong angle & two, it is far too deep and the wrong shape and size- but it fits perfectly with the shape of the end of the scrollwork. The brother said the sister has a history of lying to the cops & filing false reports against people. She's been threatening to file false claims against him & a friend. He also said that when he went inside the house with my friend & saw no blood inside or in the doorway he realized the sister was lying about the phone causing the injury & that she didn't hit her head until she was outside. But even the same day after she got stitches & everything, she was in front of my friend's house violating the stay away order & laughing & mocking him.


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## Flyover

Turns out properly mounting the motor for my bandsaw is more involved than just bolting it to a platform. So I've added on a tilting platform, hinged at one end, and at the other end I'll bolt on the motor and affix a spring that will attach to the upper part of the stand. So now I need to do some trash rummaging to find a spring...maybe from a trampoline or a box spring.

@zannej, your life sounds like it's full of enough excitement for ten people, at least. Hope you find some time to relax, away from the circus!


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## zannej

Flyover, I hope you can find a spring. I used to collect random stuff like springs & bits of metal. I think they are somewhere in the workshop.

It does get a bit circus-like around here at times. Someone from the hospital called today to check on my mother & see how she was doing. I don't know if it's because she has good insurance or if it was bc we made the nurses laugh. We've never had them call to check up before. She's feeling better today. I made her some egg drop soup and toast. I also got her some carnation breakfast shakes too.

We ran out of cat food & my brother didn't mention it to me (most of the cats are his) so I'm probably going to have to run to the store in a bit to get more. I just don't feel like getting up and driving.


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## Flyover

@zannej If they consider your mom a "high risk" patient, depending on how you get your health insurance they will assign a whole team to her case. Depending on the size of the team, there might be someone whose job is to make those calls or even visit in-person to check up on your mom, see if she needs anything, whether she's taking her meds, etc. And it's pretty standard, maybe even required, that they follow up after your mom's been in the hospital.


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> @zannej If they consider your mom a "high risk" patient, depending on how you get your health insurance they will assign a whole team to her case. Depending on the size of the team, there might be someone whose job is to make those calls or even visit in-person to check up on your mom, see if she needs anything, whether she's taking her meds, etc. And it's pretty standard, maybe even required, that they follow up after your mom's been in the hospital.


Ah, I suppose maybe it was bc she had to go to the ER twice within a week. But it's the first time they've ever called to check up. They never called to check up on my friend-- but then, he was on Medicaid & they treated him like absolute garbage. Because his teeth were broken in a wreck & he's rather skinny, a lot of people just assume he's on drugs when they first look at him.
I helped him get his new dryer hooked back up with a new cord so he was happy. I got up early to check the post office for the cord. I then had to go back into town to pick up mom's prescriptions. I'm about to take a nap bc I'm always sleepy after eating. Burger King has a 2 for $6 deal on grilled chicken sandwiches so I grabbed that on my way home.


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## Gary

Good job on the band saw Flyover. I like DIY projects. 
Hope your Mom gets to feeling better soon Zannej.
I spent the afternoon welding up a drag for the track loader. It's an old square tube table frame I put receivers on and beefed up the front with a steel post. worked pretty well to level out the low spots in the drive after a couple years of driving on the road grindings. Once I had it pretty level I chained it to the lawn tractor for a final smooth out. Should be good to go for awhile again.


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## Flyover

Thanks @Gary!

@zannej I don't know how it goes in your state, but in Oh Hah they are required to follow up with high-risk patients after any hospitalization. Looking like a meth-head shouldn't make a difference because it's a compliance thing, plus the people who do that job tend to be "golden retriever" types who want to help everybody no matter what. So maybe the laws are different, maybe your mom only recently got classified as high-risk (the two ER visits might do it), or maybe the rules aren't well-enforced. Maybe it's something else. Who knows. Glad your mom's home safe and that you were able to make your friend's day.


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## zannej

Gary, that looks awesome!
Flyover, since I'm in a rural area, the rules are rather lax & the staff aren't always very friendly. They seem better now than they were years ago though. We had some downright rude & lazy nurses & staff before. Couldn't be bothered to do their rounds when they were supposed to. They weren't busy running around working like in larger hospitals-- they were sitting on their asses chewing gum & reading magazines-- for hours. Some of them wouldn't even answer the phone when it rang. Fortunately, the staff are nicer now-- but they are still dismissive of patients who have no insurance or that they think are drug addicts. I've had nurses tell me that they treat people they think are drug addicts differently bc they suspect they are just trying to get pain meds. It really sucked for my friend bc he had to go to the ER 3 times before he finally got diagnosed with kidney stones.

I made his day again both yesterday & today bc I found the pantry cabinet he wanted was back in stock & on sale for 50% off (plus 10% off that bc Mom came along for the military discount). Got that & the cabinet to go above his stove (that the range hood attaches to). Found a liquidation store in that area & found a really nice range hood for $79 (it's normally $189 at big box stores). While we were there to pick it up we found a stainless steel automatic sensor trash can for $35 (retails for $120). His fiance fell on his plastic trash can & broke it. Also got a shelf kit for his pantry, shelf liners, and the toekick trim all for 10% off. He wants to go back for one or two of the ceiling fans when he gets more $.

We're trying to get the witness who saw part of the fight between my friend's fiance & the brat that attacked her. He showed us exactly where she hit her head & he'd even told the local cops that he saw her trip over her own feet & fall. So, it wasn't even being pushed that caused her to hit her head. We also found out that she lied about the guy trying to rape her and the girl who said the guy did assault her was lying as well. This guy is now in prison waiting for trial bc two underage brats lied to the cops. The other girl's mother actually admitted to people that her daughter said she lied. I told the person who was telling me about it to call the parish cops & tell them because they needed to know that. It may also help the fiance bc it will show a pattern of lies from the brat.

I got my friend to take pictures of the new pantry & cabinet with the range hood sitting upsidedown on top of it. He thought the upper cabinet would be deeper & said he wanted to push the cabinet forward. I pointed out that if he did that, then it would cover the knockout spot for the in-room venting. It has a filter so it doesn't need to vent outside. (He has a smoothtop stove so there shouldn't be any fire).

The person who told me about the brats lying is the neighbor who lives across the street. We showed her the kitchen & told her about the discounts. She was impressed. My friend then said that all he has to do is tell me what he's looking for & I can find it cheaper for him. She also really loved the color of the stain on the cabinets. I kept thinking it was minwax, but when I checked the can, it's Rustoleum weathered gray.

Here are some of the pics from the kitchen. My brother had to pose for some with the new shirt I got him.


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## zannej

I took my friend to get a muffler put on his truck & get his exhaust pipe patched & welded back on. The guy who did it only charged for the muffler & the labor was free. Unfortunately, his engine is knocking & he thinks the truck is about dead so he's looking for another vehicle. He passed on the Ford car to one of his uncles who is going to be making the payments from now on. Not sure if he was given any extra $ for it, but he no longer has to worry about paying for the insurance. He wants me to take him to look at an Avalanche tomorrow. It bluebooks for over $11k but they are selling it for around $6k so I know there must be something wrong with it. But I'm going to humor him.

I tried to nap but my brain wasn't resting. Got a phone call from CyberpowerPC about the laptop that was supposed to be for my birthday (but they putzed on the order so it won't arrive for another few days). They were confused about the billing address being different from the delivery address despite me sending them picture ID with physical address along with a photo of the credit card (with 1st 12 digits covered). I mentioned to them that we've ordered 2 computers from them before & not had a problem. They confirmed it was assembled & ready to ship-- then called back & said that the sales tax was going to be higher than they charged. It was 9.15% before but they said that my delivery address put it up to 10.4% (which made no sense whatsoever bc I live outside the town & am not subject to city tax. It should be lower where I live, not higher-- in fact the 9.15% is too high as well). They argued back & forth with my mother on the phone & finally accepted the lower tax rate which was already paid.

I ended up going over to my friend's house after 8pm & stained his newer cabinets & touched up the older ones. Took pics while the cabinets were still wet so we'll have to see how it looks when they dried. I didn't have a stepstool to reach the tops of the pantry on the sides & he's thinking of getting some sort of peel & stick stuff for the sides anyway. Maybe a faux stainless steel look. I can still stain the sides later bc there's enough stain in the can for it, but for now I left them as-is. I did stain the side of the base cabinet I'd left bare before & I stained the sides of the cabinet that will go over the range.

Over-the-range cabinet


Pantry


Pantry & base cabinets upper view (with over-the-range cabinet poking in on the right)


lower view


Wide shot of the range, touched up base cabinets with over-the-sink rack, & fridge. Side of range cabinet is poking in on the left. Range hood is sitting on the range. The reviews were not kidding about those LEDs being bright (friend already wired it to a plug)



The puppy that photobombed is named Brownie & he's part chihuahua. Adorable little bugger.


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## Flyover

@zannej Looks good! It's come a long way.


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## zannej

Thanks, Flyover. I went over to see my friend yesterday because the motor in his truck is going out & he was really depressed about it. The motor alone is more than half the price of his truck. So my brother & I went over to try to cheer him up a little & offer some emotional support. My brother also offered to let him use his truck to get to work while my brother uses the CRV until my friend can get enough $ scraped together to buy a cheap used car. He saw a little Suzuki that he liked locally, but I think he still needs to test drive it. 

I looked up the faux stainless steel peel & stick stuff & read that it sticks better to stain/paint than to unfinished wood so I stained the sides. Little brownie apparently huffed some of the stain because he started running around like a little maniac. My friend's fiance decided to lie down on the floor to play with him & he started hopping all around her, barking at her, lunging, running under the couch, then back out to repeat. He's so tiny that it was just hilarious.

I finished off the older can of stain (which had gotten much thicker) on the outer side of the pantry & then opened a new can for the side closer to the counter. It was much thinner so it will need more coats to take the color. But it might not matter too much so long as I get the surface smooth. The peel & stick stuff requires a smooth surface to adhere so I might put a gloss finish on just the sides where it will go to make it stick better.


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## zannej

I was absolutely exhausted yesterday & pretty much only got cooking & feeding the pets done. I need to do some cleaning & refill the waterers today. The weather has slowly been getting cooler so its slightly more tolerable to go outside. I spent the day brainstorming & trying to find new tires for the CR-V bc at least one of them is already bald. Think I might get some Yokohamas because they are slightly cheaper than the Toyos but both have good treads on them. The CR-V doesn't get quite as much use, although my brother is using it now that he's letting our friend borrow his truck. Motor blew in his Colorado & it costs $4400 for a new motor. That's more than he paid for the truck. My friend now wants a Ridgeline. LOL. I found him one like mine fully loaded- backup camera, toneaux cover, navigation, roof rack, stepbars, etc. Only thing it's missing is the brush bars & door side molding. I can't remember whether or not it has good floor mats.

I've also been working on the planning for my friend's kitchen. I found some LED strips for under the cabinet (still have 2 options to consider that are similar in price). I went off of measurements I remembered to figure out the ceiling height & then found we were limited in options for the upper cabinets because of the sizes available at the store. The idea was to get some 18" high ones that would be the same height as the pantry but there weren't any in the right widths that would add up to fit between the corner cabinet & the pantry. I also had to try to remember how much we cut off the shorter run of countertop to figure out how much space I had for the shorter run. Came out to around 29" so a 30" would be in the doorway. I did find a 27" one that should work. I plugged in the measurements & started doing rough drawings in Sketchup to figure out how much space was available & hope that things aren't too wonky. I know we will need a lot of shims to make sure the wall cabinets are plumb. When I showed my friend the sketches he actually liked how it looked so he's ok with the cabinets having to go all the way to the ceiling (which is 10" higher than the pantry by my calculations-- will have to actually measure to see).

So, based on the guesses & what I remember, this is the plan:


The 24x30 ones in between the corner cabinet are about $65 each-- although I think they sell a 48" wide double cabinet as well-- just need to see if it comes out cheaper than two cabinets. I found out that the samples for the formica countertop are 25cents each so we might be able to create some sort of backsplash that mimics tile. Just use some adhesive & put a backer board or something to cover the gap between the wall & the cabinets (bc the walls lean back it leaves a gap). I also found some caulk that is colormatched to the countertop. I just realized I forgot to draw in the backsplash built in to the countertops... I will have to remedy that.


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## zannej

I fixed it -although I'm not drawing in the curves for stuff- just leaving the edges squared off bc I'm not good enough with sketchup to get the curves right.


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## joey1337

Made chili, ate chili, enjoyed chili.


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## zannej

I did a little bit of cleaning, searched for stuff online (trying to find a good mat for my elderly dog who is getting bed sores from the carpet). Dog won't climb up on the dog bed bc it's too thick so I need to get her something she can walk on but that is cushioned better.
Heated up some veggies before cooking stroganoff. stuffed my face and am now back at my computer relaxing.


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## zannej

I made it safely to my sister's house for a visit. It was a long drive & my mother missed a turn that added an extra hour or two to the trip. Made it in just before midnight. She got us set up in the upstairs room-- her stairs are steep so it was tough getting up them after all that driving. We alternated driving & Mom drank some Mt Dew to get energy. Caffeine just makes me jittery & causes irregular heartbeat instead of giving me energy so I stuck to water. There's a small shower with a very high showerhead but no grab bars or anything for Mom to be able to shower. No ADA friendly stuff in the house. We're going to have to rectify that.

Moen now makes a magnetic dock for their Magnetix line of showerheads so I want to see if they have any decent ones in stock at any of the local stores & get the dock so we can have a handheld shower low enough for Mom to use.

Looks like they mixed fixture finishes in the bathroom-- it has brushed nickel for some and chrome for others. I need to figure out how the one-handle faucet works. I'm sorely tempted to use the jetted tub but it would take a lot of water & Albuquerque is dry. I don't want to drive up her water bill.

We were so tired we slept until almost 3pm. When my sister knocked on the door & wanted to know if we wanted to go eat we thought it was breakfast time but it was lunch. I ended up just eating a little bit of leftover chicken & some asparagus.

My sister works tomorrow so I might see about going with Mom to the store to get some supplies we forgot. There were things I could have sworn I packed that are missing so they must have fallen out or I derped & left them at home. Need to see about faucets Mom can use & a shower seat.


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## Flyover

Remember that bandsaw stand I built? I finally obtained a trampoline spring to suspend the platform for the motor. I sat the motor on the platform to weigh it down while I installed the spring. At some point something slipped and the platform rocked diagonally. My motor tipped forward off the platform. I broke the fall with my foot but it still tumbled off my foot and onto my garage floor with a loud cracking sound.

Inspecting the motor casing, it has a small dent in the top. And the motor now won't turn on.

Now what? I feel like a total idiot. (More than usual!)


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## zannej

Flyover, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope your foot is OK. Sounds like my kind of luck. I wonder if something just got jarred loose or if the dent is in the way of something. I'm hoping you can fix it.

My brother-in-law got territorial & was bothered by the idea of someone else picking fixtures for his house so we didn't get to add any of the ADA features to the shower so my mother wasn't able to shower there-- but she did wash her hair in the kitchen sink. I feel sorry for whoever has to clean the hair out of the drain later. The trip was OK but my brother-in-law made it clear he only wanted my mother to visit & not me (but she needs me to drive & to help her carry stuff & bring her stuff). I helped clean their bathroom in their old house & I will never again feel guilty about how dirty my mother's bathroom is because I clean it more often than they cleaned their bathroom. I have never seen so many bandaid wrappers strewn all over the place. And so much hair from shaving just coating everything... Q-tips everywhere. I scrubbed the hell out of the counter, the mirrors, wiped down every single bottle & item on the shelves, cleaned out the drawers & wiped everything down with clorix wipes. I switched to lysol wipes for the floor because there was a litterbox. I wasn't afraid to touch things without gloves because I've touched worse stuff & I knew I could always wash my hands afterwards. My sister spent a long time looking for gloves. I guess my brother-in-law must have been bothered by me touching his stuff because my sister didn't want me to help clean the next day. I put most stuff back where I got it from, didn't throw away anything that wasn't obviously trash, and I didn't break or damage anything.

The upside was I found some stuff she was going to throw out that I wanted-- I'd been actively looking for a couple of the items for the laundry/bathroom reno. Got a little bathroom shelf and a cut down closet rod that is almost the right size (just needs a little trimming). I also snagged a little stepstool she was going to throw away & gave it to my friend who then used it when putting up insulation in his walk-in pantry.

We were only gone a week but when I got back our old dog was on death's door. My brother had not been feeding her every day & had forgotten to give her water. The waterers in the house were all empty so the dog was dehydrated. She was too weak to stand up & could barely sit up. I think she also thought we were never coming back & was upset. I got her some warm water, petted her, wiped her down, cleaned her bed sores, and got her to eat. At first she was barely eating but now she's feeling better & her appetite has improved & she's walking around. We got her a thin memory foam mat to sleep on. It gives more cushioning without being difficult to walk on. She got stuck a few times when her feet slipped on trash (did I mention there was trash all over the floor when I got back?) and once she walked behind the trash can & couldn't figure out how to back up so she started yelping. Apparently she yelped in distress constantly while we were gone & my brother was annoyed. It was bc she couldn't get up & wanted food or water. I have been bringing food & water to her so she doesn't have to get up and walk to a bowl, but she's now feeling well enough to go to the waterer (which I refilled). The last time she yelped was a few days ago when trash from my brother's room spilled out into the hallway & got under her feet so she kept slipping when she tried to stand up.

I did some cleaning and cooking yesterday. Today I'm feeling a bit meh & it's raining outside but I'm trying to get myself up to do something productive. Things got really rough for my best friend & he's having some relationship problems with his fiance (might be ex soon). I'm staying out of it & letting him handle it, but am still trying to help him with his house. He needs to replace his breaker box which is 10"x8". He hasn't specified which is width vs height but he said he doesn't think he can go wider but he can go higher when he gets a new box. He's mentioned his walls have a lot of wood spanning the studs underneath the wood paneling so cutting through stuff isn't going to be easy. I think he can probably go a bit wider if he figures out where the studs are and only cuts away or moves the blocking that is around the box. Trying to figure out which brand is affordable but still reliable.

I hope everyone else is having a good day-- also hope Flyover will have better luck.


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## Flyover

Thanks, @zannej. Today I took out every nut and bolt from the thing I could find, removed the wheel, tried to open it up, but found I could not. Then I noticed a reset button. Pressed it, then it worked!


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## zannej

Hooray for the reset button! I'm very glad that worked out. Hopefully the motor stand is working as intended as well.

It's been raining here & somehow we hit our bandwidth limit which means our internet is severely throttled until midnight (which is when the billing period resets). I wish that I'd actually gone outside yesterday when it wasn't raining. I need the exercise. I'm also putzing on changing the HVAC filters. I need to get up and do some cleaning today & maybe hit the store to get some stuff we ran out of.


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## Flyover

Happy Veteran's Day, especially to anyone here who's a veteran! Hope y'all had a good one.


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## Flyover

I bought a canoe and I'm gonna go pick it up tomorrow, which means I have to quickly build a rack to store it on.

My grandfather's been canoeing all his life (he's the reason I grew up canoeing) and he never really stored his canoes properly except in the winter when he'd bring them inside -- the rest of the time he'd just leave the thing upside down on the dock -- but everything I've read and everyone I've talked to has told me I need to store it off the ground and covered, so that's what I'm going to do.

I don't have room in my garage so I'm attaching the rack onto the outside of my shed, and I bought a canoe cover.

The rack is basically a couple 8-foot 2x4s cut in half and butt-jointed into two big Ls. Each L is at a slightly acute angle. The "vertical" pieces will go flat against the all of the shed, and the "horizontal" arms are oriented up-and-down for strength and stability. I'm installing tie-down anchors at the tips of each piece, and then I'll have a loose tie-down strapping running from the top out to the end of the arm. The canoe will sit in the strapping so its weight will be spread out. Kind of a fun little project, but also pretty brutal in this weather.


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## Flyover

Finished the canoe rack on my lunch break today. Not my finest work, but hopefully good enough and I built it all out of found materials.


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## zannej

Flyover, Nice canoe rack! Hopefully it will keep the canoes safe. Do you plan to put anything over the boards on the top to prevent scraping? Like foam insulation tape used for plumbing or pool noodles? I think the hollow pool noodles can be cut to fit right over the 2x4s.

I've got kidney stones again so I'm taking it easy today. Yesterday I went over to give my friend some pepto bismol & hang out. He wasn't feeling well & his fiance had some creepy guy over that no one else liked. Dude had been hitting on her & making inappropriate comments to everyone. I had a bad vibe about him. Last time I had a similar vibe about one of the guys she had over he turned out to be a rapist, so this time I told her & she got pissed off at me about it & sniped at me. I didn't care about that but then she started a big argument with my friend. It escalated to a shouting match & then she started sobbing like a 2-year-old. Remember how Lucy would do that loud "waaaaaah" on 'I Love Lucy"? That's what it sounded like. All the drama makes me glad I'm single. I want no part of any of that.

Another friend who owes my mom $ & promised to do work to pay it off but never showed up just contacted me and wants to come out tomorrow to do yard work & work out a repayment plan. I guess things are finally calming down for him financially.

I have been working off and on with the pet door trying to get it in but it's not wanting to line up properly. I'm going to try again in little bit. I may have to do some re-drilling, but I am determined to get this thing on. If I have to glue the damn thing on, it will go on! LOL.


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## Flyover

Pool noodles split down the middle and then zip-tied in place were my first idea, but instead I'm going to have the canoe resting on top of the tie-down straps, which I'll probably have to adjust so the buckle isn't near where the boat is touching it. That way the weight will be more evenly distributed. Sorta the same idea as this design, which you see on a lot of commercially available canoe and kayak racks:







Sorry to hear about your friend's fiance's...uh...mismanagement of her social life? I think I've said this before, but your day to day is a lot more exciting than mine. For whatever it's worth, I'm really glad I'm married; it's basically drama-free. My wife and I have a civilizing influence on each other.


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## Jeff Handy

Nice rack!
And that canoe holder is ok also, haha!
Just kidding!


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## Gary

That's a nice canoe rack Flyover. Anxiously waiting to see it loaded with the canoe.

 My wife is still nauseous, this coming Monday will be 7 weeks now. She's lost somewhere between 35-40 Lbs. to date and getting weaker by the day. Just getting up for the restroom (20 ft. trip each way). wipes her out. She has to take a break to get the energy to return to her recliner. Then her nausea is stirred up until she can settle back down. Her day consists of eating what she can early in the day, when she feels better. A meal is usually 2-3 bites then she feels full. Then she lays very still so she can digest the food, before getting sick later in the day and at night. So, she sleeps when she can. A little good news, she's had a couple full nights of sleep here and there lately. She's on anti-nausea  medication, without it she would be in worse shape.
Thursday we sent her files to Mayo Clinic and are waiting for them to process her request for an appointment.  The waiting list is long, but they get people in quicker if there's a need. The doctors here sent referral letters explaining the dire situation she's in, we're hoping that will help expedite her case. It's been suggested to just go and they would take her in. If we were closer we might try that, but since it's a 7 hour trip we don't want to go, then get stranded there because we cant't get an appointment right away. Cheryl isn't in a position physically to go through something like that. So, we're waiting by the phone, answering phone questions by all involved as they process her request. We're praying the doctors on our end can convey to the doctors in MN just how critical her situation is and get her in sooner rather than later. Not much we can do but wait at this point. I've changed the oil and gassed up the car. Cheryl is on temporary disability and I've told my regular customers why I may not be available if they call. We can be gone in a matter of a few minutes if we get the call.


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## zannej

Flyover, that sounds like a cool idea. Maybe you can use pool noodles on the tie-downs to cover the buckles and give more surface under the canoe- and it might add a little reinforcement that way. I'm happy to hear you and your wife get along well. I think I've only met 2 couples that got along very well & didn't bicker like crazy or have a lot of drama.

Gary, I'm so sorry to hear about your wife being ill. Did the doctor tell you to check her blood pressure? anti-nausea medicine can cause blood pressure spikes. My mother had to be given something to lower her BP when she got nauseous. Sounds like your wife may need to get some IV fluids & nourishment. I really hope they will take her in to the Mayo clinic very soon & that it's something that can be treated.

Yesterday I meant to go down to the workshop to try to work on my pet door but I ended up getting back from the store too late so I worked on it today instead. I managed to get the inside half secured to the door mostly & got 2 of the bolts through but the other 2 bolts don't want to go through. I decided to take a breather before I break something. LOL. I may resort to just drilling through spots where there aren't supposed to be holes on the inner side just to make the damn bolts go through and secure them with a washer & nut. The top left corner & bottom right corner are secured with the bolts but the other two don't want to cooperate. The bolts bent slightly so I may just have to go buy more on Monday. I'm going to take a flashlight down and shine it through the holes to see if it goes through and maybe just do more drilling if need be. I may end up adding some washers so the nuts don't slide partway in to the holes & get stuck (that happened to one side). I will get this damn thing secured before I paint!

I'm trying to figure out what type of caulk to use around it bc I don't trust the weather seal on the outside to be sufficient.

I've also been obsessively watching this over and over because I find it hilarious


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## Flyover

Here's the rack holding the canoe, finally. The actual canoe is just green, but I've got it covered to protect it from the elements. When I went to pick up the canoe I learned it's almost a foot longer than I was told initially, and probably 50 pounds heavier than I expected. Makes my shed look small. Anyway, you can't see it but the straps are keeping the gunwales off the arms and the hull slightly tilted away from the shed, and none of it is touching the buckles. Those same straps can then be used to help secure the canoe to the truck when we take it places.


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## Gary

*That's a nice looking canoe rack Flyover. Stored away for next year. *

*zannej, yes, she's been checked, prodded, scanned, and re-checked several times. Every test comes back normal. They put her on a heart monitor & test her blood every time we go to the ER, which has been often. So far her heart has been staying in rhythm since the cardioversion, so at least some good news there. She's had a brain CT scan for tumors, all her digestive organs scanned/scoped. The good news everything checks out normal, the bad news is that doesn't get us any closer to an answer. We've been to 3 specialists and a hand full of hospital doctors and nurses, none have come up with a solution. They've all pretty much said we've tried every test we can think of. I told one doctor I worried that mayo my not take her because all the test come back normal. She said, no, they specialize in taking cases where no one else has come up with a solution. I hope that's true, because we've been striking out so far. Meanwhile, she is still getting sick and weaker.*


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## zannej

Flyover, that looks really cool! My brother would joke that he can't see the canoe (bc of the camo cover). Hopefully you'll get some good use out of it.

Gary, that sounds awful & nerve-wracking. Sometimes doctors only look at individual results instead of the big picture. Things will be within normal parameters individually but there are times when another doctor needs to look at the combination of results to see if anything is even slightly off. I'm trying to think of what could be causing that nausea but I'm at a loss. Wish I could help. All I can do is wish you both the best of luck & hope the Mayo clinic will call soon & find something.

I went down to the workshop with a flashlight and took another crack at the bolts on the pet door. With a little fiddling I got the 3rd bolt through. The last one gave me more trouble but I eventually got it with the help of a mallet. I bought some washers that I'm going to put on later. I also got some door & window caulk to use around it.

Meanwhile, my old dog isn't doing well. Her urine is very dark but I can't get her to drink enough water. She hasn't been getting up as much anymore & gets tired before finishing her food. Poor old girl is still hanging in there but I don't know if she'll last until the end of the month.


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## Flyover

Thanks, everyone. I'm excited the design actually works and didn't just collapse like I half expected it to for some reason.



zannej said:


> My brother would joke that he can't see the canoe (bc of the camo cover).


That's exactly the idea. The side of the shed my canoe is hanging on faces my privacy fence, but the other side faces the neighbors behind me, and their houses are on a road that gets a lot of traffic, and there's a lot of crime in a couple of the surrounding neighborhoods. So when people go down that busy road and get a fleeting glance between the houses, I want to minimize the chance that the part of my canoe sticking out past my shed will be noticeable. There's a row of "junk" trees between my yard and the back neighbor's, too, so during the warmer months when more crime happens my canoe will be even better hidden by blending into the foliage.

I get a lot of things that are camo but always for a practical reason. I'm not into the "tacti-cool" fad and can't wait until it's over. Hah, kinda reminds me of people now who are putting those "furrowed eyebrow" pieces on the front of their Jeeps to make them look angry. When I see those I have to stop myself from pointing and laughing.


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## Flyover

@Gary: Back in 2014 the son of a friend of mine mysteriously came down with all these symptoms exactly like what you're describing about your wife: super nauseous all the time, weak, etc. Similar deal where they went to all these doctors at all these hospitals all over the country and did all these tests and nobody could see anything wrong with any part of him. The poor kid basically spent age sixteen in bed.

Then finally one doctor in Dublin OH figured out that a rare kind of virus had destroyed some of the nerves in his inner ear or something like that. Your inner ear tells your brain what's up and down, so that's why he was nauseous all the time. (I'm probably way oversimplifying because I don't remember all the details.) I'm not sure what all the doctor prescribed, but after a few months of whatever the treatment was, the kid was like 80% back to normal, and after a year or two he was back to 100%. Now he's in med school!

So, I don't know if any of the doctors your wife has seen have looked into that kind of possibility, but it might be worth asking about.


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## zannej

Ah, since you have trees in the area the camo cover does make sense. Hopefully no one will see it. Thinking about boats and thieves, I still remember the story of my father being told by the police to come listen to a dispatch call from one of his subordinates. The guy called & said he was in pursuit of a vehicle he said the road, direction, license plate, and said it was towing a stolen boat on a trailer & gave the license plate. Dispatch operator asked "How do you know the boat is stolen?" and the guy screamed "It's *MY* BOAT!!"
Apparently he was returning home just as some thief was pulling out of his driveway with his boat & trailer attached. He was with INS & back then he didn't have the authority to pull someone over for theft (didn't have sirens or anything in his vehicle, but did have a radio to call in).

I've seen people put things that look like eyelashes on their headlights & it looks pretty dumb. I've also seen mustaches on the grille.

People do weird stuff. LOL.

I didn't get to do anything but go to the store today. It was raining & there were tornadoes hitting towns north & south of me. I was going to go to the workshop to get pictures of the door but my friend's fiance called & asked me to take her to the store to get food & vitamins. She just found out she's pregnant. I wish I could be happy for them but she is not emotionally equipped to be an adult much less a parent & my friend is not in the right financial state to have another kid (especially with his ex having lied to the court to get half his paycheck). She's a major wuss who sobs like a baby over minor injuries & goes to the ER over having a cold. Pregnancy will not be easy for her. Plus she has a heart condition that makes it dangerous for her & the maternal mortality rate in this state if very high. On the selfish side, I really don't like babies or kids & I don't want to be around them. She's already talking about how she's going to want me to hold the baby-- not gonna happen. I held a baby once & have no desire to do so again. I'll stick to furry things like cats & dogs.

Speaking of the baby I held, it was my cousin's baby & she just announced that her oldest daughter is now engaged.


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## Gary

Thanks Flyover. That's not so far off from what one doctor thought. He thought it was something like vertigo but he had a different (long) name for it. We went to the Nose Ear and Throat specialist. We thought we were on to something. But after running test on the ears and inner ear, etc., he said everything was normal. I guess it's good that she's passing all these tests she's taken over the last 7 weeks now, but the bad news is we are still at square 1. It's starting to wear on me, I can only imagine what she's going through. The inner ear was the last hope for finding something with the local doctors. They all feel bad for her, but they have all said "we've gone as far as we can go".  We're hoping Mayo can find what no one else has been able to find.


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## Flyover

@Gary, I'd definitely try and check with a virologist if you get a chance. ENT doctors will probably tend to look for different things. (But what do I know...)


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## Gary

She's been tested for viruses though blood tests. They've even taken biopsies from her stomach and intestines and had them lab tested for a microscopic cause. Everything comes back normal. I can't say for sure there isn't a virus, only because we don't know what is wrong, but the doctors seem convinced is not viral. I, however, am convinced we need a new set of eyes looking at her case. The great thing about Mayo is she'll have a team of doctors consulting together, what one doesn't think of another one will. It's not individual offices like we're going to now. In spite of what they're saying, I'm not convinced there's very good communications between the separate doctors here. We get the impression from each doctor that they've done what they can in their field, and it's up to "the other specialist" to come up with a cause. And in the meantime, she got sick again last night, after eating a couple bites of a hamburger yesterday morning and a fish stick in the afternoon. Not a sustainable diet. Other than a few steps to and from the restroom (which wipes her out) she pretty much needs a wheelchair to go any distance. We're just going to have to be the squeaky wheel, until we get an appointment. There are other good teaching hospitals we can try, but none of them use the team approach like Mayo as far as we know. Mayo does their tests one right after the other, in a matter of 2-3 days. Other hospitals, the tests are drawn out and take time. Time is one thing she doesn't have.


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## Flyover

@Gary, That's awful. I really hope they find something at Mayo so the cause of your wife's suffering can be found and mitigated.


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## zannej

Was the inner ear thing Meniere's disease? Or something else? Sometimes the tests don't show when something is wrong. Keep in mind there are parameters for things so she might be within normal parameters but still high or low within those parameters. Sometimes the doctors just miss stuff. I had Mono and the ENT in Guam didn't recognize it (but then, he didn't do blood tests). I didn't get diagnosed until years later when a doctor looked at blood results and saw the virus in my system. I wasn't nearly as bad off as  your wife, but I was really sick for several months & wasn't getting diagnosed or treated. It really sucks & I know that on top of feeling physically ill, it can make her mentally/emotionally frustrating. And I know it's stressful for you as well.


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## zannej

Just got a call from my friend that the other friend who was supposed to come cut the weeds at my house just had a massive house fire. Said he got the kids all out, turned around to go get the pets but the roof collapsed. Still waiting to hear more & find out if everyone got out safely. The guy was just getting back on his feet after a bunch of setbacks.

In non-depressing news, I got the washers on the pet door and secured things. Trimmed 2 of the bolts but battery ran low so it's charging before I hit the other two. I hadn't realized just how much I'd ground down the metal cutting dremel blade until I compared it with a fresh one-- it's significantly smaller. No wonder it started having trouble cutting. LOL. I'll have to remember to take a picture later.









Once my Dremel battery is charged I'll knock off the other 2 bolts & put tape over them. Then I'll caulk around the pet door on both sides.


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## Gary

"Was the inner ear thing Meniere's disease? Or something else?"

It turned out to be nothing. The diagnosis was an 11th hour "guess" by the gastroenterologist. When we went to the specialist they did a bunch of tests and said it's definitely not anything with the inner ear. He said even the symptoms don't align with his diagnosis. Reading between the lines, I took that to mean the gastroenterologist maybe should stay within his field of expertise. We have one other local doctor, a general surgeon, who's done surgery on me in the past, and is very sharp. Since we're waiting on an appointment at Mayo, we're going to give him a shot. Anything is worth a try at this point. 
BTW, Mayo came back with an appointment date of March. They said to call every day in case there's a cancellation. We'll do that, but we're also sending out her history and referrals to other hospitals. Whoever gets her in first, that's where we'll go.


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## Jeff Handy

How about Cleveland Clinic?


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## zannej

Oops, I meant to ask if Meniere's disease is what they suspected it was. I know it's incredibly frustrating for you & time is of the essence. March? That is way too far away. I really hope someone will figure something out soon.
I got some Pedialyte for my elderly dog but I don't know how much longer she's going to survive. When I was helping her stand earlier I felt a large soft lump. Inside the lump was a small hard lump. Either it's something encapsulated or it's cancer. Given her weight-loss I'm betting it's cancer. She just finished a round of antibiotics & she's still very weak. My mother wants me to have her put down but she still eats, drinks, and gets up. I brushed her & spent some time petting her and made sure she got more fluids today. She drank the Pedialyte without a problem. 
I got the bolts trimmed, tape put on, caps put over the holes, etc. It dropped to 32 degrees so I decided to wait on the caulking until tomorrow during daytime when it will be warmer. I still need to pick up paint and primer.
I need to sand some marks on the pet door frame from when I slipped with the Dremel but it looks decent to me (I posted pics in my thread about the rotted door).


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## Gary

"How about Cleveland Clinic?"

Any hospital that can get her in is on the list. We'll just keep calling. But, they have to be on our insurance plan.


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## zannej

The having to be on the insurance is a major pain. In the past my mother had to fight with her insurance over them saying they wouldn't cover something because the hospital she went to was "preferred" but the doctor in that hospital that saw her was not on their list. She's successfully argued that if the hospital itself is preferred & that is the doctor they have available & provide for her, she doesn't get to pick & doesn't know ahead of time if he's on their list & she shouldn't be penalized over it-- especially when any doctor in that hospital *should* be covered. They will find any way they can to not pay for stuff & just expect people to not argue with them. 

I've been taking care of my dog today. The pedialyte seems to have improved her appetite but she's still very weak. I've found if I mix the pedialyte with warm water she likes it better- she seems to want something warm to drink. I gave her a hot dog (sans bun), some dog biscuits, a large can of wet dog food, and some rotisserie chicken today. She hasn't bee going in to the kitchen at all the past few days. Normally she gets up and wanders around the kitchen, eating cat food, and drinking water from the large waterer near the hallway. I think I've got it worked out that when she doesn't want food or water she wants to stand up so I set her on her feet and stay with her to steady her. I've been brushing her and spending more time with her every day. I'm fairly certain if I take her to the vet they'll just want to put her down & she doesn't seem ready to give up yet. It was easier with our other dog who just gave up. She was so exhausted from the cancer that she wouldn't even try to lift her head or move anymore so we knew it was time. I'm gong to talk to the vet and see if he can send me something to give her for pain to make her more comfortable.

I caulked around the pet door today & took pictures. I'm charging my phone's battery before I turn it on and upload them. The battery has been draining rapidly for no apparent reason. I suspect it's something in the phone's programming to try to force me to upgrade to a newer phone.


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## shan2themax

Gary, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife. I'm sorry you all are going through this.


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## shan2themax

zannej said:


> The having to be on the insurance is a major pain. In the past my mother had to fight with her insurance over them saying they wouldn't cover something because the hospital she went to was "preferred" but the doctor in that hospital that saw her was not on their list. She's successfully argued that if the hospital itself is preferred & that is the doctor they have available & provide for her, she doesn't get to pick & doesn't know ahead of time if he's on their list & she shouldn't be penalized over it-- especially when any doctor in that hospital *should* be covered. They will find any way they can to not pay for stuff & just expect people to not argue with them.
> 
> I've been taking care of my dog today. The pedialyte seems to have improved her appetite but she's still very weak. I've found if I mix the pedialyte with warm water she likes it better- she seems to want something warm to drink. I gave her a hot dog (sans bun), some dog biscuits, a large can of wet dog food, and some rotisserie chicken today. She hasn't bee going in to the kitchen at all the past few days. Normally she gets up and wanders around the kitchen, eating cat food, and drinking water from the large waterer near the hallway. I think I've got it worked out that when she doesn't want food or water she wants to stand up so I set her on her feet and stay with her to steady her. I've been brushing her and spending more time with her every day. I'm fairly certain if I take her to the vet they'll just want to put her down & she doesn't seem ready to give up yet. It was easier with our other dog who just gave up. She was so exhausted from the cancer that she wouldn't even try to lift her head or move anymore so we knew it was time. I'm gong to talk to the vet and see if he can send me something to give her for pain to make her more comfortable.
> 
> I caulked around the pet door today & took pictures. I'm charging my phone's battery before I turn it on and upload them. The battery has been draining rapidly for no apparent reason. I suspect it's something in the phone's programming to try to force me to upgrade to a newer phone.



Cat food can be deadly for a dog, try to put it up where she cant get to it. I have this struggle with my mom from time to time, she puts it where my dogs can get to it and it makes me angry. One of my babes has seizures, he doesnt need any added problems.


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## shan2themax

Gary said:


> That's a nice canoe rack Flyover. Anxiously waiting to see it loaded with the canoe.
> 
> My wife is still nauseous, this coming Monday will be 7 weeks now. She's lost somewhere between 35-40 Lbs. to date and getting weaker by the day. Just getting up for the restroom (20 ft. trip each way). wipes her out. She has to take a break to get the energy to return to her recliner. Then her nausea is stirred up until she can settle back down. Her day consists of eating what she can early in the day, when she feels better. A meal is usually 2-3 bites then she feels full. Then she lays very still so she can digest the food, before getting sick later in the day and at night. So, she sleeps when she can. A little good news, she's had a couple full nights of sleep here and there lately. She's on anti-nausea  medication, without it she would be in worse shape.
> Thursday we sent her files to Mayo Clinic and are waiting for them to process her request for an appointment.  The waiting list is long, but they get people in quicker if there's a need. The doctors here sent referral letters explaining the dire situation she's in, we're hoping that will help expedite her case. It's been suggested to just go and they would take her in. If we were closer we might try that, but since it's a 7 hour trip we don't want to go, then get stranded there because we cant't get an appointment right away. Cheryl isn't in a position physically to go through something like that. So, we're waiting by the phone, answering phone questions by all involved as they process her request. We're praying the doctors on our end can convey to the doctors in MN just how critical her situation is and get her in sooner rather than later. Not much we can do but wait at this point. I've changed the oil and gassed up the car. Cheryl is on temporary disability and I've told my regular customers why I may not be available if they call. We can be gone in a matter of a few minutes if we get the call.




Gary, Is she diabetic? Have they done EGDM Colonoscopy? Small bowel follow through? Gastric Emptying study? Have they looked at her mesenteric artery with contrast and a cat scan?
It's terrible that she is feeling so bad and has no answers. I hope and pray that you either get into Mayo or the Cleveland Clinic, What about UK? This has to be frustrating to you both, I am so very sorry.


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## Gary

Not diabetic, not pregnant, not a weed smoker, yup, they asked. We've gone through tests multiple times a week for 8 1/2 weeks now, including the ones you mentioned and several more.  We do have a new doctor in the area, with a new test that duplicates a test already done, but using a different method. He also gave her a new prescription that not only helps with nausea, but is supposed to help her stomach work better. We're hoping the new perspective will bring better results. It looks promising now, but we've had our hopes up going into each of the tests so far, only to be let down. So, this time we're just doing our best to take it in stride and keep looking for other hospitals. This new test is scheduled for the Friday after Christmas. Very early in the morning, as they are "working her into" the schedule. For that we are grateful.  We have 2 appointments scheduled out of the area, one in late January and another in early March, that we'll continue to pursue, hoping they get a cancelation and can move her appointment up.  Hopefully it's over long before those dates.


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## zannej

Shan2themax, the problem with cat food is the high fat content. Cats need more fat than dogs do & the fat is bad for the dogs. Dogs can get away with eating it from time to time but it shouldn't be their main diet. The dog didn't eat a lot of it, but at this point the vet said it's ok if she eats a little cat food so long as she's eating something & it might help her put on a little weight. She has gained back a little bit of weight, but she's still super skinny. She hasn't had any cat food this week since she hasn't gone into the kitchen. I've started heating her food up to make it more appealing. I've also been warming up the water for her because she prefers everything a little warm. She hasn't finished her canned food from this morning yet so I've been adding warm water to get her to eat more and making sure she's staying hydrated. I might pick up some cans of the "critical care" pet food at the vet's office to mix with her usual stuff.
Gary, I truly hope the new medicine works & that maybe the tests will reveal something so the doctors can act on it.
It got below freezing last night & I left my door open so the cats could pile on. I had at least 7 cats and 1 dog with me. It's been fairly cold all day so some of the cats decided to stay in my room on my bed. I've got 6 of them in here with me right now. I'm hoping to go to Alexandria tomorrow to stock up on stuff.


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## Flyover

I'm sure you've already looked into it @Gary, but just in case you haven't it's worth mentioning: in a lot of cases if you go out of network and then send the bill to your insurance company with an accompanying letter explaining why you had to go out of network, they'll adjust it as if it's in network. Especially if you do this through your employer's dedicated insurance broker (if you have one).


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## Jeff Handy

Speaking of weed, if you can get hold of some, especially medical grade edible type, it will likely reduce her nausea AND increase her appetite. 
And help with mood. 
Start with a small portion. 

Or just a half a puff of anything smokeable nowadays should  really help. 

It’s worth a try, if you have a discreet source, depending on your local laws. 

It won’t fix whatever is wrong, but it will let her stay nourished and better rested while the real problem is diagnosed.


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## Gary

Weed is the first thing every doctor has asked her about, saying weed and pregnancy are the 2 leading causes of chronic cyclic nausea.


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## Flyover

Doctors might be under legal/political pressure to downplay or deny the medicinal uses of cannabis, especially for treating nausea, but I believe these uses are by now quite well-known.


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## Flyover

Finally installed the joist-mounted pullup bar I bought at an auction. It was missing a part so I had to get that from the manufacturer (a one-man company, I guess) who gave me the impression over our many confused email exchanges that part of his brain was missing or something. But I finally got that part, followed the instructions, and there it is in my garage ready to use. It was a pain, but it's done. Now my neighbors don't have to think an insane man lives nearby by doing pullups on the branches of trees in my backyard anymore.

Once the average daily temperature gets back above 45˚ I swear I'm going to start working out consistently again!


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## zannej

Gary, I'm still sending good vibes your way & hoping the tests will reveal something useful.

Jeff, I think there are places that sell something called CBD oil & various products legally & I think they are related to marijuana but don't really know much about them. Would that be the kind of stuff for them to look at?

My dog actually managed to get up and walk in to the kitchen-- I know because she left me a trail of brown "gifts". She wouldn't eat as much today & I was out of town for several hours. I just gave her some rotisserie chicken mixed with pedialyte. I had to get more pedialyte bc I ran out. 

Mom forgot her cane somehow when we went to Alexandria so I had to let her hold on to me when she walked. Couldn't find a working riding cart at Sam's so she actually walked & leaned on an empty shopping cart. I pushed the cart that was full of 6 cases of water, 3 bags of cat food, and 2 bags of prunes. We ate at an Italian place for a change-- service was great but food was just OK & overpriced. We went to HomeDepot to get paint and fortunately the employee who mixes paint was actually there & was very nice. She was patient while I was trying to pull up the info on my phone & said her phone has been nagging her to upgrade too. She wrote down the numbers & mixed the paint for me while I went to get another riding cart for Mom (the one she had died on her in the middle of aisle 35). The new one was dying when we were going through checkout so I had to push it to get her back to the truck. I decided to be nice and return it but I had to put my foot on the ground and propel it to get it to move. It beeped incessantly when I turned it off to announce that it was low battery. I told it to shut up while I plugged it in.

It was about 45° when we got home. I left most of the stuff in the truck bc it was too cold and dark to mess with it 'til morning.


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## Jeff Handy

I think CBD is more for pain, or inflammation. 
Not sure exactly. 

The real deal is better for stimulating appetite and for fighting nausea. 

I live in Illinois. 
Medical marijuana is already legal, recreational will be legal Jan 1st.


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## Gary

I can put an and to the debate by saying, it won't happen. 

It could go sideways in a number of ways. Top of the list, she has another test coming up Friday morning at the hospital. When they do a blood draw they would find it in her system. That, after telling the ER doctors that she HAS NOT used weed. They'd probably cancel the test as she is to take no drugs or food leading up to the test. I wouldn't even know where to find it in that short of time.  In the process, we'd just be kicking the can down the road, delaying the solution. That and there's a good chance she would be terminated from her job. She works in this hospital's Quality Control Department. It's her departments' responsibility to make sure everyone from the janitors to the top surgeons maintain a certain level of excellence. She knows the track record of everyone at the hospital. She on a first name basis with a good number of them as she's worked closely with them for well over 20 years. It would be hypocritical of her to break the very rules, it is her her job to enforce.  So, I suppose technically, she'd have to fire herself . 

Everyone is free to do whatever they feel they need or want to do for themselves. I don't have a problem with that at all. But, we've been living this nightmare 24/7, for what will be 9 weeks this coming Monday. That comes with a certain amount of stress and anxiety, for both of us. We've got a plan in place to do what is best for us, we just ask that others respect that.


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## zannej

Gary, it sounds like CBD & marijuana are completely illegal even for medical where you live then? If it were legal & a doctor could prescribe it, it would be different. Sounds like that is not a possibility though. Where I live it is legal to use it but not legal to possess it so they love to bust people for possession. Many of the cops use the stuff they confiscate (illegal but they don't care). I've never wanted to use it myself so I understand why you & your wife don't consider it an option.

My dog has been a little fussy this morning. I've given her water, Pedialyte, and food multiple times. She hasn't finished the last bit of food and pedialyte yet. I couldn't figure out what she wanted last time so I helped her stand up and moved her to the memory foam mat so she could rest on something softer. I'm still trying to get myself up to go get stuff out of the truck but my allergies are acting up.


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## Jeff Handy

Nausea and extreme fatigue are common with liver disease or liver failure.

Many possible sources of liver trouble.

Also, pernicious anemia can cause these symptoms. 
Inability to process some b vitamins or to make enough red blood cells.


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## zannej

Jeff, I think those things would have shown up in her blood results but Gary said the tests all come back "normal".

This morning really sucked. My old dog's urine cleared up-- it was almost completely clear which showed she was well-hydrated although she just couldn't seem to stop peeing. I kept her hydrated and had to frequently change puppy pads underneath her. At some point late last night/early this morning she got up and wandered in to the kitchen & fell down. She scraped one of her bed sores & opened it up wide & it was ugly. I carried her back to the hallway & put her on the puppy pads on her memory foam mat & made sure she wasn't on the side with the big wound. I petted her, brushed, her, fed her, and gave her water & pedialyte. She slept for awhile but this morning she got back up & wandered into the kitchen and fell in front of the fridge. I went out to help her & she wouldn't stop yelping. I had promised my mother I'd take her to the vet today so I woke my brother up to help me with her. I had my mother come out and say goodbye to the dog just in case. I went to turn the truck around and put a dog bed on the back seat (so it would be easier to get her in). I could hear her yelping while I was outside. I went back in & my brother was petting her but she wouldn't stop yelping. I put puppy pads on top of the dog bed & my brother wrapped her in a towel & carried her to the truck and set her on it. She got very still once she was on the bed & only tried to sit up once (when I had to come to a stop). She whined a little and was shivering, but for the most part she was quiet. I put the dog bed on the floor at the vet's office and my brother set her on it and we both petted her while we waited for the room to be ready. One of the vet assistants helped me carry the bed into the room to make it easier on her. The vet looked at her & said she was definitely done. I stayed with her & petted her while he gave her an injection to numb her and help her relax so she wouldn't feel anything or be in pain when he had to give the IV shot. She didn't make a sound. I don't know if she was aware of what was going on or if she could even see. She wasn't really responding much to anything once we got her in the truck. We left her body there so we wouldn't have to come back & try to dig a hole for her. 
She could be a real pain at times but I'm going to miss her.


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## Jeff Handy

Very sorry, I have also gone through taking in a family dog for her last ride, so I feel for you. 

Best therapy is to get a new rescue dog after a few days or weeks of grieving. 

Not a puppy that chews and pisses everything. 

Get a rescue that is a few years old, best deal for you and your new dog buddy!


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## zannej

If we had fewer pets, I'd agree. Right after we lost our rottweiler/catahoula mix we rescued an abandoned puppy from the road (checked to see if anyone owned him, checked w/ vet etc) but things have changed since then & it's been harder to keep up. We currently have 2 cows, 2 dogs, and 16 cats. We're not planning on getting any new pets for awhile.


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## zannej

My sister called today to tell us she was having to make the same call for her 16-yr-old cat who was suffering from kidney failure. I had just sent her an e-mail seconds before (she hadn't received it yet) so we commiserated about it. Her cat was a snugglebug who LOVED to be petted. When we visited back in October this cat was already ailing & couldn't jump but she could climb & she slept in the bed with me under the covers and wanted constant attention. Very sweet kitty. My sister said she was no longer wanting to be petted, could barely walk, seemed exhausted & in discomfort/pain, and gagged at the smell of food (despite anti-nausea meds). She had been giving the cat subcutaneous fluids and different meds to help her but it was clear she was only going to get worse from that point.


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## zannej

The weather has been crappy & I haven't had the motivation to go paint the door even though I have the materials but in my effort to procrastinate less, I promised myself I would't let it get to 2020 without burying the two cats that were in the freezer (died at night during summer & I never got around to burying them). I got up around 7am and went out to dig the hole next to the shed the cats liked to hang out on (they liked to sit on the roof). It's out back behind the house and there aren't many trees around so I only hit one root (which I broke with a shovel). I found an underground PVC line but fortunately didn't damage it-- it forced me to change the direction of my digging a bit though. I'm really out of shape because I was winded from the digging and started having some trouble breathing. I buried them together & put a piece of concrete over the top (had a chunk from a bag of cement mix my father bought shortly before he died-- never got to use it & it hardened up). My lungs still don't like me, but at least I accomplished something. I'm hoping after a nap I'll have energy to do something else.
I'm going to try to get my brother to help me clear the back hallway at some point, but he works 6 days a week for the next few weeks so I'm waiting for him to get 2 consecutive days off so he can help me on one of the days.
I'm having brainfreeze now.


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## zannej

The past 2 days I've gone down and put filler primer on the door. I'm waiting for the 24 hours to be up to go sand and do coat #3.


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## tuffy

Started working on redoing a bed room for my grandson who would rather stay with us than with his mom and new boyfriend. Had to rip down the ceiling it was just 3/8ths dry wall and really wavy. The walls looked liked they just thru the mud on and then painted, so I had to sand everything and then skim coat everything. I took pictures of the wall before I started and will post the pictures when I get some more time. Then in the middle of all of this the  pressure relief valve on the water heater started leaking, so I had to replace it.


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## zannej

Sounds like you were productive, Tuffy.
I got the next coat on & the product says I either put the final coat on within 1 hour or wait 48 hours. I'm going to wait 48 to give the primer time to cure. I've found some padding to protect the door when I flip it over, so I'm going to flip it and do the other side tomorrow. Then I'll flip it back and do the main coat of paint the next coat on Tuesday.


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## zannej

Yesterday I got the final coat of the filler primer put on. Despite going to bed early & sleeping all night I was exhausted today and slept until almost 4pm. I got woken up at 6am by robo calls starting. They kept waking me up every few hours throughout the morning & there was another in the afternoon. I woke up long enough to make myself some grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup but then I was exhausted again. Went down to the workshop, sanded, wiped the dust away, and did the last coat of primer (the white primer). It doesn't come out smoothly despite shaking it for 2 minutes (it was spotty after 1 minute of shaking) so I decided to shake it again. It just doesn't go on as smoothly as the filler primer. I've never had spray paint come out that splotchy before so I wonder if the sprayer is defective or something. But I got coverage. I was forgetting about the 48 hour wait after doing a final coat & was thinking of doing that tomorrow (although, I can flip the door over and do the other side tomorrow). I now have plenty of cardboard and buffering to protect it from getting dinged & scratched. I can also do the paint on the door frame and trim tomorrow. I'm hoping the weather will hold up.
I still need to go over and do touch-up on my friend's cabinets.

Still trying to find a solution for my friend's roof. Is there some sort of patching material that can be mopped over asphalt shingles to patch leaks?


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## oldognewtrick

Check these out.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Buildin...Commercial-Roofing-Roof-Coatings/N-5yc1vZaqu6


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## zannej

Thanks old dog. He just told me there are no shingles over part of the roof. It's just felt over wood. Shingles all rotted off.


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## zannej

Gary, I hope your wife is still doing OK. Haven't heard from you in a bit so I hope that's not a bad sign.

Checked the local hardware store and 3'x10' metal roof panels are less expensive (almost half the price) than the ones at the big box stores. Gonna talk to the store owner on Monday to get a full material list and really price things out. He installs roofs so he would know what it needs. 

I made myself go down to the workshop instead of taking a nap. I got some pics, wiped the door down with a tack cloth & set it up for painting. I forgot the paint can "key" up at the house but spotted one on the shelf in the workshop. I got some pics of inside the workshop but I'll have to post them in a separate thread. It needs a lot of organizing and fixing up.

I also got fed up with a round table from the kitchen that used to be covered by a tablecloth, but the tablecloth got ruined. The table had some jagged edges & snagged my new pants and tore a hole in them. They snagged my brother's pants too. So I took it down to the workshop and sanded it. I was going to paint it but I found a little nail sticking up so I'm going to put a dab of wood filler/putty over it and see about doing a coat of primer first. Then I'll do the blue paint I used on the door. I'm debating whether or not the paint the legs or to just put some sort of sealant over them. The tabletop had some dried cat vomit on it that I really had to scrape off. Hit it with 80 grit sandpaper followed by 150 grit.
Before: 

After: 


I had a bit of a learning curve with the foam roller & will still need to work on my technique but I like the color of the paint & will see if it needs a 2nd coat later on. I took pics when it was still wet so I'll see how it looks when it dries.
Before: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




After:


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## Flyover

On Saturday I finished up the stepstool I've been working on, which I made entirely out of scrap I had laying around my garage. This replaced a stepstool I made a few years ago back when I really didn't know what I was doing; that old one was kinda flimsy. This one is solid as a rock.

This time I didn't use any power tools, and except for one additional support I added later under the bottom step, all the joints are proper joints without mechanical fasteners.




I might sand and do a coat of poly if I feel like it at some point (but I probably won't).



In the picture above you can see the infamous 1/2" deep dado joint mentioned in a different thread. And check out that joint at the top...not even sure what's called. A half-lap corner-bridle? I dunno.



From certain angles the joints look loose, and I'll admit they're not all perfectly square and flush, but they're close enough that it all glued together snug, and the stool feels solid as hell. I've climbed up on it with both my kids in my arms, a.k.a. about 250lbs total, did a kind of boogie twisting motion -- I looked just like Elvis, I assure you -- and it was like dancing on a tree stump.

Glad to have this project behind me now.


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## oldognewtrick

What...no video of your Elvis victory dance...?


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## slownsteady

Geez, I just can't remember the last time I danced on a tree stump


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## Flyover

I actually haven't danced on a tree stump. But I have danced next to one...when I'm chopping wood and have to jump out of the way when I swing wrong and a piece chips off and flies at me!


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## zannej

Good job on the stool! It looks very sturdy.

I went down to try to paint the trim but couldn't get the roller off the thingamabob so I decided to try to paint with a brush but I saw it wasn't going well and realized there was some kind of gunk on part of the frame from when it had been too close to the wall. Some kind of mold or something-- not sure. So I'm going to tape it up better & spray it with Killz primer. So I did a 2nd coat of paint on the side of the door I painted first (after a light sanding). It's been raining the past few days so I haven't gone to check on how it dried.

I got the Killz to use on the little table. I also went back to the store and grabbed a second paint roller thingamabob so I don't have to worry about getting blue paint in with the white paint.

Since it was too mucky to go to the workshop I instead did sketches of my friend's roof & took them to the hardware store. Talked to the owner about what exactly my friend would need. I showed him the photos my friend sent me of the side of the house & he said that my friend can just use one continuous panel instead of going with the angle. It's the same roofing he used on the store & there is no plywood underneath. He said it can span 4' to 5' and still be walked on. Said my friend would just have to cover the gaps with some rake trim, told him where to put the screws, what kind to get, and how many to use. Also suggested if he wanted to put something in the part where it angles as reinforcement he could. I brought my friend back there today with followup questions. The panels are 3' wide but they overlap so I wanted to make sure it would actually cover & he said it's 3' overlapped. He also said he had some "off color" rake trim in the back that wasn't selling & he would let my friend pick some and just give it to him. That's one of the reasons I like the local hardware store, the owner is a very nice guy.

Went to the grocery store with my brother, then my brother bought us all food from a small local store. I went into hibernation mode after eating. I'm trying to come up with a plan for tomorrow. If it's not raining I'll try to get some more hay for my cows. The younger one followed me up on the sidewalk yesterday and wanted to see what was in my bags.


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## Rusty

zannej said:


> Jeff, I think those things would have shown up in her blood results but Gary said the tests all come back "normal".
> 
> This morning really sucked. My old dog's urine cleared up-- it was almost completely clear which showed she was well-hydrated although she just couldn't seem to stop peeing. I kept her hydrated and had to frequently change puppy pads underneath her. At some point late last night/early this morning she got up and wandered in to the kitchen & fell down. She scraped one of her bed sores & opened it up wide & it was ugly. I carried her back to the hallway & put her on the puppy pads on her memory foam mat & made sure she wasn't on the side with the big wound. I petted her, brushed, her, fed her, and gave her water & pedialyte. She slept for awhile but this morning she got back up & wandered into the kitchen and fell in front of the fridge. I went out to help her & she wouldn't stop yelping. I had promised my mother I'd take her to the vet today so I woke my brother up to help me with her. I had my mother come out and say goodbye to the dog just in case. I went to turn the truck around and put a dog bed on the back seat (so it would be easier to get her in). I could hear her yelping while I was outside. I went back in & my brother was petting her but she wouldn't stop yelping. I put puppy pads on top of the dog bed & my brother wrapped her in a towel & carried her to the truck and set her on it. She got very still once she was on the bed & only tried to sit up once (when I had to come to a stop). She whined a little and was shivering, but for the most part she was quiet. I put the dog bed on the floor at the vet's office and my brother set her on it and we both petted her while we waited for the room to be ready. One of the vet assistants helped me carry the bed into the room to make it easier on her. The vet looked at her & said she was definitely done. I stayed with her & petted her while he gave her an injection to numb her and help her relax so she wouldn't feel anything or be in pain when he had to give the IV shot. She didn't make a sound. I don't know if she was aware of what was going on or if she could even see. She wasn't really responding much to anything once we got her in the truck. We left her body there so we wouldn't have to come back & try to dig a hole for her.
> She could be a real pain at times but I'm going to miss her.


It can be tough. The last dog I had pass was almost 17. She laid down across my feet as usual one evening and died. My daughter had her cremated and her ashes put in a fancy wood box. She is to be buried with me.


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## zannej

Rusty, I'm sorry to hear about that, although it sounds like it was awhile back. Sounds like she went peacefully though. Yesterday the weather was miserable so I didn't go down to the workshop. Got the oil changed on the CR-V & made dinner. I slept a lot because I just felt exhausted again. Today was nicer weather but I woke up late-- cats had to wake me up to get me moving. The day was a blurr, but I went down to the workshop to check to see how the 2nd coat of paint looked on the door & it looks great. I then put painter's tape over the weather-stripping on the frame (although it's kind of sloppy). I did a little sanding but decided not to spray it with Killz just yet-- wasn't feeling it for some reason & wanted to do it when I wasn't having kidney stone pain. I hung the drop cloth over it and set the little table up near it and sprayed filler primer on the top of the table-- it's going to need multiple coats. I also did a little bit of touch-up paint on the door. A bug had landed on it in one spot when the paint was wet so I had to remove it an it pulled a tiny spot of paint away so I dabbed it.
I'll have to see how I feel tomorrow. I have to wait 24 hours before sanding for the next coat of filler primer.


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## zannej

Went to the store to get hay for the cows-- they were very happy. Red cow was trying to get to it when it was still in the truck. Got mail, picked up antacids from Walmart (per Mom's request), got gas, went home & cooked for Mom. Then I went to the workshop to get some pictures, sand the round table, spray Killz primer over the mold on the door frame (didn't go so well bc the sprayer dripped like crazy all over my hand-- not sure if I just suck at using it or if there was some obstruction). Sanded the 1st coat of filler primer on the table and found that the sanding blunted and smoothed the nail point. Put a 2nd coat of filler primer on (now must wait another 24 hours). Flipped the door up on it's side to see how the 1st coat was looking on that side-- got some scratches and chips, paint marks were uneven and visible, and it got dust from one of the primers on it bc I should have flipped the cardboard over before laying the door on it. I'm going to flip the cardboard next time I'm down there when I go for the 2nd coat on the outside and I'll tape the cardboard down over the metal that scraped the side. At least the touch-up seems to have worked (no photos though).

I posted photos of the door stuff in my thread but didn't post the table pics.
1st coat dried: 

2nd coat wet: 




I almost didn't go down there today, but I've got the whole "less procrastination" thing going & have been pretty good about it thus far.


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## MrMiz

Though technically I did this last night. I replaced the kitchen faucet with one of those touch conductive ones and my primary reason for posting is to complain. Which I know nobody wants to hear but I'm using this as my method of getting it "off my chest" and out of my head. So here is my primary complaint. Why the hell hasn't anybody invented an easier way to install a faucet under the sink. I spent about 2o min wrenching myself so tightly around the garbage disposal that I think I'm going to need to take it to a movie and buy it dinner. When I realized it just wasn't going to be possible I gave in and took the disposal off.... and immediately plugged the drain line. As I'm sure some of you know that if you live in the country, with a septic tank, and the P trap is no longer preventing the aroma of your tank from filling the tiny confines of the space under your sink. Then you must block the drain! I'm not a particularly large person but I think cabinet makers have some cruel joke about how they make and under sink cabinet that I'm not in on. So it's cramped. It stinks, and I'm rubbing my arms, ribs, shoulders and face all over the plugged, but exposed sink drainage system and I only had too thoughts. #1 Never argue with a good plumber about how much he charges. #2 How do I convince my son to be #1.
After removing the disposal I was actually able to almost get comfortable with the lip of the cabinet jammed into my back. After much straining I got the locking nut to budge and eventually was able to work it to the point I could spin it with my hand. The threaded section is like 6" long... and after all the struggling of the above mentioned situation I now had to keep one arm jammed up in the air between the sink and wall while spinning the nut FOREVER. I finally got it off and then things smoothed out and were a little easier. The new sink had a smaller locking nut, but delta was nice enough to include a plastic nut "wrench" to get it on and tighten it down. I then connected the pluming lines. The battery operated touch sensor solenoid. Which by the way I think I'm going to look up the specs on and find a wall wart that I can rig into replacing the batteries with. Maybe if I do that I'll take some pictures to post here. Fittled with the remaining connections and reattached the stinky disposal, and started to clean up.  NOW before any of you say it. I do know that they make  those C style hand wrenches that should make this job significantly easier. Yes the next time I'm at Home Depot I'm sure I'll use that as and excuse to buy more tools, but the fact that a tool currently exists specifically for this problem just reinforces the fact that this is a major P.I.T.A. I'm sure most of you all also know that almost every sink has a different method of being secured down with different sized nuts, material of nuts, kinds of nuts (socket and thumb wings) and every imaginable number of pipes, accessories, and so on. So even if I do get a faucet wrench it's pretty likely that the next faucet I do this on... it won't work and I'll have to get a different one. And yes I will be doing it again even if it's not in my specific house. I'm literally the family handyman for 7 different family members and they all call me for everything. It's gotten to the point now where I just tell my friends no because my family has pretty much booked my weekends from now until I die.

I'm seriously considering getting a 3D Printer to try and prototype a bunch of different methods to make this easier. The first one that comes to mind is something like a zip tie system that you just have to poke the zip tie up from the bottom through the existing hole then pull up above the sink to tighten it down. Cover with an escutheon and move on.  They do make stainless steel zip ties, but since you can 3D Print with Carbon fiber in it, it seems reasonable to think you might be able to make something like that that's strong enough to secure it. Then when you go to change it you just need a way to sever the "zip tie" from the top and it pulls right out. If any of you out there are engineers please get a hold of Delta and make some money off my idea. I'm just some schmuck that will probably die under a sink but somebody that can actually execute on this idea would be my hero. Lets face it. Since I've air my grievances with this process to you "dwellers of the interwebs". I'm going to move on to the next project and completely forget about this idea. Until I have to do it again.

So after all this suffering, frustration, and brain cell strain. My wife can now tap a "fleshy conductive" bit on the sink and it turns on like magic. Hurray!?!? Be nicer to your plumbers out their interwebs. They know what your sewage smells like.


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## bud16415

@MrMiz


Thanks for the comic relief mid day. What makes your post extra amusing is knowing that almost all of us reading have had these same thoughts many times. If not this same procedure a dozen others similar my last being to unclog a P-trap on a pedestal sink I once installed and felt so cleaver how I tucked it all into almost no space in the back of the pedestal.


Here is where I find hope. For a few years I have been replacing toilet fills with a Fluidmaster brand product. I was in the store and my favorite sales guy an ex master plumber was there and we started talking. I told him how I liked the feature that let these units change height and he opened the box and said I bet you don’t know this? He snapped the little adjuster band and pulled the thing apart in two pieces. I said so what. He said you don’t have to take the base piece off once you have one on. The light came on and I thought OMG that’s so simple why didn’t I think of it. The toilet I was buying it for was her Granny and we went over and I told her I was going it to fix her toilet. Shut off the water flushed it ripped the top off shoved the new one on and turned on the water. Start to finish 2 minutes. I came walking out and Granny said well what part did you forget and I said all done. She now tell everyone she sees I’m the fastest plumber in the world.


Now here is the sad part they invent something great but don’t tell you what it is. I have a whole box of the lower parts now if I ever get a leaky one I’m all set.    


Wouldn’t it be nice if you took 2 screws out of the top of the sink pulled the whole deal up on flex hoses and changed it out and dropped it back in.


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## zannej

MrMiz, that sounds like quite an ordeal. Someone on here (or maybe one of the related forums) posted a joke once:
Q: Why are sink cabinets off the ground and hard to get in to?
A: Because the cabinet maker caught the plumber with his wife!

I'm too fat to fit under some of the sinks in my house so my skinny friend helps me out. I usually provide an anti-fatigue mat for him to rest over.

The bit about needed to buy your garbage disposal dinner and a movie really cracked me up.

I've been there having to get under the sink to change out the disposal and it was a royal pita. Whoever designed the damn snap ring should face a firing squad. Trying to pry that thing open just enough without bending it to put it around while simultaneously holding stuff out of the way and holding the garbage disposal up really sucks. 

Bud, do you have a picture of the part you're talking about that just snaps off? I'm trying to visualize and can't quite figure it out.

Speaking of toilets and innovations-- did you know a company called Toilet Master makes a jack specifically for toilets? Once you remove the nuts & caulk you put use the jack to lift it and move it out of the way. It comes with plastic tubes to go over the bolts to help you line it up when you go to put it back and it slowly lowers the toilet in place. It has some kind of rubber to protect the toilet from the arms/braces so it doesn't get scratched. It's pricey, but if it works it might be worth it for having to pull toilets or install toilets without worrying about dropping it.


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## bud16415

@zannej


If this guy knew the trick he wouldn’t need the bucket or the sponge and could swap it with leaving water in the bottom of the tank.


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## zannej

Ahhh! Thanks, bud! I'll have to see if mine has that. Thus far I've only taken apart the top part to clean and replace some of the parts. That would make things a lot easier. I'll have to let my friend know that next time he works on his toilet.

Took my cat to the vet yesterday because he got bitten on the leg by another cat and instead of just licking the two little punctures, he chewed his whole leg open. Had to get antibiotics but the vet said if she sews it back up he'll just chew it open again and it may not drain/heal properly so I'm supposed to flush it with water for 20 minutes a day (if he will let me do it). I'll need help for that though because this cat won't hold still. Funny thing was, I thought I was going to have a hard time getting him in his carrier. I washed the carrier out, put paper towels down in it, went to get a puppy pad from the bathroom, and when I came back the cat had climbed into the carrier on his own. It rained the rest of the day so I stayed in the house & cleaned the counters. Cooked dinner, etc. Late last night one of my cats chewed through the wires to my computer speakers so I was trying to find where the wires all went and pull out the power cord for it. I have a ton of power cords all jumbled up. 

I was chatting with my unlucky friend and he was telling me he found out why his red truck needed a new motor-- one of his house guests stole the keys to the truck while he was at work & took it for joyrides & mudding & somehow blew the motor. My friend came home to find the guy cleaning the truck & thought he was just helping out but I'd been there when the guy got back with it and it was all muddy. He told me he'd been given permission to drive it-- dude didn't even have a driver's license. My friend was using his fiance's car (the one where they screwed him on the monthly payments so he had someone else take it) to get to work and didn't know the jerk was driving it. He traded the red truck for a green one that needed a $40 part to fix. He kept the key so no one else could drive it (because at that point he'd found out the guy had been driving their vehicles without his permission) so the jerk broke the driver side window to get in and hotwired it and ruined the steering column. The neighbor's kids shot the front passenger side window with a BB gun to add insult to it. So now the green truck is ruined & he's trying to get a replacement. 

He saw a Dodge Dart from a dealer that has a suspiciously low price so I'm wondering if it's just the down payment or if there is something seriously wrong with it. He wishes he could get a Ridgeline and was joking about getting this one: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2417072805176528/
There was a really nice red one but it sold already.

I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do today in terms of being productive. I want to get new speakers & I need to pick up my medicine from the pharmacy. My friend thinks he might be able to fix my old speakers, but I want to check out some new inexpensive ones just in case.


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## shan2themax

Busy busy forum lately, I haven't checked in for a bit. I have had an overly dramatic weekend here myself. I unfortunately pass out when I throw up and I have had a stomach virus. So I passed out on the potty and hit my head on the tub... twice in 2 hours.... so now I am the not so proud owner of 5 steri strips to the face .
I am going to attempt work this evening after calling off the past 2 days. Hoping for the best. I thought I told my children and mom that I was calling an ambulance and going to the ER (I felt like I was going to continue to pass out) but apparently I sent a couple of them pictures of my face, and no one words... so they thought that I was wondering around the neighborhood, confused and sick because of the blood all over the bathroom. I cant wait for nhi it to get warmer outside sonic can get busy doing something productive or just feeling the warm sunshine on my body! Hope everyone is having a good day!


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## oldognewtrick

shan2themax said:


> Busy busy forum lately, I haven't checked in for a bit. I have had an overly dramatic weekend here myself. I unfortunately pass out when I throw up and I have had a stomach virus. So I passed out on the potty and hit my head on the tub... twice in 2 hours.... so now I am the not so proud owner of 5 steri strips to the face .
> I am going to attempt work this evening after calling off the past 2 days. Hoping for the best. I thought I told my children and mom that I was calling an ambulance and going to the ER (I felt like I was going to continue to pass out) but apparently I sent a couple of them pictures of my face, and no one words... so they thought that I was wondering around the neighborhood, confused and sick because of the blood all over the bathroom. I cant wait for nhi it to get warmer outside sonic can get busy doing something productive or just feeling the warm sunshine on my body! Hope everyone is having a good day!


Ouch!!! Don't do that anymore...ok?


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## zannej

Yikes, Shan, that is awful! I hope it heals up quickly and that you get over the virus soon. Throwing up sucks, but throwing up and passing out is much worse. Seems to be the season for viruses. 

My brother is still very sick. He's going to have to take extended leave while the doctors figure out what the problem is. He's no longer nauseous but he is getting an intermittent pain just below his left pectoral. It gets really sharp and hurts all the way through to his back. I'm worried it might be heart-related. I took him to the grocery store this morning and then took him and Mom to the doctor in the afternoon. He was a walk-in but she was scheduled for regular checkup. They confirmed that the X-ray the hospital did was absolutely useless and that he needs an MRI, but around here they won't do MRIs on patients who don't have insurance and his work decided to change insurance companies on him and he found out the day he had to go to the ER and hadn't received his new card. They will still do X-rays on uninsured patients just so they can charge them for something, even if an x-ray won't find jack crap.

Brought some dark chocolate candy for the doctor and he said it's his favorite kind of candy. I told him about them before and he went and found some so he was very happy. I gave some to the clerk as well-- she's really sweet.

I was going to replace my leaking water supply line for my toilet but the only supply line in stock was crushed. I might have to go to one of the big box stores to get one. My fluffy black cat just climbed on me and kicked my keyboard off my lap. I think he knows I'm not feeling well. He tends to get extra cuddly when I'm sick. I had a massive sinus headache while driving home and I feel a bit nauseous. The cat's purring helps though.

I got some cleaning done in the house-- as much as my back would tolerate. I'm hoping when the nausea passes that I can get more done.

I also got a bale of hay for my cows-- only one in stock- and I was convinced that if they were meat-eaters they would have devoured me when I was trying to set it up for them. LOL.


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## Flyover

Our 2 y/o decided he'd spend the hours of 1am-3am last night screaming at the top of his lungs. It would have been 1am-1:15am but my wife decided to indulge his random and ever-changing demands instead of letting him wear himself out. (She forgets strategy over tactics sometimes.) So this morning he woke up about an hour late, which meant I had to drop him off at daycare instead of my wife doing it, which screwed up my whole morning routine. And he wasn't happy about this deviation from the routine either; he tantrumed basically from the time I took him out his crib to the time I walked him into daycare. He lost a lot of tears and a sock in the process. It's a wonder I was able to get him dressed! I hope his threes aren't as terrible as his twos have been.

Thanks for listening to me gripe.


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## shan2themax

Lost a sock too.... lol, I hope the rest of your week is flawless!



I am feeling better, I worked evening shift yesterday. Off till Saturday through Tuesday... then took 9 days off. I need a break

I hope your brother gets some answers and quickly Zannej!


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## zannej

All of the stories of kids acting up always give me JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). I do not have the right personality to deal with kids. I've grown even less patient with them as I've gotten older. Whenever I hear a baby or small child shriek, my very first thought is "Kill it with fire!" LOL.  Sorry your kid is being such a pain, Flyover. 

Glad to hear you're feeling better Shan. I hope you can get some good rest without being sick.

My brother has been aggravating me because he keeps moving stuff in the kitchen, knocking stuff on the floor & not picking it up, leaving cabinet drawers & doors open, turning the leaking toilet supply shutoff on full blast instead of off, leaving trash & dishes all over the couch and floor, and generally leaving messes for me to clean up. When he's working he still does some of that when he's home, but he doesn't cook as often on those days. He's been cooking a lot so he's been making more messes. I've asked him to put stuff back where he moved it from when he's done but he whines that it's too inconvenient for him even though I'm the one who usually does more cooking and he moves stuff in the way of where I need to put things. He moves the entire dish drying rack over because he can't be bothered to reach around it to plug in his pressure cooker. 

Because he has been having the pain still, he refuses to do anything to help out or even clean up after himself. He knocked over the trash can and spilled it earlier and then left me to clean it all up. Other than cooking for himself, eating all the food (including food that's not for him), and making messes he's been doing nothing but playing video games online all day. He's also been lecturing me on how I need to clean up more when he won't lift a finger and wouldn't lift a finger to do his part even when he wasn't sick. Sorry, venting.


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## zannej

Went to the hardware store yesterday & they only had one toilet supply line in braided steel so I grabbed it-- turned out to be the Fluidmaster click seal, but this one wasn't crushed like the one in Walmart and it felt sturdier. The big yellow dog (I need to get a picture sometime) was there just inside the door. He took one look at me and rolled on his back for belly rubs. I spent a few minutes petting him and then went to dig through the various supply lines scattered around the shelf to find the toilet ones. Normally they have them organized but sometimes customers muck things all up and don't put things back. The owner came back from lunch & the dog started to go to him because he had food, but then veered off at the last second to come over to me to be petted. After that I swung by Tractor Supply to grab some hi fiber hay bales with molasses for the cows. 3 of them were on the lower shelf where I could get them. 4th one was way up high & there were no employees in sight. So I stood on the flatbed cart and started pulling on the bale (in a plastic bag) and got it to start coming forward. An employee finally appeared and rushed over to hold the cart still for me. She then apologized for it not being on the lower shelf, but I told her I grabbed all the ones on the lower shelf. There was a brief discussion of cattle feed but I decided my back wasn't up to lifting 50lb sacks. She offered to load them up for me, but I said I didn't have anyone to unload them when I got back. Went to Walmart and forgot the first thing on the shopping list because it was too small & I didn't have my reading glasses with me. Grabbed 2 garlic butter rotisserie chickens and headed home-- got halfway home and realized I forgot to stop at Subway (which Mom requested) and went back. Mom was asleep when I returned so I put her sandwich in the fridge and had a couple of the cookies I picked up from Subway. Got hit with a bad case of Montezuma's revenge and didn't make it all the way to the bathroom in time. Good thing I have wet wipes, lysol, and shop towels in the bathroom. I later made Mom some eggs for dinner and turned in early bc I felt crappy.
This morning I changed out the toilet supply line. My friend was the last one to mess with it and his hand is a lot stronger than mine so I couldn't get it loose with my hand. Had to use a wrench and ended up breaking off all of the plastic grip thingies. Had trouble removing the lower part because the shutoff knob was in the way. I'll need to get a shorter wrench in the future because the one I had kept hitting the wall and toilet trying to grab somewhere other than the shutoff & my fingers are not strong enough to tighten it properly. The "click seal" thing never actually clicked but I couldn't turn it any more with my hands and didn't want to mess it up by using a wrench-- but I used teflon tape (which people who bought that supply line recommended) so it hasn't leaked.
I was going to work on stuff in the workshop and cook stroganoff for dinner but I rolled my ankle from stepping on trash in my brother's room-- I think it was some sort of empty bottle- and popped the tendon back out (it's the one I tore the tendon on a couple years back) so I immediately wrapped it in a sports bandage, grabbed an ice pack and towel, and have been keeping it elevated with ice on it. It's already started to feel a little better. Hopefully it will heal faster this time around. I just realized I forgot to grab a bottle of water to bring to my room. I'll probably go get it after the ice pack melts a little more.


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## tuffy

tuffy said:


> Started working on redoing a bed room for my grandson who would rather stay with us than with his mom and new boyfriend. Had to rip down the ceiling it was just 3/8ths dry wall and really wavy. The walls looked liked they just thru the mud on and then painted, so I had to sand everything and then skim coat everything. I took pictures of the wall before I started and will post the pictures when I get some more time. Then in the middle of all of this the  pressure relief valve on the water heater started leaking, so I had to replace it.


these are some of the pictures showing what I started with and what I have got done so far. Just need to sand the final skim coat.
 Didn’t get a before picture of the ceiling.Up next prime and paint


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## zannej

It looks great so far, Tuffy. I hope your grandson appreciates it. The red & blue before were pretty but looked too dark. What color(s) do you plan to use in the final coat?

My ankle is not throbbing anymore and it no longer hurts to step on provided the ground is flat-- which is a problem in my mother's room because the dog drags blankets, towels, & clothes on to the floor to make nests. My back hasn't been cooperating enough to bend and pick it all up, but he keeps dragging stuff back when I do fix it. My stomach still isn't feeling great either, but not as bad as the night before. I'm hoping the ankle will mend quickly. I'm so glad I took that First Responder course in college to learn how to properly wrap bandages. I've had to bandage my own ankles quite a bit. I have bandaged my brother's ankles & my mother's knees before too.

Has anyone heard from Gary? I've been thinking about him & his wife and hope they are both OK.


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## shan2themax

I've been reorganizing the kitchen and this weird room in the garage I call the office.
I will attatch before and afters.
I'm feeling tons better than last weekend for sure!
Been working hard at reorganizing..... keeping busy helps you not think about your problems, I have found. Lol

I also destroyed a bookcase on accident trying to put it in one side of my closet.... so I used the sides to sort of build a bookcase in it till it gets warmer.


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## shan2themax

Great job Tuffy!


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## tuffy

Looks good shan2themax. Yes keeping busing makes you feel better. IMO.


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## zannej

Must have been one of those particle board/mdf bookcases. I've destroyed a few before. It looks good Shan! 
I've been playing around with Google Sketchup Pro 2020 free trial version and am loving it. I am still trying to figure out how to make a complex shape with curves. I can make the thing from different sides in 2D sort of but am trying to figure out how to get the faces to follow the curves. The "Follow Me" tool doesn't work right for it. I did find that the shape I use for the following also affects the end result-- like, if I want an oval shaped  bowl I make an oval and have it follow the face. I'm going to play around with it some more to see if I find a result I like.

Ankle is doing better but I'm sleepy. My brother just got home from work and woke me up (he worked graveyard shift).


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## Flyover

Built a bookcase bridge over our bed out of some Ikea items. Now it looks like we have one'a'them fancy bedrooms like in the magazines! Wife's happy, I'm happy.


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## zannej

Flyover, that sounds awesome!
I ended up doing major cleanup. Cleaned up half the hallway and cleaned up the pantry floor. A lot of stuff had fallen off the shelves (because of cats)  and there were some old sodas that had ruptured and spilled. There were unopened cans with no signs of punctures that were empty or half-empty. Oatmeal had gotten soaked in soda and turned in to a hard block. I managed to the junk picked up.. Threw out almost everything that had been on the floor. I found some stuff that expired in 2010. I filled multiple trash bags (well, filled weightwise). I got my brother to take the trash can out to the burn-pile and dump it because the bag started to rip when I tried to lift it and it was too heavy. He had to make a snide remark about how the trash can has wheels and I could haul it out myself-- nevermind it's technically his job to do it & I have a bad back. He also ignored the fact that a lot of the stuff being thrown out was stuff he got & never used AND he had promised to clean the pantry after his cats started using it as a litterbox. I think it was over 50lbs of cat crap in there. I never should have let it get to that point again (I say again bc his cats did it before and he promised to clean it & never did-- when he was unemployed-- and I finally caved and cleaned it up & he promised me I'd never have to do it again and he'd keep it clean). I'm mad at myself for not just working on it sooner. 

My friend is coming over later to help me move the metal shelving rack and sort through stuff that needs to be tossed and then help me take anything in bags & cardboard boxes in to plastic bins. I'm going to put a bin under the shelf rack to make it harder for the cats to get in to that area. I also want to figure out how to put something on the shelves that will keep things from falling off the back behind it. There is cheap sheet vinyl on the floor-- remnants from when we had the old stuff put in- and there is a seam along the floor that is coming up and stuff got under it. I'm going to have to pull it back, clean under it thoroughly, and put down some acrylic tape to make it stay down. I need to measure the pantry because I'm thinking when I'm done with putting new sheet vinyl in the bathroom, I might have enough to cover the pantry without seams.

Another thing on the pantry-- the walls are covered in metal window screen in an attempt to keep mice out. At the very top where there are gaps in the ceiling boards  there's a collection of mouse crap on top of the screen. It would have worked had it not been for the door being wonky and no longer shutting properly. Tenants broke the original door. Then there's the matter of an electrical wire pierced with a screw from the other side. I need to carefully remove the screw and wrap the wire in electrical tape. I'm trying to figure out if I can plaster over the screen somehow. Maybe pop some nails in to make sure it is tight against the wood. When sodas leaked they sprayed against the wall and got behind the screen. I want to cover it all up and have a surface that is easier to clean. I'll have to get pictures at some point. 

I forgot to mention my cleaning method since I couldn't find my mop-- I sprayed Lysol on the floor, let it soak in for a few minutes, then came back and threw a "Magic Eraser" on the floor and pushed it around with my foot. I did the same thing with Lysol wipes. Then I put a paper towel on the floor and moved it around with my foot. The less bending I have to do the better.

Meanwhile, it turns out my toilet supply line is not dripping-- the seal in the middle between the tank and the base is leaking. The tank moved a little when I was trying to remove the old supply line that was stuck on. I don't think there are any cracks (hope not anyway) but it's obviously not seating right anymore. So now I have to figure out if the seal needs to be replaced or if the toilet just has to be re-seated. If it's cracked, I do have another tank to put in & can order a replacement for it later. I'm hoping it won't come to that.


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## zannej

bud16415 said:


> @zannej
> 
> 
> If this guy knew the trick he wouldn’t need the bucket or the sponge and could swap it with leaving water in the bottom of the tank.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 23174



This is going to come in extra handy because I believe my fill valve broke. I have a Fluidmaster 404LG kit. The drain part is not the right size, but I hope the fill valve will work. If the fill valve I have has that little nut to twist, it will make things much easier. My friend said to get him at 7am to bring him over to change it out for me bc my brain is about dead after all the cleaning I did today.

I got my friend to see why my toilet tank was leaking-- turned out the rubber washers inside the tank and between the tank and bowl had broken. I got two little washer/bolt/nut kits (just in case). One had smaller rubber washers and the other had larger ones. The one with the smaller washers had wing nuts for the bottom. Before the tank just had the bolt, a rubber washer under it in the tank, then a rubber washer between the tank and toilet bowl. Then a washer and a nut underneath the toilet base. Now it has a washer under the bolt inside the tank, a rubber washer, a metal washer, a nut (that fits inside the hole on the base) between the tank and the base, and a rubber washer, a metal washer, and a wing nut on the bottom. The gasket (spud washer?) between the toilet and tank looked pretty rough but there are no leaks.

My friend also moved the metal rack in my pantry so I could clean the floor. My back really started hating on me and my friend couldn't stand how filthy my brother's room was so he started cleaning it. He had at least 2ft high piles of trash all over the floor-- in some places it was 3ft. He got my brother's new small fridge in his room (it's larger than a mini fridge but considerably smaller than a full size fridge). He'd been borrowing my mini fridge but he gunked it up so badly and broke stuff on it so I didn't really want it anymore. I told my friend he could have it. When we got back to his house I helped him clean the removable shelves (bought him the cleaning supplies for it too). Went to Walmart and got some cat litter for when I mess with the litterboxes-- but my brother put an end table he no longer wanted in his room on top of the litterboxes-- he initially just left it in the hallway blocking the way to my room. I decided that the side of his pantry still looked too plain so I got him a magnetic whiteboard so he can write down things they are low on/out of and take a picture with his phone so he won't forget.

We also worked on hauling trash bags out to the burn pile (they had been piling up bc my brother refused to take them out). He was giving me attitude and refusing to take out the trash can & dump it so my friend tricked him in to putting his shoes on under the pretense of helping with the mini fridge and then told him to take the trash can out & he did it. I need to get him over here more often just so he can get my brother to do stuff.

I'll have to upload some pictures later when internet isn't so damn slow, but I'm absolutely exhausted & need a nap.


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## zannej

Turns out my old fill valve didn't have the quick release thing. And the nut got stuck on the bottom of the tank to the point my friend had to break it off before replacing it with the new fill valve (which does have the quick release). The whole damn toilet was moving when he was trying to remove the nut. Definitely need to get the plumber in to replace the flange.

I need to do more cleaning in the pantry, but I did OK scrubbing the floor as much as a could. That seam on the floor gave me trouble as stuff got under it. I discovered that the charging cord for the little handheld vacuum thingy was broken. I mistakenly threw away one end of it because I didn't know what it was & then found the other end (the part that plugs in to the outlet). I snapped a bunch of pictures of the pantry.
Metal shelf moved over so I could clean underneath (it was such a tight squeeze I couldn't fit the dust pan through):




Spot where we hang the dustbuster (I couldn't remember what it was called before)

Floor was absolutely disgusting-- before I cleaned the entire floor looked like this with piles of stuff- cans, boxes, cat crap, etc.


After cleaning (I couldn't clean behind the mesh): 

Back wall of the pantry covered in mesh screen (it goes up the ceiling and there is a piece of sheet vinyl between the light & the metal): 


Cable going to the outlet for the microwave pierced by a screw up higher (its hard to see but you can see the screw's shadow). 


Question: If I use short nails to tack the screen down more, can I sort of plaster over it with something to give myself a smoother surface that I can paint so it will be easier to clean?


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## zannej

I wonder if I can spread leveling mix over the mesh on the horizontal parts (it's not self-leveling) bc I have some that is intended to go over metal lathe, smooth it out, and then put shelf liner over it. Or just put shelf liner down- the waterproof easy clean kind of shelf liner.

Finished the floor cleaning in the pantry & set up some bins. I still need to figure out what to put in the bins & how to organize them though. Organizing and putting things away is not my strong suit. LOL.






I had to quickly evict the cat, Bethesda. Unfortunately, the door won't stay shut properly so I may need to get some sort of latch for it to keep cats out. Lady Sylvanas has already moved back in and is sleeping on the short bin under the shelf.


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## tuffy

Some update pictures. That’s my grandson painting. Now to finish installing the outlets and finish the trim and paint it. And then on to the floor.opps the pictures turned out sideways.


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## zannej

Looks great, Tuffy. I hope your grandson had fun painting.
I've been helping my friend plan changes to his bathroom. He and his fiance want a tub in the bathroom. The fiance has been feeling dizzy during from being pregnant and my friend has back trouble and wants to be able to soak. I did some measurements & determined that the location where he wanted to put the tub was not a good idea because it would leave only a 24" space between the side wall of the tub and the front of the washing machine (since his washer & dryer are in the bathroom-- floor in the old laundry room is not stable enough to hold the appliances anymore & he's turning it in to an office). He considered turning the walk-in pantry in to a laundry room, but they want that to be the new baby's room. I don't know why they won't just use the 7-yr-old daughter's room for the baby since the girl is hardly there, but my friend does want to try to get full custody of her.

Back to the tub, the one he likes is the American Standard Saver (Lowes name) aka Ovation (HomeDepot name). It requires stringers and a mortar bed. I've heard drywall mud can be used-- there are all sorts of conflicting opinions on what to put under it, but the specs say it requires some sort of mortar bed. I lost my train of thought about the location of the tub. LOL. The original plan was to put the new tub where the existing shower is & move the vanity to the wall across from where it currently sits, but after my measurements they agreed that it would be too awkward of a layout. The fiance suggested flipping the tub to the other wall but the ceiling slopes down too far-- it sort of looks like the inside of a rolltop breadbox (small boards that go down in a curve)-- so the ceiling isn't high enough on that edge. I did a bunch of measuring and determined that if he moves the toilet over to across from the vanity and turn the tub sideways across the wall next to the toilet. 




I did some touch-up on his cabinets where some of the stain got scratched off and some spots I missed before. Top of the larger pantry door was scraped & the upper cabinet above the range was missing spots due to poor lighting while I was painting. It looks better now.




I'm also going to try to help him with his flooring-- he got thin waterproof vinyl plank on clearance for the kitchen. I keep telling him he needs to level the floor before he can put it down- or at least get rid of the valleys, but he thinks he can just put it down over the warped floor. He has a bunch of projects going on that he wants to knock out and I'm going to help him as much as I can. Still need to get the roofing ordered and installed though.

I got more cleaning done in the living room but my back wasn't cooperating so I didn't get a lot done. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do today because I'm trying to do at least one productive thing per day-- I know, low bar, but with chronic fatigue there are weeks where I really don't get anything done.

Tuesday I'm planning to go help my friend with moving the toilet & fixing the floor. I just got brain freeze.


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## shan2themax

My steri strips came off yesterday. Yay! I'll post a pic... it's still swollen and is gonna be a nasty scar MN.. but I dont have to look at it so, I dont care. Lol, I have been super busy rearranging some of the kitchen cabinets, I emptied out the "office" and am making it a.pantry so that I can see what's there and get to things easier. I turned 2 cabinets around so that I could potentially use them as a  seating area with a wider countertop at some point. Once I get it done I will post pics of that.
I went to Menards today..... Oh My Gosh.... I couldnt have stayed all day. They are building one near me. But I had never been in one before.
I hope everyone is doing well!!!


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## shan2themax

Teri Stiles said:


> Having a painful wisdom tooth, can't decide if I shall have it removed or not.


I personally would just have it pulled.  I have had alot of dental problems, and wish o hadnt sunk so much money into my teeth when I was younger


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## zannej

Shan, hopefully it will heal up quickly. I'm looking forward to the pics of your new furniture arrangements/changes.

Teri, I'm sorry to hear about the wisdom tooth & I hope you can get some relief. My wisdom teeth never grew in so I was lucky.

We decided not to tackle the bathroom as my friend didn't feel like it but he wanted to work on the kitchen floor. He decided not to do any leveling but the planks he used are thin and flexible so they just followed the floor contours without a problem. It's now how I would do my floor, but its what he wanted to do. We did clean the floor first at least. I brought over my flooring saw, a quick square, pencil, & my Matrix with various attachments. I forgot to bring my box cutter knife. I also brought a hand saw but it never got used. We weren't worried about the ends because there will be trim/shoe molding going over the expansion gap. The very first row still needs to be pulled a little tighter in the middle, but I didn't have the pull bar thing. Oh, I also brought my bright orange mallet. It got a lot of use. My flooring saw cut that plank like a hot knife through butter. My friend kept commenting on how nice it was and how easy it made the cuts. He was teaching me how to get the planks in the grooves and he mistakenly started with the board oriented incorrectly so it was harder to get things tight, but once he got the first row done he switched to laying out from a different direction & it went a lot smoother. I set up boards for the next row so my friend could just put them in and I marked the boards for cutting. I even got to put a few planks in. My friend needed some breaks in between & we had to wait for my brother to get back from the store to help move the fridge a bit so it took longer than it should have, but we got it done & my friend is extremely happy with the job. I'll upload pictures later. Internet is too slow right now and I need a nap.


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## zannej

Photos of my friend's kitchen with the flooring installed. I forgot to get a picture of over by the stove. It looks nice with the stainless steel.


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## shan2themax

That looks great zannej! I have roll vinyl in my kitchen. It looks like wood planks though. 10 years later, I wish I would have gone with a lighter color although I wouldnt have been happy seeing dirty floors better either. Lol


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## zannej

I've had kitchens with sheet vinyl before and it was awful. Honestly, if I can find something similar to what my friend got in a much higher mil wear layer, I'd replace the ruined parquet flooring in my kitchen-- but the kitchen and dining room are combined so it is a very large space to cover.


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## tuffy

] 



 Some more pictures.Got the trim painted.Now on to the floor and base boards.


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## zannej

Looks great, Tuffy! I especially like the blue color!
You should have seen the look on my cat's face as I was tilting my head sideways to look at the pictures. Cat started tilting his head too. LOL!

Today I did some more cleaning-- cats got into it in the pantry & there was fur & blood so I cleaned it up. I had some major cleanup with dishes after my brother cooked again. I had to clean the cooktop & area around as well as the pans. He ruined my newest induction pan by forgetting to turn the heat off & letting it keep burning something permanently into the pan & the pan warped. I will miss him a bit if he moves out, but I will not miss having to clean up after his messes. I was just thinking that if he moves out, we can consolidate to one refrigerator. Not sure if he would last long on his own though. He has no idea how much food he eats, how much electricity he uses, how much water he uses, etc. If he thinks he could keep a reliable roommate I think he's mistaken. He'd have to find someone who really enjoys cleaning & doesn't mind having to clean up after him, turn off lights, close doors, turn off stoves he forgot to turn off, etc.

Anyway, after cooking dinner & putting leftovers away, I decided to move the coffee table my brother threw out of his room & that has been blocking my bedroom door for a week. I asked him the day he put it out to move it to the front room but he refused. It wasn't as heavy as I thought so I moved it to the front room, then I realized it would fit perfectly next to the counter in the kitchen in a spot where a plastic bin was sticking out in the way. The bin had a laundry basket full of various kitchen items on top so I moved the basket on top of another bin and then hauled the bin to the front room and put the table next to the counter. I admit I just kicked the stuff on the floor out of the way rather than picking it all up, but I will pick it up in awhile (I know, procrastinating again).  Stuff keeps getting knocked off the counter and had fallen behind the bin. I'm hoping stuff that falls will just land on the table and be easier to pick up.

I've noticed that the flooringforum is down- something to do with a server change & it says it will be up again "soon".


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## zannej

Ok. Flooring forum is up but you have to clear your cache to get it to load. Trying to figure out if Rusty can clear just the cache for that site bc he can't clear his entire cache without messing up stuff on his computer.


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## Flyover

Since the new year started I've incorporated music back into my life after a too-long hiatus. Today I traded in my knockoff fretless Fender J bass at the Used Musical Instrument Store for a Kramer D-1. Super excited, can barely put the new bass down.

My fretless was beautiful and it has served me well for the past 16 years but I'm just not making a lot of jazzy music anymore; the Kramer will be much more fitting.


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## Flyover

Maybe 3 or 4 years ago I bought a cheap $99 guitar from China (I think? or maybe South America?) because it had a Floyd Rose (licensed) trem system and a reverse headstock that I liked, and I planned on swapping out all the hardware and repainting it to really make it my own. Basically, the way I saw it I was buying a guitar body. I set it up when I first got it just to see how it played, and the frets were so sharp they stuck out and cut my hands. Then when I used the trem bar most of the strings popped out of the bridge. After that I got annoyed with it and put it on my rack.

Recently the sight of the mostly-stringless guitar sitting there gathering dust was really starting to bug me, so *in other music news*:

Today I took my time and filed down the frets until they weren't cutting my hands, and then I did a careful re-string. I figure I'll keep this one tuned to drop-D for heavy stuff and my other one in standard for non-heavy stuff.

I can't say it plays perfectly -- the action's a tad loose and high -- but the bridge is very close to level and I have to admit it's fun to play. Plus, I plugged it in (maybe for the first time??) and it sounds really nice, at least given the super-cheap pickups. I think I'll take it over my drummer friend's house tomorrow for a jam session.


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## zannej

Looks cool, Flyover. I wish I had learned to play a musical instrument. My sister could play piano, violin, and recorder. My brother learned to play the clarinet, but it doesn't work so well with his COPD. I dabbled a little in playing with a little electric organ (toddler sized one) as a kid, but never really learned to fully play. I did take chorus though.

Right now I'm having stuffy nose & mucus crud-- not sure if it's allergies or just a cold. The cold rainy weather made me feel crappy. It's sunny today though.


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## zannej

I did some cleaning, filled up the waterers for the cats, went to the grocery store & heated up some food for Mom. I also updated the pipe sizes thread with a chart for PEX (admins added it to the main post for me).


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## zannej

Yesterday I went over to help my friend with his roof. I couldn't go up on the roof because I have problems with my ankles on inclines, but I took him to the store to get the screws & some bits that fit on my drill. Also stopped and picked up a stepstool & stepladder that were on sale cheap. After the roof panel delivery, I dragged the panels up to the house and propped them up so my friend and another mutual friend were able to pull them up and put them on. Roof is not square so one end didn't have enough metal roof covering so we'll have to figure something out-- it was a small gap though, but I think too large for just the rake trim to cover. Guy from the hardware store wasn't in so we couldn't pick out any rake trim. It sucked trying to move the panels around the big puddles in the yard. The delivery guy suggested that my friend should call the city & complain that the ditches are too shallow and the top edges are so high that water just pools in my friend's yard. My friend can't find anyone who sells dirt locally to just dump in his yard to change the slope & doesn't have the funds to buy anything expensive for it.
While I was helping, I had my computer over to download a 53Gb patch for a game. I only get 150Gb of downloads/uploads a month (resets on the 12th) and only get 10Mbps down. My friend's internet is unlimited and can get 44Mbps down. I actually had to go home and bring food to my mother & waited for my friend to call me to tell me when it was done so I could come back for my computer.
My friend though the had a roof boot but realized after getting things in place that he didn't so I ran to the store and grabbed one. There was only 1 in stock & it was $40 but the gas to drive to the next nearest place would not have made it worth it.
We will continue to work on more projects tomorrow (later today actually). He plans to do some work on his bathroom floor & move his toilet over. I'm bringing my toilet jack & some PVC cutting tools. We might need to go to HD or Lowes to get more supplies though.
He just got his tax returns and wants to go to the Hibachi place. Unfortunately, his lying ex got some of his returns garnished with her false claims of him being in arrears on child support, but he said it was a pittance compared to the $4k "usage tax" the state took out. He barely has enough to get a cheap used car and might have enough to get the tub & shower surround for his bathroom. And the stupid biyatch had the gall to call him and demand he give her $700 from his tax returns. She used his child support payments to buy a friggin' above ground swimming pool & she has income from 2 other men. Her boyfriend supports her and she gets child support from her ex-husband as well as from my friend. Sorry, venting. 
My friend also updated my video card drivers on my computer but twice now my computer has shut off without warning. Not sure why. Might be overheating though-- some of the fans no longer work. Need to take it apart, clean it out, put in new fans, and maybe upgrade the liquid cooling.


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## zannej

Didn't get to move the toilet at my friend's house but we assembled the toilet jack. Ok, I stood there and handed him stuff while he assembled. LOL. I took him to Singer to look at a car to see if he wanted to buy it. He liked it so he drove it home following me. I kept my eye on him in the mirror to make sure he was keeping up. Last 15 minutes I think my allergies were kicking in because my eyes kept fogging over. I tried to splash water on them and my eyes kept wanting to close. I struggled to keep them open and focused. Last 5 minutes I considered pulling over for a few minutes but didn't want to freak my friend out.
When we got back to his house he said he'd been worried that last 15 minutes because I was weaving a bit & he said my eyes looked puffy. But we made it back and he likes his car. Although, he had to get something fixed on it (that he was aware of when he bought it) so he was driving my brother's truck. Someone tried to run him off the road by pulling either in or out of a local store and driving directly toward him in his lane. That's the 2nd time someone has tried to run him off the road while he was in my brother's truck. An 18-wheeler actually ran him off the road and he ran over a sign to avoid getting smashed into-- busted up the inner liner of the wheel well and nicked the fuel line. He fixed the fuel line but now we need to get the fender liner and bolts. He was really pissed off about it. He'd been driving in the right lane and the truck started tailgating him. So he switched lanes to the left lane and continued on. 18-wheeler pulled up directly next to him and decided to move in to his lane and forced him on to the median. 
I'm waiting to see if my friend wants to work on anything today. Right now he's at a prenatal appointment with his fiance.
We still need to get at tub & shower for him to install, need to get some mortar for the mortar bed, and get a valve and trim plus tub spout. Although, I think I might have a spare tub spout somewhere.


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## Flyover

Almost everyone at my job has been instructed to work from home until further notice. Since my "home office" is actually a plank of plywood laying across the laundry room sink, I decided a more permanent arrangement was in order. My wife and I agreed on a suitable corner of the living room (I really hate not having a basement or spare room sometimes) and I started looking for standing desks at auction, since tomorrow I'm going there anyway to pick up a few other items I won.

I got into a bidding war over the perfect specimen, until the price was higher than what the thing would cost brand new on Amazon. Still losing the online auction, I ducked out with relief and decided to just build an equivalent desk out of wood.

One trip to the hardware store later, I've spent a third as much money as the desk I was bidding on, and most of my hardware store receipt went to a box of deck screws which I won't even use half of. In an hour I built the two main side pieces of the frame. More to come; I'll post pictures when it's finished.


----------



## Spicoli43

I'm on a quest to figure out how to make Kombucha, as it's not working. I want to go check out Costco's Vinyl flooring (Mohawk) that is $2.19 sf, but the sale is good until April 5 and I don't want to go to that zoo today. Also on the list is figuring out a good working recipe for thick Maple Whiskey BBQ sauce, and since I have 50 pounds of Oatmeal for this Apocalypse, maybe a good Protein Bar recipe as well.

The media is acting like it's the Spanish Flu or something. 

Life Happens. Drama is Optional.


----------



## oldognewtrick

__





						What Is Kombucha? | Ingredients, Health Benefits - Health-Ade
					

What is Kombucha? The fizzy fermented tea contains antioxidants which can kill harmful bacteria. Kombucha tea benefits are abundant which would turn your digestive system strong as it is rich in beneficial probiotics.




					health-ade.com


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## Flyover

Got the frame built and took the desk in for a test drive. It's perfect. If it was just me I'd call it done but my wife wants it painted, so painted it shall be.




By the way, the surfaces that my laptop and keyboard are sitting on are MDF with what I assume is a thin vinyl covering. Right now they're just sitting on there but obviously the plan is to permanently attach them. I don't want to nail or screw the MDF boards in from the top, screws won't reach from the bottom, and I don't have a pocket hole jig. Do you think wood glue will hold it? Liquid nails?


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## oldognewtrick

Liquid nails will hold it fine.


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> Got the frame built and took the desk in for a test drive. It's perfect. If it was just me I'd call it done but my wife wants it painted, so painted it shall be.
> 
> View attachment 23432
> 
> 
> By the way, the surfaces that my laptop and keyboard are sitting on are MDF with what I assume is a thin vinyl covering. Right now they're just sitting on there but obviously the plan is to permanently attach them. I don't want to nail or screw the MDF boards in from the top, screws won't reach from the bottom, and I don't have a pocket hole jig. Do you think wood glue will hold it? Liquid nails?


It looks great! If there is room, you could always add small strips of wood to the larger ones, attach them with screws & nails, and then use screws/nails to attach the top as well as using liquid nails. That way it will have extra reinforcement. I hope that makes sense.
My brother was supposed to have the day off & the casino was shut down at midnight-- supposed to be shut down for 2 weeks. No large gatherings of people are allowed-- so his work sent notice that ALL employees had to report today at 10am for a "meeting". He hasn't returned yet, so my guess is they have them cleaning out the kitchens and disposing of food that will go bad in those two weeks. He's been sick & really needed the day to rest, but they don't care.
I'm still under-the-weather but haven't had any major symptoms. I'm mostly just tired. Feeling nauseous right now though. My computer has been acting up ever since my friend got the video card drivers updated-- but I don't know if it's the drivers or something else. It keeps randomly shutting off. Three of the internal fans no longer work. Could be the power supply failing or could just be bad fans. I opened it up to make sure everything was connected & found a ton of cat fur, some bugs, & dirt inside. Cleaned it out as best as I could-- particularly around the processor which was running hot. I suspect it was overheating. Got the bug carcasses off of the video card & it has been running OK since then. Going to order some fans to replace the ones that aren't running. I should probably get liquid cooling in it but I'm worried it will leak (which would be my luck).
One of my cats is missing. He doesn't usually go outside but he's not inside anywhere & when I went outside to call him there was no response. I hope he's OK & that he'll come back. He usually meows very loudly when I call his name.


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## billshack

I am so bored , I am self isolating, i have watched netflix, read books, can not go out. what to do ?


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## oldognewtrick

billshack said:


> I am so bored , I am self isolating, i have watched netflix, read books, can not go out. what to do ?


Clean out the garage/ basement. Sharpen the mower blades. Detail the car. Clean out the flower beds. Rotate the car tires, check the brakes, change the oil. Rearrange the work bench. Clean out the gutters. Paint some rooms that might need it. Take a nap. Start a hobby, build some bird houses. Pinterest has some great ideas on diy projects.


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## Flyover

Painted, surfaces are attached with liquid nails, popped into the office and grabbed one of my monitors. Now I'm working from home like a big boy.


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## zannej

It looks great, Flyover!
I went to Lowes in Lake Charles with my friend to get the tub & walls for his bathroom reno. Boxes had handles so they were not too difficult to maneuver. Grabbed a tub spout as well. Friend asked for info about the shower valve I gave him bc he noticed that the copper is closed off on the end of the tub spout supply thingy. I told him it gets cut off. I wonder why it is closed off like that. To keep it clean? Or for leak testing?

I helped him carry the tub to the porch. Before the dummy cameras were put up, he couldn't leave anything out there bc crackheads would be all over his yard stealing stuff. They haven't touched stuff since he put them up though. He said they are afraid to even step in his yard. A mutual friend was going to help him carry stuff, but the friend was leaving just as we arrived. He'd gotten a call that someone was at his house with a U-Haul stealing all his stuff. Turned out it was his aunt & his grandmother had sent her over to take his stuff without asking him (but the aunt- who is a meth user-- claims she didn't know there was no permission). He was pretty pissed off about it. He left work to go over there & almost got fired.

His mother came by all tweaking. She cleans people's houses for income & she had just cleaned for a "rich" lady in town who wanted to get rid of a bunch of clothes. She has the same size as my mother so Mom got some new outfits.


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## thebuilder20

Erring on the side of caution considering the global situation we're in right now, so finding ways to entertain myself at home, not that that's a hard thing to do as I have made a home I would want to live in anyway. I started a book by Umberto Eco, familiarised myself with ozone generators through this read. Also gave my dog Max plenty of attention today with all the playing as well as the grooming, clipping nails isn't a favourite task. Made a point to be updated of any developments or announcements regarding the outbreak, but made sure not to spend more time than necessary -- these days are really anxiety-inducing and I feel like I need to take a step back. Also made a list of the supplies that need to be bought during my next visit to the supermarket.


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## Rusty

Trying to write, but too many distractions.


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## havasu

Rusty said:


> Trying to write, but too many distractions.


You ok buddy?


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## Rusty

Yeah, just hard to concentrate.


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## Rusty

Anyone hear from Zannej? She was sick last I heard and the virus is getting bad in her state.


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## zannej

I'm OK. Internet has been going out on me & I've been tired. My sleep schedule is all messed up again so I've been sleeping during the day & awake at night. Been playing Sims4. I appreciate the concern.
I've been social distancing/isolating since before this virus was spreading because I don't like being around people. LOL.

Has anyone heard anything from Gary?


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## Rusty

zannej said:


> I'm OK. Internet has been going out on me & I've been tired. My sleep schedule is all messed up again so I've been sleeping during the day & awake at night. Been playing Sims4. I appreciate the concern.
> I've been social distancing/isolating since before this virus was spreading because I don't like being around people. LOL.
> 
> Has anyone heard anything from Gary?


Sounds like my autistic son. He hates people.


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## zannej

I used to like being around people until I moved down here. People are so stupid around here that I have lost patience with them. But, another thing was my health changed & I started finding that the more time I spent around people the more often I got sick. My immune system sucks when it comes to viruses & after being constantly ill for 5+ years I found the best way to avoid getting sick was to avoid people.

The weather isn't helping me right now. I went outside to get some stuff out of the truck- spent about two minutes out there-- and the pollen started getting to me. I just took some allergy meds and hope they will help. It's also very hot and humid again. I started sweating in that short time & the moisture was clinging to me.

In a bit I'm going to head to the Samsclub in Lake Charles to see if they have water (the website claims they are in stock). I tried calling to find out if it was there but they now have a robo system only & the system said they can't answer questions about items being in stock & best way to find out is to go to the store. They have suspended the curbside pickup options as well.


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## Flyover

I'm about to start a new project, redoing one of the kids' closets. For this project I need to figure out the best way to divide up four 2x4s into the various lengths I need (all between about 25" and 18"). What's the best way to do that?


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## oldognewtrick

Do you have a chop saw?


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## Flyover

I'm long-term borrowing my neighbor's miter saw.


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## soparklion11

If anyone is still out there, I'm still alive. Food is running low. Down to only 4 days of fresh vegetables, 6 days fresh dairy, and 22 days of frozen vegetables until I switch over to my 314 days of canned goods/non-perishable staples. My hands are a bit irritated form all of the sanitizer and my butt is super clean - 21 rolls of TP remain, but they're Mega-rolls so they should last a while. Down to 999 rounds of ammo (dropped 1 round down the heating vent while doing daily inventory). Power still on, but for how long? Missing human interaction but I've befriended the neighbor's dog... for now.. (I'm soaking her food in curry paste in an attempt to marinate her from the inside-out in case I have to eat her). Dark days ahead. News is all bad. Neighbors have attempted to leap from windows to their death, (or near death... most have single story homes so they've hit a few scrapes from trampling their own landscaping). Blew through most Netflix series so may have to rewatch some again...Basic Survival is a definite challenge. I vow to persevere to the end! Please, if there is life out there, communicate with me to help preserve my sanity


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## oldognewtrick

soparklion11 said:


> If anyone is still out there, I'm still alive. Food is running low. Down to only 4 days of fresh vegetables, 6 days fresh dairy, and 22 days of frozen vegetables until I switch over to my 314 days of canned goods/non-perishable staples. My hands are a bit irritated form all of the sanitizer and my butt is super clean - 21 rolls of TP remain, but they're Mega-rolls so they should last a while. Down to 999 rounds of ammo (dropped 1 round down the heating vent while doing daily inventory). Power still on, but for how long? Missing human interaction but I've befriended the neighbor's dog... for now.. (I'm soaking her food in curry paste in an attempt to marinate her from the inside-out in case I have to eat her). Dark days ahead. News is all bad. Neighbors have attempted to leap from windows to their death, (or near death... most have single story homes so they've hit a few scrapes from trampling their own landscaping). Blew through most Netflix series so may have to rewatch some again...Basic Survival is a definite challenge. I vow to persevere to the end! Please, if there is life out there, communicate with me to help preserve my sanity


I really don't know what's worse, watching all the elections stuff before I knew where in the world Wuhan was or all the hysteria on now about their bat soup fooie.


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## zannej

I managed to get the water. They only had 1 case of the kind I wanted but they had a ton of the smaller cases so I got 4 of those and 1 of the large one to make it last awhile. They had someone sanitizing the carts at the beginning, people were all spread out, and there was constant cleaning going on.

We commented to the employees that it must be nice to know they are "essential" so they have to work and it would be even nicer if they got paid appropriately for that. Most of them are hired only part-time so they don't get benefits.

One of my oldest friends posted a letter he received to give him an excuse for police (should they ever stop him) to show that he is an essential employee & they need him to come to work. He works security at some wellness center I believe. He's been having to work through this whole mess & gets about minimum wage for his troubles. He can barely afford his diabetes meds.

We had our first covid-19 death in town. One of the prison inmates who was in his early 40s was taken to the local hospital & didn't make it. He might have lived if they'd taken him to another hospital, but the local hospital is full of people who are slow & inept. The cardiologist is an absolute quack. At least the "angel of death" doctor finally died & he's not killing patients from the nursing home anymore. Staff from the nursing home complained people would be sent to him with minor stuff-- and leave dead or comatose. Happened to a friend of mine who went in over some leg pain. One day he was fine, next he was unable to open his eyes or speak.

Allergies are still giving me trouble & I'm run down, but I know I could be worse. Been talking to friends online & watching stuff on the DVR. Haven't felt like online gaming much. Can't stream Netflix or anything like that because of bandwidth restrictions.

I'm hoping we'll hear from Gary soon. I'm worried about him.


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## havasu

What is Gary's user name? Is it Gary? Let me know and I will send him an email.


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## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> What is Gary's user name? Is it Gary? Let me know and I will send him an email.


I sent him a private message several weeks ago and he hasn't replied back. I would guess we pissed him off trying to arm chair quarterback his wife's condition. I'm sure his doctors had a better handle of what's going on with her than the opinions thrown at him here. Sometimes well meaning  intentions don't get relayed well. 

I've sent prayers of healing for his family, hope others can too.

Yes, his user name is Gary.


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## zannej

I'm hoping he's been quiet bc his wife is getting help and not because the worst happened. Hope he & his wife are both OK.


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## havasu

I just sent him an email. I'll report back if and when I get one


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## Rusty

zannej said:


> I managed to get the water. They only had 1 case of the kind I wanted but they had a ton of the smaller cases so I got 4 of those and 1 of the large one to make it last awhile. They had someone sanitizing the carts at the beginning, people were all spread out, and there was constant cleaning going on.
> 
> We commented to the employees that it must be nice to know they are "essential" so they have to work and it would be even nicer if they got paid appropriately for that. Most of them are hired only part-time so they don't get benefits.
> 
> One of my oldest friends posted a letter he received to give him an excuse for police (should they ever stop him) to show that he is an essential employee & they need him to come to work. He works security at some wellness center I believe. He's been having to work through this whole mess & gets about minimum wage for his troubles. He can barely afford his diabetes meds.
> 
> We had our first covid-19 death in town. One of the prison inmates who was in his early 40s was taken to the local hospital & didn't make it. He might have lived if they'd taken him to another hospital, but the local hospital is full of people who are slow & inept. The cardiologist is an absolute quack. At least the "angel of death" doctor finally died & he's not killing patients from the nursing home anymore. Staff from the nursing home complained people would be sent to him with minor stuff-- and leave dead or comatose. Happened to a friend of mine who went in over some leg pain. One day he was fine, next he was unable to open his eyes or speak.
> 
> Allergies are still giving me trouble & I'm run down, but I know I could be worse. Been talking to friends online & watching stuff on the DVR. Haven't felt like online gaming much. Can't stream Netflix or anything like that because of bandwidth restrictions.
> 
> I'm hoping we'll hear from Gary soon. I'm worried about him.


My stepson has stocked nights at Walmart for 3 years. They only give him 32 hours a week so they can consider him part time. The full time employees, if there are any, are getting a $300 bonus. He will get $150.


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## zannej

Rusty said:


> My stepson has stocked nights at Walmart for 3 years. They only give him 32 hours a week so they can consider him part time. The full time employees, if there are any, are getting a $300 bonus. He will get $150.


My local Walmart has very few "full time" employees now. In order to be considered full time they have to work full time hours for 12 weeks straight. So they work them full time for 11 weeks and then give them 1 or 2 fewer hours on the 12th week to reset the timer & say they only work part time. That way they don't have to provide any of the same benefits & the legislators won't do anything about it. They also look for excuses to fire longtime employees (even manufacturing things to fire them illegitimately) so they can make them re-apply at lower pay and reset their progress so they don't qualify for benefits/bonuses. They love to fire people around Christmas.

I took my brother for his court case today but the courthouse doors were locked tight. There were a bunch of legalize notices on the door, but none of them said anything about court being canceled. There were guards inside but the glass was tinted so it was hard to see them. After reading all the notices & standing there for 10 minutes, a nervous looking man approached the door & said "There's no court today!" There were no written notices, nothing on the website, and no signs to indicate that, but they wouldn't let us in. So we went back to the truck and saw a couple pull up. We told them if they were there for court, they weren't letting anyone in the building. The woman was enraged because she had called and been told that there was court that day for certain. Her husband went to the door and tugged on it & took pictures of the signage. One of the guards inside came to the door and sprayed disinfectant on the inside as if he was afraid a guy on the outside touching the handle would get inside. So, there must have been people going and tugging on that handle with no signs to indicate the place was closed. If they try to say he no-showed for court, I will be seriously pissed off. But we go the names of the other couple and exchanged contact info so we could be each other's witnesses that we showed up & were denied entry to the courthouse. It's a total clusterf***. You'd think they would at least have given notice, but this place is so disorganized and unprofessional.


----------



## Rusty

They are having video court here for prisoners.


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## havasu

We in Kommifornia chose an easier option. We just opened all the jail doors and let the crooks walk away.


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## zannej

Is there any legal recourse if they try to say he didn't show up if they denied him entry & didn't send any notice about what was going on? I'm worried they will accuse him of not showing up because that is how stupid they are.
The woman we met told us that they charged her twice for the same thing-- that she'd already gone to court, been charged, pled out, paid her fines, and then got charged again & accused of not going to court over a case she'd already wrapped up. She said she's been paying the fines/fees for 7 years now & had to pay double because they double-dipped on her. She must have had a really lousy attorney (if any attorney at all).

We can't do video stuff on our connection & it was never brought up as an option.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej: I think taking photos and videos of the locked building, selfies of yourself standing in front of it, etc. and emailing them to yourself so they're doubly timestamped is a prudent idea. If you can find anything online that verifies the building was locked, or of other people also saying it was locked, take screenshots. If needed, these can be sent to a lawyer or judge.

Yesterday I started cutting up the 2x4s into the various necessary lengths (which, by the way, I ended up using a spreadsheet to figure out) for my kids closet project. When I pulled the trigger on my neighbor's miter saw to make cut #3, it gave a quick moan and then would not turn on after that. I tried everything. I unplugged, I jiggered, I knocked, I swore. I scrambled around trying to troubleshoot the power cord, I unscrewed what I thought might be fuses from the top and bottom of the motor (but I don't think they were; I put them back), I texted my neighbor to see if he had any history of issues with it (he told me I've used that saw more than him at this point). I wrote down the model number and went inside and tried to look up a manual, a troubleshooting guide, anything. An hour later I still had no clue what was wrong. I was terrified at the double expense of having to buy my neighbor a new miter saw and also still needing my own, which meant having to buy one for me too because surely my neighbor was never going to let me borrow his tools ever again.

Finally I thought to go back out and check and see if anything else plugged into that outlet was working. Nothing else worked. I looked over at the breaker box on the far wall of the garage and saw a tiny orange square...then I slapped myself in the face, had a laugh, texted "Nevermind, I'm an idiot" to my neighbor, and finished my cuts.

Today if I have time I'll assemble the parts.


----------



## Flyover

Yeseterday I got the "parts assembly" done -- by which I mean creating a few rectangular frames that will become both steps and the tops of shelving units. Yes, steps: my kids are going to have a two-story closet. This was both a practical solution to better use all available space in a way that's accessible to two very short people, but I also decided it was an opportunity to make their closet a kind of fun, otherworldly place that caters to the young imagination. Because in a way that's what kids' closets often are anyway.

I''ll probably have to wait until the weekend to do the actual installation, because otherwise the only time I can do it is during the younger one's nap, and he'd never sleep through the sound of a light construction project like this.


----------



## Rusty

It might be good that I can't drink with my meds. I am bored.


----------



## Flyover

@Rusty: I hear ya. I gave up drinking at home for nine months in support of (and kind of by the request of) my wife, for reasons you can figure out. And now that bars are all closed and I can't go hang out with my friends, that basically means no drinking at all.

So instead, I decided this lockdown is a good time to pick up new hobbies, or pick old ones back up as the case may be. I got back into playing correspondence chess online. It's perfect because I can check in now and then throughout the day, spend only a few minutes each time, and I have several chess games going at once. I'm sure they have this for lots of other games too.


----------



## Rusty

Flyover said:


> @Rusty: I hear ya. I gave up drinking at home for nine months in support of (and kind of by the request of) my wife, for reasons you can figure out. And now that bars are all closed and I can't go hang out with my friends, that basically means no drinking at all.
> 
> So instead, I decided this lockdown is a good time to pick up new hobbies, or pick old ones back up as the case may be. I got back into playing correspondence chess online. It's perfect because I can check in now and then throughout the day, spend only a few minutes each time, and I have several chess games going at once. I'm sure they have this for lots of other games too.


I got put on heart meds a few weeks back. Doctor says no alcohol with it. I never drank much anyway. But when you can't have a beer, you want one. Wanted to go back to working in my woodshop. But can't go sell anything and can't afford to build it, if I can't sell it.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, thanks for the advice. There's no way to tell that the door is locked from taking a photo, but my brother has me & two other people who were outside to attest that the door was locked & the guards inside could probably attest that we came to the door. One of them knows me by sight as he's seen me a few times taking people to the courthouse & during early voting (which is held at a building near the courthouse and that guy goes over to check on things).

Had a pleasant disagreement with a friend which ended with my suggestion that we agree to disagree & he said he loved us (my brother & I) & was going to agree to agree to disagree. LOL. Went better than another friend who got mad at a disagreement & blocked me. He's going to feel awkward when he calms down from his tantrum & we see each other in person again. Last time he got mad about something online he apologized in person.

I'm worried about my unlucky friend who just got laid off bc his company went belly up. He is getting unemployment, but he won't have health insurance anymore. I haven't broached that subject yet since I know he's already stressed out. I might bring it up tomorrow when I bring some tools & help him with his bathroom reno. He was only going to move the toilet over this week, but he decided he might as well put the new tub & shower surround in tomorrow. I will have to see if I have the trim for the valve body because I think Mom forgot to order it. It's the same one I was planning to use in my bathroom, so I need to get off my butt and go check to see if it's in the pile of stuff in my tub. He can order a better showerhead later & re-use the existing one he's got for now.

Hopefully the hardware store will still be open & have the materials he needs-- gonna need some cementboard, 2x4s, moisture barrier, mortar mix, pex crimp rings, pex, pvc pipes & fittings, maybe a fernco fitting to go to the cast iron, paint...


----------



## tuffy

tuffy said:


> View attachment 23268
> View attachment 23267
> View attachment 23266
> View attachment 23265
> View attachment 23264
> View attachment 23264
> View attachment 23265
> View attachment 23266
> View attachment 23267
> View attachment 23268
> Some update pictures. That’s my grandson painting. Now to finish installing the outlets and finish the trim and paint it. And then on to the floor.opps the pictures turned out sideway


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## tuffy

Finally got the floor done.Had to remove the old floor drain and patch where it was. Don’t be to hard on me I know it’s not perfect but after 3 days on my hands and knees it’s good enough. Now to clean the walls and put the trim on I’m done.


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## oldognewtrick

Looking good Tuffy!


----------



## Flyover

Started framing the stairs/shelves in the kids' closet yesterday. Today I hope to get the boards cut that will go on top to act as the steps.

Also, I improvised a facemask out of one of my wife's old bandanas. It was my first time going out and wearing one. Now this thing finally feels real.


----------



## zannej

Tuffy, the floor looks good!
Allergies have gotten to my eyes now. I've been using eye drops to help. My mother helped me put them in and made the mistake of touching my eyelids to hold them open and then touched her eyes & now hers are irritated so I must have some sort of eye infection. I've ordered some johnson's "no more tears" baby shampoo (eye doctor said putting some of that on eyelids helps). The eye drops are helping. Allergy meds have kept the nose dripping at bay. I'm still tired, but feeling better.
I've ordered some stuff that I plan to pick up later in the week at the store. I'm still waiting on other items to be shipped.


----------



## billshack

I fixed the leveler on my sliding patio door. I did not know that there were adjusting screws at the bottom. door now is plumb and square to frame.


----------



## Flyover

Kids' closet remodel project:

Got the stair/shelf planks cut yesterday and installed them today, along with a handrail and some reinforcement cleats, and all before my little one's afternoon nap! Tomorrow I'll reposition the closet rod and install the second one, maybe get a jump on some additional shelves, then I'll sand and paint everything hopefully before Saturday.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Kids' closet remodel project:
> 
> Got the stair/shelf planks cut yesterday and installed them today, along with a handrail and some reinforcement cleats, and all before my little one's afternoon nap! Tomorrow I'll reposition the closet rod and install the second one, maybe get a jump on some additional shelves, then I'll sand and paint everything hopefully before Saturday.


And no pics?


----------



## zannej

I realized that my mother couldn't "catch" allergies from touching my eyes and then remembered that I got sprayed in the face a bit while cleaning the toilet. Some micro-particles must have gotten into my eyes. Ugh. Wearing goggles next time I clean it. I got some Johnson's "no more tears" baby shampoo (doctor recommended that to kill eye infections). Wiped it on my eyelids & lashes & my eyes already feel better.

My brother is no longer sick so I drove him to the store to pick up some stuff I pre-ordered. I went along in case they refused to let him pick it up. I stayed in the truck while he went in. I gave him a list (I forgot a couple of things though) and the credit card so he got everything that was available. No rotisserie chicken in stock at the time. He actually put most of the groceries away too. Grabbed some waffles and fruit for our friend who got laid off & is waiting on his food stamps and unemployment pay to arrive. My brother took it in. He also went in to the post office. They are passing mail over the counter again. Most people are no longer wearing masks. They have grown complacent and don't realize the virus can still spread. I'm pretty sure I have just a cold or allergies because if it was covid-19, my brother would have it.


----------



## Flyover

@oldognewtrick:
Before: 

Old "closet guts" removed: 

Steps: 


I have another pic on my flip phone showing the banister railing I installed but I haven't uploaded it to my computer yet.

Only now, looking at these pictures, do I realize I need to teach my daughter the proper way to display the flag!


----------



## Flyover

Repositioned one curtain rod and shelf before naptime, inbetween work and other tasks. Gotta install the other rod (i.e. a 1" thick dowel) and the remaining shelves.



The photo makes everything look very wonky and crooked, but I assure you it's relatively square for one of my projects!


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## zannej

Looks good Flyover. My brother shocked me by emptying the two of the trash cans in the kitchen (there are 3) and putting a bag in 1 of them. He didn't know where the bags for the smaller can were so I handed him one. He seems to be in good spirits. I'm still feeling cruddy. He gave me some Mucinex & that helped. I woke up sneezing like crazy & took some benadryl. Got some mucus still tickling the back of my throat that doesn't want to come out. Ugh.

I cleaned the toilet again (this time with goggles on) & I'm about to go have some scrambled eggs & cheese.


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## Flyover

Thanks Zannej. It turns out the scrap pieces of 1x6 I was going to use as cleats to hold each end of the dowel like to split in half whenever any kind of fastener is driven through them. So I have to redrill 1" holes in some scrap pieces of plywood and use that instead.

During my youngest's nap I did my kids' laundry and my eldest all of a sudden loves helping me, now that she can go up and down the "stairs" hanging up her clothes!


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## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad your daughter enjoys it. I always got excited when my dad built something new. He used to let me "help" by letting me hold the screwdriver & try to turn screws and stuff. I was more helpful handing him screws, nails, and tools though.

Which brings me to today. My friend decided since he's unemployed & depressed bc his bathroom sucks, he wanted help fixing it up & putting in the new tub & shower. I swapped out attachments, handed him tools, helped him line things up, and did my best to assist. There were a few troubleshooting issues that came up as well. I gave him some tips for shortcuts to make the job easier (like using the scrap wood to get the thickness of the board for marking). He's a smart guy, but his planning isn't great-- especially after the brain injury he suffered a few years back. Months ago I said to him that he was going to have to take the old shower out the back & he insisted he'd be able to get it out the bathroom door, through the bedroom, through the kitchen & out the front door. I reminded him that he'd brought it in through the back & I didn't think it would fit, but he dismissed it. So today he starts measuring & realized that the doorways were all too small for the shower to be taken out. Another friend wants to re-use the shower so he wasn't going to smash it up. He had to set it in the back room & will mess with trying to get it out of the house later. The whole back wall will have to be taken off in order to get it out now.

Plans changed a bit because the only good spot to put the toilet was right over a massive beam. If he put it to the right of the beam, it would fit, but the beam went so low he wouldn't be able to attach it to the rest of the plumbing. If he put it to the left, people on the toilet wold hit their knees on the shower. So, he ended up having to leave the toilet where it was & turn it to face a different direction. It's tight, but it works.
It's a good thing I picked a tub drain that is modular and can do direct drain bc the overflow was over a joist. Since we did direct drain, it didn't get in the way.

I had to head home to take medicine but my friend's fiance is sending me pictures & updates. I sent schematics & specs for things to help him find the right placement for stuff & gave suggestions for reinforcing stuff. I had to explain to him how to frame it out & how to hook up the plumbing & such. I also knew what parts were called so I could tell him what to ask for in the hardware store. 

My brother bought us some fried chicken from a small business in town. They are only doing drive-through now & the employee was very happy to have customers. 

I think tomorrow will be painting day. Whenever my friend needs something painted, he calls me. I will need to get cat food tomorrow as well. The cats were trying to spill condiments on me earlier & were giving me strange looks.


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## Flyover

@zannej Hah, every time you describe how you're helping out your friends I think if I had just one friend like you within 50 miles I'd get all my projects done in a fraction of the time! Heck sometimes it's nice just to have someone there to make sure I don't screw up (or to blame when I do).

Everything in the closet is in place, now I'm spackling, sanding, and painting. I decided I make it more fun by drawing some tree silhouettes, which I'll fill in black.


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## billshack

started to lift weights again, I was gaining weight, i would walk every day but that is not enough.


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## zannej

It does help to have someone around to assist, even if they are just there for moral support. My Dad said he always liked having me there just so he wasn't alone, even if I couldn't help much. My friend feels the same way, he likes to have someone helping.

Billshack, I hope the weight-lifting helps. I used to do weightlifting for strength/stamina back in high school. Don't have the equipment now & I'm pretty weak. LOL.

Plans for today canceled bc I woke up feeling like absolute garbage. I've got the chills (no fever), was coughing up mucus but meds stopped that, stomach isn't agreeing with me, and I generally feel awful. Still need to get some stuff from the store so I'm sending my brother (who is still feeling better). I sent him the list of stuff in messenger including pictures.

My friend's fiance reported that she was able to take a bath last night in the new tub.


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## billshack

Hoping for your swift recovery .


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## zannej

Thanks. I'm feeling better now that meds kicked in and I ate something. One of my cats is curled up on me purring.
The new showerhead for my friend arrived & he sent me pics.
I sent my brother to the store with a list & my card to buy stuff & mom called him to ask for take-out food from one of the local small businesses.


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## Flyover

Finished the kids' closet. I painted the stair treads and handrail pumpkin orange, both because it's a fun color and because it's easy to see. Might add more shelves later if I can fit them somewhere. I decided rather than paint a tree on the walls I'd buy a big vinyl sticker of one, so that's coming in about a week.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Finished the kids' closet. I painted the stair treads and handrail pumpkin orange, both because it's a fun color and because it's easy to see. Might add more shelves later if I can fit them somewhere. I decided rather than paint a tree on the walls I'd buy a big vinyl sticker of one, so that's coming in about a week.
> 
> View attachment 23540


Nice!

Now, just admit it, that you're color choice is just expressing your inner Tennessee Vol Fanness.


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## Flyover

Hah, that sounds like projection @oldognewtrick!


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## havasu

I did nothing!


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## bud16415

havasu said:


> I did nothing!



What’s the odds that we would work on the same project on the same day.


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## havasu

At least we didn't injure any digits from a saw blade, but does carpal tunnel syndrome count as a work related injury?


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## bud16415

havasu said:


> does carpal tunnel syndrome count as a work related injury?



I’m not touching that one with a ten foot pole.


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## Flyover

I injured my back at work just sitting in a chair once! The chair had one of those motorized massage pads strapped on the backrest. I never turned it on, but I guess one of the massaging nubs or whatever they're called was stuck in a place where it dug into my back in just the right way. After one day of that I couldn't twist around or bend over for like two weeks.

BTW carpal tunnel syndrome can sometimes be considered a work-related injury in some circumstances. For example you can get it from powerful vibrating equipment like jackhammers. A couple clicks on the internet got me to a page about it on OSHA''s website: Classification of carpal tunnel syndrome cases. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration


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## bud16415

Flyover said:


> BTW carpal tunnel syndrome can sometimes be considered a work-related injury in some circumstances. For example you can get it from powerful vibrating equipment like jackhammers. A couple clicks on the internet got me to a page about it on OSHA''s website: Classification of carpal tunnel syndrome cases. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration


It doesn’t have to be high impact like a jackhammer. Almost all of our painters had it after 20+ years of pulling the lever on a spray gun. Repetitive motion is all it takes. A jackhammer will just get you there a lot quicker.


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## zannej

I have a friend in her 20s who got carpal tunnel from using a keyboard and mouse at work.

I drove my friend & his fiance to Lake Charles for some medical appointment to get ultrasounds of their fetus. It's about 13 oz now & has a freaky alien looking face. My friend & I waited in the car while she went in with a mask. We were about 45 minutes early because there wasn't much traffic (plus we left early anticipating more traffic), but they let her bump her appointment up so we were out of there before the appointment was scheduled. Then we all went to Home Depot to get some electrical stuff & a new tub stopper. We all wore our masks but most of the people in there weren't wearing any. There was a very helpful employee who knew exactly what aisle and bay certain things were on & helped us find stuff. My friend got some new flush-mount lights for his low ceiling & a new circuit box & some breakers. We grabbed McDonalds drive through on the way home, I dropped them off, & then went home to nap until now. I had grabbed some food for Mom so she didn't ask me to make dinner.

I almost didn't make the trip because I had a kidney stone trying to work it's way out as I was heading out the door. Took 10 minutes for the naproxyn to take the edge off of it & I chased it with some Ibuprofen when I got to my friend's house. Those first 10 minutes sucked though. 

Planning on resting the next few days. My friend can get unemployment for 6 months before he has to get a job, so he said he's going to come over and help fix the place up once he gets stuff sorted at his place. I've been getting light-headed when I try to bend & pick stuff up. I really need to get more exercise though.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> I drove my friend & his fiance to Lake Charles


Seems risky to place a pregnant woman in a closed space with any extra people. Why didn't your friend's fiance just drive herself? Or at the very least have her fiance drive her...

Sucks about people in Home Depot not wearing masks. I'd say 2 weeks ago most people here weren't wearing them, but now it looks like most people are. If I'm at the store I hold my breath or slowly exhale around the unmasked ones!

It's funny, back before I was wearing a mask I'd look at people in masks and think they were being paranoid. Now that I wear a mask I see the unmasked people and think they're being super reckless. Reminds me of George Carlin on driving: anyone going slower than him is an idiot, anyone going faster than him is a maniac!

Stay safe out there.


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## zannej

Neither one of them are confident driving in the Lake Charles area because it has complicated exits and usually has complicated traffic. The fiance is a new driver & they don't have a working vehicle that she's allowed to drive (they are borrowing my brother's truck & only my friend is allowed to drive it). My friend was afraid to drive the truck that far. We all wore masks while in the car together. Today I feel exhausted and dizzy so I'm taking it easy. Trying to see if I feel sturdy enough to cook something.


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## Flyover

The Saga of the Bunk Beds:

I bought a really nice bunk bed for my kids. I paid maybe 1/4 retail cost because I bought the bed at auction (as usual). It came flat-packed in a bunch of boxes that had all already been opened. Usually when I do this everything is fine, but sometimes this means I'll be missing some pieces or some pieces will be broken or both. Usually that isn't a problem either: a few emails or phone calls with the manufacturer's customer support team and they send replacement parts.

When I finally got around to opening these boxes and rummaging through them I realized I was missing the instruction manual and the hardware. After a lot of painful back and forth via email with the company whose name is on the box, and a lot of pulling teeth, I eventually got them to send me the hardware, though they made me pay a hundred bucks for it. I found the manual on their website and printed it out.

When the hardware got here I looked at the manual, flipped open to the overview schematic, and started inventorying what I had. Turns out I was missing some pieces as well. This time the company would not even sell me the missing pieces, and they said a lot of contradictory things. Gradually they stopped answering my emails (and they never answered phone calls).

Meanwhile my garage is unusable because it's full of bunk bed parts, and my kids are sleeping on the floor.

I did eventually get the company to at least send me another schematic that indicated the dimensions of the bed, and from this I can reverse engineer the sizes of the missing pieces. Which I'll need to do because my only alternative now is to fabricate the parts myself. So that's my next woodworking project.

If you're thinking of doing business with a company called Bunk Bed King out of Arlington TX, my recommendation would be to think twice.


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## zannej

Flyover, sorry to hear that about the bunk bed company being unhelpful. I hope you can figure out the dimensions and get the bed built. I wonder if you can find another fully built one somewhere like in a showroom and do measurements... 

I've still got a bit of a cold/allergy issue but it's lightening up. Eyes aren't as bad, nose isn't dripping as much. I've got a little tickling from mucus in the back of my throat/upper chest area but I've been taking Mucinex for that. It's not as bad today. My brother has some mucus that won't come out that he's been trying to clear. He's got a sore throat. I got him some Delsym DM cough syrup. Very strong aftertaste but it's tolerable for him if he drinks orange juice afterward. I did some cleaning and cooking again. I decided to saute the mushrooms before putting them in the stroganoff this time & it turned out better. The TV is having problems & mom was raging out over it. For some reason the TV will turn on and off, but none of the other controls work-- volume, change source, menu--- nothing works. I push the button and I see a dim red light flash at the receiver part of the TV to indicate it knows something is being sent, but it doesn't respond. Does the same with the Dish remote that is programmed to link to the TV. TV turns on and off, but won't do anything else. So now Mom's computer can't be accessed from the TV. No idea WTF the problem is. Might have to call Samsung & hope they don't want us to send it to them bc no way that's happening.

Still need to pack up Mom's monitor and send it back to Viewsonic for the RMA. Need to find a temporary solution for her to be able to use her computer until she gets the monitor replaced. She balked at the idea of a smaller temp monitor, but she refused to get a new desk which will allow for a larger one & it's hard to find one that will fit & be large enough for her. I think it's only about 21" or 22" wide space there. If she'd upgraded her desk she'd be able to go with a 27" or larger. Hell, she could get a TV with a good refresh rate instead & that would actually be cheaper than buying a large monitor.


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## zannej

My power went out yesterday around 3am & I kept calling every few hours to report the outage. Around 7am the power blinked back on for a few minutes & went out again. When I called back, there was no report of an outage as they thought it was fixed, but they didn't do the callback to confirm it was on. It started getting too hit in the house & there was no power to the well pump so no running water. I was able to get in touch with my friend who invited us over. Mom didn't want to go & didn't want us to go until I gave her some Mt Dew & a burger. Her room was the coolest in the house so she stayed home & napped while we went to see our friend. One of the people in his household was tested for Covid-19 & it was negative. We hung out for awhile discussing home improvement options. My brother got me food from McDonalds when I was too tired to drive. And we held the kittens. Some of them are starting to open their eyes now. My brother picked a black one we're naming Namir. He doesn't have his eyes opened yet, but he seems pretty mellow & loves to be petted. My brother was petting him & he rolled on his back for belly rubs. He was moving his little paws in the air and curling his feet while my brother was petting him. He's so tiny that a finger is all that is needed to rub his face & chin. It was adorable. 
I'm waiting for my friend's unemployment check to land so we can go get upper cabinets. We're going to get tarps & I will paint them while they are down so I can get multiple angles before they go up. I had him put a level on the ceiling to find the lowest spot so we could measure down to know where the bottom of the wall cabinets will be. He wants to put a backsplash up on the wall behind, but that will come later. Once all of the cabinets are in place though, I will clean them up, do touch-ups, and when it's dry enough for final coat, I'll do a coat of polycrylic over all of it.
I'm waiting for the other friend to tell me when he's ready for painting at the other house so I can go over and help.

I posted pics of the bathroom progress in the thread about the friend's house burning on Easter. It's looking a lot better thus far, but still has aways to go.


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## Flyover

Bunk Bed Saga (cont'd):

Bought lumber and had to mill down some 4x4 posts to make 2 5/8 bedposts. Borrowed my neighbor's table saw. It was my first time using a table saw and I still have all my fingers!

After about 3 hours of that in the hot sun I was beat, and started to feel like I would make mistakes so I quit. It was time to cook dinner at that point anyway.

I still have sawdust behind my ears.


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## zannej

Flyover, I hope the bunk bed project will continue to come along. Sounds like you did a lot of work on it. I went over to help paint at the burned house but I went over late since I was in zombie mode. Was up late because of kidney stones & was still tired. Stayed until it was just about dark. Was supposed to go back today but nobody else was up to it & I didn't wake up until 5pm (after an initial wakefulness around 6am).
Mom had misplaced the remote control yesterday evening and was very upset about it. We both looked all over for it. When I woke up this morning & wanted food, I decided to look again & realized she set the remote on her mouse pad under her desk next to her mouse. She'd set the mouse on top where the remote goes. I went and told her & she happily went to use the remote to switch over to use her computer on the TV screen.


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## Flyover

@zannej, you're on that rock star sleep schedule.

The headboards are assembled, and they're the right size! I need to go to Menards and match the paint the color of the bed. Then I'll take the parts I made and (sand them, if my wife is looking, then) paint them and carefully drill holes so the manufactured pieces fit together with them correctly. After that I should be ready to assemble as normal, following the instructions. Ideally I'll have the thing done by this coming weekend.

Funny thing about flat-pack furniture. If I was building this bed myself from scratch I could make all kinds of adjustments as I go, but having to conform to exact specs, where a dowel hole has to be in just the right place or whatever -- and I don't own a drill press -- is pretty challenging, at least for someone as impatient and sloppy as me.


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## zannej

Glad to hear you got stuff the right size. Hope the drilling goes well too.
I've been a night owl my whole life. Even as a kid I would nap during the day after school & wake up at 2 or 3am and go for walks in the driveway. I tried to get my sleep schedule normal again, but every time I try, my mother (who is also a night owl) ends up waking me up.
Didn't get the chance to go back over to help the friends yet as the one who is working on the house had migraines & I've been battling my fatigue. I got more sleep last night, but still had odd hours. I went outside this morning & used some clippers to cut weeds & blackberry bushes that were encroaching on the porch & sidewalk. Then I unloaded dog food and cat food from the truck. I started sweating pretty quickly & got a little heat exhaustion. My left hand doesn't want to stop shaking whenever I pick something up or make a fist.
I'm waiting on my mother to get up so we can go with my friend to get his cabinets. She's going to sit in the truck and let me use her military ID for the discount, but the store we're going to will want to see her to make sure she's actually there. Unfortunately, she's not feeling well. We may have to reschedule to another day. I'm still waiting to hear back from my friend to see if he's even awake yet.
The sooner in the day we get the cabinets, the sooner I can start staining them.


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## Flyover

My headboards are the right size, now the challenge is drilling holes in the posts at just the right places, and drilling them square without a drill press, so the long flat-pack pieces that go along the sides of the bed fit in and the whole thing makes sense when it's assembled. I created a stencil jig for some of the pieces and that worked, but I'll have to make new stencils for other pieces and it's kind of anxiety-producing. If a hole is even 1/16 of an inch off it means major problems, because I can't re-drill and it would weaken the posts a lot if I did.

I just want my garage back!


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## zannej

Flyover, do you think you can create a jig to drill straight? Maybe you can practice doing the lining up & such on some scrap wood so you make sure you have it right?

Today I slept until 4:30pm because I didn't get home until almost 3AM. Went to help my friend get his cabinets yesterday & stained them. Went home to feed Mom & then went back a couple hours later for a 2nd coat. My brother came along & when I was done staining, we held the kittens. They are solid black. One male & one female. The male is named Namir & the female is Temjin. We're waiting for them to be old enough to take home. Namir is rather mellow & loves belly rubs. Temjin is starting to get more accustomed to being held. We took turns holding her & she fell asleep on us a few times. She seems to be more comfortable when she's near Namir. I'll have to post pics later. They are adorable.

Mom paged me & wanted food but was in a pissy mood. I asked her what she wanted & she sniped at me that she wanted fish but that I wouldn't make it for her. I told her I'd make it for her & asked her what kind she wanted. She ignored me. I asked her several times but she refused to even look at me. So I went and got my brother and asked him to ask her for me. I heard her lying to him & saying that I refused to cook for her. She told him what sort of fish she wanted and griped that she'd told me last week that she'd wanted that sort of fish but I didn't remember. She then tried to claim that she'd told me today that she wanted that type & when I called her out on it she said she told me last week & I should have remembered. She's been a bit pissy the past few days.

She calmed down once she got her fish. Then she wanted some Kale salad so I got that for her.

I'm waiting for my friend to say the cabinets are ready for a coat of poly. We also need to get one more cabinet. We saw a microwave cabinet at the store & he got that instead but he made fun of me for trying to find out the measurements & then when we got it back to the house it turned out it was too big to fit. But, I came up with a solution & said he could put it in the laundry room & the microwave bay is large enough to hold detergent bottles. Once he picks a color for it, I'll paint it. So, we still need to go back & get one more wall cabinet & I can stain it. He & another friend are going to move the lower cabinets a bit & get the corner one leveled, then secure the countertop properly. I'm going to do some touch-ups & then do poly coat after the stain dries. 














I'm gonna get some wood filler for that pit where I'm guessing a knot came out of the wood because it looks like a cockroach & bugs the hell out of me.


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## Flyover

@zannej: I made my stencil jigs out of scrap. Here's how:

1. Hold up the end of the flat-pack part so I'm looking at the endgrain and down into the pre-drilled holes.
2. Hold a piece of paper flat against the endgrain. One edge of the paper aligns with an edge of the part.
3. Color over the paper with a crayon to produce a relief of where the holes are.
4. Hold the paper in place over my scrap, again aligning the edges.
5. Used my nail punch to mark the center of each hole.
6. Drill, starting with pilot holes if I need to, until I've reached the diameter that corresponds to the holes on the part.

Then I can mark where the piece is supposed to be, place the stencil on that mark, clamp it down and I'm good to go. I had to make three different stencils and they all worked fine.

In other news, I lost my job. Not worried though.

Cabinets look good @zannej! You have lucky friends.


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## zannej

Flyover, I like how you made your stencils. Good idea! I'm very glad it worked.
I went over & put wood filer in some holes on the wall cabinets at my friend's house before my friend put the cabinets up. His fiance had no idea what I was doing. I can't read small print so I had her tell me what the instructions said. I tried to do it the way it said using a putty knife but it kept sticking to the putty knife so I said "screw it" and used my finger. Crammed that stuff into the larger hole, wiped away excess, and smeared it in to smaller holes. I helped her clear off the countertop and clean it. She couldn't lift the air fryer or microwave & had no idea where to put stuff. Friend then leveled the corner base cabinet, got all the other cabinets lined up & secured together, pushed the pantry back & got it lined up, drilled a hole for the electrical outlet to go through the pantry cabinet, secured the countertop, & got the upper cabinets installed. I came back over to do touch-ups with the stain. I shook the stain can up, opened it, and only needed to take some dabs from the lid to cover all of the spots. Then I cleaned off some bug guts from the door of the pantry cabinet, wiped down the door and drawer fronts, and we did measurements to double-check my plans for the last wall cabinet that needs to be purchased. 27" leaves more space next to the door, but my friend wanted larger. 30" will actually fit & line up with the edge of the counter. Turns out the 30"x30" is about $20 cheaper than the 27"x30" for some reason. We'll be picking it up Monday.
Thus far the uppers look a lot like my plans from Sketchup.





Meanwhile, I uploaded a few pics of the kittens we are going to take home.
Namir is the male and Temjin is the female.


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## zannej

Yesterday I went to the store with my friend & Mom came along. I decided to get up a bit earlier than usual to go-- good thing I did because it turns out one of the cats had snuck into the truck the day before when we were unloading the water & groceries. Got in the truck, started it & cat started yowling from the back seat. He was too freaked out to move so I had to pick him up & carry him into the house. We had a dog who died from getting stuck in the vehicle during summer one year so it really upset me that the cat got locked in. I always close the door after taking something out to keep the pets from getting in, but my brother had been helping & he didn't close the door (he was the one who accidentally locked the dog in the vehicle). Fortunately, the cat is fine.

Got the 30"x30" cabinet. Popped in to Office Supply to look at desks to see if my Mom liked any of the styles (I really hate the desk she has now), she got a small item but wasn't interested in desks. In fairness, they were particle board garbage with the veneer peeling off. But I got a sense of what she likes. May have to make her a custom one at some point.

Texas Roadhouse was open earlier than usual but only doing take-out orders. We ordered & waited for the waitress to come out to take payment. Her mask kept slipping & was giving her trouble so my mother gave her a better mask (had a bunch in the glove box) and I gave her a tissue to put under the mask to make it more comfortable.

Food came out awhile later & I gave her a tip-- she seemed surprised. We drove to a shadier spot & ate in the truck, then went in to the Source Plus Liquidation store where I picked up a couple of things (they had a really nice tub spout for 70% off) & a Brookside back rest that was very comfy. My friend got two ceiling fans that were open box (but didn't check to make sure the right products were in the box).

Got back to his house & brought the kittens out to see Mom. My brother showed up awhile later (he'd had a doctor's appointment in town) with food for our friends. He & Mom held the kittens while I sanded & stained the new cabinet. My brother took my mother home for me so I could stay longer. While first coat was drying, my friend installed the ceiling fans and discovered one of them was the wrong fan & neither one of them worked. I handed him parts, picked up screws that kept falling, and ran him to the store to grab some extra screws that were missing from the box. Lights come on but aren't as bright as they were supposed to be-- was supposed to be 1,000 lumens but was more like 400 & fan wouldn't budge. Turns out he got two of the same fan but one was in the wrong box (box of a more expensive fan w/ better features). Receipt said all sales final no refunds. He's going to call to see if they will do an exchange or work with him since the wrong product was in the box. One of the fans had the light keep flickering but it finally stopped. He looked up reviews & they were 1 star saying the fans were garbage that didn't work.

I did the 2nd coat a couple hours later after the fans were installed. My favorite kitten crawled out to explore while I was waiting so I held her. My friend called my brother to come back over to help put the cabinet up & asked him to be there in about an hour. About 2-1/2 hours later we were still waiting so my friend called back & was told he was playing a video game & would come over. Got a call about an hour later that he was on his way. I was still holding my kitten. She had crawled around on the back of my neck to nap, then crawled back to the front. She started staring at my nose and I saw her following it when I turned my head. I put my sweater over her & she fell asleep instantly. She liked having her chin & sides of her face rubbed & started purring a little. My friend's fiance put the kitten back with her mother when she woke up and was hungry. The fiance then asked me to stand in the bathroom while she took a shower to make sure she didn't pass out (her pregnancy has her feeling woozy). I helped her dry off & moved the cabinet (which I stained in the bathroom so the smell wouldn't permeate the kitchen and bother her) so it wouldn't be in her way. My brother finally arrived & helped put the cabinet up.

Now, earlier, my friend had removed some small plywood blocks that were used to hold something in place in the cabinet & I wanted him to keep them rather than throw them out. I said they could be used as shims. He laughed because he knows my hoarder tendencies & wanting to keep scraps of wood & such & thinks it's funny. He was trying to level the cabinet & couldn't find the shims. I remembered I had some in the truck so I went out to get them. When I came back, he told me "Guess what!" and said that he used the plywood blocks as shims & said he knew I was going to be amused. So, the cabinet is now up.

Toekick trim still needs to be cut & stained. Then we need to get some baseboard & molding to cover the gap on the side of the cabinet to the floor (it's about 1" after stuff got adjusted). I need to do some wood filler & touch-ups in some spots & will give it at least a day to dry before I do a coat of poly. I got some aluminium foil sheets to use on the underside of the cabinets so when we put in under-cabinet lights, it will reflect more light down.





I almost forgot, I got some rope putty (used for installing window screens I think) to put in a gap between the counter and the pantry cabinet. It will be covered with something else later, but the putty will keep stuff from falling in the crack (which was too wide to just caulk) & we'll put something over it later. Trying to figure out what to cover it with. It stays soft so it needs something harder to go over it.


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## tuffy

Made the wife a planter for Mother’s Day. It’s not perfect but she liked it. Got the rain gauge and the lanterns at a flee market. And I cleaned them up and repainted them . The wife likes to put the battery powered lights in them .we have 5 altogether.


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## oldognewtrick

tuffy said:


> Made the wife a planter for Mother’s Day. It’s not perfect but she liked it. Got the rain gauge and the lanterns at a flee market. And I cleaned them up and repainted them . The wife likes to put the battery powered lights in them .we have 5 altogether.


Nicely done sir!


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## tuffy

oldognewtrick said:


> Nicely done sir!


Thank you.


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## shan2themax

That is awesome and so thoughtful! Kudos!


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## zannej

Looks great, Tuffy! It looks better quality than stuff they sell in the stores.
Last couple of days I had anal glaucoma. Couldn't see my behind doing anything. Today it's raining but I made it to the store to get groceries & pick up Mom's RX. Nearly ran over a turkey on the way in. Dumbass ran in front of my truck as I was approaching. I hit the brakes & turkey started trying to run faster then did this "oh $#!+" hop and flap to make it the last foot. Looked like it was trying to fly but was too fat to get enough air. I wonder where it's friends are. They usually run in a group.
I had to break up a cat fight earlier. One of my female cats, Lady Sylvanas, was attacked by her older brother, Yasuke, for no apparent reason. He decided to bite her right on her anus & chased her out of the room. She's a very sweet cat who never starts fights so I don't know WTF Yasuke's problem was. I brought her in to my room & she's sleeping peacefully on a fuzzy blanket next to my legs. Ginger is curled up with her head on her & Bethesda is on my legs. Predicate is perched on my shoulder & Rupert is scratching at the door wanting out but I don't want to displace the other kitties.


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## zannej

Took my friend to the big box stores to look for a new stove (since his was malfunctioning in dangerous ways-- oven kept spontaneously turning itself on when no one was around, burners turned themselves on without any knobs being turned or warning lights on-- burned one of the house guests who was reaching over & didn't know it was hot). Lowes had nothing in stock, BestBuy was only letting people in by appointment & we didn't want to wait, HomeDepot only had 2 stoves in stock. One was an LG with mostly digital controls-- touch button thingies that wear out quickly & the other was a Samsung with knobs. It was cheaper & seems like it might last longer so we got that one. It doesn't do convection, but my friend isn't worried about that. His fiance was happy because it was the stove she'd wanted (but we didn't know that). Also got the stainless steel backsplash. I grabbed some shiny aluminium angles for the corner. The smaller one fit perfectly & the larger one can be used to hide the cord once the angle is trimmed a little. Sidesplash didn't go up yet because I didn't realize there's a light switch in the way. I wonder if it can be moved over. I'm going to bring my Dremel tool with metal cutting blades over if it can't be moved. Phone needs to charge so I'll post pics later.


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## zannej

Air conditioner went out. Was up sweating all night unable to sleep. Finally got to sleep in the morning. Slept til after 3pm. 88° in the cooler part of the house. I think the capacitor blew outside. It keeps overheating & blowing. I should have hired someone else to cut the weeds around the outside unit-- well, I technically did but he never showed up. It's 87° outside and the sun is on the side with the ac & weeds so there's no way I could go out there. I can't be in direct sunlight & am not supposed to be in too much heat. Friend said to come get him tomorrow & he'll cut the weeds & call the AC guy for me (I don't have the guy's number). Don't know the exact measurement for the capacitor but it's an 80 something...
It's hard to read the thermostat without a flashlight even with the light in the hallway. I really want to get one that lights up-- backlighting or is set so that I can always read the numbers without needing a damn flashlight. But, getting the capacitor replaced is the primary concern.


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## shan2themax

I hope it gets fixed quickly Zannej. Lack of a cool place to relax is terrible.
Today was a crappy day at work. I had a patient that was a jerk, he threw his lunch tray on the floor, called out all the time. Even while I was in the room with him. Told me I didnt know how to count, verbally abusive. Then I had a lady who had a heart valve replaced last week have to be transferred to the ICU for complete heart block and admission and a discharge and a larger patient who need help getting to the bedside commode. I AM WORN OUT! Think I'll look at my little container garden, shower a vegetate the rest of the evening.


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## zannej

Shan, sorry about the unpleasant patients. I have several friends who are nurses who have told me some horror stories. I wonder if the jerk was normally like that or if he was agitated due to illness or injury. One of my nurse friends said she had problems with TBI patients becoming violent. Some people go in to jerk mode when they are stressed out. Still, no excuse to act like that. 
Turns out it wasn't the capacitor. I went outside to trim some weeds & heard the compressor running. Went inside & heard a whooshing sound from a pvc pipe near the internal AC unit. I remember being told to pour bleach down it from time to time & it is supposed to have a cap on it. Cap had gotten knocked off & lost. I stuck a water bottle cap on it & taped shut. AC started working again. My friend said something about the excess air preventing cooling or something. The good news is, it's fixed.

Meant to get up early but felt awful & had stomach issues. Had to take my naproxyn a second time to get it to work. Friend called me around 11:30 to see if I was OK because it's not like me to be late (although we never agreed upon a specific time). He understood I hadn't been feeling well & told me to take my time heading over. To save him gas I drive him places sometimes. So I drove him to the auto junkyard to go find a passenger side window for his car. We were going to look around more but it was too hot & I can't be in the heat like that. In return he went with me to Lake Charles to go pick up a bathtub. While we were there I found the perfect piece of metal to make a side shelf next to his stove. I mentioned how I wished my tablesaw could cut metal & he said he'd seen a chopsaw with a metal cutting blade on it in my workshop. He stopped and got takeout food from a Hibachi place & we went back to his house so he could measure (I had remembered it correctly, but he wanted to check just-in-case). My friend loaded the tub into my workshop, cut the metal 2"x2" angle to length, swatted a bunch of horse flies that got into my truck, & I took him back to his house & helped him mount the shelf. I sanded the edge of the shelf to make sure it wasn't sharp. I think we're going to try to find heat resistant trim (like automotive trim) to put o the edge (particularly the corner) just in case.

His kitchen is looking a lot nicer now. I wonder if there is a way to safely darken aluminium slightly to match stainless steel.


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## shan2themax

Zannej, glad your ac is up and running again!
I usually dont get upset with patients that act out, because I have no idea of what they have been through or are going through. However, the older I get the less tolerant I am of any sort of violence. He mellowed out a tad bit 11 hours into my shift thankfully. I had a patient hit me in the face with a full 1 liter pitcher of ice water once during shift change, and then I had to be his nurse for the rest of the day. That was mentally challenging for sure because I was angry for several hours. Coincidentally,  he had a TBI and their emotions are often all over the place and they get frustrated very easily. 
I had several pretty good back days, but it's trying to go out again and I am still waiting on an MRI to be scheduled. It's quite ridiculous,  but that's just my opinion.


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## zannej

I've also noticed that I have less patience with people as I've gotten older. I'm glad the patient mellowed, but I know that can't have been fun. My best friend had a TBI & has a lot less patience with people & gets irritated a lot more easily. Once he had recovered enough from the wreck, he found he was getting angry over little things. Someone made a rude comment to him on the street & he literally beat the person up over it-- something he never would have done before the accident. He's still a nice guy & he has enough self control not to hit women (and he's had some women *really* push him-- literally). But he yells & gets angry much more easily. I went to see him very briefly today to drop off something he forgot in my truck. I witnessed him losing his temper (but for good reason). Yesterday his grandfather had rolled up at his house & held the horn down (which is something the old man does often at all hours of the day & night) wanting to see my friend's daughter. He had previously kidnapped the girl & is not allowed to take her anywhere, and she's not allowed to go near his vehicle. The girl was having a total meltdown tantrum at the time he rolled up & the horn made her even angrier. My friend's pregnant fiance was completely stressed out & the horn made it worse. She went out to tell him it wasn't a good time to see the girl bc she was having a tantrum. He got mad & started swearing at her, telling her names, telling her she was useless, and accusing her of lying. She then called my friend (who was with me) sobbing hysterically about it. After my friend got home, he called his grandfather that he wasn't welcome anywhere near his (my friend's) home & that he was no longer allowed to see the little girl because he wouldn't listen to people & he didn't want the grandfather causing drama with his fiance. So, when I rolled up, the old man was not only over there, but he was parked across the driveway blocking it so no one else could pull in & was demanding to see his great-granddaughter. He wanted to take her to the store & she didn't want to go with him (because she knows she's not supposed to, but also, he got into a wreck with her in the car so she's scared it will happen again). The old man doesn't even have a driver's license but he runs all over town & goes over & harasses my friend. Police won't put a stay away order on him or do anything to stop him because he's the brother-in-law of the former chief of police. I think I mentioned in the past that the old man uses his connections to send cops over to harass my friend when he doesn't answer the grandfather's calls.
Anyway, I had stopped in front of the driveway to drop off the item my friend forgot & my friend was returning from work. He saw his grandfather in his driveway & gunned the engine and drove off. He went around the block, then came back and parked in the church parking lot next door & waited until his grandfather left. He lamented that he wants to move where his grandfather doesn't know his address because he's tired of the harassment & cops won't do anything about it.
My mom has been in a bad mood the past few days. She's been flying off the handle over minor stuff, having temper tantrums, and being irrational and unreasonable. She gets mad over stuff I can't control & won't stop b***ing about it. She left her hairbrush that had a built in mirror in the truck & the mirror fell out. She never took it inside & she was raging at me about how the mirror fell out. I told her "You shouldn't have left it in the truck" but she was somehow trying to make it my fault. and now she's paging me.....


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## shan2themax

Zannej You had quite the adventures! I think this whole COVID-19 stuff has people on edge. There is so much misinformation out there and so much backtracking, noone knows whether they are safe or not and tempers rise.
I got a little bit of dirt spread out on one side of the house, I planted some pollinator flower seeds and some sunflower seeds in it. I hope something pretty blooms to make the darn house more attractive, because it certainly isnt.
I'd love to build some raised beds in the backyard for next year, it would be a good hobby for stress relief and it would cut down on the amount of mowing I needed to do. I wish I knew someone local who was good at knowing how to plan for that. I'd have them come over and help me plan for it.
My moms respiratory therapist stopped by today to change settings on her AVAPS machine and collect data. The RT was going to bring a new mask but my mom said she told her that someone burnt their supply building down? It's hard to tell what happened. I dont even live in an area where riots are happening.


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## shan2themax

My back was feeling ok today so I cut a little area of the back yard. Looks much better than yesterday. When it cools off here later, I may try to mow a little more.
I did reach out to 2 people and ask them to come and give me pricing. One asked for the address but hasnt shown up, the other hasnt called me back. I'll be searching for a few more people also, just in case neither of these pan out. I'd also like to get it mowed enough that it wony be so expensive for the first cut. I mowed over one of my hostas, itll grow back quickly. I want to mow that area so that I can see how much the yard slopes toward the foundation. Its supposed to rain tomorrow, so i will go to the store and get ready for my work week.


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## zannej

To be honest, the Covid thing hasn't changed my mother's life much at all. All but one of her friends have died & the one that's alive has moved far away so we can't visit often. She's never been close to her family & they all life far away as well. She's a bit of a narcissist & is high maintenance so even though she feels good helping other people, she starts to get jealous if I'm helping people. It's weird. She's also frustrated that my brother is refusing to do his chores. Listening to him rant about how he shouldn't have to do any chores despite having almost everything paid for by my mother while him also being completely oblivious to the fact that when he doesn't do stuff I get stuck doing it & he was basically ranting about how I should have to do everything in the house (and outside as well). He really has no respect for me & it is frustrating. 
Lawn looks great, Shan! Wish I could go out and mow but I can't be in the heat anymore. I need something to take down all those blackberry bushes. Need to remove a fallen tree as well. Seriously thinking of tying it to the tow-hitch on my truck and trying to haul it to another part of the yard.
Been raining all day & I slept until after 4pm, then had some chicken noodle soup. I'm tired again and ready to nap. I'll try to be productive later tonight or tomorrow. Just having one of my fatigue days where I need to sleep.


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## shan2themax

Zannej, alot of that sounds similar to people in my life. Its tiring I know, I feel your pain.
Thanks, I did finish that spot and mowed another spot, theres still alot left to do. I'm not supposed to be in direct sunlight because.of some meds I'm on. I just stop and pick it up later. I am fairly sure my neighbor was recording my lawn this morning. I'd like to tell him off but I won't. 
Here's that part of the yard now.


One day it will all be better. Idk when that's gonna be, but I have to hVe.hope that it will be.


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## zepper

• Finished texturing the ceiling around the new pendant light I installed in our dining room ceiling. (Matching ceiling textures, what fun—not!) Think I got it right, or close enough to be unnoticeable to all but professionals (they won't be allowed to see it). Applied primer (what confidence!) and awaiting the morning sun to render its verdict.

• Played the banjo for two hours. (My motto: "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you don't let good taste hold you back.")

• Saw a photo of Mr. Trump emerging from a church with a bible in his hand, and marveled that even a materialistic, authoritarian real-estate developer could suddenly find humility and redemption.  ;?)

• Played "chase the nummy" with our formerly feral housecat, who has decided to keep up his predatory skills even though his food will now magically appear for the rest of his life.

• Took the wife out for beer 'n' burgers at the new brewery-café that had the misfortune of opening here in our small town in March, then bravely stuck around till it was allowed to open again a couple of weeks ago. Enjoyed the novelty of mysterious masked servers.

• Thought of all the wonderful peeps like you, doing all kinds of long-delayed home projects now that we have all this spare time, and figured the volume of questions had probably increased quite a bit here.


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## zannej

Shan, the yard still looks better than mine. LOL.
Zepper, sounds like you were productive.

I just found out my best friend has been exposed to Covid by his crackhead mother (who may also have exposed me the other day) after she knowingly exposed herself at a church that has been shut down for a Covid outbreak. She asked for a ride & touched stuff in my truck that I also touched, coughed around me & her son, & never thought to warn us that she'd been exposed. She told my friend after he gave her a lift yesterday & he was LIVID. She knows my family has at-risk members. I've had a cough the past few days but it's a wet cough so I hope it's from the weather/allergies. Been having headaches too which usually means sinus related. I'm not worried about myself getting it, but I don't want to risk spreading it to anyone. If my cough persists I'll talk to my doctor on Monday.

My friend is quarantining himself until he gets the test results back. Until the results are in he was told by his boss not to come in to work. It also means he won't be able to help me with some stuff if he's quarantining.

I was supposed to go pick something up from HomeDepot today but I don't want to expose anyone. I'll have to send my mother in to get it.


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## Flyover

Hang in there everyone!


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## zannej

Friend tested negative but he said they just about shoved the q-tip thing into his brain. Said it felt like they were scrubbing with a wire brush. Sounds like they are using the older less efficient testing kits & methods.
He has to be tested next week and again a week after that. Insurance doesn't cover it so he has to pay $150 each time. I could have sworn the head of the CDC said tests would be free.
I picked up some plumbing supplies for mom's bathroom. Drain for the shower, P-trap, couplings, sanitary tee, wye. Forgot to get a 2" cleanout piece, but I can get one later since the shower won't arrive for awhile.


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## shan2themax

Testing is supposed to be free, you do basically scrub the brain (it feels like it), all test kits have a bristle, you have to insert to the right depth, leave it for 30 seconds to a minute dependent on test and then on the way out, twist in circles.... not an enjoyable experience  at all. Hopefully you'll be ok and not get sick.


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## zannej

Shan, the only place that would do the testing was an emergency clinic that charges up front for visits ($150 is standard for a visit regardless of whether or not they actually treat people or run tests) & the nurse was angry that my friend was getting the test. She said it was too soon, but his employer made him get the test (thus I think his employer should have to reimburse him). She was pissed off and was deliberately rougher than necessary. My friend said his face still hurts from it.
I've heard they have newer tests that don't require the nasal scrub to be so aggressive, but I'm guessing they won't be available here for a long time (if ever).


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> his employer made him get the test (thus I think his employer should have to reimburse him)


It might vary by state, but usually by law the employer must reimburse employees if the employer makes employees get tests that cost money. I know this is true for drug tests, no reason it wouldn't be true for others.


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## zannej

Flyover, they *should* reimburse him but we'll see whether or not they do. He's only getting 1/5th of the unemployment he was getting before despite getting less than 20hrs a week. His paycheck landed late & he only had $30 left after paying his bills.
We were suppose to go to U-Pullit to look for parts for his car but he wasn't awake when I was & I didn't know if he had $ to get anything. Plus my orders for Lowes & HD were delayed so they weren't ready for pickup & I didn't have much of a reason to go up there. I fell asleep before he got up & didn't wake up until it was too hot to go.
I did manage to get my brother to help me haul trash out. He's supposed to empty the trash cans & take the bags to the burn pile but most of the time if he even empties the cans (I usually have to do it) he leaves the bags in the front room. I'm guilty of piling them in the front room too because I have a hard time lifting and carrying things. Plus sometimes it was raining. He'd let them pile up for over 6 months. I managed to take one out the other day but it was so hot I nearly keeled over. My brother works in a kitchen so he's used to heat.
He took some of the bags outside to take to the burn pile while I grabbed more to bring to the door. But that wasn't good enough for him. He wanted me to take them all the way to the pile so he would have less work to do. It's his job to do it so I didn't feel the least bit guilty. Plus it was way too hot for me out there. He told me I should toughen up and that I "need to push through the discomfort". Says the fata$$ who weighs over 300lbs from sitting on his butt doing nothing but stuff his face & play on his computer since March. I didn't want him to stop helping so I didn't remind him that he gets all of his bills paid for in exchange for taking out the trash. It's his one chore & he agreed to do it once or twice a week but wouldn't even do it once a month. Since March he has only taken trash out of the kitchen twice (but he piled it in the front room).
There were also boxes from amazon deliveries. Many of the older trash bags had ripped, spilled, mice were nesting in them etc. I filled 3 contractor bags with the stuff that had spilled (along with HVAC filters that were used).
After the last bag was out, he declared he was done but I pointed out the boxes needed to go too. He told me I could do it myself. I told him my back was about to give up on me (it was twinging pretty badly at that point). So he went & got gloves & came and helped with some of the boxes. One box had a mouse nest in it. Picked it up and stuff spilled out, mouse ran away & my brother dropped the bag he was holding open for me and said he was done. I stopped myself from saying "You need to push through the discomfort" as he chickenfooted away.
I finished cleaning up the rest of the mess. All that remains now is a box with his laundry/bedding in it from when he slept in that room because he'd junked up his own room so badly he couldn't reach his bed. He then junked up the front room so badly I had to pay a couple friends to help me clean it up before my sister came to visit. He promised me he'd clean it but the day before she was arriving he still hadn't touched it so I called in reinforcements & we rushed to get it done (I'd been busy cleaning the kitchen and bathroom).
Friend also cleaned his room for him (only time my brother's room has been cleaned is when a friend came over and did it). Although, I shouldn't complain about cleaning bedrooms. I have boxes I haven't unpacked since we moved back. LOL. But I don't have garbage all over my floor at least. I do have some laundry though. I need him to clear his garbage out of the hallway so I can get to the laundry room with larger loads. Got some bedding to wash.
At least I accomplished *something*

Edit: Ugh, just pulled fire ants off my chin. They were on some of the boxes I had to haul out & they climbed on me. Chewed my leg up, got my arm a bit and now my chin. There aren't enough expletives in the world to describe my feelings about fire ants.


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## Flyover

Well, a shady employer is a shady employer I guess. They're sort of breaking the law by not reimbursing him. From the way you describe his financial situation he could probably qualify for the free legal help that's often offered by law schools and sometimes by large churches and other organizations like that; they might be able to get him his money.

As for unemployment, I'm not sure how it's calculated. I'm certain that info is online somewhere. I know it has to do with how much you paid into the system while you were employed, which makes sense. In my state at least, they tell you how much total $$ you have available in unemployment benefits, and then you get it in weekly disbursements calculated to be some percentage (like half, or a third or something) of what you were making when fully employed. It's been a real lifesaver for me this year, that's for sure.


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## zannej

Turns out my brother didn't take the trash out of the bathroom. Ugh. He's also refusing to haul the rest of the bags (which are now on the porch) out to the burn pile. Claims he'll do it "in the morning". I doubt it. He said he was going to put some food up the other day- never did & it went bad. I just had to dump it out.
Got a migraine and toothache going & naproxyn isn't kicking in yet.

Employees are not supposed to pay in to unemployment. That's on the employer. If the employee is being made to pay in, it's illegal. My friend was getting a lot more unemployment before the told him he had to go back to work.

This is a very litigious state. Tons of lawyers but none of them do work for free. They charged his fiance $ to fill out a form to see if she qualified for a court appointed attorney to represent her (she qualified but still had to pay the fee). Church groups around here don't help people. They just harass people, treat waitstaff & store clerks like garbage, and spread Covid. There are 100 churches in my town & not a single one was willing to help my friend when his house burned. The church directly next to where he lives now has actually caused him problems by vandalizing his property & filing false complaints with the city against him.

My friend really should be getting some sort of disability added to his pay because his injuries from the car wreck limit his ability to work long hours & he has trouble waking up  on time (partially due to the damage from the brain injury). But it seems only people who aren't actually disabled can get it here.

I changed the HVAC filters & am researching windows to replace the ones in the bathroom and laundry room with. Thus far only one window at Lowes matches the criteria. https://www.lowes.com/pd/ReliaBilt-...in-x-36-in-Actual-23-5-in-x-35-75-in/50278391


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## shan2themax

So.... I knocked this out in about 30 minutes. I have to go buy more wood tomorrow because I change it up some. I have a 5.25" veggie and garden trellis to attach to it for my tomato plants to grow up. I'll have to go get 8 to 10 more and a couple of 2×4s for bracing.... its solid from front to back..... but side to side is another story. Should I attatch some 2x4 on the bottom inside the front and back? Or will attaching them at the bottom of the three legs be better?
Also, ignore the junk in the background 
And, had I been smart i would have attatched the long cross braces with it laying on the ground , but I changed what I was doing mid build.


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## shan2themax

A storm was coming through last night and I was worried that it would get blown over.... so o had my oldest come outside and we were going to lay it down and prop up one side with something so that it didnt get destroyed..... but then we decided to take one screw out of the side brace and found that it neatly folds into itself. Looks like I planned it that way but I didnt.


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## shan2themax

So..... it took me longer than I care to admit, but my back hates me today. I sort off took it partially apart. I dug 6 holes to put each vertical post in the ground. Finished the second section, added garden netting and temporary bamboo poles.  i forgot to put the weed barrier down. Now I need to use this hand tiller tool to loosen up the dirt and add this garden soil to each bamboo pole and the add these tomatoes.  I'm gonna try to talk myself into doing it in a few minutes so that I can just relax tomorrow. I am pooped, and I work Saturday through Tuesday.
I've decided to try to do stuff even though it hurts, because I have been waiting for 3 weeks for an appt for an MRI and I had to do physical therapy for 9 weeks and fail it before he would order it.... might be counter productive in the end. But I cant just sit here.


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## zannej

That looks great, Shan! Love that it folds in, even if it wasn't intended. Is that treated lumber or will you be coating it with something? I hope your garden will grow well.

The weeds in my yard are a nightmare. I need to hire someone who has the proper tools to come mow them down and remove that damn tree growing at the back of the house that we've cut down multiple times & it keeps growing back. Trying to remember what my brother-in-law said to put on the stumps to stop the growth.

Some ups & downs this week. Bad things: Best friend's keyboard & mouse broke (his fiance's nephew came over & used his computer- pounded on the keyboard & slammed the mouse). The nephew also charged $30-$40 worth of game stuff for Fortnite to my friend's account w/o his knowledge or permission & when my friend said he was going to have to do chores to pay him back, the parents decided it was time to leave (they had been crashing at my friend's house for a couple weeks). He's still having car trouble & his fiance can't take her bipolar meds so she had a total meltdown, injured him (nothing major or requiring medical attention), & broke a bunch of stuff including the accordion door. The kittens of 1 of the outside cats all got eye infections. I've been going over to clean their eyes & I got some medicine for them. 1 of them seems to be doing better already.

The ups: Friend showed me how to take apart the vacuum cleaner to fix it (wasn't getting any suction) & we used the vacuum hose cleaner brushes to clear out the clog & he got the string from carpet fraying cut off of the beater. He vacuumed & helped us assemble the 3 tier kitty condo for the kittens we adopted (from one of his cats). They had been staying in a rabbit run & were restless. The new condo is much larger, has 2 beds, a hammock, and 2 ramps. Bottom tier is the litterbox & cat tree level- it's also where the toys keep falling. 2nd tier is food & water. Top tier is where they like to sleep, but sometimes they sleep in the hammock. Condo is set up next to the sliding glass door so the other cats have been watching the kittens like spectators at a zoo. The dog likes the kittens (wagged her tail & touched noses with them through the bars).

We also found a hound puppy in a ditch overheating. He has a flea collar but nothing to indicate who owns him & he was dehyrdrated. Gave him water & food & cooled him off in the truck. He's been sleeping on a dog bed outside (doesn't like being in the house). Not much of an appetite, but he does drink. Taking him to the vet tomorrow to see if anyone recognizes him & hopefully get them to hand him over to animal shelter or foster family. 

I've been getting out-of-breath much more easily with this heat & it's only going to get hotter. Need to lose the weight I put on. Have some orders from HomeDepot trickling in over the next few weeks- all ordered at the same time but apparently different shipping times from mfr. Still waiting for Kohler to ship my shower to Lowes. Order status has been stuck at "order processed" after the initial ETA of June 11 was nixed in an e-mail from Lowes. Said it was delayed but no ETA since then. It shows as being in stock.

Misplaced the repair flange for the toilet. Thought it was still in the truck but can't find it. Checked all the places I can think of that I would have put it for safekeeping but it's not there. Will have to check the truck again when it's not as hot out. Maybe it slipped under a seat.

Fippy (mom's chiweenie) unintentionally locked himself in my room with me. Door shut on him after he came through so he's stuck until I let him out. He's sitting next to me sitting upright with his front legs in the air & back legs stretched out in front of him.


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## tuffy

Shan that looks great! I need to do that also. Zannej The heat used to really make me sick also, but since I've been taken off most of my medicine it doesn't bother me much any more. Got the hallway all re-tiled, painted and wainscoating put up. Installed a new door for the grandsons room. I picked it up at a yard sale for $10.00 stripped it down (was painted white) and stained it(think it's oak) and used one of the sliding barn door kits. Also have been doing a lot of yard work.


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## shan2themax

Thanks guys! I enjoyed doing it. I'm still waiting to put the tomatoes in the ground . I tried digging up holes to put them in and my back just wouldnt let me. SOOOOOO,  I ordered a refurbished tiller/cultivator (electric), it should be here tomorrow.  I did report the tomatoes into bigger containers and the still look good and I have had several suckers start and pinched those off. I hope it comes early enough for me to be able to use it and put the maters in the ground because I work Saturday through Tuesday,  2 12 hour shifts and 2 evening shifts. Then, finally Wednesday morning, I get to have my MRI.... although it's for my low back, and that's not where the pain comes from. I do have low back pain, just not where this problem is and I have waited for months, so it's at least a start. 
I'm hoping summer isn't horribly hot, but that's silly to think it won't be I suppose. 

You guys are getting lots of stuff done. Keep up the good work.


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## zannej

Tuffy, I think my meds are part of the problem but I still need to take them. Sounds like you got a lot done!

Shan, I hear you on the back pain. I wish I had taken the notes out of my late friend's greenhouse after he died. He had a notepad with notes on when he planted seedlings that he later transferred to the larger garden. I think August was when he had some of his tomatoes planted. 

I really miss the old man. The last friend of his (who was also a mutual friend of my family) recently passed away. I just saw a flyer on FB about the closing of his store. It ran for 60 years. For many years it was just him & his wife (who passed away from cancer a few years ago). Last few years he's been there by himself- no employees. But he's right next to the fire station so the firemen sometimes helped him load stuff. Not sure what will happen to the building/space. I think the family plans to sell it or rent it out.

One of my HomeDepot orders says "ready for pickup" on the status, but I never received an e-mail saying it's ready. I'm going to call in awhile and see if they have it. I also need to see about helping my friend with putting the pulls on his cabinet doors & drawers. I found the repair flange- just need to find the screws. My friend has to go back to work tomorrow so I might see if he can help me put the new toilet in sometime today.

The puppy disappeared before I could take it to the vet. No idea where it went. It wasn't eating so I'm worried about it. Looked all over but couldn't find it & it doesn't come when called.

Kittens are doing well in their kitty condo. Biscuits (one of the older cats) was looking in from the sliding glass door & little Temjin ran down the ramps and was smacking at him through the glass to play. She's a little ball of energy. Namir is more mellow- I suspect he is going to be a very fat cat when he gets older.


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## zannej

Found the puppy again when the vet was closed. Gave him some water but he still wouldn't eat. Got up early the next morning to take him to the vet & found he hadn't made it through the night. Buried him near some flowering plants in the yard. I suspect it was Parvo. Poor little thing.

Still waiting on notice from HomeDepot. About 3 or 4 of my items now say they have arrived at the store but have not been prepped for pickup. One says it will be ready the 24th. Another said it should have been ready on the 18th but no texts or e-mails & website says it's not ready for pickup yet. Yet another item still hasn't shipped & date got pushed back again. Original date was June 7, then 11, then 20-- now it's at June 29.

Got the new ADA height toilet in & put a new seat on it. It's softer than plastic but still harder than the old seat-- but looks a LOT better since the old one stained and no amount of bleach or hydrogen peroxide could get it white again. The iron sediment from the water soaked in to it. That particular seat was discontinued because it was impossible to clean. Used the toiletmaster lift jack to remove the old one, set it down, and get the new one in place. It was so much easier than trying to lift a toilet by hand. Put a repair flange on and used a waxless seal. Toilet rocked (I later found out that it's the type of seal & that you're supposed to sit on the toilet for a few minutes to get it to compress before tightening the toilet down) but the floor wasn't level so the front of the toilet had too much wiggle. Used some toilet shims under it-- my friend was shocked because he didn't know toilet shims existed. LOL.

He's getting screwed by unemployment again- they discontinued his benefits because he worked one week & was quarantined for the next two weeks.

My brother found out in an e-mail from his medical insurance company that he may have been laid off. Last he heard from his employer was he still had a job & as furloughed. Just got the e-mail telling him to talk to HR or log on to his employee page to handle is severance benefits. He tried logging in but was locked out so it seems they kicked him from the system. He has to go talk to HR tomorrow to find out what's going on. He will still qualify for Unemployment since he wasn't fired for cause. I've heard of some people who got laid off due to the pandemic & their companies fought the Unemployment pay requests & lied saying they were fired for cause. Others were furloughed & sought temporary unemployment pay but their employers fought it.

Kittens are still doing well. The dog, Princess, insists on going in the room and looking at them a few times a day. She stares & them, wags her tail, and wants to touch noses with them. I've been telling her they are her kittens to protect and love. I need to get Fippy to acclimate to them next. He's a territorial jerk so I expect some resistance.


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## shan2themax

I'm sorry the puppy didnt make it, I was afraid it was Parvo also. You've been super busy! My electric tiller arrived and I put it together, if the ground isnt wet in the morning, I'm going to till the two sides so that i can put these stinking tomato plants in the ground before i have to leave for work at 2 tomorrow. So wish me luck!


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## zannej

Parvo is awful & the vet here isn't very good at treating it. We took a puppy we rescued to the vet when she got a little sick with it & went to pick her up only to find out she'd died over the weekend. No one came in to the office to check on her on Sunday so she dehydrated. I was pretty pissed off about it. The vet now has staff to check on the animals on Sundays. My friend's puppy got sick & we suspected Parvo. Took him in & the vet said we caught it just in time. Said if we'd waited longer the puppy wouldn't have pulled through. 

Good luck on your tomatoes! My sister planted tomatoes but only the ones in the shade survived. Might ask my uncle for advice on the gardening since he's a master gardener. 

E-mail arrived from Lowes & HomeDepot the same day that said my orders had arrived. Tub walls at HD & shower walls & base at Lowes. I called & spent 15 minutes on the phone (first 10 trying to get someone to pick up) to find out if Lowes could actually find my shower before I went out. Spoke with a nice lady named Mary who explained their communication system was garbage & people in the loading bay can't hear walkie-talkies over the noise. She sounded older & tired & didn't want to walk all the way to the back & I understood. I then heard her speaking with a lady named Allison who was the one who found out that they were able to locate the shower. Got to the store (went to Lowes first) & Allison was still there but Mary was on break. Grabbed a few items in the store & my friend helped load the 3 boxes up (back wall, side walls, and base were separate) & tie them down. Then we went to HD where I used the app to tell them I was there for curbside pickup. They brought out a single box (all 3 walls were in it) & we re-arranged stuff & did the tie downs.

Drove straight home & I re-arranged stuff in the workshop while my friend unloaded the boxes from the back of the truck & then we moved them all in, opened them to check for damage (everything was fine) & went back out. My cow had come out to see us & wanted to play. So she did her little head swinging, charging, and hopping thing. I stepped between her & my friend and got him to get in the truck. She ran circles around the truck & acted like a clown for a bit while I drove back up to the house. Ran in to grab some expanding foam in a can that I'd had sitting in the kitchen that my friend needed to seal up some gaps to try to keep bugs out. Wasps have been coming in. His fiance has never been stung by a wasp or bee & he's certain she will have a panic attack if she gets stung. 

Stopped for food & dropped my friend off. We briefly discussed what it will take to remove the old shower. He said it should be easy- just pluck it out and carry it through the door. I said "It's a 30-inch one piece shower and the door is 24"-- they built the room around the shower". He had some choice words about that, but honestly, I won't be sad to take a sledgehammer to that fugly green thing.


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## shan2themax

I got the tomatoes in the ground. I don't have a good picture, might add one in a bit. I had my MRI this morning. The machine kept turning off so it ended up being 3 hours instead of 30 minutes so my back hates me now.... lol
Now to wait on results, they gave me a CD and I see one place where there is a bulge but I can't figure out how to find it on other views.... so I am not sure. So, the waiting begins


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## zannej

I hope the machine didn't mess stuff up because it kept shutting off. That must have been so annoying. I remember having to be in an MRI machine for 20 minutes straight while lying on my back with my arms above my head- really uncomfortable. Then several hours wait, more radio-isotope IV and then another 20 minutes in the MRI. Those same ones can now be done in about 2 minutes now.
I hope your back gets feeling better. Does heat help at all? I've found that I use the heated seats in my truck for back therapy rather than keeping warm. LOL.

Did mostly nothing today because I felt like garbage. My friend's fiance was asking for $ but I'm out & stores aren't doing cashback. Been exclusively using credit card. Always pay it off before it can accrue interest. Which reminds me, I saw a credit card "offer" my brother got where there was an annual $200 fee to keep the card plus monthly interest where the minimum payout (even if there was no interest accrued) was $10. What a crock!

Makes me cheer on the guy who re-wrote a contract sent to him by a credit card company. He printed out, signed it, made copies, mailed it in, & they signed off on it. His terms were no annual fees, no late fees, 0% interest permanently, unlimited spending, and if they tried to cancel his card they would have to pay him something like $250k. When they tried to charge him interest he called them & told him according to his contract their was no interest. They balked at first but then checked. So they tried to cancel. He told them they had to pay him to cancel as per the contract. They took him to court to fight it saying he scammed them. Judge was not sympathetic to them & told them they had to abide by the contract and that they should have read what the contract said before signing. I think they ended up paying up to cancel the card. The judge knew it was a bit dishonest on the guy's part, but companies hold people to contracts they don't read-- especially small print stuff-- all the time.

Anyway, I did actually get up and do a little bit of cleaning in the kitchen. Discovered there is some condensation reservoir on the pressure cooker that was filled with nasty gunk. It smelled horrible when I dumped it out. Scrubbed the hell out of the pressure cooker since I knew my brother wasn't going to do it. He actually pretty much told me he wasn't going to clean it and insisted that I clean it for him. He's 40 & still won't clean up after himself. I only did it because it needed to be done & it would start to stink and attract fire ants if I didn't.

Kittens are doing well. They keep throwing their poop emoji toys in the litterbox. I can't be mad about it because they *are* poop emojis. LOL. They have learned to drink from the rabbit waterer well & are starting to climb the side of their cage to get up. Namir rushed up to the top level & jumped on my shoulder when I opened the door. Temjin ran up the ramps and joined him. They climbed all over my shoulders and head for a bit, but jumped back into the cage on cue.

My oldest cat is missing but I hope it's just that he is in the barn or napping somewhere. I will check the workshop in the morning to make sure he didn't sneak in there when we unloaded the shower stuff.

I need to get some exterior paint & paint the outside of the workshop on a day when it's not raining. Paint is peeling & the wood is starting to look rough. I'll need a ladder to reach some of it.


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## zannej

Cat turned up fine. Been busy still trying to help my friend & his pregnant fiance. She's due late August but she only weighs 107lbs (she weighed about 80lbs prior to getting pregnant) and she's got very small hips & doesn't have much room to expand, so she might have to deliver early. She consulted a lawyer about her upcoming case (Arraignment is early August) & was told not to worry. Said cops were idiots & never should have arrested her. She has texts & audio from the other girl saying she wants to drop charges.

My friend has been sick but it's not Covid, fortunately. He's doing a lot better now, but the day he was supposed to go back to work his tooth broke off & exposed a nerve. He went to the hospital Tuesday (I think) & wasn't able to drive himself home so he called me to come get him. I took him to the dentist on Wednesday & they weren't able to do anything until he took antibiotics. The dentist is right near a Lowes so I went in there while he was being seen. Ran in to a retired plumber who was in business for 40 years. He gave me some tips on installing a shower drain & showed me where to find the copper pipes & gave some good suggestions and such. Nice guy.

Today I got up at 6:20am so I could go pick my friend up for an early dental appointment to have the tooth removed. Required surgery & took an hour. I spent about 30 minutes in Lowes & ran in to a guy who claimed to be a contractor who was buying the P-trap kits with the accordion thing. He said he loves them and uses them in every home. I told him they weren't to code & he said they were & kept saying over and over that he was a contractor. In my head I was thinking "Must be a lousy contractor". I told him why it wasn't to code & that I would never use those things. I feel sorry for his customers if he puts those things in.

I found some cool new "patent pending" braces that fit between studs & have holes in them for different size water pipes to stabilize them. Pretty neat looking so I grabbed a couple. I'll use them to hold the pipe for my tub spouts. The plumber told me that I could use CPVC for the spout but that it broke more easily than copper & the type of spouts I got can't fit over galvanized steel. He said if I got the sharkbite fittings that slip on to copper there could still be some movement- hence the stabilizer.

There's a sickly kitten over at my friend's house. She has some crud in her eyes so I cleaned her up and put medicine in her eyes. She's a sweet little kitty. She actually enjoys being wiped down with a damp cloth.

I also delivered some packages that Samsclub left in my driveway (again) to a neighborhood woman. She wasn't home but I wrote a note on the packages saying they left them at my house again. I took pictures of the packages & the labels so next time I go to Sam's I'm going to CS to complain about it & say I don't want to keep delivering her packages to her. If they had been my nasty neighbor's packages, I would have dropped them back off at Sam's and told them to take them to him or have him come pick them up, but this lady is nice so I decided to bring them to her.

It was 97° outside and I'm still trying to cool off (I ran back in to grab mail bc the post office was closed when I dropped my friend off). There was some stuff I forgot to give him so I dropped it off for him. He seems to be doing OK. Bleeding from the tooth is almost stopped. His boss was very understanding- he was worried his boss would think it was too convenient of a time for his tooth to break, but he had the report from the dentist to confirm & I think the boss knows by now what bad luck this guy has.

I'm still thinking ahead to when we can work on replacing Mom's shower. Plumber said he's installed hundreds of the Oatey no-caulk shower drains & said the pipe should come up about 1-1/2" from the floor to fit properly. He also said the metal key for turning was junk & to use two screwdrivers crossed over to turn it instead. I mentioned the idea of using some low expansion foam in a few spots (inside front apron of the shower pan & front apron of the tub) to reinforce it & reduce noise-- with the tub it can reduce heat loss & he said it should work. I'll be using it inside the shelves on the wall panels too.

I looked at the Delta tubs & shower walls & compared them to the Sterling. Delta feels super flimsy. I'm still debating whether or not to replace the tub in my bathroom or to just find a universal surround to put up around it & try to fix the part where the porcelain got scraped off the cast iron.

Hope everyone else is doing well.


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## Art W.

Did some work via the computer (work from home you know) and listened to classical music via YouTube. If you are Baroque does that mean you need Monet?


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## zannej

I took my friend to look at a vehicle he was thinking of buying for parts. Took over an hour to get there & he was very disappointed. The two parts he needed most were broken (the motor & the computer). The motor would have been fine if the catch on the hood hadn't smashed the cover on the top & allowed dirt & water in to corrode the motor.
The rims were in better shape than the ones on his vehicle but he wasn't going to buy a whole car just for the rims & they wouldn't sell just the rims. They said they are going to take it to U-Pullit so my friend will keep checking to see when it's there so he can go get the rims & cheaper parts that weren't worth buying the whole car for. Front end is so smashed it has to be towed & having it towed would not have been worth it for him.
My stomach isn't agreeing with me this morning. 
My cat Predicate apparently missed me while I was gone because he started following me around as soon as I got home, has been sleeping on me all night, and followed me to the bathroom, then followed me back to my room and is sitting on me. I helped deliver him when his mother was in labor so I held him before he was fully born, wiped the crud off his face, & held him a lot when he was a kitten so he's very attached to me and vice versa.
Looks like it's going to rain again today. At least my sinus headache seems to be gone for the first time in days.
Hope everyone else is doing well.


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## zannej

It's been too quiet here. I had a dental abscess that popped but I broke a tooth trying to get a piece of popcorn shell out of my gums (which is what caused the abscess). I also had a filling fall out so I have exposed nerves in two teeth-- both my top left molars. The pain has been radiating through my upper jaw, lower jaw, nose, left eye, to my left ear, and down my neck. It feels like being stabbed in the face from the inside. Went to the doctor & he prescribed some Tramadol but I have a high resistance to pain meds & they take awhile to actually kick in. Supposed to take them every 4 hours as needed but they don't even start working for 4 to 6 hours after I take them. I was given a week supply but the earliest dental appointment I could get is the 14th so I will have to stretch it out. I've been going 12 hours in between & swishing warm water around in my mouth to sooth things. I will get a root canal done on the 14th and then a week or two later they said I could get the back molar pulled (which might allow the wisdom tooth go grow down in it's place) and get a crown/cap on the tooth that gets the root canal. I hope they can burn the nerves to the last tooth while doing the root canal so I won't have to worry about the exposed nerve while I wait.

Haven't been able to focus since I've been having headaches related to the nerves in my mouth. Head has been throbbing. I managed to get a little bit of cleaning and cooking done but I have been sleeping more. I couldn't sleep for two days when the dental pain got really bad. I had to go outside and kick something to relieve some tension. My brother went to the ER over the same pain before.

I've been told the dentist I'm going to is very nice. I've talked to some of his patients who said that he was very reassuring and that he gave them soup to take home after treatment. I need to see if there is some sort of discount card I can find though, bc it's going to be expensive.

My best friend's fiance had her arraignment. Someone working for the DA's office talked to her before she went in & said they were reducing the charge from felony 2nd degree battery to misdemeanor simple battery. While waiting they called my friend's sister's name to appear before the judge for some charge (he thinks a traffic ticket) but she wasn't there so they issued a bench warrant for her arrest. My friend called his sister afterward to inform her & she said they never sent her notice to appear in court. With the mail slowed, she'll probably get it later if at all. The fiance is due to give birth this month. Her due date was the 30th but they said they would induce on the 25th if she hasn't gone into labor yet. She's gained a lot of weight (for her). Went from 80lbs to 110lbs but she doesn't have much room for expansion. The baby already has his head pointed downward and she says she can feel the head pushing on her cervix from time to time. She showed me the baby moving in her belly and it was creepy like the ghosts moving behind the walls in the movie The Frighteners. LOL. My friend stopped going to work bc customers kept coming in, taking their masks off, and refusing to put them back on then arguing with him when he told them to put them on or leave. He had to get security to remove a family that refused to wear their masks. He's worried that if he gets exposed he won't be able to be with his fiance when she gives birth.

Mom has been wanting my version of shepherd's pie almost every night. I mix velveeta with hamburger meat and add in potatoes and butter. She used to make something similar when I was a kid. I tried adding things like mushrooms and corn a few times but she didn't like it as much as just the meat, cheese, and potatoes. It's sort of like a deconstructed cheeseburger & fries. 

Been having trouble with the jet pump. The pressure switch was chattering & cuts off the pump when we do laundry or run the water for extended periods of time. I had to go take a shower at my friend's house so the water wouldn't cut off on me. I'll have to get the pump guy out to look at it. If it's like last time, probably some fried wires going to the pump. I really need to find a way to get some kind of surge protector for the lines so they don't keep getting fried by storms. I hope it's not something to do with the pressure tank or the check valve that the pump guy installed incorrectly.


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## tuffy

Been stripping and refinishing some doors that go better with the style and age of my house. Boy is that some time consuming work. I think I went through about 30 sheets of sand paper. Trying to make them look like they have been here the whole time . The doors that the previous owner put in here were hollow core cheap pieces of junk, also started doing the trim , cabinets and wainscoting in the kitchen .


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## oldognewtrick

tuffy said:


> Been stripping and refinishing some doors that go better with the style and age of my house. Boy is that some time consuming work. I think I went through about 30 sheets of sand paper. Trying to make them look like they have been here the whole time . The doors that the previous owner put in here were hollow core cheap pieces of junk, also started doing the trim , cabinets and wainscoting in the kitchen .


Nice!


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## tuffy

Some more pictures of the other doors I got done. Didn’t get before pictures, but they were also painted. The cabinet picture is a before picture.


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## covingtonm355

Lamented with the kids that school will officially be all virtual.


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## zannej

Tuffy, the doors look so much better after you worked on them.
I haven't been able to get much done with this heat. I step outside & get exhausted. Managed a trip to the grocery store and Monday we had some rainstorms. Water pressure got very low and then stopped working altogether. I went out to check the pump & the pressure switch wouldn't turn on and was silent. Messaged my friend but it was too late at night. After his fiance's medical appointment I brought him out (his car can't handle my road) & had him look at it. The heat got to me & I only showed him the D-Box switch on top of the cistern. I wasn't clear when I tried to communicate to him that I wanted him to look at the pressure switch on the jet pump, but I didn't realize that until after we went to the store. I said I wanted new wire & a new pressure switch. They don't carry the switches at the local hardware store but they do at Tractor Supply. My friend was looking at the D-box switches & I told him that was the wrong one. I pointed to the right kind & told him which of the two options I thought it was. Pump is a 1HP 115/230 power thing. He checked his phone to look up which switch was needed so we grabbed it just in case. Then we headed to the hardware store to get some 10/2 w/ ground. Headed back & I showed him the switch. I handed him my flashlight & he traced the wire & was able to spot that the wire running on the ceiling of the shed was burned & the switch itself was burned too. He replaced the wire & the switch for me-- which was a total pain in the *** bc it was like 110° in the shed & its in a hard to reach spot. To be honest, that shed needs to be replaced and I need to repair the structure that covers the gap between that shed and the generator shed. I will need some 1x6s as I saw some were rotting. The shed is made of steel & is starting to rust in spots. The horse kicked it at one point so there's a hole on the back. The cow leaned against the doors & broke them. I need to get measurements to know how long the 2x6s need to be. Should also get some new tin for the roof part and then I want to get a plastic or wooden shed that is at least 3ft deeper so there is more room around the pump. I want something that can be better insulated than that crappy steel.
My brain is still slow from all the heat & my very back tooth started hurting again. The dentist said I have to wait at least a week after the root canal to get it pulled. I'm actually hoping I can hold out until September because the crown for the other tooth will be expensive.
I'll talk to them sometime this week and see. I will have to get on antibiotics again before having it pulled though.
At least we have running water again.


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## zannej

I know I already said it, but I really love how the doors turned out, Tuffy. Perfect color stain on them. Looks better than some professional jobs I've seen. The paper towel holder is very cool as well. I also like the tri-basin sink.


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## tuffy

zannej said:


> I know I already said it, but I really love how the doors turned out, Tuffy. Perfect color stain on them. Looks better than some professional jobs I've seen. The paper towel holder is very cool as well. I also like the tri-basin sink.


Thank you.


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## zannej

Tooth was bugging me so I spent almost all day sleeping. Phone woke me up a few times but the meds had me out for a bit. I got up briefly to lean the litterbox, feed & water the kitties, cleaned the toilet, and reheated leftovers for Mom; but I was otherwise useless today. Stomach is now bugging me a little.

My best friend called to say his fiance went into labor 10 days early. They have a healthy baby boy. He said the baby has his toes. They are in for some sleepless nights ahead. Mom got them a white noise machine for the baby to help him and them sleep. They are dreading the family members wanting to come around because they don't want visitors just yet. Funny thing was, my brother was over at their house watching movies with my friend when the fiance wanted to go to the hospital. My brother complained about her being a whiny wuss who was being melodramatic & blowing things out of proportion again. I said that she might actually be in labor. He said she was most likely just being a big baby about stuff again bc she freaked out over every twinge. Turns out I was right. The girl does have the lowest pain threshold of anyone I've ever met, but she apparently toughed it out for the 4 hours before they gave her an epidural. Hopefully she'll recover quickly. She's likely going to be in pain the next few weeks. She was terrified she wasn't going to be able to give birth w/o a C-section or that something would go wrong, but she made it through.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking of just buying the materials to build my own shed for the water well. I may be able to build some of the framing by myself but I will need my friend's help removing the old shed and installing the new one. It will have to be done quickly & on a day with no rain. I'll have to make sure we have all of the materials together & ready. I may have to place a post in the middle temporarily to hold up some of the electrical that is currently mounted to the ceiling. I might keep the center ceiling beam just to hold that stuff. I wonder if a baseboard heater could be installed anywhere in there without risk of fire or it getting shorted by a water leak (so long as I have it high enough up and protected from any spray).

Can 2x4s be used for a shed wall studs or would I need 2x6s? I'm thinking I could use studs, have plywood on the outside w/ house wrap, insulation between studs, waterboard (a waterproof cementboard/sheetrock) on the inside, metal roof on top. I could make it just as tall as the current shed but make the doorway taller (since we bump our heads in the current one).


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## tuffy

tuffy said:


> Some more pictures of the other doors I got done. Didn’t get before pictures, but they were also painted. The cabinet picture is a before picture.
> [/QUOTE


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## tuffy

This is the after picture. Still have to put the other front on but, I need to get another tray that you put sponges in. and there is a hinge that makes  the front tilt out.


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## zannej

Tuffy, the last image didn't show up. Not sure if it's just my internet or what.
Ah, the tip out tray like this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ARM9CG/
If we could build a kitchen from scratch again (which is what my dad did 30+ years ago when we moved in to this house), I would have that tip-out-tray under the kitchen sink. Dad loved the idea when he saw it years later, but it was far too late to add it to the cabinets as he just had the doors go all the way up.

He did what he called "meatball carpentry". He learned a bit from the Army & had some DIY books. A lot of the outdoor stuff is starting to deteriorate from water damage so I have a looong list of repairs. Like painting the workshop, replacing the roof on the workshop, adding rafter ties, adding some custom gusset plates, repairing/reinforcing the posts for the "porch" of the workshop. Gonna be "fun" finding a ladder tall enough to get to the top of the roof to install stuff. I don't think they make stepladders that high. My dad hired a handyman to do the insulation & I'm not sure quite how the guy got up there. Poor handyman died pretty young from cancer.

I spent the day watching videos on how to build sheds & taking notes on what to do & what not to do. I'm thinking of combining techniques I've seen from several different ones as well as from different plans. It's not going to be a terribly large shed so I think I can get away with 2x4 structure. I plan to notch the overlap where the rafters meet the top of the wall. Rafters & studs will be 16" on center. Rafter boards will connect to a ridge board & they will all be tied together with custom gusset plates that have a notch for the ridge board and small angled blocks on the inside to line them up properly against the angle of the rafters. I may use hurricane ties to attach the rafters to the studs. I'm thinking if I pre-build a lot of the stuff and have it ready to put together it will make it faster since I want to have it all up in a single day- but I'm going to allow for time to tear down/remove the old metal shed too. Having stuff ready to put together can help with that.

Although, maybe I shouldn't get ahead of myself. I really need to replace the back door first. But in order to do that, I'm going to need to get the weeds cut and get a couple of trees cut down (again-- damn things keep growing back).

I need to start forcing myself to do something productive every day again like I did in January.


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## zannej

I forced myself to clean the litterboxes & the toilet, but other than that I wasn't feeling well today. I think it's the barometric pressure changes. My limbs feel heavy & I feel bleh. I did watch a lot of videos & read stuff on how to build a shed. I need to replace the one around my well & pump.

Question: What forum section would be the right one to post about building a new shed? Garage & workshop or something else?


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## zannej

Dentist bumped my appointment to 8am instead of noon so I could get out of there faster. I think they had some cancellations. Everyone was very nice. I'm allergic to some of the stuff they normally use for anesthetic so they had to stick to lidocaine. I was mostly numb. I felt some pressure & a few twinges but I've had more pain from picking between my teeth with a toothpick. They were all worried that I was going to be in severe pain or that I would be freaked out by them having to break my tooth up into pieces to get it out without damaging the tooth next to it. One of the roots curved so it gave her a little trouble, but she got it all out rather quickly. I mentioned being more concerned about the hurricane than the tooth pulling & that I was probably going to lose power & being on a well system I would not have running water. So she gave me three 1 gallon jugs of distilled water. Wouldn't let me carry any of them either. Her name is Dr. Honey and it fits. She's very sweet. If my phonelines are working they will call in the morning to check on me. I let them know the lines might be down.
It bled quite a bit at first so I had to change the gauze a few times before getting home. Stopped at samsclub to grab more stuff. I ended up having to lift a 25lb cat food bag and I leveraged a case of 48 0.5liter bottles of water.
Stopped by the bank so mom could take care of business, went to the post office to get packages-- postal employee was more chatty than usual. I explained I had gauze in my mouth from having a tooth pulled. She was concerned that I was up & about after having a tooth pulled & said she'd had it done before. We commiserated about toothache being worse than kidney stones. She gave me some advice-- like how to avoid "dry socket" (which was in the instructions from the dentist). Hopefully she won't have any damage to her home from the storm & the post office won't get hit.
Stopped by to see my friend briefly to say Hi and saw some other friends who had moved out of town. They just finished paying off their trailer last week but had to evacuate without their trailer. They could only bring 40% of their stuff (but they got all of their pets). They are staying at my friend's house and are certain they will lose their trailer. I don't think they have insurance as they couldn't afford it.
I'm hoping my cows can find a safe place to stay during the storm. Not much I can do for them though. Cats are all in, kittens are moved away from the window, truck is parked away from the tree.
Bleeding seems to have stopped from where the tooth was pulled. Hardest part will be not poking around in the opening with my tongue. I'm still keeping gauze in there to keep my tongue from wandering. I subconsciously poke around at things that feel odd in my mouth.
I also stopped at a local store to get some beef stew & was able to eat it by chewing on only one side of my mouth. It just took awhile. I think I hear thunder kicking up now. I saw that the hurricane has made landfall near Lake Charles.

If I don't post for awhile it means I lost electricity/internet for a bit.


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## tuffy

Zannej hoping for the best for all you guys in the path of the hurricane. Stay safe.


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## Rusty

Anyone hear from Zanne since the hurricane hit?


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## slownsteady

I was about to ask the same thing............


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## Rusty

She was on the flooring forum at 11 Sat nite. Nothing since.


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## slownsteady

No power or water in the hurricane area. She just might be unable to check in. Also may have a lot of work ahead of her. So let's hope for the best.


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## Rusty

They use a pump for water. So they won't have anything.


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## Rusty

I sent her an e mail. But internet may be out and most cell towers are down.


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## Rusty

Tried to access this forum, it was down for hours.


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## oldognewtrick

Rusty said:


> Tried to access this forum, it was down for hours.


Keith acvidently unplugged the power cord when he was charging up the battery in the Lear Jet


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## Rusty

Zanne is ok.


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## zannej

Lost power. Still don't have it back. Had to go clear out fridge in 100 degree heat. Using phone to message now that my friend has Internet restored. Crashing on friends couch. Crowded here. Friend has a new baby that screams all night.
Animals are all fine. House is OK but kitchen floor is worse. Buckled up from freezer defrosting.
We were stranded for 3 days before I was able to get help from another friend to come cut the 4 trees that fell on the road.
Will post more later when I can use a keyboard.


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## slownsteady

She's Back!!


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## havasu

Glad to hear she's ok!


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## tuffy

Glad to hear your ok. zannej


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## zannej

Hope everyone is doing ok.  I have trouble  with entering text on my phone.


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## slownsteady

We'll wait for now, but we want to hear the whole story..........


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## zannej

It's a long one. Lol.
Some pics for now.


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## shan2themax

Zannej, I am so glad you are ok. I was super worried reading through the posts. Cant wait to hear your story.


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## Spicoli43

Don't know you, happy you're okay Zannej. I pray for people that live in those areas every night because that crazy stuff doesn't happen in Montana.


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## Spicoli43

Well, I figured out THAT bathroom smell. I'm done trusting wax rings, hopefully the replacement "Better than wax" by Fluidmaster works better. I had to put nailers in the left side, as that's a load bearing wall shared by the garage.


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## billshack

I found a leak under the kitchen sink.  the pull out hose from faucet to faucet head was leaking. I tried to find part called moen they said i had to have my original receipt and it would take days. moen never used to be like this i would walking in and they would give me replacements parts no questions asked    .i ended up changing complete faucet. I see that the new hose has been made smaller and of better quality. I have been hearing from other plumbers that moen has been going down hill


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## zannej

That sucks about not getting good support from Moen.
Still without power. I miss my own bed and the peace and quiet.


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## Flyover

If I can get a hold of my neighbor's extension ladder I'm going to cut down a dead tree by myself today. Or at least take down one of the big main branches that's pointing a little too threateningly at my house.

Before anyone inquires about my funeral arrangements, know that I do have a plan for this job so I can do it fairly safely:

First, I'm going to first access the branch as high up as I feel safe doing, and tie a rope around it. Then I'll descend again and wrap that rope around a stake I've driven into a far corner of my yard. That will pull the branch away from my house. Then I'll climb up to the branch again, but lower this time, just to slightly above where it branches out from the trunk, position myself between the tree and my house, and start cutting while pulling on the rope that's wrapped around the peg. This should pull the branch away from both me and the house. Once I've sawn just enough that I'm able to, I'll descend to the ground and do the rest just by pulling on the rope from a safe distance.


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## Spicoli43

Speaking of Moen, my neighbor's bathroom faucet won't work. I checked the Pex lines in the crawl space, and they are fine. Every other faucet works, and there is plenty of water at the valves. The faucet barely drips, so it's either the supply lines or the faucet itself. I have seen faucets do about everything besides completely die. For me, they usually leak real bad but have full pressure.


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## slownsteady

Flyover said:


> If I can get a hold of my neighbor's extension ladder I'm going to cut down a dead tree by myself today. Or at least take down one of the big main branches that's pointing a little too threateningly at my house.
> 
> Before anyone inquires about my funeral arrangements, know that I do have a plan for this job so I can do it fairly safely:
> 
> First, I'm going to first access the branch as high up as I feel safe doing, and tie a rope around it. Then I'll descend again and wrap that rope around a stake I've driven into a far corner of my yard. That will pull the branch away from my house. Then I'll climb up to the branch again, but lower this time, just to slightly above where it branches out from the trunk, position myself between the tree and my house, and start cutting while pulling on the rope that's wrapped around the peg. This should pull the branch away from both me and the house. Once I've sawn just enough that I'm able to, I'll descend to the ground and do the rest just by pulling on the rope from a safe distance.


Just remember that by putting tension on the branch, it might change the way you expect it to cut and can cause it to spring in a different direction as it starts to give way.
Also, if you have one hand on the saw and one hand on the rope, I hope you have a third hand available to hold onto the ladder.


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## Flyover

Got all the big branches down, my plan worked pretty flawlessly. The only unexpected thing was that when I sawed almost all the way through, the branches wanted to sit on the saw and pinch it, so I had to wiggle the saw out and then kinda push and twist on the branches until they were free to fall.

@slownsteady I ended up just tying the ropes off at the ground. I used trucker's hitches to create tension.

I'm sure all my neighbors think I'm crazy now, if any of them saw me up there in my bike helmet!! Ha.


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## Rusty

Bored, so I started making another chair in my woodshop.


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## zannej

Glad it went well, flyover.
My friend's family are being aggravating. His mom messes with people's stuff, takes food, and leaves her dogs here for over 12 hours at a time while she goes and does drugs.

The grandfather peed all over the kitchen floor, all over the carpet his greatgrandaughter's carpet and bed, etc.

The baby cries nonstop and the fiance ignores him and expects other people to deal with him.

I did spend an hour at my house cuddling with my pets though.


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## shan2themax

Oh zannej! I will be so very happy for you when you get to go back home. I'm sorry you are dealing with all that. It sounds stressful.


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## tuffy

Been refinishing the kitchen cabinets. Sanding the old finish off and re- staining them. Also painted the insides white and also putting in Led strip lights.


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## zannej

Thanks, shan.
My friend's mom left for now and took her dogs but she also took my friend's car.
The grandfather wakes people up all hours of day and night by hollering for my friend. He doesn't seem to care that it wakes the baby & my friend needs sleep so he can go to work. During the day he wants my friend to run errands for him.
He also wants to make everyone else do stuff for him.
We have to go through the room he sleeps in to get to the bathroom & if he hears or sees someone he will call out for them to get him something or do something for him.or he wants to know what his grandson is doing and where he is and wants people to wake him up when he's sleeping. This morning around 4am I headed to the bathroom and he told me to dump his urine bottles in the commode. I didn't want to walk on the peed on carpet in my socks so I declined. On my way out of the bathroom, he was insisting that I empty them for him and then said he was going to wake my friend. I know my friend needs sleep so I caves and dumped his bottles, rinsed them, gave them back to him, and scrubbed my hands.
He started hollering for my friend a couple hours later and called my friend with his cellphone about 10x.
At least the baby is doing better on new formula and bottles. He has to get special formula for colic that costs $12.
My cats and dogs were happy to see me again. Fippy still misses my mom though.
I spent a couple hours at the house cuddling with the catsame and dogs. All of the cats were inside bc of a thunderstorm.
Rain refilled the water trough for the cows.

Tuffy, cabinets look great. I need to clean mine when the power is back on.


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## zannej

To clarify, friend's grandfather can and does get to the bathroom. He used an entire box of wet wipes in a couple of days-- they weren't even his wipes. He also goes through almost an entire mega roll of toilet paper every day. He's clogged the toilet multiple times. 
Woke up today to hear discussion about it being so clogged the plunger wasn't working and feces water was splashing all over. Got all over my friend's pants. I took him to the store to get a toilet auger so he finally got it cleared.
Used the Walmart bathroom in case it wasn't going to work. My friend was supposed to be at work already but had to deal with his grandfather's literal crap. He's taking a shower now. My brother used the bathroom at a nearby store and helped the old man out to his suv while we were getting the auger.


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## slownsteady

Zanne, if you put all this in a novel, I would have a hard time believing it. But it would be an interesting read.


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## zannej

If I could get my thoughts together I'd write memoirs. Lol. 
Today I babysat my friend's mother's dog. Emptied the urine bottles & rinsed them. Cleaned the baby's bottles. Fed some kittens. Put the old man's pain patches on his shoulders. Took mom home to see Fippy. Fed and refilled water for cats and dogs. Helped my friend's fiance bleach her hair (I am terrible at stuff like that as I've never colored my hair and her hair is a lot thicker than mine and harder to lather).
Made grilled cheese sandwiches for myself and others.
Trying to get some sleep before the baby starts screaming again.


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## zannej

Got undercabinet lights for my friend's kitchen. Had to go to my house twice today to pick up tools and later drill bits. Guppy had gotten himself locked in the living room both times so it's a good thing I checked. I need to find a way to latch that door so he can't get in. It has a spring so it closes itself.
Had very little sleep bc of the baby. His mother heard him screaming for over an hour and ignored him. About 15 to 20 min in to the screaming I woke her up and said she needed to tend to the baby. She griped that the baby had been screaming all morning and refused to get up. 
My brother finally picked up the baby and put him directly on her so she would have to deal with him. She yelled and cussed, woke my friend who had been in a much needed dead sleep, and insisted my friend deal with the baby.
She had desperately wanted a baby but now she doesn't want the responsibility.


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## Rusty

zannej said:


> Got undercabinet lights for my friend's kitchen. Had to go to my house twice today to pick up tools and later drill bits. Guppy had gotten himself locked in the living room both times so it's a good thing I checked. I need to find a way to latch that door so he can't get in. It has a spring so it closes itself.
> Had very little sleep bc of the baby. His mother heard him screaming for over an hour and ignored him. About 15 to 20 min in to the screaming I woke her up and said she needed to tend to the baby. She griped that the baby had been screaming all morning and refused to get up.
> My brother finally picked up the baby and put him directly on her so she would have to deal with him. She yelled and cussed, woke my friend who had been in a much needed dead sleep, and insisted my friend deal with the baby.
> She had desperately wanted a baby but now she doesn't want the responsibility.


My granddaughter had one in high school. She gave it up to the father's parents. They are raising her. Neither my granddaughter or her boyfriend have anything to do with her. I see her a lot.


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## zannej

That should have been Fippy, not Guppy.
I can understand teen mothers having trouble with babies and being irresponsible. This girl is 23 and the baby might not even be my friend's.
Got about 7 people here using 1 bathroom. The grandfather just goes all over. He was injured on the job when he was younger. Got hit in the neck with a large chain and wad disabled. Later he was injured more in a car wreck. But he acts like he can't do anything and wakes people up to do stuff for him that he can do himself or that can wait.
I try to be nice to him. I help him get his shirt off, help him remove his shoes, leg braces, & socks. Put his pain patches on his shoulders, get him water, help him get his legs on a pillow, tuck him in to bed, empty his urine bottles, get him food, etc.
But he dropped snack wrappers, banana peels, soda cans, etc on the floor in the kitchen and bedroom so there were ants all over. He then gripes to my friend about the trash being there and ordered him to pick it up. My friend told him to shove it.
I was feeling sympathy for the old man, but he was yabbering on the phone directly next to me and saying how he hates it here and no one does anything for him or helps him.
He didn't get out of bed yet today and was wanting me to bring him food and snacks. This is after my friend told him he's not allowed to have food in the bedroom anymore.
I got a bit more rest bc it was cooler last night so I went home and stayed until after 6am. Loggers were out at 6 sharp.
My cats and dogs snuggled me and hogged my pillow all night. Lol.
Power is back for everyone in my neighborhood except us. I called & the automated outage reporting system said power was restored and had to open a new ticket to report mine is still out. I told them 3x that the lines on my pole got knocked loose and the security light is down. They didn't touch anything on my property yet.
But the way their system works, my ticket is now at the back of the queue.
At least I found some dark chocolate candies that I like. Lol.
Edited bc autocorrect sucks.
Also forgot to mention that we ditched the old short round toilet and replaced it with a chair height elongated Toto Entrada.


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## Rusty

Talked to an old buddy today, Joe Pike or as he is known in his world "thevoiceitguy". He does commercials, voice overs, cartoon characters etc. If you have ever heard the Jack Daniels bbq sauce commercial that sounds like Sam Elliott, that is Joe. He was a roofer for years until he auditioned. You can find a bunch of his stuff on line


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## zannej

Rusty said:


> Talked to an old buddy today, Joe Pike or as he is known in his world "thevoiceitguy". He does commercials, voice overs, cartoon characters etc. If you have ever heard the Jack Daniels bbq sauce commercial that sounds like Sam Elliott, that is Joe. He was a roofer for years until he auditioned. You can find a bunch of his stuff on line


Awesome!
I'll have to look those up when power is back. I'm going to start a phone campaign to remind my power company every day until it is fixed.
Meanwhile, the lights:



New toilet:


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## zannej

Finally got power back. Walked in to check on the pets & the power came on while we were there. The house is a disaster inside though. Looks like it was ransacked. I was blaming the dogs & cats at first but then two very fat raccoons showed up in the kitchen. There were drawers opened, pantry had food pulled down, boxes ripped open and dragged, dog food bags ripped & dragged, trash from outside dragged in. I couldn't figure out how or why the cats & dogs could have been *that* bad. Looks like the raccoons have been raiding the pantry and eating the cat & dog foot as well.


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## tuffy

Good to hear you got your power restored. That sucks about the racoons destroying your place while you were gone.


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## slownsteady

Raccoons are amazing. Smart little devils.


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## Flyover

Finished sawing down that tree. Was pressured by certain members of my household to borrow neighbor's chainsaw for the sake of expedience. Aside from the switch to power tools, all went exactly as planned. The branches and logs are piled up waiting to be cut and chopped. The stump will be converted to a short table we can put our Adirondack chairs around.


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## zannej

Glad it went well, Flyover.

I wish I'd had my camera ready when my little dog was barking at the raccoons. They are bigger than him and were not impressed. Then they saw me and ran. They still keep sneaking in though.

I spent a long time cleaning up. I found my mother's lost engagement ring (it had been in a little jewelry box thing that got knocked down and it had disappeared). I had to throw out the kitchen rug because it was absolutely ruined from all the stuff that oozed out of the fridge and freezer and animals using it as a toilet. Caught the dog peeing on it shortly before I tossed it out the door. I was lazy and swept a bunch of stuff out the sliding glass door. Will need to clear it later but for now it's out of the house. My main goal was to get enough of a pathway that Mom can walk through from the front door to the living room and to her bedroom. I wanted to clean more thoroughly but the lift pump crapped out this morning. Jet pump was humming trying to push water but cistern was empty. A bunch of the breakers in the box were red so my friend reset them and pressed them in and they mostly seem to be working now. My ceiling fan seems to have died- but its over 30 years old. My friend said if we can find a replacement motor for the pump he might be able to fix it.

The parquet floor is trashed. It bubbles up and when you step on it it goes down and pops up in another place. Need to find my father's diagrams with measurements of the kitchen to see how much floor needs to be replaced but it's going to be expensive. If we can't find the motor, that pump is going to be expensive too. 

Once the water comes back on I'm going to thoroughly clean the fridge and freezer out.

Meanwhile, my friend's grandfather is doing the offline version of hate-watching my friend. He drove by his house several times yesterday (after being kicked out) and today. Several days ago, my friend told him that he needed to find new living arrangements since we would be getting power back and going home so my brother wouldn't be there to help him get his wheelchair up and down the stairs. Also, my friend is not going to leave his fiance alone with his grandfather while he goes to work bc the grandfather treats her like garbage when he thinks no one is looking. He thinks women exist only to serve men. He also propositioned my friend's mother. There's a 20yr old male friend of theirs that has been coming over and visiting & he has helped with the wheelchair a few times. He's a good kid. Loves babies and had to take care of his younger siblings so he helps out with holding & feeding the baby so the mother can eat, go to the bathroom, and take showers. Another factor about the grandfather is that he saturated the carpet & mattress with urine, wiped his butt with one of their towels (and the crap did not come out in the wash), & left snack wrappers all over so the place was crawling with ants. After being told he wasn't allowed to have food in there, he kept eating in there and leaving wrappers and plates on the floor. He also kept pestering everyone around wanting them to cook for him without actually asking. Saying things like "When are we having those hot dogs?" Me: "What hot dogs? I don't know. I don't eat hot dogs. I don't like them." then he was asking my brother "When am I going to get some eggs & bacon?" & stuff like that. Anyway, when we got power back, my friend told his grandfather it was time to go find someplace else since he couldn't get the wheelchair down the steps without help & he wasn't going to leave his fiance to care for the old man AND the baby by herself. The old man started trash-talking the fiance, trashtalking my friend. The fiance stepped in and told the old man to leave my friend alone. Old man then swore at her and called her trash & told her it wasn't her house so she should shut up. My friend told him not to talk to her like that. Old man shouted that it was my friend's mother's house & they didn't get to tell him to get out. My friend bit his tongue and didn't mention that it's not his mom's house for too much longer. She doesn't know it, but since he is paying the taxes and she hasn't paid taxes on it in years, in 3 more years the house will be his. And his name is already on it so he co-owns it. But neither she nor the grandfather know that. The house was supposed to be left to my friend-- it was what his grandmother wanted, but his mother went in and claimed it bc my friend was a minor at the time the grandmother died.
I digressed... The grandfather insisted that they have the 20yr old move in with them to take care of him. He's never even had a conversation with this kid and wanted him to be his caregiver. Kid was in the next room saying "WTF?" It escalated & the grandfather suggested the fiance was going to cheat on my friend with the 20yr old & my friend broke a closet door & told the old man to GTFO.
The grandfather then got dressed by himself and put his ankle braces on by himself (something he's claimed he couldn't do in the past and has called my friend at 6am demanding he come over and put them on for him), got his shoes on, and left. But he keeps driving by the house and staring. He also likes to drive by where my friend works. When he worked at Autzone and O'Reilly's the grandfather would actually go inside & demand my friend stop what he was doing, leave work, and come do something for him. He tried it at the casino a few times too, but it's a longer drive. He's obsessed with my friend and stalks him. 
My friend said the old man can still come over for dinner, but he can't spend the night & nobody in his house is going to be the grandfather's servant.

Oh, I almost forgot: After all the cleaning I went back and packed up all of the stuff Mom had at my friend's house and brought her and her stuff home. My brother helped with unloading thankfully bc my back was killing me. She's using her computer right now. I'm sure she will gripe that I didn't do enough cleaning. Some of the lights weren't working so I couldn't see (the ones my friend had to fix the breakers on).


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## zannej

Raccoons are still wrecking the place and stealing stuff. All of my silicone utensils for cooking have gone missing. I think they even stole some of my tools. I wish I knew where their nest was so I could find my stuff. Sometimes they drop things outside so I will have to look around.
My friend's fiance got hired back at the casino. He will be working evening hours while she works morning but she wants him to quit his job & take care of the baby full time bc she doesn't want to have to watch the baby. She won't make enough money to support them & there are high chances she'll quit or lose the job. She's really desperate to get out of mothering responsibilities. She yells at the baby when he cries.

I got up early (I couldn't sleep last night) to go pick up my friend. We'd agreed upon 7am but he wasn't awake. At 7:30 I poked my head in and told him I was there. He mumbled something. I sat on the couch & waited. Around 8:40 his fiance went and told him to get his *** up. He'd been too tired to realize I was there. He thought it was the first time it had happened-- more like the 3rd. LOL. Sometimes he has a hard time waking up & I wanted him to be awake. Went to the hardware store to get a 2nd pipe wrench (since both of ours have gone missing). Hardware store wanted $54 for a wrench. So we went to Tractor Supply & found a really nice one for $15. He got the new motor on, hooked it up to the wiring, I cut power on: nothing. I figured it must be the wiring. Ran back into town & he grabbed some spare wiring he had left over from something. Brought it back & ran the new wire. Bingo! The float did stick at an odd angle so it didn't raise the lever so I had to go move it, but other than that, it is working fine. I just turned on the water heater & am waiting for the water to get hot so I can start washing dishes. Although, there's a ton of dishes on the floor bc of raccoons knocking things out of cabinets.

My aunt (my mom's youngest sister) was so worried about the raccoons she started calling around & trying to find a pest control that would try to catch them. She listed some & I told her I knew they only did bugs & not raccoons. She confirmed that & said someone told her the late veterinarian's son might do it. We know him so we will reach out. My mother also agreed to let my aunt find a contractor to come do some work-- although mom gave a timeline of one week to get the place cleaned up enough-- but it will take a lot longer bc I will be doing most of it by myself & I'm still sore from the cleaning the other day. I will have to see if I can get Mitch to help. He might be able to motivate my brother to help.


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## zannej

Guess who had a surprise major leak in water supply lines for the kitchen sink? It was spraying so hard it was pouring out under the house & I thought there was a broken line under there. Didn't realize until later it was inside. Managed to shut it off for now but back wasn't cooperating enough to pull stuff out and get towels in there. Gonna bring a dehumidifier in after sopping it up & wringing everything out & then hit it with Killz when it's dry. Will need new supply lines obviously. I'm too fat to fit in there so my friend said he'd do it.


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## slownsteady

Hang in there Zanne. :lil guy:  :lil guy:


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## zannej

Thanks. It gets frustrating. And now one of my aunts is really pressuring my mom to just ditch everything, get rid of our cats, and move. I have a lot of memories here. My father built a lot of things here and my cats are my babies. There is also a lot of pressure on me to be the one to get everything cleaned up & I'm feeling overwhelmed bc my brother doesn't want to help so I'll be stuck doing it alone & physically it's getting harder for me. My body doesn't cooperate with me anymore. I get winded far too easily. I forgot to take my meds for several days & that's not helping.

My friend has been busy so he hasn't had a chance to come out & help. He's got a toilet leak though. He said there's a 2x4 on the back wall that is keeping the toilet from sitting as far back as it should be able to-- it's a 12" rough-in & the 2x4 makes it 11-1/2" or so. I think a 1x4 could replace it & not interfere with how the toilet sits.

Having trouble with the water pressure in the sink since I had to shut off the cold water. Plus raccoons dumped out all of the dish detergent so I need to go buy more.

I know that once I get stuff done I'll feel better, but right now it's stressful. I have to keep reminding myself we still have a roof over our heads & can replace things that got ruined by raccoons.

On the upside, I discovered that my dog Princess understands the word "cuddle". I asked her to come cuddle with me so she ran over to cuddle me.


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## zannej

Got the fridge & freezer cleaned up enough to start stocking up on food again. Had to sit on the floor and lean in to clean the very bottom of the fridge. Brother helped. I pulled the shelves/drawers, scrubbed them, handed them to him to dry & put back. He scrubbed the outside of the fridge as well as the seal and insides up higher. Freezer was cleaner than I expected up higher. Can't get the shelves to come out & couldn't get the very bottom shelf out to clean under it-- they are wire shelves. Still need to do more cleaning of the door shelves. Store was out of a ton of stuff. Now I need to find what the raccoons did with our cooking utensils & see if I can locate the frying pans.

I'm hoping he'll help me with more stuff in the kitchen. It goes much faster when we work as a team.

There were two raccoons in the pantry earlier. Tricked the dog into running outside & my brother got the other two raccoons out of the pantry with a grabber arm.

Mom lost her balance (due to an inner ear problem) and fell on top of a soft laundry basket. She kind of laughed about it & said it broke her fall. We both hollered for my brother bc I couldn't get around her to get behind her to pick her up. I ended up using the phone's intercom & held it up wanting her to say "I've fallen & I can't get up". Instead she said "HELP! I fell down!" I heard him typing on his computer and then trying to get up. He picked her up from behind and I stood in front to catch her if she started to fall again and helped her get to her bed. She didn't seem hurt though.
Today we need to go to the bank, drop off Mom's mail-in-ballot, & get more groceries.

I wish the replacing of groceries was tax deductible.


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## zannej

Mom slept in and didn't feel like going anywhere yesterday. So we went today, which was serendipitous because it turns out it was the day they were drilling out the locks on the safety deposit boxes. They were supposed to call when they were doing it so Mom could go collect her stuff. They were opening boxes & taking inventory. They said they've found some creepy stuff in there before. I thought we'd cleaned ours out mostly, but it turns out we had quite a bit of stuff. They gave us a cardboard box that somewhat fit the stuff. I then went and bought a plastic bin for it. My dad had a commemorative Border Patrol gun in a wooden box. I decided not to open the box in the bank. I'll need to find a good place to store the stuff for now & also see if Barksdale has safety deposit boxes. 

Tomorrow I'm hoping to take Mom to go get her military ID renewed. She also needs me to take her to our power company's main office so she can change her billing preferences. She tried it over the phone & they told her she had to make changes in person. Which is utter BS. She needs to change everything over from that bank (bc the branch is closing so it will no longer be accessible in person) & that bank sucks anyway. Not sure what is happening with the building.

Thursday I need to take my friend to City Hall to contest their claim to ownership of his house. His mom said they told him they still have the title & that they own it (I'm guessing she tried to get the title so she could use it to manipulate him). I was with him when he paid the taxes & I had him record the conversation where they said the taxes were paid & the house is now at least partway under his name. I had him take a photo of his receipt just in case something happened to the paper copy (but he put his paper copy in a special waterproof folder).

His fiance got rejected for employment bc she has a pending misdemeanor case against her that won't be resolved until December but she's so desperate to get away from watching her baby that she's trying to find another job farther away (she seems to want far away jobs so she can't be called home in a rush so someone else will have to take care of her baby). Oddly enough, she's wanting to do a babysitting job for older kids and thinks it will be easy. The demands of the parent seem unreasonable though- and the pay is far too low.

My aunt is trying to help my Mom figure out some financial stuff. She made a spreadsheet involving the finances (but she thinks my Mom gets more $ than she actually does). She wants her to hire contractors to do some work. She's alarmed at how much stuff needs to be fixed & hasn't been fixed yet. 

Meanwhile, I need to clean the pantry *again* bc of the damn raccoons. Maybe Thursday I can get my friend to come over and help me sort through & get rid of expired stuff.

My brother started his "practicum" for his teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) certification. He said the instructor he's shadowing is very nice & is going to give him some teaching experience as well as observation. He has to do 20 hours of observation & I forget how many of teaching. He just had his first day & it was eventful. There was a sad misstep of sorts when they were asking a foreign woman about an earthquake. Turns out during that earthquake she watched her best friend die (house collapsed on her). On the funnier side, there was a Vietnamese woman who couldn't differentiate between "feed the cat" and "eat the cat".


----------



## NeilG

Lately, my back has been really messed up. Can hardly walk or stand. Oddly, I can ride my bike. But what I DID, is, with the help of a good dose of Lorazepam and my wife literally holding my hand, got through an MRI! I am extremely claustrophobic and this is my third try to have one done. Woo-hoo! Hope it's something they can fix easily. Stay safe and healthy, friends.


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## zannej

Sorry to hear that, NeilG. Glad you got through the MRI.
I hope they can find a good treatment for you.
Today I slept in. I really need to get my hours straightened out. I keep being awake at night but sleeping during the day.


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## NeilG

zannej said:


> Sorry to hear that, NeilG. Glad you got through the MRI.
> I hope they can find a good treatment for you.
> Today I slept in. I really need to get my hours straightened out. I keep being awake at night but sleeping during the day.


I hear you. Good sleep is not easy to come by for a lot of people these days.


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## slownsteady

zannej said:


> My dad had a commemorative Border Patrol gun in a wooden box. I decided not to open the box in the bank.



...good idea!




zannej said:


> On the funnier side, there was a Vietnamese woman who couldn't differentiate between "feed the cat" and "eat the cat".


----------



## zannej

I even said something to the people who were opening the boxes that I thought it would be best to NOT open up a gun there & they said "Oh yes, please don't." I could tell they tensed up when Mom said there was a gun in the box, but I said we'd wait until we got home to open it & the bank people appreciated it.

I ended up staying home & doing nothing but some very light cleaning today. My aunt called again, she keeps trying to say it would be cheaper to just dump the place as-is & try to move. But we still need to do cleanup before we can even pack & my mom and I are both semi-hoarders. My aunt is saying we should get rid of all my dad's old tools and stuff but I really really don't want to. The more they talk about moving the more I realize I don't actually want to move, but I recognize that we can't stay here forever. It will be too difficult to maintain. But it will be hard to find a place where we can bring all the cats and the cows. I think we can stay here a few more years if we get the place fixed up though, but my aunt is really pushing for us to move & it's stressing me out. She wants to come help clean but last time we had people come help it was really stressful. I don't like other people touching my stuff.

I know my aunt means well, but I wish she would back off a little.

I'm waiting to hear from my friend on when he wants to go to City Hall today, and I need to get the inspection sticker renewed on the CR-V.


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## zannej

I cleaned some counters, tried to get the water supply line fixed but they only had one hose the right size. We have a 3/4" PVC pipe with a 1/2" PVC nipple (looks like large threads). Old hose fit fine & old nipple/coupling was deteriorating. Got a 1/2"x1/2" faucet supply hose but it wasn't grabbing the old coupling-- kept crossthreading. So, I got another new one (they didn't have any brass ones so I got stuck with PVC) & it still wouldn't grab. Either the hose is backwards & one side can grab more than the other or I just need a different hose. I priced out the couplings vs the hoses & hose was half the price. The one I saw at Lowes online has more threads so it looks like it could grab. Current one is too shallow & can't grab more than the very first thread & then goes crooked. It was the only hose they had at the store though.
I suppose I can keep it for another purpose & see if it fits anywhere else. I will see if my friend can try flipping the hose around (I'm too fat & my arms are too short to reach up inside to disconnect the hose from the sprayer).
He talked to the tax lady at City Hall and the good news is the City doesn't own the house but the bad news is bc he mentioned his mom's name when he paid the taxes on it, it's still in her name but "care of" in his name. She can still try to sell it out from under him or put it up as collateral to bail one of her boyfriends out of prison. My friend has already had to pay bail for more than one of her boyfriends when she put the house up as collateral while he was living there. They said the only way to get the house in his name is if she donates it to him. He said he'd be fine with her putting his sisters on the deed too, but he doubts she'll give up the one piece of property she owns (even though it was supposed to go to him according to his grandmother's will). She can still continue to manipulate him by threatening to kick him out. Tax lady said it sucked & was sympathetic. She didn't think it was right. I'd say he should get a lawyer and try to get something set up to prevent her from pulling that bs with him, but it would probably cost more than trying to get his own house at this point.
He got paid by the insurance company for his grandfather staying there & it will almost cover the cost of a new bed, carpet, and carpet pad. Apparently his grandfather was told that the payment had been made bc he was calling my friend up and demanding to be given half of the $. My friend called the insurance company to confirm that it was all intended to go to him & not his grandfather as they were paying him for having taken care of his grandfather for those days. The grandfather somehow thought he was entitled to getting some of the $ even though my friend is still needs to replace stuff he damaged. I don't get how someone can be so selfish & greedy. He's now single and has no dependents, his insurance covers his medicines & doctor visits- he gets compensated for gas for going (but often tries to get other people to take him without paying them for gas), & has multiple sources of income. He got a good deal off his workman's comp for the injury. He owns several rental properties. Meanwhile, my friend has 2 kids, a fiance, his mom, & his ex to support & barely makes ends meet. He hung up and blocked his grandfather's number again after the grandfather demanded $ from him.
I forgot to mention that I installed the latch on the pantry to keep the raccoons out.


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## havasu

I believe your threads are all wrong. You probably need an adaptor in order to use the PVC threaded fittings.


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## hammondbryan445

Doing a cabinet install and going out to eat with my son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby.


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## zannej

Havasu, I can tell the threads on the hose don't fit the coupling/adapter. The old setup worked and strangely, the new hose looked the same as the old one, but the threads just weren't right. I priced it out & the replacement hose is much cheaper than trying to find the right adapter. This is something I will need to keep in mind when I put in the sink in the guest bathroom. I need to make sure I know the pipe sizes & such.

Went to the post office, grabbed groceries, & visited my friend. He's stressed bc his grandfather owes him $50. The grandfather doesn't have a checking account & AllState would only put $ in a bank with a checking account so they had to use my friend's account. They sent $300 for him to give to his grandfather. He withdrew it & gave it to his grandfather but it turned out it was a mistake so they did a chargeback which put my friend's account in the red. He was hit with overdraft fees. They then later sent $250 back & my friend managed to get the overdraft fees removed bc it was the insurance company's fault. But his grandfather still owes him the $50. But, his grandfather is mouthing off all around town saying my friend owes him $ and is refusing to give him his insurance money so my friend is getting grief from family members when it's the other way around. His oldest uncle told him what the younger uncle was saying about him but my friend explained it and the uncle agreed that the grandfather is a jerk. But the youngest one will continue to spread crap about my friend bc he wanted the money-- he constantly steals from the old man. He hates him, but only wants his $ and is trying to get him to write everyone else out of the will and leave it all to him. The grandfather drove by and laid on the horn until my friend went out there to tell him to knock it off (it woke the baby up & made the baby start crying) and then the old man was demanding $ from him. He told the old man that he's the one who's owed money but the old man kept insisting so my friend told him to piss off and not come back. Then he got into an argument w/ his fiance bc the fiance keeps screaming & yelling at the baby when the baby wants food, a diaper change, or attention. She will hear the baby crying & cover her head with the pillow and let him scream for hours & refuse to do anything.

I found some Quaker apple cinnamon rice cakes & they are pretty good. Ate one & then helped give the dogs their heartworm & flea medicines. Princess did not want to take hers. No matter what we put the pills in she kept eating the stuff around and spitting them out. I finally crushed them up and mixed them in. I had to grab her and cram the heartworm one down her throat to get her to swallow it.

Picked up my cereal from my friend's house. 

Gonna nap before I do some more cleaning.


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## neiljulich85

Today I'm quarantining. COVID scare. Getting tested.


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## piper27

neiljulich85 said:


> Today I'm quarantining. COVID scare. Getting tested.


Wishing you the best


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## Spicoli43

neiljulich85 said:


> Today I'm quarantining. COVID scare. Getting tested.


Good Luck. Inhale Vitamin C, insane amounts.


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## harlanjohnston7

Did some work for family. Played Among Us. Today was a good day.


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## slownsteady

Who is that guy and where is the data????? A couple of anecdotes isn't data....and certainly not proof.


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## Flyover

My wife and I were in the hospital last Wednesday through Friday as our third child was born. Meanwhile the in-laws came down and stayed in our house to watch our two other kids. My in-laws are sweet, kind, generous people. They'll buy our kids anything they want (or us anything we need) at the drop of a hat because they're those type of people; gift-giving is their love language. I fully appreciate everything they've done and continue to do for us, and feel humbled and grateful for it. Plus, they're fun and gracious and loving. They've welcomed me into their hearts and their family even though I imagine I can be hard to handle sometimes and I'm probably not what they imagined they'd have as a son-in-law anyway. And I have to say, my wife's whole extended family is the same way.

The flip side to this is consumerism and waste. My wife and I came home with the baby on Friday and my fridge and cabinets were full of candy and junk food (we had prepared several days' worth of healthy delicious food for our kids before we left, all of which went untouched). The kids had spent basically the whole time just watching TV (we usually only let them watch 1-2 hours per day) and told us they'd only gone outside once. Toys and lawn chairs were strewn around so I couldn't pull into the garage. One of my kids' toys was in the middle of the street. My outside trash can was full of kitchen trash bags, and it looked like each bag was stuffed with paper plates and food wrappers and god-only-knows what else. Normally after 3 days our kitchen trash can is only halfway full, but in that same time period they managed to fill like half a dozen of those bags. The dishwasher looked and smelled like it hadn't been run at all. The countertop compost bin hadn't been emptied and there were not only mold and flies but actual larvae wriggling around in it. I found bits of food in my bedroom where my father-in-law had apparently spent most of his visit cloistered away staring at his tablet and eating candy.

And, my father-in-law has the Midas touch, by which I mean he breaks everything. He didn't understand how to work the shower and somehow he managed to yank the handle around 180˚ in such a way that hot and cold were still on the same sides as before but the handle was now upside down, and loose and jiggly. The shower door was loose too so that it didn't close right. Today I figured out he'd loosened one of the screws securing the hinge, so I tried to tighten it and it just wouldn't bite. My wife says it's worse now. And, within a few hours of visiting I can always count on my mother-in-law to text me asking for the wi-fi password because she's so addicted to her phone that's as long as she can go without wi-fi. This time neither me nor my wife responded to that text from her, to see what would happen. I guess she used her data.

OK, I just had to vent all that. I really do love and appreciate my in-laws, and I don't know what I'd do without them.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> The countertop compost bin hadn't been emptied and there were not only mold and flies but actual larvae wriggling around in it.



In 2 days?


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## Flyover

It had been overdue to get taken out when we left...I guess that one was on us.


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## zannej

Flyover, I know people like that. They mean well, but they somehow don't know how things work. I bet your father-in-law leaned on stuff or used it for support somehow to get shower handle and door loose. I'm glad you prefaced it with them being generous & it seems like none of the damage was intentional. The junk food & mess sounds like my best friend's fiance.

We are still using paper plates right now bc I still haven't gotten the kitchen cleaned up enough (as I've been working alone). Once my brother was able to put stuff in the fridge & freezer, any assistance ended. He will gripe up a storm about stuff on the floor but he won't pick it up & my back doesn't like me. I passed a kidney stone earlier & that left me exhausted. My Mom was starting to get pissy with me over nothing. Tomorrow (technically today since it's after midnight) is my birthday but I'm hoping she won't remember bc for some reason she is always a raging biyatch to me on my birthday. I think the only people who will remember are ones who get FB reminders. I intend to sleep as much as I can, but Mom wants me to make her shepherd's pie so I'll probably end up having to clean up & cater to her and she wants me to go get mail so I'll have to go do that.

I'm debating whether I should focus on the living room or the kitchen tomorrow. Living room would be easier but kitchen is more urgent, but I'm tired & feeling a little overwhelmed with having to clean with no help again. If my brother would just hold a bag open for me it would help, but he refuses to even do that-- even when I'm cleaning up his stuff.

Looks like I'm venting as well. LOL.

At least my kitties are snuggling me.

Yesterday (technically the day before) I took Mom to drop off her mail-in-ballot, picked up the new hose for the sink (but my friend hasn't replied to any of my messages so I think he needs some time to relax) & took Mom to the grocery store so she could pick out some new pajamas & some food from a larger store. Found some frozen meals she likes so she's happy.


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## slownsteady

Hey flyover....maybe it was raccoons :lil guy:


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## slownsteady

Congrats on the baby (BTW). Thought you snuck that one by us, didja?


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## Rusty

An old buddy of mine who was a roofer for years does both voices,


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> My wife and I were in the hospital last Wednesday through Friday as our third child was born. Meanwhile the in-laws came down and stayed in our house to watch our two other kids. My in-laws are sweet, kind, generous people. They'll buy our kids anything they want (or us anything we need) at the drop of a hat because they're those type of people; gift-giving is their love language. I fully appreciate everything they've done and continue to do for us, and feel humbled and grateful for it. Plus, they're fun and gracious and loving. They've welcomed me into their hearts and their family even though I imagine I can be hard to handle sometimes and I'm probably not what they imagined they'd have as a son-in-law anyway. And I have to say, my wife's whole extended family is the same way.
> 
> The flip side to this is consumerism and waste. My wife and I came home with the baby on Friday and my fridge and cabinets were full of candy and junk food (we had prepared several days' worth of healthy delicious food for our kids before we left, all of which went untouched). The kids had spent basically the whole time just watching TV (we usually only let them watch 1-2 hours per day) and told us they'd only gone outside once. Toys and lawn chairs were strewn around so I couldn't pull into the garage. One of my kids' toys was in the middle of the street. My outside trash can was full of kitchen trash bags, and it looked like each bag was stuffed with paper plates and food wrappers and god-only-knows what else. Normally after 3 days our kitchen trash can is only halfway full, but in that same time period they managed to fill like half a dozen of those bags. The dishwasher looked and smelled like it hadn't been run at all. The countertop compost bin hadn't been emptied and there were not only mold and flies but actual larvae wriggling around in it. I found bits of food in my bedroom where my father-in-law had apparently spent most of his visit cloistered away staring at his tablet and eating candy.
> 
> And, my father-in-law has the Midas touch, by which I mean he breaks everything. He didn't understand how to work the shower and somehow he managed to yank the handle around 180˚ in such a way that hot and cold were still on the same sides as before but the handle was now upside down, and loose and jiggly. The shower door was loose too so that it didn't close right. Today I figured out he'd loosened one of the screws securing the hinge, so I tried to tighten it and it just wouldn't bite. My wife says it's worse now. And, within a few hours of visiting I can always count on my mother-in-law to text me asking for the wi-fi password because she's so addicted to her phone that's as long as she can go without wi-fi. This time neither me nor my wife responded to that text from her, to see what would happen. I guess she used her data.
> 
> OK, I just had to vent all that. I really do love and appreciate my in-laws, and I don't know what I'd do without them.


Congratulations to the FLYOVER FAMILY!


----------



## wadebronson70

I built a playset for my grandbaby.


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## Flyover

Thanks everyone. Yeah, I tried to slip it by... Just doing my part to offset all the smart/handsome people having kids!


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## zannej

Got mandatory evacuation notice for my parish. I'm hoping the storm will peter out before it gets to us. We will likely lose power. We're above the flood plane so winds are the highest risk. If I don't post for awhile it's bc I'm without power/computer. I'm really hoping they are wrong about their predictions for this storm.


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## zannej

Tried to convince mom to evacuate but she refused up until it was too late. Roads are already too flooded. Friends in town decided not to evacuate either bc they weren't about to take a new baby on a bus full of people who think Covid is a hoax. They didn't have enough gas to get further north & hotels have tripled their prices. The loggers filled in the ditches on our roads to get to the trees and didn't dig them back out so the roads & the roads were flooding before the storm from recent rains. Now they aren't safe to drive on to get out. I posted on social media about it and a local senatorial candidate's manager reached out to me, gave me her personal contact info, & said she will send aid if we get stranded again & need help. Hopefully we can get a generator running this time, but not sure how much gas we will have. We do have coolers & ice packs if we can't get it running. Storm is supposed to hit around 3 or 4pm.


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## tuffy

Stay safe zannej. hope you can use your generator running.


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## bthomas76

Been laid up because of a recent knee surgery, so I'm binge watching Dexter.


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## zannej

Thanks, tuffy.

bthomas, I hope your knee heals quickly. 

Last night I made dinner to get all of the hamburger meat cooked. My version of shepherd's pie-- potatoes, hamburger meat, garlic salt, & velveeta cheese. Mom wasn't feeling well so she only ate a little & my brother ate 3/4 of it. I wasn't all that hungry either though.
Raccoons kept getting in & trying to hide behind drawers to hunker down. We tried to barricade the door once all the cats & dogs were in, but the raccoons kept getting in & messing with stuff. They ate all of the MREs.

This morning I got up early & moved the generator that my brother left outside into the shed. Mofo was heavy. My brother was supposed to help me, but he wouldn't get up. I did get his help later on to get a sheet of plywood from the workshop (thought we had more but only had the one) to put up over the sliding glass door. Had obstacles in the way so couldn't fit it where I wanted it to go, broke a drill bit, & but there is at least some sort of barrier there now. I have my bedroom door open so my cats will come in rather than going outside, but a couple of the cats slipped out. I will need to call them in before the storm hits.

It was supposed to hit around 2 to 3pm but it slowed down, went back to category 2, & is expected around 6 or 7pm now. But it's been raining since yesterday, internet has already gone out a few times, & power is starting to flicker a bit. As annoying as the raccoons are, I hope they can seek shelter under the house or something.

I'm really hoping the storm will downgrade to tropical storm status before hitting & that we won't have power out for too long. The campaign manager for a senate candidate from one district over reached out to me & gave me her personal contact info. Said if we need help to call her & she can have some people come and cut trees off the road & assist us. She also offered to loan us a generator if need be & bring food/supplies. I'm hoping it will be cooler than it was when the other hurricane hit bc I can handle no AC if it isn't hot.

Meanwhile, my friend in town didn't evacuate bc he didn't want to risk taking his one month old baby on a bus full of strangers who might be sick, he didn't have enough gas to get very far, traffic was a nightmare, he was convinced the storm would follow him, & when he tried to book a hotel they had tripled the prices. The shelters where people are being taken is within the hurricane path.

I really feel for the people in Lake Charles though. They got hit hard & still hadn't recovered from hurricane Laura. Some chemical plant got wrecked & released deadly toxic chemicals all over the area. This storm could spread that stuff even more. Many people can't go back home bc it's not safe due to the chemicals.


----------



## zannej

Made it through the storm. Several neighbors also got stranded bc of floods.
Power went out around 5pm and has been out since. Power pole went down across the flooded road so we were stuck but apparently someone chopped the pole up. Fireman went door to door checking on everyone. Said he was able to get over all the water and the grounding wire for the pole-which is stretched over the riload like a tripwire. One of our nice neighbors posted video of himself chest high in water so fireman was going to see if he needed help. Funny that they sent someone for people when it was mandatory evacuation but not when there was no evacuation order.
Power is still out in town buy one gricer store has a generator so they were open. Bought some ice.
Not as hot as after Laura thankfully, but the mosquitoes are everywhere. Frogs are around too so they have been singing. I hope that they get a lot of the mosquitoes.
Friend hooked up.the generator but a breaker on the pole blew so no go. He will troubleshoot later. He's aggravated bc his grandfather drove up and laid on the horn 10x before we got over and did it another 4x while we were there. He wishes he could get into witness protection at this point to get away from the moochers and stalkers. Lol.
Friend told him to never come by again. 20 min later the old man was there laying on the horn and hollering my friend's name.
Cops won't do a stay away order.
Hoping we won't wait 3 weeks to get power back again.


----------



## zannej

Finally got ahold of a live person at the power company. Told them where the downed pole was and let them know my elderly disabled mother is I'll and can't leave the house so we need power back ASAP. They did not care.
My friend had huge drama with his fiance yesterday. It's not official but the engagement is off. She's refusing to take her meds for anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Doctor on the phone said if she keeps refusing, he can have her committed as she is prone to violent outbursts and might harm the baby.


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## Rusty

Hey Zanni, if you live in one of the six southern parishes. call 1 888 blu roof and they will tarp your roof.


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## zannej

My house roof is fine. The shed for the well pump has some holes. I need to replace the she's anyway. At my friends house now waiting on a package delivery.


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## zannej

Got up early & cleared out ruined stuff from the freezer. Scrubbed the freezer inside & out. Figured out how to remove & put back shelves, got stuff I missed last time I cleaned in a rush when it was hot. Also finished cleaning out the fridge (mostly). I still need to rinse out the icemaker cutter thingy. I couldn't wipe it out like the rest of the stuff bc I need to spray it with water. Need to soak the tray that goes under it as well.
They put up a new pole this morning & we got home this evening (went to hang out with friends & eat). Power is now back on but landline is still out.

One of the places we went to grab take-out from, I kvetched about losing everything in my fridge & the smiling clerk told me she lost her entire house bc it was in one of the lower areas where it flooded. There I was worrying about losing some food & she's homeless. Homeless & still going to work & acting like nothing is wrong. I felt awful for her. So many people lost their homes. A few years back we had the worst flood in 20 years. I was here for both floods & they sucked, but this flood was worse than both of them. The water still hasn't receded around the river & houses are still underwater.

My late friend's house flooded as well.

I'm trying to plan out how to fix the wiring up for my pump shed. I couldn't quite trace the source of the power. I saw an outlet & light in the generator shed & a cable going out the back of the shed. I followed it & it wrapped around the side of the shed & looped back to the junction box I replaced. One cable went in but two came out. First one went to a GFCI outlet on the lean-to & then to a light. Second one goes into the pump shed to a non GFCI outlet. I'm trying to remember the order, but I think the cable for the float switch comes out of the adjacent junction box that is inches away from the outlet box. I think the purpose of the outlet box is to have more room for the wires as the ones for the pump are larger gauge. From the box a cable goes to the float switch and two separate cables go out from there to the piston pump and the jet pump (it's possible one orange cable goes directly to the jet pump from box but I have to go look in the daylight). From the inside junction box, a cable runs a few feet to another non-GFCI outlet. There are all sorts of defunct cables that are no longer connected & it's an ugly mess in there.

I want to streamline it and make sure I have the right sort of cable for a wet environment, right gauge, & streamline it so I don't have so many junctions. I also want to replace the two outlets with GFCI. I think it's just a good idea to have semi-outdoor ones in a wet area be GFCI.

I forgot to take a picture of the junction box I replaced, but I have the GFCI outlet that it links to as well as the lamp.


Then inside there's the outlet & another box gray cable is one going in from the outside. Yellow goes to junction box. Orange comes out of junction box to switch and the jet pump as far as I can tell. Black tape is the T-Rex tape I used to patch the roof.


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## Rusty

That wiring looks confusing.


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## zannej

There's a lot of stuff in there that is no longer in use but it never got removed. I want to turn off the breaker & pull out all the older stuff so it's no longer in the way & causing confusion about what goes where.
Power went out again around noon but came back on a little over an hour later.
My body aches from cleaning yesterday (and sitting on a hard cooler to reach into the fridge/freezer). My bronchial tubes feel like garbage from breathing the damp air from before the power was back on.
I want to curl up and sleep but my brain isn't letting me rest. I know I need to go get more groceries but I'm worried about more outages. I think it was a maintenance outage bc I was told the entire town to the south of us lost power too.
Tomorrow I hope to get up early so I can go vote (early voting starts tat 8am). I'm hoping there won't be a lot of people there.
I'm going to have to use the internet to call in a repair order from AT&T bc landline is still out. With as much as they are charging for it, I should get $ back for it being out. They need to improve their system so it doesn't go out when the water gets high in some areas bc it happens constantly.
I need to figure out what gauge wire is in that shed. I know we have one piece of 8/2 w/ ground to go to the piston pump but I think the rest is either 10 or 12. I suppose I could figure it out with a wire stripper...  The good news is, my connection in the junction box seems ok so we might not need to take it apart & trim stuff up.
Should I replace the blue boxes with waterproof outdoor rated ones or is it not worth the expense?


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## billshack

I noticed water at the bottom of the frig for several day now. I would take a towel and soak it up. but now i realized something is wrong. I suspect that the drainage line from the evaporator is blocked with ice. So i used my wife's hair dryer and warmed it up. I also went down to the bottom of the frig where there is an evaporation pan. which i cleaned. when i was down there i noticed all of this black dust bunnies. so i went and got my shop vac and sucked all that i could see. My shop vac is a good rigid one with suction and blow.   so i said lets see what happens if i put it on blow. Incredible all this black duct bunnies can out. I mean like two gallons worth .  Give this a try at your house but be ready for a lot of dirt and duct.


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## zannej

I think I could probably get a large human-sized pile if I collected up all the dust bunnies in my house.


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## zannej

@Rusty My governor just posted a link & mention of the Blue Roof thing & told people how much time they had to call in to get their roofs tarped.
The good news is, while my bro & I were at the grocery store Mom called to say that the storm turned east & won't be hitting us now. I hope it doesn't change again. This changed our shopping plans so we got more cold stuff.

Btw, has anyone heard from Gary? It's been a long time since he's posted & I'm still worried about him & his wife.


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## oldognewtrick

zannej said:


> @Rusty My governor just posted a link & mention of the Blue Roof thing & told people how much time they had to call in to get their roofs tarped.
> The good news is, while my bro & I were at the grocery store Mom called to say that the storm turned east & won't be hitting us now. I hope it doesn't change again. This changed our shopping plans so we got more cold stuff.
> 
> Btw, has anyone heard from Gary? It's been a long time since he's posted & I'm still worried about him & his wife.


I think we pissed him off when he said his wife was going through all the tests and our arm chair quarterbacking didn't help. I sent him a private message a month or two ago, he hasn't replied. I sure hope the DR figured out a treatment and I hope he finds his way back someday.


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## zannej

I don't know if he was pissed off so much as frustrated with the whole situation & feeling helpless. He was doing all he could & while he did express frustration, I think it was more out of stress than anything else. I do hope everything turned out OK. I'm worried that it didn't & he couldn't bring himself to post anymore or that something happened to him. Crossing my fingers & hoping he'll come back with good news some day.

Meanwhile, I had a lazy day. Had bad abdominal cramping that went all the way through upper & lower in waves that was not very fun at all. Had to take a Naproxyn for the first time in weeks. Cooked for Mom, played online games with my brother, and messed around with some of my sketches in MSPaint. My guest bathroom sketch was bugging me bc I did the tub all wrong in terms of perspective, so I fixed it. Probably still not great, but it's an improvement. Changed some of the decor a bit. I was going to take the mirror that came with the vanity for the guest bathroom to put in my own bathroom but I decided it wouldn't look right so I am making my own mirror for my bathroom & will put the other one with it's vanity. It has a little shelf on the bottom. I will need to fix a crack in the wood (when I was attaching the shelf, the wood inside one of the bullseye rosettes cracked) on the mirror, but it should be otherwise fine. I will put the medicine cabinet on the opposite wall & have a little shaving station for my brother-- outlet up high & a shelf for his shaver and a wastbasket below to catch the hair. That way he won't be shaving hair off into the sink. Right now he uses a small mirror on the inside door of a storage cabinet in Mom's bathroom.

Given the measurements, I've also determined that there probably won't be room for little shelves on either side of the toilet beneath the space saver (but I will have to see when we actually get to the placing fixtures part). I changed the drawing of the toilet to look more like the one we will put in (with the tank that has angled sides) & added a TP holder with small shelf. I changed the vanity light to 2 bulbs bc that is what we bought for the room (on clearance).
First pic is the original with just the tub fixed (before I had it narrower at the front/closer part & wider at the back).
2nd is the updates.


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## Rusty

Cutting up a tree with a chainsaw. I think I am too old to be doing that.


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## zannej

Took mom for a doctor's appointment, picked up her RXs at the pharmacy, shopped for groceries (with Mom in the riding cart). Spent awhile looking for her bc she zipped off when I went to call my brother to let him know the power company was allegedly sending someone out to do a repair but they never showed up. Lady on the phone gave me attitude. I told her I had reported the security light out over 3x and the last time they said they would put in a repair order. I told her it had been out since August & we're still getting billed for it & that I'd told them back in August that it was out. She asked where it was & I said "It's hanging from a tree next to the pole". I'm getting seriously tempted to get a ladder of some sort & set up a solar security light up on that pole (but not quite as high).
Last night I had 7 cats and 1 dog piled on me bc it got down to 51°.


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## tuffy

Started in on scraping off the popcorn on the living room ceiling and fixing all the bad tape joints. Also going to skim coat the walls. Had a close friend come down with Covid so I'm suppose to quarantine for 14 days.


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## slownsteady

Stick with it Tuffy. Don't get lazy about the quarantine. Just keep busy around the house and it will go quickly. I Hope it all works out well.


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## Flyover

@zannej:

The power company around here has poured a ton of resources into social media in the last few years, hiring a whole social media team and redoing part of their headquarters building for them. The social media team's reports were always signal-boosted to the whole company too. (I was a contractor for that company in a different line of business and I still got the social media team's reports in my email every week.) If your power company is following a similar trend, Twittering at them might unfortunately be the best way to let them know both about the power issues and about the bad service.

WRT your friend and his fiance, at least your friend knows about those mental health issues up front before he signs up for "until death do us part"! Some people don't find out until after the fact that they're going to be getting a big heap of "in sickness", and mental health is a hard one because there aren't resources for spouses the way there are for things like cancer.


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## Ron Van

Rusty said:


> Cutting up a tree with a chainsaw. I think I am too old to be doing that.


How old are you? I only want to know because maybe I’m too old too!


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## oldognewtrick

Ron Van said:


> How old are you? I only want to know because maybe I’m too old too!


Rustys not older than dirt, but he remembers when it was clean. ..


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## tuffy

slownsteady I'm going to try and stay active thru all of this. worse part is that I walk 5 miles a day and was told not to leave my property . Neighbors are going to think I'm crazy walking around my house 800 times a day.


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## Rusty

Ron Van said:


> How old are you? I only want to know because maybe I’m too old too!


I am 72 going on 100


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## slownsteady

"Old" is different things to different people.


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## slownsteady

Not medical advice but, if you are walking outdoors and you are solo and not stopping to chat with the neighbors, then you are not likely to spread the virus.......OTOH, Give it a couple of days before you start walking, Tuffy. You don't want to be halfway out and feel short of breath.


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## zannej

I hope you don't get sick & that quarantine goes smoothly, Tuffy.

I know I need to let my friend live his life, but it's frustrating when I see him making bad decisions & getting walked all over. He has given his girlfriend "one last chance" at least 10x now. The upside is that she is now taking her medicines & is being better at taking care of the baby. The downside is, it's very obvious she does not love my friend & that she only uses him to support her financially. She finally admitted to cheating on him (again) this time with the guy that was staying over there and babysitting. My friend was really mad at the guy, but the guy is only 20 & doesn't have much going for him. I think it was infatuation on is part- although he does still know right from wrong. The girl promised to marry him & be faithful & she keeps breaking her promises & cheating. Yet she badmouths his ex for having cheated on him repeatedly. Her priorities are not right. She thinks him confiding in his closest friends about her cheating was worse than her actually cheating on him. He bought security cameras to watch her when he's at work to see if she has boyfriends coming over. For awhile he was agonizing over how to keep her from running off on him & leaving him. That is no way to live. There is no trust. I don't think she will change for the better & I think she knows I'm done with her bc she hasn't communicated with me in weeks (although she started only communicating when she wanted something).
I just hope he doesn't end up dragging this out for years and letting his kids see the emotional abuse & thinking its normal or OK like he did with the last relationship. His daughter can barely stay over anymore bc she gets so upset by the girlfriend yelling at her father. Although, at one point they were arguing and the little girl offered to hold the baby so her father could "beat her a$$". The girlfriend has broken pots & pans on him but he's never hit her back. Since she has schizophrenia, it is only going to get worse over time & there is no way to repair the damage it does to the brain.

I had a lazy day again. Stayed up all night bc Mom woke me up in the middle of the night wanting something to eat but we didn't have what she wanted. Couldn't get back to sleep. So I got my sleep in the day. I made shepherd's pie again for dinner. It seems like she would eat that every day of the week without getting tired of it. LOL. If I had enough space in the pan I'd make a double batch. I've been having Mom's dog lick the pans after they cool bc he scrapes off some stuff that will take me awhile to scrub off when I wash them.


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## Rusty

Made treat bags for the grandkids yesterday and some extras for some kids who are sick.


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## zannej

Rusty, that's very sweet of you. I actually forgot it was Halloween. I was tired after cooking & racked out.
Today I got up early & cleaned litterboxes. Cleaning litterboxes for 16 cats is a mess. My brother set up the waterer for the kittens wrong so it dripped into their litterbox & turned everything to mud. I had to take it outside, use a scraper, & turn on the faucet to spray it out then scrub it clean with lysol wipes. The kittens were so excited about fresh $#!+sand. I don't know what it is with my cats, but if I start pouring out fresh litter, they will sometimes jump in the boxes before I'm done pouring.
Meanwhile, I also worked on more bathroom drawings. I need to tidy up the one for my bathroom and draw one of Mom's bathroom too. I need to figure out how to use a router properly bc I want to make a johnny cabinet for my bathroom. The particle board p.o.s I got was so crappy the doors wouldn't even stay on. I may use it as a guide for sizing and possibly ninja the magnetic hardware. What passed for hinges (metal pins that went into holes) was absolute garbage. Might use the pins for dowels though. I suppose I could use the shelves from it for wall-mount shelves or something as well. I'm thinking I could do plywood for the carcass and trim it out with oak or pine & then paint it. I need to figure out how to get a good shiny smooth gloss white to match the vanity. I also want to see if I can mimic the pattern on the vanity with the drawer face of the vanity. I'm considering making new doors for my bathroom's vanity-- they are rough plywood painted white & look fugly. I made the mistake of getting white hinges & they turned yellow over the years. I think I want to try going with soft-close hidden hinges. I saw a trick where a dado was cut on only one side of a door so it could create a raised panel effect when it slid into the rails (although the cabinet maker did that so the back would be flush against the cabinet instead of raised panel). If I use the router along the edges I should be able to get a raised panel detail. Wish I had the right jig & skill to do the cathedral style doors. Although, if I can get the softclose hidden hinges to work with my current doors I may just go with that.
Here's my bathroom sketch showing opposite walls. I need to do one of the tub/shower eventually. And hey, I managed to make a tub spout that doesn't look like a duck bill!


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## Rusty

Watch this and try not to cry.


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## zannej

That was a touching video. I still have my dad's badge somewhere... His last work vehicle was a crown vic but it was left in Guam. It was supposed to be an undercover vehicle but it said "police interceptor" on the back. It was the only crown vic on the island too. LOL.

Got my blood drawn for next Monday's checkup. Nurse was very good at drawing so I barely felt it. She hates getting blood drawn too so she's sympathetic and nice about it. One of these days I will stop being nervous about it. LOL. After that I racked out & slept until almost 7pm.


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## zannej

I got to meet the people my brother has been working with on his practicum for a degree in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) down in Lafayette. They were all very nice & they were encouraging him to stay on in the program helping even after he gets all the hours he needs. I sat & played word games on my phone while he went in another room and tutored a student from Haiti. He assessed her abilities as higher than they'd thought but said she had difficulty conjugating verbs.

After that we went to a place I'd been referred to on Facebook Marketplace called Gulf Coast Ltd. I thought it was a store but it turns out it's a place where they do construction for commercial buildings. They do cabinets & such for hospitals & schools. They had some leftover materials from previous jobs that they were selling off. Facility was HUGE. It had been 5 buildings that they linked together in one massive building. The guy who showed us the materials loved the place & said it had an interesting history. They had a bunch of Formica and other similar type sheets (even some metal ones, but those were $80). There was a really nice shiny white sheet but it had damage on the corner. Guy told me it was garbage and that it chipped very badly & to avoid it. I ended up getting two plain white Formica sheets for $30. They retail for $90/ea in the big box stores. He said they can be used on walls (and that he has used them for that application before. I didn't find anything that would work for Mom's bathroom though.


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## billshack

I went to my cottage this Friday, found a huge spruce tree had fallen from a wind storm.  I mean big 30 inch diameter at the base , must be 200 ft tall. I started to cut it up into fire wood. Three day later after one gallon of chain saw gas and 1/2 gallon of chain lube . I am only 1/3 done , so far 2 cords of soft wood and i cord hard. it brought down other trees. I am going back this weekend with a buddy to finish .


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## zannej

Bill, I hope you can make good use of the wood. I hope the tree didn't damage anything else.

I went for my regular checkup at my doctor. He recommended a nasal cleanser for my allergies, said I need to cut back on white rice, white potatoes, white bread, white sugar, etc. My "good" cholesterol was too low and my "bad" cholesterol was too high so he doubled my dosage of statins. My thyroid was too low again so he raised it by 50%. I have enough for a week before I get the new higher dosage medicine. My thyroid levels were fine until they changed the brand of the medicine I was getting. I wonder if the newer stuff is less effective for whatever reason, but the low thyroid could explain my fatigue. I also was told to walk for 30min a day. I may have to walk in place on rainy days. My blood cells, liver, kidney, etc all look good though.


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## slownsteady

Get yourself a decent rain jacket and walk! The rain won't melt you


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## Rusty

Internet was out for 3 hours. Talked to the family. They seem like nice people.


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## zannej

slownsteady, don't you know I'm the wicked witch of the west? LOL. I don't walk in the rain bc it tends to be a combination of water & cold. I get respiratory infections from being out in the rain. If I'm going to have to exercise, I want to be indoors & dry.

Took my kitten to get spayed. Almost didn't make it in time bc I got stuck behind 2 trucks going way under speed limit driving in the middle of the road so no one could pass. Then there was a vehicle accident on the road just before the turn off to the vet's office. I could see the office but was stuck in traffic. Got there & there was no parking so I had to wait for someone to move so I could park. Fortunately, about a minute after I arrived, someone left. Went inside & there were no staff at the counter. I signed in & waited 15 minutes before they even acknowledged me. Told them I had an appointment & had been waiting for someone to take my cat- they apologized, had me sign some forms, & a few minutes later they took her to the back. They called around 4 to tell me her surgery went fine & she was awake & doing well. I have to pick her up in the afternoon instead of morning bc my mother has an appointment in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the kitten's brother is losing his mind because he doesn't know where she is. They have never been apart before. 
I got mom salad and cooked her a steak for dinner.

She was crabby with me because I was exhausted when I got home (thyroid is still low & will take awhile to build up with the meds) & didn't want to drive back into town to get mail. I got mail the day before and we can get mail tomorrow (technically later today) on the way to her foot doctor appointment.


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## Rusty

They wanted me to cook tonight. Scrambled eggs w/cheese and jalapenos, sausage links, hash browns and crescent rolls.


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## zannej

That sounds good, Rusty!
I found some Lobster Bisque at Samsclub that Mom likes. I went there yesterday to stock up on stuff. Needed cat food & bottled water. They only had 2 bags of catfood left.
The Chinese buffet is back open in full operation but with gloves, protective screens, and more cleaning going on. We didn't have time to stay in eat so we just got take-out. Owner was happy to see us as usual.
Last night caller ID showed a call from one of my brother's friends that my Mom absolutely HATES. She refused to answer & I was in the middle of trying to get food for her. My brother was in the bathroom. I heard someone trying to facebook call him. I tried to get the phone in time but couldn't bc my hands were full. Phone kept ringing so I finally answered. Turned out it was my best friend's girlfriend. They have no cell signal & their internet was out & my friend was having problems & needed to have someone there to take him to the hospital if he got worse. Paramedics had already checked him out-- something about his blood pressure. His gf isn't good at relaying info. My brother went over & spent the night. He's still there. I haven't heard anything from them so I don't know if my brother has signal. Friend had just switched to another cellphone company but it has very spotty coverage in town and no coverage out where I live. Hopefully he's OK. I also hope there's no chance of it being Covid related.
People around here stopped wearing masks (a lot of them refused to begin with but even fewer wear them now), refuse to keep distance, and glare at me when I'm wearing a mask. My go-to move is to start coughing whenever someone gets too close. That usually gets them to move away.
My allergy meds haven't been working well but I just found a stronger 24hr medicine at Sams so hopefully that will help. Thyroid levels still don't seem to be up yet. It's odd, but I can smell it in my sweat. The smell of my sweat changed when I first got hypothyroid & I sweat in places I didn't used to sweat-- like on my neck when I'm sleeping. I know the smell changed when my thyroid meds were working bc if I was noseblind to it, I wouldn't be noticing it now.
Meanwhile, I'm using a pillow as a mouse pad & my dog burrowed under the pillow. I don't have a computer chair so I sit on my bed to use the computer- have to keep my feet elevated so they don't get swollen.

As an aside from another thread, some things that should never be mixed: Bleach + ammonia (urine) and Bleach + acetone. The latter can make chloroform when kept cool but without ice and if exposed to sunlight it turns into gas. Both mixtures create highly toxic gases that can be lethal.


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## slownsteady

Bleach + ammonia = mustard gas. My mom almost killed herself many years ago when she decided that the floors needed an extra good cleaning and mixed the two. Luckily she stopped when she started to feel ill.She lost her voice for about two days.

Meanwhile....

I decided to purge the air from my hot water boiler heating system the other day. I really shouldn't start projects like that so late in the day. The first zone went well. The second zone had enough corrosion on the valve that I couldn't get the brass cap off, so I skipped to the next one. It started out okay but when I shut the valve, it did not fully close. My wife was at work so I was flying solo, but at 5:00 the local plumbing supply would be closed. So I was looking at a 25 mile round trip to the Home Depot. I emptied a 5 gallon bucket, put the dripping hose in and raced down there, hoping that I would get back before the water got too deep on the floor. I made it back home with just a 1/4 inch of freeboard remaining in the bucket. I bought enough boiler drains to replace the others that looked bad and was almost finished by the time my wife got home. Luckily it wasn't a cold day. So...happy ending.


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## zannej

slownsteady, I'm glad your mom was OK. I read about an incident at a fast food place where some chemical cleaners got spilled and mixed together. Supervisor made everyone evacuate but he didn't make it out alive. It's ugly stuff. I'm also glad you made it back in time to stop the water.

I haven't done much of anything today. Stomach is bugging me. I'm trying to motivate myself to be productive.


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## Flyover

Woke up today and the house was real cold. By mid-morning we'd figured out the furnace wasn't working. When I got home in the afternoon I started troubleshooting it, and by about 4pm I got just far enough to figure out it was probably the igniter. I didn't have time to do a hardware store run to buy a replacement since I had to get dinner ready, so we called a repair guy to come out. When he got here I told him I thought it was the igniter.

Aside from the fact that my house has heat again, the good news is that as he was packing up the repair guy said "You were right, it was the igniter! You want a job?" I got my laughs in before receiving the bad news, which was the nearly $200 charge for installing that $15 part.

I keep telling myself the $200 is also for not having to go to the hardware store, for not having to put myself through the headache of figuring out how to replace the part properly (I've never worked on a furnace before), for not having my wife pissed off and stressed out from having to watch all three kids while I did all that, for being able to sit down and eat dinner with my family, for supporting a guy who works to support his own family, etc. Sometimes remembering the hidden value makes it feel more worthwhile.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Woke up today and the house was real cold. By mid-morning we'd figured out the furnace wasn't working. When I got home in the afternoon I started troubleshooting it, and by about 4pm I got just far enough to figure out it was probably the igniter. I didn't have time to do a hardware store run to buy a replacement since I had to get dinner ready, so we called a repair guy to come out. When he got here I told him I thought it was the igniter.
> 
> Aside from the fact that my house has heat again, the good news is that as he was packing up the repair guy said "You were right, it was the igniter! You want a job?" I got my laughs in before receiving the bad news, which was the nearly $200 charge for installing that $15 part.
> 
> I keep telling myself the $200 is also for not having to go to the hardware store, for not having to put myself through the headache of figuring out how to replace the part properly (I've never worked on a furnace before), for not having my wife pissed off and stressed out from having to watch all three kids while I did all that, for being able to sit down and eat dinner with my family, for supporting a guy who works to support his own family, etc. Sometimes remembering the hidden value makes it feel more worthwhile.



Good that it's working. I have been there with no experience working on gas furnaces. The $200 charge reminds me of a story about a factory engineer that retires and goes on to live his life, but is called back by the corporation because nobody can fix an old machine that they rely on for their business to run. The old engineer goes in, takes a long look at the machine, does tests etc., then marks the machine with chalk, indicating the part to replace.

The factory boss is happy, the machine is working, everything is good. Then the factory gets the old engineer's bill for $10,000. They send him a letter asking for an explanation... ???? He sends back a simple breakdown... Chalk mark... $1.  Knowing where to put it... $9999. The bill was paid.

As far as my experience, the heat on the thermostat wouldn't turn on for more than a few seconds before shutting off. By the time I turned it on and went to the furnace, it would be off. I didn't know anything about it, but called my Brother in law, who has lived in snow his whole life. He said to go check the vent, which sure enough was completely blocked off by snow. The furnace shut off as a safety measure to block the gas from getting into the house. 

Why the builder put the vent a foot off the ground in Montana goes along with why did they do a lot of things in this house that I'm still discovering. 

So, that's the first thing you check if you live with snow.


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## slownsteady

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. 

Be safe, and don't forget that there will be another Thanksgiving next year in which the whole family can get together in a safer, more traditional fashion (hopefully).


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## zannej

Back when my brother worked at Walmart, he was assigned to the electronics department but was ordered to do the photo lab work (which was a higher paygrade) without the higher pay. He & my best friend were the only ones who read the manual on how to run it. Friend had moved on to another job at that point so it was just my brother working there. Since the rest of the employees didn't know how to do stuff, they kept messing it up and it was not functioning. He would have to come in and fix it almost every day due to their incompetence. Then his supervisor made a critical mistake out of greed. She blamed him for her work not being done (she was supposed to do inventory audits & she claimed it was his responsibility even though it wasn't). Halfway through his shift one day his handheld scanner thing stopped working. Then they called him to the main office & told him he was fired without even asking him about the audits. He did tell them that it wasn't his job to do them. Supervisor was trying to save her job AND get the Christmas bonus. Every year around that time they would get a bonus & it would be evenly distributed among the employees. The fewer employees there were, the bigger the bonus for each one. So every year just before the bonus, the supervisors would start firing people so they would get more $. Except the numnutz did't realize that my brother was the only one who could get the photo machine working. Not only did all of the overnight stockers call in sick (as protest to his firing) but the machine broke & they had to pay someone $5k to fix it. Took them 2 weeks to get it fixed. It broke down the very next day. They lost the income from being able to develop photos and had to pay over $100k to keep getting it fixed before they eventually replaced the equipment. We dropped by one day when the photo printer was still down & my brother told one of the supervisors that he'd fix it for $4k (but red tape prohibited them from hiring him to do it).

Took my friend to the eye doctor 3 days in a row. First two days the appointments took over 2 hours each. 3rd day they hit a roadblock. They need an MRI but they need to convince Medicaid to approve it. To quote the nurse "(he) can't see f*** out of that eye". He's essentially blind in it but it's not the eye itself. The eye has no structural issues or problems. That means it's neurological. Either eye stroke or aneurysm or tumor. None of them are good. They won't know what until he gets the MRI. Meanwhile it makes him feel dizzy, he's scared, & he can't drive since he can't see well enough (no peripheral vision, gets car sick & can't see in the side mirror). Doesn't help that his blinkers are out on his truck and his car needs a rack & pinion. 

Only two good things going for him right now is that he got a new phone & his grandfather doesn't have his number so he can't call him 100x a day like he usually does. His gf is no longer coming and getting him when the grandfather rolls up in front of the house and lays on the horn. They all ignore him until he drives away. Sometimes it takes 5min sometimes 15. Old man will sit there pressing on the horn and hollering my friend's name. Sometimes it wakes the baby up, but they all go to the back of the house and ignore him. If my friend feels like talking to him, he can go out and tell him to f**** off bc he can't do anything for him until he gets the eye thing sorted out. Only reason his grandfather drops by is bc he wants my friend to do stuff for him-- like go to the store & get things or fix stuff on his vehicle. 

Lazy day for me today. I was exhausted and needed to catch up on some sleep. Now taking Krill oil vitamin & stronger allergy meds bc the 10mg ones weren't working. Hoping the thyroid meds will start working.


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## zannej

Took my friend to the ER bc his eye doctor said it was the only way to get him an MRI. 7-1/2" hours later he was released. Took them 6 hours before they would do the MRI. Turns out he had a stroke (he's only 30) and has a blood clot that is preventing his eye from working. He has to see a neurologist next to figure out what to do about it. Hopefully they can safely remove it.


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## slownsteady

Stroke at 30. Wow. So sorry to hear.


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## zannej

I think it's related to the head injury he suffered in 2015 from that near-fatal car wreck. He's also under a whole lot of stress. It seems to have scared his fiance in to straightening out & taking her meds though. She's behaving much better & being more responsible.
She's got a court date coming up on Monday. She doesn't even know her lawyer's name & hasn't heard from him/her at all. I told her that if she gets in there & hasn't had a chance to discuss anything with her lawyer yet to tell the judge she has had inadequate counsel as she hasn't even heard from her lawyer & doesn't even know who her lawyer is. It's absolutely ridiculous. This is a "stand your ground" state. Another defense attorney (that she can't afford) told her she never should have been charged much less be going to trial. She can't get a job until she gets this court thing sorted out. They lowered the charges, but I think it's so they can get money from fines out of her but she can't afford them. Friend can't work until he gets his health sorted out. I had to go buy their groceries today. Got them rice, pork chops, chicken, sausage, hamburger meat, bottled water (city tap water is blech), & some silicone cooking utensils (the plastic ones were melting).
I barely made it to the post office in time to get packages. Forgot to give them to Mom and have her open them. Oops. Just remembered that. LOL. Still salty about someone opening my package on my porch. Need to find a good security system to spy on people. I want one of those things where if I see someone on my porch I can send my voice through & say "Surprise Motherf****! You can't see me but I can see you and I've got a gun, better run!"


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Took my friend to the ER bc his eye doctor said it was the only way to get him an MRI. 7-1/2" hours later he was released. Took them 6 hours before they would do the MRI. Turns out he had a stroke (he's only 30) and has a blood clot that is preventing his eye from working. He has to see a neurologist next to figure out what to do about it. Hopefully they can safely remove it.



Sorry about your friend. I hope he gets better. Here's a resource that might help..





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						GreenMedInfo Search
					






					www.greenmedinfo.com


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## zannej

Took my friend to the eye doctor again to find out if he's cleared to drive. Answer is yes and no. Yes during good lighting conditions. No at night & at times where he will have difficulty seeing traffic on the left or when he's not feeling well/comfortable. So for now I get to be his chauffeur.
The boots we got him just before his father's funeral 3 years ago finally started falling apart. They were waterproof but started leaking & don't want to dry out. So I took him to Boot Barn after his appointment & found a lighter weight pair that was $50off. Still has nonslip bottom and composite toe. Waterproof & might be grounded for electrical. He does a lot of working with machines in his job (if he still has the job).
Some petty co-workers at the casino are now accusing him and my brother of criminal activity. My friend's boss called & said the casino employees just informed him that last week a large man (that they claimed looked "just like" my brother) came in to the arcade after closing, used a key to access and steal ALL of the arcade prizes, and take them out through an unguarded door. They claim they think my friend gave him the keys & put him up to it. My brother hasn't been to the casino since October (when he helped my friend move some heavy equipment around). They have the perp's prints. After robbing the place, the guy supposedly went outside, changed clothes, and came back in to gamble. Security said something about the guy having a Texas ID but they didn't remember his name or other details. To be clear, it's not security making accusations, it's arcade employees. I think it's projection and that one or more of them are involved bc this had to be an inside job in order for the person to have the keys. My friend's keys are all accounted for & he hasn't gone to the casino since his stroke before Thanksgiving.
But, I'm worried that with as crappy as local law enforcement are, that they will try to pin this on my friend. The system here is so crappy that when I took his fiance for her trial (a trial that never happened bc her attorney who refused to defend her at all took a plea on her behalf without her permission). Prosecution's witnesses didn't show up but they refused to dismiss charges & the prosecutor admitted to her attorney that the other girl (the one she was accused of injuring) was the problem. They dropped it to disturbing the peace. $100 fine & $240 court fees. But they still haven't returned her $900 phone that was kept as evidence. She's supposed to get that back Monday if they haven't "misplaced" it. A lot of evidence goes missing from the local PD's evidence locker. There was a dude in the courtroom who's attorney didn't even bother to show up for his trial. He went before the judge and said "I never met or spoke with my attorney. I called & left messages but he never called me back." He asked for a dismissal & they literally laughed at him & said they were rescheduling for February. Good thing he's already employed bc you can't pass a background check to get hired while pending trial even for a misdemeanor.
Mom is asking for food now so I have to go take care of that.

Editing to add: My friend needs to see a neurologist about the blood clots in his head that are interfering with his eye but not a single neurologist in the entire state takes the form of Medicaid he has. I asked him if he could switch to a different version of it and since it's open enrollment, he's going to call tomorrow to see if they can switch him to something the neurologists will take so he can get treatment asap.

Gonna have to go to the bank tomorrow bc I gave him all my cash to help him with bills. His car insurance posted several days early & was going to overdraft his account again. The companies that do auto-billing keep trying to withdraw before the due date & it keeps screwing him up. He also had problems with the bank allowing withdrawals after he shut off automatic withdrawals for certain things & told his bank not to allow them. But the bank likes that $150 overdraft fee so they keep screwing him. He needs a new bank. I'm trying to get him to transfer to the bank I use.


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## slownsteady

If the phone goes "missing", it can be tracked/traced. Contact the phone company and report it stolen...or something.


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## zannej

Can it be traced if the battery is dead? It was confiscated well over a year ago and was on at the time.
I told her to write a letter stating that if they can't return her phone to her, they owe her the $ that it's worth & that $ should cover her fine & court fees.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but I've long suspected that they hacked the phone, wiped it, and started using it for themselves. Although, some phone makers have made it harder to do that now. AT&T makes sure you can login and wipe the phone in front of them before they will accept a trade-in bc too many people were trading in stolen phones.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> Can it be traced if the battery is dead?


Ha, we already had that debate on the coronavirus thread. I've heard some people say yes, others say no. Ed Snowden says yes for whatever that's worth.

Do people who steal phones try to use them as phones? I would think usually what they're doing is trying to use them to gain access to bank accounts and such, either by trying to do 2-factor authentication or accessing accounts via apps that stay logged in all the time. (One more reason not to have a smartphone.)


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## slownsteady

Some people want the latest, greatest phone without having to buy one.


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## zannej

Where I live, people steal phones all the time just to have new phones or to sell to other people (who likely know they are stolen phones). My best friend used to fix phones for people and sometimes they would bring him obviously stolen ones. He'd tell them to GTFO on that. Sometimes he'd just return the phones to the owners if he knew who they were and confirmed they were stolen. His father actually stole some phones he was supposed to fix and he had to contact the buyers and tell them to return them or they would be reported for buying stolen property.

Ever since they started giving people $$$ for trade-ins the theft has been bad. In the past it used to be easier to hack a phone and wipe it. Now it is harder to do that to prevent theft. AT&T will only take a trade in phone if you can login to it and wipe it after transferring your old data to your new phone.

There are some people who use it to get bank accounts, but around here people aren't that savvy. They steal a phone and either sell it on E-bay or sell it to someone who knows it's stolen and won't report them, or keep it for themselves and pay a little $ to someone who can hack the phone for them. There are constantly phones for sale on the local Swap Shop page and a few times I've seen people comment that the phones were stolen.

Yesterday I took Mom to the bank so she could sort out an erroneous charge. When all the mail got slowed down apparently one of her letters got returned. She was charged a "return mail fee" of $5 and they charged it every month since. She complained and said there was nothing wrong on her end for it to happen so they removed future charges and refunded her the $.

She wanted to go to Walmart to look at nail polish afterward and I wanted to get gas there. I really didn't want to go and warned her it would be crowded. We got there and she saw how many vehicles were in the parking lot and said "Forget it! Just get gas!" 

Monday I'm supposed to take my friend for his eye appointment but he just remembered his baby has a pediatric appointment in another town in the opposite direction around the same time as his appointment. So, I suggested that I could take him for his eye appointment and my brother could take his fiance and baby to the pediatric appointment. We'll see how that pans out. Meanwhile, my friend is attempting to switch to a different Medicaid plan so he can get treatment. His symptoms are getting worse and I'm worried these blood clots may kill him before he can get treated. Neurologists won't even see patients without insurance here.

The faucet for the guest bathroom arrived. Box was pretty beat up but it was clear the faucet was never installed. I don't think anything was missing-- although there was one o-ring floating around. Not sure what it was for. Maybe for the part with the aerator which was floating around in the box. The faucet itself has no damage and looks pristine. Mom took the instructions and was reading them when I put the faucet up in a safe place-- will have to go get the instructions later.


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## billshack

I am working on a sled to move thing around  at my cottage in northern Quebec .  one year we did get 14 feet of snow cumulatively , it would pack down over time , I use snow shoes to get around .


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## zannej

My friend canceled his eye appointment and will reschedule it later because it conflicted with his baby's appointment. So I drove them to the baby's appointment and waited in the truck while they went in. Took over an hour and a half. The place was packed and people weren't wearing masks. My friend covered his baby, wore his mask, and tried to get as far away from other people as possible. The baby is overweight (as suspected). He's over 14lbs when he should be around 10lbs. The doctor said they should cut back on the feeding and my friend said "Tell that to him! He wants to eat all the time!" Apparently it's normal in his family for babies to be overweight when younger. The baby got 3 shots and an oral vaccine and was not happy about it. He was fussing up a storm until the truck got rolling more and he went to sleep. 
Friend found me some good tires online that I need to look into. Mine are about bald. Need something with better traction for my crappy roads. Unfortunately 145 65R18s in AT with 105H don't come cheap.
Stopped by a local business that sells boudin and other food. They doubled the price of their small stew and no longer sell the large stew. I got it anyway to support the business. Got two links of boudin for my friend.
Tomorrow I have to go into town to return a misdelivered letter to the post office, check for any packages, and then to the grocery store to restock a bit. We're out of a few things. I hate shopping this close to christmas bc there are too many people at the stores, but we don't get grocery delivery here so I have to go in to get stuff.


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## Still_C

For the last few days, I've been all about the Christmas rush. Decorations, gifts, dinner, friends meetings, I didn't expect it takes SO much time.


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## Trailrider

billshack said:


> I am working on a sled to move thing around  at my cottage in northern Quebec .  one year we did get 14 feet of snow cumulatively , it would pack down over time , I use snow shoes to get around .


Wow! I can’t imagine living with all that snow. Must make a person very self reliant.


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## Trailrider

Today I took a day off to relax and eat leftovers and watch movies  
I was in the hospital with COVID-19 over thanksgiving so Christmas Eve I cooked the thanksgiving meal and made an apple pie. Lots of turkey sandwiches for me! 
Tomorrow I have to start taking down the wall board in my dressing room and start with dry wall. I’m dreading the job...but there’s only one way it will get done.


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## zannej

I posted to the wrong thread. LOL.
I slept, cleaned up, cuddled with cats, got phone calls from family and friends and slept some more.


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## Fstetson

too funny...cannot stop laughing.  All in all better to have a solid piece of equipment, well maintained used backhoes have an advantage where the kinks have been worked out.  New, gives you the blank screen but does not relieve you of working out the bugs.  I personally would opt for a a seasoned used one, especially with those savings.


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## Fstetson

Trailrider said:


> Today I took a day off to relax and eat leftovers and watch movies
> I was in the hospital with COVID-19 over thanksgiving so Christmas Eve I cooked the thanksgiving meal and made an apple pie. Lots of turkey sandwiches for me!
> Tomorrow I have to start taking down the wall board in my dressing room and start with dry wall. I’m dreading the job...but there’s only one way it will get done.


Glad you are feeling better! Carpe Diem


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## zannej

May have been exposed to Covid last week (maskless person who had been exposed & was afraid to visit family bc of it sat near me and started blabbing her head off at the tire shop when I was getting new tires put on) and am having some of the symptoms. It's probably just seasonal crud (at least I hope) but I'm isolating for now. I had to send my brother to help my friend with installing a door and got really frustrated bc my brother broke the threshold bc he wouldn't listen to me (we were facetiming so I could see how things were going). Frame was level but door was sagging & kept hitting threshold. I told him repeatedly to check the hinges. He just kept interrupting me, talking over me, and being a dismissive jerk. Turns out it was the hinges-- top hinge wasn't installed properly and had bent slightly. So, now my friend's brand new door has a broken threshold bc my brother is an idiot.
Now I'm trying to figure out what size storm door my friend needs. He got a 32x80 door with brickmould. It's a Therma-Tru brand. Friend still isn't feeling great bc of his blood clots but can't get in to see a neurologist.
I was sick pretty much all day. Still feeling cruddy but am a bit better than I was this morning. I had to wear a mask, frequently wash my hands, and be extra careful not to touch my eyes while I was cooking for Mom.


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## RobinSm89

Today I want to make a gift to my wife, since we have an anniversary of 6 years of life together. But I still don't know which is better to buy, a new phone, or still go for the weekend to a suburban complex, but I don't want to ask, I would like to make a surprise


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## Fstetson

RobinSm89 said:


> Today I want to make a gift to my wife, since we have an anniversary of 6 years of life together. But I still don't know which is better to buy, a new phone, or still go for the weekend to a suburban complex, but I don't want to ask, I would like to make a surprise


Congratulations, tomorrow is our 49th anniversary and we are way past the stage you are in...I can tell without hesitation go the romantic route.  Secure the most romantic location you can handle nearby.  Make sure there are things to do around that will allow you to concentrate on her and she will remember forever.  Buying things never worked for me, it was always about the memories.  Good Luck!


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## zannej

I say a phone might be the way to go, but make sure you get one you know she would want.


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## Trailrider

zannej said:


> May have been exposed to Covid last week (maskless person who had been exposed & was afraid to visit family bc of it sat near me and started blabbing her head off at the tire shop when I was getting new tires put on) and am having some of the symptoms. It's probably just seasonal crud (at least I hope) but I'm isolating for now. I had to send my brother to help my friend with installing a door and got really frustrated bc my brother broke the threshold bc he wouldn't listen to me (we were facetiming so I could see how things were going). Frame was level but door was sagging & kept hitting threshold. I told him repeatedly to check the hinges. He just kept interrupting me, talking over me, and being a dismissive jerk. Turns out it was the hinges-- top hinge wasn't installed properly and had bent slightly. So, now my friend's brand new door has a broken threshold bc my brother is an idiot.
> Now I'm trying to figure out what size storm door my friend needs. He got a 32x80 door with brickmould. It's a Therma-Tru brand. Friend still isn't feeling great bc of his blood clots but can't get in to see a neurologist.
> I was sick pretty much all day. Still feeling cruddy but am a bit better than I was this morning. I had to wear a mask, frequently wash my hands, and be extra careful not to touch my eyes while I was cooking for Mom.



i hope you are feeling better soon. And I hope it is not Covid. While I know there are many opinions out there, everyone has a right to their own. What I had was worse than anything I have ever experienced before. Best wishes to you for a quick uneventful recovery.


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## Trailrider

Fstetson said:


> Congratulations, tomorrow is our 49th anniversary and we are way past the stage you are in...I can tell without hesitation go the romantic route.  Secure the most romantic location you can handle nearby.  Make sure there are things to do around that will allow you to concentrate on her and she will remember forever.  Buying things never worked for me, it was always about the memories.  Good Luck!


Good advice here. If there was a LOVE button instead of a like, I would have used it.


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## zannej

Thank you, Trailrider. I seem to be feeling worse in the mornings and a little better in the afternoon. Right now all the fat on my gut is bothering me. Makes me feel like it's interfering with my breathing. I really need to take the weight off. I seem to get most of my weight on my belly like my father did.

I had a headache and nausea earlier. Just mostly feeling tired now, but I ate recently and I always feel tired after eating. My brother checked on our friend and he seemed to be feeling better today. He got another friend to fix his car (he gave instructions). He reported that his vision is starting to return in his left eye a little bit.

I've been getting a lot of cuddles from my pets. My dog seems to understand the word "cuddle" and will climb into my lap, nuzzle my face, and cuddle with me if I say the word. She also shows me her teeth if I say "smile".
Friend sent me pics of the door. First pics are before the new door was installed.


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## Flyover

Was outside playing with my kids when we noticed one of the large trees in the yard was dripping wet even though it's been clear and sunny out all day. I remembered by the leaves, back before they all fell off, that this was a maple tree. I let some of the liquid drop on my hand and tasted it; it was sweet. So, I think we've got a sugar maple! Woodpeckers had created the holes this one was dripping out of.

My kids are excited; we're going to look into tapping it and making our own syrup. Apparently you can tap many other types of trees, but sugar maples give the best yield to sugar content.

Still not sure how I'll do the boiling part...probably a stock pot placed on the grill, with a wood fire instead of charcoal. Should be able to filter it with coffee filters, into mason jars. I'm excited too, to be honest.


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## zannej

Flyover, that is so cool! 
Hopefully you can get some good maple syrup out of it.

I helped my brother take out some of the trash today. Still need to do more cleaning. I'm trying to figure out the best mix for a slurry with corn starch to thicken the stew he tried to make. It's too thin still.

Friend is still having drama. His ex has already blown her new relationship with the guy she left him for. Guy was so mad that he changed passwords on all of her social media, stole her medicine, and overdosed on it. His family kicked her out and threw out all of her stuff. Her dumb a$$ also blew her entire stimulus check on cigarettes and junk rather than paying her fine and court fees. She can't get a job until she has paid them. She's back on my friend's couch temporarily. He gave her up to 1 month to get a job and find a new place. He also told her if she causes drama or breaks the rules in his house she will be out before the month is up. I think he's being too nice considering how she physically and emotionally abused him the past couple years.

We may go over to see him today bc my Mom wants to see his baby.

Meanwhile, his mom's boyfriend has Covid. He's highly at risk but we were discussing how if he dies, his mom won't even wait for quarantine to end before she finds a new boyfriend. She probably has Covid too so she's having to quarantine. She sees other guys behind his back but then gets upset that he suspects she's cheating (because she is) and he gets jealous anytime someone other than her son or daughters drive her someplace. No wonder my friend has terrible taste in girlfriends.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Was outside playing with my kids when we noticed one of the large trees in the yard was dripping wet even though it's been clear and sunny out all day. I remembered by the leaves, back before they all fell off, that this was a maple tree. I let some of the liquid drop on my hand and tasted it; it was sweet. So, I think we've got a sugar maple! Woodpeckers had created the holes this one was dripping out of.
> 
> My kids are excited; we're going to look into tapping it and making our own syrup. Apparently you can tap many other types of trees, but sugar maples give the best yield to sugar content.
> 
> Still not sure how I'll do the boiling part...probably a stock pot placed on the grill, with a wood fire instead of charcoal. Should be able to filter it with coffee filters, into mason jars. I'm excited too, to be honest.


Too bad inspectorD isn't hanging around anymore. He used to run syrup lines in the fall.


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## havasu

Replaced the mortised lock box for my Milgard swing-in patio doors today. I then spent 3 hours adjusting it until it works flawlessly. There are hidden allens in the hinges that drop the level of the door, hidden allens on the hinge plate face, which brings the doors together, adjustable up and down rods that throw another verticle pin to double lock the door, and yet another hidden allen to suck in the door. I guess you can call me an expert on door adjustments now.


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## Flyover

@havasu That reminds me, we needed a kitchen pantry since we were short on cupboard space in our new house. Not enough time right now to stick my wife with all three kids for a day or two while I build one from scratch, so we had to shop for one. I saw Wayfair had brand new ones for about $180 and up, but they also had an "open box" one for like $109. You can guess which one my cheap @$$ went with.

Got it in the mail in a couple days, put it together. The very last step was the doors, which I definitely put on correctly. But then "open box" came back to bite me. I will say it has character though!


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## havasu

What the hell? They drilled the door handles wrong? 
A quick fix, use a two holed handle. I bet if you drill one hole low and the other high, they will match and possible cover the holes.


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## Flyover

Yeah, I'm guessing they must have changed the design but shipped that particular one out with one door from the old design, one from the new. Or maybe it's a door from a different piece that accidentally got packaged with this one because it had the same dimensions. I imagine they make these things in huge batches. Who knows...

My plan was to drill a new hole and fill in the other one. But I think I like how hilarious it looks and so far we've decided to just let it stay the way it is. We've had one guest so far and she didn't notice it until I pointed it out, then she laughed and laughed.


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## zannej

It's not just an "open box" issue. A lot of those laminated pressboard/particle board things have holes drilled wrong or they don't even drill them at all. I've bought a few and found that out the hard way. So I've been watching videos on how to build stuff myself.

I got good sleep last night. Slept in til almost noon. Phone kept ringing and woke me up a few times. I've finished off my antibiotics and prednisone. Nose is still a little stuffy. The stew my brother made is starting to thicken up just a bit now.

Went over to my friend's house to take a shower. After only taking cold showers at my house, the water over there was way too hot. LOL. But the water is currently too cold for showering at my house. He has to keep reminding his ex (who is now staying there) that they aren't together, she doesn't run things in the house, and she better treat him with respect. Yesterday, she started giving him attitude. He pulled her aside and told her that from now on she will treat him like he saved her from being out on the street-- because he did. She's still under some illusion that he will take her back eventually.
She just got hired for a job but she doesn't have a vehicle (her fault-- she would have had one if she hadn't quit her job and cheated on him). Her hours require night driving and because she gave him a blood clot and caused him to have a stroke, he can't drive at night. She's going to have to find other means of transportation.

Havasu, I'm glad you go that door thing sorted out.


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## Eddie_T

@Flyover, I have a sugar maple and have wondered if one tree could yield enough sap to make a little syrup. The sapsuckers have done quite a bit of drilling on it over the years. It's the prettiest tree in the neighborhood when it turns yellow in the fall. If I remember maybe I'll post it next fall.

With regard to the pantry doors I wonder if it's two left (or right doors)? Someone else may have the opposite version. Being an engineer I would probably measure them just to satisfy my mind then forget it.

I am currently procrastinating regarding a plumbing repair that is going to require removal of a 4x8 wall panel behind a toilet and possibly cutting into drywall behind two tubs. Years ago I had to reroute plumbing to the overhead  due to a leak in a copper pipe under the slab floor. I think behind the panel I still have some under the slab copper but won't know until I remove the panel. At present I keep the water off except when needed and there is no leakage into the house. I hate plumbing work!

That's the bad news, the good news is that I will replace the toilet stop valve that ruffled feathers on the plumbing forum. I will have to remove it anyway to take the 4x8 panel off the studs.


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## Flyover

@Eddie_T Apparently one tree can yield between about 20-80 gallons of sap, and every 20 gallons of sugar maple sap yields 1 gallon of syrup. A gallon of syrup is way more than I've ever had in my house at once.

I had the same instinct about the doors, but didn't need to measure because I noticed both handles are on the upper side of the middle hinge. If it was two left (or right) doors one of the handles would be below the hinge. Both are above, just by different amounts.


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## Eddie_T

Good news on the maple sap maybe we should give it a go when the sap starts rising. As for the  knobs It's easier just to ignore them but you could fashion thin wooden escutcheon plates and find a position that covers existing holes on both doors and start afresh.


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## Flyover

From what I've read, the time to tap the trees is mid-Feb through mid-March. And like I said you can tap lots of different kinds of trees, not just sugar maples. It just affects how much sap you need to collect.

For now we're leaving the knobs alone. I think they're growing on us.


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## Flyover

When we bought our house a month ago there were a couple large holes in the rotted wooden soffits where I was sure critters were going to get inside. Sure enough, maybe 5 or 6 nights ago we started hearing them scurrying around in the attic. Sounded heavier than mice. I thought raccoons. A pest control guy took a peek and informed us they were squirrels.

Yesterday I rushed out and bought an extension ladder off someone on Craigslist, and today I did my first soffit repair. I was up on that wobbly ladder in the snow, my boots slippery with mud, hoping to heck a squirrel didn't decide to jump out and attack me. I saw a squirrel tail disappear inside the third and final jagged rotten hole right before I was about to go up there, so I put it on pause, went inside, slipped plastic bags on over my muddy boots, tromped upstairs, pushed open the attic hatch with a broom and started barking like a dog, LOUD. Scared my wife and kids half to death because I forgot to tell them what I was doing. But then I told them and they thought it was funny.

(My wife tells me my dog bark is uncanny and weirdly accurate. I should think so, I've been practicing since I was a kid! My neighbors' dogs loved 8 year-old me, but some of my neighbors did not.)

Then it was back out to patch up that last hole. It was full of squirrel debris and smelled really strongly of small animal. It was intense. I was thinking to myself, "Can I get a disease if I breathe in some fleck of something from this nest?"

It was a quick and dirty job but those soffit holes are now all firmly closed with 3/8" plywood. Fingers crossed the squirrels don't think to just chew a new hole a few feet over. My crazed barking must have worked because I haven't heard any scurrying up there since -- none trapped inside.

I got those soffit holes patched up in about half the time I expected it to take, so I had some spare time to properly install our new mailbox. (Wife didn't like the old one that was meant to look like a barn.) I was done before lunchtime. That must've been enough productivity for one day because I didn't get anything else of importance done after that.


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## zannej

Went to the post office on Saturday. Got home just in time to watch my video card die. Monitor suddenly said "No signal". I looked at the side of my computer & it had cat pee dripping from it. It has side vents (there used to be a fan on the side, but we reconfigured the fan placement) and one of my brother's cats sprayed the side. I turned off my computer, pulled the side panel off, cleaned it, and checked inside my computer, careful not to tip it to let pee drip toward the motherboard. There only appeared to be pee in one spot on the video card. I cleaned it up, let it dry, then tried to see if it would work. No dice. Told my brother his cat had just ruined my video card. All he said was "That sucks". If he'd used his stimulus check to get his cats neutered they wouldn't be spraying. Cost of neutering all 5 of them is lower than a replacement video card. I got on his computer and messaged a friend to help me look for a video card. All sold out. Only ones comparable were $600. Lesser ones were all over $300. Friend told me to pack up my computer, bring it over, and bring 70% or higher alcohol.

I got it over there and another friend helped me with it (had to pass it over a baby gate)- he didn't want me trying to step over it. The two of them worked on taking it apart. I got some disinfectant wipes and cleaned the outside of the case and the removed side more thoroughly. Other friend was busy cleaning the video card, while the friend who called me over was working on cleaning the inside. Put it back in, tested it, still no dice. Pulled it out & other friend was meticulously cleaning ever cm of it while my friend got my brother's old video card out. It had stopped working but my friend managed to fix it. It's a better video card than the one I had but still same amount of video RAM (8Gb). He put it in & it worked. He downloaded the new drivers reset resolution, and had me test one of my graphics intensive games on it. So, I went from a Radeon 480 to a 590. Looks like this one has better cooling.

I made a trip to the store to get some plastic sheets and clear packing tape. Friend taped them over the vents both inside and out on the side. Now if the cat's spray the side it won't go on the inside. I'm working on designing something for the top in case they puke or pee on top of it. I'm very relieved the 2nd graphics card worked bc I was about to bean my brother over the head with a frying pan. He had no intention of replacing it.

Other friend was telling me to keep my door closed to keep the animals out. I reminded him my door won't stay shut even when locked and even if I could, the dogs tore a hole in the bottom of my door so they could get in and out whenever they wanted so the cats can get through. I have tried stuffing blankets in the hole-- they manage to get it out. So, I need a new door. LOL.

Anyway, got my computer home and made dinner. So glad my friend is good at stuff like that. He used to have a repair thing going where people would pay him to repair stuff, but things got too hectic. Before we started helping him out financially, we used to pay him to fix stuff. But, at this point he says he owes us his kidneys. LOL.

Today I felt like absolute garbage. Woke up sick. Stayed in bed most of the day. Got up to reheat leftovers from last night.

Flyover, I'm glad you didn't fall off the ladder & that you weren't hurt when the squirrel attacked. Hilarious how you scared the squirrels out. I've had to chase raccoons out of my house but I mostly just yell "Get the f*** out, motherf****!!!!" at them.


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## Flyover

@zannej Your door reminds me of my soffits! I can't believe your brother wouldn't replace your video card. I'da dragged my brother in front of Judge Judy before I let him off the hook for that. Careful about taping up those vents, they're there for a reason...if it were me I'd get the cats neutered and then drag my brother to court if he didn't pay the vet bill. (Judge Judy and I would be on a first-name basis I guess.)


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## Eddie_T

I rented a house in Maryland (near Camp David) that was infested with flying squirrels. I purchased a small live trap and captured, transported and released around 17 of the critters. I was on a trip and my wife fell asleep on the sofa and awoke to see one on the pillow looking her in the face. She is skittish only with snakes, she got my cage opened it's door turned on the bright lights and walked over to the mantle where the squirrel had landed after a soar and capped the cage over it.


----------



## Flyover

@Eddie_T That is wild!


----------



## Eddie_T

Fstetson said:


> Congratulations, tomorrow is our 49th anniversary and we are way past the stage you are in...I can tell without hesitation go the romantic route.  Secure the most romantic location you can handle nearby.  Make sure there are things to do around that will allow you to concentrate on her and she will remember forever.  Buying things never worked for me, it was always about the memories.  Good Luck!


Ditto! I lost my wife three years ago last September. We were four days shy of our 61st anniversary. Looking back I can see all the times I could have made things a bit more memorable but we had the bond of love.


----------



## BuzzLOL

X2... don't block vents so that computer overheats and burns up... may need a ventilated/screened shield around it...


----------



## Flyover

The squirrels are back. They just chewed around my patches. Little bastards...


----------



## BuzzLOL

I've had raccoons go right back through new shingles, felt paper,  and 3/4" boards on a roof...


----------



## billshack

I changed the oil and filter in my car. then had three beers


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> The squirrels are back. They just chewed around my patches. Little bastards...


Get a live trap and introduce them to a new zipcode.


----------



## Flyover

oldognewtrick said:


> Get a live trap and introduce them to a new zipcode.


Yup, that's the plan.

Well, I can't actually do that because I'm pretty sure it's illegal. But they will be kept in "jail" while we have the soffits professionally done. Then I'll give them a harsh talking to and let them go. On probation. I might be in the market for a pellet gun.


----------



## zannej

The squirrels around here tend to be afraid of my cats and dogs. Haven't seen very many of them lately.

To clarify about the vents on the side of my computer: I used to have a fan on the side but we reconfigured so I have top fans and back fans instead. The new fans work better than the old side fan. I'm also going to try to set something up to direct air over the top fans-- maybe set up a plastic box with a fan attached to it for air circulation-- that keeps the cats from messing with the fans on the top. I can set up a dust screen too.

Went to the post office but forgot it was MLK day. Took my brother to go to Samsclub to help me get more water and some more food. Stopped at the Chinese buffet & saw most of the employees weren't there. Only saw 2 people. I hope the others are all OK. New waiter there speaks a few words in Japanese that he learned from cartoons. Nice guy. He was waiting ALL the tables by himself and was busting his hump. 

On the way in we got stopped at a checkpoint. They were asking for license and insurance. I had my license, registration, and insurance all out & ready. Cops weren't wearing masks, which bugged me bc the new strain of Covid has hit this state. Cop glanced briefly at my stuff and said "Looks good to me!" and waved me on. Poor buggers in an ambulance were stuck waiting on the checkpoint for awhile. Ambulance was followed closely by a police van. Not sure what the checkpoint was about. If it was to see if people had expired insurance or something then it's technically illegal, but that doesn't stop cops around here. That town is bad about issuing bogus tickets. They once gave my brother a ticket for rolling through a stop-- only there was no stop sign. He was going to contest it in court but there is no courthouse & there's no way to contest tickets. Quite the scam they have going.

Briefly popped by to say "Hi" to my friend. He has a sore throat so he wore a mask and distanced. My brother was playing with my friend's daughter & I noticed the kid had a runny nose. I made him use hand sanitizer when he got in the car. Advised my friend not to send the kid to school bc she might be sick.

Tomorrow if I'm feeling up to it we will get more groceries at Walmart. I was too tired to go today. My doctor said to take it easy while I try to get my thyroid under control.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej I was thinking about what you said about your bedroom door and decided *we need pictures*. I can imagine a little hole a cat fits through -- cats are like octopuses after all, and can squeeze through anything wider than their beaks -- but dogs?? I'm envisioning the bottom third of the door missing!


----------



## zannej

LOL. I'll have to snag some pics in awhile. I have small dogs. A chiweenie and not sure what the other one is but she's maybe 20lbs. Some of the cats are bigger than the chiweenie.

Been exhausted past couple days. Not sure if it is my new allergy medicine. It's supposed to make me drowsy but I don't feel drowsy until several hours after I take it and then I completely rack out for the day. My back and hips hated me today but I still got stuff done. Found my brother had cooked and left stuff unrinsed on the stove and he left a bunch of empty containers of beef broth on the counter (which had fallen into the sink). He tried to claim that he'd thrown them away and cats brought them back to the counter. I know he's lying. He's starting to experience some of the lower back pain I've had for years & he's being a total wuss about it. He thinks he's "toughing it out" and has accused me of being a wuss about my back pain in the past. I still do more with the back pain I've had than he does without back pain. I know it's not a competition, but I'm a wee bit frustrated with him right now.


----------



## Eddie_T

I raked and burned some leaves today. I have biscuits in the oven and will have some gravy biscuits and some apple butter biscuits for supper. While I wait and type I am listening to some little speakers I made for this purpose.

They are six inch full range speakers driven by a little 40w x2 blue tooth amp so I can listen while reading books or surfing on my Chromebook.


----------



## Eddie_T

We used to feed the birds and became overpopulated with gray squirrels. I trapped them in a larger havahart live trap and transported quite a few to new locations. Also a number of coons and a couple of feral cats.


----------



## zannej

The town I live near got overrun with the gray squirrels. Town trapped them and a nice neighbor of mine agreed to let them be released on his property so they could roam free (he's got about 40 acres). My scumbag neighbor trespassed on his property & shot about 30 of them just for fun.

My dog has blankets all over the floor near the door and they keep the floor warm so it's hard to see the hole in the door. I tried to get pics but they didn't turn out well. I'll try again when my headache goes away. It looks small but somehow the dogs are able to squeeze through. It takes the larger one some effort to get through though.

Today I took my best friend to the dentist. Yesterday he sat up too fast at work (while working on a machine) blacked out and slammed his face into the machine and split his front tooth in half & damaged the one next to it. Took him back to the dentist he saw before-- the one that pulled my tooth just before the hurricane. Their phone service has been out for months. Very nice people there. His insurance wouldn't cover it bc they aren't in his network but the dentists in his network wouldn't see him until April & it was really hurting him. I set up an appointment for scan of my teeth. Decided not to get a cap/crown on my tooth bc it's $1200 & I can deal with it the way it is for now. I set my next appointment same day as his (but I'm not having work done, just the scan). He's getting 2 more teeth pulled. He was miserable when he got home but the painkillers finally kicked in. I didn't even need to fill my prescription painkillers when I had mine done. I think my friend is more sensitive to pain. I was able to drink soup within a few hours and ate rice the next day. Might be tooth location though. He has 4 more teeth to pull and then he can get dentures.

I had to explain to his ex that he was not going to drive her to work in his condition. She kept arguing with me and insisting that he was going to (bc she doesn't want him home alone with the female house guest). I explained that he would be on painkillers and it wouldn't be safe for him to drive her & she finally got it. Another friend (that she doesn't like) drove her. I had to get home to bring food back to my mother and brother.

Tomorrow I'll have to check on my friend and bring him some tea bags if the bleeding hasn't stopped.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Stopped at the Chinese buffet & saw most of the employees weren't there.
> On the way in we got stopped at a checkpoint. They were asking for license and insurance.



Was just reading that in some areas now you have to show an I.D. and other papers to enter a restaurant... but not to vote...


----------



## Flyover

Just got a notice that my job overpaid me months ago due to a processing error, and now I have to pay them back.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am experimenting with adding heavy cream to whole milk to see if I can get a butterfat content close to the Jersey milk I drank until the government outlawed raw milk.

I am also experimenting with my eyeglass prescription to see what the changes may be needed since I had pterygium removal on my right eye some months ago.


surgery


----------



## Flyover

@Eddie_T Raw milk is not illegal in all states (so, check into the states adjacent to yours), and I'll bet you can find a clandestine raw milk hookup even in your own state if you make friends with a local farmer. (Back when there were state fairs and farmers markets that might have been easier...but these things will probably return after herd immunity is reached.)

BTW I love the glasses. I hope you wear them out of the house!


----------



## Eddie_T

@Flyover  I plan to check some farmer's markets if life ever returns to normal. I had a farmer friend (now passed) but he wouldn't accept money for milk and just gave it to me so I didn't go back. When I was a kid most everyone had cows, even when I was in college we had milk delivered in half gallons jars at reasonable prices, Nowadays people want a high price for "pet" milk. I was trying the mix as it would add only about 85¢ to the price of a gallon + 1 cup of milk. Smoother taste but none of the raw milk benefits. A doctor friend believes that lactose intolerance is at least partially due to pasteurization and homogenization.

Funny, but it's easier to buy moonshine than it is raw milk.


----------



## Flyover

Your doctor friend is probably wrong. Plenty of cultures where there's no pasteurization/homogenization have abundant lactose intolerance (to cow milk anyway). It almost certainly is a genetic trait we co-evolved based on what kinds of dairy animals our ancestors domesticated: goats in most of the world, bovines in northern Europe.

As your own experience shows, we didn't have anything like near-universal pasteurization/homogenization until a few generations ago -- nowhere near enough time for heritable lactose intolerance to suddenly show up.

He might have a point about milk allergies though, some of which might be confused for heritable lactose intolerance.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I hate when they accidentally overpay & then you're stuck having to pay it back bc they screwed up. A family friend of ours who used to work with my dad moved on to work for OIG (Office of Inspector General). When he retired at mandatory retirement age, they started paying him retirement rate at what his salary should have been if not for the stupid salary cap that Congress put in place. He didn't realize he was getting more than he was supposed to & the govt didn't realize the mistake until a year later. They demanded he pay it all back at once at first. He couldn't afford it. So they started garnishing his salary to take it back to the point he had to go out and get another job to pay it back. At least they didn't gyp him on his pay when he was working. They screwed my father over on his pay. His LEAP was supposed to be 25% of his pay for GS14 step 10. They were only giving him the LEAP as if he was GS10 step 1-- HUGE pay difference. He didn't find out until he hit mandatory retirement age and started looking more carefully at his pay to calculate his retirement pay. They based his retirement off of the lower figure when it should have been higher. Unfortunately, his health was such that he didn't have the energy or the finances to really fight it.

I felt the urge to do something productive today and forced myself to get up and clean out the kitchen sink. My brother had been piling literal garbage in it and I haven't had the mental fortitude to tackle it. Finally got it cleaned up and cleaned out the garbage disposal as well. I found some random dishes among the garbage so I rinsed them and stuck them in the dishwasher. I'm going to have to give them all a thorough scrubbing and go back and toss anything that won't come fully clean. Somehow there was hair, lint, cheese wrappers, and all manner of garbage in the sink. But it's clean now.

Ordered some stuff on Amazon for home repairs. It had gone up in price and just went back down again so I wanted to order it before it went up again.

I've been planning out my mask pattern from dieselpunk ro. Frodo linked it to me and got me to join the FB page so people have been giving me advice. I'm going to see if washable nursing bra cups can work as washable filter pockets that are more comfortable on the face. I'll have to see about making a cloth mockup of the whole thing. 

Yesterday I took mom for her regular checkup at the doctor. Her blood panels are better than mine, but she doesn't have congenital heart defects. That skipped her generation. I inherited that crap from both sides of the family (strokes and heart conditions run on both sides). I'm still tired and trying to get energy back. Taking my meds regularly and taking Krill Oil capsules to see if that will help with my cholesterol.

Made Mom a breakfast burrito (after mentioning I made one for myself) & she was very happy with it. Need to get more eggs tomorrow.

I went for a very brief walk and saw my cow licking her daughter's forehead. Wish I'd had my camera.

Right now the sun is shining in through my window to the west so I'm being warmed up. Cats are hogging my blankets as usual.


----------



## Eddie_T

Just reading this and getting more confused;
1/25/2021 Masking the Science


----------



## Eddie_T

This is funny! I was carefully planning my approximate 4.5% butterfat milk preparation. I started with a gallon jug of milk and a pint of heavy cream. I poured a cup of milk into a measuring cup and a cup of cream into another. I took t tbs of cream from the cream cup and added to to the milk cup. The plan was to pour the cup of cream into the milk jug and use the other cup with my cheerios. Well I got the cups mixed up and ate my cheerios with heavy cream and poured a cup of 4.5% milk into the jug of 3.5% milk.

So today after eating my cheerios with slightly enriched milk I am pouring the remaining cup of cream into the milk jug to get slightly higher than 4.5% butterfat whole milk. Whew!


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Ordered some stuff on Amazon for home repairs. It had gone up in price and just went back down again so I wanted to order it before it went up again.


I haven't checked this out but I read somewhere that Amazon has algorithms that change prices based upon one's search history and wish list.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Eddie_T said:


> I haven't checked this out but I read somewhere that Amazon has algorithms that change prices based upon one's search history and wish list.


This would not surprise me in the least.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I haven't checked this out but I read somewhere that Amazon has algorithms that change prices based upon one's search history and wish list.


I've heard this too, directly from tech workers who would know.


----------



## zannej

Well, that sucks! But, I can't say I'm surprised.

I actually cleaned out my kitchen sink fully for the first time in a long time. There are some stains I'm not sure how to get out though. Uses the dishwasher as temp storage for stuff I didn't know where to put.

Went to the post office and grocery store today. stopped in to see my friend. He's losing sight in his other eye now. His ex seems to think they are back together & that he will let her stay. I helped her find her work shoe. Girl is really irresponsible and can't keep track of her stuff. Although, I lose my stuff all the time too. Looks like the houseguest's one-year-old went into the bedroom and messed with stuff so she might have been responsible for another missing item.

Tomorrow is a dental appointment.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Your doctor friend is probably wrong. Plenty of cultures where there's no pasteurization/homogenization have abundant lactose intolerance (to cow milk anyway). It almost certainly is a genetic trait we co-evolved based on what kinds of dairy animals our ancestors domesticated: goats in most of the world, bovines in northern Europe.
> 
> As your own experience shows, we didn't have anything like near-universal pasteurization/homogenization until a few generations ago -- nowhere near enough time for heritable lactose intolerance to suddenly show up.
> 
> He might have a point about milk allergies though, some of which might be confused for heritable lactose intolerance.


Had some of my enhanced milk today and it was pretty good for government designed milk.

When I was a kid on raw milk, real sugar and little processed food some things were rare or even unheard of. Only one kid was obese, only a couple of people had cancer (it was called a dread disease by insurance companies it was so uncommon) and lactose intolerance was nil. Since acquired characteristics are not inherited I think the food chain is indeed a significant contributor to current  problems.


----------



## zannej

Took my friend for his dental appointment. It didn't go well. His whole face except his gums/teeth were numb & they weren't able to pull them. He has to see an oral surgeon instead & the oral surgeon doesn't take his insurance. It's going to be more expensive.

My dental work is going to be expensive. I need 3 appointments and the first one is almost $800 for cleaning and fixing the teeth (one of my molars got chipped & there's a gap between the teeth that catches too much crud & the gums get irritated. Doesn't help that one of my medications causes inflammation of the gums sometimes.

Went to Tractor Supply after to get some cow feed. Ran in to another friend I hadn't seen since last year. He's doing well. We joked around while waiting in line. He teased our mutual friend by saying he was like the broom that was for sale "All purpose and gets pushed around".


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Since acquired characteristics are not inherited I think the food chain is indeed a significant contributor to current problems.





zannej said:


> My dental work is going to be expensive.





zannej said:


> Went to Tractor Supply after to get some cow feed.


I had fun imagining these three quotes as all directly related.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Had some of my enhanced milk today and it was pretty good for government designed milk.
> 
> When I was a kid on raw milk, real sugar and little processed food some things were rare or even unheard of. Only one kid was obese, only a couple of people had cancer (it was called a dread disease by insurance companies it was so uncommon) and lactose intolerance was nil. Since acquired characteristics are not inherited I think the food chain is indeed a significant contributor to current  problems.



The food chain is a giant cause of disease. The fast and processed food that is filled with chemicals to enhance flavor and shelf life doesn't jive with the human or animal body. Animals in the wild don't get cancer. It's non existent. Animals that eat their version of the Standard diet (SAD) from a bag do get disease. 

When I was on a strict Paleo diet of just Meat and Vegetables, all Organic, and eliminated alcohol, sugar, bread, pasta, rice, beans etc., nothing at all from a box, very little from a glass jar etc., I felt better than any time in my Adult life with the exception of Basic Training, where a group of someone else's controlled everything I ate.

My body freaked out after 2 days with no sugar, and my energy plummeted. I "supplemented" with Organic Raisins and Blueberries to satisfy the craving. That took a little over 2 weeks until my body no longer required that. That's the perfect diet for me, and I need to go hardcore like that again, but people should see a Functional Medicine MD before starting that, especially if they have an "eating" disease like Diabetes. Going to a regular MD is worthless because they aren't trained in nutrition at all. Going to a dietician is the same, they will tell you to eat less of the boxed "food".

The best side effect of a hardcore Paleo diet is using a lot less toilet paper, the bathroom visits don't stink at all, and there is no need for deodorant. Now, of course one should eliminate personal chemicals as well that are in shampoo and things like that. I did notice after I was "clean" that I was wickedly sensitive to the car mirror air freshener. I couldn't even get in the car that had one. Like Kryptonite. 

So, to close this book, Raw Milk is the reason I question everything the Gubment says because they never make any sense. They want to "protect" people from Evil Raw Milk, but allow all the drugs on the market that can kill you every day and twice on Sunday faster than an 8 ball of Crack, and that's from the company's own commercials. 

Oh, make sure to take off your mask if you are puking. That's straight from the CDC.

Groan.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Took my friend for his dental appointment. It didn't go well. His whole face except his gums/teeth were numb & they weren't able to pull them. He has to see an oral surgeon instead & the oral surgeon doesn't take his insurance. It's going to be more expensive.
> 
> My dental work is going to be expensive. I need 3 appointments and the first one is almost $800 for cleaning and fixing the teeth (one of my molars got chipped & there's a gap between the teeth that catches too much crud & the gums get irritated. Doesn't help that one of my medications causes inflammation of the gums sometimes.
> 
> Went to Tractor Supply after to get some cow feed. Ran in to another friend I hadn't seen since last year. He's doing well. We joked around while waiting in line. He teased our mutual friend by saying he was like the broom that was for sale "All purpose and gets pushed around".



Have you tried Oil Pulling?






						oil pulling at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


----------



## zannej

My friend doesn't want to risk it. I don't need any more teeth pulled, but I need fillings. I'm waiting to hear back from the dentist on whether or not they get approval from my doctor on me getting stuff done because I have to take antibiotics before any cleanings & so forth because of prolapsed heart valves. Doesn't help that my cardiologist died & I haven't found a new one that doesn't suck.

Processed foods are definitely not good-- probably a big part of why I'm not in great health. I eat a lot of them since I'm not a great cook & I hate cooking. Had pizza yesterday (saturday) and felt awful afterward. Almost threw up. Still not feeling great.

Went over to help my friend install a Rev-a-Shelf tip-out shelf on his kitchen sink cabinet. The fake drawer there kept falling off. As soon as he saw it he got to installing it but had trouble because he can barely see. He's losing vision in his right eye now. He was a bit stressed out since he's been arguing with his ex. She refuses to accept that they are not a couple anymore. She keeps pretending they are and telling everyone they are together, gets jealous about any women (except me) that he talks to, and constantly messages/calls him to ask what he's doing and who he is with. I told him the simple answer anytime she asks that is "None of your business". She lost any right to ask him that when she cheated on him & left him for another guy. She seems to think that it's OK that she left him because she came crawling back and begging him to take her back in. He lets her stay there, but she won't get it through her skull that he won't date her again. She still doesn't really want anything to do with their baby except to post pics of him on FB and claim she loves him so much & he's her world and all that BS. I have to constantly stop myself from mentioning that she won't even hold him for 5 minutes. To make matters worse, she stopped taking her meds. She is a danger to others without those meds. My friend would not be blind in one eye and going blind in the other if not for her getting violent with him.

It was tense until she left for work & then some friends came over & we watched weird crap on the internet and made a trip to Home Depot. Friend needs to add a breaker and some more outlets so he can run some heaters for next week.

We had pizza but I regretted it later. Pizza often disagrees with my stomach but it was worse than usual this time. Still fighting the urge to throw up so I don't puke up my medicine. I rarely eat pizza anymore.


----------



## NeilG

Spicoli43 said:


> Animals in the wild don't get cancer. It's non existent.


That is simply not true. Eat what you think makes you feel good, but don't make up facts. And before you attribute any wild animal cancer to modern pollutants, know that cancer has been found in dinosaur fossils.  








						Malignant cancer diagnosed in a dinosaur for the first time
					

New research has led to the discovery and diagnosis of an aggressive malignant bone cancer -- an osteosarcoma -- for the first time ever in a dinosaur. No malignant cancers (tumous that can spread throughout the body and have severe health implications) have ever been documented in dinosaurs...



					www.sciencedaily.com


----------



## Spicoli43

NeilG said:


> That is simply not true. Eat what you think makes you feel good, but don't make up facts. And before you attribute any wild animal cancer to modern pollutants, know that cancer has been found in dinosaur fossils.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Malignant cancer diagnosed in a dinosaur for the first time
> 
> 
> New research has led to the discovery and diagnosis of an aggressive malignant bone cancer -- an osteosarcoma -- for the first time ever in a dinosaur. No malignant cancers (tumous that can spread throughout the body and have severe health implications) have ever been documented in dinosaurs...
> 
> 
> 
> www.sciencedaily.com



You'll just have to stick to your facts, and I'll stick to the truth. How did you know I was going to say the obvious in modern pollutants? You know I'm right, that's how.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 I just did a DuckDuckGo search, and then a Google Scholar search, on "wild animals cancer" and ... there must be a pretty big conspiracy to cover up "the truth"!

2nd sentence in this ecology paper's abstract:








						Cancer Prevalence and Etiology in Wild and Captive Animals
					

Neoplasia has been recorded in the vast majority of metazoans. The frequent occurrence of cancer in multicellular organisms suggests that neoplasia, s…




					www.sciencedirect.com
				





> The frequent occurrence of cancer in multicellular organisms suggests that neoplasia, similar to pathogens/parasites, may have a significant negative impact on host fitness in the wild.


Big Pharma must've got to 'em!


----------



## NeilG

Remember: never let facts get in the way of truth. WTF?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 I just did a DuckDuckGo search, and then a Google Scholar search, on "wild animals cancer" and ... there must be a pretty big conspiracy to cover up "the truth"!
> 
> 2nd sentence in this ecology paper's abstract:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cancer Prevalence and Etiology in Wild and Captive Animals
> 
> 
> Neoplasia has been recorded in the vast majority of metazoans. The frequent occurrence of cancer in multicellular organisms suggests that neoplasia, s…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.sciencedirect.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Big Pharma must've got to 'em!


So you believe it because a scientist said so? Who argues with scientists? Other scientists. Did you personally see through a microscope the cancer cells in a petri dish? Did you see where these animals were found?


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43: If I'd searched "wild animals cancer" and found nothing to support the idea that wild animals get cancer _except this paper_, then I would have a very good reason to doubt what these scientists (the paper has 13 authors) are saying.

Even as it is, I still keep a skeptical mind with regard to whether their methodology was sound, whether they represented their findings fairly, whether their samples were properly sourced, and so on. I know it's always possible they dropped the ball somewhere. Scientists are just humans. Maybe they made a mistake. Maybe the reviewers for the journal that published their paper also made a mistake. It's possible!

But when I search on "wild animals cancer" I find paper after paper, article after article, study after study, talking about wild animals getting cancer. When I search on "wild animals don't get cancer" all I find is articles about "What's up with these few weird species that don't get cancer?" Please don't take my word for it. Repeat the experiment for yourself.

So now I have to wonder which is more likely:

A) that every single scientific journal and science blogger and popular science website I can find is complicit in a lie to cover up the truth, that wild animals don't get cancer,

OR

B) that a random guy on an internet forum asserted something that isn't true and now refuses to admit he was wrong.

Please, convince me why (A) is more likely.


----------



## zannej

So, other than debating on the internet, what have you guys done today?

I've done a little cleaning. A lot of sleeping. Currently cuddled up with kitties. My fluffy calico has parked herself on my lap.

Been feeling exhausted again. Haven't heard from my friend on how he's doing. I still need to get some sort of insulation to keep the water from freezing in the well shed. I wish I could find some sort of better shelter for my cows. They don't like going in the barn now that it's been collapsing. Yesterday I checked google satellite maps to see if the pics had been updated and they have. You can now see that half of my barn collapsed but those are still order pictures because even more has collapsed since.
The barn is the building in the upper left. You can see that half of the roof caved in on the north side. Building near it is the workshop. 



If you look carefully in this pic, you can see my cows off to the left of the smashed car port. The brownish red blob and the black blob.



I'm thinking of getting a stall mat to put over the entrance to the barn because it's so muddy I sink up to the bottom of my calves (no cow puns intended) when trying to walk through it. Also thinking of getting some sort of trough to put down there or seeing if I can find one to clean out and put feed in there to get them to go in. Need to figure out if there is some sort of tarp I can hang up to block wind and keep them warmer. They can huddle together for warmth but I don't know if it will keep them warm enough.


----------



## Flyover

Good point, @zannej. I got a couple of those 99 cent hooks and hung up my guitars on the wall of my office. It looks cool and saves space in that tiny room, but the big thing is hopefully this makes me play them more. Though, each time I've had a kid I've ended up taking anywhere from 3 to 12 months off from playing regularly, so with my youngest being 4 months I guess I'm not in the danger zone yet.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43: If I'd searched "wild animals cancer" and found nothing to support the idea that wild animals get cancer _except this paper_, then I would have a very good reason to doubt what these scientists (the paper has 13 authors) are saying.
> 
> Even as it is, I still keep a skeptical mind with regard to whether their methodology was sound, whether they represented their findings fairly, whether their samples were properly sourced, and so on. I know it's always possible they dropped the ball somewhere. Scientists are just humans. Maybe they made a mistake. Maybe the reviewers for the journal that published their paper also made a mistake. It's possible!
> 
> But when I search on "wild animals cancer" I find paper after paper, article after article, study after study, talking about wild animals getting cancer. When I search on "wild animals don't get cancer" all I find is articles about "What's up with these few weird species that don't get cancer?" Please don't take my word for it. Repeat the experiment for yourself.
> 
> So now I have to wonder which is more likely:
> 
> A) that every single scientific journal and science blogger and popular science website I can find is complicit in a lie to cover up the truth, that wild animals don't get cancer,
> 
> OR
> 
> B) that a random guy on an internet forum asserted something that isn't true and now refuses to admit he was wrong.
> 
> Please, convince me why (A) is more likely.



I'll concede only one bit, the words "It's non existent", and replace it with "It hardly ever happens". I stand on that. I guess to satisfy Neil and you, I'll have to include that they aren't animals that live near humans, since "Wild" doesn't accomplish that.


----------



## NeilG

I installed a water heater today. It's the third major appliance to crap out on me in the last 10 days. I now have a brand new dishwasher, dryer, and water heater. They were all old and needed replacing. And yes, the water heater is outside, for  you cold climate guys. Breathe.....


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Good point, @zannej. I got a couple of those 99 cent hooks and hung up my guitars on the wall of my office. It looks cool and saves space in that tiny room, but the big thing is hopefully this makes me play them more. Though, each time I've had a kid I've ended up taking anywhere from 3 to 12 months off from playing regularly, so with my youngest being 4 months I guess I'm not in the danger zone yet.


When I spent the most time with a guitar was with my first, it was a $13.95 Stella I got from Sears on sale. No case and it hung out on the corner section  of the sofa. If we needed the seating space we just leaned it in the corner behind the sofa. I could pick a tune or strum a chord during a commercial, waiting on my ride to work, awaiting dinner or whatever. Once I got a good guitar it was always in the case and in the closet.


----------



## zannej

I wish I'd learned to play guitar. My sister could play just about any instrument she picked up-- violin, recorder, guitar, piano... She can play by ear. I had a little electric organ piano like thing when I was a kid. Would love to get it working again, but wiring doesn't seem safe on it nowadays. I loved playing on it as a kid.

Today was a mixed bag. Went to the post office to get mail: Package was stuck in the box. Was about 1/16" too tall to fit out the front. It ripped when I tried to pull it out. Asked postal worker to push on it from behind. After a few shoves she asked me to push it back to her. She had to pull it out the back and then bring my mail (which was stuck behind the package) and the package around to the front for me.

Went to Tractor Supply & grabbed some cow feed and a stall mat to put in the entrance of the barn to make it easier to walk over. It was floppier than I realized though. Took 2 guys to load it up. Went back home & unloaded it by myself. Got my foot stuck in the mud while trying to get it in place, it then flopped over my leg. I was trying to keep my balance when my cow decided to nuzzle me & tipped me over (guess cows like human tipping sometimes). Barely missed landing on a cinderblock. Landed on a pile of cow crap (at least it was softer than a cinderblock). Put my hand in stinging nettles trying to get up.

Unloaded the cow feed & cut the bag open while dodging cow horns- bc the red cow was trying to bust open the bag with her horns.

Went back to the house, changed pants, washed my hands, put alcohol on my nettle stings, & got my brother so we could go to samsclub to get some water. Grabbed Chinese takeout on the way home. My back does not like me now.

Talked to my friend briefly. He's stressed out. His biggest fear was going blind (bc his grandmother was blind & he saw how she lived) & he's terrified he will go completely blind. He still doesn't seem to make the connection that his ex caused this & he should kick her to the curb. She still seems to think he's forgiven her or will forgive her with time & that they will move in to his old burned house (after it is fixed up). She seems obsessed with moving there. She keeps talking about their future together & will not listen to everyone (including him) telling her it's over & she blew her chance.

I saw his mom at Tractor Supply. Normally I stop and chat with her but I was so focused on getting my stuff & getting out that I sort of grunted in greeting. She said "Hi" and then "Bye" I waved and grunted both times. Asked my friend to let her know I wasn't trying to be rude but was in a hurry. 

My brother made beef stew so I was able to feed that to Mom instead of having to cook.

Cats were cuddling me when I was resting. Dog got jealous so she crawled up and started licking my face. So far my face has been licked by a cow, some cats, and the dogs today. LOL.

Tomorrow is my brother's birthday. It's weird to think my baby brother will be 41.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej, Are your cows milk cows or beef?


----------



## NeilG

Spicoli43 said:


> Who argues with scientists? Other scientists.



Scientists arguing with other scientists is why we actually do have nice things.


----------



## Flyover

I got fed up with my boss today and sent my resume to the hiring manager at another company. I'm not actually ready to change jobs, but it felt good to start that conversation.


----------



## Eddie_T

NeilG said:


> Scientists arguing with other scientists is why we actually do have nice things.


I worked as an engineer supporting scientists finding a number of them to have tunnel vision when it came to their experiments.


----------



## Rusty

Flyover said:


> Good point, @zannej. I got a couple of those 99 cent hooks and hung up my guitars on the wall of my office. It looks cool and saves space in that tiny room, but the big thing is hopefully this makes me play them more. Though, each time I've had a kid I've ended up taking anywhere from 3 to 12 months off from playing regularly, so with my youngest being 4 months I guess I'm not in the danger zone yet.


I quit playing for years and when I tried to start again, my hands just would not do it. I was in a local rock band in the 60s.


----------



## Rusty

Eddie_T said:


> I worked as an engineer supporting scientists finding a number of them to have tunnel vision when it came to their experiments.


My brother worked at Boeing. He was trained as a draftsman and an engineer. They hired him because it isn't always true that anything that is designed can be built. He would try to correct designs to make the projects possible to build.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, they are pets. I think they are beef cattle though. The mother is a Brahma Jersey mix. She's red and has big horns. She was a dummy calf (too stupid to know how to nurse) & the vet needed someone who would take care of her so he offered her to me after my other cow (who had also been a dummy calf) died. Later a Brangus (Brahma Angus mix) broke through the fence and got her pregnant. The red one chases trespassers. I spoiled her when she was little so she's very affectionate with me.

Neil, I agree about scientists. If scientists all agreed on everything & didn't challenge each other, we would have stagnated. It also helps when scientists question their own assumptions. There was a guy who studied wolves in a national park & came up with the whole idea of the alpha male. He wrote a book about it. Years later he wondered how accurate he'd been & studied wolves in the wild. Realized he'd been very mistaken & that what he perceived as alpha behavior was parenting behavior and that both male & female parents were dominant and controlling. 

Then there are times when scientists are so desperate for money/fame that they lie about discoveries. Like the guy who came up with his own measles vaccine & lied about a study to claim the competing vaccine caused autism. Years later he admitted he'd made it all up to try to market his own vaccine instead, but it had backfired spectacularly & the public had just been told "vaccines cause autism". He retracted it all & went around telling people it was all bogus, but the misinformation had spread enough that to this day people still think it's true. But not just about the competing vaccine-- about all vaccines. Shows what a little info (or misinfo) can do when people don't get the full context.

Scientists still can't agree about what foods are healthy. One day eggs are bad, next they are good. One day grains are good (something cereal companies loved to push) next they are bad. It's hard to keep up. LOL.

Rusty, that's cool about your brother's job. Engineering is fascinating to me. Wish I had the memory & that my brain would focus long enough to learn how to do a lot of the stuff. It would have been easy when I was younger if I'd been interested but I went from being a straight A honor roll kid in gifted classes to feeling like a total derp. LOL.

I'm recovering from yesterday's adventures today. I think Mom is tired of the beef stew my brother made so I will have to cook shepherd's pie for her. Trying to get my body to want to move though. Had a kidney stone again that feels like it's on the way out. I know I need to go to the store and get some stuff.


----------



## Rusty

Scientist are always making assumption that are accepted that turn out to be wrong. For many years they said that no humans lived in North America before 10,000 years ago and it was published in many books. Then they started finding artifacts that were 20,000 years old. Whoops. They declared that Neanderthals had just died out, but DNA proved most of us have some of their DNA.


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## Eddie_T

@zannej Interesting about wolves. I had a 11/16 wolf-dog in a kennel. A puppy from next door came up for a visit and my wolf-dog immediately lost his lunch for the puppy.


----------



## zannej

Wolves are fascinating animals. But then, I find a lot of animals fascinating. I am more fond of animals than people. LOL. My first job was at a zoo.

I said Happy Birthday to my brother, gave him a hug, and made shepherd's pie for mom. Still trying to get up the energy to go to the store to get milk and maybe some cupcakes or a cake or some sort of desert for my brother. Need to go get mail soon before post office closes.


----------



## Flyover

Rusty said:


> Scientist are always making assumption that are accepted that turn out to be wrong. For many years they said that no humans lived in North America before 10,000 years ago and it was published in many books. Then they started finding artifacts that were 20,000 years old. Whoops. They declared that Neanderthals had just died out, but DNA proved most of us have some of their DNA.


In defense of those scientists, sometimes to test a hypothesis you have to make some assumptions. Especially true in fields like paleoarcheology where there is very incomplete data available. Most scientists are up front about this, and will say in their papers what assumptions they've made and why they think the assumptions are reasonable. And, the whole point of science is to try to disprove hypotheses, so the fact that theories later turn out to be wrong is actually a good sign; it means scientific work is being done.

Journalists (here we go again -- just kidding) often fail to include this nuance in their write-ups ("SCIENTIST PROVEN WRONG, HUMILIATED" sells more papers than "Point 2A of orginal hypothesis shown not to replicate; further research needed"), and even when they do, people reading the pop sci articles often fail to pick up on it, for the same reason they failed to notice the scientist saying "I lied, my vaccine doesn't cause autism".


----------



## Eddie_T

Thus came the theory of evolution.


----------



## NeilG

Eddie_T said:


> I worked as an engineer supporting scientists finding a number of them to have tunnel vision when it came to their experiments.


I was speaking more generally and metaphorically. The last bit of the scientific method is to communicate your results, hence, the "argument". Really the scientist's main job is to prove his/her hypothesis, so I'd expect some tunnel vision, but I get your point.


----------



## Rusty

NeilG said:


> I was speaking more generally and metaphorically. The last bit of the scientific method is to communicate your results, hence, the "argument". Really the scientist's main job is to prove his/her hypothesis, so I'd expect some tunnel vision, but I get your point.


Many times they don't/can't prove it but it is still accepted.


----------



## Eddie_T

Scientists reach a point where they don't want any debate on their conclusions. When people such as Obama and Fauci say give science her place they really mean consensus science.


----------



## zannej

Went to the post office. No mail at all. Went to the store. Mom mentioned wanting bread. My brother was out of milk. So I got milk & bread plus some stuff for cooking and got my brother a piece of cake, a chocolate milk, and some french vanilla ice cream. He's eating his cake with a bowl of ice cream now.
The Blue Belle french vanilla is what one of our elderly friends always had in the freezer when we came over as kids so we have a special fondness of it.

I'm thinking tomorrow I will go up to Lowes and/or HomeDepot to look at stuff for insulating.


----------



## zannej

Took mom to get her first dose of the vaccine. Dropped her off at friend's house & she played with the friend's baby. Brought friend to Walmart to get some stuff and then back to my house so he could help me put up Reflectix & moving blankets to keep heat in. Poor cows were mooing the whole time and following me around outside. I'm going to have to get a new barn built for them at some point. And I need to get more hay. Still haven't found anyone selling that will deliver.

Brought friend back home & saw some other mutual friends who where there to help him (because he'd helped them with stuff recently) with putting away laundry. 

Grabbed food at Burger King and am currently sitting under a pile of cats. I turned one of my blankets with the fuzzy side up & they are all over it.


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## Flyover

@zannej It seems like every post you write on this thread includes you chauffeuring everyone in your county and their sister around, ironic you can't get anyone to chauffeur some dead grass over to your house.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I know! Sadly, no one in the area actually grows the stuff & they aren't willing to deliver. It doesn't help that my roads are awful right now & large trucks aren't allowed on it bc it's been raining nonstop. No large trucks w/in 24 hours of substantial rain allowed. The reason I drove my friend to & from is bc my road is rough on vehicles & he tends to have more fragile vehicles. He once hit a pot hole that broke his rack & pinion & caused his bumper and headlights to fall off. He also doesn't have much $ for gas & he was doing me a favor. Plus my truck has heated seats. He has no body fat so he gets cold very easily.

It's still under 40 degrees here despite being after noon. Frodo sent me some stuff in the mail that supposedly arrived yesterday. I'm debating whether I should go to the post office & see if they have it set up yet. Sometimes it takes them 2 days to process packages so I have to wait for them to put the package slip in the box. Hopefully they won't stuff something in the box that's too big to pull out the front again.

I was nice and cozy last night under a pile of blankets and cats. Two of the cats decided to get under the covers with me so it was even warmer. Dog was curled up against my legs. My calico was stretched out against my back on some blankets and the one-eyed orange cat sat on top of her & she didn't care. There was a brief kerfuffle this morning. 4 cat pile up when they were getting up & some of them don't like each other. They get along if I'm petting them usually, but some of them get aggressive with each other when they are away from me. I don't know if the calico was part of the fight or if she happened to get in the middle. I looked up and she was hissing and growling, swatting at her brother, & running away. The two brothers were glaring at each other and growling. My oldest cat was between them with some gray fur in his mouth so it looked like he'd gotten into the tussle. I called him over and he seemed fine. He must have known I was talking about him bc he just climbed on me. The fat fluffy gray & white cat was having a fit. He kept growling even when I was petting him.  I was trying to calm him down & he swatted at me so I shoved him out of my room & he calmed down. I fed them earlier than usual to get them to behave. The food calmed them all down.

Just looked down and Mom's little dog is in the room. He's lying down next to the other dog (who is curled up with one of the cats). I'm sure this is all very boring. LOL. With the weather & all that is going on in the world, it's nice to see my kitties and doggies resting and comfortable.

If I do go out today, I'll have to swing by the grocery store and get some stuff.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Eddie, they are pets. I think they are beef cattle though. The mother is a Brahma Jersey mix. She's red and has big horns. She was a dummy calf (too stupid to know how to nurse) & the vet needed someone who would take care of her so he offered her to me after my other cow (who had also been a dummy calf) died. Later a Brangus (Brahma Angus mix) broke through the fence and got her pregnant. The red one chases trespassers. I spoiled her when she was little so she's very affectionate with me.


A friend kept a cow and would always keep the calf. A cow produces more milk than a family needs and the government won't let the excess be sold. So my friend would turn the calf in with the cow anytime he didn't need the milk or was going to be away from home. If he were still living I could use him as a source for raw milk.

When I was a kid my first allowance was for delivering milk to Mrs. Henegan who lived the equivalent of a block away. As I recall her husband had placed a little shelf on a fencepost near the gate for me to set two quart bottles on. I think I delivered twice per week and was paid 15¢ per quart.


----------



## Rusty

Gave in, got a covid shot. My cousin spent 6 weeks in ICU. Got MRSA in his lungs. Begged them to unplug him, so they did. His pain was horrible. Decided I would rather take a chance of the vaccine killing me than covid.


----------



## zannej

Rusty, if you normally react to vaccines, you may feel like you got hit by a truck a day or a day and a half after getting the vaccine. My mom woke up feeling fine this morning but had aches all over by afternoon. She's currently resting, but I've read that those side effects are normal. Supposed to last maybe 3 days. Same symptoms after 2nd vaccine.

I'm glad you were able to get your first shot. Still not available to people in my group yet. Probably won't be until next year honestly. They don't consider caregivers of elderly people to be important enough here. Hell, they didn't consider teachers to be important enough to get vaccines yet but they re-opened schools. Legislators got their shots first though so that shows you their priorities.

I'm also very sorry to hear about your cousin.

My brother convinced my mother to sign up for Starlink. I hope it doesn't end up as a flop. He promised to clean the living room (Mom says the agreement was for him to clean the house). I'm positive he's not going to do it and the bulk of the work will fall to me. But, if I can get him to help for a few minutes it will be nice. I offered to help clean his room too if it will get him to help me clean other areas. I also offered to help him with the living room in exchange for him helping with the kitchen.

Got distracted bc my power backup/surge protector just started beeping at me like crazy.

I went to the post office. It was 35 degrees. Got my mail without problems. Had a package from Frodo. He sent me some leather scraps, some tools, some little metal thingies, and a leather mask he made. The mask will be helpful for me to figure out how to tweak the pattern. I found that the washable nursing pads (for bras) fit perfectly. I was expecting to have to trim them but they are the right shape & size to cover the holes. I intend to make a cloth liner to go inside that will have a pocket for a filter to slip behind the pad. Filters will be able to be changed and pad can be removed to be washed. Might attach it to the liner itself so the whole thing can be washed.

This is the mask Frodo made & last pic shows it with the pad.





In addition to the liner, I will have a metal band to make it conform to the face (if band doesn't work I might use coated landscaping wire from dollar tree). I will have fewer holes and use larger grommets with mesh screens (there will still be multiple layers of cloth plus a filter in between the vents and the face). I will use magnetic rivet snaps to attach the liner inside. I will change the shape of the side pieces that hold the straps to have a rivet go through them, and I will double up leather inside the strap holders to make them sturdier. I will also switch out to soft spandex elastic ear straps instead of a leather head strap.

I'll probably make a mockup in cloth first. Then maybe some scrap leather or similar thickness material. I may even make a blue mask out of blue upholstery vinyl for my mom. But that will require different colored rivets bc she will want gold/brass ones.

I got distracted. LOL. I also got gas & groceries and went to Tractor Supply for cow feed. I had planned to park, pull the bag out, cut it open etc before cows got over there. But the damn bag slid toward the cab so I had to climb inside and ended up hurting my shoulder. I got it unloaded and used my cow to help me get back down. I bumped my head on her horn while she was holding still bc I forgot about it looping somewhat up. LOL. The younger cow was desperately trying to lick the bag open. I finally got the horned cow to back off enough for me to get it open without hitting my head. I wish they would get in the hay with molasses bc they eat that slower than these pellets. I'm not sure how much they are supposed to eat, but they ate the whole bag in one day.


----------



## Rusty

My wife feels pretty bad. Guess I will be cooking, I already do the dishes. I just hope it does not get worse.


----------



## Eddie_T

My county has only about 200 shots per week and instead off reserving them they open a window for about 15 minutes each Friday for people to scramble to call or fill out an online application. I don't feel like playing that game so if I get a shot I'll probably wait for the J&J single shot.


----------



## Rusty

My county only has 23,000 people. 1900 have had covid and about 1500 have been vaccinated,


----------



## zannej

My parish has about 25k people. 2,919 have had Covd & there have been 82 deaths (but that is not counting the infections & deaths from prison inmates, which has been fairly high). No data on county vaccination rate but I know it has been slow.

Knowing my luck, vaccine will no longer be effective at all due to virus mutation by the time the vaccine is available to me. LOL.

Woke up with 10 cats & a dog on my bed. Still cold as Jotunheim. For some reason I thought it was still around 11 am but it's 3pm so I must have really racked out. I woke up a few times & didn't want to move bc it was too cold. Gonna have to force myself to get up, bring in cat food from the car, and feed kitties and clean up in the living room. After I take some naproxyn. My back hates the cold weather.


----------



## Rusty

I read where at least two people in Oregon who had the vaccine still got covid.


----------



## havasu

Installed a new microwave and vented it outside. 3 hours in the attic on my belly sucked big bananas.


----------



## Spicoli43

Rusty said:


> Gave in, got a covid shot. My cousin spent 6 weeks in ICU. Got MRSA in his lungs. Begged them to unplug him, so they did. His pain was horrible. Decided I would rather take a chance of the vaccine killing me than covid.



Sorry for your loss. I hope you don't have any long term side effects.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Rusty, if you normally react to vaccines, you may feel like you got hit by a truck a day or a day and a half after getting the vaccine. My mom woke up feeling fine this morning but had aches all over by afternoon. She's currently resting, but I've read that those side effects are normal. Supposed to last maybe 3 days. Same symptoms after 2nd vaccine.
> 
> I'm glad you were able to get your first shot. Still not available to people in my group yet. Probably won't be until next year honestly. They don't consider caregivers of elderly people to be important enough here. Hell, they didn't consider teachers to be important enough to get vaccines yet but they re-opened schools. Legislators got their shots first though so that shows you their priorities.
> 
> I'm also very sorry to hear about your cousin.
> 
> My brother convinced my mother to sign up for Starlink. I hope it doesn't end up as a flop. He promised to clean the living room (Mom says the agreement was for him to clean the house). I'm positive he's not going to do it and the bulk of the work will fall to me. But, if I can get him to help for a few minutes it will be nice. I offered to help clean his room too if it will get him to help me clean other areas. I also offered to help him with the living room in exchange for him helping with the kitchen.
> 
> Got distracted bc my power backup/surge protector just started beeping at me like crazy.
> 
> I went to the post office. It was 35 degrees. Got my mail without problems. Had a package from Frodo. He sent me some leather scraps, some tools, some little metal thingies, and a leather mask he made. The mask will be helpful for me to figure out how to tweak the pattern. I found that the washable nursing pads (for bras) fit perfectly. I was expecting to have to trim them but they are the right shape & size to cover the holes. I intend to make a cloth liner to go inside that will have a pocket for a filter to slip behind the pad. Filters will be able to be changed and pad can be removed to be washed. Might attach it to the liner itself so the whole thing can be washed.
> 
> This is the mask Frodo made & last pic shows it with the pad.
> View attachment 25199
> View attachment 25198
> View attachment 25200
> 
> 
> In addition to the liner, I will have a metal band to make it conform to the face (if band doesn't work I might use coated landscaping wire from dollar tree). I will have fewer holes and use larger grommets with mesh screens (there will still be multiple layers of cloth plus a filter in between the vents and the face). I will use magnetic rivet snaps to attach the liner inside. I will change the shape of the side pieces that hold the straps to have a rivet go through them, and I will double up leather inside the strap holders to make them sturdier. I will also switch out to soft spandex elastic ear straps instead of a leather head strap.



That thing looks dangerous! Good for him for trying to help, but there's no way to breathe through it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> My county has only about 200 shots per week and instead off reserving them they open a window for about 15 minutes each Friday for people to scramble to call or fill out an online application. I don't feel like playing that game so if I get a shot I'll probably wait for the J&J single shot.



I can't go with J&J either, they tried covering up their Killer Baby Powder.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I can't go with J&J either, they tried covering up their Killer Baby Powder.


We didn't like cornstarch and always searched out brands that use talc.


----------



## zannej

Rusty, It takes about a week or more after 2nd dose for immunity to kick in & it's not 100%. Even having had Covid & having antibodies doesn't stop people from getting it again. My brother had a former co-worker who got Covid 4 times. It got worse each time & last time it killed him.

Spicoli, it has holes punched in the front and the pad filters it. I tried it on and could breathe just fine- and I have damaged lungs from childhood respiratory illness. The mask I plan to make will have larger openings but I will have more layers of cloth in between so air will pass through, but not liquid. The pad I put in it is breathable but it absorbs moisture.

Kidney stone came back with a vengeance so I settled for cleaning the hallway. Was supposed to do more cleaning today but wasn't up to it. My brother left me a mess on the stove so it was one of those days where I said fk it.

Cold front is coming through a bit later than expected. We have winter storm advisory up until Tuesday. 

Hopefully it won't get too bad.

I heard from my friend. The 11-yr-old kid who got dumped there by his mother somehow flushed a roll of toilet paper down the toilet & it clogged the pipes so badly that the plumber couldn't get it out with the largest auger he had and ended up having to dig a hole in the yard to dig up the pipe. I think he should send the plumbing bill to the kid's mom. Kid is generally nice, but I don't think he realized it would clog. He accidentally knocked the roll in (not sure how) and decided to flush it instead of trying to fish it out. Yet another reason why I don't like kids.

Friend is really aggravated with all the people in his house mooching. His ex was posting all sorts of valentine's BS on FB while knowing they aren't a couple and it was making him angrier. I'm trying to stay out of the drama, but it's not going to end well for either of them.


----------



## zannej

Trying to stay warm. Power stayed on thus far but it snowed last night. Got about 2 inches of snow. Entire parish is shut down. Official "stay home" order, all businesses closed. Supposed to get colder tonight (they think 9 degrees). Cows were OK in the barn last night. Hope it doesn't actually get that cold. Cats knocked something over in mom's room last week that uncovered an unopened electric blanket that was meant for my brother but mom forgot to give it to him. I gave it to him so he's happily curled up under it. He has my heating pads too. I'm about to get 1 of them back from him.
Found a space heater on my brother's bedroom floor under some junk. It still works so I set it up for the kittens in the front room. They are enjoying the warmth.
Best friend told me his pipes froze & his oven is having trouble heating up- he's trying to cook something in it & he said it took 30min to get up to 300.
When stuff opens back up I will have to get him some stuff to wrap his pex pipes to keep them warm. Hopefully they won't burst.
I feel sorry for the people who lost power in this mess. Cats are piled on me keeping me warm at least.
Mom had her first dose of vaccine last week and only had mild feeling of cruddiness for a day and a half and is better now.

I need to heighten the priority of getting a better shelter for the cows so they can have someplace cool in summer and warm in winter.

Hope everyone else is staying warm.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Trying to stay warm. Power stayed on thus far but it snowed last night. Got about 2 inches of snow. Entire parish is shut down. Official "stay home" order, all businesses closed. Supposed to get colder tonight (they think 9 degrees). Cows were OK in the barn last night. Hope it doesn't actually get that cold. Cats knocked something over in mom's room last week that uncovered an unopened electric blanket that was meant for my brother but mom forgot to give it to him. I gave it to him so he's happily curled up under it. He has my heating pads too. I'm about to get 1 of them back from him.
> Found a space heater on my brother's bedroom floor under some junk. It still works so I set it up for the kittens in the front room. They are enjoying the warmth.
> Best friend told me his pipes froze & his oven is having trouble heating up- he's trying to cook something in it & he said it took 30min to get up to 300.
> When stuff opens back up I will have to get him some stuff to wrap his pex pipes to keep them warm. Hopefully they won't burst.
> I feel sorry for the people who lost power in this mess. Cats are piled on me keeping me warm at least.
> Mom had her first dose of vaccine last week and only had mild feeling of cruddiness for a day and a half and is better now.
> 
> I need to heighten the priority of getting a better shelter for the cows so they can have someplace cool in summer and warm in winter.
> 
> Hope everyone else is staying warm.



It's above Zero today, real bizarre. February is usually in the negative most of the month. Since cows don't have fur, what do you do for them?


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, cows do have fur. In fact, mine have their winter coats in. It's not like a buffalo, but it's thicker than in summer. I put a stall mat over the mud going in to the barn so they would feel better about going in there. Last night they stayed in the barn on the side that is still intact. It protected them from wind and snow & they had each other for warmth. But I do worry about them. It's hard to find people who will repair barns or install new ones out here though. We've been trying for awhile & each time we get stood up. Person who is supposed to come out no-shows. Good thing we never paid up front.

My yard this morning:
Front






Back




There was too much ice on the porch for me to go out too far.


----------



## Spicoli43

Wow, I thought they were bald. How many do you have? How often does Winter happen for you? 

I see the State is supposed to be back to normal next week..


----------



## Rusty

We got 7 inches of snow. When the actual temp hit -13, power went out for 2 1/2 hours.


----------



## RafeTold

Today I decided to review all parts of Iron Man


----------



## BuzzLOL

Weatherman been trying to hit us with subzero temp for a couple of weeks here in N.W. Ohio, but they keep moving that day further away... until today... they're still claiming it will happen tonight... hope they're wrong again... starting Sunday they're saying low will barely get down to freezing... 
Many years we're -20 in late January, but this year it was in the 40's...


----------



## zannej

Pipes froze last night despite having faucets dripping. I turned off the water heater and power to the well shed in case it tried to run & there was a leak when things thaw out. Didn't want the water heater heating nothing & burning up.

Cows were out standing in the sun. I took some videos. Internet sucks too much to upload them. I'll have to upload some screenshots later.

Spicoli, I only have two cows. They are pets. The older one was a gift from the vet (he needed someone to take care of her bc she was too dumb to know how to nurse). I bottlefed her until she was a little past weening age. A few years later a neighbor's bull broke the fence to get to her & she had his baby. It takes more feed, but she now has company all the time. They adore each other. Before the baby she would follow me around like a puppy and holler for me when I was inside. She still follows me around a bit, but not nearly as much and she is content to snuggle with her daughter. They've been keeping each other warm on these cold nights. Winter has been occurring more often the past few years. Since the 80s, it only got below 32 a handful of times until the past I'd say 6 or 7 years. Keeps getting colder every year.

I'm a bit worried about my outside AC unit because it's making horrible noises.

It didn't snow again yet, but the snow hasn't melted yet-- which is unusual. We've never had the snow last more than a day before. It used to snow once every 20 years. Last few years it has snowed at least once but not more than twice during winter. It's supposed to snow again on Thursday.

Stuff is still shut down. We're out of milk. My brother needs to pick up prescriptions, and the roads are still iced up. I don't have snow tires so I'm hoping the ice/snow will melt enough for me to get to the store. I will have to go get some ice from outside to refill some of the buckets in the bathroom so we can flush the toilet when it melts.

Right now i'm trying to stay warm. having to fight the cats for my heating pad to keep my feet warm. They are not happy about staying inside but they hate the cold. One of my cats followed me while I was surveying the yard. Poor thing was walking with her tail straight up & puffed out, her back slightly arched, and fur sticking up. She really was not happy about the cold but she wanted to be near me. I picked her up and carried her inside. I need to figure out how to do video edits on the videos on my phone so I can try to upload the short clip of one of the cows mooing at me.

Speaking of cows, I still remember an argument on the internet where some know-it-all called me a "moron" for saying female cows have horns & the guy explained to me that only bulls have horns. He got piled on pretty hard by other people-- especially after I posted pictures of my female cow with horns. LOL.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Weatherman finally correct and we went below zero last night to -8, supposed to start warming back up now, above freezing for highs starting Sunday... got about 8" of snow yesterday plus about 2" we had...


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Pipes froze last night despite having faucets dripping. I turned off the water heater and power to the well shed in case it tried to run & there was a leak when things thaw out. Didn't want the water heater heating nothing & burning up.
> 
> Cows were out standing in the sun. I took some videos. Internet sucks too much to upload them. I'll have to upload some screenshots later.
> 
> Spicoli, I only have two cows. They are pets. The older one was a gift from the vet (he needed someone to take care of her bc she was too dumb to know how to nurse). I bottlefed her until she was a little past weening age. A few years later a neighbor's bull broke the fence to get to her & she had his baby. It takes more feed, but she now has company all the time. They adore each other. Before the baby she would follow me around like a puppy and holler for me when I was inside. She still follows me around a bit, but not nearly as much and she is content to snuggle with her daughter. They've been keeping each other warm on these cold nights. Winter has been occurring more often the past few years. Since the 80s, it only got below 32 a handful of times until the past I'd say 6 or 7 years. Keeps getting colder every year.
> 
> I'm a bit worried about my outside AC unit because it's making horrible noises.
> 
> It didn't snow again yet, but the snow hasn't melted yet-- which is unusual. We've never had the snow last more than a day before. It used to snow once every 20 years. Last few years it has snowed at least once but not more than twice during winter. It's supposed to snow again on Thursday.
> 
> Stuff is still shut down. We're out of milk. My brother needs to pick up prescriptions, and the roads are still iced up. I don't have snow tires so I'm hoping the ice/snow will melt enough for me to get to the store. I will have to go get some ice from outside to refill some of the buckets in the bathroom so we can flush the toilet when it melts.
> 
> Right now i'm trying to stay warm. having to fight the cats for my heating pad to keep my feet warm. They are not happy about staying inside but they hate the cold. One of my cats followed me while I was surveying the yard. Poor thing was walking with her tail straight up & puffed out, her back slightly arched, and fur sticking up. She really was not happy about the cold but she wanted to be near me. I picked her up and carried her inside. I need to figure out how to do video edits on the videos on my phone so I can try to upload the short clip of one of the cows mooing at me.
> 
> Speaking of cows, I still remember an argument on the internet where some know-it-all called me a "moron" for saying female cows have horns & the guy explained to me that only bulls have horns. He got piled on pretty hard by other people-- especially after I posted pictures of my female cow with horns. LOL.



Didn't know Cows had horns either. Got up close to a Bull once, know they do.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Female deer usually don't have horns/antlers... cows are different... horns also different from antlers...


----------



## Rusty

Don't forget


----------



## Flyover

I remember learning from a nature documentary there are like a dozen different species of giraffes and one way you can tell some of the species apart is by how many horns they have. Depending on what species they are, giraffes can have anywhere from zero horns to something like 5 or 7 -- I remember being struck that it was an odd number; it's because they can have one horn in the middle of their heads in addition to on the sides. It doesn't sound particularly mammalian but there it is.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I remember learning from a nature documentary there are like a dozen different species of giraffes and one way you can tell some of the species apart is by how many horns they have. Depending on what species they are, giraffes can have anywhere from zero horns to something like 5 or 7 -- I remember being struck that it was an odd number; it's because they can have one horn in the middle of their heads in addition to on the sides. It doesn't sound particularly mammalian but there it is.



I think it depends on if they were born where Nuke bomb tests took place.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I think it depends on if they were born where Nuke bomb tests took place.



I know that was a joke but it made me curious whether any African countries have nukes. Apparently none do. I have not looked into whether any have ever _tested_ nukes. I'd guess that if any had, Egypt and South Africa would be most likely. There are giraffes in South Africa, but as far as I can tell from my real quick research they are not native to Egypt.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I know that was a joke but it made me curious whether any African countries have nukes. Apparently none do. I have not looked into whether any have ever _tested_ nukes. I'd guess that if any had, Egypt and South Africa would be most likely. There are giraffes in South Africa, but as far as I can tell from my real quick research they are not native to Egypt.



Not necessarily a joke, and it wouldn't be any of those countries doing the testing.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Last night started at 7 degrees and 20 this morning... hopefully, Tuesday night's -8 F will be the low for the winter and we can head on up to Spring weather/projects now...


----------



## Rusty

Spicoli43 said:


> I think it depends on if they were born where Nuke bomb tests took place.


I remember the 3-eyed fish on "the Simpsons".


----------



## zannej

Power went out yesterday morning. Still out. Multiple trees down on lines. Town has water shut off and rolling blackouts. Only 1 store open. Got cold sandwiches yesterday. Only thing we ate all day.
It's 28 degrees now.
Not sure how cold it was last night. Cats kept me warm.
Power company is not answering phone.
Slowly charging my phone in the truck.
Signal for Internet is weak.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Power went out yesterday morning. Still out. Multiple trees down on lines. Town has water shut off and rolling blackouts. Only 1 store open. Got cold sandwiches yesterday. Only thing we ate all day.
> It's 28 degrees now.
> Not sure how cold it was last night. Cats kept me warm.
> Power company is not answering phone.
> Slowly charging my phone in the truck.
> Signal for Internet is weak.



I pray for you and your area. Has Edwards activated the National Guard?


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Not necessarily a joke, and it wouldn't be any of those countries doing the testing.


Just a reminder: Wakanda is not a real place.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Just a reminder: Wakanda is not a real place.



Ok, you lost me there.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Just a reminder: Wakanda is not a real place.



Isn't that the new nickname for the USA?


----------



## zannej

Spicoli43 said:


> I pray for you and your area. Has Edwards activated the National Guard?


I don't know. Not keeping up much with the news. Over at a friends house to warm up. Saw them woking on the lines while on the way in. Hopefully will get power back soon.


----------



## zannej

Much warmer today. Found a leak under the house where insulation came off the pipes.
Back door looks horrible.


Local hardware  store is closed so will have to go to big box store


----------



## Eddie_T

Looks like an interior door was used as back door?


----------



## Flyover

@zannej: That's what I pictured your bedroom door looking like! Maybe @Eddie_T is onto something...


----------



## zannej

It probably is an interior door. It's solid core though. We used to have a steel door there but when we came back it was gone and that one was put in it's place. We suspect the tenants stole the steel door for their own house because the wood door was brand new when we got back so we think they took the steel one when they realized they had to move. I don't think the house is wrapped properly to direct moisture away either. Sill is rotted all to hell and a lot of water splashes on that back door. It got worse after my brother broke the pet door & then it ended up disintegrating as the moisture got in.

That spigot next to it was broken at an elbow below.

My brother has a bunch of crap piled up against the door. I tried to get in to flip the breaker. Pushed and pushed but door kept bouncing back & then one of the cinderblocks rolled. I twisted my ankle and fell. So I'm pretty sore. Friend came over and assessed the damage to water pipes on that side. Went to Lowes & got some parts. He climbed under and installed them. Water tank is still filling, none of the sink faucets work but the cold water in the tub works. Not sure what is going on. Maybe leak from sink water supply. Hope it's not anything wrong in the well shed.

Friend will come back later to look for more leaks if it doesn't clear up.

I filled up a bucket with water in case we have to shut off water again.

Mom was freaking out and screaming at me about the water heater. She walked past it and knew it was filling and screamed "Turn off the air conditioner!" and I was like "WTF does the air conditioner have to do with the water heater?" and she said "I mean the water heater!" and I said "It's off". "THEN WHY IS IT MAKING THAT NOISE!!!" and I yelled back "BECAUSE IT'S FILLING WITH WATER!!" She's not usually dumb, but sometimes she is so incredibly dumb I don't know how she survived to be 70.

At least we had good bbq at friend's house.

Speaking of the friend's house-- early saturday morning some a-hole drove by in a gray car w/ dark tinted windows. The little dog Stubbylegs chased after it. One of the mofos pulled out a gun and shot him in the face & bullets ricocheted and hit my friend's bedroom window. Neighbors saw it happen. Friend slept through it but his ex heard it and freaked out. But nobody called the cops. Poor dog looks like he was grazed - bleeding from the face. Vet was closed & they couldn't afford to get him treated anyway. He disappeared before I could get a better look at him and clean his face.


----------



## Eddie_T

I've read over 100 books since last April. I just finished Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. I like his books but they tug on my heart strings. I am quite emotional since losing my wife 3½ years ago. 

I read mostly online using the NC digital library. It's easy and if I don't like a book I can just dump it instantly. It took a while to get used to reading on a screen but it saves gas. Since I speed read I skip over trash or uninteresting rabbit trails. One think that disappoints me is the bad language but it's out there. Nowadays girls talk worse that 82d ABN barracks talk in my day and have more ink than a sailor or marine. I have found Janice Cantore to write some pretty good clean crime stories.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Eddie_T said:


> I've read over 100 books since last April. I just finished Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. I like his books but they tug on my heart strings. I am quite emotional since losing my wife 3½ years ago.
> 
> I read mostly online using the NC digital library. It's easy and if I don't like a book I can just dump it instantly. It took a while to get used to reading on a screen but it saves gas. Since I speed read I skip over trash or uninteresting rabbit trails. One think that disappoints me is the bad language but it's out there. Nowadays girls talk worse that 82d ABN barracks talk in my day and have more ink than a sailor or marine. I have found Janice Cantore to write some pretty good clean crime stories.


Sorry to hear about your wife Eddie.


----------



## zannej

Found the leak for my plumbing. It's coming from under the kitchen sink (under the house). Looks like both lines are ruptured. Ugh. Thinking of replacing it with PEX and wrapping the daylights out of it in insulation wrap.


----------



## Eddie_T

Pex is a good idea and is somewhat frostproof but continual freezing will weaken it,


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Eddie. I'm hoping we won't get continual freezing. I'm planning to try to find some way to keep it from getting too cold under there. I'm also hoping we won't get more winter storms like we got anytime soon.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Found the leak for my plumbing. It's coming from under the kitchen sink (under the house). Looks like both lines are ruptured. Ugh. Thinking of replacing it with PEX and wrapping the daylights out of it in insulation wrap.



Ok, well isn't that storm a once in a generation happening? I assume under the house is the crawl space? On Ranch houses here, or ramblers or one story or whatever your term is, they put the furnace in the crawl space, which is more like a bend over and shuffle, as it's about 4 foot tall.

They have to put the furnace there though, that's the only way to keep the pipes from freezing when the temps are below freezing for months. 

That might be an option for you to guard against anything like that happening again. 

As far as Pex, after installing tons of it, I will never use anything else unless something better comes out.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend said he used an expensive blue flex pipe from his well to the house. He says it won't freeze and it can't be spliced. I suspect either he or his friend who installed it just misinterpreted what they read or were told.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> A friend said he used an expensive blue flex pipe from his well to the house. He says it won't freeze and it can't be spliced. I suspect either he or his friend who installed it just misinterpreted what they read or were told.



Misinterpreted that it won't freeze or can't be spliced?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Misinterpreted that it won't freeze or can't be spliced?


 Both.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Both.



Well, anything can be cut by the thing that cuts it, and freezing just depends on depth. I think it's 4 feet here for Gas and Power, but it might be 6. My well pipe leading to what will be my shop is 12 feet deep because that's where I had to splice in.


----------



## zannej

My house is up on sort of pyramid concrete pillars. The underside is open to the elements and is all dirt. Not really safe to put any sort of furnace under there.

Picked up my friend early this morning & went to Lowes to get supplies (I get military discount there). I got enough fittings & pipe to fix under the kitchen sink and under mom's bathroom sink (which I suspected was leaking).

Friend got out my chainsaw and cut down some trees that were in the way (Kobalt battery powered thing works great). He got scratched up by the blackberry bushes though. He crawled under there & patched the CPVC with PEX. PVC seemed to be fine. Turned on the water to test it. No leaks in the cabinet but it was leaking under the house.  CPVC had split along the length farther back. Friend patched that. Another test-- long enough to refill the toilet. Friend reported CPVC ruptures all over-- from the laundry room all the way to my bathroom on the other side of the house. So that whole line is toast. He's going to write up a supply list for me & Thursday (barring any unforeseen circumstance) we will go to the store, pick up supplies, and he's going to replace the whole run of CPVC and PVC with PEX. He will leave it long enough to splice in new lines later. We're also discussing adding some sort of PEX manifold. I want to do a cold water manifold near the laundry room (which is closest to the water entering the house) and a hot water manifold near the water heater (makes more sense than routing the water from heater all the way to other side of the house and then back). Trying to figure out if I can sort of make my own manifold or if I should just buy a pre-built one.

Meanwhile, friend found a car he wants to get in Houston. At first he was saying he wanted manual transmission so his ex couldn't drive it. I told him the simplest way to keep her from driving his car was to say "No". But he said he was worried she'd just take his keys when he's sleeping & claim he gave her permission. She still technically owes him for a vehicle he bought for her and then it got repo'd bc she lost her job & he couldn't afford the last few payments (plus he also decided he didn't want her to have the car anymore bc she used it to run off and cheat on him).

We joked that he's no longer allowed to pick vehicles or women on his own bc he's terrible at it.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej Wait, you _drove someone somewhere_?? Unheard of!


zannej said:


> At first he was saying he wanted manual transmission so his ex couldn't drive it. I told him the simplest way to keep her from driving his car was to say "No". But he said he was worried she'd just take his keys when he's sleeping & claim he gave her permission.


I think there are, like, laws and courts and stuff that handle this kind of thing. Taking someone's keys without permission and driving a car that isn't yours is grand theft auto, pretty serious crime.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> My house is up on sort of pyramid concrete pillars. The underside is open to the elements and is all dirt. Not really safe to put any sort of furnace under there.
> 
> Picked up my friend early this morning & went to Lowes to get supplies (I get military discount there). I got enough fittings & pipe to fix under the kitchen sink and under mom's bathroom sink (which I suspected was leaking).
> 
> Friend got out my chainsaw and cut down some trees that were in the way (Kobalt battery powered thing works great). He got scratched up by the blackberry bushes though. He crawled under there & patched the CPVC with PEX. PVC seemed to be fine. Turned on the water to test it. No leaks in the cabinet but it was leaking under the house.  CPVC had split along the length farther back. Friend patched that. Another test-- long enough to refill the toilet. Friend reported CPVC ruptures all over-- from the laundry room all the way to my bathroom on the other side of the house. So that whole line is toast. He's going to write up a supply list for me & Thursday (barring any unforeseen circumstance) we will go to the store, pick up supplies, and he's going to replace the whole run of CPVC and PVC with PEX. He will leave it long enough to splice in new lines later. We're also discussing adding some sort of PEX manifold. I want to do a cold water manifold near the laundry room (which is closest to the water entering the house) and a hot water manifold near the water heater (makes more sense than routing the water from heater all the way to other side of the house and then back). Trying to figure out if I can sort of make my own manifold or if I should just buy a pre-built one.



Ok, so you are going to do whole house PEX? Might as well, if you're doing some. Now is the perfect time to put in a 3 stage whole house water filter that takes 2.5" x 10" standard sediment and carbon filters, if you don't have a system like that. If you do that, buy your replacement filters on Ebay or Amazon in 25 or 50 pc. lots because they are $ compared to Lowe's or Home Depot at $$$$$$$$$$$$. 

Carbon filters are a little over $2 each on Ebay, Sediment are a little over $1 on Amazon. The last price I remember at Lowe's was $11 each. 

I like the Lowe's Military discount, but it's useless for tons of stuff that is much cheaper elsewhere. They get their money back by raising prices here. Lumber last year was insane, with 2x boards almost 3 times as expensive as 2019.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @zannej Wait, you _drove someone somewhere_?? Unheard of!
> 
> I think there are, like, laws and courts and stuff that handle this kind of thing. Taking someone's keys without permission and driving a car that isn't yours is grand theft auto, pretty serious crime.



Serious crime where people follow the laws maybe, but it's like Jaywalking in Leftist cities, where they release rapists and murderers and violent extremists. Almost all Leftist politicians condone that, right up to the "Vice President" herself.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 Let's pretend that's true. Putting it aside, doesn't @zannej live in rural Arkansas or something? Not exactly downtown Portland or San Francisco.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 Let's pretend that's true. Putting it aside, doesn't @zannej live in rural Arkansas or something? Not exactly downtown Portland or San Francisco.



Don't have to pretend that's true. Even the Fascist Google, as far Left as a company can get, hasn't scrubbed the truth.


----------



## Flyover

The truth that @zannej lives in rural* Arkansas and not (I'd guess) in the jurisdiction of the politicians who control Leftist cities? Or that rape, murder, and other kinds of violence don't necessarily carry mandatory life sentences and so a lot of the people convicted of these crimes do indeed end up getting eventually released from prison? None of those things need to be scrubbed, they're common knowledge.

Why always introduce these tiresome political detours?

*Rural enough to have pet cows, anyway.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> The truth that @zannej lives in rural* Arkansas and not (I'd guess) in the jurisdiction of the politicians who control Leftist cities? Or that rape, murder, and other kinds of violence don't necessarily carry mandatory life sentences and so a lot of the people convicted of these crimes do indeed end up getting eventually released from prison? None of those things need to be scrubbed, they're common knowledge.
> 
> Why always introduce these tiresome political detours?
> 
> *Rural enough to have pet cows, anyway.



Fine. Serious crime where people follow the laws maybe, but it's like Jaywalking today, where they release rapists and murderers and violent extremists. Almost all "leaders" in major cities condone that, right up to the very top. The "Bail Project" to release Terrorists from jail was funded by a former Senator that now lives in the White House.

DANGIT! I tried to remove all references to that worthless &%^&%&^%$.

Grand Theft Auto was a serious crime in the 80's.


----------



## Eddie_T

I think @zannej lives in a parrish if so that wouldn't be AR.


----------



## Flyover

OK, Lyooz-yana then. I was close. Anyway @Spicoli43, the 8th Amendment is why not every rapist, murderer, or violent extremist spends life in prison. Take it up with the Founders if you don't like it I guess. (That senator you mentioned tried his best to eradicate that Amendment but where he really shined was eradicating the 4th and 6th Amendments!)


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> OK, Lyooz-yana then. I was close. Anyway @Spicoli43, the 8th Amendment is why not every rapist, murderer, or violent extremist spends life in prison. Take it up with the Founders if you don't like it I guess. (That senator you mentioned tried his best to eradicate that Amendment but where he really shined was eradicating the 4th and 6th Amendments!)



I didn't say anything about life in prison. I didn't say anything about He either.


----------



## Flyover

You said it was Leftist politicians who allowed murderers, rapists, etc. to be released from prison:


Spicoli43 said:


> they release rapists and murderers and violent extremists. Almost all Leftist politicians condone that


It's the constitution that condones it. To never release them from prison would be a violation of the 8th Amendment.

You keep bringing up politics but I'm not arguing politics with you, this is just basic legal facts, it's civics.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Lumber last year was insane, with 2x boards almost 3 times as expensive as 2019.


I noticed that too. I hope prices go back down this year. It's depressing when the cost of DIY starts to get up there and rival store-bought stuff.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> You said it was Leftist politicians who allowed murderers, rapists, etc. to be released from prison:
> 
> It's the constitution that condones it. To never release them from prison would be a violation of the 8th Amendment.
> 
> You keep bringing up politics but I'm not arguing politics with you, this is just basic legal facts, it's civics.



You're arguing with yourself. Once again, I never said anything about long term. They are releasing them far short of their sentences, but THAT isn't what I'm talking about either. The current VP funded and encouraged the funding of the Bail Project to get Terrorists in Antifa and BLM released from jail immediately.


----------



## Rusty

Flyover said:


> I noticed that too. I hope prices go back down this year. It's depressing when the cost of DIY starts to get up there and rival store-bought stuff.


I quit woodworking. Wood is just too high.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 Today I learned the VP also lives at the white house. I had no idea. Thanks!

You didn't say anything about long or short term, you merely said "released", the opposite of which is "not released" i.e. a life sentence. Thanks for clarifying.

To tie this back, I very much doubt the legal system in the state of Lyoozyana (or whichever one has those goofy "parishes") is going to be lenient on car thieves due to Leftist politicians. Zannej's friend has the law on his side, though a stick shift is a good idea for many other reasons as well.


----------



## zannej

I live in rural Louisiana. Not exactly leftist, but the cops are lazy and incompetent. My friend has found the police don't do much. His grandfather has been driving without a license for over a year. He keeps getting pulled over but they never arrest him. It depends on who they are going after though. The courts here mainly want money. I'm too tired to answer properly right now.

Got up very early, got mail, picked up my friend, headed to Lowes, spent a couple hours trying to sort through the disorganized fitting bins. Pet peeve: People opened some of the packages and stole fittings out-- 5 pack only had 2 left. Got just about everything we needed. Almost $700 in supplies. A lot of things have gone up. As an aside, I noticed plywood prices tripled here. Good thing for military discount though. It almost negates the tax (which is over 10%). Grabbed food & headed back to the house. I got some coveralls, a face sock, long garden gloves, etc. Only thing I forgot was some sort of shoe covers. Blackberry thorns tore my coveralls, but they still did their job while I crawled under the house. Fortunately, I've lost a little weight since last time and my arms were better protected so I was able to crawl farther. Friend couldn't find the main water for the house. I traced the cold line from the water heater back to the source as far as I could. Almost got stuck a few times. Pipe was rather loose so I jiggled it up and down until my friend saw it. He pushed the pex line under the house until I was able to grab it (took awhile bc it kept curling up). I couldn't fit through to get any closer though. Finally got it and dragged it as close to the water heater as I could get. Got stuck on some defunct metal pipes and cursed them the whole time. I actually had to dig a bit to fit through some spots and got tangles in pipes for a bit-- at least I avoided the electrical wires. Made it back out. Friend went under next and had a hard time crawling in there. He found a live 220v line that's not in conduit (I noticed numerous wires not in conduit). He got zapped a bit & was not happy about it. At some point when power is off we'll have to wrap wires up. IT took so long for crawling around and getting things in place that we lost daylight & after he hooked up the water heater to the main line and then hooked up to the kitchen sink, we decided to test it. No water was coming out but friend said water was coming out of another cold-water pipe. I think there is a second water supply for the house. I have an idea where the shutoff is for it but it got buried after the cover for it broke. IIRC, my father ran 2 separate lines for hot and cold so that each could be shut off individually (since my water heater does not have shutoffs).

Discussed this with my friend, we agreed to call it a day and return tomorrow. I was already tired bc Mom woke me at 2:30am to tell me she wanted me to go to the post office-- after I'd told her hours earlier that I needed to get up early so I needed sleep. Couldn't get back to sleep. Exhausted now. Got myself a pint of blue belle dutch chocolate ice cream and ate the whole damn thing in one sitting. Now I'm lying down on a heating pad. I'm hoping I won't be as sore tomorrow in case I need to crawl back under the house again.

To clarify-- we are not working on the water lines in the well shed just yet. Eventually we will try to dig up the lines and then fix up the stuff in the shed and possibly add some sort of filtration. I have a water filter that plumber refused to hook up. Need to fix a lot of things. Right now I'm about to go to sleep.

One funny moment under the house-- my cat Aminatu decided that I was perfect for walking on while I was lying almost face down waiting for my friend to feed the pex in. She walked all over my back and decided to park herself on my butt. That was after she walked around and batted at my legs a few times.


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## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Eddie, they are pets. I think they are beef cattle though. The mother is a Brahma Jersey mix. She's red and has big horns. She was a dummy calf (too stupid to know how to nurse) & the vet needed someone who would take care of her so he offered her to me after my other cow (who had also been a dummy calf) died. Later a Brangus (Brahma Angus mix) broke through the fence and got her pregnant. The red one chases trespassers. I spoiled her when she was little so she's very affectionate with me.


 IMO the Jersey has the prettiest head and face and are a decent size. I considered an Irish Dexter. They are about waist high but still yield a a couple of gallons of milk  (3.5-4% butterfat)  per day and pen one down as far as travel is concerned. Then there's that problem of calving every 1-3 years to keep them lactating so it's easier and cheaper just to buy milk (even though it's not as good or good for one).

.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 Today I learned the VP also lives at the white house. I had no idea. Thanks!


The VP used to live at the USNO, has it changed?


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## Flyover

@Eddie_T That is correct. The VP's _offices_ are at the White House, but the office-_holder_ lives at the USNO. I was being sarcastic. Spicoli's statement was confusing since both the prez and VP are former senators with solid track records of trashing the constitution.


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## shan2themax

I made bread today.....I also used my back massager for about 45 minutes trying to get my traps to loosen up so I could turn my head to the right further.... not looking forward to the next 2 work days, it's getting harder and harder to pull tug and lift on people as well as be standing the majority of 12 hour shifts. I had to go part-time to try to keep from loosing my job. I think this next schedule, I will try to work 3 8 hours shifts instead, see if that helps any. April 27 is when I see another rheumatologist for a second opinion..... I'm not looking forward to it. Even though I work with Dr.s they don't listen very well.


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## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> He pushed the pex line under the house until I was able to grab it (took awhile bc it kept curling up). I couldn't fit through to get any closer though. Finally got it and dragged it as close to the water heater as I could get.


I will eventually have to replace the copper water line to my fridge ice maker. My kitchen wing is only 14 ft wide so attic space is not suitable for crawling and the floor is slab on grade so my plan is to get a couple sticks of ¾" 200 psi PVC to push the ⅜" PEX through and have a loop through the ceiling over the fridge to grab the PEX and fish it down into the room. That's the method I used to get the coax cable through the attic when I had SkyAngel satellite. That wouldn't be practical for ¾" PEX though.


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## zannej

Shan, bread looks good. I hope your pain subsides soon.

I was so sore after crawling under the house I could barely move. Mom woke me up around midnight again (she mostly seems to do that without fail when I have to get up early in the morning). I ended up sleeping in until almost 10. Got up, went into town (too sore to make it to the post office), picked up my friend, went to tractor supply, got some tools, headed home only to realize we forgot to get some more fittings, back into town to hardware store-- they were out of most of the stuff so we had to improvise. Back to the house & friend cut a couple old connections & capped them. Turned on water and at first thought cold water wasn't running but I realized my brother had accidentally turned the tub handle the wrong way so it was fully open. Closed it and then toilet filled. I also had to shut off the outside water to the cow's waterer to let the cistern fill more. Water heater filled up after I shut off the waterer and the tub. Water worked in the kitchen sink.

I remembered that there had been some sort of rounded plumbing box with a cover and I knew the cover broke & it had filled in but I couldn't remember exactly where it was. I told my friend about it (wish I had remembered the day before. He found it and dug it up. We could clearly see 2 lines going in.

Friend is still sore from yesterday. He got zapped rather badly by an exposed 220v line (I think to the air conditioner). It made him bounce up, hit his head, and lose control of his bladder & he's still feeling bad from it. If I had known about it, I would have cut the power off. So many exposed wires under there, it irritates me. I need to shut power off, find them, and wrap them in something so that can never happen again (and so pets can't get fried). I had warned him about wires under there but he didn't see that one.

Since there are two lines going in to the house-- one for the water heater and the other for cold, my friend wanted to splice the cold one in with the hot one to increase pressure (well, to the cold line going to the heater). I think it's best to keep them separate so I suggested finding the 2nd line where it comes out of the ground, cutting it off, covering it to keep dirt out, then letting me trace the pipe to where it goes into the house. He can then tape PEX pipe (after we straighten it out) to the end of the cut off pipe, I can cut it off where it goes in, and I can then use it to pull the pex over. Hopefully I can get it to where he needs it to splice in to for all the cold water. I also want to add shutoffs in some places just in case. I wish there was room in that little box just outside but it's too cramped and the pipes are stacked on each other. Not sure where they splice underground because the well only has one pipe going out to the house.

Anyway, friend was too sore to do too much & I decided to get him food & take him home so he could rest. We've agreed that we will take the next several days to recover & then go for round 4. Another friend will be joining to help.

It's all 3/4" though.

Friend is having some trouble with the plumber he hired to unclog his drains (after the kid who was dumped there flushed a roll of tp- kid is no longer there). There are only 2 local plumbers. Douglass & Paul. Douglass never returned my friend's calls. Paul came out and couldn't unclog it with a snake so he told my friend to pour "liquid fire" down the drain. I believe it's sulfuric acid. Paul told him if the liquid fire didn't clear it that he'd come back and take care of it. Well, it didn't work. Friend scheduled the plumber to come out several times & each time the guy no-showed. Each time he promised "come hell or high water" he'd be there. He's bunked on him 5 times so far.

Friend is also having problems with his grandfather continuing to harass him. Old man is staying at the hotel adjacent to where my friend works & since my friend has been refusing to go outside when the old man rolls up to his house and lays on the horn, he has been searching the parking lot at the casino for my friend's truck & then parking next to him or idling nearby to wait for him to come out of work. When he comes out the old man hollers at him to do stuff for him-- things like "You need to come get my clothes and wash them!" No asking. Just demanding. Friend has not been wanting to go to work bc of it. He changed his phone number so the old man couldn't call him anymore. My friend has no intention of getting his grandfather's laundry and washing it for him-- especially since the old man wouldn't loan him a dime when he needed help the most & constantly expects him to do stuff for him for free & never compensating him for gas or anything.

The upside is, my friend actually made a little $ off of the whole GameStop thing.

My brain is jumping around & I need to get some sleep.


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## mabloodhound

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 Today I learned the VP also lives at the white house. I had no idea. Thanks!


The VP does NOT live in the White House.  VP lives at Blair House which is across Pennsylvania Av.


Flyover said:


> @Eddie_T That is correct. The VP's _offices_ are at the White House, but the office-_holder_ lives at the USNO. I was being sarcastic. Spicoli's statement was confusing since both the prez and VP are former senators with solid track records of trashing the constitution.


The VP does NOT live in the White House.  VP lives at Blair House which is across Pennsylvania Av.


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## Eddie_T

@mabloodhound You are correct the VP temporarily lives in the Blair House;


> Current Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have not yet moved into Number One Observatory, due to the need for repairs to the residence. Instead, they are temporarily residing at Blair House.


.


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## zannej

I had a good night's sleep, woke up in afternoon. Still a bit sore but feeling better. Trying to plan out the best way to fix up my plumbing in the well shed.


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## Flyover

We made maple syrup! Five hours to reduce 2 gallons of sap down to about 3 cups of syrup, and I smell like a camp fire (used wood in the grill). I need a more efficient method because I have 6 more gallons of sap and my trees are producing about a gallon each per day, and I used up a lot of wood.

But the syrup is amazing, and of course so is the satisfaction of having made it myself.


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## Flyover

One more thing I'll say about syrup-making: I tried to measure time using beers, the way I saw it done about ten years ago when I visited a small mom & pop syrup operation ("this batch has been going for about seven beers", "it'll be done in about three beers", etc.) but now I find that this method of timekeeping is ideal neither for someone of my age & number of kids, nor for someone who drinks as infrequently as I do. Two Miller Lites in and I was ready for a nap at 11:30 in the morning, still with plenty of work to do. Next time I will measure time with a clock.


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## Eddie_T

@Flyover Many thanks for your posting. I had forgotten but now my sugar maple is tapped. Using a  ¼" drill bit I drilled a hole at an upward angle and inserted about an inch of plastic straw to serve as a spile. It was dripping before I could get the spile inserted and the bucket (plastic coffee can) hung.


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## Flyover

I learned you're supposed to drill the hole horizontally, but maybe it doesn't matter that much. You sound like you've done this before.

I used these 5/16" plastic spiles that come with long food-grade plastic tubes that you stick onto them (they're basically L-shaped), then the sap drips down the tube into whatever container you rest on the ground. I used clean gallon jugs with a small X cut in the caps so I could pass the end of the tube inside while keeping contaminants out. It's nice because when it's full I just swap an empty jug under the tube, screw on the cap that's already attached to the tube, and screw a non-cut cap onto my full jug.

Today I managed to get a friend to take 3 full jugs of sap off my hands because I know there's no way I'll get to all of it. I wonder if I could sell full jugs of sap on Craigslist...


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## zannej

I'm drooling thinking about that fresh maple syrup. It sounds so good. I hope you find a more efficient way. Perhaps you can pick people's brains on the homesteading forum? I think they talk about that sort of thing. There are all sorts of posts about various things there.

I went to the store yesterday to get a rotisserie chicken & some other stuff I was out of. I've started taking multivitamins that include potassium. I'm hoping they will make me feel better. Slept until 4pm today. I really needed that sleep and my body feels better. Still a few aches & stiff areas, but I'm moving much better.
Went back to the store with my brother. It's still out of a lot of stuff, but we got meat, milk, and tortillas.

My friend is still having no luck with getting that clog cleared in his sewer pipe. Plumber never came back even though he promised to show up. Friend waited around for him all day for a few days. Guy no-showed about 7 times now. Friend got a 75 auger and tried to snake the pipe out. Didn't work. 100ft garden hose with hot water. Still didn't work. They may have to tear up his concrete walkway to get to the pipe but he may also need to call a new plumber or call the city because it might be on the city's side now. Problem is, if the city tears up his sidewalk, they won't fill it back in or replace it. The mayor is a total greedy p.o.s. who pretty much steals funding for his own use.

I'm currently debating on whether I should spend over $200 on a Cycle Stop Valve and change my well/pump system to have a 4.6 gallon pressure tank (supposedly CSVs make it so you only need a small tank) or to spend a under $200 to try to change things to get the existing tank to work (if it isn't toast).
Or I could get a cheaper CSV and combine it with a tank tee. I'm trying to price things out.

If I get a tank tee I can go with either brass or stainless-- and I have hard water so stainless might last longer but is a bit more expensive & requires SS fittings.

My current pressure tank seems to have a 3/4" inlet/outlet but is not hooked up properly. It does not have a pressure relief valve nor a spigot. The tee that splits from my pump to my pressure tank is placed in such a way that I think a lot of the water bypasses the pressure tank.

I need to figure out if my current pressure tank is still good. If it is bad, I will have to buy a new one. But, I noticed that the drawdown gpm of my current tank is not sufficient for what my pump needs. It's maybe 12gpm drawdown and my tank needs 17gpm drawdown.

Allegedly with a CSV you can have as little as 1gpm drawdown and the valve lets the tank fill and the pump doesn't cut on and off as quickly. There are videos on how it works.

It's like $190 for the CSV1A that comes attached to stainless steel. It's around $70 for the plastic one CSV125 that goes inline (but I'd have to figure out if I need the one that cuts on at 1gpm or 3gpm). If I got that, I would need to change pressure tanks and I could get an AO Smith 4.6gallon vertical tank for around $60. I would also need a tank tee (ranges around $100 to $110). I'd need additional pipes and elbows to make it work, but the tees come with a pressure switch, pressure relief valve, pressure gauge, and hose spigot. Some come with a ball valve for the end. It's like $30 for the ball valve, but when I priced it out, I realized the fittings and ball valve purchased separately would cost about that much as well. 

If I knew for certain which CSV125 I would need, I would go with that option, even though it's plastic (but very sturdy plastic).

I would need reducer fittings bc my pump's outlet is 1", CSV is 1-1/4", pressure tank is 3/4" and the rest of my water supply is 3/4".

I should probably talk about this in a separate thread. LOL.


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## Eddie_T

Rain is forecast for the early morning hours so I went out and put a plastic bag over my maple sap spile and bucket. I couldn't place it on the ground with a cover and tubing for fear of the coons finding it. I hope they don't spot it hanging on the tree. If it survives the night I will try to plan  it better tomorrow.



> I learned you're supposed to drill the hole horizontally, but maybe it doesn't matter that much. You sound like you've done this before.


I've never done it before. I think the bore would have to be horizontal if buckets were be hung on the spiles.


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## mabloodhound

It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.


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## Flyover

So far my ratio of sap to syrup is about 1 gallon per 1 cup. (That's 16:1.) I think we have very sugary trees. You can use sap from other kinds of maples but the ratio will be higher.


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## zannej

I went to the post office to get mail today. Mom said her notifications showed she had 2 packages. There was 1 of mine that I ordered and only one box for her. There were two slips in my box though, so I think they misplaced one of mom's packages. Picked up Burger King since stores are still out of stuff I cook for her.

Still trying to plan out my plumbing changes. I made a thread but ran out of space-- went over the character limit. Also got tired and decided to add more details later once my brain starts working again.


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## Eddie_T

I got a shock today when I discovered that;

Pfizer and Moderna *did* perform confirmation tests (to ensure the vaccines work) using fetal cell lines. And Johnson & Johnson *uses fetal cell lines in vaccine development, confirmation and production. *
You asked, we answered: Do the COVID-19 vaccines contain aborted fetal cells? | Nebraska Medicine Omaha, NE

So, I will prolly just say no to all the vaccines.


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## Flyover

@Eddie_T Did you read that link?



> Pfizer and Moderna did perform confirmation tests (to ensure the vaccines work) using fetal cell lines. And Johnson & Johnson uses fetal cell lines in vaccine development, confirmation and production.
> 
> But it's important to have the full context: *Fetal cell lines are not the same as fetal tissue.
> 
> Fetal cell lines are cells that grow in a laboratory. *They descend from cells taken from elective abortions in the 1970s and 1980s. Those individual cells from the 1970s and 1980s have since multiplied into many new cells over the past four or five decades, creating fetal cell lines. Current fetal cell lines are thousands of generations removed from the original fetal tissue. They do not contain any tissue from a fetus.


 (Emphasis mine)

This reminds me of the old "We've all breathed in 2% of Ceasar's last breath" meme.

I would guess you've probably already consumed medication/vaccines/etc. tested with fetal cell lines many times in your life already.

Note: I am pretty solidly anti-abortion, it's one of the only positions I've held consistently for my whole life, and based on my understanding from this article, nothing about this should bother anyone. Except maybe that the abortions 50 years ago were ever legal to begin with, unless they were emergency because the babies were about to die anyway which for all I know they were.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> @Eddie_T Did you read that link?
> 
> (Emphasis mine)
> 
> This reminds me of the old "We've all breathed in 2% of Ceasar's last breath" meme.
> 
> I would guess you've probably already consumed medication/vaccines/etc. tested with fetal cell lines many times in your life already.
> 
> Note: I am pretty solidly anti-abortion, it's one of the only positions I've held consistently for my whole life, and based on my understanding from this article, nothing about this should bother anyone. Except maybe that the abortions 50 years ago were ever legal to begin with, unless they were emergency because the babies were about to die anyway which for all I know they were.


Yup, read it all and more. The stuff I didn't know about is on someone else but what I do know about is on me. I've been pro-life since 1979 and don't knowingly compromise. Any argument regarding the long chain from the evil deed to the present falls on deaf ears with me.  I was waiting on J&J but it's the worst of the three as it actually uses cells which are descended from tissue taken from a 1985 elective abortion that took place in the Netherlands.


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## Eddie_T

Moved a table out of the kitchen (which I have walked around for years) to make room to park my mobile kitchen island while I finalize its design. I figure it might be best to play around with countertop size in place rather than just by measurement. Also I can use it for temporary storage as I decide whether to use shelves, drawers or both. Scrubbed the floor and will re-stain the grout between the hexagonal tiles beginning tomorrow.


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## shan2themax

I took a nap earlier today for an hour. It was glorious, and I also made homemade vegetable soup. I must say, it's pretty good. I need to get my rear finger and start working on this Certified Inpatient Coder course that I paid for last fall. It's my way of ensuring that I am still marketable when I physically can't be a floor nurse anymore. 
My daughter has been flooded in for several days and the water finally receded on her creek today. She lives in a garage apartment and had several feet of water in the "basement". They put their washer/dryer in the back of his truck, but the water came up too quickly for him to get it moved once they got stuff out of the basement in the back of the truck. It had water up to the bed. 

Heres my soup


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## Flyover

@shan2themax What's the brown stuff, mushrooms?

We had our trim/fascia/soffits replaced today. Well, they started today, they're coming back tomorrow to finish. Basically they ripped out all the rotted wood soffits and any rotted fascia boards, installed aluminum soffits, and wrapped the fascia boards in metal.

By the way if anyone knows anything about this kind of work, tell me what kinds of things I should look for and make sure they did or didn't do before they pack up and leave tomorrow.


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## shan2themax

Flyover said:


> @shan2themax What's the brown stuff, mushrooms?



Its beef stew meat. I wanted to put mushrooms in it but got outvoted... lol

I could take pictures of what you Don't want it to look like, as I got taken by a contractor in October 2019. Hopeful that someone will come along with the info that.you need.


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## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> Its beef stew meat. I wanted to put mushrooms in it but got outvoted... lol


I could go for a bowl of that right now!


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## Flyover

shan2themax said:


> Its beef stew meat. I wanted to put mushrooms in it but got outvoted... lol
> 
> I could take pictures of what you Don't want it to look like, as I got taken by a contractor in October 2019. Hopeful that someone will come along with the info that.you need.


Vegetable soup with no mushrooms, and stew beef instead, sounds like my kind of vegetable soup.

I walked around my house a few times with my son picking up whatever trash they missed (they did a couple rounds first), and I thought the job they did looked really nice. I noticed one little gap in an upper corner of my siding that they didn't create but they exposed it by leveling up the soffits, which previously had been sagging and covering it. Behind the gap is just insulation. I pointed it out to them and they agreed to cover it up tomorrow with a small piece of metal, which I'm fine with.

So, everything looks prim and proper and they've been courteous and professional, but I'm worried that I don't really know what to look for.


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## oldognewtrick

Take a couple pics of the corners and seams.


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## Flyover

I'll pay attention to the corners and seams. I don't think I'll have time to take pics, post them here, wait for responses, then go back out. The workers will be done in about an hour. I'm looking for corners and seams without gaps, presumably, and that look tidy and square...?


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I got a shock today when I discovered that;
> 
> Pfizer and Moderna *did* perform confirmation tests (to ensure the vaccines work) using fetal cell lines. And Johnson & Johnson *uses fetal cell lines in vaccine development, confirmation and production. *
> You asked, we answered: Do the COVID-19 vaccines contain aborted fetal cells? | Nebraska Medicine Omaha, NE
> 
> So, I will prolly just say no to all the vaccines.



The abortion debate has nothing to do with abortion, it's just the evil religion industry still trying to prove it can CONTROL ALL of us! They lost a lot of control when USA was formed and much of their evil was outlawed and they're still pissed about that.
Religics protect fetuses, but once born, all bets are off, they want you to die in their endless religion-fueled wars... 
Abortion has always been legal, only the laws against abortion were illegal, and have been struck down now. 
Pro Choice Freedom is the American way... everybody gets to have it their own way...


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## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> The abortion debate has nothing to do with abortion, it's just the evil religion industry still trying to prove it can CONTROL ALL of us! They lost a lot of control when USA was formed and much of their evil was outlawed and they're still pissed about that.
> Religics protect fetuses, but once born, all bets are off, they want you to die in their endless religion-fueled wars...
> Abortion has always been legal, only the laws against abortion were illegal, and have been struck down now.
> Pro Choice Freedom is the American way... everybody gets to have it their own way...


Whoa! I must have pushed your anti-religion button. Abortions kill preborn children, not a religious issue per se however believers would by nature be pro-life.

I was a past director of a crisis pregnancy center which offered help and guidance toward adoption if desired. There is a shortage of babies available for adoption (and a waiting list) so many go to other countries to adopt.


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## Eddie_T

I got started on grout re-staining. You can see the difference it makes. I have over 1200 ft ² of tile but the kitchen and one bath are all that need redone. Back when I set the tile light and dark gray were my only options.


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## Spicoli43

Good Job. The other rooms are still Brown?


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## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Good Job. The other rooms are still Brown?


I stained the grout in all rooms with the tile (kitchen, den, LR, DR, hallway and one bath) about 15-20 years ago but kitchen and bath got more mopping and needed  redone. I did the bath a few weeks ago. It's slow work with a toothbrush, easy but hard on the back.

I thought I would look for a dark sealer but forgot and started re-staining. Probably best as it will blend where it interfaces with den and DR. The tile is a continuous run.


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## Spicoli43

Did you put it in originally? I would love to have tile, but my knees and ankles say no.


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## Eddie_T

I installed it all, my wife and son did the grout. I took a week off from work to do it and at the end of the week had only the LR completed. I started using spacers as I had never laid tile.  After I got the hang of it I just tapped them into the thinset mortar and after several were in place adjusted to get a uniform spacing of approx ⅜".


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## shan2themax

I felt pretty good today and worked for about an hour and a half trying to get rid of all these weeds and poke weed. I had hoped to burn it tonight along with another pile but.... I had to run errands earlier so now I am a stiff mess. Maybe one day next week i can get it done. I bought some disposable masks to wear in the event there is any poison ivy or sumac in what i pulled out. A friend of mine gave me the idea to make a raised bed between the stumps. I may do that this year and plant some sunflowers there. Or just flowers period.
Speaking of flowers, i bought myself some flowers today, lol. No one else around to do it, so why not, right? I have flowers coming up already that i planted and they made me want some flowers. Why dont fellas buy flowers more often... these were cheap $8.... or maybe i am just easy to please. I dont know. Lol
I haven't had flowers since 2006, so it was a nice treat. I also managed to drink lots of water today.... which i don't


 normally do.


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## zannej

That soup looks good, Shan. The flowers look nice as well.

Eddie, good job on the floor staining!

I took mom to get her 2nd dose of vaccine today. Went to the post office while she was getting it and popped in to visit my friend. Mail delivery had some toys for his fat baby. I was on my way out the door to go see if my mother was done at the doctor's and she called to say she was ready. Brought her back to friend's house and she played with the baby. Whenever the baby starts getting fussy, my friend puts on music by Geoff Castellucci (a bass singer). Mele Kalikimaka and Sizteen Tons seem to soothe him the most. My friend really likes the Sixteen Tons one. Tried some other music, but the baby likes bass singers. He also likes Misty Mountains Cold featuring Tim Foust.

I brought some plumbing supplies to my friend. He made enough $ off of selling GameStop $ that he was able to buy a new faucet for his new vanity. He still has some left to sell if it goes very high again. He said he'd been relying too much on help from us. He got some new prescription glasses in and is very happy with them. Said he can read subtitles again. He's still frustrated with her ex. She managed to piss off the guy who was giving her lifts to and from work. She'd just given him $20 in gas money for the lifts & they had a tiff. She was giving him attitude and he told her she could find someone else to drive her from now on. According to her, it was on his end, but she tends to lie about things so I think it was her being a brat.

Speaking of brats, the 1yr old staying at the house is an absolute terror. She gets into everything and throws things. Her mother is pregnant and trying to keep her under control but has trouble. She takes one thing away and kid will grab another. She's constantly grabbing her and lightly slapping her hands to try to stop her. Kid knows the word "No" but everytime she hears it she just repeats back "nononononono".

I think Mom may have an eye doctor appointment tomorrow. I just cooked for her and she's eating (baked potato and some jimmy dean delights fritattas). I got my brother's leftover steak. He cooked a huge steak and could only eat half of it so I got the other half. Tomorrow I'll make shepherd's pie if I'm not too exhausted.

Ran out of kitten chow so had to feed the youngest ones regular cat food.

I forgot to mention that my friend's baby is now 6-months old. Still uncoordinated. Mom gave him a toy that is like a stick with bells on it. He kept hitting himself in the face while trying to shake it. At one point he started punching himself in the cheek with his left fist. Not sure what he was trying to do, but it wasn't working out for him. She got him a little bracelet for his right wrist that had bells on it and that kept him entertained for a bit.


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## shan2themax

Thanks Zannej, I am enjoying the flowers a lot. I also have some flowers popping up that I planted. I'll add some pictures. The soup was delicious, we are having leftovers tonight.
Sounds like you're busy as ever, you're the only person I know that stays busier than me. Lol that's a relief. I do hope you have some down time for you though. 
I am so excited for spring!


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## ctviggen

Spicoli43 said:


> Lumber last year was insane, with 2x boards almost 3 times as expensive as 2019.



Saw This Old House, where they redid one house during the pandemic.  They said the average house's cost for lumber went up by $10,000.


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## zannej

Thanks, Shan. Those flowers are pretty too. One on the left reminds me of a type of flour I used to eat as a kid. It grew out of some clover-leaf like plant that I called "sour grass". It had a slightly sour taste and I used to eat the clovers and the flowers. No idea what the actual plant is.

I got rest today. Kidney stones acting up and I slept until after 3:30pm. Turns out Mom's next appointment is Monday. I needed that rest. I got up to cook for her and am lying down again.

A bit of good news: My friend's toilet plumbing is no longer clogged. Apparently his efforts to clear the clog pushed it in to the city's sewer line and it clogged the plumbing of a nearby grocery store. Grocery store owner got a commercial plumber out immediately to clear it.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I got rest today. Kidney stones acting up and I slept until after 3:30pm. Turns out Mom's next appointment is Monday. I needed that rest. I got up to cook for her and am lying down again.



Are you sure it's Kidney stones? I have had them a few times, and couldn't move, much less get up and cook. 

I dissolved them with Cranberry Juice. It takes about an hour.


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## Flyover

@zannej I know the flowers you're talking about, and "sour grass". My kids are always finding it and eating it. I think it is some type of clover like you said. I don't think I knew the flowers were edible, and I'm not sure if I'm going to tell my kids...once they find out that kind of thing then they start wandering all over the place eating whatever they can find, including neighbors' yards. People must think I don't feed my kids. 

Actually it's funny, we'll be having dinner and I'll cook something absolutely delightful and they'll take a little nibble and say "I'm full" and refuse to eat any more, then go outside and eat all the sour grass and wild chives they can find.


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## zannej

Spicoli, I'm sure it's kidney stones. I've been getting them ever since I've been on thyroid meds. I get them rather frequently. Some days they are worse than others. I passed the kidney stone last night. There are days when I have trouble moving because of them, but I've had migraines and chronic back pain for years so they don't affect me the way they seem to affect other people. My mother didn't have as much pain when she got kidney stones either. Maybe I have less sensitivity there, I don't know. I know my father had to go to the ER because of a very large kidney stone that required intervention to remove-- only the doctor botched the procedure. Forgot to let him get anesthesia first and ended up pushing the kidney stone back in to his kidney. I think I've only had small ones, but there have been some that made me bleed.

Flyover, probably the same stuff I ate as a kid then. Kids can be weird. Foraging can be fun. As an aside, I was talking to my best friend about how I would practically roll in mud as a kid. I would dig up worms & get in to all sorts of stuff. He hated dirt and never played in the dirt. If he got dirty he'd immediately go wash his hands. Now he has to climb in dirt and get his hands all greasy working on vehicles and stuff.

Other than cooking for mom and eating some pork chops my brother made, I did next to nothing on Friday. I slept in. Only awake now because mom had low blood sugar and asked me to get her some mountain dew.


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## zannej

Fasted after midnight for bloodwork in the morning. Managed to avoid sleeping through my alarm and dragged myself out of bed to clean myself up. I need to shower at my friend's house at some point, but I will probably need to bring over a shower seat bc I keep slipping and nearly falling in his shower. Still no hot water at the house. They called me in fast and got the blood out so quickly that I didn't have time to get anxious before it was drawn. I told the nurse about the water situation and she said a lot of people are having the same issues with broken pipes.

Went straight home and back to bed where I racked out until around 3:30pm when my best friend called. The mayor visited him with the police and gave him 6 days to get his yard cleaned up or he'll be hit with a $5,400 fine. It needs the weeds cut, old pipes and wood from renovating picked up, etc. The mayor just happens to own a business that does that sort of work. Scumbag. They are supposed to give a minimum of 10 days notice in writing. Nothing in writing and no specifics. So he asked for my brother to go help him. I reminded him that the local towing guy owes him a yard cutting bc he traded a truck to get his yard cleared of weeds and the towing guy never did the job (guy admitted he forgot about it and friend said "I forgot too until my friend reminded me"). So, hopefully that guy will come. Checked w/ fire dept to make sure there were no debris burning bans in effect. Neighbor lent my friend his work cart (and agreed that it was bs that the mayor is pulling this). We suspect the next-door church has people complaining. They started complaining just about a week after he began cleaning the place up. It was a decrepid meth house with the yard full of debris & grass uncut. Immediately after my friend started cleaning up, city suddenly had an interest and gave notice to get it cleaned up and said people had complained it was an eyesore and then someone (we suspect from the church) vandalized the yard by throwing all of the stuff he'd picked up back all over the yard. Half of the church is technically on my friend's property.

The new judge for the town is using some of my friend's property as a trailer park rental. They had a brief tiff over it but friend said "Put up a fence, pay me $100 once for using my property and we're good-- I don't want people coming through my back yard". Guy put up the fence but didn't pay. But friend is going to give him a call and ask about fending because he wants to build an 8' fence between his house and the church (I almost said property line, but the property line extends past the front door of the church). They have a large low sign that they get pissy about having blocked and a fence will block it completely. But, the sign is technically on his property.

Grabbed food for mom and headed home, then back to pick up my brother and see how things were going after dark. He's got a big bonfire going but is monitoring it and has been using the 100' hose I got him.

Tomorrow we will work on it some more but I'm going to get some sleep.


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## shan2themax

I burnt some stuff myself last night, I had trimmed a huge bush in Oct 2019 and the contractor there was supposed to take it with him when he finished the job. He never finished the job or took the trimmings, so... after sitting for nearly 18 months it was good and dry and I got that part burnt (18×4) I trimmed some limbs and stuff from trees along the fence line. Still have more to do and tons of honey suckle to remove, hopefully I can get to it in the next couple of weeks before it really starts growing.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> gave him 6 days to get his yard cleaned up or he'll be hit with a $5,400 fine. It needs the weeds cut, old pipes and wood from renovating picked up, etc. The mayor just happens to own a business that does that sort of work. Scumbag


Possibly. Not putting stuff in writing is a red flag. But in the mayor's defense, I wouldn't want a neighbor whose yard is as you describe.


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## zannej

Flyover, most of the yards in the area look like that or worse because they know people are trying to recover from the winter storm. The mayor didn't start this until he started his own yard cleaning business. In the past he dismissed complaints from the church because he realized they were meant to harass my friend & that the church members were actually vandalizing his property. That stopped after he put up cameras.
The mayor has a long history of graft. He uses taxpayer $ to buy himself personal vehicles. Changed city ordinances for his own personal stuff-- making it so people could use riding carts and golf carts and such on the streets even though they aren't street legal. He likes to roll around in a golf cart. He didn't set an age limit so I've nearly gotten into accidents with children driving golf carts on public streets.

My friend's yard wasn't that bad until recently when he was trying to fix stuff up.

Plus the people at the church are complete a-holes. They are rude to waitstaff and retail workers, don't tip at restaurants, walk around with their noses in the air and act all superior. My friend has been trying to get someone to come mow down the bamboo and other plant life in his back yard for years but people kept no-showing even after getting paid.

I'm waiting for him to message me to say he's ready to go get some gravel to fill in mud spots in his driveway.

I still think its suspicious that it was only a verbal warning and he was only given 6 days. I don't even know if he's technically liable since he doesn't actually own the property.

In the past, the mayor charged my friend $400 for a water bill "to keep the water turned on" when my friend wasn't using any water because his grandmother had died and he went to go support his grandfather. The guy is a crook.

Shan, looks great!

I need to get my yard cleaned up-- but having same problem as my friend. Paid someone to do it and he no-showed. 

As an aside, I discovered that the AC guy used conduit on a short section of the 220v line just where it comes out from under the house, but he left the rest of the line unprotected lying on the ground going under the house. It's going to be harder to disconnect it to put more conduit on. Ugh.


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## Flyover

My yard had a small localized mess near the chimney and the soffits for the time during which work was being done on those things, but I keep it clean the rest of the time, and make sure workers clean up any mess before they leave. I don't understand people who keep their yards like trash-heaps for longer periods.

But I understand this is kind of a cultural/regional thing too...I had Mexican neighbors when I lived close to the border, and their yard was pretty much literally a dump. It attracted rats and we had to have the central office force them to clean it up.

Anyway, crooked politicians are another kind of trash that should be cleaned up. I'm anti-trash all around!


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## zannej

Flyover, a lot of the homes here are rather trashy to begin with and people don't have enough space for things and are too busy or not inclined to pick up. Can't afford lawnmowers etc. It's a rather impoverished area so it's very common to see yards full of rubbish, branches, tall weeds, debris from storm damage &/or renovations/repairs. The deadbeat tenants we had totally junked up our yard. The culture around here is to have junky yards.

The only city ordinance my friend could find about eyesores and yards involved having a bunch of derelict vehicles all over.

Havasu, I passed your advice on to my friend. He's been trying to get in touch with the state AG's office and has also reached out to some lower tier people. His mother asked around and it turns out the mayor did this to a whole bunch of people. He was going all over town telling people they would be fined if they didn't get their yards cleaned without actually giving written notice or specifics on what they needed cleaned. And the a-hole knows a lot of people are still renovating/repairing from the storms. He's even pulling it with small businesses. There's a thrift shop that had part of the metal roof blown off and the panels are lying on the ground in front of the building. There's a waiting list to get roofing, tree removal, and plumbing done. My friend and his mom have been telling people to report it to the AG, DA, and any authorities they can think of (not including the cops) for extortion.

Picked up my friend in late morning and took him to Lowes (brought my brother along to help). Got 3 different shovel types and a sturdy rake as well as 10 50lb bags of quickcrete gravel. Put them on a tarp. Also got a bucket dumping stuff but forgot about it. LOL. Friend used a trench digging shovel to dig a shallow ditch along his sidewalk going to his ditch to create a path for water to flow. Filled it with gravel (sort of what my father called a "french drain"). My brother and I shoveled some of the dirt in to big pot holes in the driveway. Then I raked the remaining dirt to try to reduce the slope of the front yard (it slopes toward the house away from the ditch instead of the opposite way). I was trying to level it out a bit more. Friend is trying to find someone who will deliver dirt (hoping to get the cheapest he can find). The term "dirt cheap" underestimates how much they charge for dirt. He wants it dumped in the front yard so he can make the yard slope toward his ditch.

Also went to Tractor supply to get a little wagon he can use to load up debris and dump it in a burn pile.

Got home and made lunch for mom. took some naproxyn and am about to take a nap.


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## havasu

I once had some elderly relatives who had a portion of their chimney collapse after an earthquake. A week later, the city (Glendale, Ca.) Code enforcement issued them a 5 day repair demand or pay a $500 fine. I went through the roof with that one. I spoke to their watch commander, who apologized and told me to disregard. I picked up the 5 bricks, went on her roof, and cemented them in place. That notice was really uncalled for, for 5 bricks on their side yard, but I understand that if everyone did their part to keep their houses free of debris, it makes the entire neighborhood just a little bit better, and helps property values.


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## zannej

Havasu, I can understand them wanting to keep their yards nice, but considering how long this thing was a junked up meth house with much worse debris, parts of the house falling off, etc, & they didn't condemn it or try to do anything about it back then. Especially since no property tax was being paid on it. They are just going after people for money at this point. They don't really care about it being an eyesore, the mayor wants money. He's already tripled the water bill prices (because it's set by City Hall and he tells them what to do). It frustrates me so much. If they had given him written notice with more time it still would have been offensive, but it wouldn't have been as suspicious and aggravating as going there with police and only giving verbal notice. And they should have given specifics. I can almost guarantee that he will claim whatever my friend does is not sufficient unless he hires the mayor's company to do the job. I could be proven wrong. Perhaps contacting someone to breathe down the mayor's neck will change his attitude. But, if this guy doesn't get removed, I think he will only continue to harass and bully people.

The thing about 5 bricks for some reason reminded me of someone who said their HOA kept sending them notices about needing to cut their lawn or they'd be fined. They had no lawn. Their yard was entirely gravel. They finally got someone to tell them where they saw "lawn" and it was a single weed flower growing under their bay window. They put a stake next to it and claimed it was their garden so the HOA would leave them alone about it.

Internet is barely working now so I can't see if my friend replied to my latest messages.

As a complete aside, I discovered that Tractor Supply has some of the shortest damn toilets I've ever seen. The height of the bowl was literally the same height as the bottom of the stall. Only the seat kept people's business from being visible. I swear my knees almost went to my chest when I sat down and I had a hard time getting back up. LOL.


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## havasu

Must have made their own "Squatty Pottys" for proper evacuation, and popular in Asian cultures. 
Gawd, can I even say that now, or is it offensive?


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## Eddie_T

I made a cardboard potty stool after seeing them on Shark Tank. I used a sturdy cat litter box at first but switched to a whey protein box. I cut pieces from another box and glued them inside to double the top and the sides. I had intended it to be a prototype and make one out of wood but after a couple of years it's still holding up.


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## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Must have made their own "Squatty Pottys" for proper evacuation, and popular in Asian cultures.
> Gawd, can I even say that now, or is it offensive?



When you question if it's offensive is when they have won. I don't care about any of their new rules, and just laugh at them. That applies to all the sensitive people, whether they identify as Male, Female or a Helicopter.


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## Flyover

I've found that in real life (as opposed to the internet) few people of any extraction care about political correctness, so long as you're not being a hostile jerk. (There may be an exception for certain young adults, but young adults have always had the issue of having more freedom than sense and are still trying to figure out who they are and what mark they want to make in the world, etc.)

I've had a plastic squatty potty in my bathroom for years. I highly recommend them. As for short toilets in public restrooms, that might be an accessibility thing for people with dwarfism or something like that. Typically this is coupled with grab-handles affixed to the stall wall.

If you are not elderly and can't easily get up from a squatting position that is a good indicator you should be doing resistance training (really you should be doing it anyway).


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## Eddie_T

It seems that the younger generation (but not limited to them) can't carry on a normal conversation with proper English, often using the most common vulgarity twice in the same sentence. Teens in a Perkins restaurant were using more colorful language than 82d ABN barracks talk.


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## zannej

Havasu, LOL! Since I lived in southeast asia for several years, I can confirm they do have the squat toilets and many of them will squat down (not to go to the bathroom) instead of sitting to rest when out in public. I don't know if it's because they practiced it their whole lives or if it's genetic or what. It's so easy for them. I think part of the reason I'm not good at it is bc it's not something I did when younger. I also sometimes have trouble with my knees. My right knee tried to go out on me the other day. I had to actually stop and grab my leg and try to set the kneecap back right. It didn't fully dislocate, but it felt like it slipped out of position. That's another reason I have trouble getting up from squatting positions. I'm also overweight and most of the weight went to my torso. That doesn't help either.

I like the squatty potty. My brother got one and it does help. The other day he was singing an ode to his squatty potty. Something about "You fill me with joy but leave me empty" or something. He likes to sing and make noise in the bathroom. He'll shout random things like "I don't remember eating corn!" and "My guts think they are Billy Mays-- 'But wait, there's more!'" It's weird yet entertaining.

I was supposed to take my friend to Lowes this morning but I racked out and didn't wake up until 4:30pm. I messaged him an apology and he's cool with it. He knows I have chronic fatigue and he knows what it's like to be exhausted and not be able to wake up. We'll go tomorrow morning instead.

Late last night and early this morning I did some dishes. My brother left food in the pressure cooker a month ago and never cleaned it. I stuffed tissues up my nose and dumped it outside, boiled some water in an electric kettle, and washed it and other dishes. Brother made beef stew this evening.

Someone left mom's bedroom door open so the cats got in and pulled her curtains down. I fed them to lure them out and then had to grab one cat who refused to come out and decided he wanted to fight it-- grabbing everything in sight with claws to avoid being pulled out. I put him near food and he was fine after that.


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## Flyover

With the price of lumber so high but my basement crying out for shelving units, I bid on and won at auction a couple of solid doors with no holes or anything cut in them. They cost about $6 each and I'm very pleased with myself for being so clever. I will rip them and use them to build shelves. With how much I saved on these I can probably just flat out buy the 2xs to make the uprights, plus these being 1"-thick doors means I don't need to build frames under them, just support them in the middle with another pair of uprights. So, six 2x4s per shelving unit ought to do the trick, and I can save even more by buying the 6' length ones instead of 8'. But first I'm going to keep checking Craigslist to see how much I can get for free.

Thinking more on it, I think that to support the shelves what I'll do is, rather than just screw the uprights directly into the shelves and be done with it, I'll use some of my scrap bamboo bed slats to make brackets. Ones going front-to-back along the sides, and then little blocks along the middle uprights, slightly wider than the 2x4s. Then I'll still screw the uprights into the shelves but the weight won't be entirely on the screws. Since the doors are probably particle board with veneer I figure that's the best way to go.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> With the price of lumber so high but my basement crying out for shelving units, I bid on and won at auction a couple of solid doors with no holes or anything cut in them. They cost about $6 each and I'm very pleased with myself for being so clever. I will rip them and use them to build shelves. With how much I saved on these I can probably just flat out buy the 2xs to make the uprights, plus these being 1"-thick doors means I don't need to build frames under them, just support them in the middle with another pair of uprights. So, six 2x4s per shelving unit ought to do the trick, and I can save even more by buying the 6' length ones instead of 8'. But first I'm going to keep checking Craigslist to see how much I can get for free.
> 
> Thinking more on it, I think that to support the shelves what I'll do is, rather than just screw the uprights directly into the shelves and be done with it, I'll use some of my scrap bamboo bed slats to make brackets. Ones going front-to-back along the sides, and then little blocks along the middle uprights, slightly wider than the 2x4s. Then I'll still screw the uprights into the shelves but the weight won't be entirely on the screws. Since the doors are probably particle board with veneer I figure that's the best way to go.



That should work. I don't get the lumber prices, I guess the suppliers just hiked it for the fun of it to see what they can get away with. Well la de da, look at that, the worthless maggots in congress aren't doing anything about it. Big surprise. When I asked, Lowe's blamed it on Covid, which has absolutely nothing to do with anything.

I have scrapped plans and cannibalized 2 shelving units to build an island. Now I need more shelving units.


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## Eddie_T

For my kitchen island I am looking through my scraps finding ways to avoid Lowes as much as possible. Things like joining plywood where seam will be hidden by picture frame molding. I saw a neat youtube presentation where drawer slides are installed in cabinet before drawers are built.


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## zannej

Covid did impact prices and product availability. A lot of shipping and packing locations were shut down. There's a whole lot of stuff made in China that gets shipped over and China got hit hard by Covid. Their death toll was astronomically higher than they ever admitted. It was way more than double what they claimed. With people dropping like flies, having to quarantine, shipments having to be disinfected, etc, it did affect the bottom line. It slowed down the supply end and when supply slows while there is demand, businesses jack up prices. It's why the oil companies don't have more refineries and limit how much oil they refine. They could easily refine a lot more but then there would be a surplus of refined oil and their supply to demand ratio wouldn't justify higher prices. (Hey, I still remember some things from college business classes. LOL).
Also, businesses will use any excuse they can to jack up prices to try to increase their profits. Any time there is some sort of natural disaster, prices on some things go up even if they weren't impacted.

I didn't get to sleep last night after Mom woke me up. Cleaned some more and then my brother and I picked up our friend and went to a prefab building place. They do on-site construction as well as full deliveries. Got my eye on a metal barn. Apparently they can be customized. At first I just wanted a simple 12'x16' but the I saw the ones with the lean-to additions that would be perfect for storing hay (I actually saw a building with a lean-to holding hay on the way up there). Only one person working at the place (the owner) and he couldn't tell me about any of the options available really. All he did was tell me to text him about what I wanted. He didn't know specific prices (or at least wouldn't admit it). Kept insisting price of metal is going to go up 20% "soon" and I better buy asap or it will be more expensive. I haven't heard anything to corroborate that so I'm fairly certain it's a sales gimmick. I was happy with the thickness of the metal buildings. They were a lot sturdier and I can order them in 12 gauge. I can add my own insulation.

There was a really large barn that was nice but I couldn't reach the handle to pull the door down and it was waaay too big. I was looking at a smaller one and the guy said it could have a lean-to added and explained how it would be added.

I snapped a pic of the specs and brand name. Went to company site and found they have a Barn Building program where you can customize. Took me a bit, but I figured out how to build the barn I wanted with a little porch area (shelter from rain while opening the door) and a lean-to. Played around with open walled lean-to vs closed wall. Think I like closed better. Added a side door at some point as a 2nd entry point (if cows get in the way) or as an escape from cows if they get between me and the big door. It's about the same size as my bedroom (but my room is slightly longer). 

Plan would have 10' ceilings for main barn, 12'x16' enclosed area, 4' x 12' porch area, 8' (smallest size they make them) x 20' lean to with one side covered and back half covered as an egress point. The really big barn was about $7k. Smaller one (which had plywood floor) was over $6k. If I can stay under $9k it will be covered by what the insurance paid for our barn that got destroyed.



We stopped at Walmart to grab some food they don't sell in town. Then went to chinese restaurant (they are very strict about masks, distancing, gloves, etc). Owner is always very happy to see us and says "See you next time!" as we're leaving. 
Went to Lowes and got more gravel. We were going to help our friend with his yard more, but my brother had a severe toothache and was tempted to go to the ER but they won't give him anything for pain when he goes. He's trying to find an urgent care dentist.


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## Eddie_T

@zannej I have known two people that could actually sit on their heels. One was a neighbor of my FIL and I remember him on the FIL's porch sitting on his heels asl they talked. The other was a Korean, my wife's SIL and she did it often. Both were skinny, I may have done it as a kid but I don't come anywhere close now.

Your barn solution sounds nice. Hope it works out well for you.


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## Spicoli43

zannej... I understand the supply, but lets say an entire mill is shut down for a week. The lumber has to sit there on planks to dry anyway, so the Lowe's won't get their shipment, but it doesn't justify raising prices. 

Your barn idea does sound good. I just hope you went through the once in 100 year storm so you won't have to worry about it. Unless you're a Highlander.


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## zannej

Thanks, Eddie. I think even if I had practiced squatting and wasn't fat, I would likely still have some problems. I manged to injure both of my ankles in the past and I have trouble with them now. Would never be able to sit on my heels. I really need to do some exercises to stretch my legs and ankles and improve strength.

Spicoli, I believe the distributors for the products raised the prices that they charged to sell things to Lowes. Unfortunately, in a free market the sellers can raise prices arbitrarily because they want to and if there is enough demand they can get away with it. I remember when gas prices would go up even when there was nothing causing them to go up-- they just used any excuse they could find. I'm in favor of free market but I think there needs to be some balance to stop major price-gouging. I'm particularly annoyed with the pharmaceutical industries that charge the US more for meds made here than they charge other countries for the same meds. I don't know if the laws have changed, but when I was studying business, that was illegal. I wish I could remember the name of the law, but it prohibited charging more to the US for products produced in the US than other countries were charged.

I'm not concerned about the cold so much as the heat and rain. I want them to be able to stay dry. I also want a place to store their hay where it can be covered. The building will allow me to have troughs inside where leaves and rain won't fall in them. We had some wooden troughs under a little lean-to but the cows broke them. Horned cow broke the lean-to with her horns (it was designed for a horse so horns were not a consideration when Dad built it). I also want to figure out some way to circulate/move air and vent the heat out of the building. I will insulate the inside and the color I chose is not dark enough to absorb a lot of heat. I'm thinking of creating something inside to block heat/cold from flowing in to the barn directly. I'm trying to find pictures, but you know how some barns have a big open doorway but there is a wall a few feet in that runs parallel to the doorway and you have to go to the left or right to get around it to access the interior? I'm thinking of adding a beam spanning the rafters at the top of wall-level and maybe hanging a moving blanket or something there to break up the direct flow of air. Hopefully cow won't tear it down. But worst case I could build some sort of divider there. I wonder if a gable fan would work to pull heat out when it's hot inside.

Mom was happy that I got her new food options. She had me heat up a fried fish fillet (she doesn't eat meat other than fish on Fridays) and make a baked potato in the microwave. That was a monster of a potato too. Double the size of the ones we normally get. Took almost 10min to cook. She gave me half of it and it filled my plate up when I mashed it.


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## BuzzLOL

The Lowes around here gets so little business, the girls that work there almost tackle me when I walk in the door they are so desperate to see a customer walk in. We have Lowes, Home Depot, and Menards chains. Each newer store has lower prices than the next older stores, so Lowes being the oldest, gets ignored now. 
Menards, the newest, also has two huge buildings, so big they can't find enough lumber, home stuff, etc. to fill them so also offer food and all kinds of other things... 
Years ago we had Handy Andy, Builder's Square, and Home Base plus an old farm store with building products. They cut each other's throats and suddenly those 3 big box home stores chains disappeared leaving us with only the farm store. I used to have to go to Detroit area to find a lot of things. Now that we have 3 more home stores chains, the farmer's store closed it's 6 locations, 3 here and 3 in 3 other towns...


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## Spicoli43

zannej... Yeah, you're right. Price gouging is rampant, and all it would take is congress doing something about it. The suppliers will take advantage of everything, and the retailers will follow suit. Costco is notorious about lying every time they open their mouth, and several people here busted them during the early days of the pandemic when Toilet paper was like gold, the price went from $16.99 to $22.99. I told them no, and several others did as well. The price dropped back to normal the next day. 

As far as "free market", all the people that are constantly demanding a minimum wage of $15 don't look at the rampant homelessness in Seattle as a clue. They don't understand how business works, and some are on thin margins and can't pay everybody the increased wage, so half the employees get let go. Add that on to the fact that the landlords know some of the people are twice as rich, and they increase the rent to the point that the people lucky enough to have a job are either in the same financial situation as before or worse.


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## BuzzLOL

Congress can't make stores sell at such low prices that they lose money. New York City has 'rent controls' but the buildings get run down because rent doesn't cover cost of repairs any more... Ghetto areas have no stores because the junkies who live there rob them and kill the employees so the stores move out. Democrats deceptively call those "under served areas"... blaming the stores instead of the real cause of the problem. Blaming 'guns' instead of drugs/drug abuse... 
Doubling the minimum wage during normal times is lunacy and doing it during even a fake pandemic shutdown is insanity...
Many businesses and manufacturing plants have been shut down so stores have to pay higher prices for their stock from the few sources still available... it will take normal and/or over supply and competition to get prices back down...
Plus Democrats want everyone unemployed and on their Welfare so that they can control them and their voting habits and make promises to them for their votes...
I went through the local Costco on their Free Day here when it first opened and I only saw one thing I couldn't get at a lower price elsewhere and I already had a lifetime supply of that item... Plus, I didn't have to buy in giant bulk sizes elsewhere to get a good price...


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## Flyover

Price gouging has a reputational cost, and it's good that consumers have communication tools with which to fight back, but it shouldn't be illegal. Suppliers (whether it's a plumber fixing your sink or a wholesaler selling wood from China to Home Depot) absolutely should be able to charge whatever they think customers will pay. If you don't want to pay what they charge, it's a free country and nobody is forcing you to buy. Eventually they get the message and lower their prices, or else they can't compete with those who do. Or they rebrand and find a way to make the new price seem worthwhile. Nobody's got a direct line to your checking account unless you gave them one.

When we start passing more laws asking nanny government to control prices for consumers then we move a step closer to communism, and it's sometimes obvious when it happens because you get communist-style shortages and rationing. I'd rather have prices be allowed to fluctuate to accommodate market adjustments, and I can figure out my own clever workarounds or do without certain things if prices get too high. To some degree I feel like if you never Macguyver or DIY around price issues then you're not living in reality.

...and that is the most libertarian thing I've written since I was in my mid-20s!


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## zannej

Even if the politicians could pass laws to limit profits, they wouldn't. They get too many bribes from the corporations & would never want to risk losing their meal tickets. I'm going to stay out of any particular political discourse though.

I got some sleep. Brother woke me up wanting me to take him to the store for milk and Anbesol. No emergency dentists within 100 miles that are open on weekends. He has to wait until Monday to even get a dentist to answer the phone and then will have to schedule an appointment. I had to wait 2 weeks to see a dentist last time when I desperately needed a tooth pulled. His last toothache before this was so bad he had me take him to the ER, but they were more concerned with his blood pressure than his pain level. They didn't realize if they got his pain levels down that his blood pressure could drop. But then, there are a lot of druggies here so they are stingy with pain meds.

We don't even have a Lowes or HomeDepot in town. We used to have a Home Suite Home but someone broke into it and it shut down. We've got a crappy hardware store run by a jerk who hires rude employees and will often close 30minutes before closing time. So, it closes between 3:30pm and 4pm on week days and is closed on weekends. There's the hardware store I like with the nice owner that is open until 5:30pm. There's Tractor Supply which is open 'til 8pm (although, they lock the doors at 7:50pm) but it's a very small store so it doesn't have a lot of inventory. I wish they could expand in to the vacant store next to them (used to be a Fred's). 

My friend called the city to ask them to come inspect his yard and see if it was cleaned up enough and if not, what they wanted him to do to clean it up more. They never showed up. He's still having plumbing issues. The city sewer is made of brick and the plumber finally came back. Said that he had cast iron drains and something about the way it is configured means it's impossible to snake it out. Told my friend to buy some sort of chemical to pour down. It was such a strong chemical he had to sign special forms to get it. Plumber said not to let it sit more than 30 min before flushing as it would eat through cast iron. So, he poured that down and flushed and stuff went through. He was happy thinking it was unclogged. Then he messaged to say that it clogged again on the 2nd flush.

I wonder if there is some sort of break in the line where dirt is getting in or something and the plumber doesn't want to fix it.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover... Libertarian free market is fine. At one point 3 years ago, I could fly to Kansas or some other flat land and buy a brand new F250 for $25,000 less than here because (my theory) they don't have Mountains there, but have to accept the full fleet of Fords as a dealer, so they offload the Trucks. 

Free market doesn't work when it's a concerted effort to raise prices across the board. Everybody in town has higher prices, and Menards, which doesn't exist in Montana, has higher prices. The prices will stay high while the housing market is high. In the areas where the housing market is depressed, the prices should be lower. 

zannej... Yes, the politicians are almost all bought and paid for in every industry. There's a reason it's almost impossible to get a 30 year refi or purchase below 2.25%, which is actually 42%. They can charge us 42% because enough if not all of congress is in bed with the banking industry. That's just them. 

On your friend's tooth pain...





__





						oil pulling for tooth pain at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


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## Eddie_T

For supper I had baked eggs in grits cups. I have now tried hash brown cups, grated baked potato cups, grated raw potato cups and leftover grits cups. All are good but for easiest, quickest, shortest baking time and least mess I will go with frozen (thawed of course) hash browns. The raw grated potato and the leftover grits required baking the cups 30" or longer before adding the eggs whereas hashbrowns required only about 16" @ 400*°.*


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## BuzzLOL

Advanced the clocks in the house... will have to do vehicles next...


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Advanced the clocks in the house... will have to do vehicles next...



Yeah, giant pain in the *** for no reason at all.


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## zannej

Spicoli, I know I said I wouldn't get political, but f**** Jimmy Carter for allowing banks to charge more than 10% interest! And for making it so all student loans were immune to bankruptcy (and for being awful to federal employees, treating his Secret Service agents like garbage, giving away the Panama Canal, giving "back" national treasures to a corrupt regime that melted down the priceless jewelry & artifacts, beating a swimming rabbit to death with an oar, and allegedly shooting/killing his neighbor's cat). Used to be only federal student loans were, but he did banks a favor and screwed the rest of us over for generations. They need to go back to anything over 10% being usery. You also hit on another thing that doesn't get enforced anymore-- barring of coordinated price-setting for things. IIRC, it used to be (and may still be) illegal for companies to get together and set high prices to artificially inflate costs.

Flyover, I forgot to mention, when I say price "gouging" I don't mean charging a reasonable amount to get a good profit. I mean when they charge absurdly high prices for a huge profit. I know the whole "don't buy it and they will lower prices thing" works in some cases, but when the product is something people absolutely need then that isn't an option. People still have to buy toilet paper, medicine, food, etc. Personally, I think price-gouging should be banned for essential resources like oil, electricity, water, gas, & medicine. Should be prohibited on staple foods as well. Sure, let them charge enough to profit, but don't make it so asininely expensive that people can't afford it. IIRC it was either FDR or Truman who passed a law barring price-gouging on essential resources, but it's not being enforced anymore. It's one thing to raise prices to cover expenses and gain a decent profit- it's another to upcharge 300% and make a ton more $ on fewer products. Sad thing is, sometimes if they had lower prices they'd get more sales & have better profit.

I hate daylight savings time. Since people are canceling Dr. Seuss, cartoon characters, etc, how about canceling Daylight Savings Time? It's archaic and annoying and actually has a significant impact on people's lives-- unlike the other things.

I'm currently trying to figure out what I need to get my front gate fixed so I can keep my cows in. Even if I can't repair the fence yet-- need trees removed and need to fill in holes where trees uprooted, I want to get the gate back up at least. And I need to get a barn for the cows. I admit, I got a little fancy with the design and hope it's affordable. I want a solar powered gable fan with temperature switch to start blowing air out when it gets to hot and have it shut off when it cools off. There are adjustable disc thingies that turn on at specific temps and cut off at lower temps. I'm trying to figure out the average temperature so the fan won't be running 24/7. I don't think it gets down to 70 or below here very often once summer starts. So I'm thinking 75 or 80 as cut off. If I can find a thing that can be programmed for that. I want a 100w panel with battery and charge control (there are some batteries with built-in charge control). I wonder if I need a charge controller for my gate opener's solar panel...

I'm planning to do some cleaning today but I lost my balance earlier and hurt my shoulder when I tried to catch myself.

Also trying to talk my friend out of buying a vehicle for way below book value so I suspect there's something majorly wrong with it and that his "friend" is scamming him. It's a GMC 2017 Sierra Denali and the guy wants a little over $8k for it. When I price-checked I haven't seen any under $22k. Supposedly has 50k miles on it too. Guy does bodywork/paint and told my friend that owners got it pained for like $8500 and couldn't afford to pay him for the work so he's trying to sell it. So, first off, I question whether he actually has the title and 2nd I wonder if it had major body damage. It's too good to be true and raising red flags. Friend is determined to get it.

He's also having problems because another former friend dumped a vehicle in his yard over a year and a half ago and is refusing to get it removed. I told him to call local PD, tell them it's abandoned & have it tagged for removal & impound at the owner's expense. When he first told the guy he needed the car gone or he'd be fined $5400 by the city, the guy told him to push the car behind his house. Friend told him that wasn't an option. Found someone who would tow it to the other guy for $100 but he refused to pay it. My friend needs it gone by Tuesday. The guy who abandoned his car owes my brother $500 and owes my mother $1k but hasn't made any effort to pay.

Eddie, those eggs look delicious!


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## Spicoli43

zannej... I didn't know most of that about Carter, but knew he was a horrible President growing up. 

.65% on a 30 year loan would be 10% actual, in which most people could afford a pretty nice $250,000 house at $764 a month. 

I heard somewhere along the line that mortgage rates were at 13% once, which is 298% actual! 

With your friend's GMC situation, you already know the GIGANTIC RED FLAG. If he refuses to see it, there is nothing more you can do. To me, that price says flood damage. I bet it's a salvage title, or as you say, maybe non existent. Also, I have never met anyone that would pay that much for paint unless they were keeping it forever. Eventually I'll have one of my cars completely refurbed, but it was on a poster of mine on my wall in Junior High, so it's not going anywhere. 

I know it isn't easy, but I would find anywhere else to move to. You have posted multiple times about the fines they threaten. I would tell them to bleep themselves and then go to bleep. I don't have a filter when it comes to corruption.


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## zannej

We lived near DC when Carter was president. My father was personal friends with his Secret Service agents and they despised Carter. He would make them fold his laundry, scream at them about the way they folded it-- like, he didn't want the crease on his pants to look a certain way-- constantly called them stupid, canceled Christmas bonuses, had every other lightbulb removed from federal buildings to reduce electric bills (but had them put back when Dept of Labor told him that wasn't going to fly). Also said he walked around the White House barefoot & they could hear his feet sticking to the floor making suction noises. His official codename was Deacon but they called him "Old A**hole". They said he cared more about appearances and being liked by the public than about doing the right thing. I don't know if any of that has changed, but I still remember watching a Habitat for Humanities video where he tried to hammer a nail with the claw end. Even I've never derped that badly trying to hammer a nail and I am terrible at hammering nails. Had my elderly friend laughing pretty hard at how bad my aim is. I can hope that Carter has changed for the better since his presidency.

I questioned my friend about the title issue. He claims his friend was given the title when he got a lien on it. As far as I know, a title lien means the person can't sell it without paying the debt- it doesn't mean the lien-holder can sell the vehicle. I discussed it with my Mom and she asked why a paint job would be that expensive. My feeling was there was major damage to cover. I also told him if the car was worth so much & guy actually had the title, why didn't he do a trade-in type deal-- trade-in value should be over $20k. I told my friend I have a very bad feeling about this deal & I hope he will listen to me on it. It was a disaster when he ignored my bad feelings in the past. I think I bummed him out, but I'm trying to make sure he doesn't get screwed over yet again. I have a much better feeling about the mini cooper he wants to buy. Better gas mileage, reasonable price, & not some questionable sale from a "friend".

I've been researching more on gate opener stuff again because I really need to get my front gate fixed (even if parts of the fence are up in the air hanging from the roots of uprooted trees).


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## zannej

Went to the doctor for regular checkup. A1C was 8.5 (too high). Fasting sugars was too high. Cholesterol was great (bad cholesterol was low enough and good was high enough). Everything but my sugars looked good. I did mention the kidney stones but there isn't much they can do for that. He recommended cutting out white rice, white milk, white flour, white potatoes, etc. (I'm going to pretend that is an excuse to drink chocolate milk since it's brown). I mentioned the stew my brother makes and he said we could use rutabagas instead of potatoes in it & they were delicious. He was right on that. He also recommended trying almond milk saying you can hardly tell the difference. He was wrong on that. We got some almond milk and it has this nasty bitter aftertaste.
I've been put on Metformin for insulin resistance. He also prescribed anti-inflammatory meds for my injured rotator cuff and showed me some exercises I can do. His nurse gave me a sheet with a list of exercises to try. 
I showed him the picture of the green Soylent and we had a chuckle. Talked about how we wouldn't try it and at the same time we said "Soylent Green is people!"
He suggested some recipes. My brother was along because he missed a previous appointment. He told him the diagnosis he was supposed to get and suggested some exercises for his hip and warned him not to drink/eat too much soy because it can mess with hormone levels. He also told us both we should walk every day- even walk inside or in place if it's raining or too hot outside.
Went to see our friend afterward and it looks like the city never got back to him about his yard. I think the mayor was BSing. He did get someone to haul off the other guy's car. Hauled it to the guy's house so he couldn't make a stink about it, but the guy had the nerve to call and kvetch about stuff he claimed was missing from the vehicle. The dude left it there for over a year and a half unlocked with the keys in it. Anything missing is on him. He doesn't have the right to catch an attitude about a non-working car he dumped in my friend's yard that blocked the landscaping people from being able to get in the back with their equipment.
While we were there some guys rolled up and brought out a dowsing rod to try to locate the sewer line. The guy found two potential areas several feet apart. We think the one to the left was the correct one, but are not certain. My friend dug about 3ft down. Started hitting gray clay. We went to the store for a different style shovel and to get one of those rods with handles that you poke in the ground to try to find pipes. None of the plumbers have that device where you snake it through the pipes and use a sensor from above ground to find it & it costs over $1k so we aren't getting it. Poked around in all the spots but didn't find anything. Even poked inside the dug out areas to see if the pipe was deeper. No dice. I got a ground tamper thingy for when it's time to level the yard out. Friend used it after filling the holes back in. He said he has a metal detector but we don't know if it works and if it can sense deep enough. If it can, maybe we can run an auger far enough out through the pipe to be able to detect it.
Absolute worst case, we pull the toilet, take up the floor, find the main sewer line under it, cut it off and replace it with PVC that we can run out from under the house and then run it 80ft to the street and have the city tie it in to their sewer line somehow. Not sure if that is feasible though.
After all that poking around, my brother made beef stew with rutabaga and it was delicious. I brought some of the dinner I made for mom over for them to try & they liked it, but they were full from the stew.
Got home and was resting until a few minutes ago when 2 of my brother's cats decided to have a knock down drag out fight and managed to knock down the box with my toilet tank. Box ripped open and tank broke. I was planning to install it when we did the waterlines next week (hoping it would be next week). Ugh.


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## Flyover

Once you set limits on what companies can charge for things, even if you say it's only when they charge "unreasonable" prices for "too much" profit, you're on a slippery slope. (It's also a little baby step towards communism.) I heard a good adage which is "Don't pass any law you wouldn't trust in the hands of your political enemies." So, imagine how the law could be abused, and how it could even be used against you.

Then again maybe the ship has already sailed.

I'm ready to build my basement shelves, just waiting for the right time. Maybe if I can get my work done early and give my wife a chance to go for a jog she'll repay me with a couple hours to at least get my lumber cut to size...


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## zannej

Unfortunately, people have literally died and are still dying because of price gouging on things people need to survive. There needs to be some balance. 

Today I texted the guy who sells/installs the metal buildings but never heard back from him and the message is unread. I also contacted him on FB via marketplace (where he advertised). No response thus far. I might see if the owner of the local hardware store does business with American Steel Carports instead. I know he installs carports & metal buildings and he's not the type to rip people off.

I ordered some stuff to try to fix my bathroom floor. The last batch of patch leveler we used didn't include the additive and it has cracked in some places. The closet flange isn't level so I'm going to have to try to loosen the screws and shim to make it level and then level the floor around it (I don't care too much if it's level outside of where the toilet sits so long as it isn't super bumpy. Wish I could find old scrap asphalt shingles nobody wants anymore to use as shims.

My brother had a dentist appointment to get a tooth pulled. I sat in the office for 40 minutes, then told the clerk I was going to sit in the truck to charge my phone. Charged my phone while reclining with the heated seat on. Rain was pouring down and wind was pretty strong. It stopped raining before my brother came out. Took about an hour. Went to Walmart to pick up prescriptions and had to wait for his to be ready. They said 45 minutes. We came back in 50 & they said they needed another 10. I checked out with the groceries and took them out to the truck while he waited for his meds to be ready. Saw my friend leaving Walmart- he went in just to use the bathroom.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to go to Sams to get more water and Lowes to pick up some stuff for working on my floor. I also got some wingnuts for the toilet tank I need to order. Still debating whether I should buy it from HomeDepot or Amazon. Both would have to ship it to me (bc HomeDepot takes for friggin ever to find "ship to store" stuff). I'm trying to figure out which one will charge lower sales tax. Tank is exactly the same price at both. I think it's 9.95% in Alexandria. It's 10.45% where I live. Although, it may be worth it to buy from Amazon if they charge the higher tax just to not have to deal with a lost shipment.


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## Eddie_T

I was installing on a ceramic tile floor but this should work on any floor. I leveled with 2 or 3 wooden shims then stuffed a dry grout under the flange to support the toilet. The grout was dry enough not to shrink as it set up.


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## DesertRider

Been working on the new workshop, needed to run a 100 amp sub panel off the primary panel at the house.


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## zannej

Eddie, I want to avoid using wood as it can rot from water. The roof shingles don't compress and don't rot. But, I will probably end up using plastic or metal shims.

Took my new meds last night and it went through me hard. Pharmacist warned it could cause diarrhea. It was bad. No stomach pain at least. It's reduced my appetite, which isn't a bad thing. But I had the chills and felt exhausted so I slept until 3.

Was supposed to go to the post office but forgot. Went to Lowes to pick up my supplies. I should have checked to make sure everything was in the bags but I was too tired. I went for curbside pickup and sat there 20+ minutes after using the app to notify them I was there. After that I went inside. Turns out they don't actually do curbside pickup and there is no system inside to notify them of customers waiting for pickup. They have 1 employee running the online pickup thing and she can't go outside. They have the parking spots for it to make it look like it works, but they don't actually have it working. I'll have to contact higher offices about that so maybe they can get things organized and people don't sit there wasting time.

Went to Sams to get water but the water I needed was in a pallet on a shelf I couldn't reach. Needed a forklift to get it. I was seriously tempted to try to find a ladder, climb up there, cut the plastic off the pallet and pull a couple cases down. Finally found an employee who couldn't find a forklift operator. He found another employee, they asked around in the back. All forklift operators were on break and they estimated it would take an hour to get the pallet down. I couldn't wait that long. They apologized but it wasn't their fault. I'll put in an online order for the water and pick it up next time.

My friend's computer chair broke and they had a new chair (very similar to the one he'd had) on sale so I grabbed it for him. Dropped it off and he immediately opened it up and assembled it. He just got a "new" used car. A Toyota Scion. I think he paid too much for it-- Something around $12k. Paint is dull and it needs a new windshield. But it got 46mpg on his way home.

In a bit of good news, the drainage setup we put in place worked. He had to make an adjustment with the gravel in the little trench, but it drained well. He said it's the first time in years his front yard didn't turn in to a swamp when it rained.

The weather was actually nice today. There was a chill in the air that made it pleasant to be outside. Not too cold but not too hot.


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## Eddie_T

I didn't provide enough info. After the grout sets up you remove the narrow shims and fill their spaces with grout. My floor was level but the bottom of my $900 Kohler toilet wasn't flat and it kept rocking until I discovered the problem.


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## Flyover

Yesterday I ripped those two solid wood doors I bought at auction, so now I have four shelves (two for each shelving unit). Man were they heavy! Plus a couple days ago I somehow injured my left wrist (I think it was from lifting weights on Sunday while, uh, drunk) so I had to be real careful how I grabbed those doors to move them. It's funny how when you're injured the hard thing is remembering not to apply force in the one very specific way that aggravates the injury.

To power my circular saw to rip the doors I decided to run a 25' 12-gauge extension cable from the outlet in the ceiling that powers the garage door opener. I tied it to the metal truss that holds the opener, so the stress isn't on the connection. When I was done ripping the doors I left the cable plugged in but looped it over a hook on the side wall so it's out of the way but usable anywhere I need it. It's like a poor man's version of those power cords that come on a reel that hangs from the ceiling in a mechanic's shop.


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## zannej

I'm a fan of solid wood crafting. Particle board, osb, and mdf are a poor substitute, IMO. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to that.

Been trying to draw my vanity and it's mirror in Sketchup. I took measurements of the mirror but did not get a picture. Didn't feel like going to get my phone. LOL. The mirror turned out better than the vanity. Well, the vanity part is OK but I'm struggling with the top with the sink. It has all sorts of curves that are impossible to do in Sketchup. I tried even with plugins. Got so irritated I started over from scratch.
This is the real vanity (sitting in a defunct shower collecting dust)





This is what I have thus far of the vanity in my sketch-- I'm not happy with the sides of the top-- having trouble getting the angles to go the way I want them to and be curved. Might have to make it squared and then see if I can find the right plugins to make it curve. The basin curves out and down from the sides, which is a complicated shape to try to make. When I tried to use an auto-tool it got rid of some of the detail. I can draw the lines but getting the skin to go over it is a problem.




I finally heard back from the guy about the barn. I sent him a link to the specs I picked and he said "Draw a picture and send it to me, doesn't have to be a good picture" I was like "Dude, did you try the link? Did it not work? It has the drawings and blueprints." I will need to make some mods though. Inside I want to be able to have some sort of shop lights. I want to get as solar panel, battery, and inverter setup though. I can get a solar powered gable fan that doesn't need an inverter but I want at least one LED shop light and possibly want to be able to add a ceramic heater (that I can set somewhere the cows can't knock it over). I'm hoping a 100w solar panel could cover all that but I'm not sure how to wire it. I think my friend does though. If I can't find the right size gable fan in solar, I will try find one that can be hooked via the inverter but not draw too much power.


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## Flyover

@zannej in that case I should clarify, these are particle board doors. They're solid in the sense of not having a cavity in the middle.


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## DesertRider

DesertRider said:


> Been working on the new workshop, needed to run a 100 amp sub panel off the primary panel at the house.


 Anyone that operates a Jack Hammer for a living deserves, at a minimum, $100.00 an hour... three hours manhandling that thing... and I can’t move... 25 year old mind... 75 year old body


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## Eddie_T

I have seen old paneled doors made into interesting corner shelves.


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## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I have seen old paneled doors made into interesting corner shelves.


Ooh, I like that. Doesn't match the aesthetic anywhere in my house, and I wish the knob had been integrated somehow, but that is a really cool idea. I could see building something like that to sell on Craigslist.


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## tuffy

Been fighting my iron level being to high making me tired all the time. The only thing they can do is draw a pint of blood every two weeks and hope that my level comes back to normal. Started skim coating the ceiling and walls in the living room back in November and all I've gotten done is half of it . If I can't get back in the swing of things I think my wife might hurt me. Any tips on getting back into a renovation when lost all of your gumption.


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## Spicoli43

tuffy said:


> Been fighting my iron level being to high making me tired all the time. The only thing they can do is draw a pint of blood every two weeks and hope that my level comes back to normal. Started skim coating the ceiling and walls in the living room back in November and all I've gotten done is half of it . If I can't get back in the swing of things I think my wife might hurt me. Any tips on getting back into a renovation when lost all of your gumption.



This might help..





__





						Hemochromatosis
					






					www.greenmedinfo.com


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## zannej

Flyover, I suppose if you seal them well enough they will last longer. LOL..
That corner shelf is cool. I actually want to build a corner shelf for the guest bathroom. I'm trying to find if anywhere sells prefab 90° triangles so I can make a jig to do a bevel edge (a miter cut on a long section) without having to change the angle of my table saw blade. I'd put something over the top of it and slide my boards on it to cut the bevel. But, that is something aways off from doing.

Need to fix my bathroom floor first.

I slept until after 4pm even though I tried to go to bed early. My lower back does not want to cooperate with me. I almost couldn't stand up.

I took naproxyn and am waiting for it to kick in enough that I can go to the post office and the store.


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## Flyover

@zannej, Take a square piece of wood or particle board and cut it diagonally, corner to corner. Two triangles. Then make them opposite faces of a box and affix it to a sled to make your jig. But...I think it'd be easier just to change the angle of your table saw blade!

I held a sleeping baby for my last 90 minutes of work today so my wife could go for a jog, which bought me time when she got back so I could cut all my other wood for my shelves to length before I had to start cooking dinner. Tomorrow all I have to do is take the pieces down to the basement and assemble them. After I move everything that's going on the shelves out of the way first of course.


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## zannej

I'm not sure if my tablesaw even has an adjustment for angle. LOL. It's an old one. And there's a strong possibility it might be jammed if it does have that feature. It would also involve bending down and I have trouble with that. Plus, I just want the chance to make a jig. 
I think what I will do is find some scrap lumber and check for square, use a roofing square and trace it on the wood, cut it out, and then repeat so I have 2. Then I can nail those to a flat piece of wood. I can put a thin piece of scrap plywood or wall material over the triangles. If I wanted to be real fancy I could create a sled. LOL. But I think I'll just be lazy for now. I really need to work on my bathroom first.

I think I have everything I need to work on it, just need to wake up early enough in the day to start on it.

I may start a thread about the barn I want to have built. I was thinking of going with wood, but with time and $ being a concern & my rate of procrastination, it's best to have one professionally installed.

American Steel Carports makes all sorts of stuff. I used an app on their website to build a utility building that could work as a barn. I want to have a solar powered gable fan with a battery so it can run at night if it's hot. But I also want to have the solar power run LED shop lights (only on when I need to go in there so won't be on constantly) and possibly a ceramic heater (which will be in a spot cows can't reach) if it gets extremely cold. I will insulate the inside (it has the option to come insulated but I don't know how much extra it would cost).


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## Flyover

Got both sets of shelves done this weekend. Learned that those screws that drill their own pilot holes, if you try and use them on bamboo, the bamboo usually splits. Still strong I'm sure, but by the time I drilled the second screw into the second shelving unit I'd learned to drill pilot pilot holes in the bamboo first.

Here's before:



Here's after:



The other shelving unit:



Also my buddy came over and cut my stump into a couple slabs for me; the big plan is to build my own guitar. Whichever slab I don't use will become a small table.


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## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Ok, so you are going to do whole house PEX? Might as well, if you're doing some. Now is the perfect time to put in a 3 stage whole house water filter that takes 2.5" x 10" standard sediment and carbon filters, if you don't have a system like that. If you do that, buy your replacement filters on Ebay or Amazon in 25 or 50 pc. lots because they are $ compared to Lowe's or Home Depot at $$$$$$$$$$$$.
> 
> Carbon filters are a little over $2 each on Ebay, Sediment are a little over $1 on Amazon. The last price I remember at Lowe's was $11 each.
> 
> I like the Lowe's Military discount, but it's useless for tons of stuff that is much cheaper elsewhere. They get their money back by raising prices here. Lumber last year was insane, with 2x boards almost 3 times as expensive as 2019.


I am thinking of adding a single stage whole house sediment filter, what filter housing do you recommend. I can install it after the supply lines to two sill cocks tee off the main line.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Got both sets of shelves done this weekend. Learned that those screws that drill their own pilot holes, if you try and use them on bamboo, the bamboo usually splits. Still strong I'm sure, but by the time I drilled the second screw into the second shelving unit I'd learned to drill pilot pilot holes in the bamboo first.
> 
> Here's before:
> View attachment 25462
> 
> 
> Here's after:
> View attachment 25463
> 
> 
> The other shelving unit:
> View attachment 25466
> 
> 
> Also my buddy came over and cut my stump into a couple slabs for me; the big plan is to build my own guitar. Whichever slab I don't use will become a small table.
> View attachment 25464
> 
> View attachment 25465



Nothing like getting stuff stowed away. I built 9 of these beasts when wood wasn't Gold and STILL need a storage unit for all my other CRAP. That's my April resolution, to get rid of everything that isn't a tool or accessory. 

I don't know anything about Guitars, but those slices would make great table tops. You could probably slice both in half again?


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I am thinking of adding a single stage whole house sediment filter, what filter housing do you recommend. I can install it after the supply lines to two sill cocks tee off the main line.



Are you on good filtered city water or dirty well water? If you are on well water, I don't think you can get away with a one stage system. For my well, I run 2 sediment filters and then a carbon filter. 

If you are going to do the plumbing anyway, why not do a 3 stage?

Here is the brand I have, which has a slow leak after almost 7 years. I'm good with that, but am questioning why they have a Fall sale on now. 

Any 2.5 x 10 system should work fine. 





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						This site is under construction.
					





					www.purewatersite.com
				




Here's an Ebay search term for a 3 stage. The search for 1 stage doesn't turn up anything. I will probably get the one for $58 because the clear housings themselves are more than $58 for three elsewhere. 

Water Filter Whole House 2.5in X 10in Three Stage Filtration System


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## Eddie_T

@Spicoli43 I have a deep well w/submersible pump. My water was fine for 30+ years and developed a bit of sediment only in the last couple of years. I first noticed it when I filled the bathtub for flush water during a snowstorm. When I drained the tub it was stained with red clay sediment. The water has no odor or off-taste. 

Lowe's has this AO Smith housing with by-pass valve;


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## Spicoli43

Ok Eddie, if you're getting sediment now, that's the exact reason you want a 3 stage. My filters in this picture are a little over a month old, with the first stage getting a lot of sediment, the second some sediment, and the third no sediment. 

Every time I have changed them after 3 months, the second stage looks like the first and the third is still clean. 

If you get a one stage, sediment will probably get past it.

I need to figure out exactly why I'm getting sediment, as a deep dive into research before I call someone. Maybe it's just the water tank, maybe it's more than that.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Nothing like getting stuff stowed away. I built 9 of these beasts when wood wasn't Gold and STILL need a storage unit for all my other CRAP. That's my April resolution, to get rid of everything that isn't a tool or accessory.
> 
> I don't know anything about Guitars, but those slices would make great table tops. You could probably slice both in half again?


Those shelves are marvelous. Ah, one day buying wood once again won't require a loan and a cosigner.

One slice will definitely be a table top. The guitar needs to be about 1.5" thick, so whichever slab becomes the guitar will simply be planed to the appropriate thickness.

How would I slice the other one in half again? My buddy did those free-hand (see photo above)...maybe build a jig and do it horizontally?


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Those shelves are marvelous. Ah, one day buying wood once again won't require a loan and a cosigner.
> 
> One slice will definitely be a table top. The guitar needs to be about 1.5" thick, so whichever slab becomes the guitar will simply be planed to the appropriate thickness.
> 
> How would I slice the other one in half again? My buddy did those free-hand (see photo above)...maybe build a jig and do it horizontally?



Yeah, good point. I was thinking Band Saw, but looked at the picture again. Become a master at Chain Saw art real quick?


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## zannej

Flyover and Spicoli, the shelves look great!

My prescription allergy meds ran out & the pharmacy screwed up and refilled the wrong prescription. I have Levthyroxin (for thyroid) and Levocetirizine. I'm out of the latter but they mistakenly refilled the former (without me requesting it) even though I had just refilled it.
Flowers are blooming & the pollen is murdering my sinuses. I keep sneezing & have a sinus headache. 
Yesterday I witnessed a white woman pulling a gun out on a black woman (waving it around at the woman and her children & the front of the store) after the white woman rammed the black woman's car with a cart. She put the gun away after several people yelled at her to holster it, but she continued to have a shouting match with the driver until she saw me pulling out my phone to record. She decided to end it and walk away (toward me). With the altercation over, I put my phone back and grabbed a cart. She must have been mad at me bc she tried to ram me with her cart. I barely got out of the way in time. I called her a stupid b**** and showed my membership card to the greeter. I then heard her lying to the greeter about what happened (claiming the other woman had run over her cart and threatened her life when all she was trying to do was return some stuff). Employee calmly told her to go to the returns area. She had to be told twice before she complied. She nearly ran over an elderly couple with the cart on her way. People like that ruin it for responsible gun owners who don't wave their guns at children & unarmed people in public.

I think the 3-stage filtration system is what we'll probably need to get.

Didn't sleep much last night. Today is the anniversary of my father's death- hard to believe it's been 12 years. Feels like it was more recent. Mom and I hugged each other and cried together. We didn't bring it up to my brother bc we didn't want to depress him. I took him to the dentist this morning to get his teeth cleaned and examined. One of the teeth he thought had to be pulled can be filled. Dentist gave him a tooth care kit with coupons. My rotator cuff is still being hateful.

Went outside for a brief walk to check the area where I want the barn put. I think it slopes more than I'd thought. Gonna have to figure out how to level it or find out how much it would cost for leveling from the installers. I do have some cinderblocks and paving stones & I can always get more stuff from the hardware store.

On the upside, I think I do have power within 50ft of the area. Old breaker box on a pole out back. Opened it up and there are two breakers (or are they called circuits?) but there was also a wasp building a nest so I shut it pretty quickly. Don't know if anything inside is any good. I will probably have to put some sort of better cover over it if wasps could get inside. Means water can probably get inside too. Will have to get my friend to look at it after I figure out how to kill the wasps without spraying liquid on anything electric.


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## Eddie_T

I have maybe a 2ft+ diameter poplar log on the ground. Lumber prices may never recover enough for my woodworking hobby.  Maybe I had better get some practice on chainsaw slabbing (freehand and with attachment).

I have an Alaskan Saw Mill attachment but my little Haddon Lumbermaker is easier to use as I can whittle with it instead of just forcing it along.


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## zannej

Wish you were close enough to my area to get some of the fallen oaks around my yard (uprooted by the hurricane). I hate to see them go to waste.


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## Flyover

@zannej 
You said you have a table saw. Get to millin'!

That's crazy about the lady with the cart. Just taking out a gun and waving it at people, like firing "warning shots", is a crime in most places with sane laws. If someone is truly posing a clear and imminent threat to your life or that of someone nearby, by all means try to shoot them. Otherwise you keep your weapon holstered. That lady should have gone to jail. Also, the fact that she couldn't control a shopping cart tells me she might have been on painkillers or something.


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## Eddie_T

That's what concerns me about concealed carry, not that I would change it. People with short fuses can be also carrying so I guess it is up to all of us to be civil, and watchful as well.


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## Flyover

Well, I'm pretty sure "Concealed carrier with short fuse takes out gun and shoots someone who wasn't actually seriously threatening him" actually happens approximately never. "Concealed carrier with short fuse takes out gun without being seriously threatened, gets shot" might happen slightly more often than that. (This is based on zero research, just intuition.)


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## Eddie_T

I hope you're right but people are being people and some are easier to set off than others.


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## zannej

Flyover, LOL. I wish I could lift those trees to put on my table saw. I do have a chainsaw but I don't think the blade is long enough to cut through.

The woman wasn't having trouble controlling her cart, she was just being a b***. She deliberately hit the lady's car (she admitted it to the lady) bc she was mad the lady didn't yield to her. She also deliberately tried to run me down- I could see the pissed off look on her face. She was just trying to bulldoze over people who she felt were in her way. Came off as very entitled.

I wish I could say you were right about the concealed carry with short fuse never shooting people. Sadly it happens here. I know people who conceal carry & open carry who have no business owning guns. Like the local animal torturer/killer who threatened to kill people and still didn't get arrested or have his gun confiscated. I have a few stories of the short-fuse guys. Years ago some teenage girls went in to a local convenience store. They went to pay for their purchase & were literally one penny short of the amount. Rather than forgive it or say "put something back", the owner pulled a gun on them & threatened to kill them for daring to come up short. When I was in freshman year in high school, some kids from my grade were told the could TP another kid's house (kid said his parents were ok with it). Neighbor across the street saw them & pulled a gun and fired pot shots at them. They ran and took off but realized they left one of the girls behind. Came back to find the guy holding a gun directly to her head saying he was going to blow her brains out if they didn't get out of the car and surrender to him. Cops were called & everyone was given a warning-- guy was told not to pull guns on kids. Then there was the jerk who was parked on the side of the road near the bridge. A 16-yr old girl drove by & her tires hit a puddle. It splashed the guy's truck. He got so enraged he jumped in his vehicle, took off after her, pulled out his gun, fired shots at her and ran her off the road. There is a LOT of meth use in my area & violent crime rate is pretty high.

I know those are only a few instances & I'm sure there are a lot more instances of the violence *not* happening, but there are idiots out there who should not have guns. I'm in favor of gun safety classes-- even if they are free at community centers. Should initially be done with guns that have blanks to avoid major injury (but not tell the people they have blanks). I also think anger management/meditation might help for some.

Since we are on gun stories, I may have told this one before, but back in the late 70s early 80s one of my dad's co-workers from Border Patrol was at a donut shop (which was full of cops). Some flaming moron came in with a gun & tried to rob the place. He pulled his gun on the clerk, said "Give me all your money!" The co-worker was right next to him- in uniform. He stood up & put the gun to the guy's head and disarmed him. In the court transcript he said "Freeze, police!" or something like that, but the witnesses said his actual words were "April Fool's, motherf***er!" The "good guy with a gun" stories are not told enough on the news. There isn't a balanced representation and people like the idiots I mentioned above ruin it for the rest of us.

My sister called to chat for a short bit & check on us. She couldn't talk long because she has meetings in the morning. She's not thrilled with having to deal with people. She said "They're supposed to be smart but I have to explain things to them!" LOL. She is an actual genius though so things that seem simple to her might not be to others.


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## Flyover

@zannej I suppose there's always an exception if your corner of the US resembles Thunderdome...


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## zannej

It really does fit a lot of the negative stereotypes of small rural towns. We've got corrupt cops, corrupt mayor, a lot of uneducated & ignorant people. Local school is like a frickin' prison. Years ago they made it so the kids in public school have to wear uniforms (which is just unAmerican, IMO). The intention was to stop the bullying of poor kids who couldn't afford designer clothes, etc. Unfortunately, the uniforms are sold by specific stores that charge $$$. They have to be very specific shirts, not just the right color types (my private school had more lax uniform rules-- so long as the shirt was white, had a collar; sleeves weren't too short; no colored logos except US flag or an eagle; navy blue pants/skirts/shorts; & shoes that were red, blue, or white-- it was all good). Girls weren't allowed to wear shorts in the public school so I wore shorts (fairly long ones) in private school. Even with uniforms you can still spot the poor kids bc they have the tattered ill-fitting stained uniforms. They allow corporal punishment in the schools-- which gets abused-- so a lot of kids end up dropping out & having issues with authority figures. It's almost as if they want to fill the prisons.

I miss my private school. They moved campus, have a swimming pool and now teach robotics classes. If they'd had a swimming pool when I'd been there I would have been in there all the time. I spent about 80% of my summers in the pool when we lived in California. The curriculum is more advanced than almost all the colleges in Louisiana. LOL. There were so many cool subjects available & they weren't gender restricted like the public school was. It's been decades but we had no girls sports teams, girls weren't allowed to use the weight room, girls weren't allowed to take woodworking... I moved to Singapore & I was able to take woodworking, weightlifting, aerobics, computer design, art, ceramics, & electronics. They even had martial arts. I took them all. LOL.

Don't mind my rambling. Felt like crap last night and early this morning. Trying to get myself feeling better. 

I couldn't get comfortable bc of my shoulder so I played around with Sketchup. Figured out how to make cabinets more easily using push/pull and offset tools. Also found that with the newer version I can hit an arrow key to lock to red, green, or blue axis then I hit a number and start typing in the measurement, hit enter and it draws the line to the exact measurement instead of approximate. The old way took hours to draw & it still didn't line up properly. So I deleted my old wonky cabinets and made new ones. I installed Blender to see if I can make more advanced curved shapes. Going to watch some tutorials later.


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## Flyover

I am usually inclined to believe stereotypes are built around a kernel of truth, but for some reason I'm also usually inclined to believe that reality typically diverges from stereotypes. Maybe as if stereotypes are a theoretical point at the center of a normal distribution curve, and reality lies along all the other points of the curve. So, I'm sorry to hear you say your town fits a lot of negative stereotypes, that really sucks.


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## Eddie_T

My experience has been that crime is mostly in the cities. I have a pocket pistol but do not normally carry it. I do carry a handgun in the car when I return home at night. I live alone and make sure I am alone when I re-enter my house. I constantly hear (mostly on forums) of people that carry even in their home. Life with EDC would be an uncomfortable life IMO.


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## ctviggen

zannej said:


> Went to the doctor for regular checkup. A1C was 8.5 (too high). Fasting sugars was too high. Cholesterol was great (bad cholesterol was low enough and good was high enough). Everything but my sugars looked good. I did mention the kidney stones but there isn't much they can do for that. He recommended cutting out white rice, white milk, white flour, white potatoes, etc. (I'm going to pretend that is an excuse to drink chocolate milk since it's brown). I mentioned the stew my brother makes and he said we could use rutabagas instead of potatoes in it & they were delicious. He was right on that. He also recommended trying almond milk saying you can hardly tell the difference. He was wrong on that. We got some almond milk and it has this nasty bitter aftertaste.
> I've been put on Metformin for insulin resistance.



I've been on a ketogenic diet for 7+ years. That A1c you got qualifies you as being diabetic.  I'm surprised you did not get insulin.  

If you just think that everything you think you know about diet and health is wrong, you'd be correct.  "Bad" "cholesterol" isn't bad for you and it's not "cholesterol".  Fat from animals is good for you.  Fat from plants is not.  

Your A1c should be near 5.  The only way to get there is to stop eating carbs.  That's it.  Fasting helps, but that takes a while to do.  

I'd eat everything people said you can't eat.  Bacon and eggs for breakfast.  Red meat, particularly beef, which I think is the healthiest for you and the planet. Eat lots of meat, few vegetables if you can. Eliminating bread, potatoes, sweets, is a good way to start.


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## zannej

ctviggen, I don't have insurance so I think my doctor wants to avoid a diabetes diagnosis in case it means I can't get insurance later (if something happens where pre-existing conditions aren't covered). Not really sure. 

From my experience, each person is different and what works for one person may not work for another. My father cut carbs & rapidly lost weight at a point that it released toxins in his body & started killing his muscles. It contributed to his early death at 61. He looked terrible & didn't feel good. 

I know I need to cut back on carbs. My doctor is a fan of lower carb diet. I eat a lot of chicken but I also like broccoli and mushrooms (I know, fungi, not veggie). He said the biggest thing is I need to walk more. I'm too sedentary and don't burn calories enough. Since I have a heart condition where I lose oxygen if my heartrate goes up, he said I can just walk at a comfortable pace and not exert myself. He said bacon & eggs are fine.

Eddie, I've been lucky enough that the only large city I ever lived in was Singapore and it was very low crime. This rural area and small town has the highest crime rate of anywhere I've lived. But I do think it depends on the culture in the area. I would never want to live in a big city again. Too many people, not enough space.

I went to the post office and Walmart for some more groceries and RX. Brother went with me & was feeling crappy from yesterday. Apparently he did remember what day it was and spent the day in his room crying after he went to the dentist. I wish I'd known, I would have hugged him & spent more time with him. I posted pics of my dad on FB and several of my cousins (on mom's side) commented on how much they missed him. He used to take them to Sea World and one of them came to live with us for a year when her stepfather kicked her out (she was 17 but he took the door off her room & made life miserable for her). She said he was the best man she'd ever met. She didn't have a relationship with her own father & she kept in touch with mine over the years. One of our friends commented on the time we went hiking & my father had my brother carrying the skull of a deer that had rotting flesh on it and stunk. He didn't really want it, he just wanted to see if he could make my brother carry it and he teased him the entire time while my brother complained about how awful it smelled.

I stopped by the local hardware store & my best friend was driving through so he stopped to see me & chatted with my brother while I went inside to talk to the owner about the barn. Owner's late father had our car port put up & it's good quality. Took massive oak trees to take out part of it but most of it is still standing. There are technically two separate car ports with a small space between them. I'll have to get pics sometime. More details in my barn thread.

The battery powered earth auger arrived so I took it over to my friend's after we went to Walmart. He put it together and dug a hole as deep as it could go in less than 10 seconds. Battery needed to charge since it was fresh out of the box, but it still ran. His neighbor from across the street came over to talk to us briefly. We noticed her yard was dug up and there was a new clean-out. Friend said that the plumber told him the clogged sewer was on the city's side but the city claims it's on his side-- yet all of the people on the street are having to get their sewer lines dug up & snaked. Next door neighbor had his yard marked for digging. Neighbor from across the street was saying they were bsing my friend & they should have to fix it, but they won't. She got him in touch with her landlady to give him the number of the plumber who came out-- although she said the plumber was very rude.  Friend said he was going to keep digging when the battery charged to see if he could find his sewer pipe. He's kinda pissed that the city is still charging him for sewer services when he hasn't been able to flush his toilet in over a month (none of the other fixtures are connected to the sewer-- his shower & sinks drain in to the backyard. Not really legal, but it works. I think the P-trap fell off his shower though because he said wasps were coming up from the drain. I don't think he glued it when he put it together. Wish I'd been there when he'd installed it bc I would have glued it.

I'm about to see if Mom is hungry again and if she wants me to make shepherd's pie.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> From my experience, each person is different and what works for one person may not work for another


+1 to this.

Humans evolved in many different places where different kinds of foods and food preparation methods were available to them and their ancestors. A few thousand years is plenty of time for differentiated digestive traits to evolve, and this is indeed what we see: people from northern Europe produce lactase throughout adulthood, unlike people most everywhere else; the Inuit are able to survive on extremely high-fat diets that would probably make most other people very sick; Mediterranean people respond very differently, in a metabolic sense, to red wine than East Asians; and so on.

It's funny, I rarely see genetic background mentioned in discussions of diet, but it seems obvious as a first step, doesn't it?


----------



## zannej

Flyover, very good point. My dad's ancestry was mostly Scott-Irish. Mom is a mix of Scott-Irish & Germanic (Austria/Hungary/Transylvania). My father lost weight on the low carb diet but my mother did not. Although, dad went the extra mile (literally) by walking a mile per day around the perimeter of our yard. Mom has been sedentary as long as I can remember. Dad said she got fat a year after they got married (they waited 4 years to have their first kid). But then, there are also differences in weight loss by gender. It is usually harder for women to lose weight for some reason. I read one of the theories before but can't remember it. Although, even in families each person has their own individual metabolism & siblings sometimes need different diets. The diet that worked for my sister did not work for me. But, I also have food allergies she doesn't have and I inherited the heart problems from both sides but she and my brother didn't.

There have been some studies that found the bacteria in your stomach and intestines can affect your digestion/metabolism and weight loss. There is something called a fecal transplant where they take bacteria from a healthy person's intestines and they transfer it to the intestines of someone who is having health issues & it changes their digestion and weight. A very skinny woman with some sort of digestive issues (crohn's or IBS or something like that) got a transplant from a woman who was borderline overweight but who had no digestive issues. The condition went away in the skinny woman and she gained weight. They also found that transplanting bacteria from skinny healthy people in to fat people helped the fat people lose weight. (It was on some medical program on TV awhile back). I'm not sure if it was coincidence or not. Not something I'm interested in trying. LOL.

There are so many different factors that determine how people are affected by food & exercise. I remember seeing programs where this one super skinny woman who looked like crap was trying to tell people to change to her diet. The people reportedly felt awful. The key is to eat in a way that makes you feel good (and I don't mean short term gratification). If your diet makes you feel lethargic & sick, it's not for you.  I vaguely recall Richard Simmons used to have a diet program where he would evaluate things based on the individuals rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. I really need to load up some of his Sweatin' to the Oldies videos. I met him once at the LA airport- very sweet & funny guy. Even he struggled with his weight in recent years after his knee surgery. His clinical depression afterward didn't help either. There are just so many factors that affect weight loss/gain.

My best friend is mixed European and Native American. He's related to Clint Eastwood on his mom's side-- apparently Clint changed her diapers when she was a baby. Friend can't seem to gain weight even though he eats a lot, constantly drinks sodas, and does not eat vegetables or fruit. He doesn't hate the flavor of vegetables or fruit, but he can't stand the texture. It's weird. LOL. We were comparing notes on things & he was talking about how he was one of those kids who didn't like dirt & liked to play inside where it was clean and would immediately wash his hands if he got dirt on them. Now he gets his hands dirty working on cars & stuff. I was always a little dirt monkey. I played in the mud, climbed trees, squashed berries from trees & bushes, and was all about the outdoors. I still have no problem getting my hands dirty, but I don't like to be outside much-- mosquitoes, sunlight, & humidity bug me.

I went to bed early last night and am awake at this hour because the dog decided to walk across my head. LOL. I need to find out what time my brother's foot doctor appointment is. He may need an outpatient surgical procedure on his big toe.


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## Spicoli43

ctviggen said:


> I've been on a ketogenic diet for 7+ years. That A1c you got qualifies you as being diabetic.  I'm surprised you did not get insulin.
> 
> If you just think that everything you think you know about diet and health is wrong, you'd be correct.  "Bad" "cholesterol" isn't bad for you and it's not "cholesterol".  Fat from animals is good for you.  Fat from plants is not.
> 
> Your A1c should be near 5.  The only way to get there is to stop eating carbs.  That's it.  Fasting helps, but that takes a while to do.
> 
> I'd eat everything people said you can't eat.  Bacon and eggs for breakfast.  Red meat, particularly beef, which I think is the healthiest for you and the planet. Eat lots of meat, few vegetables if you can. Eliminating bread, potatoes, sweets, is a good way to start.



Yep. I have seen many testimonials to Keto. I have seen the entire documentary series "The Real Skinny on Fat". 

"High" Cholesterol used to be 280, then 260, then 240, then 220, then 200. Now it's 180 I think. It's all to sell more drugs, and it's all Bullshyte. Same with Blood Pressure. First off, the reading is automatically high if your arm is on the arm rest. It needs to be hovering even with your Heart for an accurate reading. as far as "High" Blood pressure, it used to be 140, now it's magically 130 to sell more drugs.

The fun thing about High Cholesterol and High BP drugs is they do exactly that. They deplete your body of the nutrients that automatically keep your body in check. People are told they need drugs by "Doctors" that are trained in drugs by the drug companies. It is very rare to find an actual Doctor that knows anything about how the body works because the entire Medical school is sponsored and paid for by Pharma.

In the 50's, the owner of Crisco, Proctor and Gamble, paid the little known organization called the American Heart Association a little over $1M to say that their Crisco was good for people. That Million dollars was the best bribe in History, as it rings true today that they say Coconut Oil and Butter are bad, which is completely the opposite of the truth, and that Margarine, Corn, Soy, Safflower, Sunflower, Canola etc. oils are good, when they cause the epidemic disease. 

There's a reason more than 70 percent of people in the US are Obese. It's the drugs and the diet.


----------



## zannej

The preservatives in the food don't help with weight loss, that's for sure. Also, f**** whoever decided to use corn syrup as a sugar replacement. It's disgusting. It's part of why I don't drink sodas much- aside from hating carbonation.

Took my brother to the foot doctor's office but they wouldn't let him see the doctor because he has Medicaid. They said even if he tried to self-pay or have someone else pay for him, they couldn't see him. Medicaid forbids them from seeing any of their clients. If Medicaid had been supplemental they could have seen him, but since it's his primary they won't. Clerk apologized for the mess. It seems at the time he had initially tried to schedule an appointment last year, he still had insurance through his employer & would have been covered. They only agreed to see him because the records erroneously showed that as his insurance but when he got there they rejected him. Really asinine system we have here. He would have been better off claiming he had no insurance at all.

Spicoli, I do think a lot of stuff is exaggerated & they make up excuses to give people medicine. That said, I have felt better since I started on at least some of my meds. The thyroid meds were necessary at least.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> The preservatives in the food don't help with weight loss, that's for sure. Also, f**** whoever decided to use corn syrup as a sugar replacement. It's disgusting. It's part of why I don't drink sodas much- aside from hating carbonation.
> 
> Took my brother to the foot doctor's office but they wouldn't let him see the doctor because he has Medicaid. They said even if he tried to self-pay or have someone else pay for him, they couldn't see him. Medicaid forbids them from seeing any of their clients. If Medicaid had been supplemental they could have seen him, but since it's his primary they won't. Clerk apologized for the mess. It seems at the time he had initially tried to schedule an appointment last year, he still had insurance through his employer & would have been covered. They only agreed to see him because the records erroneously showed that as his insurance but when he got there they rejected him. Really asinine system we have here. He would have been better off claiming he had no insurance at all.
> 
> Spicoli, I do think a lot of stuff is exaggerated & they make up excuses to give people medicine. That said, I have felt better since I started on at least some of my meds. The thyroid meds were necessary at least.



Yeah, Corn Syrup is worthless and tied for #1 with the worse things you can put in your body, right up there with Meth. That wasn't good enough though, so they needed High Fructose, like Cocaine wasn't good enough, so they invented Crack.

I don't know anything about Medicaid, I'm forever locked into the VA, which is beyond worthless. They hire the best and brightest. My old "Doctor" said my hands needed to be amputated because I had Eczema on them. Nothing to do with drinking more water, eating better, healing the gut, getting a humidifier etc. Nothing about that, get the Reciprocating Saw!!!

They also sent me a letter saying if I was ever out of poverty according to tax records, they would "review" my disability status. 

If you feel good on meds, then go for it for sure. The problem is, none of them work effectively and they aren't tested effectively. The commercials alone are an indication of that, with the 50 ways they can maim or kill you. Even Tums can cause a massive Heart Attack. 

I would just suggest looking up a Functional Medicine MD in your area. They can get you off all meds that are only bandaids, and help to heal any root cause for your problems. The best reference for everything I have found is Green Med Info, which bases every single article on Scientific data. For instance, just handling store receipts a lot can mess with your Thyroid because of the BPA. 






						Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
					

Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!




					www.ifm.org
				








__





						GreenMedInfo Search
					






					www.greenmedinfo.com


----------



## zannej

Oh the VA absolutely sucks. A late elderly friend of mine had been going there for years. He'd been getting his heart checked regularly & they somehow missed that he had TWENTY blockages in his veins. It was compounded when he went to the local hospital to get skin cancer removed. The cardiologist there is a complete quack (and an a-hole to boot). He couldn't properly diagnose that the old man had recently had a heart attack, decided not to run some of the necessary pre-op tests & gave approval for the procedure. The procedure itself went well, but he never recovered from the anesthetic. He was taken home & put in a hospice bed to die within a few days. That was after the VA botched his eye surgery. He had to go to a different eye doctor to get his other eye fixed properly. Told me when he was having the eye worked on at the VA, they brought in a student to do the procedure & partway through he heard the student say "Oops. Uh-oh!" and the lead doctor said "Don't worry about it".
My aunt had knee surgery at a different VA & they botched it. They chipped the bone, damaged a nerve, and her leg was shorter. She's now in a wheelchair bc it permanently disabled her.

I could go on about horror stories from the VA... It was always a miserable place to go. Long waits, Doctors who didn't understand English, not enough wheelchairs, none of the wheelchairs had foot rests...

I checked the "find a practitioner". None within 100miles of me. I'm not surprised because this place sucks. My dad had to go to Houston for some of his treatments. I like my property/home but I wish I could transplant it somewhere else.

I'm trying to motivate myself to go for a walk. My brother has a doctor's appointment today & he will probably want me to drive him. His truck needs some work so he hasn't been driving it much.

I also need my Mom to go with me at some point to the DMV because the registration forms for two of our vehicles disappeared. Not sure WTF happened to them. I keep my vehicles locked. Last I saw them, my mother was messing with them. Took them out of the glove box & I never saw them again. I have the stickers, but I need to get the new cards.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I was lucky enough to have an introduction to bad practices at Civilian hospitals through friends and family, and learned about the VA long before I was eligible through some Nam Vets. It was admittedly much better under Trump than Obama for little things, but I will never let them cut me and I'll never take their drugs. 

You might consider exploring an appointment with a Functional Medicine MD online. Here is one I found, picked her because she graduated from Bastyr University, which is the Gold Standard for Functional Medicine, where people from all over the World go for the best training. I have experience with a Bastyr Acupuncturist and one that didn't go there, and it was like Night and Day. 









						Acadiana Center For Natural Health, Naturopath, Lafayette, LA, 70508 | HealthProfs.com
					

Acadiana Center For Natural Health, Naturopath, Lafayette, LA, 70508, (337) 347-6756, I attended Bastyr University in Seattle, WA the four year accredited Naturopathic Medical School where I received my Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, with training focused on prevention of disease and...




					www.healthprofs.com


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Spicoli. That's over 100 miles away . Roads on the way there really suck (narrow, twisty, single lane, poorly paved) & I don't want to drive that far to see a doctor. It's not worth it to me to have to be on the road for 4 hours. I'll stick with my current doctor. I do appreciate the info though.


----------



## Spicoli43

To each their own, but I would see if I could get an online consult. Maybe even video.


----------



## zannej

I went with my brother for his doctor's appointment. The doctor said he'd have his clerk try to find a new foot doctor for him that will accept his insurance. It also turns out the pharmacy never filled one of his prescriptions that was supposed to help lower his sugar levels. That is probably part of why he hasn't been feeling as well lately. He also weighed in at 300lbs (but his boots probably weigh about 5lbs and his phone with case weighs 1lb).

He recommended cutting back on sugars/carbs and getting more exercise.

Stopped by to see our friend. He finally found his sewer line. It was not in either of the spots the guy with the dowsing rod found. It turned out to be where they thought the gas line was. It's clay pipe. He broke a hole in the top and ran a snake through to clear the drain. It will flush again, but he still needs to put a cleanout on it & his body was sore.

It took a lot of digging and cutting of tree roots (auger couldn't get through the roots so he had to use a chainsaw). He sent his ex to the store with his $ to get him a Monster energy drink. She went to Circle K & bought herself some candy & cigarettes, then went to McDonalds and bought herself food & a drink but didn't get anything for him. Then she mouthed off to him when he got mad at her. He's told her she has to pay for her own cigarettes but she decided to take advantage of him because in her schizophrenic mind they had a conversation where they worked things out & are a couple again. I missed it, but he chewed her out in front of all the other house guests and said they are not a couple and are not even friends. He said he barely tolerates her & she's only allowed to stay there out of his kindness & he's tired of people walking all over him. Ever since the other girl (the pregnant teen with the 1-yr old child), his ex hasn't been cleaning or doing anything. He didn't realize she wasn't really doing much before but she was lying to him and taking credit for the other girl cleaning. The other girl cleaned more when she was gone but bc the ex makes a lot of messes, she didn't feel like cleaning up after her & she's getting along further in her pregnancy so it's harder for her. The ex convinced him to kick the other girl out by lying to him about her.

There's also a guy the ex invited over who is technically a fugitive. He's got a warrant out for his arrest-- but apparently the local cops didn't care. They picked him up for something and dropped him off at my friend's house without my friend's permission. I'm going to go over tomorrow to see if I can help him with anything.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> That's what concerns me about concealed carry, not that I would change it. People with short fuses can be also carrying so I guess it is up to all of us to be civil, and watchful as well.



Yeah, people with short fuses are in every town, just like drugs are in every town. The thing that separates places like Chicago, which bans normal people from protecting themselves, and Montana or Wyoming where everybody is armed is the amount of shootings. 

Everybody knows there is 30 something shootings or more in Chicago every week, mostly gang related. The Montana legislature just passed Concealed carry throughout the State, no permit required, and the Governor signed it into law. (Before, you could carry in the County without a permit, not in the City). I don't know of any shootings thus far in 2021 in the State. 

The simple fact is that here, everybody knows you're armed, and it completely defeats the argument that more guns cause more shootings. It's patently false. If somebody is in a bad mood and gets in somebody's face, they will probably get a knuckle sandwich, but they won't get shot.


----------



## Eddie_T

I only have personal knowledge of one shooting where the guys knew each other and their argument ended up with one shooting the other. One could be significant if you happen to be the one.


----------



## Flyover

I think I read somewhere most shootings are where one person knows the other.

Comparing Chicago to Montana isn't apples to apples at all of course (different density, different demographics, different geography, etc.) but still cool to hear Montana is upholding people's rights in a time when many other places are quietly ratcheting them down.

I heard about a class at the University of Iowa or Iowa State University or something (names of schools....ugh) where they're teaching how to 3d print your own gun (probably just some of the parts, pretty sure other parts have to be metal or else the gun blows up in your hand), as part of a gunsmithing thing. My sense was this was not part of a university curriculum, more like one of those "offerings for the community" colleges sometimes put out. Still people got super angry but the school stood by the student group organizing the class (it's a 2a student group of some kind), and affirmed there was nothing illegal and that the student group had gone through the proper registration process or whatever. It was nice to see some backbone from a university for a change.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend in TN carries because he rides Harleys and most if not all the other riders are carrying. BTW the altercation I mentioned in my post above was between two riders from his group. The news didn't say if the one killed was carrying.


----------



## oldognewtrick

TN is in the process of removing the license requirement to carry a firearm. I don't have a problem with requiring a class to carry concealed. It teaches you gun safety and also the legal repercussions that will happen if or when you are in a position to defend yourself in a situation of threat. Personally, I feel if you are going to carry a weapon, you should be similar with the workings of that weapon, and practice with it.


----------



## Eddie_T

What defies logic is a state that requires a class for concealed carry and not for open carry. I don't complain as it could backfire on me and require me to attend a class. Once gun is in hand it's hard to prove whether the carry was concealed or open.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Eddie_T said:


> What defies logic is a state that requires a class for concealed carry and not for open carry. I don't complain as it could backfire on me and require me to attend a class.


I'm of the opinion that open carry puts a bullseye on you for being first out when stuff hits the fan.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was editing to add a sentence while you were posting


> Once gun is in hand it's hard to prove whether the carry was concealed or open.


My mouse gun carry can be altered as circumstances dictate.


----------



## Spicoli43

Fat is caused by the obvious... Inflammatory foods like Wheat, Grains, Pasta, Deep Fried, Fast and Processed Foods, Soda, Commercial Salad Dressing, Trans Fats, Margarine, Oils like Sunflower, Soy, Safflower, Corn, Canola, Grain fed Meats like Omaha Steaks, Costco, Supermarkets etc.. They don't just cause Body Fat, they also cause Inflammation in the body, Gut Dysbiosis, Cardiac problems, Liver and Kidney problems, etc.

Anti - Inflammatory foods like Grass Fed Meat, Lemons, Limes, Berries, Avocados, Green Tea, Cruciferous vegetables, Turmeric, Wild Caught Fish (NOT Costco Farmed), Bone Broth, Vegetable Broth, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fermented Vegetables, Coconut Oil, Spices, Green Onions / Chives etc. can turn the process around and provide relief to people suffering from Inflammation, which correlates with the 150 plus known Auto - Immune diseases. 

People typically have that realization of what they can and cannot eat or drink when they try an elimination diet. When I did my first Paleo experiment, I learned that getting rid of the best foods I loved was the key. Out were Beans, Cheese, Rice, Bread, Beer, everything Fast and processed. I ditched Sugar as well, only relying on Raisins and Blueberries for the body's requirement for Sugar. It took about 3 weeks until my body didn't ask for the Raisins anymore, my belly was completely gone, and I didn't crave a single thing I mentioned. 

I was too busy working to have time to think about the food other than prepping it, which was new, so the Psychological impact of eating the crappy food was taken care of in the background without me thinking about it. 

The diet didn't last long because Football season rolled around, I caved into a Pizza and a Six pack and that was that. I didn't care though, because I had figured out what worked for ME. I figured out I can do that diet over and over and stay on it forever if I wish. I also figured out if I break MY rules, it doesn't work. If I eliminate everything but Cheese, I might as well have the whole Enchilada because my gut is the same size as if I had. 

Lots of people jump on those mainstream diets like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers etc. because they have "Dieticians" on staff. That doesn't mean a bleeping thing. Either the so called experts were born yesterday and don't know anything about how food impacts health and weight, or they are simply there to sell the programs. I speak about ME and figuring out MY plan, but it doesn't matter who you are, It's nearly impossible to eat the Jenny Craig dinner of addictive chemicals that is the same thing as the Walmart freezer section, just less of it, and keep the weight off. It's incredibly unlikely because of the addictive chemicals.


----------



## zannej

Hormonal issues and insulin resistance do affect weight gain as well. There's a doctor who did a Ted talk where he spoke about how he was eating healthy, exercising, and doing everything right but he was gaining weight. He had his blood checked & found he was insulin resistant and it was causing the weight gain. Cutting out carbs & other things didn't do anything for him. He had to take medicine to make the insulin work.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Hormonal issues and insulin resistance do affect weight gain as well. There's a doctor who did a Ted talk where he spoke about how he was eating healthy, exercising, and doing everything right but he was gaining weight. He had his blood checked & found he was insulin resistant and it was causing the weight gain. Cutting out carbs & other things didn't do anything for him. He had to take medicine to make the insulin work.



Yes, but he didn't need drugs.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Fat is caused by the obvious... Inflammatory foods like Wheat...
> diets like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers



Wheat is only inflammatory if you have celiac sprue... which I don't... 
Weight Watchers Diet is identical to the 1,000 Calorie Diet... which is why it works... of course, the 1,000 Calorie Diet doesn't lighten your wallet as much...


----------



## BuzzLOL

oldognewtrick said:


> TN is in the process of removing the license requirement to carry a firearm. I don't have a problem with requiring a class to carry concealed. It teaches you gun safety and also the legal repercussions that will happen if or when you are in a position to defend yourself in a situation of threat.



When I was young, firearms safety was taught in elementary school and we were given pamphlets on it to take home for reference. When in high school, you stood by the side of the road with gun in hand and the school bus took you to school for Gun Club Day... no one was ever hurt... 
There shouldn't be repercussions for defending yourself... but we all know the Democrats have now made the world insane... and they protect illegal drug sales and abusing drugs...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I think I read somewhere most shootings are where one person knows the other.
> how to 3d print your own gun (probably just some of the parts, pretty sure other parts have to be metal or else the gun blows up in your hand), as part of a gunsmithing thing.



Drug addiction murders/shootings of 1 or 2 people usually the person knows the other person... unless a stray bullet kills a baby in its crib or something...
In mass murdering, an addiction such as religion addiction takes away a person's conscience and they gleefully murder as many people as possible they don't even know as in religious terrorism and religion-fueled-wars...

The Democrats ferociously tried to outlaw 3D printed guns, but, as I recall, SCOTUS blocked them... metal can also be 3D Printed now...








						Metal 3D Printing: 7 Common Misconceptions Debunked  - AMFG
					

In this article, we dispell some of the most common myths surrounding metal 3D printing.




					amfg.ai
				




ADDICTIONS are the biggest threat to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Russia, China and all the world !!!
++++ The Six Big ADDICTIONS to AVOID like the PLAGUE !!! ++++
1. DRUG ADDICTION including alcohol addiction/alcoholics and nicotine addiction/smokers
2. RELIGION ADDICTION/PSYCHOSIS psychotic religics, evil theists, mass murdering religious terrorists, lying clergy
3. HOMOSEXUALITY ADDICTION (most homosexics admit they have an addiction, tend to murder each other over jealousy of who gets to use who's holes, can be cured/self-cured)
4. OBESITY ADDICTION (fat)
5. COUCH POTATO/SLOTH ADDICTION (lazy)
6. GREED ADDICTION (think EvilBushJr.'s unneeded wars for bigger oil profits)


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Wheat is only inflammatory if you have celiac sprue... which I don't...
> Weight Watchers Diet is identical to the 1,000 Calorie Diet... which is why it works... of course, the 1,000 Calorie Diet doesn't lighten your wallet as much...



Wheat and grains are by definition inflammatory. Celiac wasn't a household term 15 years ago. Not everybody has the same level of inflammation or is as impacted by it as others, but it happens to everyone. Some have non Celiac sensitivity. 

I have never seen any success stories with the diet plans that people buy. (Except the paid actors on the commercials and in print, some of them that not only lost weight, but also had reformed facial features, grew teeth, changed their eye color)


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Wheat and grains are by definition inflammatory. Celiac wasn't a household term 15 years ago.



Corn is a grain so it's inflammatory?
I did a report on celiac sprue 40 years ago...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Corn is a grain so it's inflammatory?
> I did a report on celiac sprue 40 years ago...



Corn is loaded in carbs, right? Carbs convert to sugar, right? What does sugar do? Massively promote inflammation. 40 years ago has nothing to do with anything. Science doesn't change, just the understanding of how food works with the body. 

The American Heart Association still puts it's logo feces on bread with grains, when the exact opposite is true. Grains promote inflammation, which is NOT the way to a healthy Heart. The AHA was an unknown entity in the 50's when Proctor and Gamble bought and paid for them to promote Crisco as healthy.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> What does sugar do? Massively promote inflammation.



Sugar is much healthier than the chemical replacements for it... also tastes better...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Sugar is much healthier than the chemical replacements for it... also tastes better...



Fresh Tar on a Highway is healthier than Aspartame, Sucralose (Splenda) and Ace-K (Acesulfame potassium).


----------



## havasu

How about Truvia?


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> How about Truvia?



Well, you have to research Erythritol, which is a Sugar Alcohol. There are purported benefits and drawbacks to it. My questions are why is it included in a Stevia extract product? One could say the obvious, it's to at least partially mask the taste of Stevia, which a lot of people have a problem with.

That isn't me. I used to grow it and would eat the leaves right off the plant. 

What does the extraction method entail? Are chemicals used to extract it? 

I get methodical right down to the name, though... "Tru"... Why do they have to say that? It's a bold face lie for one thing, and it also includes "natural flavors", which could be anything, including Castoreum. 

You also have to be cautious if allergic to Ragweed and other plants..









						Can You Have a Stevia Allergy?
					

Find out if stevia or Truvia can cause reactions in people allergic to ragweed, sunflower seeds and other common plants from the Asteraceae family.




					www.verywellhealth.com
				




I have found "Pure" Stevia extract powder with no additives, but it's all from China, and lets just say I'll pass. 

I'm interested in trying both Monk Fruit and Xylitol, but haven't had Monk Fruit without the Eryrthritol or Xylitol without a bunch of additives in the gum. I like the taste of the gum, and people rave about the dental benefits.


----------



## zannej

Spicoli43 said:


> Yes, but he didn't need drugs.


Actually, he *did* need drugs for it. He needed them to make his body respond to the insulin.

@BuzzLOL I despise the sugar replacement stuff. I also hate the "low fat" dairy products where they substitute fat with sugar. It ends up being worse for you. All things in moderation. Too much of anything will be bad for you. Which is why I am trying to cut back on things rather than completely eliminate them from my diet.

On a side note, I signed myself and my brother up to get the vaccine later today. I hope the pharmacy will keep the appointment & that there isn't a huge line. Today is the first day where people in my age range with conditions that make them vulnerable are eligible.


----------



## Flyover

Had a productive weekend. Helped build a gate between my and my neighbor's yards, organized the garage a bit more (next step is to actually build out shelves/workbench/etc.), and reorganized the basement gym so it makes more sense. I need to buy a shed that doesn't look like a shed (HOA says no sheds, but some neighbors have little lean-tos, tall deck boxes, and stuff like that). Or get on the HOA board and change the rules...but I doubt I can do that before summer.


----------



## Eddie_T

I read reviews of battery operated brad nailers and decided that I can just keep on driving them the old fashioned way. I only have one project going, my kitchen island on casters and can use my electric stapler to drive brads securing the thin bottom to the drawer frame as the glue dries. I'll use pocket holes or finishing nails for assembling the sides and of course the glue.

I also made a thermostat tester. I occasionally purchase programmable thermostats off ebay and have a couple now that need testing. I clipped the ends off a couple of cheap extension cords to use the wire as speaker cables and decided to repurpose the ends off one cord. Now I can connect the thermostat to the wire ends and plug in a portable heater to test the thermostat.


----------



## zannej

Can't remember if I mentioned my AC malfunction. It stopped blowing cold & I could hear water pouring underneath. Checked in there and it was wet and there were chunks of ice. I used the thermostat control to turn the AC off-- only it wouldn't turn off. It no longer responds to commands from the controller. It stopped leaking at least, but that was super annoying. I need to change filters & put something in there to dry up the water.

I got up early, had some breakfast, took meds. Can't remember if I took the ones I'm supposed to take with food. I need to make notes... Cleaned litterboxes & then cleaned the hallway. Kitties were excited about fresh litter.

Had my brother come to help unload the truck. Went to take the new toilet tank out. Brother reached to get the handles on the 2nd box inside and got his finger sliced. Tank was shattered. Got some bandaids, went to get our vaccines. I didn't even feel it. I kept wondering if the needle missed somehow. They put this weird circular patch with a membrane over it. I have a needle prick mark so it must have gone in. I had her inject the arm that was already sore. I said that I'd rather just have that one get more sore if it gets sore at all rather than the other one. Went to HomeDepot & returned the tank. Clerk was horrified when I told him the broken tank cut my brother's finger. He apologized profusely and issued a refund. I have to order again but I'm going to speak to customer service to ask them to pack it better. Picked up an online order at the Walmart near Lowes (they wouldn't deliver the products & they were in stock at that store).

Popped in to visit my friend. The girl he kicked out was back with a U-Haul to unload stuff. I noticed that with the closet cleared out, my compressor was missing. Friend said he'd just seen a very familiar looking one at the local pawn shop & thinks it might be mine. His dad was once married to the owner's daughter so he's on good terms. He's going to ask who sold it to him & promised he'd get it back for me. Said that he would buy it back if necessary since he was responsible for it as it had been in his house. If it is actually my compressor (as we can't find mine anywhere in my friend's house) then it's likely the former friend who wouldn't move his car stole it/ borrowed without permission to use at the burned house. He reported that he'd had a nail gun and compressor get stolen from there & I immediately suspected they were mine. So, either he lied & he sold it to the pawn shop after stealing it, or someone else stole it from him after he stole it from my friend's house. He also stole my friend's bathroom scale. I wonder how much other stuff there is from my friend's house. It's also possible that another one of the mooches that has been rolling in and out stole the compressor. But, there is still the possibility that my compressor is in the house somewhere & we just can't find it. I'm leaning toward the former though.

Meanwhile, friend stupidly let one of his irresponsible mooch houseguests use his truck. Guy decided to try street racing other people and blew some sort of gasket. Kid lost his job for mouthing off to a supervisor and then not showing up to a mandatory meeting. He doesn't pay bills but he thinks my friend should have to support him. He needs to go. Friend's ex needs to go too. She's been throwing cigarettes all over the yard.

My walmart special order purchase was two memory foam cooling pillows. I have the non-cooling kind and its the best pillow I've ever had. It was out of stock so I got the cooling kind because it went on sale. Got one for my brother too. It's so comfy and the cooling is nice, but I care more about the comfort. The case has a zipper and is super soft. The memory foam is perforated so it has a better squish to it. It doesn't hurt my ears like other pillows do.

Stream of consciousness, this post is all over the place. LOL. Dropped my brother off with my friend so I could come home and feed Mom.

Thus far I don't seem to be having adverse reaction from the vaccine-- knock on wood.


----------



## Flyover

This baby is the sweetest, easiest, most reasonable baby I've had. But not tonight. Tonight I got a baby that would only sleep in my arms, but only for about 20 minutes and then start kicking and squirming asking to be put in her crib. I lay her in her crib, and within 10 seconds she's crying and threatening to wake up her siblings and won't stop until I have her back in my arms, and the cycle begins again. Ah, it's 1am and now it's my wife's shift. Good night!


----------



## zannej

Flyover, that is one of the reasons I never found babies appealing. You can't just put them out of the room and ignore them/tune them out like you can a cat or a dog.

Other than my arm feeling bruised around the injection site I didn't have any problems. It had already been sore prior to the shot so I don't think it had much impact. I was tired so I slept. Got up to go get food for Mom since she realized I was too tired to cook. I'll have to make a trip to the grocery store to get more supplies. Need to get some bleach for the condensate line. AC keeps pouring water out into the compartment below. I'm going to have to crawl under there and sop up the water & put some stuff to absorb moisture in. Hopefully clearing the condensate line will stop this from happening. Was supposed to get my friend over to replace the light in the hallway but didn't get up early enough & still felt too tired to go get him. I know he had a lot of other stuff to do yesterday. I didn't even ask if he checked on the pawn shop. Mom wanted a sandwich from Subway.

Got home, fed her, and napped again. Just took my meds and am about to grab something to eat with them. I called HomeDepot to ask about better packaging for when I re-order the toilet tank. I told the associate on the phone what happened and how I had wanted them to re-order from the store but they told me I would have to re-order it myself. She said "But what about the discount?" and I said "What discount?" She then told me that they were supposed to re-order for me with a discount because the product was damaged and caused injury. I said they were pretty busy & understaffed. I said for sure I will check to make sure it's not broken before I bring it home & open the box this time. She was very nice and gave me a discount on the tank (I think she was relieved we weren't threatening to sue over the cut finger). Next time I'm bringing in a flatbed cart so we can lay the box flat and it will be safer to open it.

My cats like my new pillow. I have to keep pushing them off of it so I can use it. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> Flyover, that is one of the reasons I never found babies appealing. You can't just put them out of the room and ignore them/tune them out like you can a cat or a dog.


Technically this is false, or at least it's only true for the first few months. It's good for babies to learn to sleep on their own as soon as they're able. And tuning out their crying is necessary when you sleep train them at around 6-8 months. (Also makes driving with a crying baby much easier.) My baby is going through some weird kind of leap where she is resisting sleeping on her own, at least during my shift (8pm-1am), but normally she sleeps quite well. I've had a few cats too, and although cats are nice, I've found babies much more fulfilling: their many benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Our species is still around so maybe that's one of the rare issues where my opinion is shared by the majority.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I guess it doesn't help that I have never liked kids or babies. I found them annoying and gross. I can't stand the sound of the crying and I have no urge to comfort them, but I do have the urge to cram corks in their mouths. I even dislike the sound of children's laughter. My dislike of babies was further cemented when I was evacuated at my friend's house with the newborn baby. I much prefer cats. I've always loved cats & tend to prefer animals to people. LOL.

To each their own. I know some people who are great with kids and enjoy them. I know others who regret having kids. I don't know about what attitude is in the majority or minority, but there are enough people having kids in the US at least (Japan is apparently having issues with population growth). But then, in the US there are people who don't even want kids or who are absolutely terrible parents who are having kids. I've met quite a few of those types.

I'm trying to get myself to be alert enough to go into town and get bleach for the condensate line for the AC and see if it will fix the problem with it pouring water and ice underneath. I know I need to change the filters again-- especially the one in my brother's room. He piled stuff in front of it and I don't think that is helping. He has no idea how AC works & keeps arguing that the vent in his room is not needed, but AC installer said it was (since it was already there). Said we would need a single 24"x24" instead if we didn't have two 20"x20" vents.


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## Flyover

Surroundings can make having kids easier or worse. We live in an age when a common life path is "graduate high school, move far away for college, move even farther away for a job, get married, have kids" so by the time you have kids you're totally removed from your natural support network. This is the biggest meta-problem I think I've personally faced as a parent. In a previous generation the common life path was "graduate high school, get married, maybe go or don't go to a nearby college, have kids, get a job nearby or in your hometown". I envy people whose parents or siblings live across town or even in the same part of town and they can just "drop the kids off with grandma" for the afternoon. For me, dropping my kids off with the in-laws is a once- or twice-yearly thing that has to be planned way in advance and isn't even doable until they're potty trained. (My kids I mean.)

My wrist injury finally healed up enough to where I can work out normally again without pain. (It was weird, I could do pull-ups but not chin-ups; hammer curls but not barbell curls; etc.) Since today is back day I figured out I can combine erector spinae with rear delts/upper lats by doing bendover flyes on the Roman chair.


----------



## Eddie_T

Today I noticed well water is clear. Several days ago I re-pressurized my tank and sediment grew even worse. I now suspect sediment was due to overactivity and that it took a few more days to clear out my pressure tank. I may just periodically re-pressurize as I don't feel up to replacing the tank or the bladder. Maybe there could be a market for tanks that facilitated easily replacing the bladder from the top.


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## zannej

Flyover, I think it depends on the culture. In many cultures the families are supposed to stay close by. I will also say that there has been a deterioration in the family unit to the point that sometimes even if someone has family nearby, it doesn't mean they will have support. Like my friend who gets no support from his blood relatives but they sure love to mooch off of him & demand things from him. His grandfather had someone dump laundry at his house & the grandfather demanded they wash it for him-- and the man has no bladder control so he pisses himself & the clothes are nasty. If it were me, the clothes would go in the garbage. And somehow the old man got his license back. I was driving my friend home, we saw his grandfather's vehicle going down my friend's road so I diverted and went to Popeyes drive through and got my friend food (this was after he put up the new LED light in the hallway-- more on that later). Dropped my friend off with his food and went to get mom's RX from the pharmacy & to exchange a new nightgown I got her (wrong size). 
His grandfather was ahead of me in line at the pharmacy. I asked him if he got his vaccine yet. He said he didn't know how to get it. It told him they gave it at the Walmart pharmacy & that I'd gotten it on Monday. He asked the clerk about it and she scheduled him to get his shot on Monday.

I got some bleach & poured it down the condensate line. Mom was saying "Why does the house smell like bleach?" I should have gotten the lemon scented type. LOL.

Also had my friend come over to install the new light. There was no ground wire in the light fixture so he left the ground wire for the light touching the metal support bracket. My device to detect if a wire is hot was out of battery & it turns out even with the switch off, there was still electricity, but my friend was very careful. I asked him if he wanted me to shut off the breaker but he said "No". He kept the wire nuts on the wires at all times and was able to connect the new wires with the old using the wire nuts. Light is super bright. One of my cats was sitting on the ladder under it thinking he was going to soak up some sunlight. LOL. We can see the whole hallway and man is it ugly. Cats went outside the litterbox in places I couldn't see bc the light was so dim before. Gonna be time to shampoo & steam clean that carpet soon.

I'm hoping the bleach will help the AC to work properly again. I've contacted someone to come remove the fallen tree next to the unit outside and cut back the blackberry bushes. Hopefully he will actually show up.

I also stopped by the pawn shop to see if my air compressor was there. Clerk said there had been a red one a few days ago but it had already sold. Prices on the tools were insane. I saw used tools for sale for $75 that retailed for $50 new. When I asked specifically about Porter Cable brand, the clerk told me it had been a few days since they'd had one in. When I mentioned it might be stolen she changed her story to she hadn't seen one in years. I shouldn't have mentioned it might be stolen. They deal in a lot of stolen goods there.


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## Flyover

@zannej, I agree, culture is another huge factor. My friends from India are accustomed to living with their parents even after they get married and have kids. And like you said, if you come from a background where your family is dysfunctional or you're from a broken home (kinda a bit like I am) then you maybe aren't going to get a lot of help even if your people are geographically close by. Worse still if the family is actively making things harder like your friend's.

But from what I've seen, generally people lean on their families to help with kids, and even though family is never perfect it mostly works out well to have them nearby. So, geographic proximity does count for a lot, if you've got it.

And then it works the same way but in reverse later on. You're able to help your mom out a lot because you live close to her -- in the same house, in fact. (What would your mom do if you were still in SE Asia?) My mom cares for her parents because out of all her siblings she lives the closest. I hope that when I'm my grandparents' age, at least one of my kids will live nearby. Your own kids are going to care about your well-being way more than random hired help will (provided you've been good to your kids, raised them right, they don't resent you, etc.).

Like I told my brother, it wasn't any of these sort of cold, calculated-sounding ideas that made me decide to have kids, but after the fact they are additional reasons why I'm glad I did, and why my attitude is that it's good to have kids.


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## zannej

My mom was with us when we lived in SE Asia. I think she would prefer to be there still sometimes.
Our widowed elderly friend gets more support from her paid professional caregiver than from her own son (who lives nearby- he forced her to sell her house, had her dog put down, & insisted she move near him to a senior apartment complex where only 1 pet is allowed). He did take several of her kittens and put them in a no kill shelter, but he left the rest of the cats. We took care of them until some a-hole in the neighborhood came by & killed them.
The providing the kids were raised right and are not resentful is a huge factor. I know quite a few who were not raised right & who wouldn't stop to help their own relatives if they saw them dying in the streets. They'd sooner run them over & take their wallets.
April 1 went by without any problems. My friend didn't leave home at all since he considers that and Easter to be his unlucky days. I did discover that an item I never received from HomeDepot got marked as picked up recently bc the clerk screwed up when checking on the order. She's new and poorly trained. I will have to call them during open hours to dispute it and let them know that it never even shipped & when I asked the clerk to cancel it recently, she messed up. It showed as "order received" and never showed as shipped in my order list. It never arrived at the store as far as I know because I never got it. Another item I ordered said it was delivered last year on April 2 but it never actually arrived but I can't prove it now. It was the more expensive item. Both items were ordered back in May last year.
I ended up sleeping all day again. I was exhausted. I need to do more exercise. It's been getting cool at night-- down in the 40s so that has been nice for me but not nice for my mom. She doesn't like it if the temperature gets below 75. But 75 is too hot for me.


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## Eddie_T

Reading up on Yaller Dogs and trying to find an older one for rehoming. They are also called Carolina Dog, Carolina Dingo, American Dingo and Dixie Dingo.


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## zannej

I got my refund for the thing I ordered. It was kind of petty bc it wasn't even a dollar, but it was the principal of the matter. There was a $90 item that never arrived that I forgot to dispute bc it was peak Covid & I completely forgot about it & had ordered another one from somewhere else when that one didn't arrive.

Picked up the new tank and inspected it. No cracks or damage, it was packed much better this time and the clerk made sure to keep it upright. This box was marked "fragile" the other one had not been and was a different size/shape. Clerk took the tank out for me so I could inspect it. Very sloppy overspray of glaze all over the back but I don't care because it will be hidden. I still have the fill valve and flapper from the original tank that broke & I can use those parts. I may try to sell the factory toilet levers because I am replacing all of the levers with decorative ones. The factory ones suck & break after 5 years.

Went to the grocery store to get meat & stuff to cook. They are still out of a lot of things. Ended up sleeping most of Saturday.

Guy who was supposed to show up to cut weeds never showed up (again). I'm not going to hold my breath on him ever doing anything to repay his debt, but Mom doesn't feel like taking him to small claims court even though we have a promissory note.


----------



## Spicoli43

Had my first experience with a dead well this morning. Being City Folk like I am, I reckoned I had to check on the old interweb to figure out what was going on. There was zero water like the middle of the Sahara at my outside hydrant also. I turned it on and followed the article below. Tapping the pipe worked and all is fine now, but the pressure in the shower was real low, so the switch needs replacing at a bare minimum. 










						Well Pump Troubleshooting and DIY Repair
					

If you own a home with a well, you know that trouble can hit at the worst possible times. Here's how to diagnose and repair common well pump problems.




					www.familyhandyman.com


----------



## Flyover

In high school I was in a rock band. I'm still friends with all those guys, though I'm closest with the drummer these days. Back when we were in the band, a mutual friend of ours came to every single show and -- I didn't realize this -- took pictures. That mutual friend and I lost contact after high school but he is still friends with the drummer, and I guess he dug up one of those old pictures and sent it to the drummer, who sent it to me on Friday.

So I probably spent half an hour over the weekend staring in disbelief at this picture from 20 years ago, of me on stage with my band of wayward teenagers. I remember the show; it was one of the last ones we played, and I'm pretty sure it was the last one we played at a proper venue, and we were all drunk and stoned and it wasn't a good performance. I was wearing sunglasses, ostensibly because of the spotlights but really just to look cool, and I didn't have contacts yet so on top of being inebriated I could barely see anything. How stupid I was. I'm glad I got to have that experience. And I still can't believe it's me there in the picture. It seems like something from someone else's life.

Then my two older kids came home today (they were at my in-laws across the state so my wife and I could celebrate our 10 year anniversary on Friday and only have to worry about the baby) and I showed that picture to my eldest and at first she couldn't figure out which person in the picture was me, and then she couldn't believe it was me. But then she figured I'm not lying so that really is me, and she was asking me what it was like to be in the band and stuff, playing music with other people, etc. It really is I think the most fun thing I could do, and if for some reaosn I had to drop all my hobbies but one, I'd drop woodworking to keep playing music.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> In high school I was in a rock band. I'm still friends with all those guys, though I'm closest with the drummer these days. Back when we were in the band, a mutual friend of ours came to every single show and -- I didn't realize this -- took pictures. That mutual friend and I lost contact after high school but he is still friends with the drummer, and I guess he dug up one of those old pictures and sent it to the drummer, who sent it to me on Friday.
> 
> So I probably spent half an hour over the weekend staring in disbelief at this picture from 20 years ago, of me on stage with my band of wayward teenagers. I remember the show; it was one of the last ones we played, and I'm pretty sure it was the last one we played at a proper venue, and we were all drunk and stoned and it wasn't a good performance. I was wearing sunglasses, ostensibly because of the spotlights but really just to look cool, and I didn't have contacts yet so on top of being inebriated I could barely see anything. How stupid I was. I'm glad I got to have that experience. And I still can't believe it's me there in the picture. It seems like something from someone else's life.
> 
> Then my two older kids came home today (they were at my in-laws across the state so my wife and I could celebrate our 10 year anniversary on Friday and only have to worry about the baby) and I showed that picture to my eldest and at first she couldn't figure out which person in the picture was me, and then she couldn't believe it was me. But then she figured I'm not lying so that really is me, and she was asking me what it was like to be in the band and stuff, playing music with other people, etc. It really is I think the most fun thing I could do, and if for some reaosn I had to drop all my hobbies but one, I'd drop woodworking to keep playing music.


You forgot to attach the picture...


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## Flyover

@oldognewtrick

Gotta keep things reasonably private on the internet...



Yesterday I was up on the roof nailing down some aluminum siding that had come loose. It's not overlaid as neatly as I'd like, but way better than "barely attached, hanging off at an odd angle" like it was.


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## zannej

Flyover, that's very cool! I don't think there are many pics of me from my teens. I didn't like to be photographed much.
There's maybe one or two of me on a hike or something. My sister has one of me on a hike when I had appendicitis and looked like garbage.

Today my mom wanted me to go to Walmart to get her RX that wasn't ready last time. It should have been filled last week but they didn't fill it for some reason. I stood in line & requested the RX. They told me it wasn't ready yet & would be filled in 30 to 45 minutes. I know they normally take a bit longer so I wandered the store bored AF for 50 minutes. Grabbed the cold stuff just before going back to the pharmacy. Stood in line again for another 5min or so. She told me it still wasn't ready & that I could sit down and wait (in the post-vaccine seating area) & she would tell me when it was ready. I sat for another 30min and started to get highly agitated bc my cold stuff was warming up & I still had to go to the post office afterward. I got back in line for about 10min (only 1 window was open & the person ahead of me had some sort of problem). I got up to the counter & said "Round 3, but this time if it's not ready I can't wait & have to leave". She checked and said she was very sorry but it still wasn't ready. I said I'd come back another day & left. I was pretty crabby so I grabbed a Borden's chocolate milk to & chugged it when I got back to my truck. Sat for a minute until I chilled out & then drove to the post office. Got back & mom was not happy her rx wasn't ready but she understood why I didn't want to continue waiting. Plus I got her some sugar free cookies and she liked them so she was happy.

Brother made some sort of pork roast. I used it to try to get my dog to take his heartworm meds but he still wouldn't eat it. Vet won't approve refills of his meds until he gets his rabies vaccine-- even though he doesn't leave the house.


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## Eddie_T

@zannej Check out these links;





__





						DogAware.com Health: Ivermectin Dosage Instructions for Heartworm Prevention and Treatment of Mange
					





					www.dogaware.com


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Brother made some sort of pork roast. I used it to try to get my dog to take his heartworm meds but he still wouldn't eat it. Vet won't approve refills of his meds until he gets his rabies vaccine-- even though he doesn't leave the house.



First off, I would FIRE that "Vet" immediately! 

Here is for Heartworm..









						11 Home Remedies for Heartworm Prevention in Dogs - Home Remedies
					

Heartworm prevention may not be a priority for you, but it definitely could save your best friend's life in the long run. Many dogs develop it, so read on!




					homeremedyshop.com
				




As far as Rabies, why do 260 pound Human Vets only need one Rabies vaccine for themselves in 30 years of practice, but dogs and cats need them multiple times?

Uh Huh.


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## Eddie_T

Why does the vet recommend monthly heartworm preventative year round when mosquitoes are only in summer in many states?


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Why does the vet recommend monthly heartworm preventative year round when mosquitoes are only in summer in many states?



Only one word... $$$$$$$$$$$


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## zannej

Mosquitoes were year round in my area until the recent winter storm.

Turns out he wasn't due for the rabies vaccine & they weren't approving the refill because they now insist the dogs get checked for heartworm before they approve. 

I got Mom out of the house to go with me for Fippy's vaccines. She took so long to get ready that vet was closed for lunch. So I had her go into Walmart by herself (first time she's shopped by herself in years) while I stayed with Fippy. I went to the gas station & filled up & walked Fippy a bit. Then parked back in front of Walmart & took Fippy for another walk. He got to pee on a bunch of bushes so he was happy. I'm not sure which of us got tired of walking first, but he actually did slow down when I told him to go slower. He can still move faster than me though. It wasn't the walking so much as the heat. He was happy to get back in the truck & sit with the AC blowing. He has a Batman harness so people thought that was cute.

He got super excited when Mom finally came out.

While waiting at the vet's office I introduced myself to the new office cat, Fred. I held my hand out for him to sniff & he nuzzled me. I then sat down on the bench next to him & he started climbing all over me sniffing my shirt, my cardigan, my pants, my socks, my shoes, etc. He was smelling all sorts of creatures on me I'm sure. Then he climbed in my lap to be petted.

Vet came out and was shocked. She said he normally doesn't like people and won't let people sit on his bench, but there he was cuddling with me. LOL.

Fippy tested negative for heartworm, got his regular vaccines, & got the 1 year heartworm shot. Apparently the vet had to argue with the other vet to get the shot available again. It's much more convenient than the monthly pills-- especially since Fippy spits the pills out. Princess is heartworm positive so she can't get the shots or medicines. But we can get stuff that repels mosquitoes & fleas. Not that the stuff works on the fleas...

Stopped by to say Hi to my friend and see how he was doing before heading home. He seems to be doing OK. Stimulus check really helped him get back on his feet.


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## Eddie_T

Did some research on tabletop gas grills and couldn't find any that don't use the metal tents over the burner. I have yet to find a grill with tents that gets the tent hot enough to do a proper sear. I had hoped to get rid of my Ducane as I am only grilling one steak or two burgers.


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## Flyover

@Eddie_T Maybe you can adjust the distance from the grill to the tent? Getting it closer might make up for the lost heat.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> While waiting at the vet's office I introduced myself to the new office cat, Fred. I held my hand out for him to sniff & he nuzzled me. I then sat down on the bench next to him & he started climbing all over me sniffing my shirt, my cardigan, my pants, my socks, my shoes, etc. He was smelling all sorts of creatures on me I'm sure. Then he climbed in my lap to be petted.
> 
> Vet came out and was shocked. She said he normally doesn't like people and won't let people sit on his bench, but there he was cuddling with me. LOL.



Animals are like that with me too, except Black Cats. I can be at my Sister's or my Neighbor's for hours and neither Black Cat ever shows up.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Did some research on tabletop gas grills and couldn't find any that don't use the metal tents over the burner. I have yet to find a grill with tents that gets the tent hot enough to do a proper sear. I had hoped to get rid of my Ducane as I am only grilling one steak or two burgers.



Have you tried a Cast Iron on the stove?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Have you tried a Cast Iron on the stove?


No, I've seen it on larger grills in lieu of briquettes. If I end up reworking my Ducane I might try raising the burner and adding the cast iron. My first gas grill had cast iron burners, I wish I had kept the burners when I scrapped the grill.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> @Eddie_T Maybe you can adjust the distance from the grill to the tent? Getting it closer might make up for the lost heat.


I could probably make one work but I hate to purchase a new grill and have to modify it. I may experiment on my Ducane rather than buying small. If I could make it quicker heating it would be more economical.


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## zannej

Wish I had some suggestions for the grill Eddie, but no ideas.

Spicoli, even black cats usually like me. My sister had an old black cat who was afraid of her own shadow. She'd previously been owned by a drug user and we think he exposed her to some of his drugs bc she always had problems. When I went to visit, she wouldn't even leave the 1 room she hid out in. I got her used to me & got her confident enough to not only leave the room, but to come out & search for me. She found me on the couch & climbed on my lap. I first started by sitting in the room to get her to come to me. Then I moved outside the room & she realized she could safely walk in the hallway to come to me. After my visit she started coming out of the room more often.

I went to bed at a decent hour (or at least tried to) but Mom woke me up after midnight once again. She had been napping and woke up hungry. Rather than make herself a sandwich she had to wake me up and insist that not only did I have to make her something to eat, but I couldn't go back to bed right away because I had to sit & watch her eat so I could get her something else if she got hungry again.

I tossed & turned last night. I couldn't get comfortable & the room was too warm. The cats wanted me to put out more food (their bowls are not empty) so they pestered me. But I have a rule about feeding times & won't feed them in the middle of the night. I'm about to feed them in a few minutes though- but right now they just want to sit on me. Got two cats that hate each other sitting on either side of me ignoring one another because they want to be cuddled.


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## Flyover

Today I learned that Ohio and Michigan once got into an actual war over the city of Toledo.

Ohio won, but they still had to keep Toledo.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> And I still can't believe it's me there in the picture. It seems like something from someone else's life.



When my brother's daughter ran away from home I reminded him of when he did that at that age... such fun! LOL !!!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Today I learned that Ohio and Michigan once got into an actual war over the city of Toledo.
> Ohio won, but they still had to keep Toledo.



Yeah, I think some shots were fired into the air to keep the evil politicians happy. Then they negotiated a little... flipped a coin, Ohio lost, and won Toledo... TSUN state line moved north a few miles and they got the U.P. instead... but it's not so bad being in Ohio when it comes to college football, basketball, and baseball !!! LOL !!! 3 straight recent WINS for Ohio State over TTUN !!! ... even Toledo beat TTUN last time they played...


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## zannej

I took my brother to a doctor's appointment. Stopped by to see our friend but he was engrossed in video games. Grabbed takeout food & went home. I was in my room when I smelled something burning, looked around to see if it was in my room before checking the kitchen. Somehow one of the burners on the stove had gotten turned on and lit something on fire & it burned the Nu-Wave induction cooker. Even though I just set the fire extinguisher in a spot where I could find it the other day, it wasn't there. I decided not to waste time. Turned off the stove, unplugged stuff & got a bucket of water and dumped it on the fire. Then refilled and dumped it again. I don't like pouring water near electrical but I've seen how quickly a house can go up in flames if the fire isn't put out fast.
I messaged my friend & told him so he called to check on us. We're going to have to remove that old useless stove. I think it's hard-wired in somewhere. It got moved to a different breaker so I don't know which one it's on. Will have to experiment with it. Bummed that the Nu-Wave cooktop is toast. Won't be able to cook on it so we need to get a replacement asap. Thinking it might be time to just suck it up & get a whole new stove. We'll have to get a new breaker and run new wire for it though. I think the existing one is 30amp and the newer ones are 50. 
Got the windows open and fans going for now.


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## Spicoli43

Dang zannej... Good Luck, I hope all works out with that. I would do everything you can to save the stove if it's possible, because the new junk they make is exactly that.


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## Spicoli43

I sold my John Deere riding mower because I don't want to deal with running to the store to get gas every week, and don't like the fumes. It was also a 54", so I couldn't get to some places in my yard. I never had problems with the mower, but John Deere sent me the wrong mulching kit, and their customer service is as bad as their website, so I'll never buy JD again... (Not like it used to be, AKA almost every company).

Next up is this Ryobi zero turn electric, which I will use 24 month zero interest financing for from Home Depot. I have done quite a bit of research, and although I have never bought Ryobi, I'm confident. It also includes a free bagging system through the 18th...

Home Depot also emails me $75 off $500 coupons that hopefully they do again before the 18th...









						RYOBI 48-Volt Brushless 42 in. 75 Ah Battery Electric Riding Zero Turn Mower and Bagging Kit RY48ZTR75-1A - The Home Depot
					

It's never been a better time to turn away from gas and towards the RYOBI 48-Volt Zero Turn Electric Riding Mower. Powered by 75 Ah Batteries and 4 High-Powered Brushless Motors, this mower can cut up



					www.homedepot.com


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, the current oven has been toast for awhile. Mice got into it and got all up into the insulation so every time it got turned on the entire house would stink. It's one of the hazards of living out in the woods.
I have my eye on a new stove but it's expensive (although less expensive than a lot of other models out there). It's got true convection, air fryer, and most importantly, a safety lock to prevent it from being turned on accidentally (or by children-- in my case, cats).
That mower looks awesome!


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## Spicoli43

Ok, I see your frustration, but what about a complete refurb? I wish I had kept old appliances and paid the SAME OR MORE to refurb them than I spent on the new "Energy Star" Garbage! 

The mower seems great, but the warranty is suspect. With the Manufacturer's warranty, I have 3 years of "If we feel your issue is covered, you can drag the thing to our authorized service center, which may or may not be in your STATE, please call them if you can find them, but we don't cover battery leakage."

Followed by a 3 year extended warranty in which they will pay half for maintenance parts including batteries up to $500, but I have to buy the batteries from Home Depot, who don't have any in stock now, and I'm wondering if that is an ongoing issue. They do pick it up and return it for free, though.

Weighing the cost of gas, oil, belts, grease, oil changes versus the batteries now, but of course I expect the thing to last years and I will always garage it.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 Your new mower costs more than my first three cars combined, and adjusted for inflation! Still, looks nice, not having to put gas (and oil?) in it will be pretty sweet. Hope it doesn't mess up your electric bill too much.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 Your new mower costs more than my first three cars combined, and adjusted for inflation! Still, looks nice, not having to put gas (and oil?) in it will be pretty sweet. Hope it doesn't mess up your electric bill too much.



Well, I'm not there yet. I'm looking at more expensive ?????? versions from Cub Cadet and E-Go. I can't believe how expensive they are. I have to finance though no matter what, so I'm probably locked into Home Depot or Lowe's. 

Here's a article to Geek out on...









						Going Green - The Best Electric Riding Mowers, Lawn Tractors And ZTRs - TodaysMower.com
					

This article discusses the best electric riding lawnmowers and electric zero-turn mowers for 2021. It will be updated as new electric mowers are introduced.




					todaysmower.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> ... Somehow one of the burners on the stove had gotten turned on and lit something on fire & it burned the Nu-Wave induction cooker. Even though I just set the fire extinguisher in a spot where I could find it the other day, it wasn't there...



A few years ago a neighbor lady in her 60's was going into dementia and leaving little paper notes to herself all over the tables, then spread to the furniture, then kitchen counter tops, then on the range. I stopped in to check on her one day and she was cooking and set the range notes on fire. I put it out and her kids had her put into a nursing home and now she's passed away. 
I have a fire extinguisher hung on a wall bracket in the kitchen so always know where it is, doesn't get buried under anything, and is always mildly visible. I'm very anal about anything combustible sitting on or near the stove, even if for 'just a moment'. The fire extinguisher is on opposite side of kitchen from range so I don't have to go through fire to get to it. It also costs much less than burnt up appliances. It's kinda a mid sized one so it will have enough to finish putting a fire out. It's dry chemical because water can just spread a grease fire.


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## Eddie_T

Electric may prove to be less expensive in the long haul depending on battery life. I read one review that said this:


*Less expensive to operate.* My 42 inch, 24 HP Zero-turn uses about 2 gallons of fuel or $5.50 to mow my lawn. An electric riding mower will use about 75 cents in electricity. (My local fuel prices and electric rates) Plus, I don’t have to buy a gas can, go to the gas station in my vehicle, and have gas sitting around my garage.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Electric may prove to be less expensive in the long haul depending on battery life. I read one review that said this:
> 
> 
> *Less expensive to operate.* My 42 inch, 24 HP Zero-turn uses about 2 gallons of fuel or $5.50 to mow my lawn. An electric riding mower will use about 75 cents in electricity. (My local fuel prices and electric rates) Plus, I don’t have to buy a gas can, go to the gas station in my vehicle, and have gas sitting around my garage.



Yeah, my John Deere used probably 3.5 gallons to mow my 1.1 acres. I tried to mow twice on a 5 gallon gas can and couldn't, so it was at least 3 gallons per week. 20 weeks worth equals 60 gallons minimum, so that's about $160 in fuel, which will go up, plus an oil change kit at $35, while not needed every year, I would change. Then there is belts that I didn't factor in, spark plugs etc. 

4 batteries for the Ryobi cost around $600 now, but I'll spread that out over 3 years conservatively, so I'm looking at $200 a year all in no other maintenance that I can think of, so it's a wash if the batteries only last 3 years. 

The only concern battery wise is they are Lead Acid, while the Cub Cadet is Lithium Ion. I'm leaning towards the Cub just because of that, but need to figure out that exact specification. I swear I saw a 10 year life for those, which would be an instant decision maker.

The bagging system is included in the price for the Ryobi right now, and it's $350 for the Cub Cadet. I'm not even sweating that though, because the bagger for the John Deere was almost $900, and was an absolute must if I had kept it based on not using a bagger last year. 100% absolute must.

Now, the fun part of "Do I really want to spend $$$$$$$$$ on a mower" is that it would cost $75 a week to have someone show up and do it, so that's $1500 a year, AKA, either mower will pay for itself in 3 years. 

I hope.

Not included in my scenario is the E-Go, which is an appropriate name because with my limited research, they sure do love themselves. I won't research more because I can't buy one anywhere right now.


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## Eddie_T

I found a purebred Carolina Dog, it's younger than I was seeking but there's no question regarding its breeding. The thing I like about them is they are essentially the original NA wild  dog without man's effort to breed for configuration. Now I just have to make up my mind and drive about 3 hours to pick him up. This is not him, just a stock photo;


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## zannej

I try not to leave anything flammable near the stove but cats are a-holes & will knock things around. Mom is resisting getting a new stove. There used to be a place in town that would fix old appliances but they took damage in the hurricane & their entire building has been torn down. They would probably charge more to fix it than to buy a new one of the same type.

I need to put bright colored tape on my fire extinguisher. It's gray & I couldn't see it through the smoke, but it was where I left it.

Eddie, that's a beautiful dog!


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## Flyover

@Eddie_T I agree with zannej, that's a beautiful dog. My impression is that with a few exceptions (e.g. greyhounds) the more we mess with dog genes the more health complications we introduce. (Pugs' eyes have a tendency to pop out and they have sinus issues, bouviers get hip problems, etc.) Are Carolina dogs, being close to "wild", pretty free of health issues?

@zannej, a gray fire extinguisher?!?! Who came up with that genius idea? That'd be like a hunter-camo safety vest for lumberjacks. I've only ever seen bright red or yellow fire extinguishers, I figured there must be some regulation forcing the manufacturers to make them those colors for obvious reasons. Who made your fire extinguisher? You should write them a damn letter, plus send them a bill for the bright colored tape.

As for replacing your stove, some average of whoever pays for it and whoever cooks the most should probably get to make the call.

I've been dealing with some insane personal/family health issues the past week or so. (Don't be concerned, that isn't saying a lot; we're all generally very healthy people and for a lot of other families this would be next to nothing.) It's been tough on us anyway, but everything will be peachy in a week or three.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> There used to be a place in town that would fix old appliances but they took damage in the hurricane & their entire building has been torn down



There are several used appliances stores around here and I don't know how they stay in business, their prices seem really low, like $75 for a nice stove... can't get one fixed for that... 

About 40 years ago I bought a used clothes washer for about $50, it looked nearly new, but when I tried to use it, I discovered it leaked water all over. I looked inside and the hoses had been cut. I think I was supposed to complain and they would come out and swap me an old clunker under the warranty and resell the nice looking one again. I just taped up the hoses and kept using it. LOL !!!


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## Spicoli43

I ended up getting the Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1-42E with a bagging system. It's the middle one at the start of the video. The ZT is Zero Turn, the 42 is the size and the E is for Electric. I don't know if I can get a snow plow for it yet, will cross that bridge later. All in, I'll be paying for it until Little Baby Jesus returns, but it's just one of those things. I hope it turns out to be the Ferarri of mowers as indicated by the price and not a Pinto. Oddly enough, I can't find one Electric version user video, just tons of the gas version.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> All in, I'll be paying for it until Little Baby Jesus returns, but it's just one of those things.


How very 2007 of you! Ha.

Looks like you'll have to make the first user video!


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## Spicoli43

2007?

I'll probably make a video after a year of use, will take small segments throughout the year and edit it all this time next year.


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## Eddie_T

The only time I needed a fire extinguisher was when my propane grill caught on fire and was burning all the way from the grill to the top of the propane tank with flames leaping high. I knew if the tank blew it would probably set fire to the house. I grabbed a halon extinguisher from under the sink and ran to the grill hoping it would work. I had purchased the extinguisher around 1980. Two puffs, one in the grill and one at the regulator and the fire was out. I searching for another halon extinguisher I find that they are banned. Sad because they work and leave no mess behind.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> 2007?


The year before 2008.

Because of "All in, I'll be paying for it until Little Baby Jesus returns, but it's just one of those things." I was making a joking reference to the common American mindset of living beyond one's means, putting everything on credit, figuring that's just how you're supposed to operate, etc.

NOT accusing you of any of that, by the way, just making a joke.


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## Eddie_T

I financed two cars finding I always owed more than they were worth. That cured me and I have been debt free since paying that second one off.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> The year before 2008.
> 
> Because of "All in, I'll be paying for it until Little Baby Jesus returns, but it's just one of those things." I was making a joking reference to the common American mindset of living beyond one's means, putting everything on credit, figuring that's just how you're supposed to operate, etc.
> 
> NOT accusing you of any of that, by the way, just making a joke.



I do put everything on credit. That's the only reason I have good credit, it keeps me honest by the requirement to pay bills. I don't ever pay interest though, this mower is 24 months same as cash. I only carry cash to pay the utility bill, everything else is on a rewards card. Paying cash for stuff and not putting it on a card with a zero interest period is money that isn't making more money in the stock market. 

That being said, I don't go crazy, never buy stuff that I don't need. When I was a kid, I got my first CC with a $6000 limit, and I spent it all. My Dad sat me down and explained how long it was going to take to pay it off, which blew me away, then he paid it off and charged me enough interest to get my attention, not enough to screw me like the bank. Lesson learned, and I have been good ever since.


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## Eddie_T

@Spicoli43 I also use a credit card to accrue the points and always pay it during the grace period.  Sounds like you have a plan.


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> There are several used appliances stores around here and I don't know how they stay in business, their prices seem really low, like $75 for a nice stove... can't get one fixed for that...
> 
> About 40 years ago I bought a used clothes washer for about $50, it looked nearly new, but when I tried to use it, I discovered it leaked water all over. I looked inside and the hoses had been cut. I think I was supposed to complain and they would come out and swap me an old clunker under the warranty and resell the nice looking one again. I just taped up the hoses and kept using it. LOL !!!



There's one used place right down the road that has insane prices. I don't know what they are thinking, but they are only about $100 off what anything new would cost. That being said, I might go look at what they have, because nothing could be bad as my new Whirlpool / Maytag garbage.

Unfortunately, appliance companies are like Insurance companies... Not a good one in existence.


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## Eddie_T

I liked the old Kenmore/Whirlpool clothes washers. One could keep them going usually with only an occasional wig/wag or water solenoid replacement. The timers were mechanical and I never had to replace one. A plus was if you wanted to set the timer back or move it to a different cycle you could do so w/o it dumping water and starting over.


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## Flyover

Could it be that these companies still make reliable machines, but they tend to be the less glamorous ones with just a few knobs, and people are instead drawn mothlike to the light of the fancier front-loading models with the big color LED screens, that connect to your wi-fi and electronic health records, and they do your taxes for you, but which break all the time and require an advanced degree in electromechanical engineering to open up and fix?

We have a Whirlpool washer and an Amana dryer (also made by Whirlpool I think), I think there are four mechanical knobs and one single small light between the two machines, and that is the extent of the controls, and we've never had an issue with either.


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## Eddie_T

I did a thorough online search a around five years ago and couldn't find a simple washer. Someone suggested Speed Queen since they are most used by laundromats. There was no local Speed Queen dealer where I could do for a look/see plus they were a bit pricey.

I just initiated a customer service contact to see if SQ cycle timers are mechanical/analog or electronic boards.


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Oddly enough, I can't find one Electric version user video, just tons of the gas version.



That's because you bought the first electric one sold! LOL !


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend of mine has the gas version. He also has an electric golf cart. If they would put a canopy and a bag/tool carrier on an electric ZT he could have more space in his garage.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> searching for another halon extinguisher I find that they are banned. Sad because they work and leave no mess behind.



I use to work in the computer room of a bank and they had a halon system to flood the room in the event of a fire... wonder what they use now? Can't ask the bank, it's one of the thousands of banks now long gone. The computer room manager was the repair service writer for a Dodge dealership last I saw him.


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> A friend of mine has the gas version. He also has an electric golf cart. If they would put a canopy and a bag/tool carrier on an electric ZT he could have more space in his garage.



How about a 72" mower deck on the golf cart? Give more free time to play gold. Would also save the groundsman having to mow the Fairways...


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> That's because you bought the first electric one sold! LOL !



Yeah, I'm wondering that. I was focused on them being around for 8 years or so, but that's the gas version. Well, I have 3 years if it turns out to be junk.


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## zannej

@Flyover I hope everything is ok on the health side. My mom made a valid point about not getting another oven: Mice. We can't keep the damn mice out of the stoves. Mom said if we bought a really expensive one and mice got into it, it would be wasting $. Even with 16 cats and sometimes random chicken snakes, the mice get into everything. They chewed a hole in the ceiling and in the wire screen in the pantry & got in. I need to get pestblock grate stuff to spray in that hole and then patch it up so the buggers can't get in anymore. Bethesda will be disappointed bc she loves to rush in there & catch the mice.
Anyway, I started looking at cooktop prices & they are over $1k for the induction ones.
No used appliance stores in my area & mom would never buy used anyway.

She does the same thing with the credit card- buys stuff (and has me buy stuff) on credit cards with cashback rewards and pays off the balance monthly so there's never any interest.

I've been having some weird symptoms. Very early in the morning I felt fluttering in my chest (I get that when I have arrhythmia). Later on when I opened my eyes and tried to lift my head, it looked like everything was spinning. Several minutes later when I bent down in the bathroom I got very dizzy & nearly fell over. I felt off kilter & it was so bad that I had Mom drive (since she insisted we go to Samsclub). I was able to lift the water cases & stuff but started to feel pretty crappy. An employee loaded stuff up for me in the parking lot so that helped. Got food and got home, set my fanny pack on a chair. When I bent down to pick it up I got dizzy again. Happened again in the bathroom. If I tipped my head down while standing I got dizzy. If I tipped my head back I got dizzy. Got into bed & tipping my head to the side makes me dizzy. Now I'm getting waves if dizzyness every few minutes & have no idea why. I ate so it's not low blood sugar...

Gonna call my doctor's office in the morning if it's still happening.


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## Spicoli43

zannej, you HAVE TO see a Neurologist. Lack of Oxygen and/or Blood. Good Luck.


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## Flyover

@zannej: Thanks. Healthwise it's a mix of two things:

1. My son had a minor routine surgery last week, and recovery would be fine except he's 4 and very stubborn so it's been hell on him and us, plus even if he was a perfect angel who took his meds without throwing an hour-long screaming tantrum first every time, we'd still have to get up twice in the middle of the night for it. So, we're all underslept which just compounds the difficulty, plus he isn't allowed much physical activity until he's recovered so he's kinda wound up and has watched way too much TV, and that makes his behavior even worse.
2. I got the J&J one-off last Saturday. Sunday I had mild flu-like symptoms (I think I said that already?) and Monday I felt better but Tuesday-through-yesterday I felt worse again, and coupled with what was in the news about that vaccine that was slightly unsettling. Feeling better today though.

I don't know what to say about your mice problem. Sometimes it seems clear to me we live in a world of bugs and rodents and it's pointless to try and resist them much. Better to just learn to be comfortable with ants in your house, mice in your walls, etc.

But, if you don't replace the oven how will you bake anything? You could get a large toaster oven I guess. The ones that have convection are really nice. Some even have rotisseries you can slide in.


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## Spicoli43

zannej...

16 cats?

Typo, right?


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## Eddie_T

I found another interesting dog breed the DDR German Shepherd. Notice the level back, it doesn't look like a 51 Mercury with lowering blocks. Pretty but more dog than I want.


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## Spicoli43

Good looing Dogs. I will have a couple of Germans or Belgians someday.


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## zannej

@Flyover Young kids can be like pets when it comes to medicine & treatment. They will spit the medicine out, squirm, & refuse to cooperate because they don't understand how important it is. Glad his surgery went OK but sorry to hear the post-op is stressful. I hope the J&J will work for you & not cause more negative symptoms. From what I heard on the news, it mostly affects women over 60.
As for the oven. I don't bake. I have this weird phobia of ovens. Like, I don't feel comfortable leaning in to them. I lightly burned my arm on one trying to get something out & never wanted to reach into an oven again. My brother is the one who does the more advanced cooking/baking. I believe we do have a NuWave thing that can be baked in somewhere but we have to find it. We can also bake smaller stuff (like small round cakes) in the pressure cooker. Although, we are supposed to cut back on carbs. The microwave works for a lot of things as well. We haven't had a working oven in a very long time.

@Spicoli, 16 cats was not a typo. Back in the 80s we had over 60 cats. We also have over 30 acres of land. Back then we had all sorts of animals- horses, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea hens, pigeons, quail, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, cats, dogs, & a cow. We have a cat door so all but 2 of the cats can come and go as they please. The youngest 2 are quarantined in the front room until we get males neutered & feel safe letting them start to mingle. One of the older ones used to go visit them, but when mating season started he decided to get aggressive with the male one. My cats names (in chronological order): Boo, Itsy, Predicate, Ginger, Rupert, Mewlatto, Yasuke, Sir Hammington, Biscuits, Senator Snugglebum, Gravy Jones, Aminatu, Lady Sylvanas, Bethesda, Temjin, & Namir.
As for the neurologist, I'm SOL on that front. They won't see people who don't have insurance & even if they did, I couldn't afford it. It's more likely a cardiology issue. Unfortunately, the only good cardiologist I ever had passed away. The one in town is an absolute quack. 

My symptoms aren't worse but they aren't better. I ended up sleeping in & doctors office was closed when I woke up. I got immersed in Sketchup & lost track of time so I was up pretty late. My brother doesn't seem to be feeling so great the past few days either, but he's not having the dizziness. I was also having nausea with it. Almost threw up a few times after. Nausea seems to be gone now at least. 

I had planned on doing cleaning & picking up and organizing this week but I can't do that with the dizziness. I nearly fell over when I leaned down to flush the toilet. Ended up losing my balance and catching myself but hurt my rotator cuff again. I've started on Magnesium vitamins to see if they help with the muscle soreness bc the naproxyn isn't doing much.

Since I couldn't do anything productive, I fell back to planning yet another project. I want to build a platform bed. I nixed the idea of having storage because I wouldn't be able to access it with the size & layout of my room. I still have boxes I haven't unpacked since 1992 so they are cluttering the room up. I know I should probably just toss them, but I'm a bit of a hoarder & I have to look at stuff first. Somewhere in there is an audio tape with a recording of my grandfather singing.

Anyway, I combined ideas from different blogs (Ana White and another person) on building the bed. I like how Ana built a 2x4 frame for her child's bed. I liked how the other lady upholstered her bedframe. Since I'm heavier & want my bed to be taller, I decided to plan for a 2x6 frame. The upholstered boards will be screwed on to the frame and will function to hold the mattress in place so it doesn't slide. Right now my mattress is probably hanging at least 10"- maybe even 14" off the side of the box spring & I can't get it to move back in place or stay still. I'll make a thread & post pictures from Sketchup later.

but, general idea is: 2x6 Frame w/ 2x6 center support attached w/ joist hangers, 1x8 upholstered sides & foot (sticks up 1/2" above slats), 1x6s (10') cut in half to make slats, scrap wood for spacers (if necessary), large simpson strong tie angle brackets for the corners of the frame, leftover 2x6 pieces for the 4 corners & center to raise it up more and to attach feet, smaller strong tie angle braces for the blocks, these feet/legs (since they match my existing furniture) for 4 corners, & anti-slip mat stretched on top of slats to span gaps. I'm still trying to decide what to use for the center support. Maybe some scrap wood or maybe an adjustable leg. The legs are supposed to be something like 8.2" high but they angle so the amount they lift things is lower (but I haven't gotten a definitive answer on the height as the seller doesn't even know what the word "diameter" means).


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## Spicoli43

zannej, you have to change your living situation. Sorry, but you can't have that many animals and be a hoarder. You are used to them, your family is used to them, and people that are there all the time are used to them. You can't distinguish the smells that are present, which is probably causing your health issues. 

We aren't meant to live with that many animals. I know you love them, but something has to give.


----------



## Hamberg

Our new GSD... Guy. GSD in my Avatar is Sam (side note: he has over a million youtube views :O), who we lost a couple years back.


----------



## zannej

Hamberg, that's an adorable pup!
I'm feeling a little better today. No nausea & haven't been getting dizzy, but I feel off. I think it's the weather. The barometric pressure changes when it rains can affect my sinuses. I feel a pressure (no pain). We've been having thunderstorms the past few days. I think staying up all night playing on the computer wasn't good for me either. I feel tired. I'm still planning to call my doctor on Monday to at least report the symptoms. 

I was able to feed the cats and I could bend far enough to pick up one of my cats when he "asked" to be picked up (he meows and stands on his hind legs & reaches his paws up). He likes to climb on my shoulder. He's currently lying over my arm purring for me. Last night and earlier this morning he had his face pressed against mine & was purring in my ear. I started to typo that as rear. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> I think staying up all night playing on the computer wasn't good for me either. I feel tired. I'm still planning to call my doctor on Monday to at least report the symptoms.



Zannej: Doc, I feel really tired.
Doctor: Well, what have you been doing?
Zannej: Staying up all night playing on the computer.
Doctor: Hmm...*scratches head* I don't know what the problem could be.


----------



## Eddie_T

Just thinking if I had 16 cats they would have to wear name tags. But I am a sucker for dogs. Though I will probably get a Carolina Dog I like the looks of a Rotterman (the head is just broad enough to look good w/Rottie type ears) and the DDRGSD (the level back looks great)._



_


----------



## Eddie_T

I mixed nother batch of cream enhanced milk. I was thinking again about raw milk. My son was raised on raw milk but has some lactose intolerance with market milk. I suspect it's is more of an allergy as intolerance might be inheritable whereas an allergy not so much (who really knows). I dunno and suspect the professionals don't either. It seems to only be science if one has letters behind their name, and then we find with COVID that the letters behind their name didn't help so I disregard most BS.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I mixed nother batch of cream enhanced milk. I was thinking again about raw milk. My son was raised on raw milk but has some lactose intolerance with market milk. I suspect it's is more of an allergy as intolerance might be inheritable whereas an allergy not so much (who really knows). I dunno and suspect the professionals don't either. It seems to only be science if one has letters behind their name, and then we find with COVID that the letters behind their name didn't help so I disregard most BS.



Well, the FDA and USDA and probably 14 other worthless agencies mandate the massive dumping of milk anyway to keep the prices artificially high, same thing they do with wheat, paying farmers NOT to grow anything. With Raw Milk, the do nothing agencies act on the "behalf" of consumers under the guise that it's "dangerous" while allowing 4 new drugs on the market every week that can kill or maim you 13 different ways every day of the week and twice on Sunday. 

It's all complete BS, there is nothing wrong with Raw Milk, or you would have found out a long time ago. There is an absolute wrong with pasteurized products, they have zero nutritional benefit.


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## Flyover

@Spicoli43 Every week I pick up a gallon of whole milk at the grocery store for a price that seems to fluctuate between about $1.60 and $2.15. What high prices are you talking about?


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## Eddie_T

In my area milk currently runs from $2.49 (unbranded) to $2.79 (branded). The store brand whipping cream is $1.69 per pint (I use one pint per gallon) for my mix.

If I could get raw milk it would be easy to make buttermilk (sigh).


----------



## Eddie_T

I talked with the Carolina Dog researcher today and he told me that many of them easily walk about on their hind legs. He thinks it's a trait that aided them to spy out prey in the grasslands.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 Every week I pick up a gallon of whole milk at the grocery store for a price that seems to fluctuate between about $1.60 and $2.15. What high prices are you talking about?



I'm talking about supply and demand. I was also talking about Organic, which is $8 a gallon at Costco, and about $12 at the "health food" store. I haven't looked at conventional milk prices in almost 20 years, and haven't used milk period for most of that time.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I was also talking about Organic, which is $8 a gallon at Costco, and about $12 at the "health food" store.




Well you know what they say about a fool and his money...If that's what counts as price fixing, I say let the market work its evolutionary magic!

But gotta add, pumping an extra $7 out of some gullible people is one thing, but how many of these are the same people who load their costco groceries into brand new 4-door pickups, the beds and wheel wells of which have never been dirty, and which get 12mpg? My point is, the way people choose to waste spend their money is often baffling and apalling, and I wouldn't be so quick to lay people's financial misfortunes at the hands of the milk industry.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Well you know what they say about a fool and his money...If that's what counts as price fixing, I say let the market work its evolutionary magic!



Does it cost more for Organic food or Cancer and every other disease caused by pesticides and other chemicals?


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## Flyover

Humans are notoriously terrible at risk assessment.

$8/gal of milk vs. cancer is not the formula and I hope you're not living as if it is. Let's suppose that drinking non-organic milk increases your risk of certain cancers (+ other diseases) by some %. Realistically, this % is probably extremely small, plus a million other factors also affect your risk. If you have a family history of those diseases, for example. Lifestyle. Etc.

A diet of processed foods and Coca Cola is not good and for most people will result in health problems, but exclusively buying all-organic $6 avocados, $8 milk, etc. is not the only alternative.


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## Spicoli43

Food is an extremely small factor?


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## Flyover

Here's what I said. I bolded the part that specifically answers your question:



Flyover said:


> Humans are notoriously terrible at risk assessment.
> 
> $8/gal of milk vs. cancer is not the formula and I hope you're not living as if it is. *Let's suppose that drinking non-organic milk increases your risk of certain cancers (+ other diseases) by some %. Realistically, this % is probably extremely small*, plus a million other factors also affect your risk. If you have a family history of those diseases, for example. Lifestyle. Etc.
> 
> A diet of processed foods and Coca Cola is not good and for most people will result in health problems, but exclusively buying all-organic $6 avocados, $8 milk, etc. is not the only alternative.



Also, you're presumably an adult. How much milk do you really drink? I go through about 1/2 or 3/4 gallon a week, because I use it to make protein shakes after my workouts, 5-6 days a week. I would consider that an abnormally large amount of milk for an adult -- because I'm trying to put on mass. My three young kids drink about 1.5 gallons/week between them.


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## Spicoli43

Then your example of "extremely small" doesn't exist by your own definition of your milk intake being abnormally large. That isn't the main point though, is it? 

Assuming you aren't eating all Organic fresh or frozen vegetables, Organic eggs, as close to Organic as possible grass fed and finished meats, Organic cheeses, Organic Coffee, etc., and only being "naughty" with milk, then your definition of "extremely small" for the milk is compounded by eating literally everything conventional, which you can't do without doing a massive regular detox. 

I bet you have to run the bathroom fan after using it. If you're on an Organic Paleo or Keto diet, or as close as possible, you don't stink. 

As far as Milk, I go through a gallon a week probably, with half of that being for Yogurt production for probiotics. 

As far as Eggs, I have a violent reaction if I eat conventional. With Non GMO, I have very mild of the same symptoms. With Organic, I have no issues.


----------



## Eddie_T

I see some hawks flying and circling overhead I suspect the Red Shouldered Hawks are nesting in my woods again.


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## havasu

Having a friend in the food safety business, I've been advised that organic produce is a farce, and using government standards, pesticides are used, but only early on in the growing cycle.


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## Flyover

Technically everything I eat (aside from basic minerals like salt) is organic: it has carbon in it. @Spicoli: If you mean capital-O certified Organic, that's a political thing like LEED, isn't it?

I eat a mix of things and I'm healthy. I don't have a violent reaction to anything. If I drink milk or eat dairy I take a lactaid pill otherwise I fart a lot, but that would be true whether my milk cost $1/gal or $1,000/gal.

(Sorry to hear about your digestive problems, Spicoli.)


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## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Having a friend in the food safety business, I've been advised that organic produce is a farce, and using government standards, pesticides are used, but only early on in the growing cycle.



How is it a farce? They either dump tons of pesticides on the produce or they don't. Who does your friend work for?


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## BuzzLOL

I read many years ago that wholesale milk price was Govt. regulated at $2.50/gallon minimum... but a local store had it under a dollar a gallon for an extended period a couple years ago... and people working in another store told me they never make a profit on milk, just carry it to bring consumer traffic in... currently milk is about $1.50/gallon and up around here... I always buy a gallon of milk because its price is lower at the lowest priced store than what a half gallon costs at most other stores... but I have trouble drinking and using a gallon within the 10 days or what ever it is expiration date... some brands last a day or two over the expiration date, some die a day or two before the expiration date, so have to pay attention to the brand purchased. I usually drink a small glass of milk daily with chocolate malted ovaltine in it because I don't care for the taste of milk much any more. And use milk on and/or in to make hot Malt-o-Meal cereal a couple times a week. 
Walmart has a lower priced house brand milk and a name brand milk, but I don't buy the house brand because it somehow tastes dirty. Like draft beer at a bar that doesn't clean their piping often enough...


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Just thinking if I had 16 cats they would have to wear name tags.



My Mom used to have 13 cats and since they were dumped off strays that showed up slowly she had them all named but then apparently some coyotes started hanging around the area and we started finding furry cat skins with no cat in them... except for the black cat, apparently they had trouble seeing her when coming around at night. She's a 'super people cat' that loves and snuggles right up to all people, even perfect strangers, but doesn't care much for other cats. Her black fur is silky smooth shiny and looks expensive.


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## Eddie_T

I live alone and buy milk in gallon jugs finding that if I shake the jug every day I can go a week or two beyond the date. I just checked the jug I finished yesterday, the date was April 5 but that's a sell by date.


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## havasu

Spicoli43 said:


> How is it a farce? They either dump tons of pesticides on the produce or they don't. Who does your friend work for?


She owns her own business which is governed by the USDA. Here is a Google snippit:
However, despite popular belief, *organic* farms *do use pesticides*. The difference is that they only *use* naturally-derived *pesticides*, rather than the synthetic *pesticides used* on conventional commercial farms. Natural *pesticides* are believed to be less toxic, however, some *have* been found to *have* health risks.


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I live alone and buy milk in gallon jugs finding that if I shake the jug every day I can go a week or two beyond the date. I just checked the jug I finished yesterday, the date was April 5 but that's a sell by date.



I hesitate to mix the milk and air as every time some milk is poured out, room air with its normal bacteria flows in and replaces that amount of milk, so I prefer the air to stay above the milk. Actually, I go by that theory with every liquid I use out of a container as I also use things slowly... same used bottle of ketchup, mayonaisse, mustard, lemon juice, cooking oil, wine, etc. may be around for months or years... 2 liter soda pop a week or two...


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I live alone and buy milk in gallon jugs finding that if I shake the jug every day I can go a week or two beyond the date. I just checked the jug I finished yesterday, the date was April 5 but that's a sell by date.



I have never heard that before. There's another reason for Organic milk I forgot. With conventional, I could never get through even a half gallon without it going bad. This dates to when I was a kid, but reinforced when I had to buy my own in my first ventures away from my folks home. This was well before Organic was a thing, so I didn't buy milk for 20 years. 

Organic milk, however, lasts a long time. I can keep a 3 pack of Costco's Half Gallons for at least a Month. If you feel like going down that rabbit hole as to why conventional goes bad fast and why Organic doesn't, have fun. It's not for everybody to find out.


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## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> However, despite popular belief, *organic* farms *do use pesticides*.



I just buy the ordinary low priced foods and am 73... aiming for 150... but... we'll see eventually, I guess... do know I've already outlived over 1/3 of people... and, maybe soon, over 1/2...


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## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> She owns her own business which is governed by the USDA. Here is a Google snippit:
> However, despite popular belief, *organic* farms *do use pesticides*. The difference is that they only *use* naturally-derived *pesticides*, rather than the synthetic *pesticides used* on conventional commercial farms. Natural *pesticides* are believed to be less toxic, however, some *have* been found to *have* health risks.



Ok, well doesn't "governed by the USDA" tell you everything you need to know about her definition of "farce"? They are bought and paid for like every other agency. As far as Organic pesticides having health risks, so does everything else. Why would people opt for conventional products when they know about the massive use of chemical pesticides?


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Organic milk, however, lasts a long time. I can keep a 3 pack of Costco's Half Gallons for at least a Month.



If you don't open something and pour some out and let normal bacteria laden room air in, it can last a long time...

*"Pasteurization* does not kill all micro-organisms in *milk*, but is intended to kill some bacteria and make some enzymes inactive. ... The purpose of *homogenization* is to break down fat molecules in *milk* so that they resist separation."

*"Organic milk* usually undergoes ultrahigh temperature (UHT) processing, which means it's heated to 280 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 4 seconds. In contrast, traditional *milk* is generally processed using a standard preservation *process*, heated to 161 degrees for 15 seconds.Jul 1, 2016" -Huffpost

"Organic milk lasts longer because producers use a different process to preserve it. According to the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, the milk needs to stay fresh longer because organic products often have to travel farther to reach store shelves since it is not produced throughout the country.

"The process that gives the milk a longer shelf life is called ultrahigh temperature (UHT) processing or treatment, in which milk is heated to 280 degrees Fahrenheit (138 degrees Celsius) for two to four seconds, killing any bacteria in it." -Penn State U.


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## Spicoli43

I'll have to buy a jug of conventional milk and let it sit in the fridge for 2 weeks after the date unopened and see what happens. 

I need another Dumbbell anyway.


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## Eddie_T

My guess is that shaking milk does two things, it oxygenates the milk and it prevents bacteria colonization on the surface of the milk. Now that I add cream I have to shake vigorously to distribute the cream through the milk.


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## Eddie_T

Regarding Speed Queen washers I received this reply from customer service regarding cycle control on their machines. Seems that buttons or knobs still select electronic circuits.


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## Eddie_T

I forgot to enclose the reply;





> Our TR3 and TR5 series have both push buttons and electronics. On the TC5 the start button is a push button but the rest is knobs and the TR3 and TR5 the start and heavy soil button are push button and the rest is knobs. There is a control board behind the scenes to regulate our normal ECO Cycle. Our TR7 series is all electronic.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I forgot to enclose the reply;



Thanks for that. I knew the prices, but didn't know how tiny they were. 3.2 CF for the washers? As much as I hate my worthless Whirlpool, it's 5.3 CF.


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## zannej

I just know that I love milk but I've had to cut back on it a bit due to my blood sugar issues.

Flyover, LOL. Sad thing is, even when I don't stay up all night I'm often tired. I've had chronic fatigue ever since my early 20s. Someone on homesteading forum suggested my most recent symptoms (the dizziness) could be a candida overgrowth somewhere. I'm thinking sinuses would be most likely, but I'm still skeptical. I'd rather consult my doctor first. She suggested tea as a way to combat it but I was told not to drink tea because of my kidney stones.

Still feel slightly off-- mostly in my sinuses. I was sneezing a bit & had a sinus headache for a bit. Not dizzy anymore at least. My brother and I went for our 2nd dose of vaccines. Appointment was 2:20 but it took awhile longer than that. They took us in and a black lady who'd been sitting there when we arrived ran up and was talking the pharmacist and getting agitated. She said that she had an appointment at 2 & asked why other people were being taken before her. He asked her to step back out of the vaccination room since there were already people inside and he'd talk to her later. Then he looked at some papers, dropped the F-bomb, and said that the new employee is being trained and keeps screwing things up. The employee didn't put her in the system properly but the forms she filled out were there. I offered to step out and let him give her the vaccine first but he said we were already in there, he already had our paperwork, etc so he might as well get it done now and apologize profusely to her for it. He was really stressed out. I was trying to get him to calm down a little by telling him we understood, mistakes happen & they are all human so it's no big deal. Got the shot. This time I felt some pressure but no pain. Arm isn't sore like last time. I did take a Tylenol as a precaution (since it was recommended). Cleared up my headache. I racked out when I got home. Forgot to call the doctor.

My brother made chunky chicken soup with baby bella mushrooms, rutabaga, bok choi, collard greens (I think), and zucchini. I normally don't like those veggies but they absorbed the broth so well they were actually good. They turned to mush, but that's how I like my food. LOL. Mom liked it so much she was getting very impatient with me on getting seconds. I got her soup for her and then fed the cats, picked up some trash, washed some dishes, then grabbed a bowl for myself. I wasn't even halfway through mine when she finished and was demanding more & getting pissy that I wanted to finish my food before I got her more. She kept bugging me every 20 seconds about it.

At some point my brother informed me of some dumb cardinals outside Mom's bedroom window that kept flying toward the window and smacking in to it. This was around 7pm. Mom told him they'd been doing it since 8am. I saw one of them doing it when I was passing through to go to the bathroom. Beautiful birds but duuuumb.


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## Spicoli43

zannej, have you ever tried a Candida diet?


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## Spicoli43

Why is it that the smoke alarm low battery warning chirp only happens in the middle of the night? 

I didn't put the batteries in at 3 AM, guarantee that, but 3 of them in the last month feel like talking then.


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## Eddie_T

Trying to figure out what to do with some Pepperidge Farm bread. It's too doughy (mash flat) soft. I tried it with a sandwich almost made me gag. Tried it toasted, still bad. Tried oven toast, instead of getting crunchy it got leathery. I guess I'll toss the rest of the loaf for the coons and/or possums and never buy it again. It's worse than soft bread sticks which I hate.


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## zannej

Spicoli, No. I wasn't even aware there was such a diet. I ended up catching up on some sleep. My arm didn't get as sore this time from the vaccine but I still had some fatigue. I forgot to take my medicine & got really in to the whole sketchup program again so now it's after 3am and I'm still awake. I created a post about the platform bed project. I even uploaded some of the components I made.
It's my mother's 71st birthday today. I'm sure she'll be greeted in the morning by the stupid cardinals that keep trying to fly into her window all day. They perch on a small branch nearby and keep throwing themselves at the window over and over and over all day long. They can't seem to figure out that the glass isn't going to disappear.
Other than sketchup and bed planning stuff, I did do some light cleaning in the kitchen & I assembled a rolling cart for my mother (it came with it's own screwdriver, an extra screw-- which came in handy because I dropped one & couldn't find it). I'm going to try to get my brother to help me clean up some stuff today & then I can set up the coffee maker that's been sitting in a box in the living room for at least 2 years.

Eddie, I hate when food that sounds like it might be good ends up being terrible. I am still salty over that Snicker's bar with maple that was absolutely awful. The maple was bitter & overpowered everything else. I spit it out & threw it in the trash.

For some reason my cats are all over me-- it doesn't feel all that cold but 10 of them are in here with me. There are a couple who almost always sleep on me or near me. It's soothing.


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## Spicoli43

Ok, well determine if you have Candida overgrowth first, because if you do, the diet is brutal and you have to give up a lot if you want to get better..









						Candida Overgrowth: Best Home & Lab Tests
					

Candida Overgrowth can cause a lot of secondary health problems including brain fog, low energy, autoimmune conditions and inflammation.




					drjockers.com


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## TraceyBlack

there are so many things to talk about, you don't know where to start))


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## Eddie_T

@zannej I have had cardinal and robins attack windows and car mirrors. I put plastic bags over the car mirrors one year as they were making them bloody. It's the males seeing their reflection and thinking their nesting territory is being threatened.

Today I am working on a leak behind a wall. I remover the toilet and the (archaic) wax ring yesterday and will remove the wall panel today and see what's going on. Fortunately that panel is a piece ¾" redwood siding that was surplused from my home build so I am not tearing out sheetrock at this point.


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## zannej

Thanks, Spicoli.

My mom said when we lived in Virginia there was a male cardinal that would constantly attack the kitchen window. In this case, it's a pair of cardinals (male & female) and it looks like they are trying to get inside. Mom said the male rammed her window 170 times in 4 hours before she lost track. She said the female rammed the window about 30 times but she will hit it 3 times with one jump as she kicks at it and then goes up to the top. They started it up again at 7 this morning.


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## Flyover

Speaking of new mowers, I bought one and it arrived yesterday. My first riding mower. It came in a sort of crate, and I spent 2 hours prying it into pieces, resorted to cutting through some of the pieces with my jigsaw, but the mower was still kinda held up in the middle, under the deck, by some cross-pieces that I had no way to remove or cut. Finally I just grabbed the back of the mower and pulled, and it rolled off easy as pie. Forehead slap.

So what I learned was, riding mowers are not that heavy; I can lift up one end and pull or pivot it about anywhere I need.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> So what I learned was, riding mowers are not that heavy; I can lift up one end and pull or pivot it about anywhere I need.


If my Snapper didn't have the underseat kill switch I could simulate a zero turn by stepping off and pivoting the machine  when I need a tighter turn radius.  I would like a smaller (30") electric zero turn designed a small yard but suspect they would still be too expensive as the same controls would be required.


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## Flyover

After my first mow today, I learned that the turning radius on these things is maybe better than I expected but still crap compared to what I'm used to with my push mower (i.e. 0 degrees by pushing down and pivoting around on the back wheels). I sorta get the appeal of the zero-turn mowers now, though not at the prices they're asking. @Eddie_T I like your idea of hopping off and pivoting the machine by hand. Mine also has that safety device, and others, to prevent stuff like that, but maybe just starting it again wouldn't be such a big deal. As it is, I will have to figure out new mowing patterns, because today I was just going where I would have gone with a push mower, and that added a lot of redundancy.

Still, I cut all 0.6 acres in less than 1/8th the time I expect it would have taken with a push mower, and I can't say it wasn't fun.


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## Eddie_T

My old snapper didn't have the seat switch or the foot pedal to keep the blade engaged. I could actually lower the speed and walk alongside it. 

Safety at all costs. My DIL had an Impala experience where the car shut down and she was locked in. She's afraid to drive it now.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Speaking of new mowers, I bought one and it arrived yesterday. My first riding mower. It came in a sort of crate, and I spent 2 hours prying it into pieces, resorted to cutting through some of the pieces with my jigsaw, but the mower was still kinda held up in the middle, under the deck, by some cross-pieces that I had no way to remove or cut. Finally I just grabbed the back of the mower and pulled, and it rolled off easy as pie. Forehead slap.
> 
> So what I learned was, riding mowers are not that heavy; I can lift up one end and pull or pivot it about anywhere I need.



I can't find uncrating instructions for the Cub Cadet, noting on their site or Youtube. What were the underside cross pieces attached to?


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## Spicoli43

I get the safety cut off, but that is eliminated the entire time you are mowing, so there's a much better time window for a blade malfunction to happen then as opposed to a minute while walking beside it. 

Then again, of course all I would be thinking about in that minute is the blade snapping and me bleeding out via the Femoral artery. 

Ok, haven't eaten yet today.


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## zannej

My dad disabled that dead man's switch on the riding mowers so he could turn off the blades, get off it, pick up some branches/sticks, etc and continue mowing without having to restart it.
Today is a day of rest. 
Yesterday I took mom to return a package to USP. They charge to tape the packages so I taped it. I printed out the QR code & it printed huge for some reason. I cut pieces off the paper to cover old bar codes & labels on the box. Walked in to the UPS store & the employee chuckled about the size of the QR code and scanned it from 5ft away. He printed the return label, slapped it on the box, receipt printed at the same time, he gave Mom the receipt and it was done. Less than a full minute.
Went to a craft store to look at upholstery fabric while Mom sat in the car-- they didn't have riding carts or any sort of accommodations for disabled people at the store (other than the mandatory handicap parking spots). While trying to find the upholstery fabric, I perused a section with wood stuff to see if there was anything I could use. I found a set of 3 shelves for 30% off. They were almost exactly like ones I wanted to built & the price was cheaper than the lumber to build them so I got them. One has a pretty big wood knot on top but it was the last set in the store. I'll use some wood filler & primer over it. I will also reinforce the brace attachments since they are currently stapled on from the top. I'll pull the staples, use some sticky tape to hold them in place, put on side braces that will be hidden, prime, & paint.
We also went to Samsclub & stopped to eat at a Chinese buffet (they require masks & gloves and provide them for customers).


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## Flyover

I had this gospel bluegrass song "Mansions For Me" stuck in my head around dinnertime today. I started thinking out loud:

"Jesus is building a mansion for me...I guess that means he's the one doing the framing, on account of his carpentry skills. Zeus is probably the electrician, and Poseidon can at least stress-test the plumbing if not do the installation. YHVH can definitely be trusted with the HVAC, and Vishnu was practically made for hanging drywall. Muhammad's been hired to install the security system, and I suppose L. Ron Hubbard is arranging the finances, but the Buddha is trying to talk me out of buying," at which point my wife and kids were groaning at me to please stop.


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## Eddie_T

Continuing my search for an ethical covid-19 vaccine I discovered this website:
COVID Vaccines and Fetal Cells: What’s Ethical and What Isn’t?  - Blog - Eternal Perspective Ministries

Here's an excerpt from that blog:

*Vaccines with No Connection to Fetal Cells*
There are some COVID vaccines in development that not only don’t come from fetal cells but also have not been tested by them. See these excellent resources:


Some groups are working to avoid fetal cells not only in vaccine development but in testing.
The use of umbilical cords and stem cells sounds promising. Hopefully many people who have babies would be willing to donate the umbilical cords if it could be used to save lives!
Live Action reports, “Maryland-based drugmaker Novavax is ‘using an ethically-derived invertebrate cell line Sf9’ in testing its vaccine, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials. Companies like Novavax and Sanofi are clearly demonstrating that safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines can be developed without reliance on abortion-derived cell lines. Novavax is among a handful of vaccines that may be available in the United States as soon as spring 2021.”

If you want to take the vaccine but believe the testing makes the fetal-cell-free vaccine itself unethical, or even if you have doubts about that, then *by all means wait until a vaccine is produced where the testing isn’t an issue.* *Ask for the Holy Spirit’s leading and listen to your conscience*_!_ Speaking of the controversy about whether it’s right to eat food offered to idols, Scripture says is right for some and not right for others depending upon their consciences before God. Under inspiration, Paul says, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
“The John Paul II Medical Research Institute (JP2MRI) seeks to find cures and therapies exclusively using a variety of adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. The Institute does not engage in embryonic stem cell research of any kind. JP2MRI develops preclinical research technologies that will broadly advance drug discovery and regenerative medicine for many diseases. In addition, the Institute will engage in educational outreach to increase the number of scientists and future medical practitioners who will work with adult stem cells, always with an emphasis on medical bioethics that is consistent with the dignity of human life.”
Dr. Trasancos writes, “The good news is that there are ethical COVID-19 vaccines in production, lots of them. We must support those and keep our eyes on the long-term goal. We have a chance in this moment in history to demand ethical vaccines _as the norm_ not the alternative if we stay vigilant.”


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## zannej

Can't remember if I mentioned that we had a power outage & the surges got through the surge protector/backup unit & fried her power supply (which is under warranty still). But she couldn't use her computer to discuss RMA on the power supply & it was faster to order a replacement. This one has double the years in warranty. It's completely modular so all of the cables can be removed. Came with a ton of cables & even a wall plug.

I got my brother to help me to tackle the massive pile of empty water bottles & trash Mom built up. It was up to my waist. We got those 50 gallon contractor bags. I had my brother hold them while I picked up trash. At first I just used my hands, but as I got further in to the pile I got a large dust pan:


I started scooping stuff up with it and dumping it in to bags. My brother crushed the trash down so we could fit as much stuff as possible, tied them up when they were full, and put them out in the kitchen. I had to bite my tongue when he complained about how he had the harder job. I was sweating & fighting through my shoulder pain. Together we filled seven 50 gallon contractor bags. Then Mom came in & started criticizing and micromanaging. My brother had been complaining he needed a rest shortly before that so we both called it-- still with more work to do of course. (For the record, my brother was responsible for taking the trash out to begin with & he promised to do this but I ended up having to do most of it because he didn't do it). I went back without my brother and filled an 8th bag. Found a 30 gallon bag I'd filled with the trash in an earlier effort to clean buried in the pile. Also found 3 slippers, mom's missing walking cane, one of her diabetes testing kits, some dice she just lost, and various other things. There is still more to clean- I'd say 2 or 3 more bags, but I can see the floor. Most importantly, it was clear enough to access mom's desk to put her computer back. (It is a LOT easier to do the cleaning when someone holds the bag up and open). I helped my brother haul all the bags out of the house. Had to lift them over some stuff because they couldn't fit in between. My arm does not like me anymore. LOL.

We realized we were going to lose daylight so we went to pick up Mom's computer from our friend's house (he installed the new SSD and the power supply for us). I let him keep the screwdriver that came with the kit because he really liked it (plus I have another one in another kit). Got home & my brother set her computer in and hooked it back up. She was in a pretty good mood after that. She was able to watch her Dimash videos.

Spent a little time pestering Ben on the homesteading forum about kitchen ideas & giving storage suggestions. LOL. I love planning renovations.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej,

Let me get this straight: you were cleaning out a massive hoarder-style mess that your mom made (why?? how???), and _she_ was criticizing and micromanaging?!

My mom's always sorta had a habit of holding on to trash, but it never got past what I'd call the "very cluttered" stage. Like, it was never anywhere close to "gross, I feel like I need to wear a respirator in here" and there were never weird smells. I could probably fit the clutter in her minivan into a couple plastic grocery bags, the handles firmly double-knotted, give the interior a vacuum, and it'd look basically new in there.

I moved out on my own when I was 18, but if for some reason I still lived with my mom--or if I was still a teenager living with my mom--and she started accumulating that amount of junk, my first move would be to find my own place to live. My next move would be to hire my mom a therapist, if not an interventionist. Those conditions are unacceptable. Why do you put up with it?


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## zannej

Flyover, I'm her caregiver. I promised my dad that if anything ever happened to him, I would take care of her. Plus I'm not financially stable. She pays for everything for me in return for me being her live-in caregiver. I know part of it was from feeling depressed. We all went through a slump.

Criticizing and micromanaging is how she's always done things. I think she got it from my grandmother. My grandmother would criticize rather than praise. Mom wasn't doing it in a mean way, but she always thinks things need to be done her way so she will say 'Why don't you do x instead?" and I had to explain to her why I was doing things the way I was doing them. When I was younger, any time I cleaned she criticized the way I did it. "You're holding the broom wrong!" or "No, you're not sweeping right!" and "You need to run the vacuum in a different pattern" type stuff. Mind you, she never did a lot of cleaning so we didn't see examples of it growing up. Whenever she did clean, she would usually lock us outside so we couldn't interfere. But I still remember as kids, she let the dishes sit for so long they got moldy & my dad (who worked 60+hrs a week) had us take them outside and spray them off with the hose and then bring them back in & wash them. He made it like a game for us though-- like when we washed the car. Put on bathing suits & got sprayed with water & such. He briefly hired someone to clean our house but brought her boyfriend over (she was married & was lying to her husband) & he stole stuff (minor things like stamps, loose change, pens) so she got fired. When we lived in Singapore we had a live-in maid (which was super cheap over there). When we moved to Guam, I ended up doing most of the cleaning. Mom cooked and did laundry. I did everything else. But, it was easier because I was in better health back then.

Anyway, yesterday was grocery shopping once I was able to get enough energy to get up. Today I was sick. Something I ate I think. My brother cooked something with spices that didn't agree with my stomach so I spent the day curled in the fetal position trying not to throw up. I got one of my cats to stay against my abdomen to help with the tummy ache. Didn't help that I have another kidney stone. I took some pepto & slept. Just got up and ate something a bit more gentle on my stomach and took my medicine. I'm feeling better now, but still tired.


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## Flyover

@zannej, I apologize as I did not have the complete story. Thanks for explaining. Now I understand your situation a little better, and I guess it makes a little more sense. I wonder whether the spirit of your promise should require you to unconditionally put up with living in filth (how your description sounds to me anyway) -- but that's where my mind goes. It sounds like you're maybe more accustomed to that situation. Again, I don't mean to sound harsh. I just think from a basic health & hygiene perspective, the way you've described it at least, you might be endangering yourself by living in that, possibly compounding your own health problems. I don't mean to be in your business either, just calling it like I see it because when you described the situation it shocked me.


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## zannej

No need to apologize, Flyover. It's fine. I know the house isn't healthy. We are living in filth which contributes to my chronic fatigue and lack of motivation to clean. My brother's refusal to help or do things most of the time is one of the main issues I have. He leaves trash on the floor, puts empty containers on top of the refrigerator, spills stuff, and never cleans up after himself. It's funny because he criticizes other friends who mooch and don't clean up after themselves but he doesn't see that he's doing it. Mom pays for everything for him and the one chore he's supposed to do is take out the trash- which is supposed to include picking it up if it falls on the floor. And he is oblivious to the fact that I'm the one who has to pick it all up. After my health took a turn for the worse (due to the wreck in 2016) I had a much harder time keeping up. I admit, we've never been great at cleaning-- again, no good examples. Weird thing is, I clean when I go to friend's houses. I don't even know where to start most of the time at home. There's so much stuff. Mom sort of used retail therapy for her depression and bought a bunch of stuff & I don't know what to do with it. We have a ton of boxes. Add in that I'm a supreme procrastinator and it's a bad mix. I wish I knew how to organize better and remember where stuff was. I did finally get rid of one box yesterday & got Mom's coffee maker on the counter (after I did some cleaning). I'm waiting for my brother to pull the trash bag out so I can start picking up trash in a new bag (it's easier when it's in the can or someone is holding it and my brother doesn't have the patience to hold stuff for me for long). I can't lift the bag because of my shoulder injury. I wish I could get my brother on board with helping more, but he's too busy playing video games. He treats them like a job.
At least the new cordless vaccuum arrived. Once I figure out how to use it, I can vacuum up the carpet. I had no place to plug it in for several areas.
Past few days I've had kidney stones. Figured out what made my stomach ache-- my brother didn't strain the grease out of the hamburger meat and it acted like a laxative. It hit his guts too when he got down to where there was more grease. I'm more sensitive to it. I had to put away the leftovers and wash the pressure cooker (since he wouldn't do it). He's cooking again now.
Visited my friend & we had some good laughs. The baby over there is so fat he outgrew a toy seat thing designed for 4-year-olds (and the baby is only 8 months old). I was joking that his father is the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man (bc he kind of looks like him) and a few minutes later we went to the store. There was a Stay Puffed Marhmallow Man toy. I had to get it. My friend was laughing hysterically about it. Showed it to the baby and he mimicked the hand gestures and desperately wanted the toy. My brother put a sticky note on it saying it was the baby's Daddy. His mother wasn't so amused, but once they took the toy out of the box, the baby was very happy.

I've been distracting myself by planning random things. I need to stop doing that and focus on what I need to do instead of stuff I want to do for hobbies & fun. I'm very bad about getting off on a tangent.

Right now one of my cats is acting like a heating pad for my shoulder.


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## Flyover

I never grew up celebrating Mother's Day -- the adults in my house including my mom and her mom all considered it a Hallmark Holiday. It took me years into my parenthood for me to learn to treat it as a real holiday for my wife's sake. I don't know why I had such trouble learning.

Holidays seem like this normal part of everyone's lives that they remember and plan for and look forward to, but for whatever reason they are always a big problem area for me. I just don't inherently care about them, it's always this big effort, I always have to be reminded and kicked in the pants about each one. So as a result I pretty much hate them all, even the ones my mom and grandparents did celebrate. But I like making my wife happy and now my kids are used to them too, so I guess it's a few kicks in the pants every year for me until I'm dead.

I did good so far this year at least.


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## billshack

I have a cabin up north and i dropped three huge trees that were dangerous, so now i have been Turing those trees into fire wood. I have 10 cords so far and will probably end up with another 4-5 cords. the small wood (under 8 inches) is  already done but now there is just really big wood 24 inches in diameter. all maple or silver birch. I have been using a hydraulic splitter good for 23 tons, but that is too small for this stuff, I have found a 35 ton splitter and will be renting it soon.
Once this is done i will have all the wood i need for the rest of my life .


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## Spicoli43

Ok, back to Milk, and the general Organic vs. Conventional topic. I remember countless times as a kid pouring out nasty stinky Milk, that was long before Organic was even a term. Now, this milk that was $4 for a half gallon might not last 7 weeks like it says, but conventional wouldn't last 2 weeks. That's a Guarantee.


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## Eddie_T

Raw milk will spoil faster than pasteurized milk but it's not a nasty spoilage as it can then be used for buttermilk and cottage cheese. I just finished another gallon of cream enhanced market milk with a sell by date of April 27. I need to mark the one I enhance tomorrow but it appears that I am using a gallon in around three weeks. The gallon I will open and enhance tomorrow has a sell by date of May 25 and I'll mark it as being opened May 11 and keep on shaking the jug every day.


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## zannej

I don't like a lot of holidays either. I think they are mostly Hallmark BS and excuses to con people into buying crap. One of the biggest scams is flower bouquets. What a waste! I'd rather have chocolate or power tools. Or both. Trying to convince mom to order a pneumatic upholstery stapler now that I have another air compressor.

I tried to get my brother to help me with some cleaning today but all he would do was take the full bag out of the trash can and set it on the kitchen floor and put a new empty bag in the trash can-- although, putting a bag in is something unusual for him. He normally leaves that to me.

Just not feeling like doing anything. I cooked for Mom. She's still slightly cranky because the other day when we were in Alexandria I asked if we could skip Samsclub since my back was hurting from lifting stuff already & she agreed it was OK and we could go back another day. Of course, in her mind she twisted it to say that I refused to go and that she wasn't OK with it. She also yelled because sometime last night she woke me up wanting me to make her a baked potato. I was trying to get myself up and she must have heard me groaning while trying to move & she shouted "Nevermind, don't bother!" and hung up. But of course, she was claiming that I "refused" to get her a baked potato. I've heard her claim someone refused to do something when they said "Yes, give me a minute". Like, she couldn't wait for me to go to the bathroom & wash my hands first. She's not very patient. LOL.


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## Spicoli43

Is your Mom like Owen's Mom on "Throw Momma From The Train"?


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## zannej

I haven't seen that movie in so long I only vaguely remember the mother in that. Mom is in a better mood today. I got her a new little flashlight on clearance. 
Got up early to pick up my friend, went to the hardware store to make sure we had enough fittings, grabbed some breakfast from McDonalds, and drove him out to the house. The red cow was very happy to see us and started circling the truck and hopping up and down. The poor black cow is limping- it looks like her hip has slipped out of joint or something but I don't know if the vet can do anything about it. I asked the vet last time I was at the office and got a non-committal answer and refusal to come out and look at her.

Things came to a halt when we couldn't find the pex cinch tool. Looked all over for it. When I was searching for it on one side of the truck, the cow was trying to shove her head up my backside. Ok, she was just bumping me trying to get my attention. I had to turn around and pet her and sing to her for a few minutes. Decided to just bite the bullet and buy another pex cinch tool. Drove back into town & checked tractor supply. Found a few things on clearance but no pex cinch tool. Grabbed feed for the cows & some diatomaceous earth. Got stuck in line behind some dude who didn't know the right pin to use the debit/credit card & wasn't sure if it was his card or his wife's and he argued when the clerk said she would keep him rung up but pause his checkout so other customers could checkout. Finally got to checkout and then headed straight to the hardware store. I decided to take one last look for the tool without having a cow pestering me. Right after my friend walked through the door I found it stuck under a jump-starter kit. I ran in and showed it to him. He said "Good thing, because the one in here is $75!"

So back we went to the house. Friend then realized that the water supply lines he'd been ready to cut were the wrong ones (but fortunately he didn't cut them) and he was going to have to change his plan a little. Then we realized all of the pvc glue we had (for scabbing on to the old lines) was dried up and no good. But he had to be back to watch his baby while his gf went to work so there wasn't enough time to go to the store and back and then get him home. So we've rescheduled for another day.

One of the guests staying at his house had what they thought was a heart attack yesterday. Dude is 24 but had Covid twice so he's got some permanent damage. His kidneys are shot and he apparently got blood clots. They called 911, got transferred to an ambulance service which promptly hung up on them. So my friend managed to pick the guy up, throw him in his car, and make it from his house to the hospital six minutes before the ambulance arrived at his house to pick the guy up. He didn't know they were even coming since they never confirmed it. Turns out the guy threw a clot. It went to his heart. I don't think he has any insurance so they didn't keep him overnight. They released him and he went to the doctor today.

Another mooch at my friend's house overstayed his welcome again. He'd been refusing to pay any rent or contribute to pay for food, utilities, internet, etc-- all stuff that he used. He used more electricity than anyone else in the house. He constantly broke the rules & argued. He kept moving stuff around without asking and even moved stuff after being specifically told not to. Complained he was treated like a child but he acted like one. Friend told him he had to start paying & he cried and had a fit. When he go this next paycheck, instead of contributing, he bought a non-working junker truck & dumped it (along with another truck) in my friend's yard. Friend was livid bc the jerk claimed he spent ALL of the money he had on it. Night before last he made the mistake of yelling at my friend's daughter for walking in to her own bedroom and wanting to sleep there. Without permission, he had moved a cot into her room to sleep (the cot does not belong to him but he's been using it). She went to tell my friend but it was 1am and he was too tired to go kick the guy's a$$. By the time he got up in the morning, the mooch was gone. He had turned on my friend's computer, deleted a bunch of stuff from it (read some of his private messages & deleted them) logged out of all of all of my friends' social media accounts, packed his stuff, and left-- stealing the gf's house key on his way out. He sent some nasty messages to my friend blaming him for the stupid behavior, acting like his leaving is what caused the trouble (no, it was that my friend didn't get to see what he took with him). Also the guy who had the blood clot had a falling out with this jerk & his phone went missing. He used a tracking app and it was going back and forth with the jerk to work. So he stole that guy's phone. Not the first time he stole stuff either. So, my friend isn't sure if the guy stole anything else from his house when he went. Cops have already given my friend permission to get the trucks towed out of his yard since the jerk refused to come get them. Friend blocked him on social media and phone so the jerk is pissed off about it. Refusing to give the gf her keys back. I'm tempted to message him and say I will meet him to get the keys and ask him to check to see if the other dude dropped his phone in the truck accidentally (so he won't get hung up on defending himself for theft). But he doesn't have any respect for women so he'd probably be a dick about it.

IMO, my friend needs to report to the cops that this guy stole a house key & needs to give it back. My concern is he may have gotten copies made.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Got stuck in line behind some dude who didn't know the right pin to use the debit/credit card & wasn't sure if it was his card or his wife's and he argued when the clerk said she would keep him rung up
> 
> Another mooch at my friend's house overstayed his welcome again. He'd been refusing to pay any rent or contribute to pay for food, utilities, internet, etc-- all stuff that he used. He used more electricity than anyone else in the house. He constantly broke the rules & argued. He kept moving stuff around without asking and even moved stuff after being specifically told not to. Complained he was treated like a child but he acted like one. Friend told him he had to start paying & he cried and had a fit. When he go this next paycheck, instead of contributing, he bought a non-working junker truck & dumped it (along with another truck) in my friend's yard. Friend was livid bc the jerk claimed he spent ALL of the money he had on it. So he stole that guy's phone. Not the first time he stole stuff either.
> 
> IMO, my friend needs to report to the cops that this guy stole a house key & needs to give it back. My concern is he may have gotten copies made.



Sorry to have to tell you this but the POLICE will do NOTHING about people like that any more! Best you can do is NEVER let a mooch/junkie into your home in the first place! Thanks to the Democrats, they now have more rights than you do! I speak as a former landlord who has gone through all that with the now helpless police! The courts won't back them up doing anything! If the police do anything to bad people, they know the courts will give them 'The Chauvin Treatment' !!!

I felt sorry for a tenant once and let him stay on for 3 months after his rent was due because I knew he had a chunk of money coming. But when he got the money he bought a car with it instead and it immediately broke down and sat on 3 wheels on a neighboring property which brought complaints to me from the property owner. I had it towed to storage until the tenant paid up. He had the police go get it, we ended up in court, he lied to the judge... judge, unbelievably, ruled that I owed HIM money! Totally angry and disgusted, I never paid him... he had the nerve to demand the money! I told him: "sue me"... last I heard of it... many years ago... but I'm sure that undeserved debt is still on my record with the courts from that crooked court!

Btw, that first guy at the checkout sounds like a criminal trying to use stolen cards by using the George Floyd Technique of FORCING the clerk to accept them any way! And, once again, the police will be hesitant to do anything about it now! 

Also, we get stuck with the expense/labor of changing the locks when a bad person moves who still has the keys and can still easily burglarize or attack us in our sleep!


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## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> 'Thanks to the Democrats"
> 
> SMH. What's your educational level?



I can't speak for Buzz, or figure out what your acronym means when you could just type it out, but let's have some fun, shall we? Since you don't pay ANY ATTENTION to how the Demon Rats are trying to destroy the country and are Anti-American, why don't YOU point out something they have done since Obama took office that has helped anyone? 

By the way, "Education Level" has nothing to do with anything. The smartest people in the world over the history of time thought for themselves and didn't tie themselves to an imaginary "level" of anything. 

I can't speak for you either, but it sounds like you have one or more high "levels" of "education" that are really just 8"x11" pieces of highly decorative slightly better than 7-11 copy paper that cost Thousands, possibly Hundreds of Thousands of dollars in exchange for the right to say you have been taught what other people want you to think.

Congrats, education man... Didn't help with real actual life, now did it?


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## Flyover

Smh = shake my head

Education = (my interpretation) what you've learned over the course of your life; distinct from schooling, which refers to time spent in-classroom culminating in the slip of paper

Pretty good odds someone who's convinced that every single problem in their life is the fault of their outgroup has learned very little in general.

Imagine showing up to work your first day. Your boss says "here, do this thing." You try, and do it wrong. Your boss says "you did it wrong, here's how to do it right," and instead of internalizing what your boss says, you say "it's the demon  rats' fault!" You're not gonna learn s**t.


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## bud16415

THIS THREAD IS BEING PUT ON ALEART!



There are plenty of political opinion forums and this thread was started as more of a chit chat thread about what you did today. Family, friends and even house repair talk.

Please try and stay away from political opinion as it does nothing but polarize people engaging in other discussions on the forum.


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## zannej

Buzz, it depends on the cops. The mooch who stole the house key is not a druggy, he's just an idiot who has always been spoiled/sheltered. He started out being nice at first & helping out, but once he got comfortable he started acting like he owned the place. The cops in our town will illegally kick people out of homes if they know the landlord/owner and like them. They forced a guy to leave 3 days after paying his rent because the landlady didn't like that he got a tattoo-- no court order or anything. My friend has made friends with some of the cops in town & is related to the late chief of police so most of the cops are nice to him. Most of them have had him work on their cars at some point. So, if he called and said he wanted them to get his key back, they would get his key back for him so long as they don't have to fill out any paperwork.

I haven't checked in with him and his gf in a couple days. The gf was sick and lost her sense of taste (I told my friend she never had one to begin with given the "music" she listens to-- she only seems to like mumble rap). I asked her how she was doing but haven't heart back. 

Speaking of college, I wonder if my degree will help me get a desk job at the local lumber mill. But I need to get some things at the house fixed up more first and make sure someone is around to watch my mother while I'm out. Thus far mentioning the degree has rendered me ineligible for many of the jobs around here as they consider any college experience "overqualified".

I tackled more cleaning yesterday but didn't get as much done as I'd wanted. Got too tired. My doctor told me to pace myself and do a little at a time so I don't tire myself out. Unfortunately, I'm at the point where even minor exercise gets me exhausted for the next few days. CFS blows.

I've been planning a custom-built recessed toilet paper holder for the guest bathroom. I'm using a picture frame from dollar tree for the outside cover/framing to hide where it comes through the cabinet (I'm mounting it in the vanity). I'm going to reinforce the area that I cut out with some scrap wood. I'm sizing it to fit the frame and then using some cheap plinth blocks on the inside and some 1/8" thick wooden washers for the spring loaded rod to fit. I wish I knew how to make my own spring-loaded rod that won't fall apart when taken off to replace the roll. If I could do that, I wouldn't need the plinths method will probably make it easier. It's taller than it needs to be so the bottom part will be a shelf for wet wipes. It will also be big enough that people can set their phones in it. I can use 1x6s (which I know are only 3/4" thick) for the top & bottom and 1/4" cheap plywood for the sides & back. Sides will overlap the top & bottom so they can be nailed on and back will overlap all (nailed at top & bottom while glued on sides. I'll caulk inside to make sure everything is sealed up. I'll use some braces inside the vanity to hold it all in place and then secure the picture frame. It's metal so I will have to use double-sided sticky tape and/or glue. I will caulk around it after it's on. I couldn't find the right size picture frame boards available & I was lazy.

So, this is my sketch:



I'm also working on finding a way to add a towel rod to one or more of the shelf kits I bought. I'm thinking a 1" or 3/4" wooden dowel would work.


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## Flyover

My wife has approved me to build a waterfall coffee table using an oak or cherry slab I'll buy off my friend. I'm excited for that project. I see those tables going for $700+ and I'm about to get one for $50 + a couple afternoons' work.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> waterfall coffee table



Are you going to make a low one or one high enough to pull over your legs and snack/eat off? Or to put decorations on?


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## zannej

Thunderstorms today so internet keeps going out.
Friend got his key back. The thief returned with it (and with a phone he'd stolen). He tried to pretend he hadn't stolen the phone, but after searching for it over and over for more than a week (and tracking it going back & forth to work with the thief) it turned up under the couch right next to where the thief's shoes had been (so he threw it under the couch when he retrieved his shoes). He couldn't even make eye contact with my friend when he returned the key. I think the only reason he really returned was to get his boots but he knew they had tracked him as having the phone so he slipped it back in.

Yesterday I deep cleaned litterboxes. I will scoop & refill them but sometimes they get really mucky (in this case from the waterers dripping --I got the kind you use for rabbits) so I had to take it outside & scrub it. I took the cat condo off of it's base & set it on puppy pads (since the bottom of it had gotten mucky). Thoroughly cleaned the base, put it in a different spot, and then scrubbed the part of the condo that touches the base. I did a lot of going back and forth outside to the back faucet in the heat and then had to lift the condo (which was awkward and bulky). Got it about 2 inches from where I needed it when I got chest pain and shortness of breath. Had to ask my brother to finish moving it (it had gotten caught on something & my whole body noped out on me).
My brother came and set it on the base. I went and ate a popsicle to try to cool down. I then cleaned up the area around where the condo had been (litter had splashed out). It had been in the way & my brother was using it as an excuse to not take out trash.

Trying to motivate myself to do something productive again but this weather makes me sleepy.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> He couldn't even make eye contact with my friend when he returned the key.



At least he showed a little shame... maybe there is some hope for him...


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## oldognewtrick

As Bud pointed out, this is a thread to post about things you're doing or things you'd like to share about your life and family. Political, agrumentitive postings are not going to be allowed. There's too many other social platforms to express those attitudes. We'll either lock the thread or start putting members in timeout. 

We do appreciate those members who take time out of their day to help others with DIY projects.


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## zannej

Buzz, his problem is that he's immature and incredibly stupid. He doesn't understand a lot of things and he isn't willing to listen most of the time. 

Mom asked me to go to the store to pick up medicine & an extension cord with 3 prongs (one she's using only has 2). So I got my brother to go with me. Went to the post office, swung by the DMV so he could renew registration on his truck, grabbed stuff from the grocery store, and then popped in to see our friend. His daughter was there so she had to climb all over my brother. She likes to get up on his shoulders. He swings her around and plays with her so she is always super excited to see him. She's adored him since she was a baby.

I was trying to get my brother to leave so we could grab food & go back to Mom but he was ignoring me. Then Mom called and whined about being hungry. She wanted McDonalds (I had a code to get a free coffee for her).

Friend's grandfather no longer has a vehicle. He sunk is late wife's SUV in flooded waters down in Lake Charles. Drove right in and had to be rescued. I'm not going anywhere tomorrow. Roads are already flooding and river was starting to run across the road. My brother drove back into town so I hope he can make it back safely. He needed something fixed on his computer so he took it with him.

Water level got high enough that the cows were under the car port because they can't get in to the barn. I need to figure out a solution to stop the front entrance of the barn from turning to sludge. Will probably have to get a shovel and dig it out when it's not so wet.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I need to figure out a solution to stop the front entrance of the barn from turning to sludge. Will probably have to get a shovel and dig it out when it's not so wet.



Is there a way to create a slope by the entrance so the water drains away quickly?


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## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Is there a way to create a slope by the entrance so the water drains away quickly?


Not that I know of. Sadly, the entire yard slopes down to the barn. It doesn't help that the cows have crapped in front of the barn, which has mixed with the dirt/mud and they have trampled it. Between the rain and the cows it got sort of tilled up into very mushy mud. Even when it's dry it is very mushy. I'm seriously considering digging the soft stuff out & pouring in some quikrete and gravel & then putting a stall mat on top. I can't use just gravel because it will shift and get stuck in the cows' hooves. I imagine it wouldn't be very comfortable for them. Concrete isn't comfortable for them either, but it won't be so bad with a stall mat. I am hesitant to waste too much time and $ on it though since the barn is toast. I mostly want to fix it so I can try to remove more stuff before it collapses entirely. I wish I knew people who could do something to stop the collapse and fix up what can be salvaged without costing too much. But, that sort of work isn't available even for high cost in my area.

When it stops raining I'll have to get some pictures.


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## Flyover

Got real excited today because a neighbor borrowed one of my tools for a change! Usually it's me borrowing other people's tools. (What can I say? Other people usually have more tools than me, even though I feel like I have tons of tools.)

Another time at my last house I lent one neighbor a clamp, and that same neighbor a hose nozzle sprayer. I felt real happy/proud about it because I like being helpful. But that also reminds me I had a different neighbor back there who borrowed my coping saw and never gave it back. It was a crappy saw and I could never get it to cut straight, so I don't miss it (that's why I never bothered reminding him about it), but it's the principle of the thing.

Now I'm trying to book a couple nights in a cabin less than an hour away for our cheapo summer vacation. Stuff sure fills up quick!


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> But that also reminds me I had a different neighbor back there who borrowed my coping saw and never gave it back. It was a crappy saw and I could never get it to cut straight



Coping saws are for cutting curves, not for cutting straight! Area around here has degenerated into all junkies so I can't lend anything out any more as when they are done with it they will sell if for more drug money. Had to learn that the hard way. After losing an appliance dolly and a brand new fibreglas 6' step ladder.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Not that I know of. Sadly, the entire yard slopes down to the barn. I am hesitant to waste too much time and $ on it though since the barn is toast. I mostly want to fix it so I can try to remove more stuff before it collapses entirely. I wish I knew people who could do something to stop the collapse and fix up what can be salvaged without costing too much. But, that sort of work isn't available even for high cost in my area.



Most of my 15 uncles were farmers and their barns seemed to be built kind of high with 50' long grassy slopes/ramps leading up to the main doors. I don't think many of them built the barns, they were inherited or already on the property when they acquired it. You'll prolly have to hire some healthy young people to fix it and tell them what/how to do it. A company will cost you 4 - 10 times as much...


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## Flyover

@BuzzLOL: hah, of course I didn't mean straight lines, I meant "along the desired curve"


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> hah, of course I didn't mean straight lines, I meant "along the desired curve"



LOL! Likely story... could have sworn I read the word "straight"... usually you cut to the outside of the curved line and then use a file or grinder to finish rounding it around smoothly to the line...


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## Flyover

I mean, this saw would go right when I wanted it to go left, it was bad.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I mean, this saw would go right when I wanted it to go left, it was bad.


Have to have the blade tight and use it gently... or maybe it was haunted...


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## zannej

I don't know why they built the barn on about the lowest part of the property.  If they'd built it  more to the north it would have been on higher ground. It keeps threatening to rain today but hasn't rained yet. But I know in this sort of weather-- all cloudy- my friend's vision is bad so he wouldn't be able to see much if he came out today. It gives me more time to focus on cleaning up anyway. I'm going to make an effort to get more stuff done. Also need to call my dentist because more of my tooth chipped off. Need to get that fixed asap.

I'm still feeling sleepy & have a slightly sore throat-- post-nasal drip I think.


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## Flyover

I put a fresh coat of paint on my lamppost. Man, taping off glass is a pain. But it looks great now that it's done.

Also picked up a couple of rain barrels. I guess one of my next projects will be getting them installed on the corners of my house...


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## zannej

Double masked and went to Samsclub to restock on water. Also took my friend to Harbor Freight to get some tools. They had a screwdriver set with his surname on them. 
I've got a cold so I'm feeling pretty crappy, but not as bad as I could be feeling.
Friend's ex's father died suddenly either yesterday or this morning. I feel sorry for the grandson bc the grandfather was the only person who actually liked that brat. Now the ex doesn't have a babysitter for him. She also lost her job because she no longer has someone to drive her to work (she's in her 30s but never bothered to learn how to drive or get a license).
My friend's daughter didn't seem terribly upset by her grandfather's death, but they were never very close. He very much favored his grandson & kinda treated her like garbage. She was hit a lot harder by her paternal grandfather's death because she spent a lot of time with him. He was more devoted to her than to his own kids.


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## shan2themax

I bought a new weedeater at Harbor Freight. It's a 40v. I really like it, it's super light weight. I had a small Craftsman corded weed eater but it was only 36ish" and was killing my back and knee using it. 
They didnt have the 80v/40v battery in stock in my area so I went ahead about bought the 40v. However, I think I will take it back... or maybe keep as back up, and buy the 80v when it is in stock again, or I have time to drive an hour or so away to purchase there.

These are the before and after pics of my 15 minute adventure this morning. I'll finish it later this evening once its cooler and the battery has charged.


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## Spicoli43

I would keep the spare battery. I would also monitor how long it takes to charge. I had a Black and Decker that took 8 hours to charge and lasted about 12 minutes, so I returned it to Lowe's, and the lady said people bring those back constantly. 

I have a brand new corded Worx I will probably sell because my Makita 18V won't quit, and I use the batteries for my drivers and my portable vacuum and other tools. They also charge in 30-45 minutes.

As far as the weeding, that looks like the satisfaction I get every time I do that.


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## Spicoli43

I'm still waiting for my Cub Cadet Zero Turn Electric Mower, got the bagging system a month ago. There isn't 2 functional brain cells at Home Depot corporate, who say the mower was delivered yesterday. What they didn't say is that it was delivered to an assembler, who will put it together and then deliver it. Ummm yeah, how about telling me that / giving me the option to do it myself etc... 

No idea where this shop this is at, whether they have any employees because of not only Covid but because the gubment pays them more to stay home, whether I have to hire somebody this next month, whether THAT is even possible (Those people actually work)... 

5 giant thumbs up again for Home Depot, who screw up something bigly if it's something bigger than a light bulb. I have seen myself go buy a light bulb there. That's about the extent of their reliability.

The problem is, Lowes' brands like Kobalt are INFERIOR to Home Depot's Husky, so I begrudgingly have to deal with HD sometimes. If you want to know what I'm talking about, go check out a big rolling Kobalt tool chest, then go to HD to see their Husky. It's night and day.

Oh boy, I could keep talking about the Mensa candidates at HD, but there's only so much time in a day.


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## zannej

I need an industrial strength weedeater for those damn blackberry bushes growing up all around my house. Had a Worx one but can't find the battery or charger. 

Still have a cold. Been hacking up mucus. I took some generic brand nyquil last night so I could breathe well enough to sleep last night. Still feeling tired and blech. I've been a lot worse though. I haven't had much of an appetite but have been trying to eat ramen noodles with some extra water so its like a soup. I need to buy more chicken noodle soup.

Waited all day yesterday for Fedex to come. They didn't come until after dark and then just set the ripped up package on the porch without ringing the doorbell. I really need a new porch light and need to replace the switches for the lights since nothing is working in the front half of the house there. Not sure if it's a bad circuit or what. Going to have to get my friend to check it out at some point to see if he can diagnose what's wrong.

Mom surprised me and bought me a pneumatic staple gun with 15k staples & a little carrying case. Now I need to actually do stuff with the tools. I need to make myself do productive things but my brain keeps feeling like I'm in a fog.

Woke up to cats having a knock-down-drag-out fight that they took outside and under the house before I could get to them. I went outside to see what the problem was and one of my cats decided he had to climb on my shoulder to be carried back inside.

I need to grab more stuff from the store but I'm not feeling up to it. Yesterday I made a quick trip to buy diapers for my friend's baby. He was out & he ran out of $ paying bills & is waiting on his paycheck to land. His pay doesn't consistently come in when it's supposed to. Not sure if it's his employer or his bank though. His bank absolutely blows. It's the one that will give routing & account numbers out if someone pretends to be the account holder over the phone. No security checks or anything.


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## Spicoli43

zannej, want a lung clearing recipe? It helps with breathing.


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## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> go check out a big rolling Kobalt tool chest, then go to HD to see their Husky. It's night and day.




Speaking of..... I finally bought something nice to put my tools in. I had to preorder it and the waiting is killing me (it's been 26 whole hours ) I have a janky one I bought from walmart, I'm going to give it to my son if he wants it for his house he is buying..... he has no desire to do the things I like to do, so it will work well for him. 


Spicoli43 the battery lasts about 20 minutes on high. And I kept it cranked on high while doing this. It is a little inconvenient, however, it forces me to come in and cool off while charging instead of overdoing it and ending up sick.

@zannej 
I recently bought an air compressor, finishing nailer and brad nailer. You'll have to share projects if you do any.

I'm heading back out to plant some Nasturtiums (ie... sprinkling along fence line) and finishing that area since this post reminded me to look at the battery... lol I work tomorrow, 12 hours, so i am hoping that between walking around that long and whatever i get into project wise on Monday really ticks my knee off and make it more swollen and painful for when i go to the Orthopedist on Tuesday


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## Spicoli43

Shan, looks like a solid chest. I can't buy anything from Harbor Freight like that or power tools because they don't have a warranty, just a 90 day return policy. If you say the thing is still great in 5 years, I might change my mind. 

Ask your Ortho about using DMSO for your knee. I'm walking because of it. A twisting, munching, tearing or hyperextension of either knee is now a few hours of an inconvenience. I don't use braces. They snap like a Mother in Law, but unlike that, they work great.


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## Flyover

@Spicoli43: Your neighborhood Home Depot sounds like my nearby Lowes. I went there once for a light bulb. They were out of the one I needed but there were pallets of inventory way up on the top shelf, with a scissor lift right there under it, and I asked about 4 employees (all children) to come operate the lift to check and see if my bulb was up there, they all said they'd send someone. After a half hour of me pacing up and down that aisle, nobody came. Ghost town. Several times I thought about just figuring out how to use the lift myself, worst case scenario they kick me out which I didn't care about because I eventually walked out, told them I'm taking my business somewhere else, and I will never return to that store.

Today my wife took the kids for 4 hours so I could drive across town and spend the afternoon with a friend. We played heavy loud rock music, him on drums, me on guitar (he was the drummer in that picture I shared earlier in this thread). Neither of us have played basically at all since I had my most recent kid and he had his first last summer, but I thought we sounded good. My skills have backslid a lot less than I was afraid they would, and I think his complaint was really just about him being out of shape; drums are a very physical instrument. One day soon it'll be easier for both of us to have those jam sessions more often. I can't wait.


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## Eddie_T

Sitting here listening to a Lanie Gardner cover of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams, I love the beat. It takes me back to when I first heard it. A cover by a band playing the Alaska State Fair at the Matanuska Valley fairgrounds. They had a harmonica wailing it took me years to find the song as I was not a Fleetwood Mac fan and that was pre-internet.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43: Your neighborhood Home Depot sounds like my nearby Lowes. I went there once for a light bulb. They were out of the one I needed but there were pallets of inventory way up on the top shelf, with a scissor lift right there under it, and I asked about 4 employees (all children) to come operate the lift to check and see if my bulb was up there, they all said they'd send someone. After a half hour of me pacing up and down that aisle, nobody came. Ghost town. Several times I thought about just figuring out how to use the lift myself, worst case scenario they kick me out which I didn't care about because I eventually walked out, told them I'm taking my business somewhere else, and I will never return to that store.



I think that's Lowe's corporate policy. Instead of harassing people that won't buy right now, they give them 40 days to figure out what they want, then approach them for the quick sale. Earlier this year, I was standing about 10 feet from an employee in cabinets looking at the samples while she was having a personal conversation with a non employee. She wasn't helping her, they were talking like they were besties. I just walked out after 10 minutes.

I can walk through their flooring and appliances sections without a word also, and they coordinate so everybody is off for lunch at the same time. 

The closer it gets to all the little mom and pops disappearing, the worse the customer service gets. They don't need anybody's business, everybody else has to go there. Nobody is going to crash and burn like Sears / Kmart because nobody has an Idiot CEO like they did.


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## Eddie_T

My Lowes is the opposite. I often spend some some time procrastinating and almost always an associate offers to help. The most recent occurrence was in lighting. I couldn't recall the diameter of my FL tubes, the lady asked me what year I installed the fixtures then told me they were probably F12s. It may be the part of the country one lives in as the associates are locals.


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## oldognewtrick

My biggest frustration with Lowes is there will be 10 people waiting to checkout and one lane open, 6 blue vests wandering around the front of the store with their fingers...well, never mind...


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> My Lowes is the opposite. I often spend some some time procrastinating and almost always an associate offers to help. The most recent occurrence was in lighting. I couldn't recall the diameter of my FL tubes, the lady asked me what year I installed the fixtures then told me they were probably F12s. It may be the part of the country one lives in as the associates are locals.



No, I'm only talking about the specialty departments where I probably have to order something instead of taking it that day. In the electrical / lighting / hardware departments, they will talk to me all day if I want.


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## Spicoli43

oldognewtrick said:


> My biggest frustration with Lowes is there will be 10 people waiting to checkout and one lane open, 6 blue vests wandering around the front of the store with their fingers...well, never mind...



That's Lowes and HD for me. Only the self checkouts and the Pro / Lumber checkout are open in the morning. Maybe they have one more lane open at Noon or so, but they don't ever call for backup cashiers because they don't load those cash registers. They never think about that. 

At the little grocery store, they always have an extra lane with a loaded cash register for backup, and I don't remember a time I didn't hear "backup cashier please".


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## Flyover

Weeks ago I bought a box of those climbing wall holds or whatever you call'em.

After I finished a few small DIY projects from the honey-do list today, I installed the holds going up the trunk of the biggest maple tree in my yard; its diameter is easily 24" or more. Now I could climb the 10 feet or so to the first big outbranching, and it's a cool place to chill, "you can see everything from up there", etc., and if you want to climb higher the branching makes it easy. Basically a really exciting project and I was proud of it.

But I immediately realized I'd created a huge liability, what with all the neighborhood kids. So then I went on a big diplomatic trip, practically door to door, telling every kid and parent I could find that the kids are welcome to play in my yard (all the kids play in everyone's yards) but the tree is off-limits unless an adult is present.

Not every kid got the memo, though, and later when I was inside with the baby I saw one boy, maybe 11 or 12 years old, start climbing it and I had to rush out holding the baby and "yell" at him. (More like in an authoritative but non-threatening voice tell him the same thing I'd told everyone else.)

So now it's got me paranoid, and I'm kind of regretting putting the holds on the tree. I'm thinking about big ugly gate-like contraptions I can affix over the lower holds that I can lock and unlock and swing aside (sort of like these things that are used to control access to ladders), and none of that is very appealing.

What's funny is there's a ton of tree-houses in this neighborhood, and I never see any of the kids playing in them!

Anyway, I might eventually take the holds out and at least reinstall them on the side of the tree I can see from the living room. I had avoided that side before because that's the same side where the swing is and I didn't want a scenario where one kid is swinging and one kid is climbing and the swinging kid kicks or bumps into the climbing kid...but I guess that would be better than worrying all the time about who's climbing up the far side of the tree.


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## zannej

HomeDepot isn't good with things smaller than lightbulbs. I ordered some small plinth blocks. Took a couple months for it to say they were delivered to the store and ready for pickup. Went to the store, send a message via their app to let them know I was on the way and then when I got there. Waited at curbside pickup for an hour. Went inside & waited in line. Finally got up to the counter & the clerk answered the phone and spent several minutes talking to someone while ignoring me. Finally got to me and then disappeared behind the shelves for awhile, came back several minutes later and was asking employees to look for my item. Apparently, it either did not get delivered or they lost it. I had to cancel and re-order the items (at a higher price). Mind you, if I had known I could have called customer service on the phone & they would have given me a discount on the re-order, I would have done that. Their phone support from corporate is much better than local dealings. 

Lowes is also a clusterf*** at the local level. There is no self-checkout so you have to wait in a line and they only have 1 lane open. Not enough cashiers. Keep in mind that just because you see employees milling about, it doesn't mean they are trained or even cleared to be cashiers. 

Spicoli, I'm open to suggestions for clearing the lungs. This mucus is not cooperating with my digestive system at all & it sucks.

I stayed in bed most of yesterday because I'm still sick & moving around doesn't help my guts. My brother went to go watch a movie with some friends (at the friend's house on Netflix or something). Before he left I got him to take the overflowing trash bag out in the kitchen. He didn't bother to put a new bag in though. My anti-inflammatory/pain medicine disappeared. I think the cats knocked it down somewhere & I can't seem to locate it. Will have to get more since I'm do for a refill. So my shoulder/arm has not been cooperating. I have trouble reaching above my head and behind my back or extending my arm out too far. I put the new trash bag in and filled it up while cleaning the kitchen. Still have a lot more to do but I got light-headed and the bag was full.

The non-drip waterers for the kittens turned out to be dripping majorly. Can't figure out how to stop them from dripping so I caved and gave them a big water bowl. The male, Namir, is pretty dumb. He couldn't figure out that the bowl is large enough for him to share with his sister, Temjin. Her head wasn't even in his way but he couldn't figure out that he could drink from it too so he was waiting for her to finish & getting agitated.

If the medicine I took earlier works to counteract the mucus, I will have to change their litterbox and clean up the bottom of their cage again (where the water dripped). Also need to finish cleaning the kitchen.

Shan, I'll try to share & post pics when I get some projects done. I have so much to do but so little energy and motivation. I keep procrastinating. 

Flyover, I would have been all over that tree as a kid. LOL. I loved climbing. I think I aggravated some of the people in my neighborhood because I would climb their trees all the time. If they told me not to, I would stop and leave those trees alone though.


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## Flyover

I never got into climbing trees until I was 20 and rented a room in a house that had a beautiful tulip tree in the yard. I could just jump up, grab a branch, and do a pullup to get myself into the tree. Then I'd hang out there for an hour or two at a time. Since then I was hooked, but because I'm an adult I have to be slightly careful about not making people think I'm insane. And my wife of course makes the Michael Jackson comparisons, which I think are very unfair because I'm pretty sure he probably had an elevator installed or something.

Anyway, yeah the climbing holds now make an unclimbable tree climbable. It's a ton of fun, I'm excited to finish up work and get out there and climb. I'm not going to take pictures because if I need to suddenly uninstall the holds at some point for legal reasons, I want to minimize evidence that they were ever there!


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## Spicoli43

My other big HD purchase was 2 of their biggest Husky rolling tool chests, model HOTC5623BB2S that weren't at the store. I was getting them for a buddy that has a backhoe and other construction equipment and helped me set up my current concrete pad, including burying a water line for my future bathroom in said shop. Eventually, he will insist on helping do the wiring and everything inside as well.

He didn't ask for anything besides gas money, but that wasn't going to fly. Paying a contractor for what he did would have been twice the cost of the tool chests anyway. I walked into HD, told the pro desk I wanted 2 of them, put it on my card, got the receipt, and they said to expect a call / email etc when it was on the way or I could track on the website. Done. 

A week later with no word from them, I called the local morons and gave them the order number. A guy gets on the phone and says "You can't order that here". Well, "I have the receipt, I kinda did"... NOPE. I talked to the super, she said the same thing blah blah. 

I can't remember which, but I called or chatted with corporate and they ended up voiding any transaction history with the local putzes, and ordered the chests through them, but I still had to pick them up from the local morons, which ended up being completely different normal non morons. 

If the super had called me the next day and said I had to order online, fine, no problem. So that was what I did two years ago, not today, and I still ordered that mower from them because Lowe's refuses to carry good brands (Well, Cub Cadet Mower TBD).


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## Spicoli43

zannej... Get Coconut Sugar, a Head of Organic Garlic, Organic Turmeric powder and Organic Ginger powder. The Coconut Sugar masks the taste of the Turmeric as well as reduces airway inflammation. Normal Sugar promotes inflammation and CANNOT be used. 

Mince or shred all the Garlic cloves. Let sit for 15 minutes. 
Boil a quart of filtered water.
Dissolve 1/3 Cup of Coconut Sugar.
Add Garlic
Add 1 TBSP Ginger
Add 1 TBSP Turmeric
Stir, heat off.
Cool to room temp in Glass / Stainless storage container.
Stir and take a couple of shot glasses or 3 spoons in the morning before anything else and the same in the evening an hour before bed. 
A lot of snot should come up to the point you need a spit cup. You should notice better breathing.


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## zannej

Thanks, Spicoli. The respiratory issues are already starting to clear it seems. I was able to go to the auto repair place and get my brake pads put on and oil changed. They tried to fix the issue with the tire rubbing, but they said it looks like when the fender/bumper were repaired, the bumper was set too far back so it pushes the fender liner too far & hits the tire. Said the dealership or body shop would have to fix it. At least they tried. Also said my rotors are still good. I wore a mask but was the only one. I mentioned having a cold so they all understood and said they appreciated that I was trying to keep from spreading it. I also made sure to take the truck to the car wash to get an undercarriage wash so it wasn't quite as bad. The guy who worked on the truck said he appreciated it but he said he's worked on super muddy trucks before so he was ok with it still having mud on it.
Road people only grated up to about 50ft away from my front gate so it gets very mucky just before my gate. Good thing I have AWD.
At least my stomach feels better now, but I'm still tired and a bit meh feeling.
Went to the post office & they had tried to lock my box. I have to fill out a form and show ID and a recent electric bill showing my physical address. I did all that a few months ago but apparently they lost the photocopy they made of the bill. They stuck another form in the box but mom threw it away thinking it was put in mistakenly. They are now refusing to hand over my packages until I bring in the bill along with the new form.
I'll have to take care of that tomorrow.


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## Spicoli43

Good to hear, zannej. Keep up the regimen. Because of it, I have full breaths for the first time in almost 20 years, all I could get before was mini breaths. Of course losing weight and not consuming dairy would help me as well, the weight is easily taken care of with Paleo, but I'm currently a cookie monster and need Milk.

I'm surprised you don't do your brakes.


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## shan2themax

I replanted my green beans and corn and peas today. I actually dug up one pea shoot ( about 5 inches in ever direction and it's only 3 inches tall). I moved that plant to the row in front since it is getting too later for peas in zone 6b where I am.... so I will only have one row of peas now, and 3 rows of green beans instead of 2. I intended to replant my bush beans that i had planted on the edge of the hills of potatoes (for shade for potatoes) but i decided that 3 rows of vining beans was enough and the potatoes would just not get shaded..... I also replanted some corn. I just have a 12x26 garden and then a 5x16 bed for corn. First time I have had an inground garden. I also bought myself this greenstalk for mothers day..... 16 strawberry plants, some lettuce, some flowers, some green onions and banana peppers. 

Lots of things I want to do different next year. I planted a flower bed in the dark the other night (did i mention already?) Anyways.... i planted poppies dwarf marigolds, tall marigolds, bachelors buttons, calendulas, and 3 kinds of sunflowers. I sprinkled them in from shortest to tallest. Watered them in, added straw and now i wait.... i also ordered 2 signs for my "gardens") 1 for the flowers and one for the bigger one. I'm going to redo the garden posts this week hopefully. I have bird netting accross the top to keep most birds out, but i cant stand up in there without the netting making me look crazy...... pics attatched for your enjoyment


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## shan2themax

Oops..... I forgot to add the signs I ordered.....


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## zannej

The lug nuts on my truck are hard to remove. They have been machine tightened. My friend couldn't get them off. LOL. Took the truck back to have it looked at and the front brakes stopped squealing but now just the rear passenger side one is squealing. They couldn't find anything wrong. I'm hoping it will stop doing that with time. I should take it to the dealership soon anyway. 

Picked up my friend, went to the store to get stuff for plumbing, got to my house & he started to clear some weeds to crawl under when he heard a weird buzzing sound. Kind of like wasps or a cicada. Wasn't sure what it was. He leaned down for a closer look and saw this next to the 3/4" pex:


Tried to pull it out with a shovel so he could behead it with a machete but the shovel broke & it got away under the house. Dogs are currently locked inside and I hope the cats stay away.
Need to figure out how to catch it before it breeds.


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## Spicoli43

Lived in Montana half my life, never seen a rattler. They are all over the place here, not for me though. I wish I had a Python, then I wouldn't have Rabbits!

Be vewy vewy quiet! I hew a wascawy wabbit! Huhuhuhuuhuhhuhuhu.


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## BuzzLOL

Looks like a timber rattlesnake:
https://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_TPN/0037/320/Crotalus_horridus,_Timber_Rattlesnake,I_TPN3789.jpg


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I wish I had a Python, then I wouldn't have Rabbits!



Escaped pet pythons are a big dangerous problem in Florida:








						The Snakes That Ate Florida
					

Bounty hunters and biologists wade deep into the Everglades to wrestle with the invasion of giant pythons threatening the state's wetlands




					www.smithsonianmag.com


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## zannej

I posted on a local FB page asking if anyone knew someone who could come catch it. I was told it might be a Parish record sized one from the looks of it. They want to have someone come catch it to enter in to the record books.
I just want the thing gone. Had a couple people tell me if I see it again to leave it be and call them.

I did some more cleaning in the kitchen, pulled the burners off the stove so they can't accidentally be turned on, put burner covers over the holes, and set up the new induction cooktop. I liked the old one better. This one doesn't show exact temperature and doesn't have as much range for adjusting temperature as the old one. Took longer to cook on this one than on the other one too.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I was told it might be a Parish record sized one from the looks of it.



Are you in Louisiana?


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Escaped pet pythons are a big dangerous problem in Florida:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Snakes That Ate Florida
> 
> 
> Bounty hunters and biologists wade deep into the Everglades to wrestle with the invasion of giant pythons threatening the state's wetlands
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.smithsonianmag.com



I would bet most of their Humans let them escape. Even drove them to their escape.


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## Flyover

I finally weedwacked today (I like how the Australians say it: whippersnippered. I'm going to use that instead).

First time at this house. I really hate whippersnippering. To make things worse I now have to daisy-chain a 100ft extension cord to a 50ft one to reach the furthest corners of the property.

Discovered a huge patch of poison ivy in the back yard by one of the utility boxes. I couldn't whippersnip in there because I didn't want to spread poison ivy everywhere, or spray it on myself, so I'll have to go pull it out by hand before Friday. (We're having a party on Saturday.)

The only way anyone would know I won the lottery is if one day a crew shows up and hardscapes most of my property. How about a half-acre zen rock garden?

On the plus side I discovered a couple mulberry bushes. One is small, more like a sapling, but the other is probably 10 feet tall or more and I can see it will be yielding fruit this year. Looking forward to that! So now this means I've got maple syrup, cherries, peaches, and mulberries. Not bad for 42˚N and zone 3.


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## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Are you in Louisiana?


Yes. I've been told to try to contact fish & wildlife tomorrow when it opens. Also have some local guys on standby if it pops up again. Have someone who is supposed to come out this weekend to cut the weeds around the house. We'll see if he actually shows up. He wanted to catch the snake too. LOL.


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## Spicoli43

I think everybody wants to eat the snake.


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## Eddie_T

I'm considering malt options. I love a chocolate malt but the readily available malt powders are pricey and loaded with powdered milk and sugar. So my question is could a brewing malt such as a mild base malt or pale ale malt be used for making malted milkshakes?  Any recommendations?


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I'm considering malt options. I love a chocolate malt but the readily available malt powders are pricey and loaded with powdered milk and sugar. So my question is could a brewing malt such as a mild base malt or pale ale malt be used for making malted milkshakes?  Any recommendations?



I can't answer the actual malt part, but when I want a shake, I use a can of Coconut Milk with a couple scoops of Protein powder, a Tsp. of Vanilla and Coconut Sugar, Xylitol or Monkfruit to sweeten it. If I want Chocolate, I add a couple Tbsp. of Cacao.

If you figure it out, post it. I don't think you can go get an authentic Malted Milk Shake anywhere. In the late 80's, early 90's at Arby's and McDonald's, it was just a box of Milk and Sugar like you say. We just dumped it in the machine that stirred it and kept it cold. Besides the thickening powder, whatever that was, that is as authentic as it got. 

I have never had a real shake that I can remember.


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## zannej

I woke up late and didn't think about calling until it was too late to call fish & wildlife today. Went to the post office but none of my packages were there (even though they said they were delivered there). There was another form to fill out in the box. So they may be withholding my mail. Not sure. I gave the form in. Hope my packages aren't lost.

The number of people who said "shoot it" about the snake was kind of funny to me. I guess a lot of people don't think about gun safety and being careful about where you shoot. Shooting blindly under a house is not a good idea.

I've never liked malt for some reason. Don't know why.


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## shan2themax

So.... I got most of the upgrade to the garden done by myself last night. My daughter came over today and helped me with the last 8 feet. Then we came inside and she did some cleaning for me which has improved my mood tremendously.  I went out around 730 to pick up all the bits we had scattered everywhere Nd moved my deck box up by the house and put some of my gardening stuff up. Got both hoses hung up.  Put a fence up around my corn because my dogs keep running through that area. Ran out of fencing so I cut the top off and patched the last 8 feet together with those pieces. 
I got an injection in my knee yesterday and it felt great, however the lidocaine for the injection has worn off and I have probably used it more than I should have.... I may have stopped the night off with mowing half of my backyard in the dark .....
Plan to take it much easier tomorrow.


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## Eddie_T

You're gonna laugh at me but I was quite envious of the lake view in this picture until I zoomed it and saw it is a building. Maybe I should wear my glasses


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## homerowner

Eddie_T said:


> You're gonna laugh at me but I was quite envious of the lake view in this picture until I zoomed it and saw it is a building. Maybe I should wear my glasses





Seems to be going around....


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I think everybody wants to eat the snake.



I think the snake wants to eat everybody... at least the smaller everybodies... take a python to swallow the adults...


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Discovered a huge patch of poison ivy in the back yard by one of the utility boxes. I couldn't whippersnip in there because I didn't want to spread poison ivy everywhere, or spray it on myself, so I'll have to go pull it out by hand before Friday. (We're having a party on Saturday.)
> 
> The only way anyone would know I won the lottery is if one day a crew shows up and hardscapes most of my property. How about a half-acre zen rock garden?
> 
> On the plus side I discovered a couple mulberry bushes. One is small, more like a sapling, but the other is probably 10 feet tall or more and I can see it will be yielding fruit this year. Looking forward to that! So now this means I've got maple syrup, cherries, peaches, and mulberries. Not bad for 42˚N and zone 3.



I can't touch or get too close to poison ivy, so I bought a spray bottle of poison ivy killer to use on several areas of my Mom's yard, it turns it brown in a few hours. Also used it on poison ivy covered trees on edge of parking lot of my friend's store so he wouldn't get sued by customers contracting it. 

You could move to Arizona where nothing grows and yards are stones/bare sand... air is dry and 120 degrees... to plant a bush or tree they call a plumber and landscaper and have water piped out to where the roots will be... 

I have several small white mulberries and a big one way up here in N.W. Ohio. They grow fast like weeds and are difficult to fully kill. Cut them down and new one springs up from stump/roots. The big one I need to cut down. It was never supposed to get above about 12 feet high and just give privacy from the neighbors but someone borrowed my ladder and didn't return it and the neglected tree is about 30-40 feet now. It's near the driveway and leaves 3 horrible messes a year on the driveway/vehicles. Some kind of preflowering mess which is there now, dropped flowering mess, and dropped fruit mess. Plus birds sit on the branches and eat the dark purple berries and poop dark purple staining crap down on everything.


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## Spicoli43

Have you tried regular Vinegar on the Poison Ivy? It kills everything I have ever sprayed it at.


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## BuzzLOL

Never tried vinegar, don't usually have it around, don't like it in foods...


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## Spicoli43

I can't eat Chili without some Vinegar, but a lady told me to spray it on weeds, and it kills them very effectively. At about $2.20 a gallon, I will never pay for (Insert brand name) Cancer spray.


----------



## zannej

Shan, the garden looks great!
Last night a snake expert came out. He just finished up his degree the day before & was hoping to find the snake so he could confirm it's existence and location in this area so he could write about it for some paper/journal. Apparently there haven't been any of that species confirmed in my parish (so I was wrong about the "parish record" being size). They must have migrated here because I hadn't seen any before. I've promised him that if I see it again I will call him immediately. He searched under the house as much as he could (did not climb under as he was not dressed appropriately for it). He was going to crawl under in biker shorts and a t-shirt but I said it probably wouldn't be safe with all the crud under there. The sand will chew up elbows and he would need something to keep dirt out of his nose. I said he'd probably need coveralls to safely crawl under. He did tell me that the snake is likely to flee again if it encounters humans and it may leave if it feels uncomfortable with all of the pets around. Said they are too large for the snake to go after for food. He did say they will eat rabbits. My fluffy calico, Aminatu, followed the guy all around and tried to get in his truck when he was leaving. LOL. He said his wife got a calico cat and she runs amok all over the house sometimes & he is fine with just one cat so he handed Aminatu to me so she couldn't take a ride with him.
Came back inside after he left and my smallest cat had caught a rabbit. She ate 3/4 of it while I got something for Mom to eat.
Mom no longer likes the shepherd's pie so I will need to find something else for her to eat.
The guy who owes us $ to do yard work is *supposed* to come this weekend. We'll see if he actually shows up.
Trying to rest today.


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## shan2themax

Thank you @zannej !
@Eddie_T  now I am sad also.... wouldnt that have been lovely for it to have been a lake view. Lol


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## shan2themax

My signs came today. The dandelions are pixelated but unless you are right on top of them you can't really tell


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## Spicoli43

So zannej... The guy just finished his degree in snake catching, but nothing was in the lesson plans about crawling on the ground? Was he wearing a suit? Oh please say he was wearing a suit. That would be AWESOME!


----------



## Flyover

A couple weeks ago we got one of those round swings that are all the rage, and hung it from a thick branch of our big maple via a seatbelt-like strap material. Well the swing was too low, I felt one of the roots scraping my butt every time I went over it, so I wanted to get the swing up off the ground a little more. Today I finally got around to it.

Dumb old me, I disconnected the swing from the strap, then threw the strap up over the branch so it'd loop. Needless to say it didn't go exactly where I wanted it to. First it was stuck in this little branch, then that little branch, each time me climbing up on a ladder and using a stick to poke it where I wanted it to go, sometimes to where I could grab it and throw it again.

Maybe 5 throws later I had looped it around a little branch off to the side somewhere and had to get out my 16ft extension ladder and after a very harrowing shaky climb with a long stick in one hand I was able to correct this issue and allow the strap to hang normally with one extra loop around the branch. I re-attached the swing, to discover it was 3 feet off the ground and only the biggest kids could get on it by jumping and hauling themselves up.

Then I saw how stupid I was. I disconnected the swing again, used the ladder to climb up and undo the extra wrap around the branch, re-attached the swing, and used the adjustment brackets on the actual swing rope to raise it up about a foot. Perfect.

PS. And of course I did all this in flip flops because I do everything in flip flops.


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## homerowner

Flyover said:


> PS. And of course I did all this in flip flops because I do everything in flip flops.



I gutted my kitchen and bathroom while wearing OSHA approved flip flops. And lived.


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## zannej

Spicoli, he was wearing a t-shirt and spandex biker shorts. I told him I didn't want him climbing under the house unless he had coveralls and a mask (to keep dirt out of his mouth & nose bc the dirt kicks up terribly under there & you breathe it in).

I'm still trying to figure out if we should just wait and see if my friend feels comfortable climbing back under there or see how much of it I can do myself. Problem is, I'm too fat to squeeze through a lot of the places I'd need to go. At least I have more time to clean before he comes out again though. I'm hoping to get to the point that we can open the back door. Bro piled more stuff up there.

Went grocery shopping and found more stuff was in that wasn't in last time. Was too tired to clean when I got home. Just finished watching Father Brown, Death In Paradise, and Midsomer Murders on PBS.


----------



## Eddie_T

A young raccoon passed through dumping pots. It dumped my only pineapple tomato plant. I found it in the mess and repotted it. I think I'll try to trap the coon tonight.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Spicoli, he was wearing a t-shirt and spandex biker shorts. I told him I didn't want him climbing under the house unless he had coveralls and a mask (to keep dirt out of his mouth & nose bc the dirt kicks up terribly under there & you breathe it in).
> 
> I'm still trying to figure out if we should just wait and see if my friend feels comfortable climbing back under there or see how much of it I can do myself. Problem is, I'm too fat to squeeze through a lot of the places I'd need to go. At least I have more time to clean before he comes out again though. I'm hoping to get to the point that we can open the back door. Bro piled more stuff up there.
> 
> Went grocery shopping and found more stuff was in that wasn't in last time. Was too tired to clean when I got home. Just finished watching Father Brown, Death In Paradise, and Midsomer Murders on PBS.



Sorry, I truly wish your situation would be resolved, but you need to hire a professional, not a moron like Jim Carrey.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> A young raccoon passed through dumping pots. It dumped my only pineapple tomato plant. I found it in the mess and repotted it. I think I'll try to trap the coon tonight.



The coon? I have only seen 6 or so at a time.


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## Flyover

Jeez Spicoli, you never met this guy and you're calling him a moron? I know not every college degree reliably indicates exceptional intelligence, and Zannej didn't say whether this guy had just received his bachelor's or his doctorate, but based on the description provided I'd guess he studied something like biology or zoology with a concentration in herpatology, and either way this is almost certainly not his first time doing "field work". He is interested in the apparently novel presence of a certain species of snake in Zannej's parish. I'd say that sounds pretty interesting, with actual (if modest) possible rewards for scientific understanding. Why all the hate?

As for raccoons, I've seen both loners and groups. Maybe it depends on whether it's an adult male or a female&pups / group of young littermates.


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## Spicoli43

Ok, so shall we talk about mowers again? I think that's a SWELL idea! I still haven't gotten my Cub Cadet Zero Turn Electric, model ULTIMA ZT1-42E. 

Home Depot.com says it was delivered Monday... Not True.
YRC.com shipping says it was delivered Monday... Not True.
Home Depot.com chat says it was delivered to a service center to be put together... Not True. 
YRC on the phone after an hour says it's at the local shipping depot to be delivered when they have a lift gate, maybe next week... Sure.

That would put it at 7 weeks since ordering...

Now, the blessing in disguise may be that apparently the things could be garbage. That would of course be the all too reliable reviews that go both ways from the best product ever to the worst. There is obviously one way to figure that out, but it's undeniable that everybody using these BRAND NEW things is a Guinea Pig tester. 

If it's garbage, I have to tell Home Depot to take it back and go buy a gas one for immediate delivery at Lowe's. 

Oh, and if you are in the market for an Electric riding mower, don't go to Home Depot for another reason... They keep them outside. Where I'm from, it rains and snows. Of course, check any other retailer to see how they treat their mowers.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover, I don't care if he has 3 PhD's. Having advanced degrees in anything means one is good at sitting at a desk. When it comes to actually practicing in any field, this one being removal of a venomous creature, showing up in spandex bike shorts makes him a CERTIFIED MORON.

Unless he was training for the Tour De La Baton Rouge and zannej's place was on the way, so he wanted to get an idea before bringing the work truck, he has no business in the field he chose, no matter how book smart he is.


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## zannej

Spicoli, you may be able to get sort of partial refund if you complain to customer service on the phone. Point out that it has been 7 weeks since you ordered and this is inconveniencing you by making it so it will be even hotter when you go to use it & that you should not have to deal with getting jerked around and told it was delivered when it was not.

In defense of the snake guy, he wasn't initially planning to crawl all the way under the house and I think a lot of people assumed I had a trailer from the photos. So there would not be much ground to cover. He said he had some sort of protective suit but he'd forgotten to bring it. Keep in mind, he did get his degree from a college in Louisiana and the schools here aren't the best. My high school in Singapore had a better curriculum and more professionalism than colleges here. Since the snake was photographed near the opening, I think he was hoping it would still be somewhere visible and easy to see. However, I did question the attire- bare legs when snake hunting is not a good idea. He did mention that he has experience searching for and capturing snakes. We weren't expecting to actually find the snake but he was hoping we'd get lucky and it would still be somewhere visible.

Trying to find actual professionals who aren't morons is very difficult in my area. The best and brightest have moved far far away from here.

Mentioning stuff that gets left outside. I was at a small shop that was selling PVC pipes and they were all sitting out in the open in the sun on a shelf thing (no shade). I told them that it wasn't a good idea and when they wanted to sell me some, I declined. I hate when stores leave stuff out in the elements that are not supposed to be left out.


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## Spicoli43

Ok, maybe I'll take back the Moron part. He's a Moron to me and would be up here, but if that's normal in Louisiana, and people dress up like Steve Irwin to go catch snakes, so be it. All I see is a Darwin candidate. 

"Crikey, look at those teeth! If you try this, have protective gear, don't be like me, who forgot his protective suit 2 blocks down the road. No time for that now!"

Good idea on the partial refund, but HD won't refund a penny most likely. I will tell them they owe me the cost to hire someone to mow 2 times, or I'll return the mower. They have one of these at the local store, which proves it can be shipped here. They sold it, they have to deliver it in a reasonable timeframe. If they rely on XYZ shipping company to bring it to a local shipping company to deliver it to the UPS truck with a trailer to deliver it to Uhaul with a trailer, to deliver it to Jim's bait, tackle, gas and delivery, then that's on them. They are Home Freaking Depot, they can have their own semi pick 20 of these up and drive them to locations real easy. 

That being said, the other 50 percent of the blame is on Cub Cadet, who can also drive it themselves for the mortgage people have to take out to buy the damn things!

(100% of the actual blame is on me for being an idiot and going to HD)


----------



## Eddie_T

I've got my live trap set and am hoping to get the coon tonight. I'll bring my repotted pineapple tomato indoors at night until I catch it. I'll post a pic if I get him.

As for snakes, I wouldn't crawl under anything hunting one but don't mind catching them in the open. If you're a golfer a putter is good to pin their head to the ground until you verify if it's a pit viper or not. If it's not just grasp it firmly behind the head and drop it into a bag or pillow case for transport.


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## Flyover

I installed the downspout elbows so they "S" out over the rain barrel and into the bung hole. (Still feels funny to write that...didn't the people who make those barrels ever watch Beavis and Butthead?) It was drizzling so I'd be surprised if it filled much; hopefully it's not too hard to move again if I need to. If it is I guess I can just drain it. I have to do another hardware store run before I can finish it, and then I should be able to install the second one too.

On that same run I need to pick up some steel or aluminum plates (something I can drill through) to fabricate some missing parts for a dip station I bought at auction. I've been hitting this gym in my basement 6 days a week for 6 months but that whole time I haven't had a good way to do dips, which I miss. I'm thinking maybe four 1/8" steel plates, each 6"x9" ought to do the trick. Not sure if I have the right 3/8" drill bit for those....


----------



## Eddie_T

Got him! The camera wouldn't focus through the wire.


Edit: It has now been transported to a new woodland habitat and is wondering what happened.


----------



## havasu

I've been seeing webs on the patio chairs in the backyard so today, I took off the cushions, flipped the chairs over, and sprayed them with Home Defense. I found 4 black widows, just waiting to bite us while eating dinner. I'll feel much better sitting out there now.


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## homerowner

Flyover said:


> (Still feels funny to write that...didn't the people who make those barrels ever watch Beavis and Butthead?)



I could be wrong, but I don't think Beavis or Butthead were even born at the time the word was coined.
But again, I could be wrong. I usually am.

*First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bunge “bung, bunghole,” from Middle Dutch bong(h)e “stopper”*


----------



## Flyover

homerowner said:


> I could be wrong, but I don't think Beavis or Butthead were even born at the time the word was coined.
> But again, I could be wrong. I usually am.
> 
> *First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bunge “bung, bunghole,” from Middle Dutch bong(h)e “stopper”*


It was a joke; I figured the term had been around longer.

I could say the same about whoever named Lake Titicaca.


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## homerowner

My reply was just a lighthearted attempt at humor. 

As for Titicaca, well, that's just a crag of lead.


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## Flyover

One rain barrel is fully installed. The second is ready to install (I affixed the faucet and overflow to it already) just need to choose a location.

I drew the lines on my steel plates, but haven't had a chance to cut them yet. Maybe tomorrow if I get a chance. I think this is my first time fabricating metal parts. It will be great once I can do dips again.


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## zannej

Spicoli, LOL. Yeah, that was my feeling on it. Man, it's a shame about Steve Irwin getting killed the way he did, but Darwinism. Feel bad for his daughter, but it seems she's done well for herself. His son seems to be doing OK as well.

Beavis and Butthead was great! My mom was the only one who didn't really like it, but the rest of us would sit and watch it and laugh hysterically. I think some of my favorite skits were the ones at their work when people tried to ask them questions or order stuff. The principal ordering and them saying "No. We're like closed or something". And the "Are your shakes made with real milk or constituted shake mix?"

Eddie, glad you caught the raccoon. I wonder what happened to the ones that had been invading my house. I'm pretty sure one of them got hit by a car. I saw it dead on my road.

The guy who owes us $ (and promised to do yardwork in lieu of it) actually showed up. Bush-hogged the front 10 acres. He's supposed to come back tomorrow to cut the blackberry bushes and haul a fallen tree out of the way. We'll see if he actually shows up or not. He put in a good 5 hours mowing (he had to pick up debris so it took longer). I suspect he might not feel well today. He's not terribly reliable. 

On the upside, the new doorbell works (although it only rings in my brother's room and the living room so I can't hear it unless I'm watching TV).


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## Flyover

If Steve Irwin had kids, especially more than one, then that's not Darwinism! (Though maybe if his inclination toward risk-taking got inherited to where his kids meet a similar fate before _they_ have kids...)

I like to think I was the first one to notice that Principal McVickers or whatever that character from Beavis and Butthead was called, sounds exactly like Bernie Sanders, but apparently one other person on YouTube noticed it too. 

For the past couple months I've been getting covered in flea bites. Nobody else in my family, just me. It makes no sense. The fleas bit up my legs (I probably have 20+ bites on each leg) then moved on to my arms and torso. Not a single bite on my wife or any of my kids. But we did finally find a couple fleas. No clue where they came from: we have no pets, and some of our neighbors have dogs but none of them have fleas. Like I said, it makes no sense. But one way or another we're bug bombing today which means a long day outside at the park and in the back yard. Weather should be nice.


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## Spicoli43

zannej, why cut the Blackberries? It's one of the only acceptable fruits in my opinion because it isn't a sugar bomb. I know how much a pain in the *** the bushes are, but are they where you need something else?

I don't think Irvin was a Darwin candidate because he knew what he was doing and probably took all precautions off set. Being that he was taken out by a Stingray, it was just a freak accident. If he jumped in a pool of Bull or Tiger Sharks, different story.

Beavis and Butthead was awesome during my rebellion years. I ran away and stayed at my buddy's house in his basement without his folks knowing. We both worked at Mcdonald's, and I parked my ratty beater around the corner to go to work. I lived on Mcd's cheeseburgers with my employee discount. Saying "Heh Heh Yeah Yeah, Shutup Beavis" at work, which I can do perfectly to this day, got old and I went home after 3 days. Ah, to be 16 again! No worries, Bulletproof, and dumber than Asphalt. 

Flyover, something you are eating, something you are excreting. That's the only explanation. I have maybe one Mosquito bite a year if that because I eat Garlic relentlessly.


----------



## Spicoli43

After walking around (briefly) in stores this weekend without a mask, I am apparently hypersensitive to the smell of Human Funk!  I guess people either cut down on their body cleansing routines because it's difficult to smell with a mask on, or stores stopped filtering the air as much for the same reason.  Either way, the mask went back on and I took a big whiff of my own odoriferous technicalities when I got home to make sure it wasn't me. It wasn't. I would take 3 showers a day, just don't want to do that much laundry. 

"Hey honey, we saved $2.97 a month every month not using deodorant during the pandemic. No reason to change that! That's like half a gallon of gas every month for free!"


----------



## Eddie_T

I recall a guy that had several cats and has some itchy spots on his ankles. He puzzled about it for several days then came to work and said problem solved. He discovered it was fleas and had a flea collar around each ankle. I wonder what effect that had on him if he wore them long term?

Going out to sound Taps on my patio. I should have done it yesterday on the real Memorial Day.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I recall a guy that had several cats and has some itchy spots on his ankles. He puzzled about it for several days then came to work and said problem solved. He discovered it was fleas and had a flea collar around each ankle. I wonder what effect that had on him if he wore them long term?
> 
> Going out to sound Taps on my patio. I should have done it yesterday on the real Memorial Day.



I bet he had neurological issues if he wore flea collars like that. It constantly amazes me, as I sit here unable to put my Flag out because of the pesticides in the air, how people constantly ignore the chemicals involved in killing bugs and somehow think it won't affect them, as they reach for that Bayer badge product, while also ignoring that Bayer is by far the most lethal killers of humans with their death camps in WWII.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, he *does* sound like Bernie Sanders! LOL! That makes it even funnier now! As for fleas, as Spicoli said, you may be the most tasty one in there to the fleas. If it's been raining in your area, it drives fleas inside. Fleas were gone for winter but they have come back with a vengeance. I just had one crawling on my foot.

Spicoli, I am absolutely guilty of being one of the human funk people. Haven't been able to wash stuff in hot water (only cold) and only been able to take cold showers. I sweat a LOT even when it's not summer (something to do with my thyroid even with the meds) and I've gone to the store right after cleaning or doing something that made me sweat more. Even the 48hr deoderant/antiperspirant doesn't do jack (and I do wash my armpits with soap and water when I shower). My pits still sweat anyway and overwhelm the deodorant. 

I need to get a hair cut so maybe my neck won't sweat as much. My neck and the backs of my knees sweat.

Worked up a sweat today helping my mom try to organize stuff in her room. She's got a ton of stuff piled up in cardboard boxes and lying around. So I bought her a bunch of see-through plastic bins. She's been filling them up and organizing her stuff into them. But because she has balance issues, she can't carry the bins. So I have to pick them up and put them where she wants them, bring other bins and boxes over, etc.

She's waiting on me to make lunch. I'm about to go see what she wants to eat. Hoping she wants roast beef au jus since I'm hungry too and it's easy to make & makes portions for 2 people.

As I expected, guy who does yardwork no-showed again. I figured he wouldn't feel up to it today.

Oh, on the blackberries: They are wrapping around my outside AC unit, blocking entry to get under my house, blocking walkways, and are just growing like crazy and the thorns are grabbing people who try to walk by. They are trying to grow up on to my porch. They've surrounded the house. As much as I love blackberries, they are the perfect cover/home for venomous snakes. Copperheads and Cottonmouths LOVE blackberry bushes. If they had remained in the back field/garden area, that would have been fine. But birds carried the seeds over to the house.

Speaking of birds, I saw the female cardinal, male cardinal, some sort of brown finch, and a small yellow bird (too big for hummingbird but smaller than the cardinals) all taking turns having a go at Mom's bedroom window. Male cardinal chased the little yellow bird away though.

Ok, off to go get something for Mom before she gets mad.


----------



## zannej

I made lunch. I forgot to address the thing of Steve Irwin. He's got a daughter and a son. The son was just a baby when Steve died. He infamously put the baby near one of the crocodiles and sparked outrage. The son and widow work at some zoo. I believe the daughter worked at one as well but she recently got married and had a baby. I think they have both learned to be a lot more careful around animals. So they learned from their father's mistakes & don't take as many risks.

While typing one of my cats climbed up no me and started licking my nose. I think he wants attention. LOL.


----------



## Eddie_T

Sprayed Crossroad herbicide on white clover invasion of front lawn. I used to like white Dutch clover but this stuff seems to be more of a vine and is overtaking my Zoysia grass. I am also trying to grow dwarf Mondo grass so am trying to spray carefully to avoid it.


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## Spicoli43

zannej... I don't think you have that smell capability since besides your freak winter storm, it's always 200 degrees with 4000 percent humidity... I would think everybody is a sweat ball and nobody knows that smell is different. I can't ever go to LA because the smell of shrimp, crab, lobster etc. is enough to make me hurl. Just the smell alone.

I see your Blackberry problem, you might have to do it yourself apparently.


----------



## zannej

I went out to get pictures of my blackberry bushes (as well as to show how nice the rest of the yard looks after being bush-hogged). Took a side trip to get footage of the barn. Since I couldn't actually see my screen (sunlight turns it black) I put it in video record mode and will have to sort out screenshots later. Phone overheated and gave me a warning that I couldn't use certain functions until it cooled down. I could smell hot plastic coming from it. Shut it off and put it in the fridge for 2 minutes.

Being outside made me sweat even more. I'm pretty ripe. Mom asked for a clothespin for her nose when I came in to hand her something. I can shower, put on deodorant, use body powder, etc and by the time I get to the store I'm sweating and I can smell my own armpits. I have been told that there were clerks at Walmart who avoided me because of my strong odor (back before masks were a thing). That was shortly before I was diagnosed with hypothyroid and my sweat odor changed. It's a weird sour smell. I'm a bit more aware of it now than I used to be. I haven't noticed other people having odors so much-- unless they work at the chemical plant. People from the chemical plant stink of pesticide so strongly that they sometimes get asked to leave public places and it clears out sections of the store. It is nauseating. I feel bad for the employees. It can't be healthy being exposed to stuff that smells that strong that it stinks up half the store just from them walking in.

Tomorrow is my best friend's day off & I'll remind him to see if he and the guy will actually show up to cut the blackberries. I can probably cut some of them myself but the fallen tree is an issue. This is only the front part of my yard (I didn't get screenshots of the back yet).







You can't even see the air conditioner.
One of my main issues is I can't be out in the sun due to medical conditions. I burn like crazy and I overheat very easily.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, zannej... All the more reason to go on an Organic paleo diet. You won't smell after a few weeks, and some of your other medical issues will disappear. The energy change I had the first time I did Paleo / Keto was akin to you going out and cutting all those bushes yourself without even thinking much about it. 

Once you get rid of the Sugar Demon, it's like a brand new you. 

I need to practice what I preach, as I rip through some Dollar Store cookies, the best and only that I buy. 

If you have a couple of hours, here's a good starter video..


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, no offense but you have 192 cats and 37 dogs, you live with one person who's a hoarder and another who refuses to help you clean, and the bottom halves of your doors are missing. Fleas in your situation makes sense. We have no pets, our house is kept cleaner than most other people's houses I've visited (we're even one of those "take your shoes off when you come inside" households), none of our neighbors' pets have fleas that I know of (the neighbors don't have flea bites either), and the only other time we ever had fleas was when we had a cat and lived in Los Ang-_hell_-es.

Spicoli, it's not my diet. My wife and kids eat the same food as me. (And I don't skimp on garlic in my cooking either by the way.) Now, I've heard that mosquitos prefer O-negative blood, which I have and which, if memory serves, my wife does not. I'm not sure which blood type my kids have (I should look at up and memorize it, I think I knew at one point). But I haven't heard that fleas care about blood type. When our cat got fleas years and years ago the fleas bit both of us.

Like I said, it makes no sense. It makes no sense why there should be fleas in my house -- yet they are in there. Or were; we bombed the s#!t out of them today. And it makes no sense why they should bite me and nobody else.

I've heard blood-sucking insects don't bite you if you smoke cigarettes. Maybe it's time for me to take up smoking?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover... Mash some garlic up and mix it with water in a spray bottle. Spray it on your legs so everyone in the house hates you, including the fleas.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> If Steve Irwin had kids, especially more than one, then that's not Darwinism!
> 
> I like to think I was the first one to notice that Principal McVickers or whatever that character from Beavis and Butthead was called, sounds exactly like Bernie Sanders, but apparently one other person on YouTube noticed it too.
> 
> For the past couple months I've been getting covered in flea bites. Nobody else in my family, just me. It makes no sense.



If Irwin isn't around to guide his kids properly until 25 - 30 years old, there's some 'Darwinism' there... 

I can't stand to listen to Sanders, so don't really know what he sounds like... maybe I do a little bit... 

I have the same problem, fleas find me delicious, so I put the cat's extra flea collars on my ankles for a couple days until I got the backyard and garage sprayed down good... that was several years ago...


----------



## Flyover

So between the flea collars on ankles and garlic-water spritzings y'all are just crazy. Got it. I'm going to see if after a few days post-bug bombing I get any more bites. Getting mosquito bites too now, which adds noise to the signal.

I used an angle grinder for the first time yesterday and cut up my plates, then did another pass to smooth the edges/remove burrs/etc. I think I did a really good job for my first time! I ran my finger over it and while it wasn't slippery smooth, it definitely wasn't sharp and I was not at risk of being cut. Today on my lunch break I'm going to drill the holes in the plates and then get them installed. Should be doing dips today as part of my workout!


----------



## Eddie_T

An old timer told me that dusting trouser legs with flowers of sulfur kept chiggers away. That might work for fleas too. When I lived in FL my dogs got fleas and ticks. They didn't socialize with other animals so the St. Augustine lawn grass must have been populated with them.


----------



## homerowner

Flyover said:


> So between the flea collars on ankles and garlic-water spritzings y'all are just crazy. Got it.



That's what got your brain firing on all cylinders? Not everything else that's been going on in this thread?

Before I open the forum I always make myself a big batch of popcorn. True entertainment.


----------



## Flyover

homerowner said:


> That's what got your brain firing on all cylinders? Not everything else that's been going on in this thread?


I have gotten very good at information filtration. Internet survival skills, especially for someone like me who gets sucked in easily!

I got one plate drilled, tested it to make sure it fit, then used it as a template for the others. I got about half rest of the plates done, then had to get back to work. Will finish up once I'm off.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I need to practice what I preach, as I rip through some Dollar Store cookies, the best and only that I buy.


You have my attention, what cookies do you buy. I am currently eating Food Lion and/or Walmart Oreo knockoffs.


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## zannej

Flyover, do you live in a slightly wooded area? Somewhere with trees? I can't seem to remember. But even if you don't have pets, you keep the place clean, and neighbor's pets don't have fleas, the fleas will live outside in yards. My vet told me that even if we had no pets we would still have fleas because of where we live. They live in the grass and wooded areas. Especially in areas with more moisture. If you have less than 50% humidity/moisture level, the fleas don't survive as well. So, perhaps a dehumidifier inside might if the bug-bombing doesn't?

The guy came back with my friend to work on the yard. It was threatening to rain so they only put in 3 hours of work. Weedeater wire broke and they didn't have more. Hauled the fallen tree out and got a lot of the weeds in the front. Cut down some small trees. Did some measuring to plan where to put the solar panel when we get the gate/fence fixed to do a solar powered gate opener. Also discussed removing some of the broken fence around the house and cutting some broken metal off the car port. They poked around the car port area and found some unopened tools and stuff still in packaging. Found some rusty bent tractor parts that could possibly be used. I need to go out there and sort through stuff at some point.

I had to take Mom into town for her bloodwork and I grabbed more weedeater wire at the store. Trash got burned, I picked up mail, cooked for mom, and now I'm resting.

Guys are coming back out tomorrow to work on stuff again.


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## Flyover

Zannej, the nearest woods are a 10 minute drive away; we're in the suburbs. It's a slightly older development, built in the 70s, so it's spread out and there are mature trees but definitely not a forest in my neighborhood. Also, it's not a flood plain or anything (unlike our last neighborhood which was one, and where there were no fleas despite lots of stray cats and wild critters!) Plus it's so dry I have to lotion my feet to keep them from cracking year round. I can't say it _never_ gets above 50% humidity but it sure isn't the norm. If it rains a lot the grass near the back of my property close to the fence line (where I never hang out btw) gets soggy for a couple days, otherwise it seems the property drains well. They did a good job with the grading around all the houses in the development.

One more theory for how the fleas got in: we had squirrels in our attic during the winter. They're gone now but could they have brought fleas who decided to stay afterward? That's a possible origin story, though it doesn't fully explain how they got from my attic down into my house, and doesn't at all explain why they only bit me.


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## Flyover

Here are the plates I cut/drilled for the dip stand:


You can't see in the picture but there are 8 of them; they are doubled up because I figured the metal was not quite thick enough to be strong enough while single-ply, but they weren't selling anything thicker unless I went all the way to 1/4" thick and that was both cost prohibitive and likely not something I'd be able to work with given the equipment I could borrow from my neighbor.

(Another advantage of doubling them up was I could drill half of them in one orientation, the other half in the other, then sandwich them together so the burrs were facing each other. Less work than filing each hole!)

I did three sets of dips today and it felt great. (Maybe even greater than the satisfaction of having DIYed those parts.) What I didn't expect would be such a drag is going over my driveway with a little magnet picking up metal shavings. That part took almost as long as the cutting did!


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## Flyover

Zannej, you might be onto something about those fleas, regardless of the average humidity around here. It rained last night and today I went out to put a screen on the rain barrel, and as I was standing there installing the screen I looked down to see three or four fleas crawling on my legs. Those bastards tried to dig in under my socks too! They must have hopped up from the wet grass.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> You have my attention, what cookies do you buy. I am currently eating Food Lion and/or Walmart Oreo knockoffs.



Shortbread.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Here are the plates I cut/drilled for the dip stand:
> View attachment 25893
> 
> You can't see in the picture but there are 8 of them; they are doubled up because I figured the metal was not quite thick enough to be strong enough while single-ply, but they weren't selling anything thicker unless I went all the way to 1/4" thick and that was both cost prohibitive and likely not something I'd be able to work with given the equipment I could borrow from my neighbor.
> 
> (Another advantage of doubling them up was I could drill half of them in one orientation, the other half in the other, then sandwich them together so the burrs were facing each other. Less work than filing each hole!)
> 
> I did three sets of dips today and it felt great. (Maybe even greater than the satisfaction of having DIYed those parts.) What I didn't expect would be such a drag is going over my driveway with a little magnet picking up metal shavings. That part took almost as long as the cutting did!



I like Dips better than Dumbbells, but Dumbbells take up no floor space because they hide in the closet.


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## Flyover

As far as triceps exercises go, there are several standard exercises that can be done with dumbbells, none of which I like all that much, at least not on their own. Basically all of them except overhead extensions are very focused, so they're good for strengthening individual muscles, but should be done only after compound exercises. The problem with overhead extensions is the force curves: as you reach full extension the movement gets easier and easier until there is basically no energy required to hold the dumbbell straight over your head. This is also a problem for skullcrushers. The only triceps exercise this doesn't apply to is kickbacks.

For all those exercises I prefer to use silicone straps, affixed at one end to my pullup bar. With the straps the difficulty increases as you reach full extension. You can do them isometrically too.

Dips are great because it's a compound exercise. Floor space isn't an issue; we dedicated space in the basement to our fitness dungeon home gym.


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## Spicoli43

I only have a Bowflex now, which would be useful if it was the OG version made by Bowflex. Since Nautilus bought them, it's just barely good enough. I can't max out on Bench / Incline / Decline / Curls, but I can max out on anything Tricep pull down related. I can't max out on Triceps pull back, that will take a while, but the point is once I'm maxing everything, it's a giant paperweight. 

The benefit about Bowflex is it's almost impossible to do the exercise "correctly" as opposed to an Olympic setup, so all the little forgotten muscles get worked.


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## zannej

Flyover, squirrels will absolutely carry fleas. So if they got into your attic, eggs could hatch, they can nest in insulation, they hang out in grass, they jump off of squirrels all over. They can leap very far. The rain was probably another factor encouraging them to come out. We didn't have many fleas during winter but now that it's warmed up and we've been having warm rain storms, the fleas, mosquitoes, gnats, and gigantic horse flies are out. My dad once joked that the horse flies here are so big that I hit one with a flyswatter and it just took the swatter away from me and hit me back. Flyswatters won't even phase them.

The guy who's been doing some yardwork messaged to say he wasn't going to come if it rained and we had quite the thunderstorm. Bro woke me up and asked me to take him to a dental appointment that was either noon or 12:15. Got there and they were closed until 1. So he forgot the time and couldn't remember. Picked up mail, dropped in to visit a friend. He just messaged me that his grandfather was found unresponsive in a parking lot and had to be given narcon. He's currently in the hospital but friend doesn't know his condition. Same friend was trying to find a smaller desk than the one he has. My brother will get the larger desk (since my brother bought it for him). He linked me a desk that I thought was too expensive and not good enough. So I searched and found some options. Last one I found him he said was almost perfect. It's the right size, had cable management, has a hook for headphones, a cup holder, and a large mouse pad. Only thing it's missing is a 2nd level for his monitor, but honestly, he could get a cheap metal one or we could make one with scraps from my workshop. It was under $60.

I'm going to help my brother clean his room so he can pull his old desk out and get the new desk in. Having him in a better mood helps with his productivity and willingness to help me with stuff. Plus I'm tired of tripping on empty plastic bottles when I go in there to talk to him.

In terms of exercise, I get mine from lifting cats, chasing cats, feeding cats, getting their water, trying to get cats off of things... LOL.


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## Eddie_T

I have a Chair Gym which unfortunately I don't use very often. When I do dips I just use it as a chair.


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## shan2themax

So.... have you ever heard of chicken math? It's how people say, "I'm gonna go get 6 chicks" and then a box of 50 arrives at the post office... lol

Well, I have green bean math. Long story short, planted some several weeks ago... it never sprouted..... its rained the past few days on and off.... and here I am currently at 37 green beans sprouts..... it was 25 this morning 33 at 12 and 37 around 6. 
What in the good grief Charlie Brown will I do with so many green beans....
I am soooooo excited. So, so so so excited for the whole garden.

I may have experimented in my corn patch...... doing something I saw someone else do, and it worked for them. Worse thing that can happen is nothing grows or theres not a huge harvest and if it becomes too much.... i can just chop them off at the roots. But i planted squash and zucchini on one end and pie pumpkins and sugar baby watermelons on the other.

I also put 2 Jack O'Lantern seeds in, over by my tree stumps. I need to put weed barrier down by them though or it will be a crazy mess. 

Also, I got an injection in my right knee last week. It was GLORIOUS!!!! to be able to work 2 shifts in a row with no pain or limping. Normally 3 hours in and I am about in tears. I hope it last for a very long time


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## Flyover

My wife called a guy to come spray the perimeter of our house and, I guess, the inside, for fleas.

I was stretching before bed and she looked at my legs (which by now are probably more flea-bite wound than skin) and said "Jesus Christ, you're going around like that.... why am I the one who did something about it?" I did not have a good answer.


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## Eddie_T

THe flea cycle is interesting. We had a toy poodle that had fleas and we didn't know it. We took the poodle to my inlaws while we went on vacation to Alaska. When we got home I began to get ankle bites and soon saw a flea. It seems that a batch of fleas had hatched and had no furry creature to jump on and were attacking us. I don't think I read up on the life cycle of the feas since it was prior to the cyber age. I think I discovered it by experience.

Every morning I would get up and walk through the house in my housecoat with bare legs. I carried a small cup of water with flea soap in it and would wet my index finger tip. When I felt a flea jump on my ankle or leg I would rapidly touch it with my wet finger before it could bite and then transfer it to the cup. I would continue this until there was no more activity.

I noticed the path that gave the most action and I sprayed that area with a strong insecticide every day. I don't recall the insecticide and I didn't really spray, I adjusted the nozzle to get a tiny stream with no overspray as I had seen professionals do in workplaces spraying for roaches and etc.

As I did this I noticed tiny squirming things in the dust on the floor (we hadn't vacuumed yet. I deduced that they were the larvae and apparently the spray killed larvae but not eggs.  I began to vacuum again. I kept this routine going for a number of days until we were able to make the 100 mile journey to pick up the poodle. After we brought the poodle home we kept watch for the larvae and kept the poodle washed with flea soap. I still sprayed occasionally but kept the poodle elsewhere until the spray dried.

Here' a link about the flea cycle;  Cat Fleas - How They Get Them & How To Ditch Them | Pet Camp.


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## zannej

As an aside, Flyover, do you eat bananas much (if at all)?

Didn't get much sleep last night bc we ran out of cat food. I fed the cats but the dog hoovered up a bunch of it and there wasn't as much as usual so the cats were stressed out. Had some fights. Then came to curry favor with me in the hopes I could make more food appear. They kept climbing on me and touching my face. The cat that starts the most fights, Senator Snugglebum, started following me around obsessively. Followed me in to the bathroom and wanted to sit on my lap. Sprayed my leg (but fortunately I was able to wash it). I carried him out and set him down. He followed. I went to lie down and try to sleep and he climbed on my chest to get up in my face. I kept pushing him away but he kept climbing back. Then his older brother, Sir Hammington, decided to climb on to my left shoulder and hug my neck. He kept putting his paws on my face. Snugglebum decided to keep the peace by grooming Hammy. Then Boo (our oldest cat) came over and climbed on my right shoulder and talked to me and put his paws on my face. Snugglebum groomed him too. Bethesda and Ginger got on my legs. The dog dragged my blanket away. So I got up early to go to the store and buy more cat food.


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## Spicoli43

I don't know how you keep that many cats.


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## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> I don't know how you keep that many cats.



My mom had 40 in my house years ago when I lived with my now ex-husband. It was impossible for her to stay on top of.... and part of the reason my house needs so much work.


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## shan2themax

This came today and I am super excited @Spicoli43 , I havent gotten to check it out yet. Getting it out of the back of my SUV by myself was a beast . All I had to do was add wheels. And there's a bar in 
the side at the top, but I didn't put that on yet.


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## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> My mom had 40 in my house years ago when I lived with my now ex-husband. It was impossible for her to stay on top of.... and part of the reason my house needs so much work.



That just doesn't make sense. I can't keep up with 2. They have destroyed my fake leather furniture, pee all over the place, which I thankfully catch most of the time, and have done a number on my Bali window blinds, which is a garbage brand anyway, but I still have to replace them to sell the place. 

I don't think I'm going to make it, big strong man gets his *** kicked by 2 kittens!


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## zannej

Most we ever had was 63 (before we lost track) but a lot of them were barn cats. Only a few came inside. I loved going for walks in the back 13 and having about 50 cats follow me. Now I only have a few who follow me around.

My cats must have realized I was talking about them because two just ran in and pounced on me.

Despite the aggravation, I love my kitties and they bring me joy. They kept me warm when that winter storm took the power out.

Since it's been raining and I've been feeling bleh lately, I have a new hairbrained idea. 

I want to make a sewing table with adjustable platform for the sewing machine. I tried looking for existing old ones for sale and no luck. New tables are expensive as hell. Making my own would let me customize.


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## Spicoli43

Shan, that does look like a beast, but again it scares me because it's HF... You're the tester, keep updating every few months please!


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## homerowner

I've got the HF 26 In. X 22 In. Single Bank Roller Cabinet paired with the HF 26 In. Single Bank Top Chest, cost was under $500 at the time for the pair. Have had them for at least a couple of years, and they get used quite often. Much weight is contained with tools etc, and it's located in an unheated garage, New England area.

It's performed well, no issues. I understand that some of HF goods are questionable, but I've had good experience with most of my purchases.


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## MrMiz

I installed a new sprinkler control box and put nose molding on a stair. It didn't go as smoothly as I hoped, but I got it done. Have any of you checked out the Wyze Sprinkler controller? it's like $60 and you control it with your smart phone. I was shocked for $60 that it worked flawlessly(for one cycle so far). A tenant wanted it installed and the old controller box was failing so I figured why not. I really didn't expect it to work but I wired it up, mounted it to the wall and then he hooked it up to his phone and it did its thing. In the past I've had a sprinkler company do the replacements and they usually charge me around $300 for a replacement without Wifi control so I wasn't really expecting much but for that price I might have to install one at my house too. I'm not a huge fan of Wyze stuff(they usually save all the good feature for a monthly subscription).  We'll see how this one preforms this year, but if it goes well I'm going to recommend it to everybody. Without the monthly subscription you get basic sprinkler control at no cost. If you want Wyze to use your local weather to control your watering and "advanced feature" you have to have the subscription but it looks like you get everything you need without the subscription. I do see now that Rainbird has some lower priced controllers but nothing with Wifi for that price. Will be interesting to see where these end up in the past I've stuck to only rainbird on everything so hopefully the will compete with it, but for now it's a clear price for features winner.

Other things I've been busy on:
I need a new Septic Leach field the old one fills completely up but doesn't drain out for days so if you run anything that takes a lot of water it over flows at the tank.
Installed an in window A/C unit in my office. With all the equipment running it was hitting 83 degrees and I was sweating doing office work, but now with the A/C in it's a comfortable 73 with all my stuff running.
Then just the normal country life stuff... spraying weeds ... cutting weeds... burning weeds... sneezing cuz of weeds.....

I really REALLY want to lease 10 acre's of my land for a solar farm. I've been in correspondence with a company that installs them, but they want $500 to $2500 to evaluate the land and then be put on the list with Xcel for a yearly election and hope I get picked. I'm mostly hoping the lease would cover taxes for our land and maybe cover some electrical utility in the future so we don't end up having to sell. With all the money the government is handing out and the way things are going I'm pretty sure taxes are going to go up drastically in the future and things like owning land are going to be a dream of the past. We currently don't make any money with the land so basically it's just mine to lose at this point. So if anybody has any experience with solar I'm all ears.


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## zannej

I meant to comment that that's a very nice tool chest, Shan. My internet was being a complete b*** yesterday and I could barely load anything. Had to re-load the page multiple times.

I saw some of the tool chests at Harbor Freight-- really nice setup but they wanted $3k for it. Ouch. HF products have been hit or miss for me. Got a good angle grinding wheel there. Got some terrible drill bits. Wouldn't even go through 1/4" plywood. They bent instead. Their screws tended to strip out and the dcrewdriver heads would also strip away/sheer off.

Other than cooking for mom and sleeping, I didn't do too much today. Needed some rest.


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## Flyover

Zannej, I'm not a fanatic who eats multiple bananas per day or anything, but I've been known to eat a banana now and then. I'd guess I average about 2 or 3 per week, with some weeks where i eat one almost every day and some weeks where I don't touch them at all. Curious to know what's your theory about that.

If I get a chance I'll install my second rain barrel today. The hard part with this one was deciding on a place for it. The original idea was to daisy chain it right next to the first one but there isn't enough room because it would block a window. So instead it's going on another side of the house.

Sorta related to y'alls milk topic, we took the kids out for frozen custard yesterday. Got a cone for myself and took maybe 3 or 4 licks before I remembered to pop a lactaid pill. Too late, the damage was done. By the time we pulled into the driveway back home I had to rush out of the car and up to the bathroom. I will spare the details but suffice to say my whole abdomen was angry at me for a while after that.


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## Eddie_T

Speaking of lactose, I had some milk and eggs to use so I made Tennessee boiled custard. It took a quart of milk, six eggs and a cup of sugar. I flavor it with a tsp (or more) each of vanilla and bourbon, sprinkle with ground nutmeg and serve chilled for sipping like eggnog.

I looked at whiskey barrel halves at TLC. If I chose to divert any rainwater a couple of them in series stepped down my sloping side yard might be attractive and require only enough digging to get level bases for the barrels.


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## zannej

Flyover, I don't know about fleas, but apparently mosquitoes find your scent more appealing if you eat bananas. They are more likely to bite you. Might be more appealing to fleas. Eating garlic is a repellent. But nothing is 100%. Bananas are still good for you.

I researched stuff and went to the grocery store. Arm is being hateful today and naproxyn didn't work. I took a nap around 7:30 and mom woke me up around 10 something. Not sure what she wanted because she hung up (was mad that I was napping for some reason).


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## Flyover

Well like I said I don't eat a ton of bananas, but I do eat them. Same with garlic: it's not like a signature flavor in my cooking, but also definitely not an ingredient I back away from. I'd guess it's my blood type or something like that; bugs that bite have always enjoyed biting me as long as I can remember, no matter what I'd been eating.

The second rain barrel is installed. My next project is a coffee table I think...


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## zannej

Nice! I'm still working on my plans for the desk, and I may need to figure out how to add a 2nd compartment for a serger. FB marketplace had a serger + 2 drawers full of thread + 3 how-to books for $75. Sergers cost well over $300 from what I've seen when I shopped around. If it works it might be worth it. But, I will see if the seller answers.

Meanwhile, cats knocked over my monitor and busted it.


I got the 3-yr protection plan from samsclub so I'm going to take it back in with a printout of the receipt (can't seem to find the original receipt)- plus they can look it up to see I got the protection plan. I'm using another monitor that was just past the warranty when it developed vertical lines on the screen. If I split my windows and have them on opposite sides of the line, it works ok. Monitor was designed to have split screen.

I think I will get an articulating wall mount for my monitor so I don't have to worry about the little a-holes knocking it over again. also considered making a base for it and bolting it down somewhow.


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## Spicoli43

You could just get rid of the little A-Holes. Every day I play the fun game show called "Find where the cat peed and win absolutely nothing"... One day closer to a trip to the pound...


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## zannej

As much as they aggravate me, I love my babies. I care about them more than stuff. I know the cat didn't mean to knock it over. He was trying to climb over it. Good thing I had the messed up backup monitor for the time being. The lines on it are annoying but at least it's not shattered and flashing with a big crack. Although, it did look like an art piece somewhat. I'm looking in to wall mounts now.


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## Eddie_T

Fixed some Stouffers "I don't care what the 82d called it" for supper.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> As much as they aggravate me, I love my babies. I care about them more than stuff. I know the cat didn't mean to knock it over. He was trying to climb over it. Good thing I had the messed up backup monitor for the time being. The lines on it are annoying but at least it's not shattered and flashing with a big crack. Although, it did look like an art piece somewhat. I'm looking in to wall mounts now.



I think I'll trade mine in for non destructive Sugar Gliders. That or a Mogwai. If I want another, I can make him after Midnight.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie, I miss Beef SOS. I would say the word, but I'm not allowed to say the word of the sludge that comes out of the body part the Democrats chose for their nickname and mascot.

I think I'll make some soon, thanks for the reminder... Not the dried "beef" product though, fresh ground.


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## zannej

Speaking of beef, I've heard there is a shortage or will be one due to meat factories getting hacked. Although, I heard that some of the hackers who put ransomware on multiple systems got paid entirely in Bitcoin and the FBI hacked them and took their bitcoin away. I think there is a dispute now bc they didn't give the Bitcoin back to the companies that paid the ransom. We'll see if they get it back or not. FBI might consider it asset forfeiture and keep it.


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## Flyover

Regarding cats: they're great, I love them almost as much as dogs, but toxoplasmosis is very real, especially if your house ain't very clean and you're not in great health. "Crazy cat lady" is a cute bumper sticker only until it's a legit parasitic disease.

Democrats didn't exactly choose the donkey; someone called Andrew Jackson a [email protected]$$ once and he responded by leaning into it ("owning it" as the kids would say). Political cartoonists and journalists working over the years solidified it into the party symbol. But I digress; this thread is meant to be politics-free (hopefully we agree I was talking history just now).

I think I have some inner ear thing going on, maybe related to seasonal allergies although this is the first time it's happened. Got so dizzy yesterday I had to lie down. Got basically nothing done diy-wise, hopefully today is different.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Speaking of beef, I've heard there is a shortage or will be one due to meat factories getting hacked. Although, I heard that some of the hackers who put ransomware on multiple systems got paid entirely in Bitcoin and the FBI hacked them and took their bitcoin away. I think there is a dispute now bc they didn't give the Bitcoin back to the companies that paid the ransom. We'll see if they get it back or not. FBI might consider it asset forfeiture and keep it.



I can't even eat feedlot beef anymore. I have to go with local / regional grass fed. It's like a treat because I can't afford it like it was on the McDonald's menu. More like when I want just the killer Burger. 

As far as the FBI, they are as corrupt as the day is long, they kept it and "disappeared" it amongst the senior staff.


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## MrMiz

zannej said:


> Nice! I'm still working on my plans for the desk, and I may need to figure out how to add a 2nd compartment for a serger. FB marketplace had a serger + 2 drawers full of thread + 3 how-to books for $75. Sergers cost well over $300 from what I've seen when I shopped around. If it works it might be worth it. But, I will see if the seller answers.
> 
> Meanwhile, cats knocked over my monitor and busted it.
> View attachment 25952
> 
> I got the 3-yr protection plan from samsclub so I'm going to take it back in with a printout of the receipt (can't seem to find the original receipt)- plus they can look it up to see I got the protection plan. I'm using another monitor that was just past the warranty when it developed vertical lines on the screen. If I split my windows and have them on opposite sides of the line, it works ok. Monitor was designed to have split screen.
> 
> I think I will get an articulating wall mount for my monitor so I don't have to worry about the little a-holes knocking it over again. also considered making a base for it and bolting it down somewhow.


Here are the desk mount arms I've used. Looks like they are on sale for $47.97 and I've been really happy with them. If your looking at something different just make sure you don't pay much more than that because those have been rock solid for a number of years for me and 3 other people I've installed them for.




__





						Workstream by Monoprice Single Monitor Adjustable Gas Spring Desk Mount for 15~34in Monitors - Monoprice.com
					

Monoprice™ Gas‑Spring Adjustable Articulating Monitor Arm let you place your LCD display wherever you want it. Suspending the monitor up off your desk, the arm reduces desktop clutter and



					www.monoprice.com


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## zannej

My dad didn't like most of the FBI agents he encountered when he was working in INS. Said they wouldn't share critical info, would come in and try to take over even when they didn't have authority or jurisdiction, were often arrogant, and would inevitably screw things up. He and his people referred to them as the "f****ing feebs". 

Today was a mixed bag of success and failure. Turns out the Samsclub yokels were either dishonest or mistaken (likely the latter) about the 3yr protection plan for my monitor. They said it covered damage but after a long time on the phone trying to explain what was going on, they told me it wasn't covered. So, I will have to eat the cost and get a new monitor. Mom said I should get  the same kind again and put it on the wall-mount. I'll put a damn pillow under it in case the mount breaks. If I'd bought it at Best Buy and gotten their protection plan, the damage would have been covered. I could have cleaned it up, brought it back in and they would have exchanged it. My wall mount should come in before I get another monitor so I will be able to test how well the current one works on the mount. I'll put doublesided sticky tape on the mount arms in case cats try to climb on it or grab it.

The success was that I got a serger. Bought it from an 80yr old lady named Melba. Very sweet lady. Still very active and moving around, keeping up-to-date on stuff on the internet and news. She gave me the manual in a nice folder, the surger with 4 bobbins already on it, a test scrap under the needles, a shoebox with bubblewrap, the power cord and foot, a VHS tape that explained how to use the machine, 3 sewing books on how to use a serger, and I'd say over 20 spools of thread (I haven't counted them yet). And the serger just barely fit in the bin I got out for it. Now I need to clean up that room so we can get set it all up.


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## Spicoli43

I want to sell my sewing machine that I "bought" on collateral from a lady that wanted to borrow $100. I hope it's worth that at least. It's a Singer flip down and hide thing. Any idea, Z?


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## zannej

@Spicoli43 I believe the table alone is worth $100 so long as it is in good shape and made of real wood instead of particle board or mdf. The machine price depends on model. Singers are pricey. Except for the crappy handheld ones (which are absolute garbage), I rarely see them under $110. Amazon's cheapest one is $79 for a mending machine. Not sure on older models though. They don't have the advanced features but they tended to be sturdier. My vision is too crappy to make out if there are any model # markings in the picture. If the machine can be removed, another machine of the same or shorter height could potentially be bolted on. I just price-checked the table and cheapest on ebay (without machine) is a similar one that was as low as $60 (that cheap one was pretty beat up). Tables ranged from $70 to $599 in a quick search.
Mind you, I'm no expert on it. I've been searching but I haven't done extensive research like a dedicated sewist. (Apparently "sewist" is what people who like to sew regularly prefer to be called).

Those are cute, but way too small for my tastes. I'm picky (and I want to build stuff).

My brother reported that he loved the pork & garlic meatballs I got at the little meatshop. I told my best friend where it was and what the name of the place was in case he passes it on his way to his baby's doctor's appointment. I *think* he has to go to Eunice for those. Either that or Ville Platte, but I think Ville Platte might be for his gf's pysch appointments.


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## Spicoli43

Thanks, Z. I guess it's worth checking out. I don't think the lady is bringing my $100 back, it's been about 20 years. 

The table is authentic, time dated to the machine probably. The model is 13608M, some are about $100 on Ebay. I don't have the foot pedal though. 

Maybe I'll find a local "sewist" or antique shop and go from there.


----------



## Flyover

It took us forever to learn how to turn on/off the lights in our new house. Many of the switches are in strange, unintuitive locations (e.g. to turn on one of the big overhead lights in the kitchen you have to reach behind the fridge to access the switch), and an alarming number of them are 2-gangs on which one of the two switches isn't apparently connected to anything, just a dud you can stand there flicking on and off all day for no reason if you want to. (No, they don't control any outlets, we checked.)

The other big overhead light in the kitchen was controlled by a switch that, if you walk into the kitchen from the garage, is behind the open door. Yeah, that stupid. Only stupider: it wasn't even a switch, but a dimmer knob, and unless the knob was turned all the way up the light would blink (not flicker -- blink) on and off. Easily messed with by kids, and drove me and my wife nuts. Who needs a dimmable overhead light in their kitchen, when it's the farthest light from the living area and none of the other lights are dimmable??

I wrote the above paragraph in past tense because today I swapped that controller out for a regular switch. After I wired it up hilariously wrong the first time I watched a quick video on how to do it, then redid it properly. So nice to be able to just flick a switch and have a light turn on.

Spicoli, today I learned that bank employees -- even just the guy who designs the logo you see on the screen of the ATM -- are not allowed to lend other people money if it's more than a few bucks for lunch or something. I thought that was interesting, anyway.


----------



## Eddie_T

Speaking of sewing machines nowadays it's hard to find anyone interested in sewing. I have a Pfaff machine which has a walking foot. My wife chose it as it would easily a variety of material w/o bunching. I may try listing it on craigslist and see if I get any bites. It needs a professional adjustment so it can't really be demonstrated and most that I have spoken to don't even know what a walking foot is.


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## zannej

Spicoli, when I'm more awake I'll google that model and see what I can find on it. Even without the foot, it's probably a good machine (replacement feet are still available for some of the older models).

Flyover that sounds about like our house. We have switches that don't seem to control anything. And some had 2 switches for one light in different places that didn't quite make sense.  No dimmers at least. Glad you got it fixed.

Eddie, I've heard Pfaf made good quality machines, although I'd never heard of them before. I'd mostly heard of Singer and Brother. I've heard of a walking foot and was told I should get one but I'm not exactly sure what it does. There are all sorts of feet: zigzag, pintuck, overcast, zipper, buttonhole, blind stitch, monogramming, quilting, darning, piping, and more. I'm slowly starting to learn about them. There's a lovely lady named Evelyn Wood who looks sort of like Snow White who does videos on Youtube about sewing.


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## Spicoli43

I have a switch that does nothing by the front door, no outlets in the laundry room or master closet besides the outlet behind the washing machine that is useless for anything but that. 

When my Brother did his shop, he put an outlet every 4 feet around the whole shop at the standard height, and one every 4 feet around the shop at a 10 foot height, so no matter where you are, there is an outlet and no extension cords are needed. Instead of "Where's a plug in", there are 3 right in front of you at all times.


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## zannej

Spicoli, having that many plugs sounds nice, although I imagine he needed more breakers (or are they called circuits?) in the box since there is a limit to how much load you can put on one.

Power went out this morning and I fell asleep before it came back on.The heat and lack of air circulation made me sleepy.


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## Spicoli43

I don't know how many he ran on each breaker, probably 10 at the most. There was never going to be more than 2 used at once anyway.


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## Eddie_T

The National Electrical Code (NEC) *does not* limit the number of outlets per circuit. It only states that a circuit cannot supply more than 80% of the circuit breakers limits. This is so the circuit breaker does not constantly trip during regular use.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Regarding cats: they're great, I love them almost as much as dogs, but toxoplasmosis is very real, especially if your house ain't very clean and you're not in great health. "Crazy cat lady" is a cute bumper sticker only until it's a legit parasitic disease.



We had a friend who took in a number of stray cats. She developed a vision problem which turned out to be due to parasites from the cats.


----------



## Flyover

My understanding is cats were never truly domesticated in the same sense as dogs. With cats it's much more like we exist in mutualistic (and in many cases nowadays, commensalistic) symbiosis with a wild species. Bears, koalas, skunks, squirrels, and cats all are cute and fuzzy, but they're all in one category while dogs are properly in another.


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## zannej

I had to get up 3 times last night and this morning to break up cat fights. My brother needs to get his damn cats neutered. It's not their fault they have too much testosterone and get aggressive. I was trying to soothe one of the cats after the fight (the one who was being bullied by another cat) and all of a sudden he freaked out and grabbed my face with his claws. Got my nose, cheek, and just above my lip. Took about 10min to get the bleeding to stop. I had to spit on a tissue and press it to them to make it coagulate (saliva contains something that makes the blood clot faster). Put triple antibiotic on and you can't even see most of them. Scratch down my nose is visible. Blood dripped on my shirt though.

Picked up mail and grabbed food from McDonalds (per mom's request). She asked my brother to clear the hallway to the laundry room so I can carry her laundry without tripping. He said he'd "try". Which means he's not even going to do it. He won't give it a second thought. From his tone I could tell he was only saying it so she wouldn't ask him again. For some reason I thought today was Wednesday.

My fluff cat Mewlatto is on my lap right now. He doesn't like other cats but he's always very sweet to me. Pets my face gently with my paw and very gingerly licks my nose.

Got the new mounting bracket for my monitor. Now I need to get a board to span the studs to put up so it can be anchored properly. A 2x8 cut down to about 36"L should  should do the trick. I mean, I *can* mount it directly to the middle stud (as the board will span 3 studs) but I want it to come out from the wall a bit more. The stud centers line up with some recessed lines on the wall panels so they aren't too hard to find.


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## BuzzLOL

Cat scratch fever is a real and dangerous thing (don't ask how I know that) so scratches should be cleaned and disinfected quickly... 
Cats and dogs have different genetic personalities and even individual animals of same species (including humans) can have quite different personalities...


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## slownsteady

Well it's not exactly _today_ that I did this, but I am now a resident of Pennsylvania. I drove out to Pittsburgh on Sunday, started at my new (transferred) job on Monday, and am just catching up to reality today.


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## Eddie_T

slownsteady said:


> Well it's not exactly _today_ that I did this, but I am now a resident of Pennsylvania. I drove out to Pittsburgh on Sunday, started at my new (transferred) job on Monday, and am just catching up to reality today.


I wish you well in your new assignment and residency.


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## slownsteady

Thanks. Probably a whole new set of questions coming up


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## Flyover

I visited Pittsburgh once in 2017. Pretty area. I was downtown the whole time unfortunately but I'm a fan of the hilly terrain.

Wife's getting her hair did today so I've got the kids to myself for 5 hours. Trying to figure out what I can get done while watching them, if anything...


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## zannej

I don't know if I've ever been to Pittsburg. Probably about 20 yrs ago I went to the Hershey factory in Pennsylvania. I remember seeing some Amish people with horses and buggies on the road. A friend of ours lives in that area.
Tossed and turned all night trying to get comfortable. Feel like I didn't get enough sleep. I think there is a high chance I have sleep apnea but I don't have insurance so there is zero chance of a sleep study or cpap for me.


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## Eddie_T

My uncle Ed lived in Bethlehem, PA and had a cabin at the Delaware Water Gap. We went there when I was about 13 and my cousin took my brother and me through the water gap in a small boat. I don't know if the cabin was on the PA or NJ side of the river. I looked for the cabin on Google but couldn't find it. All I recall is that the gravel street ended at the river and there was a railroad directly across the river and we went left to go through the gap.


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## slownsteady

Bethlehem is a cool town. Musikfest is an annual town-wide event in early august. Music, food and beer everywhere. We have friends there and we go for the weekend. the drive is going to be a few hours longer this year.


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## zannej

Eddie, that sounds very cool. My uncle used to have a house near a lake in Mississippi. I think out in Meridian. We passed through Whynot on the way. LOL. I used to go out and visit him during the summer. We'd go fishing and I would go swimming. He was trying to show me the proper way to gut a fish without puncturing some sac-- only he punctured the sac during his demonstration. It sprayed everywhere and we had a good laugh.

Tossed and turned last night. It was too hot and AC doesn't work properly in my room. Got up around 6am and fed the cats so they would stop trying to climb on me for a bit. Finally got to sleep and slept until 4pm. Was having a bizarre dream about flying in a 5-seater plane (like the one we'd take to Tinian from Saipan). Wish I could draw or have my brain send images of the sights we saw while flying in the dream. It was very cool. Some sort of town built on a cliff of a mountain with waterfalls and all sorts of weirdness. Mom woke me up and wanted food. I had to take a few minutes to get my body to move. My brother wants to go to the store. I suppose we can so he can look at meat and I can grab some more plastic bins. Having bins has helped mom to start organizing.


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## slownsteady

Eddie-T: if you didn't cross the river to get to your uncle's cabin, it was def on the PA side. The river is the state boundary there for a good distance.


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## Flyover

Painted the exterior sconce light near the front door yesterday. After the paint dried I removed the paper and tape and replaced the bulbs, to discover the light no longer works. I haven't troubleshot the bulbs yet because I don't have any others that fit the fixture, but I hope that's all it is. I had taped paper over the connection so I know paint didn't get in there, not sure what else the problem could be.


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## Eddie_T

@slownsteady I got to thinking that maybe the Park Service bought them out and razed the cabins. My uncle and a friend were partners and last I knew the friend had a cabin on a mountainside in the Poconos. I visited it on my uncle's surprise 50th anniversary party.


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## Eddie_T

I was playing around with a sine bar that I had made back in 2013. I think I made it more out of curiosity and maybe used it once. Basically it's 10" and if one wants  to set a miter gauge accurately to an angle just look up the sine of the angle multiply by 10, cut a block to that length and use with the sine bar to set the miter gauge. It comes in handy when building a jig to cut trim molding precisely to 67.5 ° for countertop bar 45 ° dogeared corners.


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## Flyover

The porch light that I painted that I thought was no longer working, I twisted one of the bulbs in a little harder and it turned on. The other one still didn't even when I swapped their places, so now I'm thinking it's the bulb.

I've got building projects (a waterfall coffee table, a shelf for my prickly pear cactus, some more shelves in the kids' rooms, a small shed that needs to be assembled, etc.) and green-lights to work on them, now the trick is clearing my schedule...

@Eddie_T that's a cool tool. Would love an illustrated demonstration of how it's used. I remember when I realized I would have to use SoCaToa in one of my woodworking projects (I think it was for some angled legs on a table saw stand) and it struck me as the first time I needed any of my high school math since high school!


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## billshack

I replaced my 80 gallon US 60 imperial hot water tank all by my self . evern carried it over the door stoup as the deleviery guy said we do not go inside the house.


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## Eddie_T

I've been getting a lot of robocalls of late. Today I have FAX MACHINE SOUND EFFECT loaded and cued and wouldn't you know it no calls (maybe it's already working).


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## zannej

Got either a wrong number or a robocall after 11pm the other night. Pissed me off. Person didn't answer. Just hung up. I'm going to test out a thing where if anyone calls after 5pm or on a weekend I will do the "You have reached (surname)'s Mortuary. Our hours of operation are 9am to 5pm. Please call back during business hours."

Yesterday I scrubbed the top of my truck as much as I could to get some gunk off but it didn't come off in some spots. Need to use some better cleaning stuff I guess. No hose out front for me to spray it with. Will need to get some soap and water and then take it through the carwash for a clearcoat. I also swept the floor and did some cleaning in the hallway and such. Grabbed more bins from the store & picked up mail.

Today I slept until 3pm. Mom woke me up wanting me to cook for her and pick up mail at the post office. Overheard the clerk on the phone telling someone "I know how to do my job, I'm not stupid!" I could see she was frustrated but she was still very polite to me.


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## Flyover

Pretty sure I caught a cold my daughter brought home a week ago. My throat and sinuses are on fire, my nose is running, I'm tired and feel like crap. These symptoms progressed throughout the day but for the first several hours I was awake today I felt fine. I wish I had gotten a workout in then; now if I don't wake up feeling better tomorrow I might not be able to work out again until Monday.

I definitely need to feel better by this weekend, which is packed with fun plans.


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## zannej

Sorry to hear you're sick, Flyover. Hope it clears up quickly. Sending virtual hugs your way.

Didn't get much done today other than poking around in the barn a bit. I'll have to do more poking and maybe get some pics tomorrow. But I have to go to the store and get more groceries and pick up mail.

UPS delivery guy dropped of a package earlier. His GPS was confusing him. I said that the gps doesn't track well in this area and explained we were not near Oberlin. He was shocked that the post office doesn't deliver out here and that we have to drive in to town during their business hours to get our mail.


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## Spicoli43

I get robocalls every day on my cell, just let them go. I only answer calls from people I know, and when I expect a business to call, I program them in.

I took an "IQ test" online to see how dumb it was, and it turns out I'm a Genius at 123, which confirms the test is dumb. It's everything I hate like adding up numbers to see if they are even or odd or which words have the same letters. It's not... It should be called the "Not really important gauge of whether your brain is ticking at all."

So, I'm not in a coma because I passed their Junior High test.


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## Flyover

There are "official" IQ tests though I think they're usually administered synchronously by qualified researchers. Any you find online for free are "for entertainment purposes only". My twin brother and I took the real tests when we were in 2nd grade (researchers always are interested in twins). The scores are supposed to stay rather consistent over your lifetime, so if you score X when you're a kid you'll likely score within about 5 points of X any other time you take the test, even as an adult. My score let me know I'm smart (+ ~2std) but no genius (usually 3 or more std), which anybody could have told me after talking to me for ten minutes.

Felt like total crap when I woke up, but have been steadily feeling slightly better, especially after gargling some salt water. Was able to participate meaningfully on a work call by 9 am. Just for good measure though I'm going to lie down for a bit.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Pretty sure I caught a cold my daughter brought home a week ago. My throat and sinuses are on fire, my nose is running, I'm tired and feel like crap.


Had a weird tickle in my throat (an allergy?) that was making me cough for a couple nights that I was keeping an eye on to see if it got worse, but seems to be gone now...


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> the post office doesn't deliver out here and that we have to drive in to town during their business hours to get our mail.


Our mail has come just before noon for 41 years, but now comes 7 - 8 PM in evening... something going on in the snail mail business now...


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## oldognewtrick

BuzzLOL said:


> Our mail has come just before noon for 41 years, but now comes 7 - 8 PM in evening... something going on in the snail mail business now...


Probably like every other business, can't find help. Plenty of jobs, folks rather get unemployment than answer the alarm clock.


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## Flyover

With mail in particular, I've heard USPS is in dire straits financially. So it might not just be "can't find help", it might be "can't afford help".


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> With mail in particular, I've heard USPS is in dire straits financially. So it might not just be "can't find help", it might be "can't afford help".


They've been loosening money for a long, long time.


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## billshack

Some times when i get a call from scammers I just want to play along and waste their time. like what did you say , please repeat that, what does that mean , and on and on . imitate an old lady that has Alzheimer's.


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Our mail has come just before noon for 41 years, but now comes 7 - 8 PM in evening... something going on in the snail mail business now...



Mine is all over the place. There seems to be a new carrier every year, and they plan out their entire route how they like it, which I of course agree with, but when waiting for something certified or otherwise important, there is no "It will be here by 1 PM".


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## Spicoli43

As far as the USPS, if they didn't cut their prices for Amazon, other big retailers, and sellers from CHINA, maybe I would have an "Aw shucks tender" feeling for them or something, but I could care less about them. People getting constant deliveries of trinket stuff from Chinazon like it, but as a former seller, I remember them tripling their prices for people here.

Give massive deals to Dr. Evil, screw over all little companies.









						Analyst Claims the U.S. Postal Service Is Giving Amazon a Huge Subsidy
					

The 'unfair advantage' amounts to $1.46 per package.




					fortune.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> As far as the USPS, if they didn't cut their prices for Amazon, other big retailers, and sellers from CHINA,


I don't think USPS even delivers that stuff any more, think it's some small nonunion outfits... 
I stopped mailing packages when the postage started costing more than the price of what I was sending... now I just send money and tell people to buy it locally... 
There's some glue that costs $10 locally or from TV ads, I ordered same brand from China for like $1.37 plus like 17 cents shipping! So I ordered two of them... got here in like 3 - 4 weeks... stuff comes much sooner if they have a cache of it somewhere in USA...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> With mail in particular, I've heard USPS is in dire straits financially. So it might not just be "can't find help", it might be "can't afford help".


The Post Office Board of Directors was always where out of office politicians went to get paid for doing nothing... Hillary Clinton is on about 100 Boards of Directors that each pay her $50K annually...


----------



## Eddie_T

I have some Mr. Clean type (melamine) sponges coming from China now. They were $1.99 for 10 sponges about ⅒th the Mr, Clean price and prolly made in the same factory. They are reported to be the best material for padding DIY speaker enclosures.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> With mail in particular, I've heard USPS is in dire straits financially. So it might not just be "can't find help", it might be "can't afford help".


I couldn't resist a pun. I hope they don't mess up Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms is one of my favorites. I am listening now on my DIY Bluetooth speakers (that the melamine sponges are for).


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I don't think USPS even delivers that stuff any more, think it's some small nonunion outfits...
> I stopped mailing packages when the postage started costing more than the price of what I was sending... now I just send money and tell people to buy it locally...



Huh. Not here, it's about 50/50 whether a package is put in the mail lockbox or if UPS delivers it. UPS might contract the USPS to deliver small packages though. Everything large like Dog Food bags is Fed Ex.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I have some Mr. Clean type (melamine) sponges coming from China now. They were $1.99 for 10 sponges about ⅒th the Mr, Clean price and prolly made in the same factory. They are reported to be the best material for padding DIY speaker enclosures.



Padding like Dynamat?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Padding like Dynamat?


Probably similar. I have been using felt but melamine foam is a porous reticulated foam that cancels out little volume


----------



## Spicoli43

Huh. I remember way back in HS, people used Dynamat, but that was ridiculously priced. Every time I hear a car completely rattling, including the license plate, I just think "They think it sounds good".


----------



## Flyover

From my experience going to high school in the 'hood and having the friends I did, I think the rattling is kind of a point of 'hood pride, sorta like when Rednecks are proud of the rusty beater on blocks in the front lawn.

Thanks to OTC dayquil I could pass myself off as not sick yesterday. Today I feel like I must have actually convinced my body because I feel way better, just a runny nose and slight cough. Gonna go rock out with my drummer friend (the free time was my father's day gift).


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> From my experience going to high school in the 'hood and having the friends I did, I think the rattling is kind of a point of 'hood pride, sorta like when Rednecks are proud of the rusty beater on blocks in the front lawn.
> 
> Thanks to OTC dayquil I could pass myself off as not sick yesterday. Today I feel like I must have actually convinced my body because I feel way better, just a runny nose and slight cough. Gonna go rock out with my drummer friend (the free time was my father's day gift).



I heard some license plate rattlers in the hood or gangland or whatever, but most actually sounded good. I was talking about the poor HS kids like me. The "daddy paid for it" kids had show quality trucks and cars with everything decked out, that's how I found out about Dynamat.


----------



## zannej

The previous owner of our CR-V put Dynamat inside. They apparently had a massive subwoofer system in it (but took it out when it was repossessed). Guess they should have saved the $ to make their car payments. Or gotten some decent headlight bulbs. CR-V's default headlights are garbage. Reminds me I need to take it in to get the inspection sticker done.

Been watching How To videos on various things from how to make a tailor's mannequin to how to shrink or enlarge molds. Watched this very cool one that showed how to make a shrinking mold by mixing minieral spirits in and letting the mold sit for a few days to dry and shrink or soaking a normal sized mold in mineral spirits to make it expand. Guy has a dry sense of humor and was quite entertaining.


I don't like the loud vehicles. Never understood the appeal. But then, I don't like children walking on my lawn. I'm a curmudgeon. 

Shoulder and arm have been bothering me a lot the past few days. Not sure why. I reached for something and got a shooting pain from my shoulder down to my elbow. I left my bedroom door open and much to Mewlatto's chagrin, Sir Hammington and Yasuke decided they had to come in. Yasuke was content to sit on a pillow (that I use as a mouse pad) off to the side, but Sir Hammington had to get right up in my face and cling to me. Biscuits got jealous so he had to climb up on my shoulder. Mewlatto was sitting on my leg. I couldn't really use my computer or get comfortable so I fed them and shut the door so I have some privacy-- until they climb through the hole. 

Friday I brought my brother to help me remember what Mom wanted from the store and to pick up my RX. Stopped by and saw our friend before he had to run off to work. He managed to get his stove working for the most part (one of the burners won't heat up in the middle part) but they can still cook with it. He gave us his old computer chair (that I bought for him on a big sale). The mechanism to make it stay up when lifted broke and one of the arms is loose. But the base/wheels are solid. I bought my brother an identical chair but one of the parts that holds the wheel in broke. So we took the other chair for parts. He was trying to figure out how to take the wheel base off. Youtube videos said to use a mallet and pound on it. He was trying but the mallet was too big. I walked over to take a closer look and noticed there was a small clip holding it on. I said "Hey, can you get this clip off?" It was one little clip and a washer. He was able to remove it and put the "new" wheelbase on. He could have just put the whole chair in because his needs a new seat (padding wore down in his) and he keeps the chair at the lowest height setting so he doesn't need to be able to raise it. Friend also gave me a better vesa wall mount for my monitor. It can hold a 55" TV so it has higher weight capacity. No screws so I can use the screws from the cheap one I bought. Still need to clean up the mounting boards down at the workshop.

I sent my friend a link for mount that clips on to the back of the desk and he found out they have ones that can hold two monitors. So he's going to try that for his new smaller desk. 

When my arm is cooperating I'm going to help my brother with more cleaning in his room so we can get his old desk out and get his new desk in. We didn't bring the other desk home yet (friend is giving us the older larger desk-- nothing wrong with it, but he wanted more space in the little room). It's in pieces on his porch right now.

It's raining pretty hard so internet might be going out soon.

Flyover, I'm glad you're feeling better.

Spicoli, my middle school was directly next to the high school and we shared a lunch room. I vaguely recall some of the boys having loud trucks. Always knew which ones were on the volunteer fire dept. Alarm would go off at the fire station down the street and we would hear truck wheels squealing as they pealed out of the parking lot. The school had special rules to excuse students that were firemen.


----------



## Eddie_T

Moved a box turtle out of my drive earlier this afternoon. I was just out there and she came back and  has dug a hole for eggs right behind my car. I don't know if eggs are deposited yet I think it takes a long time for the laying process.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, that is so cool! I hope the egg hole isn't somewhere she will get run over or that her eggs will be squished. I wonder if you can safely put the eggs in something to protect them once they are laid. I once rescued some mourning gecko eggs from the neighbor's kids in Guam. Punks kept coming over in to my yard and crushing the eggs on the tree. I was an endangered species. So I pulled as many of the eggs off as I could and brought them inside. Got one to hatch and I released it higher up on the tree outside (the geckos laid their eggs on the side of coconut trees). I also hatched some snail eggs before. Looked at the hatchlings under a microscope and their shells were translucent so I could see the heart beating. Wish I'd had a digital camera back then. My biology teacher would have loved it.
That was back before the internet too.


----------



## Eddie_T

I went back out and she may have given up. I can't be sure but there are two empty holes. In gravel I think it might be impossible to do a search without damaging the eggs if any are there. I found the turtle about 20ft away and moved it to a spot with some soft soil but it moved on. I'll decide tomorrow if I need to alter my. parking for three months or not.


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## zannej

That is very sweet of you. I love box turtles. My dad found one that had been run over but was still alive. Shell was cracked and she had infection. Took her to the vet. He'd never treated a turtle before but they put her under, cleaned her wounds out, and used gorilla glue to glue her shell back together. The vet assistant had to hold the shell together for 20minutes. I think he gave her some antibiotics as well. Brought her back home and fed her figs, worms, grubs, strawberries. She wasn't hungry at first but she started eating and when she seemed to be doing well enough we released her in our yard. Didn't know back then that if you move them too far from their own habitat they try to get back to it. But, she wasn't too too far from where we found her. 

One of the nice things about living in Virginia as a kid was that we were not too far from the Smithsonian. I loved going to the Natural History branch.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej, you should write novels for little girls old enough to read, say 10 or so, and picture books for little tiny kids about your cats and all their adventures. I have never seen someone talk about their animals so much.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The "daddy paid for it" kids had show quality trucks and cars with everything decked out, that's how I found out about Dynamat.


We call those "checkbook rods" if produced in a commercial shop and the owners really know nothing about them/what's in them...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> We call those "checkbook rods" if produced in a commercial shop and the owners really know nothing about them/what's in them...



They knew everything about them. I was on the Football team with some of them. That was the other thing they knew.


----------



## Flyover

It wasn't until I moved to Phoenix in 2003 that I first encountered the phenomenon of parents buying their kids cars. Blew my mind. If I went to my mom and asked for $5 she'd have laughed in my face and said to get a job. That's when I was 10. When I was 18 I finally saved up $400 from working to buy an old beater, drove the thing to death which wasn't far off anyway. I had to pay for my own gas and insurance too. I was a lazy, self-absorbed, argumentative kid, but I wasn't spoiled!


----------



## Spicoli43

Woke up Saturday with a nice bout of chest pain and shortness of breath, so I downed a TSP of Cayenne in boiling water in case it was serious. I have issues like that occasionally with COPD, but this time it was an 8 or so on the scale compared to a normal 4. 

I had intense infrequent gut pain for a few days before that with the runs, so I added it up and concluded I probably have an abundance of parasites in the guts. 

Sunday was relatively calm until the night, with a repeat, although about a 6. I downed some Cayenne again and finally got to sleep. 

This morning was more of the same, about a 6, so I took more Cayenne and blended a cup of Pumpkin Seeds with water and drank / ate it, followed by an Industrial strength Thermo Nuclear laxative, the Pharmacy version of Magnesium Citrate. The idea of the Pumpkin Seeds is they temporarily paralyze the parasites, who cannot hook into the intestines to prevent from being flushed by the laxative. 

Since they lay insane amounts of eggs every day, it's going to be more than this one treatment. For those questioning the efficacy, I became a believer when I had a nice worm about two inches long presenting itself as a lump in my belly. I did said protocol and saw it in the toilet. (Along with thousands of his tiny friends)... Mexican water! (Actually street food in Iraq).

Now, after the laxative is pretty much done, I would put my gut pain at about a 2, with no shortness of breath or chest pain. Going forward, I just need to do routing monthly cleanses (not the laxative, just normal herbs and teas) and do a complete Colon / Liver / Gallbladder / Lymph / Glymph cleanse. I need to do all that with a practitioner though.

So, love you all, hope you're done eating for the week!


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> It wasn't until I moved to Phoenix in 2003 that I first encountered the phenomenon of parents buying their kids cars. Blew my mind. If I went to my mom and asked for $5 she'd have laughed in my face and said to get a job. That's when I was 10. When I was 18 I finally saved up $400 from working to buy an old beater, drove the thing to death which wasn't far off anyway. I had to pay for my own gas and insurance too. I was a lazy, self-absorbed, argumentative kid, but I wasn't spoiled!



Yep. I had a hand me down Audi 4000 that was no favor from my Brother, but it taught me some things about mechanics and patience. It was theft proof, because THAT was the targeted car. To start it, I had to hook up a wire from the dash to a wire that ran to the fuel pump if I remember correctly. Regardless, it wouldn't start without doing that. 

It was actually a fun car, and I would find out it was pretty fast compared to the first gutless pig car I bought, a Ford Tempo. 

Hindsight, I would have done everything I could to keep the Audi running and rewrite my history without the Tempo.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I probably have an abundance of parasites in the guts.


On top of just the diet, it sounds like you're getting the full paleo experience! All you need now is some leopards to run from and maybe a cave or a tree to sleep in and you'll be like a fully paleo person.

Haha, jokes aside I hope that clears up for you, sounds awful.

I'm mostly over this cold I caught from my kids, still a little stuffy-headed but otherwise able to function normally. Today after work I'm going to finally start building my little lean-to shed, or that's the plan.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> On top of just the diet, it sounds like you're getting the full paleo experience! All you need now is some leopards to run from and maybe a cave or a tree to sleep in and you'll be like a fully paleo person.
> 
> Haha, jokes aside I hope that clears up for you, sounds awful.
> 
> I'm mostly over this cold I caught from my kids, still a little stuffy-headed but otherwise able to function normally. Today after work I'm going to finally start building my little lean-to shed, or that's the plan.



I tried to hang out in the tree, but the neighbors didn't like it. It's "technically" their tree because it's on their side of the fence, but more branches lean over to my side. I never thought of a cave though, the Deer would probably just stare at it so I could get a good shot in! Then what, though? I'm so used to modern stuff, I would have to go process the Deer inside, and the neighbors definitely wouldn't like any of that. 

Seriously though, It's gut reset time that will probably clear up all my brain fog as well. Then it's full on Paleo, I'll never eat gut destroying bread or other useless food again. I know how "never" sounds, but it's much clearer after what I just went through.

As for your cold, good it's almost over, but your description and the length tells me you aren't a vitamin guy. I think I had Covid early on for a day, but besides that, I have had maybe one cold that lasted a day since 2000. Just a good Multivitamin and extra C+D3 every day. The most beneficial way to get vitamins would be through food, but the soils, even Organic, are completely depleted of nutrients thanks to our chemical destruction of the farmlands.


----------



## Flyover

I think the heavy lifting at not getting sick has been accomplished by avoiding sick people, which is why these past two years, up until this past weekend, have been the longest I've ever gone without getting so much as a cold. My diet did not change pre- to post-pandemic, or even over the past 3-5 years, so that variable is eliminated.

Spicoli you reminded me, I need to remove some of the climbing wall handholds from my tree.


----------



## Eddie_T

Lazy so I baked a couple of eggs in hashbrown cups for supper. I left room for a big piece of strawberry-raspberry cake that my DIL made me for FD.


----------



## Eddie_T

Eddie_T said:


> Lazy so I baked a couple of eggs in hashbrown cups for supper. I left room for a big piece of strawberry-raspberry cake that my DIL made me for FD.


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, that does not sound like fun-- with the gut troubles. I'm allergic to peppers so that would never work for me. I do need to take my vitamins. Been forgetting to take them the last few days.

I've always talked about my pets a LOT. LOL. Probably because I spend more time with them than I do with people. Mewlatto is happily curled up on my lap again.

My shoulder has been bugging me still and I've been having trouble sleeping. But then it rained all day and made me sleepy. Rain puts me out for some reason. But, I did get up in the middle of the night and scrub the s*** out of the toilet. I don't know how my brother gets toilets so dirty. Never had a toilet get like that until I shared a bathroom with him. I think it took about 20 minutes because I deep cleaned that thing.

I need to clean up more of the kitchen and wash the counters again.

I'm about out of frozen meals for Mom and my brother ate all the lunch meat so I'll need to make another trip to the grocery store soon.


----------



## Eddie_T

This computer somehow outfoxed me, I have no idea how or why I managed to quote my baked egg post.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, probably some sort of glitch with the forum. 
I went to the grocery store and got more stuff to cook for mom. Also got a sewing measuring tape to get some measurements. I probably shouldn't have done the waist measurement after eating 5 chicken thighs and some rolls. LOL.
I was supposed to wear a bra for the measurements but I stopped wearing them quite awhile ago because they rub the skin and agitate some skin tags I have there. Anyway, only bra I could find was too small and I couldn't even get the straps over my shoulders without help. I really need to lose some weight because my gut sticks out almost as much as my bust. LOL.
Got mail and put groceries away. It was friggin' hot out so I didn't stay outside for too long. Been watching How To videos and then seeing spoilers for the Loki series.


----------



## Flyover

Gut parasites, the runs, skin tags, obesity...this is my go-to forum when I'm feeling overly romantic about the human body and public health.

A couple days ago I sorted out all the shed pieces I had and what I still needed and reached out to the company about replacement parts but they haven't gotten back to me. I'm going to actually call them today. I have a feeling I'll end up fabricating more parts out of metal...

Zannej, I used to have to run to the store all the time when I lived by myself. When I moved in with my wife (then girlfriend) she got me in the habit of writing out all the meals for the week (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and then buying all the ingredients for those, plus snacks and whatever else we need and are out of. Since then, impromptu grocery store runs are eliminated. Saves a lot of time and gas. I recommend it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Weekly grocery trips are great, but Avocados don't last that long, or fresh Chicken. 

Women shouldn't wear bras, which is more than just a HS fantasy of mine. The restriction of movement contributes to the risk of cancer.


----------



## Flyover

You've gotta be strategic about your avocado purchases. Buy some that are ripe, some that are still hard, and stagger them throughout the week. Also if you have one that is ripe or almost ripe but you don't plan to use it for a couple days you can put it in the fridge to slow it down. Finally, if you've let one go and it's overly ripe, you can still scoop out the flesh, throw it in a blender with some cilantro, jalapenos, onions, a tomato or two, salt, a couple tablespoons of vinegar, and a cup of water, and you've got a phenomenal sauce to put on burritos or just dip chips in.

I don't think we should go down the rabbit hole of whether women should or shouldn't wear bras, sounds like it's just asking for a mod to step in and shut down the thread!


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> I don't think we should go down the rabbit hole of whether women should or shouldn't wear bras, sounds like it's just asking for a mod to step in and shut down the thread!


Someone will just turn a bra comment into a political post...


----------



## Eddie_T

oldognewtrick said:


> Someone will just turn a bra comment into a political post...


Or a COVID mask, which can quickly become political.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 By the way, if chicken doesn't last a week you should try refrigerating it, that usually will get you at least 3 or 4 days. Longer than that and you can try freezing it too. Works fine for me. Just have to remember to move it back to the fridge the night before you aim to cook it. 

Shed company quoted me over $200 for the parts. Even if I buy the hardware separately on my own it's still over $100. Might as well have bought the thing new. Depressing to think you're saving money only to find out you're forced not to. And now I have no choice, the thing is trading up space in my garage!


----------



## shan2themax

I got around to start.transferring tools into the behemoth...... I might name it...hmmm.
I had a good time doing it. Idk that I like how I have it right now, but it will work as is for now. 







I also got this and.put it together.... it's really too big, but certainly will make it easier to take them out of the garage quickly and have them stored so they arent falling over



I went and bought wood so I could convert the fence to a gate soon. I just need to make the time for it. 

I need to finish the shelves I was building before I dislocated my finger. I have piddled with it and finally bought a few more pieces of wood to finish it. 

The garden is coming along well, I'm feeling impatient with it... but I shouldnt, it will become overwhelming quickly!


And my beautiful sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. I CANT WAIT!




And finally, I saw my rheumatologist this week. I asked what he thought about me maybe picking up more hours and attempting full time. He said that I needed to take it 1 step at a time and it was to soon to decide that. It's kind of weird to feel respected by a physician about the subject matter.... and I am a nurse. 

Waiting on my pillows to dry so that I can go to bed. I hope you all are well and enjoying this weather!


----------



## Eddie_T

@shan2themax I envy your nice garden. We never planted cherry tomatoes. They just came up as "volunteers" and we called them "tommy toes" a pun I guess. 

I started my bee traps. Because of the way I am making the corners I applied dabs of glue (now drying) to hold it together while I later pre-drill and hammer in a couple of small nails for each joint.


----------



## zannej

Got up early and went to Samsclub. My brother was actually awake so he went with me. Loaded up on water and cat food. Also got a 2tb external drive for my friend (since his old external drive died). Also grabbed 2 dozen cupcakes since it's his birthday. Went over to visit him and give him the gifts. While we were there a tech from his internet company came by to disconnect his modem. His internet company hadn't sent him his bill in 2 months and didn't even send a shutoff warning. Guy came in and was very apologetic. Friend asked if he could just pay on Monday when he gets his paycheck and mentioned it was his birthday. Guy gave him the # to call and said they should give him an extension since it was only a couple days. After the phone menu he got ahold of someone who told him absolutely not. If the technician was there it *had* to be shut off then no matter what. Tech was saying to us that was BS. Friend asked about partial payment. Got put on hold for awhile as she said she was talking to her supervisor. Still said "no". I asked him to see if he could talk to the supervisor. She said the supervisor was at lunch. Friend said, "If your supervisor is at lunch, how did you just talk to him 13 seconds ago?" Tech guy was making faces and we were cracking jokes quietly & making him laugh. We all agreed it was BS. In the past they let my friend extend things. It took 10 minutes for the chick to even find out how much my friend owed for the bill. They really inflated it. It was only around $40/month when he got it. They have now raised it to $84/mo and they were adding in a disconnect/reconnect fee for it even though they never officially disconnected it before. He was only $20 short of what he needed & they were going to cancel his service over it. I asked if he could pay with his card then and then deposit $ in his bank so it wouldn't overdraft. The woman said "Hold on a minute" and put him on hold for 10 more minutes. She finally said he could pay that way and they wouldn't shut his internet off. Tech thanked us for making him laugh (and thanked us for offering a cupcake but declined as he was about to eat lunch). He wished us a good day and went to eat lunch in his truck. I took my friend to the bank & gave him some $ to put in. As soon as better internet comes around, he's leaving that internet company. He's used them for 5 years and they are jerking him around now.

We then ate some cupcakes and watched the first episode of Loki. It was pretty funny. I like the comedian who plays Casey. Owen Wilson is great as well. His dry line deliver cracks me up. My friend said he will wait until we are over to watch the next episodes so we can watch together.

We went to the post office and grabbed McDonalds for mom (per her request). She forgot to ask for a mocha frappe but I got her a free one with the survey code. She got excited when I handed it to her. They have this thing where if you do the survey at mcdvoice using the # on your receipt. Once you finish it you get a code to redeem a free shake or frappe. Survey has to be done within 7 days and the code can be used within 30 days.

It's raining and I'm about to take a nap now.


----------



## zannej

I forgot to address the food shopping thing: We have limited space and I still need to clean up the pantry and patch the ceiling to keep mice out so it will be safe to store stuff. We went down from 2 fridges to 1 so we can't have as much in the way of cold stuff as we used to and my brother eats things in large quantity. When it's just me and mom, the groceries last a lot longer.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 By the way, if chicken doesn't last a week you should try refrigerating it, that usually will get you at least 3 or 4 days. Longer than that and you can try freezing it too. Works fine for me. Just have to remember to move it back to the fridge the night before you aim to cook it.
> 
> Shed company quoted me over $200 for the parts. Even if I buy the hardware separately on my own it's still over $100. Might as well have bought the thing new. Depressing to think you're saving money only to find out you're forced not to. And now I have no choice, the thing is trading up space in my garage!



Whoa... You keep Chicken on the counter?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> You've gotta be strategic about your avocado purchases. Buy some that are ripe, some that are still hard, and stagger them throughout the week. Also if you have one that is ripe or almost ripe but you don't plan to use it for a couple days you can put it in the fridge to slow it down. Finally, if you've let one go and it's overly ripe, you can still scoop out the flesh, throw it in a blender with some cilantro, jalapenos, onions, a tomato or two, salt, a couple tablespoons of vinegar, and a cup of water, and you've got a phenomenal sauce to put on burritos or just dip chips in.
> 
> I don't think we should go down the rabbit hole of whether women should or shouldn't wear bras, sounds like it's just asking for a mod to step in and shut down the thread!



Good recipe, I'll try it.

You're right, I should never talk about anything to do with naturally born body parts on a forum where I'm not allowed to say the body part that is also the Democrat mascot because saying so is a "bad word" to 3 year old's.

My Bad.


----------



## Spicoli43

Now the fun of finding the tools starts, Shan! The Garden looks good. You don't get wind that will take those hoops?

I would get some Sea Magic for those tomatoes, you can use it on everything though. I'll try to find some comparison pics I have, you will be amazed at the production. The lady that told me about it owned a nursery and had a Cherry or Grape Tomato plant that was 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide at least, it was a monster. I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't standing right in front of it.  Granted, that was inside a greenhouse with a drip line and everything else, but she swore she didn't use any other fertilizers or anything. 

I have gotten 5 foot tall tomatoes outside no problem, had to rip some 1x4's into stakes to support them. 

I have seen a Blueberry plant saved from death overnight and a Stevia plant grow more than a foot overnight using Sea Magic.

One packet of Sea Magic makes 60 gallons or so, and you only use it every 2 weeks, so it should last all season, and you have to ditch the leftovers, no keeping it for next year, you will smell what I'm talking about if you do.





__





						sea magic at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


----------



## zannej

For some reason Shan's post didn't show up for me. Looks great!
What doesn't look so great is my barn:











I went down to look at it and get pictures of the lumber pile.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am envious of all that lumber. With the front of the barn still standing I would be trying to jack the rear back into place a little at a time. Adding interim supporting piers at each stage for safety until I finally reached full height. That barn has character.


----------



## zannej

The wood has been sitting there a very long time. Some of it has split. I need to get a better setup for it-- but for now I will settle for reinforcing the supports underneath.  I was thinking of getting one of those concrete pyramid thingies, a buffer in between so the concrete won't rot the wood, and then something on top. Will probably need some sort of jack to raise it enough to stick something under. Also considered a jack stand on top of a paving stone.

The barn was great back before the tree fell on it. I wish we'd maintained it better over the years though. It needed some paint and wood treatment. Loft boards needed to be replaced. When it's not too hot, I will have to go down and shovel up that mud in front of the barn and fill it in with something sturdy. It's so deep the cows get up to their knees in it trying to walk through.

I'm hoping I can make use of the lumber at some point. 

Saw an interesting video from a woodworking group:


Looks pretty neat. I like the lift mechanism for the chainsaw. Allegedly wood prices are going to go back down. I'll believe it when I see it.

I went to bed early last night. Got a call from my cousin yesterday (well, one of my cousins). She wants to meet up with us in Lafayette next weekend. Had a good conversation with her. She's doing pretty well. She was married to a malignant narcissist for about 20yrs. Said she didn't realize how bad it was until she was free of him (for the most part). She's about to graduate from college classes to become a teacher. She said taking 20+hours of classes, working two jobs, being a single mom, and living paycheck to paycheck was still less stressful than sharing a room with her ex. He's a horrible person. 

I'll probably have to go to get more groceries today. Mom is out of potstickers.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Looks pretty neat. I like the lift mechanism for the chainsaw.


I can imagine you adapting this to your craft table maybe with a hole in the table top to insert a socket extension for the drill motor.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli, I was joking. Surprised to hear you say your chicken doesn't last a week, because it should if you freeze/refrigerate it.

We got home from a 3 day trip today; arrived home around 12:30, I took the chicken thighs out of the freezer immediately right after bringing in suitcases and put it in the sink still wrapped in plastic and ran water over it. A couple hours later it was fully defrosted, so I made my marinade in a bowl (apple juice, fresh squeezed lime juice, olive oil, put the chicken in, rubbed on the spices (ground ancho, ground chipotle, salt) covered that up, put it back in the fridge. Will grill it in about 90 minutes from now.

@zannej, we're a family of 5 and I eat like two people. We have one fridge and one pantry cabinet. But, we do use all that space to capacity.


----------



## shan2themax

Thanks guys. I enjoy the garden alot. @Spicoli43 I will have to look into that. Thanks for letting me know about it.
I'll have to try to remember to take a picture of my greenstalk that is full of mostly strawberries.
I too am envious of all that lumber! Lol

I just got home from work and am pooped. I hope you all had a good weekend!


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli, I was joking. Surprised to hear you say your chicken doesn't last a week, because it should if you freeze/refrigerate it.



HAHAHAHA! Not around here! Walmart is 2 days, maybe 3. The local smaller chain store is probably 4 days. Albertson's or Safeway is not even worth mentioning, and Costco probably doesn't make it home fresh since they turn off their coolers to DEFROST. I have never heard of defrosting a fridge case before, but that's what they do. 

OFF... Completely OFF. You can reach in the case with the gauges that say def on them and feel nothing but room temp racks.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Thanks guys. I enjoy the garden alot. @Spicoli43 I will have to look into that. Thanks for letting me know about it.
> I'll have to try to remember to take a picture of my greenstalk that is full of mostly strawberries.
> I too am envious of all that lumber! Lol
> 
> I just got home from work and am pooped. I hope you all had a good weekend!



Ok, Shan... Here are the pics, I specifically did this experiment for the Sea Magic because I didn't believe the lady exactly. 

I used the same soil from the same company. 
Both beds are in the front yard, they got the same sun
Watered the same exact, to the second with a stopwatch. 
When the watering was done the first time, I added Sea Magic to that bed and left the other alone.
Watered both every day the same going forward. 
I think these pics are the morning after the second Sea Magic application. 
Made me a believer.


----------



## Flyover

Is the "magic" in Sea Magic....fish poop? Fish poop is supposed to be amazing for plants. I think I mentioned before about keeping fish in your rain barrel.

My neighbor is going out of town for a few days next weekend but he's leaving me with his setup so I can level the slab he sold me for the waterfall table I'm building. I think that setup consists of a frame, a sled, and his router with a really wide square bit. It has to be his router because he built the sled for it. He also mentioned an old door or something to fasten the frame down onto. I'll take pictures and post them here, probably. If I remember.

I've got a big list of projects, and I'm working through them this summer, but I don't really have any questions about them. That's why I keep posting in this thread and not the other ones!


----------



## zannej

Flyover, part of the problems we have is that many times when I go to the grocery store, they are out of what I want to buy. It can be out for weeks or even months and my mother is extremely picky. Doesn't help that my brother eats most of the food and drinks most of the water (although he will deny it). He's gotten back over 300lbs again.
I really do need to get better about organizing stuff. I'm terrible at it. It would be nice if I had more help from other people in the house.

I had to laugh at my mother (quietly so she didn't know I was laughing at her) when I mentioned my friend's gf has to clean 14 rooms a day at a hotel. She was saying that's not hard work at all. Mind you, this is someone who hasn't cleaned her own room in well over 20yrs and who didn't even clean 30+ years ago. She thought cleaning her parents' bathroom and doing dishes was the worst and the hardest work back when she was a teenag. She won't even clean one room much less 14 so she has no concept of what it's like to clean. LOL.

I am venting about my family today. My brother had a little b*** fit on the way to the grocery store yesterday. He interrupted me when I was telling him something (the plan to divide and conquer in the store) and it devolved into an argument where I told him he was being a b*** and he started screaming and swearing at me. I then started mocking him and saying "Waaaaah. Baby having a little b*** fit! Waaaah". He kept carrying on and I continued mocking him & reminded him I was treating him the way he treats me. He continued to shout and carry on. I stopped paying attention to what he was saying and just laughed at him and said "Baby have b*** fit. waaaah". He finally cracked a smile and stopped having a fit and we were cool by the time I parked.

We had gone in to see our friend. I got them food and then we all watched Avengers Endgame followed by an episode of Loki. The fat baby started crying right when Endgame was over so I handed him to my friend (trying to get the little fatso to stop being loud). Then off to the grocery store to get potstickers for Mom. She called right before we went and said she wanted them and I told her that was what we were going to get. My brother hung up bc he was not in the best of moods. After we got out of the store she called back and screamed about how we didn't answer the phones. We don't get signal inside. She insisted on getting bread, I asked why she didn't mention that the first time she called and she said I should have just known she wanted it. She got all pissy despite me saying I was going back in. Get inside and they are out of the bread she likes. But there was another kind she's had once before and didn't hate so I got it and told her they were out of her Wonderbread. I even took a video of the bread isle to show her how cleaned out they were.

Spicoli, does the chicken last to the "best by" date or expiration date? I've been having trouble with the milk not lasting to it's expiration date. Used to be it would last a day or two beyond the "best by" date but now it expires a day or two early- if not 3. I think it's how they are storing it. I put stuff in freezer bags to try to make it last longer.

Don't mind my jumbled thoughts. Dog woke me up and my brain is not fully awake.


----------



## Flyover

How old is your brother, @zannej ? My 4 year-old sometimes behaves as you describe, but that's on days when he's regressing. Actually you make _me_ want to vent about your family too, haha I better stop there.

How about I vent about my job instead.

My company's idiot CEO has decided all the productivity and adaptiveness for remote work we've shown over the past 15 months doesn't count for $#!+ and so he's rolled out a "return to the office" plan that starts in earnest next week. This means a huge disruption to the lives of all his employees, including me, who now have to figure out things like how to coordinate day care and stuff. Even before the pandemic I had more flexibility than I'll have once the plan is implemented -- it's a big part of why I took the job in the first place! I'm hoping once he sees that he's hemorrhaging employees (because plenty of other companies are hiring and have more sensible arrangements) he'll change his mind. Either this is a profoundly stupid blunder on his part or he knows something nobody else knows.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover... Sea Magic is Seaweed, but what happens in the Sea ends up in a packet. As far as your CEO, he is an idiot. The new thing is working from home and I'm surprised most companies aren't shuttering their entire outside footprint. All my siblings and everybody that works in their branches of the family besides the kids that work fast food are never going back to the office again for their respective companies. The companies save $$$$ on overhead, can rent the buildings out to whoever, etc. 

zannej... I have returned chicken to all those stores, that can't be on the date or after. They all "say" they are good for a week, but no chance. I buy frozen now from Costco, but who knows what that it. I assume they flash freeze it right away.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> The new thing is working from home


That's just it: this _isn't_ a new thing! When I was employed by this company in 2019 there were of course some employees who had to come into the office for various pragmatic reasons -- they interacted with customers, or required special equipment or security -- but my group which is all internal facing had lots of flexibility. We were encouraged to come in if there was an important meeting or if we needed to collaborate on something in front of a white board, but that was only the case once in a blue moon. The rest of the time it was "we like to see you, but you're free to work from wherever you can comfortably get your work done" and so long as we got our work done and maintained a high standard of quality there was no issue. I ended up going in to the office most days just because the computer network was faster. So when the pandemic hit it was simply a matter of setting up a more permanent arrangement at home. My work still got done just fine -- and so did everybody else's! Grrr it makes me furious.


----------



## Spicoli43

So, back then there was a different CEO?


----------



## Flyover

Nope, same CEO. He's been there a long time I think. Maybe the vaccine scrambled his brain


----------



## Spicoli43

Something happened to him, and yes, the vaccine can do all kinds of new and fun stuff to the body because the tech has never been used and was called "Dangerous" by the FDA themselves a decade ago, ending this long run on sentence now.

I think you are right that a lot of employees will pound sand. Can you go to a competitor in the same space?


----------



## zannej

Flyover, my brother is 41. In fairness, he wasn't feeling well and that made him cranky. 

Spicoli, I've heard some of the stores-- particularly Walmart-- will get meat/eggs/produce labeled as a certain date when shipped but they will change the date to say it's fresher than it really is when they put it out on the shelves.

Having a weird issue with my frostless feezer. It's building up ice at the top corner where the door opens. I'm guessing the seal is leaking. I hope it can be fixed because I don't want to try to buy a new freezer.

I wonder if the CEO went through some change in life-- like a divorce-- that made him want more control. Might also not be getting as much profit overall as he wanted. Who knows. So many employers don't seem to realize that if they didn't jerk employees around they would have better loyalty.

I had a brief discussion with my brother about how if he goes back to working at the casino (in a different area) he can get back on better insurance that will pay for the medicine that was helping him more. Medicaid won't cover it and he's been getting sicker because the replacement medicine doesn't work anywhere near as well. He can then get the medicine at the casino's pharmacy.

I watched this video: 

Pretty cool but even I can see some improvements they could make. I was hoping it would be for something like a device to pick up logs and move them, but this is just sort of like an engine lift.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> my brother is 41. In fairness, he wasn't feeling well and that made him cranky.


"He wasn't feeling well and that made him cranky" is a good excuse if you omit the "1" from your brother's age. Seriously, from your descriptions of your brother I thought you were going to tell me he's 12 or something. I'm really surprised to hear he's a grown man who acts the way he does. I don't mean to pick on your family, but in my defense, you brought them up!


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## Spicoli43

zannej, I wouldn't doubt they all do it, at least the worthless mega chains. I don't think the little guys do it, but any enforcement is probably up to the State Agriculture department. The FDA never does anything to help anyone, and the USDA lets Chicken companies import it from China without telling anyone, so they won't enforce any rules on dates.


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## Flyover

Zannej, I'm sorry I just now saw your comment about my CEO. As far as I know he's doing fine. Without giving away personal details about where I work, my hunch is he's falling for the sunk cost fallacy: our company spent a lot of money on new offices in 2019.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli do have some fish fertilizer.it seemed to do a better job last year
 Bit in fairness, it sat out all winter... so it may not be effective. I love seeing the pics of the difference. I am going to order some and see what happens.

I accidentally took a 3.5 hour nap today and am ready for bed again 
I hope to work s ok me more on getting my tools and stuff organized and the shelves built so that I can get rid of my storage unit. Lol


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## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> zannej, I wouldn't doubt they all do it, at least the worthless mega chains. I don't think the little guys do it, but any enforcement is probably up to the State Agriculture department. The FDA never does anything to help anyone, and the USDA lets Chicken companies import it from China without telling anyone, so they won't enforce any rules on dates.


I have worked with just about every major chicken producer in the US and I know of none that import chicken from anywhere. Most of them export significant amounts. I was real close to going to China to work with some of their producers. Talked my way out of that one though. Costco has recently begun to raise and process their own chicken in the last couple of years.


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## Spicoli43

The FDA and UDSA *LET* companies import Chicken from China. Being that I can't find out if they do, and the Government will cover it up like everything else, I just assume they do. 





__





						usda allows chicken china at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I watched this video: [ ] Pretty cool but even I can see some improvements they could make. I was hoping it would be for something like a device to pick up logs and move them, but this is just sort of like an engine lift.


Yeah, some grease on the shaft would make it easier to turn, reduce wear, and stop the squawking noise. Add a rope loop to prevent the handle from spinning back. Some wheels would allow moving it around.


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## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> The FDA and UDSA *LET* companies import Chicken from China. Being that I can't find out if they do, and the Government will cover it up like everything else, I just assume they do.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> usda allows chicken china at DuckDuckGo
> 
> 
> DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> duckduckgo.com


Seems like a weird thing to do, not sure why they would do that. I would bet when they say post slaughter birds would be sent to China to "process" I'm guessing that would be what the industry calls "further processing." Many processing plants, heck most really, slaughter and process the birds then they are sent somewhere else for further processing. That can be anything from just putting it into consumer packages to making other chicken products like lunch meat, hot dogs, and the like. That I could see as viable to a producer maybe. Process it here then freeze and ship off shore to make other stuff.


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## Spicoli43

Yeah, well regardless, there is no regulation in anything. As long as people aren't selling shrimp from their trunk and there aren't any evil Spinach fields for the FDA to bust, you never hear anything about it.


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## Flyover

Hahaha it's the Great Chinese Chicken Cover-up! Also funny to hear people complain about not enough regulation by the FDA. Nothing against you, Spicoli, I'm just not used to seeing it.

My projects are piling up, in part because all my weekends keep getting booked solid with other stuff. I think part of it is I need to be more assertive and put my foot down and say "No, I'm taking 2 hours on [whatever day] and getting X Y and Z done" and then actually do it.


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## Spicoli43

How is there regulation by the FDA when EVERY single drug they approve needs 45 seconds during the commercial to say the 45 ways it can maim or kill you? How is there regulation when the head people at the FDA used to be executives in Pharma companies, and vice versa? 

Look at Scott Gottleib, former head of the FDA and now a Board member for Pfizer. That's only one example. There is no regulation against Pharma by the FDA because they have been in bed together since the beginning and will always be in bed together. 

The ONLY thing the FDA does is shut down that Spinach farm every once in a while under the guise that they are "doing something"....

If they were doing their job, all the 5 million chemicals in fast and processed foods wouldn't exist, but then there wouldn't be obese people that need drugs for all their illnesses brought on by the franken food, and Pharma would be out of business. 

It's not rocket surgery.


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## 68bucks

USDA would be the main agency that monitors food processing plants. I have seen a wide range of how closely the USDA monitors operations. Some are a real pain in the butt nit picking about everything while others are practically non-existent, see them a couple times a day but mostly never around.  I would say the majority are good people that are focused on making sure facilities are following the proper protocols and testing to produce safe food. I have had very little direct interaction with FDA so I can't really comment much on that agency other than I know that work at an absolute snail's pace. Better than the EPA though, they are more of a glacial pace. My FDA experience has been mainly in pet food production facilities.


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## Spicoli43

Oh, of course. The worker bees are almost always good people, that applies to every agency. The heads, the brass, they are the poisonous snakes. OSHA and the EPA are in a whole different category of Moronic based on my experiences.


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## Flyover

My 4 year old "bought" my wife a present yesterday at the at the store: a sunflower in an 8" pot. (Really I bought it, he suggested it spontaneously as a present.) While my wife went for a jog today, I planted it in her garden. Also planted a succulent ground cover of some sort in the top of the rain barrel. She'd asked me to do both these things but she wasn't expecting I'd get them done today. I also hung up some art in my son's room and moved the hooks in the kids' bathroom lower so they can reach their own bath towels. That was after 8.5 hours of work and a hard workout in the gym. A productive day.


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## zannej

Flyover, I guess your CEO is trying to justify the expense of getting all the new office space.

I'm not offended about comments on my family. I love my brother but he is very immature. He's been very spoiled. I think I've mentioned that he was never made to do chores as a child and that at one point I was doing all the chores except laundry and cooking. My mother would cook and leave the mess for me. I would bring my laundry in a hamper, she'd wash it & fold it, and then I'd put it away. I believe she went in and got my brother's laundry but I don't remember. She would then fold it and leave it lying on the couch or a table. She would leave piles of laundry all over. My dad would take his stuff and put it away. But my mother's and brother's stuff would sit for a long time. I would often end up putting my brother's stuff in his room just to get it out of the way.

My brother still can't understand the concept that if he even helped a little with the cleaning that the house wouldn't be such a mess. I already had to clean the new air fryer out twice (it got set up yesterday) and I haven't even used it. It's such a disaster that I can't find any of the measuring cups. We had an entire set of them-- couldn't find a single one. So, I went to get the measuring cup in the middle of cooking. Spent 10 minutes looking, overcooked the meat. Ended up setting the meat aside under a cover and had to go to the store to buy a new measuring cup. It's really bothering me because I have no clue where it went. I looked in all the cabinets, on the floor, under the table, in the living room, in my brother's room, around and under mom's desk... It just vanished. And that sort of thing happens a lot. Even when things are clean and organized. Items just go missing. It's like we have pilfering gremlins in the house.

I just made eye contact with Mewlatto so he decided to climb on me and curl up on my lap. I'll hold him for a few minutes and then I need to go do some more cleaning. Counters need to be wiped down again.


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## Flyover

@zannej: Justifying the expense is what I meant by sunk cost fallacy. Still, that's only one possible theory of several. Another is that he wants to project an image of his business being traditional and buttoned-up in some way, which is odd because this company, like basically all others that both consume and deploy a lot of software, puts a ton of energy into marketing themselves as innovative/cutting edge/forward-thinking/etc. So maybe he wants to have his cake and eat it too. In any case I'm thinking about taking bets on whether he reverses this policy once people start quitting en masse for the many 100% remote opportunities that have sprung up since the pandemic. Then again there's also the other theory which is that the CEO knows something nobody else does and that this is actually the right move.

A lot of what you've said about your family strikes me as bizarre. I'm curious and have questions about some things because I suspect your story is interesting, but I don't want to pry. And I apologize if I appear annoyed about frustrating aspects of your situation. Mis-applied empathy maybe.


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## Flyover

I started looking into the parts for my shed and realized I can probably fudge all the parts from stuff available at Menards for 25-50% of the price the shed company wants to charge me, especially if I permanently attach the roof instead of having it hinged/openable (which I don't need), so I'm going to do that. The only snag would be if some of the brackets/hinges are specialty (and not identical to what I can find on the shelf at Menards), but I'm betting they're not.


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## zannej

Flyover, it's fine. I try to find amusement in it to keep my sanity.

I tried to read and respond earlier but my internet crapped out. Woke up sneezing my head off and had to use the nasal allergy meds. Killed my sense of smell for the day. Which was good. Friend's gf asked me to come over. At first she wanted me to watch the baby for her while she went to the store. Hard No on that one. So I ran to the store and grabbed what she needed for cooking. I saw she was overwhelmed and hadn't done the dishes. She was in one of those moods where she didn't feel like doing anything. I know that feeling. She's been having a hard time at work because they are being unreasonable with wanting her to clean all of the rooms on two floors of the hotel within a certain time period. But the problem is, she has to wait for the people who do the laundry to finish washing and drying everything before she can put it back in the rooms. It takes multiple trips to get the stuff down and also to get it back up. She got written up and yelled at because the laundry wasn't ready for her to put in the rooms before 5. They are telling her she'll be fired if she doesn't start finishing it at 5. Anyway, I also helped her cut up the stuff for dinner and helped her cook it (it was a new recipe). It involved onions and bell pepper. I despise bell pepper but I couldn't smell it so I didn't have a problem with it. My eyes were irritated by the onions so I had to rinse them out afterward.

Rained really hard after I went to the grocery store to get stuff for Mom. It was dark and foggy and rainy on the way home. Could barely see ahead of me with all the fog. I did notice that someone stole our street sign though. About the 3rd time it's happened now. But I no longer know who is in charge of that to contact them to get it put back up.

I'm trying to dry off and the cats have piled on again. Mewlatto apparently hates this weather so he's been staying inside. Meanwhile Biscuits is humping one of my blankets. LOL.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> my internet crapped out. Woke up sneezing my head off


Haha, you probably didn't intend this, but the juxtaposition of these two sentences makes it sound like your internet is equivalent to your consciousness. Internet goes down = you pass out.


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## zannej

Well, pretty much. Without internet I get pretty bored.
I torqued my already injured shoulder/arm slipping in the mud when unloading groceries last night. I had to stop and scream a few profanities for about 45 seconds before I finished getting groceries out of the cooler and headed inside. Slipped on the porch and then slipped on the step. Fortunately I had stuff to grab but it was annoying me.

Friend's gf sent me a pic of the finished food from last night, but I didn't get the message until after my power went out this morning and I was outside making the call to the power company to report the outage. No signal inside. When the power goes the landline won't always work.

One of the cats kept coming through the hole in my door and picking fights with other cats. I stuffed a blanket in the hole to keep him out but the dog pushed it out of the way and let him back in. Woke up to the dog growling because the cat was sitting on top of me and the dog doesn't like it when other pets get near him. I had to get up and feed the cats and let the dog back in to Mom's room. But he wanted out again after I went to the bathroom). He was curled up against me when the power went out.

I'm having trouble seeing my screen right now because one of the cats is sitting on the desk in front of it but I can't reach him to push him away because another cat is on my lap.

Mom wanted to go into town when the power was out but said we could go later after I get some more sleep. I got as much as I felt I could but now she wants to nap. LOL.


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## Eddie_T

I was browsing spanish style entry doors and clicked on one that said black with no mat. The no mat puzzled me so I clicked on it finding it was a print in a black frame with no mat (from Pottery Barn).


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## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> Without having "processed foods", how would modern Americans eat? Run down to the corner Farm and pickup some vegetables for tonites dinner? Have a 'neighborhood cow' available at all times to provide milk for our NON processed wheat kernels (grass) cereal? You ought to try non processed rice when u get a chance.
> 
> Of course, the alternatives would be to just boil everything and put it in a Mason jar and sell it at the local supermarket. Wait. That's already been done. I guess it goes without saying that there are millions of people that exist in this world, that are not fat, that eat BOTH processed and fast foods.
> 
> You might have a point, but it doesn't have anything to do with the FDA. Of course, you could always practice your beliefs by eating NO processed foods, and NO fast foods yourself.
> 
> Further, your complaint could be applied throughout the entirety of local, state and federal government and all levels of business enterprise.
> 
> All this time there are those who thought these folks were doing this stuff because of "civic duty".
> 
> Believe what you will.



Why do you put processed foods in quotes when that's exactly what they are? 

Why do you make everything sound so difficult? How did humans survive before processed foods? 

If you live in the middle of nowhere, you grow your own food and might have livestock. You might travel once a month or so with a freezer on board to stock up. 

 If you live near a city, you can go buy vegetables and plain unprocessed meats. 

?????????? Let me know when you're tracking.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> How did humans survive before processed foods?


Well, we died a lot more then from malnutrition, toxic food-borne contaminants, etc., plus a lot of babies died because of their mothers' malnutrition. And when people didn't die they had stuff like rickets. (So to answer your question, "by the grace of God".) But yeah, obesity was less of a problem!

Today I got a lot done: built a trellis for my wife's garden, got up on the roof and unclogged all gutters with my hands, chopped away some tree branches while I was up there, oh and get this -- I was about to take the inactive half of my French door off the hinges to install the astrigal flush bolt when I decided to inspect the outer edge. I noticed it had a kind of plastic insert running from the middle to the bottom. I pulled it out a little at the bottom and discovered the original bolt already there! It had gotten shoved up somehow. I just slid the thing down, bam project done. Now I have to see if I can return the one I bought.


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## Eddie_T

I am experimenting with a mix for peanut butter cups. There are several recipes online but so far I haven't found exactly the mix for me. I am doing small amounts for testing. First try was 2 tsp each of PNB, powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. It was good but I am going to add butter and play with the ratios some before making a pan full and topping with chocolate.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Well, we died a lot more then from malnutrition, toxic food-borne contaminants, etc., plus a lot of babies died because of their mothers' malnutrition. And when people didn't die they had stuff like rickets. (So to answer your question, "by the grace of God".) But yeah, obesity was less of a problem!



Ok, we died a lot more from MALNUTRITION and people had rickets because there was no processed food.

I'll let you go ahead and think about that for a while.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I am experimenting with a mix for peanut butter cups. There are several recipes online but so far I haven't found exactly the mix for me. I am doing small amounts for testing. First try was 2 tsp each of PNB, powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. It was good but I am going to add butter and play with the ratios some before making a pan full and topping with chocolate.



That sounds great. Graham crackers and Butter was practically my middle name as a kid. 

I melt some Coconut oil over low heat then add 1/2 cup Cacao powder and stir it until it's thick, add about 1/2 cup Milk then stir in 1/2 cup Peanut Butter powder and 1/3 cup Coconut Sugar.

This recipe requires a lot of stirring because the Cacao immediately absorbs all the oil. when it becomes like cake batter, I know it's ready to pour into cupcake sized baking cups and freeze for a few hours. 

They come out of the freezer and are ready to eat in a few minutes, but aren't room temp stable. I have tried without the oil, but it needs that as a thickener. I assume Butter would work the same, and would taste better with a salt kick.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Ok, we died a lot more from MALNUTRITION and people had rickets because there was no processed food.
> 
> I'll let you go ahead and think about that for a while.


I'm not a food historian but I remember learning that canning took off on an industrial scale around the time of the Civil War, as an economic solution for feeding soldiers. I think of that as the beginning of "processed food" the way you're talking about it. The main benefits of processed food, as I understand it, are 1) it's cheaper to distribute, 2) it doesn't spoil as fast, 3) you can better control quality, and 4) you can fortify it. All of these things translate into better nutrition for more people.

Obesity seems more like the opposite end of the problem, where the food abundance resulting in part from processed food (but also from stuff like technological revolutions in agriculture, refrigeration, and transportation) means the human hippocampus, and other parts of our brains that evolved in an environment where food was scarce, keep telling us to eat the food that's there, but because there's always food available we grow obese. (Well, not me personally.) Our brains evolved expecting food that's there today to not be there tomorrow, so the instinct is to eat what's there while the getting's good.

There are some processed foods that provide very little nutrition relative to calories (a.k.a. junk food), and those tend to be marketed heavily, especially to poorer people. I don't know if junk food is uniquely responsible for obesity; it might be. The sedentary lifestyle plays some part too.

Some people seem able to eat processed foods, and food in general, in moderation, and stay healthy and active. I count myself in that group. So I'd say processed food is like guns: a technology whose misuse has more to do with humans than the technology itself.


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> people had rickets because there was no processed food.


Preventing rickets was done by carrying plenty of fresh fruits on ships...


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## Spicoli43

All 4 points you make in the first paragraph are true. It doesn't translate to better nutrition, though. That might have been a point way back then when the soils weren't absolutely destroyed by chemicals and the crops themselves weren't either. There's hardly any nutrition these days from any processed food, be it canned or frozen TV dinner, or boxed dry like Hamburger Helper. 

That is strictly based on soil nutrient depletion. The fun part begins when all the fillers and preservative chemicals are added, along with the excitotoxins like regular useless table salt, sugar, and MSG. Free Glutamate exists in more than 100 different names, so "food" manufacturers can hide MSG without calling it that because of the negative publicity about it. Yeast Extract is a popular form of MSG, which is an unlisted allergen to many people. Manufacturers use cellulose as a filler, which is a fancy name for sawdust. 

Most boxed foods have synthetic lab created vitamins added, which will suffice just as much as the foods themselves. The body doesn't recognize the vitamins though. Sure, heavy doses of Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic Acid will kill off a cold or even Covid, but for long term use, a natural form like Camu Camu is preferred. 

While processed foods like MRE's will keep Soldiers alive (and out of the bathroom for 3 days), they aren't something you should have on your home menu. The same applies to all boxed foods and most canned "enhanced" foods that have 70 ingredients. I will use a can of Beans or something simple like that, or a packet of spices if I'm in a rush, but don't buy the "meal in a can or box".

Then we get to talk about the BPA lining of the cans, while some manufacturers say they don't use BPA, there is 17 other Bisphenol chemicals they can use, and most settle for BPS. They don't tell you that, though. 

Being that Sugar is more addictive than Cocaine, it can be argued that we are all born addicted to Sugar. Some people are Crack babies, I'm a Sugar baby. Breaking that cycle is obviously up to the individual, and lots of people don't care. I have been legit Obese, have been rail thin and muscular, and am now "Army Obese", which is a few pounds over the scale. I have been addicted to the chemicals in those processed foods, and have NOT been addicted like now. I have quit smoking once, quit chewing once, quit drinking several times, and quit processed foods 90 percent. I can be in Keto like last night, and instead of reaching for a good sugar like Blueberries, I eat Dollar Store cookies. The key difference between me and others is I know the difference, I have seen the promised land, and I have been working out my whole life. I can get back there fully whenever I want, that's my mindset. That's why the only canned goods I have are a stock of Chunky Soup for emergency use. 

The challenge is with people that are "struggling" to lose weight but still eat fast and processed box foods. I hear it all the TIME, that's the keyword... Picking up MCD's is easier and more convenient than taking 30 minutes to prepare a fresh, tasty with the right spices, meal. They don't have 30 minutes, you see. They have to sit around for 3 hours doing nothing, followed by 3 hours of video games and 2 hours of those "reality" shows, and they certainly can't wake up 30 minutes earlier to prep everything for a good meal later. There's just never any time! 

People are addicted to the chemicals, that's why it's almost impossible for them to get through the food court section of a mall without stopping somewhere. Most of these people have tried the Jenny Craig style of infomercial diet, which only works for Jenny because of repeat business due to those foods being the same thing as you find in the processed section of the supermarket. People don't understand that they can eat 1 Big Mac instead of 2 and be doing the same exact thing as a Jenny Craig diet without paying for it. Jenny charges people to eat less food and feel good they are losing 5 pounds, which they can do on day 1 of a paleo / Keto diet and begin a true turnaround. 

Being that it only takes around 3 weeks for the Human body to completely eliminate the addiction to any of those chemicals if the person chooses to do a hardcore Paleo or Keto style diet, preferably with intermittent fasting, it really becomes a choice of whether they want to be fat or if they want to be in shape. If they say they can't do it, then that's the answer. 

Then the final argument these people have is they can't afford Organic or healthy food. They can if they only eat one real good meal a day. The very first step for people that think I just wrote a bunch of jibberish is to figure out why the "Food Pyramid" is a bunch of fabricated nonsense that only benefits the quarterly earnings reports of the corporations that make the food products and the oils they use. It also benefits the shareholders, who say Thanks for being fat and dependent!

I recommend the book "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by Russell Blaylock, MD.


----------



## Eddie_T

I pulled up three Japanese maple seedlings about 2.5 ft high and instead of tossing them I stuck them in a pot and braided them about a foot, added dirt and water and the experiment is on.


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## zannej

Been having problems with my internet and the site wouldn't load for me for a bit. Saturday my mother wanted me to take her to the store. Got some groceries and then back to the house. Cousin called and said to meet her in Lafayette around 6 at some Cajun place. It was my cousin, her oldest daughter, oldest daughter's new husband (they secretly got married recently), youngest son, and her ex-father-in-law. We can't figure out how such a nice man ended up with such a psycho for a son, but then we remembered there was a divorce and the son was raised by his mother. Couldn't hear a damn thing inside the restaurant. Son in law's family is from El Salvador and he wanted to try Cajun food. He had something Cajun, my cousin had frog legs, my brother had fish tacos, my mother had some sort of Thai dish and I had chicken alfredo. Glad the place had stuff other than Cajun food because I'm allergic to most of the spices in it. LOL. Food was good. We talked in the parking lot outside afterward. I had warm fuzzies from seeing them all. Hope we can do it again at a quieter meeting place. Wish I'd gotten pics but didn't think about it. We tried to keep it low key so my cousin's ex doesn't find out that his father met up with them. He's really super nasty to my cousin and both of his daughters. Sadly one of the daughters is still under 18 and has to spend time with him even though she doesn't want to. She's too afraid to refuse & my cousin would have to take her to court to stop his visitation rights and he'd most likely murder my cousin for it.

Sunday took all the joy out of the weekend. Got a call that the woman who was like a grandmother to me just died. She would have been 97 this month. Her son doesn't think there's anyone else left who remembers her. All of her friends except us have passed away. I let the sons of some of their closest friends know. They are thinking of having a small grave-side service. We were hoping to visit her for her birthday. I forgot to ask her son what was happening with her cat. She took the cat in when the cat's owner (another elderly friend) passed away back in 2009.

My shoulder is still giving me fits so I have been trying to do stretching exercises carefully but can't lift too much, reach over my head, or reach behind my back too far. Also can't stretch my arm out and exert much force. I may end up having to ask a friend for help with some stuff so it can get done sooner.

Found some more meals my mother likes. Hungry Man turkey dinners seem to be OK.

My brother found the air fryer in a box in the front room and set it up. He's been making grilled cheese sandwiches, toast, fries, pizza bites, vegetables, etc in it. It's his new favorite appliance.

Eddie, if you tried to include pictures they didn't load for me.


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## Eddie_T

No pictures, I saw those boxes but even a delete draft wouldn't make them go away. Do you think the Air Fryer does a decent job? And is it hard to clean up (I suspect you have to do that).


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## zannej

Thus far my brother is the only one who has cooked in it. What little I've had of it has turned out well. It hasn't been too difficult to clean thus far. It has a tray to catch crumbs. I did have to peel crispy cheese off of things, but not too much has dripped yet.

I just saw the obituary for my late friend. Graveside service on Thursday. It's going to suck in this heat- especially since I can't be out in the sun. I hope it will be a short service as I can't handle the heat.


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## Spicoli43

Sorry for your loss, Z. 

Most restaurants around here are like that, tables right next to each other so you can't hear yourself think. (Steakhouses) For some reason, they are always packed. None of my family or friends sits around in those places. The Mexican joints have better food anyway, and normal booths.


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I pulled up three Japanese maple seedlings about 2.5 ft high and instead of tossing them I stuck them in a pot and braided them about a foot, added dirt and water and the experiment is on


I just got some stray boxes in above quote but think I deleted them. I'm getting weird internet troubles lately, I think it's reactions/solutions/repairs to all the internet ransomware going on.

I'm always digging up random seedlings I find in my yard and then move them to places I would want them such as a 7' high privacy hedge or 3' high decorative hedge across front of front yard...


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## zannej

I like the Chinese buffet where there are booths spread out and it isn't so noisy. The Cajun place we went to had very loud music playing and drowning everything out. I'm not a fan of loud music-- probably why I've never been to a concert. LOL. 

Went to the funeral service today. It was getting close to raining so it was cloudy and only 86° but with 100% humidity. My late friend's son was absolutely soaked with sweat when he took his jacket off. There was a reception afterward at some little diner. They had croissant sandwiches, cookies, and brownies as well as some sweet tea, coffee, and lemonade. I had the lemonade. I was relieved to hear that my friend's son took her cat in. He hadn't realized that she took that cat in after the previous owner died. His dying wish was for someone to take care of his cat when he was gone.

Talked to some of the family about memories of my late friend. We actually spent more time with her than many of them ever had. Her caregiver came to the funeral and was considered part of the family. She'd been taking care of her the last 6 years. She said that when she first came in, our friend tried to take care of her-- wanting to cook for her, make her coffee, etc. She had to explain that she was the one who was there to take care not be taken care of.

After the reception we went to see our friend. His ceiling fan stopped working in his living room. He had a guy over (son of the former veterinarian) trying to level his driveway. There's another guy who does yardwork who was cutting weeds and stuff. Friend bought him a lawnmower so the guy promised to mow his lawn and cut weeds for free for a year. We may see about hiring him to come cut stuff at our house but we'd have to give him a lift because he doesn't have a car. He rides on a bicycle and drags his mower along with him.

Friend's gf had been sent home from work. She stood up and nearly passed out. They sent her to the on-site medical clinic. Said her pulse rate spiked too high but her blood pressure dropped too low. She is supposed to see a specialist to figure out what is wrong, but they are guessing something like Pots Syndrome.

I had a lot of trouble getting comfortable last night. Kidney stones in both sides now and the one on the left is being particularly bad. 1500mg of naproxyn and it's still throbbing. Shoulder is also still hurting. If I slept on my left side my kidney hurt more. If I slept on my right side my shoulder hurt more. If I slept on my back both hurt. I'm a side sleeper usually. Got to sleep briefly and woke up drenched in sweat. Didn't help that my mother woke me up at 2am. The door to the front room was open and Namir got out. I had to go put him back in the room. Temjin is a good kitty and stays in the room.

Kidney stones are making my whole lower back hurt so it's hard to move.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej, you have to cut back your sodium intake and get some Cranberry Juice or at least drink a couple glasses of water with Apple Cider Vinegar. I have had Kidney stone issues since the late 90's. When I eat too much Sodium, my Kidneys tell me I need to use said therapy and cut back on the Tortilla chips.


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## zannej

There are different causes for the kidney stones. I've never had mine examined though. I really should. I love my salt but I have been trying to cut back on it a bit lately. I didn't get them until I had hypothyroid, so I think the Levothyroxin is one of the culprits. But I would rather have kidney stones and have some energy than have no energy at all like I did before. I saw a meme on a sister forum that was pretty fitting:


I will have to see if cranberry gel caps work if I can't stomach sugar free carnberry juice. I still need to consult my doctor on it. He'd probably tell me to try to collect samples.
I'm having less pain today than I did yesterday. Still had a rough night trying to get comfortable. 
I cooked for Mom, wiped the counters down, and fixed a problem with Mom's computer. After a windows update (not voluntary-- it forced it despite having "no updates" selected) it somehow sprocked her boot order. It changed her main boot drive from #1 to #3 in the list. So I watched a video for a few seconds on youtube on how to get in to BIOS. Then I walked her through setting the correct boot order and it booted-- but last I looked it was still trying to complete the update. She hasn't paged me to complain so I think it worked.

I need to clean the toilet again but can't bend well enough for it. I wish they made super long-handled toilet cleaning brushes/sponges. Or telescoping ones would be nice. I don't know anyone who enjoys getting their face close to a toilet bowl to clean it. I wonder if it's possible to extend some of those car-washing brushes that attach to cordless drills so I could reach in to the toilet without bending much. LOL. Would need a brush to get the underside of the rim...
I'm about to get something to eat if I can get the cats off of my legs.


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## Spicoli43

Oh yeah, there's multiple causes for everything, but the main culprit for Kidney stones is fast food and processed food, which can be argued until the cows fly home, but it's all lock stock loaded with sodium.

I drink lots of water when I have my favorite Tortilla chips, but if I get stones, they are gone within an hour with Cranberry Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar. People question me on that all the time, but it isn't anecdotal, it's been that way since I first had them, and it's all over the interwebben as a solution.

As far as Windows updates, most of the time it screws something up and I have to roll it back. They apparently don't test them, and now they think it's a bright idea to roll out Windows 11, because they don't have real world brain cells. They don't have real life experience. Being Bill Gates smart in computers applies to that only.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> They apparently don't test them, and now they think it's a bright idea to roll out Windows 11, because they don't have real world brain cells. They don't have real life experience. Being Bill Gates smart in computers applies to that only.


They do test them, a lot. With Microsoft testing budgets. But Windows is a huge piece of software and there are always bound to be things that go wrong on certain computers. Think about how many different combinations of CPUs and motherboards and all that other stuff are out there, in different states of newness. It is impossible to replicate and then test and troubleshoot every possible configuration, which means some people are going to have issues. Microsoft then relies on people reporting those issues so they can replicate them and try to fix them. It's amazing anything on a computer works at all if you ask me, but I'm not a computer person so I guess that figures. I do work with computer people though, and over the course of my career that has included some Microsoft people, and I can tell you they are not a bunch of egg heads with no life experience, although some of the younger ones do lack life experience but that's true of just about all young people for obvious reasons. Bill Gates was a competent computer programmer (I assume, I don't really know his life story) but I'm pretty sure he wasn't some kind of computer genius. He's rich because he is a shrewd businessman, which means more than anything he probably understands what people want (that they don't know they want) and how to motivate the ones he works with. I'd bet he also knows a thing or two about lasers and malaria.

As for what I did today, I tried to sort my life back into order after we arrived home from a short vacation yesterday, in the woods off the grid. I spent a lot of that trip drooling over the cabin we were staying in. You could still see the carpenter's pencil marks on some of the joints, I was smiling ear to ear the whole time. In the early morning we watched deer creep through the underbrush around us, and at night from the loft I looked out the big triangular windows and was eye level with this bat that was just cleaning up out there. One day I'll build a cabin like that.


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## zannej

I went to the grocery store two days in a row (didn't have enough room in the cooler for everything on day 1). Feeling tired. I did manage to do some light cleaning & changed AC filters. Tomorrow I'm supposed to go hang out with a friend and have a mini Loki marathon.

Two of my cats had a major fight this morning- knocked stuff down, tumbled into the french doors to the front room and knocked them open. I finally broke them up with my foot and pushed them apart. The more aggressive one tried to move around to jump again but I threw water on him to make him stop. He ran out of the room. Other one I threw water on to snap him out of his funk-- he was sitting there growling. He was huffing and puffing & hyperventilating for awhile. I calmed him down and he later came to my room to cuddle with me.


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## homerowner

Well, that seems cleaned up a bit?


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## Eddie_T

I fought with a Sharkbite coupler on a CPVC/copper plumbing repair for a couple of hours. I got the coupler halfway on and couldn't get it off using the plastic clip. I finally used the metal spring removal tool compressing it with a grip clamp. Then I got the idea to install it using the same method. It worked but if I get into any more plumbing I am going PEX.


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## bud16415

Eddie_T said:


> I fought with a Sharkbite coupler on a CPVC/copper plumbing repair for a couple of hours. I got the coupler halfway on and couldn't get it off using the plastic clip. I finally used the metal spring removal tool compressing it with a grip clamp. Then I got the idea to install it using the same method. It worked but if I get into any more plumbing I am going PEX.


I bought an old house that was abandon for a couple years. When we started to fix it up I spent two full days messing around with repairs. I said this is crazy and went over and chopped the pipe off at the meter and plumbed the whole house in PEX in 1.5 days. You won’t regret when you say enough.


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## zannej

Yesterday was the Loki marathon. Was going great until my friend's mom showed up needing $ for her drug fix. She dropped her dog in my friend's office & started frantically doing dishes and cleaning the stove while complaining that her food stamps ran out and she didn't know how to get them renewed. Friend gave her some $ for cleaning and sent her on her way so we could continue the marathon. It's a good show. Post office was closed by the time we got out so I went today. Found a package for my neighbor's daughter-in-law on the porch when I got back. It had been rained on, was wet, and the end was bent in. I took pictures of the condition I found it in and then took it over. She wasn't home but her mother-in-law was home. She told me her husband (the wifebeater/thief) had died last month. Which explains why my street sign disappeared last month just after his death. She made a point to ask me about the street sign (probably to gauge whether or not I realized her family stole it) and then was all "I didn't take it!". I had never suggested that she had. I said that I had looked to see if it had just fallen off but it was gone. She had a little bit of a guilty look on her face so I'm pretty sure one of her sons took the sign. They had wanted the street to be named after her husband instead of my father but we lived her before they did and the street was named before they moved in. I think she's still trying to get the street name changed so I'm trying to figure out who is in charge of the road signs now. I live out of the city so it would be someone from the parish. I used to know the guy who was in charge but I think he's dead now.
Shoulder is still bugging me more today so I could barely carry the packages. 
I think tomorrow will be a day of rest and Sunday will be a cleaning day.


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## Spicoli43

I got 60 yards of 3/4 rock yesterday for my driveway, which is about 130' by 70'. I have a small metal rake like I can buy anywhere, but am drawing a blank trying to find bigger rakes that are made of steel. I would prefer a 36" rake like this one from Ace, but getting an Aluminum one will be futile because the tines will probably bend in 3 minutes. I don't think Steel rakes above say 18" exist. 

I have to spread the rock out in most places and then either rent a roller or use a plate compactor, but I want to finish this project this year. 





__





						Corona 66 in. 36 Tine Aluminum Landscape Rake Aluminum Handle - Ace Hardware
					

Corona's effort-saving rakes brings efficiency to outdoor improvement, whether you’re cleaning up leaves in the back yard or spreading landscape materials. Shop for a new leaf rake, bow head rake or a landscape rake that will save you time and effort.Find the LANDSCAPE RAKE 36 at Ace.




					www.acehardware.com


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## zannej

I don't even remember what I did on the weekend. This weather has me feeling exhausted. Felt sick the past couple of days. I'd forgotten my meds for a couple of days. Ran out of my naproxyn. Shoulder, arm, neck, & back don't like me. Monday I had to drag myself out of bed to go get mail and pickup food for mom since I wasn't up to cooking. Tuesday I don't really remember except I called the police juror for my district about my roadsign being stolen. He said for some reason people steal road signs all the time. He said he'd get a new one made up and put up asap. Seemed like a nice enough guy. I know he's been trying to have more maintenance done on the roads, although putting gravel down on the paved road only made it worse.

My friends (I'll call them Z & A) had bought a house in a small town nearby. Turns out the house was condemned and seller didn't tell them. That's why they sold it. So now the town is after them to have it demolished at their expense & they can't afford it. They already paid all sorts of fees & they had wanted to fix it up-- it is fit enough to be fixed-- but for whatever reason the town is insisting they get it demolished-- I'm guessing someone on the town council or a mayor probably owns a business that gets $ for demos. So, they are going to see if they can sell it to someone who only wants the land and who is willing to build on it. They said that if they had found out sooner they could have undone the deal with the seller & gotten their $ back. But that the sellers got the hell out of dodge & can't be found.

My other friend (the one I talk about all the time) is about at his wit's end with his job. They tried to accuse him of stealing arcade machines that they ordered him to dispose of. He found the old e-mails where they told him to dispose of them and he fwd the messages to them to prove it. His direct supervisor is also refusing to order parts that he needs to fix machines and then griping that he hasn't fixed them. He's told them numerous times he needs the parts but they are jerking him around. On top of that, he's having a harder time functioning physically because of the blood cots & he's clinically depressed. He felt really bad today because he thought he ran over one of his kittens. But his mom said it wasn't squished and that it had been dead for hours (she rolled up right after he left). It was his favorite kitten from the litter. The orange kitten is missing-- probably dead. The two black ones were in bad shape. One of them was absolutely skeletal. I took them both to the vet today. Vet said skeletal kitty might not make it, but other one should. They got subcutaneous fluids, worming medicine, antibiotics, and eye meds. They both have a form of feline herpes that affects respiratory system and eyes. So cruddy eyes, stuffy noses, lack of appetite, etc. I'm thinking of naming the skinny one Skeletor if it survives. After the vet's visit they sat on my brother's back and shoulder. Told my friend to keep them inside and told him medicine schedule for them. He offered to repay us for the vet bill but I said he can just help me with a few projects instead because my shoulder is borked.

I made my vet laugh a few times telling her about something from the homesteading forum-- someone's parrot was sneezing and yelling "Sh**!" afterward every time & she found that funny. I said that sadly we can't bring these two kittens home and that I would be going over to check on the kittens to help. I plan to go over tomorrow.

While I was typing this my fluffy black cat got jealous-- just came in from the rain, and climbed his soaking wet behind on to me. I'm trying to dry him off.


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## Flyover

Two of the neighborhoods adjacent to mine are brand new, so lots of houses in various early stages of construction. I was taking the baby on a walk a few days ago and finally saw a worker who looked like he knew English (though the actual hurdle is probably just that I'm shy) and he started talking to me about the weather but I managed to turn it around and ask him what they do with the dumpsters full of scrap 2x4, whether some other company is possessive about it, etc. He said they don't care about it, that he takes wood home all the time, that nobody would care if I came and took some. I could hardly believe it, with lumber prices right now especially being what they are I assumed they'd figure out a systematic way to repurpose as much as they could, but I guess our society's capacity for waste is not to be underestimated.

I came back with the truck that same evening and drove around the development from dumpster to dumpster, grabbing just the few pieces of 2x4 (and some 3/4 OSB!) that I could reach from each one. If I saw anyone at a site I asked them for permission, which they always gave. After maybe 30 or 45 minutes I returned home with what must be about $200 worth of lumber. It was like something out of a dream. Might do another round this weekend. Will use it to build a compost bin and my garage workbench/shelving.


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## zannej

That's awesome, Flyover!

I got woken up very early by Mom paging on the phone's intercom. Her bedroom doorknob broke and she couldn't get out of her room. Knob would just spin- something inside stripped. Fortunately, it could open from the outside so I opened it for her. Then I drove to the closest hardware store, grabbed the first (and only) privacy knob I could find, grabbed a screwdriver because I did not have the mental fortitude to look for screwdrivers in the house as I was feeling nauseous and tired. It's a magnetic one, which came in handy. Drove straight home, stepped over the cat who kept trying to trip me, took the old knob off while trying to keep cats out of the room, put new one on, realized it was backwards-- I think they assembled it wrong-- screws were on the wrong side. They should have been on the locking side but they were on the outside. So I flipped it around and got it tightened down. Now mom has a new shiny doorknob. I hope this one doesn't break. Weird thing was that the plate that goes over the latch was missing. Not sure if it was supposed to come with it, but the plate from the old latch was welded on so I couldn't pull it off. Knob that broke was at least 40 years old. I'd been wanting to replace it because the finish was peeling off and it felt awful to touch.

One of the reasons I don't eat breakfast is that I feel nauseous if I wake up too early. Gonna try to nap again if the cats will let me.


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## Eddie_T

Yesterday I was stung by a carpenter bee. I didn't know they stung but learned that females do. It was mild and only stung for a little while. Today the skin has a blush around the  spot.


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## bud16415

Eddie_T said:


> Yesterday I was stung by a carpenter bee. I didn't know they stung but learned that females do. It was mild and only stung for a little while. Today the skin has a blush around the  spot.


Ouch!


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## zannej

I've never been stung by one-- probably just jinxed myself. Sorry you got stung. Bee stings suck.


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## bud16415

My garage built by the last owner is framed with rough sawn hemlock and what ever else he could find. The carpenter bees have been a problem for a long time and I used to stand out there and wack them with a badminton racket as they hovered around they were non aggressive to me doing that. I read somewhere maybe here to take a brown paper bag and make it look like a wasp hive and hang it up, so I did and they left for a short time. I was planning on making those jar traps and never did. then last time I changed my oil the neighbor told me to spray it on the wood for the bees.

I filled up my primer paint gun and hooked to 100psi and fogged the whole ceiling. They left town and never came back. not sure if my garage wont go up in flames but the bees are gone.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Two of the neighborhoods adjacent to mine are brand new, so lots of houses in various early stages of construction. I was taking the baby on a walk a few days ago and finally saw a worker who looked like he knew English (though the actual hurdle is probably just that I'm shy) and he started talking to me about the weather but I managed to turn it around and ask him what they do with the dumpsters full of scrap 2x4, whether some other company is possessive about it, etc. He said they don't care about it, that he takes wood home all the time, that nobody would care if I came and took some. I could hardly believe it, with lumber prices right now especially being what they are I assumed they'd figure out a systematic way to repurpose as much as they could, but I guess our society's capacity for waste is not to be underestimated.
> 
> I came back with the truck that same evening and drove around the development from dumpster to dumpster, grabbing just the few pieces of 2x4 (and some 3/4 OSB!) that I could reach from each one. If I saw anyone at a site I asked them for permission, which they always gave. After maybe 30 or 45 minutes I returned home with what must be about $200 worth of lumber. It was like something out of a dream. Might do another round this weekend. Will use it to build a compost bin and my garage workbench/shelving.



That's a good idea, and it's paid for by the buyers.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> That's a good idea, and it's paid for by the buyers.


Yeah I kinda feel bad for them. I talked to one elderly couple who were there taking pictures in their home that had just been framed and sheathed, and asked them if they'd mind if I took some scrap out of the huge dumpster out front. The man said he didn't mind but acted as if he didn't have the authority to say for sure. He apparently didn't realize he'd paid for all that material they were throwing away! It's his! There was easily $1000 of wood in that dumpster. Whole 12' lengths of 2x4 that wouldn't fit in my truck, 48x24 sheets of OSB with maybe just a little corner cut out, primed pine board, you name it.

Today I took the kids on a walk in that same neighborhood and the dumpsters were all full again, and my son asked me why they throw out so much material. I told him a lot of people have more money than sense. If I was the buyer of one of those homes I would be livid.


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## Spicoli43

Lumber is coming back down, but it will probably never be $2.20 for a framing / general purpose 2x4 ever again. While being a gopher on construction sites in the late 90's and 2000, I would put lumber in piles because there was no room in the dumpsters. On one site, they had what must have been a 16 foot dumpster that was filled when I got there, so I was told to just make a nice enough pile beside it. 

I remember that exact site, it was a home that would be valued around 1M when finished, so about 10M in today's money. The supervisor told me it cost them about 100K for all the materials, and probably 4% was waste or so. I don't remember the exact specs, but a 2x4 must have been close to a buck if not cheaper. 

Nobody even wanted it for firewood back then. When I get a shop built, I'm keeping everything.


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## Eddie_T

I'm a bit envious of all that free lumber. My landlord (before I built my house) was a builder. In fact the house I rented from him was built mostly from leftover material. He would haul scraps home from his latest jobsite for kindling or whatever. I had free access to the scraps and built many stools, small tables, shelves, bird feeders, bird houses and so on from that supply. I miss those days.

I have scrounged from dumpsters at business remodeling sites. Strip malls have businesses coming and going and get remodelled often. A good source if one doesn't mind removing some nails.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> 1M when finished, so about 10M in today's money. The supervisor told me it cost them about 100K for all the materials, and probably 4% was waste


Even if that 4% refers to the 100k figure, that's four grand going into the trash. I think about what I could buy for $4000. Even if I was in a position to buy a 1m home, doesn't mean I like throwing away money. In fact it's likely if I got to that position it's in part because I got good at NOT throwing away money!

Now, I've never built a house so I don't know how much waste is inevitable, but A) I have to think with just a bit of care I could waste a lot less than 4% and B) if I was paying for it I'd buy a shed, put it on the property, and insist on them at least putting the scrap in there where I could use it later. Build a deck or another shed or a gazebo or something. In this kind of market could even sell some of it!


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## Spicoli43

Well, yeah. I agree, but the house was being built for a Microsoft executive, so it was probably akin to a vacation tree fort for his kids. I didn't even know what a Miter Saw was back then, the only use I had for the wood was a bonfire to sit around and drink. 

When I have my shop built, I will tell the foreman that I'm taking all the scrap. I can put the useless stuff on Craigs as firewood for free and someone will be there that day. I can build tables out of 18" 2x4's, or even smaller for little kids or potted plant stands. They will sell, I have done it before. 

My operational motto is Reduce Reuse Recycle, but the recycle part is almost impossible besides corrugated cardboard and glass.


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## Eddie_T

I built my house within walking distance of where I was renting on property purchased from my landlord. After I had all the stud walls in place and they were beginning to weather I hired my landlord and his son to put the roof on. His son looked at my scrap pile and told his dad, "There's not a piece of wood in that pile large enough to get another sawcut on."


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## Flyover

I couldn't resist. Went and grabbed a bunch of three-foot long 4x4 posts out of a dumpster. Probably $100 worth if it had been uncut of the same total length. Now I can build that bed frame I've been designing, and all I have to buy is the hardware so it can be disassembled. I need to build some stuff too, because I am out of room in my garage. But these dumpsters are just full of wood that's going to be thrown away, I can't stand it!!


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## Eddie_T

Installed my last Sharkbite fitting in the wall behind a WC. I will watch it for leaks for a few days then reinstall the 31" x 8' redwood wall panel and the WC. Today I am checking for leaks often and will prolly turn the water off tonight so I can sleep w/o concern. I hate plumbing and I have a mix of copper, CPVC and Sharkbite in that wall supplying a soak tub, a tub w/shower and the WC. The soak tub is in the master bath on the other side of the wall.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Installed my last Sharkbite fitting in the wall behind a WC. I will watch it for leaks for a few days then reinstall the 31" x 8' redwood wall panel and the WC. Today I am checking for leaks often and will prolly turn the water off tonight so I can sleep w/o concern. I hate plumbing and I have a mix of copper, CPVC and Sharkbite in that wall supplying a soak tub, a tub w/shower and the WC. The soak tub is in the master bath on the other side of the wall.



I have had Pex leak, mostly user error of course, but have never seen Sharkbite leak. Once it's ALL Sharkbite and there is no Pex crimping, I will love plumbing.

What's a WC?


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## Eddie_T

Water closet, that's how toilets are designated on construction drawings.


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## Spicoli43

Oh, cool. You live where they have Blueprints.


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## Flyover

Started building my compost bin yesterday. Got the frame and lid done, now just need to cover the sides/back and add the sliding part at the front. (Not sure if I have enough scrap board...otherwise it's back to the dumpsters for me! Which I have to admit I'm kind of hoping for...) Excited to stop throwing compostable material in the trash.


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## Spicoli43

I made this compost bin several years ago but gave it to a neighbor. Maybe I'll build another. 





__





						How to make a compost bin using limited tools – Woodworking for Mere Mortals
					






					woodworkingformeremortals.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I had leftover concrete reinforcement wire from original constriction and just formed a circle of it to contain compost. I placed it in the woods out of view and toss compostables into it. Living alone I have little compost now other than leaves and weeds so maybe I'll just toss used cat litter in it and keep adding leaves. By the time my property is sold after my expiry it would be harmless and could just be leveled where it stands. My compostable kitchen refuse at present is small enough to go in an uncontained pile that is leveled or moved .after composting has finished.


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## Eddie_T

I worked unsuccessfully on a dripping faucet. I used to be able to fix them with washer replacement but that no longer seems to work. They are Kohler valvets and I have occasionally replaced the valvet which transfers circular to vertical motion. I have emailed Kohler to see if modern replacements are available. Sometimes Kohler will provide free replacements (wish, wish). I have eight of these in total.


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## zannej

I had some interesting conversations in Youtube comments. Learned that AC copper lines are brazed rather than sweated & that my AC guy probably did it wrong. A nice gentleman explained the differences in the processes. 

Took mom to two doctor's appointments on Monday. Stopped at the Chinese place to say "Hi" and grab food. He was chewing out some woman who was getting takeout stuff and had overloaded the boxes and spilled a bunch of food all over the front area. Apparently this wasn't the first time she's done it & he was really mad. He vented to me for awhile and then apologized. Said it was so frustrating when people would do things like that and not even care. I understood though. Offered to help clean up a little but he declined and thanked me. 

Went home afterward. One of the kittens I took to the vet died. Other one isn't looking so great. I'm sorely tempted to bring him home to take care of him. His mother is nowhere to be found and he's not hydrated enough. Kitten was supposed to be inside still but friend's gf threw the poor kitten out. I popped over there today after picking up mail. Killed a wasp in the living room. Friend's daughter is back from the funeral trip for her maternal grandfather. She told me her brother bullied her the entire way there but stopped when they reached their destination. Poor kid. She looked like she wasn't feeling so great- said she felt nauseous. But she'd just been outside and the actual temperature outside was 101°. Couldn't stay long bc I had to go make lunch for mom. So I cooked for her and then cleaned litterboxes. Namir was so excited about new litter that he got a litter shower jumping under the box as I was pouring it out. LOL.

Last couple of days the heat really got to me. Body aches had me barely mobile and then one of my teeth broke (back lower molar on the right side). Called the dentist & earliest they can see me is August 25. I'll have to see if another dentist can see me see me sooner.

I know lumber won't go down to what it used to be, but I'll be glad if/when it goes down. Metal is still high- not sure if it will go down. Owner of the local hardware store said hopefully metal supply will speed up & lower in price soon. Can't order my barn until then. Poor cows have been hiding under a copse of trees, under remaining parts of the barn, and in the car port.

Friend's daughter said to me that she wanted winter to come back already. I feel her on that one.


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## zannej

I called another dentist around 9:30 this morning & told them I broke a tooth. They asked if I could be there by 10. I said "No, it takes at least an hour". So they scheduled me for noon. Got in there and they did an x-ray. Dr. Honey said she thinks my tooth can be saved/filled. Next appointment is the 17th. She gave me a scrip for antibiotics since my doctor confirmed I have mitral valve prolapses. I have to take them an hour before I go in. She told me to get it filled at the Super 1 Foods pharmacy for free. The bad news is the cleaning of all my teeth and filling of 2 will be over $700. Ouch. But local dentist couldn't even see me for assessment until the 25th. I just have to be careful not to break off more of the tooth. Soft foods for awhile I guess.

This morning when I first woke up I wanted to roll on to my right side but Fippy (the chiweenie dog) was in the way. So I rolled on my back and put my arm over him. He looked at me and saw I was on my back so he rolled on his back. It was adorable. He's been spending a lot more time in my room.

Stopped by to check up on my friend. He'd given an ultimatum to his employers- albeit politely. He said he needed to be put on part time/on call instead of full time because with his health he can't keep up with it. Plus he can't find childcare for the baby while the baby's mother is at work. He said he would train someone to do the fulltime work and even train a replacement if they decided to let him go. They answered back that they will keep him on part time & on call and have him train someone who can be there fulltime or be available when he can't go in. Since he is blind in his left eye and has diminished vision in his right eye, he can't see well enough to drive at night.


----------



## Spicoli43

Zannej... Do you need the fillings right now? I would put them off for a while if you choose to change your diet. If you eliminate all sugar and don't eat meat / dairy unless it's 100% Grass fed, you might not ever need fillings. Your dentist will never tell you that because she is Drug, Drill and Fill, but a holistic dentist will.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Once the hard protective coating is broken off the interior will go to hell quickly...


----------



## zannej

Yes, I absolutely need to get the teeth filled asap so they don't get infected. I let a couple of them go for too long. One for a few months and another for over a year. Both got infected and nerves got raw and started hurting. Worst pain I've ever had. Worse than kidney stones. The tooth that went a few months-- broken on the side-- had to be pulled. One that just had a filling come out in the center required a root canal. If I'd gotten them both filled/refilled sooner it wouldn't have gotten to that.

Today I ordered a new monitor because my last new one shattered and the one I'm using has lines down the screen. The lines just left of center are now 3/4 thick. New lines started right of center now too-- about 3 inches away from the other lines. Started with 1 line but now it's a few and getting wider each day it seems. Makes it hard to read the screen.


----------



## Spicoli43

I woke up at 0200 for no other reason than that, which is irritating because then I was tuckered by 0500 and slept until 1030. So while I did get the secondary forced sleep, I did not get adequate enough first hand *beauty* sleep, and I need three times that if I ever want to get over the ugly I have been forced to become! No less than 8 hours guaranteed! Make it happen! (Stewie voice)

I want to go back on Paleo, this time starting with a 3-5 day Bone Broth fast, but I will NOT spend around $200 on packaged broth for that, so in comes the homemade part, which any moron can do with a slow cooker. I have an Instant Pot (different brand), and while the SS interior is what I want, I'm on my 3rd one because the previous two boiled over on the slow cook setting, needing warranty replacement. 

I haven't used my crock pot and wonder if the paint on the ceramic bowl will leach off during a 24 hour cook, everything says of course it will in my mind, so my search led to this all Stainless made in America version... The price seems ridiculous, but I weigh in what the broth would cost me just for that fast, and if I did said fast once a year, it makes the cost of the slow cooker moot. It's priced the same roughly as 12 days worth of packaged broth.

Other cons of the cooker include it's hot to the touch, there is no timer, there is no temp display, and there is no off besides unplugging. That presents a learning curve, but of course I can take the temp and have a log book for all the settings. I don't care about the timer, as it's a 12-24 hour process for that. For everything else, I have timers. 

The pros are the SS interior, and it has a Lifetime warranty that goes with the pot for whoever I give it to. I just think of all the garbage kitchen gadgets I had or still have, all with 1 year warranties that have expired, and it just makes sense. 

Then there's the fact that most Autoimmune conditions are a result of leaky bad guts, so repairing that with a Bone Broth / Paleo diet will make the price laughable compared to the gut pain and skin conditions and brain fog etc etc... 









						6 Quart Slow Cooker Set
					

** Back Order** Will ship out by the middle of August the latest. We apologies for the inconvenience.  The 6 Quart Slow Cooker is finally here! 360 Cookware fans have been waiting for this moment and the wait is finally over. Now you can cook up large portions and big meals all in one pot...




					www.360cookware.com


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## zannej

I hope you can find something that works, Spicoli.
We got the Farberware 8qt and 6qt pressure cookers. Mostly use the 8qt but the 6qt one we use for rice. They have reservoirs in case of boiling over. They are good for making soups and stews.

I had trouble sleeping again because I wanted to get more measurements I forgot to take at my friend's house. Brought over a 30' measuring tape to leave in my tool bag at his house. That way, he agreed that anytime it gets used it will be put back in the bag instead of left lying around (which is how all the other measuring tapes disappeared). Turned out my guess on the distance that surpassed my 8' measuring tape was almost spot on. 8'6-1/4". So that leaves room for three 30" cabinets and two 6" pullout spacers. I found a site that has much lower prices on the pullouts but the shipping is $17 a pop (it does not combine things in a single crate for cheaper shipping). Site called Imeca. It's only $98 or so plus the shipping for a 6" pullout. But, I think it would be better (and cheaper) to build them. We can cut up a side panel from the homeoutlet to work as faces.

Part of the reason for customization is that one of the upper cabinets will need to be 24" or 25" and the other one will need to be 34.5". The 6" ones were only available in 30". The 24" one will need to be the same depth as the storebought one (a little shy of 12") but the other one should be just shy of 18". I've been studying the construction and it looks fairly simple. Get some drawer glides and some shelf standard rails and pins for adjusting... Some bungees for the side rails to hold stuff on..

I just sneezed (allergy meds wore off) so Mewlatto had to come climb on me.

As an aside, anyone know how to refluff pillows that have gone flat? Stuffing has spread out inside and they are all squished.


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## Flyover

@zannej: I don't _know_ if this works, but you could try putting them in the drying machine on low or no heat for a while. Maybe it works depending on what type of stuffing they have?

My compost bin has been sitting, just a frame and lid, unfinished for a week. It's just been busy, I am not lazy. I have three kids; I hear about guys with 5, 6 or more and have no clue how they get anything done.


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## zannej

Thanks, Flyover. My friend suggested that. The stuffing-- some kind of green fluff (they got some rips on the ends so I can see stuffing-- just need to handstitch them back up). I guess it's some kind of synthetic filler. It has clumped up in some places. I will have to try it if I can get the path cleared enough to get to the laundry room. Been washing my stuff in the sink bc I can't get back there without tripping.

I don't even have kids and I don't know how people get so much done. I'm such a low energy person. LOL. 

Talked to my friend about the continuing kitchen upgrades. He wants to focus on the bottom cabinetry first. That makes sense. We want to make sure mice can't get in to the dishwasher. Friend lives about a block from a small grocery store that has a rodent problem. The rodents spread out from there to other places. He said he swore a giant rat was trying to take his entire stove the other night. LOL.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on a plan to build the upper wall filler pullout thingies. Was watching a video on how another guy made them but brain started to fade so I'm taking a break. I'm about to nap again. Woke up very early and couldn't get back to sleep. Rainy day so I stayed inside.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I hope you can find something that works, Spicoli.
> We got the Farberware 8qt and 6qt pressure cookers. Mostly use the 8qt but the 6qt one we use for rice. They have reservoirs in case of boiling over. They are good for making soups and stews.



Faberware appears to be Teflon coated? If so, you have to ditch those, there is nothing worse cooking wise than the nonstick chemicals that are released. Pressure cookers that have Stainless pots aren't much more than Farberware.


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## zannej

I've never had a problem with the Farberware. Pretty much everything in this world can poison us somehow. I got exposed to so much crap on military housing (stuff they lied about that wasn't supposed to be there & made people sick) that I think I got a lifetime's worth of toxins. I'm beyond the point of actually caring anymore. LOL.

Today is a lazy day. I'm sitting here with cats piled on me. I just took y medicine so I have to wait an hour to eat. I'll see if I can muster some productivity today once I get out from under the cat pile.


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## BuzzLOL

Teflon is impervious to acids... even stomach acids...


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## zannej

I downloaded and installed new video card drivers because Sketchup was saying it couldn't run on my computer bc my video card "failed tests". Sketchup ran after that. I then tried to remember all of the measurements for the cabinets for the kitchen. Countertops are not exact but I got the general layout. I opened up an older file where I had done part of my friend's kitchen, used that for ceiling height (although if I recall the ceiling is actually a few inches lower on that side because it slopes). I built the existing adjacent cabinets, made crude walls with cutouts for doorways.  Then I went back and got measurements off the old cabinets and rebuilt them (bc I learned better/faster techniques that make them square & have fewer stray lines). So I built the new one, placed it over the old one, used the "hide" feature on the new one, and then deleted the old one. I downloaded a stove, a dishwasher (which had to be resized), a sink, dish rack, faucet, microwave, fridge, etc and plopped them down in the room. Looks pretty good. Friend said he loved it.

But he just messaged me that his gf's mother got sick while babysitting the baby so the gf went and picked him up. Then the mother tested positive for Covid. She's got major heart disease and her husband is in end stage COPD. Their chances of survival are not good. Particularly in this area. Local hospital is still batting 0 on Covid survival for any patients brought there. So friend said the baby & gf have been exposed, might be Delta variant, so we have to avoid contact with him for a couple weeks. I'm hoping my friend won't get sick. He had a bad reaction to the first dose of the vaccine-- so bad he didn't get the 2nd. He did survive Covid earlier last year but that was before he had the blood clots and stroke.

Tomorrow I have to go to the store to get more groceries and pick up my allergy medicine RX. It's actually cheaper than equivalent over-the-counter stuff and most of the over-the-counter stuff doesn't work.

Came in after getting food for mom and found my monitor face down. New one is delayed on delivery. It was supposed to be here already but they bumped it back to Friday. Which means I probably won't get it until Monday or Tuesday-- possibly even Wednesday the way things work here.


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## zannej

Since my friend & his gf are quarantined, I got a grocery list from them via messenger. Went to the store & got the stuff, set it on the porch, did the shave and a haircut knock, ran to the truck and waited to make sure they came out to get it. They both look rough. Gf said she's feeling sick.

Saw another friend in the store who told me that Alexandria has what they are calling the Delta Plus variant. He said "I did not order this addon! I had the basic package and not the premium one! No Plus for me!" I told him it was one of those forced "upgrades" that screws everything up until they make a hotfix/patch for it.


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## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> I am experimenting with a mix for peanut butter cups. There are several recipes online but so far I haven't found exactly the mix for me. I am doing small amounts for testing. First try was 2 tsp each of PNB, powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. It was good but I am going to add butter and play with the ratios some before making a pan full and topping with chocolate.


I want the recipe when its perfected!!!!

You all have been busy.

I finally finished the gate.



My oldest son bought a house, closed on it a couple of weeks ago and is moving the last of his stuff out today. I rented a dumpster, it will be here monday. This is a 15 yard, set up on a trailer. You fill it, he dumps it and then he brings it back if needed. So.... I will get the equivalent of a 30 years dumpster for about $150 less. Now.... the dumpster will be parked about 10 feet in front of the gate. I am so excited.... and then with the gate. I can buy a riding lawn mower because it is 6ish feet wide when both sides are open.
I have been giving soap making a try these are my first 3 batches. I am hoping to make small business out of soaps and salves (even if it's just coworkers, friends and families)


AND my beautiful flowers make me so happy (I've




And I am going to make calendula and comfrey salve. Calendula is currently in olive oil and sunflower oil, infusing its goodness and I just got my comfrey roots 2 weeks ago and they are this big already.


My beautiful sunflowers!


And last but not least...
Some goodies from the garden

#realfoodcomesdirty


Now... to add to the debate.... I co sider non-processed foods those that came from the ground, a bush or tree. And meats that have not been adulterated. Now do I eat totally that way? No..... do I wish I could.... yes. 
Also.... I dont eat alot of what is in the center of the store, however I get pizza from a local restaurant weekly and eat at the cafeteria at work . 
I'm hoping that as I get more centered and feel more in control of what's going on around me, that I will eat better. I also only eat twice a day most days.... today I have only eaten once. I cut out pepsi 9 months ago, I do drink sweet tea periodically.... however I have not lost one pound since cutting out all that sugar. It should be a higher priority currently.... however, life exhausts me right now and I just haven't prioritized that.

Anyone know of a good place for me to find plans for a multi-bar soap cutter? They are sooooo expensive. 

I hope you all are well!


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli I use my turkey roaster to make bone broth when I get a turkey. Maybe you should try that? I leave it on warm for 24 to 36 hours. I will also put some onion, carrots and potatoes under/around the turkey (and leave all the crumbles to small to serve) in the pan. It improves the flavor tremendously!


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## zannej

Shan, everything looks great. Veggies look delicious! You could probably sell some of your soap on Etsy or if you use FB you could do it over FB marketplace. Have a location away from your house where you can have people agree to meet you to sell it to them. Although, might want to hold off on that with Delta variant going around.
Can you use cookie cutters for soap? Or can you make the soap in baking pans with shapes? I think they have some silicone pans that have little rectangles or even cute animal shapes.

Hey, maybe that soap would be good for wood drawer glides!

Eddie, I hope your peanutbutter experiments result in something you really like. I hadn't even thought about there being different recipes. I figured it's just peanuts and maybe some sugar. Although some add honey.

My sister just called. Haven't talked to her in awhile since she's been busy with work. My monitor got delivered in the middle of the phone call so I missed some of the conversation (she was talking to my mother). 

Mewlatto has decided that I am his bed. He was super cuddly as a kitten. Loved sitting on my brother's shoulder and chest. Then he stopped being as cuddly for awhile. But lately he's been obsessed with me and wanting to be held and cuddled by me constantly. But unlike some of the other cats, he's very gentle and will climb on me slowly and carefully (while others literally pounce).  He also pets my face with his paw and gingerly licks my nose.


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## shan2themax

@Zain just got a couple of molds that are shaped. You could possibly cut it with cookies cutters but I think it would ruin the soap. Your recipe is what determines how long it takes to unmold and how quickly it gets hard. I am going to play around with some colors and designs, however I will probably do more natural soaps. I want to build a taller/thinner mold than what I currently have, we shall see lol


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## zannej

I googled it to see if there were decent prices on soap molds. Found a pack for $10 on Amazon but it's a fugly pink https://www.amazon.com/OBSGUMU-Silicone-Rectangle-Different-Chocolate/dp/B08LL1M19N

Not sure if that is remotely what you're looking for. But it does have rectangles. There are some "related product" links that come up as well.

Friend of ours used to make lye soap in bars. I don't remember how he did it & he's since passed away so I can't ask.

Since my monitor arrived & I don't have a board on my wall for mounting-- friend was going to help me put it up. I'm going to see if Doofusaurus (my brother) will help hold things in place for me. But first I need to get the board from the workshop, cut it to size. Pre-drill holes for the studs, check my markings on the wall, etc. Might have to change the height some because the new monitor isn't as tall. it will be awkward adjusting to it being higher, but probably easier to see over cat heads. They loooove to sit in front of my monitor. I'm thinking of getting one of those sticks they use to turn blinds with to tether to the wall mount thing so I can pull my monitor in and out (or maybe just make my own stick out of something). I want to make sure the monitor is set high enough to clear the subwoofer for my speakers. I just hope the mount can hold the weight of cats climbing on top of the monitor-- but I will put a pillow or something soft underneath just in case & I will push it to the wall when not in use.

But that will have to wait until daylight.


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## Spicoli43

Looks good, Shan... Congrats on getting rid of a kid!!! Maybe he's a nice kid that didn't eat everything in the house, but I haven't heard many stories like that.

My ex had a dedicated crock pot for soap making, and seemed to always be using it, she had a nice sized shelf stocked with soap like it was the answer for a Zombie Apocalypse.


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## Eddie_T

@zannej  I have shredded foam pillows (MyPillow) and dryer on high is recommended to fluff them. That's good as my theory for morning congestion is dust mites in pillows, so two birds with one stone.

@shan2themax I saw a DIY soap cutter on youtube. My wife bought a bar of lye soap and had me cut the corners off with my bandsaw to make it look like Octagon soap and displayed it with her antique washboard.


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## zannej

Spam phone calls woke me up early. Allergies are also kicking in and I need to get up and get some water to take my meds. My brother just came and nagged me. He doesn't want to have to wait to go to the store but I set the time to go between 1 to 2pm as I figured we'd both be sleeping. If I try to get him to go early most of the time he will have a fit.


----------



## Flyover

Finished my compost bin.





All wood was salvaged from construction site dumpsters or free on Craigslist (oh and some was from pallets my neighbors were throwing away after they had mulch delivered on them), so this cost me nothing in materials, not counting fasteners. Amazing at a time like this. The only cost I felt was a couple bucks for the 3" hinges.

The construction site dumpsters have these 2x3s with grooves routed lengthwise in them that were used to secure the straps over bundles of OSB sheathing in transit to the site, so to them it's a waste product but to me it was perfect for holding the removable piece in front where you shovel out your compost when it's ready:




Eventually I'll swap out those screws for proper handles.

A little frog waited out the midday sun by sitting inside on the frame while I nailed on the outer boards.


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## shan2themax

@Zanni do have one of those and a.couple of silicone inserts. I am wanting to make a longer tall, not as wide loaf. I can make one,  I have a few materials. When you do that, you just use freezer paper to line the mold so that way you aren't as limited to the silicone mold dimensions. All "soap" is made with lye.... there is no way around it. Everything is a cleanser using surfactants.  It really is a fun process.
@Spicoli43 I have not made hot process soap yet. However, I did buy a small crockpot to dedicate to doing that at some point!


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## zannej

Flyover, compost bin looks great. I wish we had enough going on in the area where we could pick up thrown out materials. There is only one construction site in town and they don't have a dumpster (yet). They demolished an old hardware store but the wood was rotted and they loaded it on to trucks instead of putting it in dumpsters. They are now building a new gas station but I still haven't seen dumpsters.

I ended up going to leave with my brother early. Got into the truck and suddenly he had to go to the bathroom. So I ended up having to wait an hour. Grabbed his rx from Walmart, got mail from the post office, and then went to Sams. Since they didn't let me purchase some of the stuff online (claimed it was out of stock but it wasn't), I had to go get it. It was the heavy stuff. My brother went to the bathroom again so he didn't help. I loaded up 5 cases of water and two gallons of milk. Looked around to see if he was out of the bathroom, didn't see him, so I headed to self-checkout. Checked out, looked around for him again. Said f* it and went to the pickup area. In the past I would go there when I had online orders and they would hand me the cart with my stuff. But this time I was told that I would have to go outside, park in the Pickup parking spot and use the app on my phone to check in. I explained I don't have the app on my phone. She said that if I gave my name she would send someone out with my order. So, I did that. Went through the receipt check and item scan (to make sure everything was on the receipt) and then got to the truck and loaded everything up. Brother called on the phone, he'd been shopping and wanted to get snacks. I told him I was already outside. I said that it was getting close to 2pm and my pickup window was from 1pm to 2pm. I moved the truck to Pickup spot 1. My brother came out and sat in the truck with me. After several minutes I called the store to tell them I was there for curbside pickup but no one had brought my order out, I didn't have the app, and I had informed someone inside that I was there for my order. The person said they would transfer me. Phone rang for 5min and nobody picked up. So I called back. Phone rang again and nobody picked up. I waited another several minutes and started to get irritated. It was now well after 2pm and I had been waiting longer than 10 minutes. I went and knocked on the unloading door and an employee asked me what I needed. I told her I'd been waiting for my order. She asked if I checked in with the app. I explained I didn't have it. She said "How did you order if you didn't have the app?" I said "On my computer. I've ordered like this before and I always went inside and they handled the order" She said "It doesn't work like that now, you have to use the app." I said "Well, I don't have my password to login even if I download the app" so she said "You have to go back inside and talk to them". So I went to the pickup sorting area inside and tried to flag someone down. No one noticed. I walked in to the area and someone told me I had to leave. I explained that I needed to pickup my order, had been waiting over 10 minutes, had already called the store, had spoken to someone inside to tell them I was there, etc and nobody was bringing my order out. He took my name and said he would bring it out. So, I went out and sat in the truck another several minutes and then decided I was going to go inside and cancel the order and go find all the stuff myself. Just then the pickup guy came out with the order and apologized for the delay.

So, now I need to figure out which of the stupid apps to load no my phone for the next time. But that runaround defeated the whole purpose of curbside and when I ordered online there was *nothing* in the information on order pickup saying I could only get my order using the app.

Sorry, venting. Time to go get food for Mom.


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## Eddie_T

I made batter bread using Red Star Yeast recipe. It was for two loaves so I halved the recipe. When I poured it in the loaf pan I saw that it was a little too much but couldn't stop the pour. Maybe if I had shears handy I could have snipped it. Next time I will trim the recipe to less than half. Another plan might be to do the first rise quickly as a batter then add enough flour to permit handling as a normal loaf. As it were my problem was that it ran over the pan making removal difficult but it was still good.


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## Eddie_T

@Flyover Free wood, a good project and reducing waste is a win/win/win!


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## zannej

Eddie, did you let he dough proof for awhile before baking?

I don't know too much about cooking, but I know that dough is supposed to "proof" in a warm area before being cooked.


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## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Eddie, did you let he dough proof for awhile before baking?
> 
> I don't know too much about cooking, but I know that dough is supposed to "proof" in a warm area before being cooked.


I did, the beauty of batter bread is that it's quicker and less mess. "Proofing" is the rest period where the dough rises to double. It only takes about 30 minutes with batter a kneaded loaf  is firmer and takes longer.


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## zannej

Ah, I didn't know you could make bread with batter instead. Baking is something I've never done. I have this weird phobia of ovens. LOL. I wish we had the kind they made in the UK where you can slide the door underneath the stove to get things out instead of trying to lean over the door. I burned my arm on the inside of the door as a kid and that was the last time I ever reached into an oven.

Cats woke me up and it was too hot so I had to get up and get something to drink to cool myself off.

I've been checking up with my friend online and he and his gf haven't had any symptoms thus far but it could take a few days. Hopefully they won't get sick. His gf's mom is not doing well at all though.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Ah, I didn't know you could make bread with batter instead. Baking is something I've never done. I have this weird phobia of ovens. LOL. I wish we had the kind they made in the UK where you can slide the door underneath the stove to get things out instead of trying to lean over the door. I burned my arm on the inside of the door as a kid and that was the last time I ever reached into an oven.


THe UK oven doors sound like the way to go. I wonder why they never caught on in the US.


----------



## Eddie_T

Experimenting with some cheap washcloths. I use the cheap white ones from Walmart that come in a bundle of 18. Due to my short bout with sediment and a year or more of use they got dingy and stained. Bleach and oxygen bleach didn't work. I am dying them with expended coffee grounds one at a time. They are coming out a nice uniform tan color. I don't know how long the color will last. I am just doing it for kicks I have purchased new washcloths (only $3.97 per bundle).


----------



## Spicoli43

Slide the door under the stove?

All that tells me is it will get covered in dirt, dead skin cells, animal hair, etc...


----------



## Eddie_T




----------



## Spicoli43

That would work, but how do they heat their tea?

Lowe's has all the standard garbage brands, but some brands I haven't heard of. I would research them, but I'm locked into a Wolf or Viking for my kichen re-do.


----------



## zannej

Here's a shorter video. Best if you mute it bc the music is very annoying (at least to me).


This one apparently automatically pulls itself in.

I like the one Eddie linked though. I wish I could custom design my own oven and have it built but it's too expensive to do stuff like that. I'd want true convection, induction top, controls on front (but not the kind that can accidentally be bumped on like the touchscreen sensitive type), child lock to prevent it from being turned on accidentally, and a low backsplash to fit under the shelves I have in the alcove. I'd also like for it to be sealed up well enough to keep mice out.

I can dream. LOL.

Went to Walmart early this morning with my brother. Self-checkout was closed and they only had one cashier in the entire store. Lady behind us was being a b*** and having a fit about how long it was taking. She apparently sniped at my brother about not putting the spacer bar behind our stuff for her but he ignored her. He told me about it later. I would have told her to shove it if I'd heard her. The cashier apologized and said they were understaffed & she was the only one available. I really wish I could do self-checkout because she mixed cold stuff with non-cold stuff and crushed the hamburger meat under stuff. I didn't get mad bc I know she's overworked & underpaid, but that is one of the reasons I prefer self-checkout.

My brother actually emptied the trash (but didn't pick up stuff that had fallen on the floor). At least he helped with the groceries this time.

Friend messaged me to say the kitten I saved is has some sort of yellow lump on his neck that is leaking pus. May have insect eggs/larva in there. I told him to clean it and put antibiotic cream on it. 

We stocked up on the Hungry Man meals my mom likes. And I gave her leftovers from last night for dinner. I'm sure she'll be hungry again soon so I'll have to figure out what to cook. Maybe stroganoff. Last night was shepherd's pie.


----------



## Spicoli43

If you come up with a design that a manufacturer likes enough to produce a few of, it might work. I would think it would have to be something they would mass produce in the case of the standard companies that are everywhere or something that a niche company could charge a lot for since they have to make all new molds. 

Is this about the time you're looking forward to your Brother going back to school, or is it all screwed up because of Covid?


----------



## zannej

Some companies want patent references and they need to have permission to use certain patents. So it's not like it's as simple as explaining something to them or even drawing diagrams, they have to check patents and make sure it's ok for them to make it without having to pay to use it or make sure they can use that design without some violation.

He took online classes awhile back. He's only interested n online stuff. It's weird to think my baby brother is 41 now.


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## Spicoli43

Well, that's what I'm saying. I wouldn't even approach them unless I had a utility patent or something. 

Your Brother is 41? In what exchange rate? 

No offense, but I assumed he was 13 max.


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## Flyover

@zannej When you said you were worried about burning your arm on the inside of the oven, I thought you meant on the inside wall or top element. Unless your oven is wall-mounted and pretty high up, it seems unlikely your hand would get close to the inside of the door when the door is open.

I've twice burned my arm on the top element. It hurt but I'd say the upper arm is a pretty good place to get burned as far as getting burned goes. Plus I have some cool-looking scars there now. The most recent time it happened I had been broiling, and the burn was so hot I didn't feel it at first, and it turned my skin an interesting kinda ashy-white looking. Thought I had some paper fibers stuck there at first, until the pain faded in a minute later and it started turning red.


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## zannej

I know it's weird to be worried about it, but I have burned my arm on the oven door before. The door couldn't open fully because of the dishwasher being in the way. I hate having to lean over the door bc I'm afraid I'll fall on it. I'm also supremely clumsy and get weird injuries from it. Like the time I cut my finger on the metal retaining piece on a paintbrush. Case in point: Today I cut the side of my thumb on the front corner of the microwave door a. Not quite sure how I managed it. I put something in the microwave and was pulling my hand out and I guess I was closing the door too quickly so I managed to cut my thumb. It actually bled.

I woke up around 4am and played World of Warcraft until 7 something. Then I went to sleep and was having bizarre dreams about trying to fix up the barn and something about trying to check out a bunch of DIY stuff at a store. It's a blur now but it I remember it was weird.

Dog was barking her head off today over a family of deer in the yard. Looked like a buck, a doe, and two little ones.

Mom woke me up around 3:30pm wanting food. It was too warm last night so I had trouble sleeping well and didn't get rested enough. I'll have to go get mail tomorrow.


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## Eddie_T

Made batter bread again with the right amount of ingredients to fit my pan. I altered the recipe to include milk and an egg. I let it rise twice in the bowl then again in the pan. It turned out pretty good. I am going to try making ghee to eat on my bread. My yeast had been in the freezer for more than six years but still works well.


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## Flyover

My wife grew cucumbers and dill in the garden this year so I made overnight pickles two days ago, and we ate them yesterday. Best batch I think I've ever made. They were good enough they cheered up my wife who'd had a very rough evening. My son spontaneously decided he no longer likes pickles -- more for the rest of us! As I was eating one I realized I couldn't remember if I'd added vinegar to the brine and decided I probably hadn't. So from now on I won't.


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## BuzzLOL

I thought this was going to be about: being careful around dangerous things has gone out of style and the modern attitude is to blame the oven when you get a burn...


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## Eddie_T

When I was proofing my bread in the oven just using the light it burned out. I didn't have a replacement so had to switch the bulb from the lower oven. I couldn't easily get to it because the oven door was in the way. Rather than laying in the floor I removed the lower oven door. The Neff oven would have been nice but my Whirlpool has lift off doors which also works. My wife has been burned several times due to the door causing her to reach in from the side or most often not opening the door all the way.


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## zannej

I know someone who as a toddler was playing in the kitchen and the mom had opened the oven door. Kid ran up and fell on the open door and got burned. Happened so fast the mom hadn't been able to stop him & he didn't know it would be hot, as he was so young. I'm not blaming the oven, its just sometimes people are clumsy or have bad luck. I don't see a problem with making products safer to reduce chance of injuries. It isn't even about being careless, sometimes people lose their balance or just klutz out. Plus it's annoying having to lean in from the side to get stuff out. 

Today I went to the store to pick up a prescription. My brother woke me up and was very insistent on going. He got a bunch of stuff I'm allergic to and is trying to gaslight me and claim I'm not allergic. We picked up mail and got home. He then started cutting up the peppers. I walked in to the kitchen and the smell hit me. I covered my nose and he started yelling at me about "faking" and that I couldn't possibly smell them bc he supposedly has a better sense of smell than me. But he isn't allergic and he doesn't have a problem with them. I do. He called me a "f***ing liar" and said I was being overly dramatic about. All I did was cover my nose with my shirt as I walked through the room and I didn't say anything about it or complain about it. He's cooking it now and the smell is wafting in to my room. My nose and eyes are burning. I told him that it's just as real as his hay allergies so he can shut the f*** up about it and stop gaslighting me. He doesn't know what I do or don't smell and he doesn't get to call me a liar just bc he's not allergic and it doesn't bother him. I'm a bit irritated with him right now over that. I've never accused him of faking when he was having an allergic reaction. Not sure why he's pulling that BS with me now. Maybe it's bc I asked him not to get the peppers & told him I'm allergic but he insisted and he doesn't want to admit he was wrong so he's doubling down and being an ***. But he can f*** off on that. He knows I'm allergic to peppers and it would be like me deliberately bringing a bunch of hay into the house, but he doesn't see it that way. It's giving me a headache and making me nauseous now.

On the upside, when I had to reinstall windows on my computer after a crash, it unregistered my version of windows & I couldn't find the registration code again. It kept making my computer run slower and pop up nag windows claiming it wasn't a valid version of windows. I finally got a code off of ebay that was "guaranteed to work". I had to use the command prompt to enter it and it took 3 attempts before I realize I had to enter the dashes. Finally worked so computer is running faster and no longer getting the nag messages.


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## Spicoli43

z... Please call all the TV studios. I have never watched reality TV, but I would try.


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## Flyover

I'm not so sure an oven is safer just because the door can be tucked away underneath. For one thing, this leaves the oven wide open with no quick way of closing it. For another, tucking the door away means the area in front of the oven is clear so that obstructions can gather there, and these now would need to be removed before the oven can be closed again. (If the obstruction is "toddler throwing a tantrum" then you have a major safety hazard, unlike with a conventional oven where you can just quickly close the door. Even if it's just a few cats, it's easier to brush a cat aside and close a door than have to hold one out of the way while you pull a door out and only then flip it up.)

And another thing is the risk of creating a fake sense of safety. I'm super careful around my oven door (and my power tools, and my gun, etc.) in large part because the danger from them is so clear. I've been burned on my oven a few times, and on hot drill bits and stuff, to where caution is now second nature, and this makes those objects safer for me to use.

So Zannej I think your fear of ovens is probably a directionally good thing, and you should not get a different kind of oven that you're not afraid of because that would actually be more dangerous; instead you just need to control your fear response a bit. (I am not a clinical psychologist and this is not medical advice; please take words from strangers on the internet with a grain of salt.)

The only advantage I can see to this type of oven is maybe they're easier to clean or change the bulbs in, and they're probably better for people in wheelchairs or with similar mobility issues. I wouldn't be surprised if Europe's generally more stringent disability laws have something to do with why these ovens are more common over there.

PS. Isn't "gaslighting" when the person being lied to doesn't know it's a lie? If your brother's saying you're faking your allergies when for 41 years he's known you really are allergic, then that would be trolling, not gaslighting.


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## bud16415

I have never inserted a video before only links. Thought I would show you my canoe eye view of our party of 9 coming down the creek that's in my backyard (just about) we are a block away. We went about 12 miles in about 4 hours. Saw some deer, a black squirrel, two eagles, ducks and geese, one hellbender and a 16' circular blowup couch full of women floating along. The modified canoe worked great. Two weeks before the water was 7' higher and left 10" of mud on the ramp. After i pushed each person down the ramp and into the water I was last and the canoe got stuck on a root and I was attempting to get around it to pull and down I went backwards into the mud. Didn't get a movie of that.
View attachment IMG_1673.MOV


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## oldognewtrick

No pics of the couch full of women?


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## bud16415

oldognewtrick said:


> No pics of the couch full of women?


I went for my cell phone and got that look from her kayak. I think you know the look.


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## oldognewtrick

bud16415 said:


> I went for my cell phone and got that look from her kayak. I think you know the look.


Ok, lesson time...next time point in the other direction and yell SNAKE! Snap pics, act normal.


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## Eddie_T

I thought the Neff oven door worked like a normal door unless one wanted to fully open and push into the store position. I'm guessing my wall oven doors if hot and left open would prove problematic for a toddler.  However toddlers are temporary and my wall double oven is in its 48th year.


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## zannej

Eddie, you're correct, you can simply tip the Neff door out like a normal oven door but you also have the option of pushing it all the way underneath (or even partially underneath) to get it out of the way. They used it on the Great British Baking Championship (or something like that) because space was limited.

Flyover, gaslighting is telling someone that their own perceptions are false. It came from a story about a man who was trying to drive his wife crazy back in the days when lights were still lit via gas. He was turning the gas up and down and then lying to her about noticing the lights were dimmer or brighter. He did this until she truly doubted her own sanity.

In this case, my brother was telling me that I wasn't actually smelling what I was smelling. Apparently he went to my mother to gripe & claim that I was being "a drama queen" and that I was "pretending" to smell something when I didn't. She told him that I am allergic so she knew I smelled them and told him to shut the hell up. So, it was him truly not believing me because he didn't want to admit that the peppers had a strong odor. 

He also left the sink full of the pepper residue and had it coated all over dishes. Didn't bother to rinse anything. If I had left hay lying around for him to pick up, he would have had a fit. But he is also in denial about me having an allergy to peppers because he doesn't want to believe it. It's inconvenient to him because he loves peppers. He's a selfish prig.

I went to cook some corned beef hash for mom and when I picked up the can of what I'd thought was the hash I realized it was Alpo dog food. Then I thought I saw the can in a bag but it was my brother's canned cheese. Turns out we're out of the hash so I'll have to buy more. It's on my grocery list. Which reminds me, I wanted to make a list for pickup at Walmart but my local store is not listed. The pickup options are all at stores that are an hour away. I guess my store doesn't do the pickup- despite having parking spaces for it.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> But he is also in denial about me having an allergy to peppers because he doesn't want to believe it.


For how long has he been in denial about this?? The argument you two had seems like something that would happen between a young child and his sibling who just got diagnosed with allergies a few days ago. But you said he's 41. Thus why I figured he can't possibly be gaslighting you: you know you have allergies, he surely must know you have them too (or so I figured), and he's just trolling you because he's immature and wants to fight about something or selfishly doesn't want to have to admit he shouldn't be cooking peppers in the house.

BTW do you mean regular bell peppers or spicy ones like jalapenos? Are you allergic to all nightshades? I've heard the leaves of nightshades are poisonous, but I've never heard of allergies to their fruits. (Not saying you don't have them, just expressing surprise.)

Re. the ovens, yes obviously if you just tip the door down like a regular oven it's no different; the extra risks I stated would come into play if you've also slid it underneath.

I had work today so I didn't get much done DIY-wise. After I finished for the day I watched the two younger kids, including the baby, splash in the kiddie pool, which was very entertaining. I sat on the side in a patio chair with my feet in the water, both to be close by in case I needed to scoop the baby out and because it helped me cool off. The baby was yelling and kicking excitedly, and at one point leaned over and started sucking on one of my toes, which tickled more than anything I can remember and was also just hilarious because she's never done that before despite playing with my feet occasionally.


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## zannej

Flyover, well, he's not trolling because I can tell when he's trolling. He doesn't get mad when he's trolling. He was actually angry. I've had a pepper allergy for years and he knows it. But, like I said, he's in denial about it because he likes peppers. He's always been the type to deny things when it's inconvenient for him. I generally don't eat foods with peppers spicy or otherwise if I can avoid it. I don't know about bell peppers but I absolutely hate them. I often have to take allergy meds after eating stuff that has pepper. His anger over me simply covering my nose when I walked through the kitchen really surprised me. I do think on some level he does know I'm allergic but doesn't want to feel guilty and it makes him angry so he directed the anger at me instead. I really wish he'd grow up or at the very least stop disrespecting me. 

I wish I could go back in time and have a conversation with my parents about putting their feet down and making him do stuff instead of guilt-tripping me into doing everything instead because it just leads to him being irresponsible. I would also tell myself not to give in to guilt-trips and to insist that he has to do his own chores instead of me picking up the slack every time. My father felt that it was easier to do things himself or to get me to do them instead of trying to get my brother to do them. If they had taken away his video games or cut off his internet when he didn't do things, maybe he would have learned to do them. Of course, he's also the type who would break something if he gets disconnected from the internet. Not sure if he would have gotten away with it when Dad was alive. He actually respected Dad. He does not respect me and Mom. For the record, my brother was rather proud of his "slack bastardism"-- putting more energy in to refusing to do something than actually doing it. He went from being Mom's favorite who could get away with anything to her constantly being mad at him for being a spoiled prig who won't lift a finger to help around the house unless harrangued into it. Plus he started eating her food so she was getting mad. She doesn't know how to speak to him like an adult, but in fairness, he doesn't act like an adult. He wants to be spoken to like an adult but doesn't want to have adult responsibilities.

Speaking of babies, my friend's gf's baby now has a fever. They have been in quarantine about a week. Friend and his gf are both sick. His ex came and picked up the daughter who is supposed to be in quarantine & took her away and plans to send her to school tomorrow. The gf assured me that the baby and daughter were not sick but a few hours later she said the baby has a fever. If it's not Covid it could be the flu. I told her the ex needs to be told not to send the daughter to school just in case. She never should have taken her away only 6 days through quarantine.


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## Flyover

@zannej 
Haha, every time you explain something about your family it raises more questions than it answers!

Like for instance how does someone make it to 41 acting like your brother and not get kicked out? I can't discern your financial situation so pardon me for making assumptions (and of course it's none of my business anyway) but it seems like you're the main breadwinner/person who supports the household and keeps the bills paid and pipes working  etc. thus in a decision-making position--why do you tolerate his shenanigans? I know he's your brother but I've known several families where adult siblings ended up being kicked out for much less, and rightly so. Not for lack of love either, in fact I think a lot of people would agree that if you love someone you should not enable them in their floundering.


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## Spicoli43

zannej... Before you said your Brother was 41, I was thinking Chris from Family Guy. 

Now, I'm thinking Chris from Family Guy.


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## Flyover

I just remembered: @zannej, since you're out in the cut and frequently awake in the middle of the night, you might want to step outside between 3-5am and look up, this is one of the last nights to see the Purseids (annual meteor shower).

I got up at 5:30am for work this morning as usual, but instead of making coffee and logging in first thing like I normally do, I went out to the deck, tossed a blanket, and laid down to look at the sky. I saw a lot of little flecks that might have been shooting stars or might have been my own eyeballs playing tricks on me, but I definitely did see one very bright, very large shooting star. It was worth it.


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## zannej

Flyover, I'm not the breadwinner in the family. I'm a full time caregiver for my Mom. We live off my dad's death benefits/pension that goes to Mom. I'm not officially an employee because they don't have that set up in my state, but I live here and she pays for my stuff in exchange for me taking care of her and doing what I can to try to keep the house up. She sometimes falls down or gets low blood sugar so she doesn't want me being out of the house for long periods of time. I couldn't leave her when my brother was working and even when he's not working, he's not reliable to help her because he locks himself in his room with noise canceling headset and plays computer games. He also is very hard to wake up when he's sleeping. So she could fall & he wouldn't know it. Even when he had a job he never paid rent or contributed to the bills. I have a little bit of money I saved up and I sometimes buy stuff with it but for the most part I'm leaving it in savings to accrue interest. I had been planning to get a part-time job on different days/hours than my brother but then the pandemic hit. Then my brother showed how unreliable he is. I'm hoping things will clear up soon though because I want to get some sort of job. Probably a desk job since I do have a college degree and I can't stand for long periods of time. I'm really hoping that when we get Starlink that I can get a job working from home.

Before my Dad died, I'd been taking over more responsibilities and helping him and my Mom with fixing stuff at the farm, driving them to dr appointments, handling insurance claims, bush-hogging the yard, etc. But my health took a dive so it's a lot harder to do stuff. My dad liked having me around because I helped him with projects & he just enjoyed my company and didn't want me to move away like my sister did. I had no desire to move away either. I previously worked as a zookeeper, interned at a computer care center (tech support), and worked as a tutor in computer studies.

But because I'm an unpaid caregiver (unless you count mom covering almost all my expenses) I don't accrue social security and don't qualify for any benefits like Medicaid. If I lived out near my sister I could get paid by my mother's insurance to be her caregiver. But Mom doesn't want to live out there. I'm still trying to get my energy back. Chronic Fatigue really sucks.

I will say that my brother does sometimes help carrying heavy groceries in and he helps me with grocery shopping since I've had trouble with my back and shoulder. Shoulder is on the mend though. Still doesn't have the mobility it used to have but isn't as sore. But he doesn't help with cleaning, clean up after himself, or do much. He doesn't know what to do with power tools and doesn't know how to fix things. He can cook pretty well though. He just chooses not to cook for anyone but himself most of the time. I'm not much of a cook so poor mom gets frozen meals heated up a lot.

Heard from my friend, he's feeling really bad. Stomach pain. Can't seem to quench his thirst no matter how much he drinks. Diarrhea. On top of sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath, etc. I wish I could bring him something to help but he said he didn't want pepto or anti-diarrhea meds. Also found out that the school demanded that his ex bring their daughter to school. Said they didn't care if she was sick that if she hadn't been Covid tested and had it come out positive, she *had* to come to school. His ex told them she was in quarantine but they said if she didn't come to school it would be unexcused absence. Really stupid attitude for schools to have.


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## shan2themax

@zannej if I  ever win millions.... I am sending your brother to Mars, and helping you get a clean place free of all the drama you put up with. I feel for you, I truly do.


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## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @zannej if I  ever win millions.... I am sending your brother to Mars, and helping you get a clean place free of all the drama you put up with. I feel for you, I truly do.



I'll chip in. The Marines is free, though.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 he's too old for that! I'm about to send my out of shape asshole 27 year old though.


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## Spicoli43

Yeah, I was thinking 31 for a minute. He might be able to get a waiver for the services other than the Marines. When I worked in Army Recruiting in the 90's, we tried waivers for everything.


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## Flyover

It's our first summer in this house. We spent months watching peaches grow on our peach tree in our back yard. Fuzzy green and hard, waiting for them to start looking like peaches. We thought something might be wrong with the soil, or figured maybe it's an ornamental breed or something. They just weren't ripening.

Then all of a sudden this week they started turning yellow, and the sides facing south turned orange then red. Then we found one that had softened up, so we took it inside, cut it up, and ate it.

Oh my God, it was the best peach I'd ever had. And then this weekend every other peach on the tree ripened as well. We're picking them as fast as we can eat them, and I've been eating four or five a day, maybe more. So far my digestive tract has been cooperative with this arrangement but I know I might be pushing my luck. 

But they're just so good I can't stop. Every time I'm in the back yard I wander over and see if there's a perfect one within reach. Grabbing a ripe peach right off a tree and biting into it, and it's warm from the sun and gushing with sweet nectar... Quite an experience. Sharing it with a toothless baby is fun too.


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## zannej

Thanks, Shan. Sometimes I feel bad about myself since I don't have an official job and I need to do more around here. I just need to get my energy back up again. I know I need to cut back on the sugars and carbs but those are my favorite foods. LOL. 

My brother and I both tried to join the army when we were younger. I was rejected because of my heart problems and my brother was rejected because of his foot-- in his teens he stepped on a plastic grate around a pool. The grate broke and he fell & it broke his foot & toes in 6 different places. It was really bad. And the doctors were such idiots about it. Kept jabbing his foot with a needle and asking if it hurt. I held his hand and talked about video games and comic books with him to distract him. There's still a funny story about when he was being wheeled in for surgery: A little backstory is that he was heavy but had very pink lips and a somewhat feminine face. Particularly in Asia they thought he was a girl. They would think he was my sister. He also had breasts from being fat, no facial hair yet, and his voice hadn't changed. He has very pretty hair that develops little ringlets when it gets long. Anyway, nurse asked him "Do you have a brazier you'd like to remove?" and he said "I'm not that kind of guy!" she then looked at his chart and apologized. Fortunately, he doesn't have any insecurities about his masculinity (or lack thereof) so he found it funny.

He apparently used both pressure cookers to make his bbq sauce. Left the inner pot thingies in & around the sink for me to clean. Fun times.

Today I've washed some dishes, cleaned the counters, found an infected wound on one of the cats so I squeezed the pus out, cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide, and put antibiotic on it. He wasn't happy about it, but it needed to be done. My brother actually fed the cats. I've been trying to break up cat fights. Senator Snugglebum is being particularly obnoxious today with going after cats. Rupert was smart enough to run to me so I could protect him. 

Flyover, the peaches sound delicious! We used to live not too far from a peach orchard when we were in California. We used to get some large very juicy sweet peaches. Never found any that good since. Kind of like how none of the storebought tomatoes are ever as good as the ones my late friend Cordell grew. He had heirloom tomatoes and took very good care of his garden. I would bring him "barnyard fertilizer" left by the cows.

I made myself get up and actually cook for Mom since I feel bad about all the frozen meals. Corned beef hash with eggs. One of these days I will keep the yolks in tact. Last time I cooked it one of the eggs was double-yolked. I'm having to re-learn how to cook things on the new cooktop since it's different from the NuWave. It doesn't have temperature listings-- just numbers 1 through 8 and no way to vary in between. NuWave would tell me exact temperature and let me change temp in increments of 5°. 

I also got some inspiration to work on the Sketchup drawing of the bathroom and laundry room plan. I was still learning how to use the program when I first drew it up so I made a lot of mistakes-- stuff not squared up, had some measurements wrong, didn't know about grouping stuff to make it easier to see. So I looked at my notes on measurements as well as stuff from the original sketch and next to the two rooms I sketched a brand new one that is much cleaner. I grouped walls so I can hide them to see stuff, grouped objects to make it easier to move them, etc. I drew out the plan for the shaving shelf (still need to figure out the best height). Put the triple wall switch starting at 48" above the floor (which was the recommended height). Found a recessed medicine cabinet object that looks similar to the one we have that I'm planning to use-- but I need to get measurements of the one we have and resize the one in the sketch. It's not as hard to move stuff over now that I've figured out how to do things. I even drew in some pipes. Added outlets and switches where I want them (at least general location). Still need to pull the vanity mirror and vanity from another sketchup file to plug in. And the tp holder I designed needs to be imported. Can't seem to figure out how to import bc it doesn't recognize my password. But I can open more than one instance of sketchup, copy something, and paste in to another instance.

Probably boring the hell out of everyone with this. LOL.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> I just need to get my energy back up again. I know I need to cut back on the sugars and carbs but those are my favorite foods.


I'd bet if you thought about it you'd realize you have favorite foods in other categories too, stuff from the perimeter of the grocery store and not the middle aisles.

Also, I was reading a little about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome because I'd heard of it but never really thought twice about it, and I found some studies linking it to toxoplasmosis, which is a risk when you live with lots of cats. Maybe not what you want to hear...


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## slownsteady

Flyover said:


> It's our first summer in this house. We spent months watching peaches grow on our peach tree in our back yard. Fuzzy green and hard, waiting for them to start looking like peaches. We thought something might be wrong with the soil, or figured maybe it's an ornamental breed or something. They just weren't ripening.
> 
> Then all of a sudden this week they started turning yellow, and the sides facing south turned orange then red. Then we found one that had softened up, so we took it inside, cut it up, and ate it.
> 
> Oh my God, it was the best peach I'd ever had. And then this weekend every other peach on the tree ripened as well. We're picking them as fast as we can eat them, and I've been eating four or five a day, maybe more. So far my digestive tract has been cooperative with this arrangement but I know I might be pushing my luck.
> 
> But they're just so good I can't stop. Every time I'm in the back yard I wander over and see if there's a perfect one within reach. Grabbing a ripe peach right off a tree and biting into it, and it's warm from the sun and gushing with sweet nectar... Quite an experience. Sharing it with a toothless baby is fun too.


When we first moved into our house in NJ, there was a small overgrown slope just about 25 feet from our back door. I went ou there one day and started to clear that area. There was a small tree, maybe about ten feet long growing sideways because of all the vines holding it down. I lopped it off about three feet from the base with every intention of pulling it up. For some unknown reason, I looked at it and decided to stand it up and see what turned up. It turned out to be a pear tree, and a few years later I was getting pears that (of course) were fantastic. In the following years I shared the pears with the bears who ate the pears at the bottom of the tree and the squirrels that ate the ones at the top. There were times I was lucky to get a few from the middle of the tree. Eventually the tree outgrew it's fruit bearing age. But I always wondered if that tree was saying thanks for sparing it.


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## Spicoli43

I have an Apricot tree that's 8 years old, so this year would be supposedly when it's supposed to start producing. I needed another one, so I planted one close by. I have gotten 1 apricot off the old one, but nothing else. The same is true for my 2 pear trees that I planted. I got one pear. My Cherry trees give me buckets, but it's all bird food because the lawn pesticides are so thick, I won't eat any of it.


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## slownsteady

I think I fertilized/weed-n-feed about 3-4 times in the 30+ years I was there. So no worries on that part. Sure, my lawn was never going to make the cover on Better Homes magazine, but who cares.


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## shan2themax

I have fibromyalgia (it's been hard to accept because of patients I have cared for.... and others I have known with the diagnosis......
Anywho, it can be very debilitating.  Last week when I helped load the 2 very heavy couches, and then I loaded 11 55 gallon contractor bags, and then gutters and soffit materials and such, I paid for it for 3 solid days later. I'm fine day of...... but then for a minimum of 72 hours later, I feel like I have a case of the flu. Tons of muscle pain, fatigue, headaches. I absolutely hate it; but.... I have allowed so many things in life rule how I felt and who I was and what I wanted, that I still do physical things that I want to do, however I have to plan to be pretty useless for several days later. Dependent on the project, I can try to break it down into smaller pieces, but sometimes I prefer to just work 1000% to get it done and over with, and then feel like death warmed over after that. 

I like cats, however.... my moms inability to see how much chaos and.trouble they can cause to a home as made me not want to ever have one again..... which is sad, because I know how much joy they can bring. But the cat piss is just not worth it. 

@flyovmake some peach ice cream! It is delicious. Or some peach cobbler!


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## Spicoli43

shan, have you looked into leaky gut syndrome? You might see relief by healing the gut, since most Autoimmune reactions (purposely not calling them diseases) are a result of the guts.

I know you probably know that, but I also know you probably have 10,000,000 medical terms floating around your brain constantly because of your job.

I would do a 3-5 day Grass Fed Bone Broth and Water fast for the sheer fun of it and see what happens.


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## Flyover

shan2themax said:


> make some peach ice cream! It is delicious. Or some peach cobbler!


My wife had both those ideas. I love peach ice cream, but we don't have an ice cream maker, and it seems like a lot of work; for now we are content with peach smoothies. As for cobbler, I've had some really amazing peach cobbler before, but it doesn't beat plain old fresh peaches.


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## Spicoli43

Just watching Afghanistan implode. Got REAL close, as in a phone call away from going there, but went to Iraq instead. Interesting how the entire Media is throwing old Joe under the Bus. That's called coordination by the person in charge of the Liberal media, Nancy Pelosi.

Will Kamala take the job? she's TERRIFIED of that possibility. Next up is Nancy herself, and she REALLY wants the ultimate power. 

"Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f**k things up"...


_Barack Obama


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## zannej

I've had the chronic fatigue since before I had a lot of cats. It stemmed from getting mono and then a rare chronic recurring Epstein-Barr Virus.

Shan, I have the same thing where if I'm active 1 day I'll be down for the next day or several days.

Today I went to the dentist for my fillings and cleaning. The cleaning was worse than the filling. The cleaning tool kept hitting my gums. Honestly, the worst part of the whole thing was that my nose started to itch and I couldn't scratch it. It was driving me batty. The dentist is a total sweetheart. Her assistant's back was hurting so she lowered the seat I was on to make the assistant more comfortable (even though it was more awkward for the dentist).

I got a weird reaction to the numbing stuff that I've never had before-- my skin itches but it's numb so scratching does nothing. My brother said he's had that before, but it's the first time I've had it itch.

I wish there had been a mirror so I could have seen what they were doing. I just saw a bunch of instruments going toward my face. Apparently she had to put a band around one of my teeth to get it filled because it had broken so badly. But, it's now taken care of and next Thursday I'm getting another one that broke filled.

They warned me my teeth/gums may be sore later but they also thought I would need pain meds after having a tooth pulled and I didn't.

Meanwhile, I couldn't sleep because I knew I had to get up for the appointment so I ended up playing around in Sketchup more. I was frustrated that they had the wrong wallset for the Sterling Performa 3d model at 3dwarehouse so I made my own. It has some problems with the shape of the shelves (I could not figure out how to get the curves to go the way I wanted). I think if I remembered a tutorial I saw I might have been able to do it, but internet was out. I might revise it more later. I'm Ok with the sides at least. Some of the detail doesn't show up properly though. It looks better than the wrong version though.

I still need to add some more details like wall-mounted soap dispensers, shampoo dispensers (wall-mounted as well), another shelf above the recessed medicine cabinet to have an LED light shining down. One of the benefits of using Sketchup and having precise measurements is that I realized I would have to move the plumbing slightly to not conflict with the dryer vent. The pedestal is 15" high and the vent is in the center of the dryer with the center of the hole 3 7/16" high. That plus the pedestal and the slight gap between them was putting it so the trap arm of the standpipe was in the way (at least with how I had planned the plumbing).

I will have to but some sort of thermal barrier on top of the trap arm to make sure the heat from the dryer vent doesn't damage it.




Anyway, I'm waiting for the numbing stuff to wear off so I can eat. Don't want to bite myself because I can't feel. Also, I can't really taste much with most of my tongue because it is partially numb.


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## zannej

I did more grocery shopping yesterday. Friend messaged me last night saying he's out of trash bags, diapers, and misc stuff and can't go to the store bc he's still got Covid. Said if I bring him the receipt later he'll pay us back. I added it to the list for Samsclub pickup. Tried to download sams app but the long and the short of it is that the app isn't supported on older android OS & I can't get newer updates bc my phone is no longer supported so I can't get the app. I will have to try to do texts or go back in and explain that the app won't load on my phone. This time I was able to add the water to my cart without being told it was "out of stock". 

Got the pickup time window set up and will get my brother to go with me. 

Just started sneezing so it's time to take my allergy meds.

As an aside, I ordered a little monitor stand/keyboard cover. I can tuck my keyboard under it at night to keep cats from sitting on it and messing up my computer. It can't actually hold my monitor but I will wall mount the monitor. It has 3USB ports on it and some little spots to put stuff like pens, pencils, phones, tablets, etc. I can fit my mouse in a couple of the spots. I think I will move my keyboard's plug and the cellphone charger to the tray so I don't keep hitting the end of the tether.


----------



## Flyover

Over the past week I built a small paver patio (first time doing that) next to my garage and assembled a large metal deck box on top of it (it's not a shed, it's a deck box, in case anyone from the HOA board comes asking) and now I'm in the process of building some wooden shelves to go inside it to better use the space. Using my scavenged lumber of course.

But I probably won't make much progress on that today: any time I'm at home I need to be wrangling all three kids, to make up for the fact that I'll be spending a big chunk of the day across town, rocking out with my drummer friend. He's invited a bass player to join us this time and I can't wait! That mix of being excited and slightly intimidated because I'm not a very strong guitar player despite having been playing for 20+ years, and I know this bassist's roommate and that guy is an exceptional guitar player, probably a better singer than me too.

But anyway I'm excited. A lot of the songs we play really need bass; you can't fake it by playing the solo bass parts on the guitar's low E string. Well, you can -- it's what I've been doing until now -- but it really isn't gratifying.


----------



## zannej

Do you have a picture and/or link to the "deck box"? That sounds like an interesting idea. Is it a storage box or something you walk out on? If it's the latter I'm very interested in the idea. I'm looking for some solution for when we walk out through the sliding glass door and the back door. They don't need to be connected, but having some sort of landing to step out on would be nice. Right now it's straight to steps at the sliding glass door and for the back door it's cinderblocks stacked up (that are falling over).

I was pinned under cats so I played PCH (publisher's clearinghouse) games for awhile. I once won $10 from one of their scratchoffs. I know chances of winning anything again are slim to none but some of the games are fun. 

Then I got up and had something to eat and started some cleaning. I cleaned counters, picked up spilled trash, and did some dishes. My brother had taken the inner things from both pressure cookers out and left them unrinsed sitting in the sink stinking because they still had stuff in them. Another pot he used had maggots in it. It had been underneath some plastic bags and I kept smelling something bad. I found it when I picked up the bags. Ugh.

I was going to do more cleaning but my back wasn't cooperating and I started to get arrhythmia for no apparent reason so I'm resting again. I'm going to get back up later and look for my cutting attachments for my Matrix to see if I can find something that I can cut boards with.

As an aside, I saw a cool hacks/tips video that had some neat ideas. I like how they transferred the mark for the wall curve on to the board. There were a few others I found useful-- although the rake thing in the image is not in the video.


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## Flyover

@zannej
A deck box is a storage container, typically meant to be kept on a deck. Some are as small as an ottoman or side table but most often they are about the size of a bench and in fact some are designed to be sat on, with a cushion on top and sometimes even a backrest and arm rests. If you plug "deck box" into your search engine most of the ones you'll find are made of plastic or resin or whatever they're calling that material.

The thing I built is made of corrugated metal and is far too big to be sat on. Its footprint is about 6'×3' and it's about 5' tall, so think of something you could store a few adult bikes in, or a grill, or a push-behind lawn mower. Still not big enough to be called a shed (you'll back me up on that if my HOA board comes knocking!) but bigger than most conventional deck boxes, but I'm calling it a deck box anyway.

It sounds like for your back door(s) what you want is either a deck or a stone/concrete patio. Or at least some proper stairs. You could then buy a deck box to put on your deck/patio, or on the ground I suppose. 

Your cinderblock arrangement sounds very unsafe: a potential trip to the ER for someone in your household, or a potential lawsuit for one of your guests. As an interim measure you could at least tighten some bailing wire in a loop around each course of blocks; this would prevent the blocks tumbling over when they are stepped on.


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## zannej

Thanks, Flyover. So the desk box was what I thought it was. LOL. I like the way you describe your deck box. Sounds like very good storage.

There are some of the plastic ones I've seen at Samsclub that are a nice size. It's big enough to put a couple of trash cans in. I considered getting one, putting or name on it, anchoring it down at the end of the road and putting our cans in it and locking it with a padlock and only unlocking it just before trash pickup, taking the cans out, and then re-locking it (and having our name on the thing). But I'm fairly certain our neighbors would break and/or steal it. There used to be a bin to put trash bags in at the end of the road but neighbors kept dumping straight up trash (despite signs saying to put either full trash cans or bags in and not just dumping loose trash) so they took it away. Neighbors are still using our stolen trash cans to put their trash out.

Which reminds me, my stolen street sign still has not been replaced and it has been over a month since I requested a replacement. So either they haven't bothered with it or it got put up and immediately stolen again.

We used to have a little brick pathway between the back door and sliding glass door but it has deteriorated. Bricks are still there but many of them sunk, became unlevel, grass & weeds grew over.

My dad had wanted a full deck back there, and I think that would be a nice idea, but would be too expensive. So two small landings coming out would be good. We don't get guests out here-- even before the pandemic. We can't even open the back door right now because my brother piled so much junk against it. But I agree, the cinderblocks are a hazard. It's something we'll have to address when we get the back door fixed. Waiting for my friend to get over Covid and for the weather to cool off a bit. Then we can finish running the waterlines.

I wanted to stay home today but Mom needs a prescription picked up.


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> I'll chip in. The Marines is free, though.





Spicoli43 said:


> shan, have you looked into leaky gut syndrome? You might see relief by healing the gut, since most Autoimmune reactions (purposely not calling them diseases) are a result of the guts.
> 
> I know you probably know that, but I also know you probably have 10,000,000 medical terms floating around your brain constantly because of your job.
> 
> I would do a 3-5 day Grass Fed Bone Broth and Water fast for the sheer fun of it and see what happens.


I have actually been contemplating this to see the difference. I have an appointment next week to see about having my lap-band removed (I suspect havin a foreign object for 10+ years may be contributory). I will most likely convert to the gastric sleeve. However, I need to have an EGD/colonoscopy also. 
I started back to work fulltime this week. Its 3- 12 hour shifts (same job). Before I had to work either 2 12s and 2 8s or 2 12s and a 16 or 5 8s... and I just can't do those, my body doesn't have enough time to recover. So I am hoping that I can do this. I will be working Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  

Who is your cellphone service provider zannej? Also, that's great design work!

Flyover, that deck box sounds fantastic!

Heading into the orthopedics office for.follow up of my knee I ejection a few months ago and then off to pick up my grocery order.


----------



## Eddie_T

I guess one has to read all labels.I have a gallon of AriZona Ice Tea with lemon flavor. The big label says 100% Natural however in reading the fine print ingredients I find that it contains high fructose corn syrup which is not a natural ingredient. HFCS is made from corn starch using enzymes some of which contain GMO components.


----------



## shan2themax

So..... after the MD appt, and prior to picking up groceries. I went to Home depot and bought a tiny riding lawn mower and the metal cart. I was surprised in reading tons of reviews about different lawn tractors/mowers that alot of them do not have more than a 4 star rating? I wonder why that is. I only have .26 acres so this should be fine for that. I will at least feel less stressed about the yard getting mowed. It's supposed to be delivered Friday. I dont have somewhere to put it under roof currently... so I ordered a fitted covering for it. My back yard is ridiculous currently. Can't wait to take care of it. I was thinking about making a pass at the highest setting and then another at a lower setting.... 2 if needed.

I want to know where you fellas that work, and do things for your family and significant others hang out/hide out. Lol


----------



## zannej

I honestly don't care if stuff has GMOs, but high fructose corn syrup is nasty. One of my cousins is actually allergic to it.

I had to go to the store today to pick up RX for Mom. Lady in front of me in line said her young grandson had Covid. Talked to a friend who works at the store. He said the store's deli was shut down due to all the employees there having Covid, the pharmacy was shut down yesterday bc all the people on shift that day were out with Covid, and that they are having a huge problem with people getting Covid. Said they can't enforce the mask rule in the store because the cops refuse to help. They had some people who got up in employee's faces, refused to leave, and were making threats, but cops wouldn't come remove them. Hell, the cops themselves refuse to wear masks in the stores. I've heard of several kids who went to school with Covid thus far and the school does not allow students to wear masks.

My friend's quarantine should be ending fairly soon, but it will probably take another week or so to disinfect his house enough for people to safely come over. Despite knowing he's in quarantine, his grandfather has rolled by and laid on the horn multiple times. His mom has called wanting him to leave the house or do stuff for her and has come by wanting to be let in but he refused. She likes to come in and take food and other stuff without asking.


----------



## Flyover

Yeah the GMO scare never made any sense to me either. Genes are always modified, either by the natural process of reproduction (unless we're taking about single cell organisms that reproduce asexually, in which case genes are still modified by the environment via cosmic radiation or epigenetics) or in a lab by humans on purpose. The presence of a certain gene in something you grind up with your teeth and dissolve in your digestive tract will make exactly no difference to your health; what matters is the nutritional content. (I am not a gene scientist or a dietician, but I would be extremely surprised to see convincing evidence that my model here is wrong.) Honestly I think this is a scare dreamed up by people who watched too many Hollywood movies like "The Fly" and got them confused for real life.

Zannej, I don't understand why the stores can't enforce their own mask policies. Some stores don't let you carry back packs, none let you walk around barefoot/shirtless, often there are rules about unaccompanied minors, etc. These aren't government laws (OK, the barefoot thing might be) but the stores are able to enforce them because it's their property so they can set the rules. Why should masks be different even in the absence of a government mandate? If the store says "masks required" people have to wear a mask. If the store says "you have to wear a green hat to shop here" people have to wear a green hat. Store policy. Now, I don't know exactly where the line is in terms of what cops are obligated to help them enforce. Probably the store has to have its own private security for anything that isn't also a law. Maybe that's exactly where the line is.


----------



## zannej

Walmart has employees that they mark as Asset Protection. No private security. Just the regular employees who are tasked with watching out for thefts. They are not allowed to touch customers. They can't grab them to stop them from leaving if they are stealing and they can't forcibly remove them. They may confront thieves verbally and tell them to stay or go but they lack legal authority to do anything beyond giving instructions and then calling the cops & waiting for cops to come out. Many often do not even confront customers (as they may get physically assaulted for doing so). Years ago my unlucky friend was working as AP. He caught a customer stealing a large shovel. He told the guy to stop. The guy beat the crap out of him with the shovel while the rest of the AP members watched on without doing anything. 

So basically, the only way they can really enforce security is with police backup. The cops will remove people for no shirt, no shoes, etc. Before the pandemic if the store called to say someone was trespassed they would come remove them. But now the cops are refusing to do their jobs because they disagree with the mask mandates and refuse to wear masks in the stores themselves.

I'd say the store should file a formal complaint about it, but they are unlikely to get anywhere. Most of the judges in the area are anti-vax/anit-mask and the cops can get away with literal murder. I mean, when everyone knows that the biggest drug dealer in town is a cop and it's been reported to higher up people but nothing has been done, the corruption goes pretty high. So much for stores setting their own policies. That only works when it's convenient for them or when they agree with the policy.

As an aside, when my friend worked AP I would sometimes help when I was in the store. I would help him circle people, watch them, & deter theft. Sometimes he'd point someone out (not literal pointing, just nodding with his head, giving a description, and softly telling me what suspicious thing they were doing) that he thought was stealing and I would go up and stare at them and they would get nervous and put stuff down. One time I caught people opening a box to steal something out and I very loudly said "HI! Trying to see what's inside before you purchase?" and they got nervous and mumbled "yes" and put the stuff back in the box and left. Caught someone trying to rip a box open and said "Is there something wrong?" and they practically jumped and put the box back unopened. My friend wasn't so lucky. He caught someone stealing & they slammed him in to the shelves and ran.

I still wish I'd been there on the day of the shovel incident. I would have jumped on the guy. Might not have ended well, but at least my friend would know he wasn't alone & that someone had his back. He quit AP over that and transferred back to Electronics. 

I got woken up by a call from my dentist reminding me of my appointment tomorrow. More drilling and filling. Hopefully she can fix up this broken molar.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am not scared of GMOs, just state it on the label so people know what they are purchasing. HFCS a whole 'nother story, it probably contributes to obesity. But either way don't call it natural when it isn't. While I'm griping about labeling there's Log Cabin Original syrup. The original was cane syrup with a low percentage blend of real maple syrup The new original is corn syrup with artificial flavoring. And then there's Coca Cola the original would be against the law so why make the claim that it's original.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> GMOs, just state it on the label so people know what they are purchasing.


I believe this is already a requirement. I started noticing labels saying "contains genetically modified ingredients" (or something similar) a few years ago. Of course it doesn't really help people know what they are purchasing if they don't understand what GMO does and does not mean in the first place.


----------



## havasu

Let's start griping about Aunt Jemima. The best pancake syrup.


----------



## Flyover

Well, you all already know the best pancake syrup is the kind you make yourself from the maple trees in your yard!


----------



## Eddie_T

I'll share AriZona's reply (BTW AriZona is made in NY);

HFCS is made from corn, a natural grain product and many of the processes used to manufacture HFCS are used in the production of other foods and ingredients that are commonly considered natural. Although the FDA has not established a formal definition of “natural” for food ingredients, it is accepted that products derived from natural materials, which are obtained by minimal processing are considered natural. HFCS production is consistent within this definition. By contrast, products that are food colors or are chemically modified are not considered natural. We hope this helps and thanks for your continued support of AriZona!​


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> So..... after the MD appt, and prior to picking up groceries. I went to Home depot and bought a tiny riding lawn mower and the metal cart. I was surprised in reading tons of reviews about different lawn tractors/mowers that alot of them do not have more than a 4 star rating? I wonder why that is. I only have .26 acres so this should be fine for that. I will at least feel less stressed about the yard getting mowed. It's supposed to be delivered Friday. I dont have somewhere to put it under roof currently... so I ordered a fitted covering for it. My back yard is ridiculous currently. Can't wait to take care of it. I was thinking about making a pass at the highest setting and then another at a lower setting.... 2 if needed.
> 
> I want to know where you fellas that work, and do things for your family and significant others hang out/hide out. Lol



Which mower did you buy? I don't remember if I posted my thrashing of Cub Cadet here or not. From HD's lineup, not counting the Dewalt commercial beasts...

Cub Cadet, Troy Bilt and Craftsman are owned by MTD. You will see that they all look alike. Stanley Black and Decker is in the process of buying MTD if they haven't already. That can be good or bad, as Stanley has a 3.5 star brand in my opinion in Dewalt, but they also have a 0 star brand in Black and Decker. 

I don't have experience with anything Ryobi makes.

I looked at the Toro riding models, but for the price, they don't include an hour meter except for the highest priced mower. Their warranty is unlimited hours for the stated period, but that doesn't help if reselling it. That stopped me from buying it.

Weibang doesn't offer any customer service that I could find. 

I liked my John Deere, but sold it to buy the Cub Cadet electric, which was my nightmare since April. The only (Hindsight) drawback now about the John Deere is there is no service locations here, I would have to drag it about 100 miles.

I hired the neighbor's ADULT son for the rest of the season because there is no such thing as a kid that wants to work these days. They just want to play the video games... I will save you from the soapbox about me selling Apples all around the greater 5 block section of town as a 7 year old to pay the bills.

I want to do more research on the E-GO electric mower from Lowe's, if they ever get them back. Their batteries can be removed and used in other stuff they make, and they look superior to the Ryobi electric.


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## Spicoli43

GMO's are relatively new on the grand scale of things, with exceptions like Broccoli and Cauliflower, which are manmade creations. If you look up safety of GMO's, you'll find a bunch of articles on both sides, but the industry has a gigantic footprint on the discussion. 

I'm against them simply because the industry fought tooth and nail to prevent GMO labeling, and won. The example you give, Flyover, is a company choosing to label it. My whole point is if GMO's are safe, why don't they have a logo on the package saying "Proud to be GMO" or "79% GMO"?

The GMO idea is a giant experiment, and I'm not signing up for that guinea pig trial.

*








						Health risks of genetically modified foods - PubMed
					

As genetically modified (GM) foods are starting to intrude in our diet concerns have been expressed regarding GM food safety. These concerns as well as the limitations of the procedures followed in the evaluation of their safety are presented. Animal toxicity studies with certain GM foods have...




					pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
				



*


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> if GMO's are safe, why don't they have a logo on the package saying "Proud to be GMO" or "79% GMO"?


Because public perception is flawed. Like you indicated, broccoli is itself a GMO, no question about it. So is corn. They could say "GMO" on them but don't, because they know people would get some Hollywood idea in their heads of mutant machete-wielding vegetables coming to get them, because people really are that smart.


----------



## zannej

GMOs have been around for a very long time, but through more subtle means. It's the same way people selectively bred dogs/horses to get specific breeds. Ever since humans started to grow plants, they have cultivated and modified the plants and land to suit their needs. Corn is technically a GMO due to selective growing/cross-pollinating etc.

There are a lot of grown a$$ adults who don't want to work either. Even over 10yrs ago my elderly friend hired an adult to mow the lawn around the ditches outside his fenceline and clear the weeds and debris in the ditches. It was technically part of my friend's property but he was over 80yrs old and couldn't do it himself anymore. The guy he hired was constantly doing as little work as possible and not clearing the ditches- despite that being one of the specific requirements.

And I thin I've vented about the guy who had been doing yard work for us who borrowed money with the promise of paying it back and asked for an advance (on top of that) for future work and then didn't come back to do the work for over a year. When he finally came back he did only a few hours of work and then wanted to be paid more $. The dude owes about $1k worth of work. But he doesn't want to actually do the work despite already having the $. Mom is debating whether or not to bother taking him to small claims court. We still have the promissory note that he breached & I have FB messages from him promising to work to pay it off and how much he still owes.

Edit: Flyover beat me to the mention of corn. LOL.

I'm waiting until it's time to head to my dentist appointment for more drilling and filling.


----------



## zannej

Dental appointment went well. She did hit the langual nerve with the numbing needle but it didn't really hurt. It startled me and felt weird--felt like the needle was picking up the very edge of the skin on the side of the tongue but it was really a sensation radiating from where the needle touched. Kinda neat actually. She practically worked a miracle with my broken tooth. Looks good as new and it feels great to not have that huge gap anymore.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Because public perception is flawed. Like you indicated, broccoli is itself a GMO, no question about it. So is corn. They could say "GMO" on them but don't, because they know people would get some Hollywood idea in their heads of mutant machete-wielding vegetables coming to get them, because people really are that smart.



No they wouldn't. 95 percent of the garbage in the supermarkets is GMO anyway. People that buy it do so for financial reasons or because they don't care, same with fast food. People that know what GMO is wouldn't flinch at all because they know what package is and what purports to not be.


----------



## Eddie_T

Broccoli and cauliflower are not a lab GMOs. They came from cross breeding rather than inserting genes in the lab..


----------



## zannej

I think the point of contention is that the people talking about GMOs to sell their products are not differentiating lab altered from selective cultivating.

As a complete aside, when my dad was little, his father had grated different types of fruit trees on to one of the trees in the backyard. So he had a single tree that grew multiple types of fruit. This led to some confusion when the teacher was asking what types of fruit grew on what sorts of trees. She'd never heard of grafting. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Broccoli and cauliflower are not a lab GMOs. They came from cross breeding rather than inserting genes in the lab..


Sure but on the genetic/molecular level it makes no difference.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Sure but on the genetic/molecular level it makes no difference.


 You've fallen for it hook line and sinker and are now serving as a water boy. Once the camel gets its head in the tent  .  .  .  broccoli and cauliflower are used by the GMO people as an argumentative stepping stone, then to inserting genes, then to splicing genes, then to inserting or splicing foreign genes (monkey, fetal whatever they wish). If you got the COVID shot it was either based upon or tested on fetal cell lines from abortion. Most people don't know that until I tell them.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, no.

Fetal genes are not spliced into food. Fetal genes are not in the vaccines either though some aborted fetal cells were used to test the vaccine, if I'm remembering right. I'm against abortion but I am not against using tissue from dead humans to advance science.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Eddie, no.
> 
> Fetal genes are not spliced into food. Fetal genes are not in the vaccines either though some aborted fetal cells were used to test the vaccine, if I'm remembering right. I'm against abortion but I am not against using tissue from dead humans to advance science.


You cannot guarantee what might happen down the road. Both human and animal cells have been used in GMO work but so far the plants are not for human consumption. Embryo experimentation has been permitted as long as the embryo does not live beyond 14 days (spare embryos).

As for vaccines no fetal tissue but fetal cell lines, this from: Abortion opponents protest COVID-19 vaccines’ use of fetal cells

At least five of the candidate COVID-19 vaccines use one of two human fetal cell lines: HEK-293, a kidney cell line widely used in research and industry that comes from a fetus aborted in about 1972; and PER.C6, a proprietary cell line owned by Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, developed from retinal cells from an 18-week-old fetus aborted in 1985. Both cell lines were developed in the lab of molecular biologist Alex van der Eb at Leiden University.​


----------



## shan2themax

Ok.... so, now I need to know about this whole broccoli/cauliflower debacle that you speak of the 

I got the 30" Toro.  I think it used to be called a "neighborhood" rider.
I haven't told my son it's coming tomorrow. And he better not get on it! Lol

He can weedeat. 
You guys I saw this post today that has just rocked me to the core. 
There was a building collapse a state over from me and a gentleman lost half of his body, and had a complex medical case, nearly dying. Yet he has learned to use prosthetics and walk.... if you have a Facebook page. Here is the link


----------



## Spicoli43

This is titled "A GOOD START"...

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                                                                                               *** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
                                                                                    *** IMMEDIATE HIRING ALL POSITIONS AVAILABLE ***

Salary to be discussed
Basic testing required
Prefer applicants that know 8 plus 8
Prefer applicants that have experience with Little Green Army Men in a Sandbox, but not required
Paid relocation / Medical / Dental / Vision / 401K
Armed escorts at all times
Paid Housing and Food
Paid clothing
Minimum age of 5
Extensive training will be off site, no on the job training by current staff due to ineptness
If you remember reading this an hour from now, you'll qualify

Send answer of 8 plus 8 along with one sentence about anything you wish, demonstrating clear understanding of
any language you write and speak along with full name and a phone number to:

Dept. of Hiring
Attn: Someone that knows 8 plus 8
C/O The White House / Pentagon NMCC
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 37188


----------



## Flyover

@shan, the debacle is humans have been systematically manipulating the genes of various organisms for thousands and thousands of years, creating new species, most by now so familiar and uncontroversial we call them "natural", yet people throw a fit if a test tube gets used anywhere in that process. Because Hollywood teaches us that any time someone in a white coat uses a test tube, mutant monsters break free and kill every everyone or turn them into freaks.

@Eddie_T, so not even fetal tissue but a cell based on the gene line of the tissue of a fetus that was killed in Holland 40+ years ago. I am unmoved.

People sure will reach for the excuses not to eat their vegetables.

Back on topic, I didn't get anything done around the house the past two days thanks to having to be a body at a desk to make the CEO happy. This weekend I hope to get started on my garage workbench & shelves. Maybe also install an exterior light for the back deck. Writing it here so I put some pressure on myself to get it done. Not that I lack motivation but more is always better.


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## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Ok.... so, now I need to know about this whole broccoli/cauliflower debacle that you speak of the
> 
> I got the 30" Toro.  I think it used to be called a "neighborhood" rider.
> I haven't told my son it's coming tomorrow. And he better not get on it! Lol
> 
> He can weedeat.
> You guys I saw this post today that has just rocked me to the core.
> There was a building collapse a state over from me and a gentleman lost half of his body, and had a complex medical case, nearly dying. Yet he has learned to use prosthetics and walk.... if you have a Facebook page. Here is the link




30" Toro or Troy Bilt? I can't find a 30" Toro.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @shan, the debacle is humans have been systematically manipulating the genes of various organisms for thousands and thousands of years, creating new species, most by now so familiar and uncontroversial we call them "natural", yet people throw a fit if a test tube gets used anywhere in that process. Because Hollywood teaches us that any time someone in a white coat uses a test tube, mutant monsters break free and kill every everyone or turn them into freaks.
> 
> @Eddie_T, so not even fetal tissue but a cell based on the gene line of the tissue of a fetus that was killed in Holland 40+ years ago. I am unmoved.
> 
> People sure will reach for the excuses not to eat their vegetables.



What kind of weird *** D movies do you watch?

Edit... Forgot, the Democrat mascot / Human body part is not allowed to be typed on an Adult message board.


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## Spicoli43

For those in the Stock market, here is a company I have been with this year that is looking like a future heavyweight if they don't get bought. The stock ticker is ENZC. Company update in the link. As always, do your Due Diligence. I'm personally willing to sit on this for years, but of course if it explodes I will sell a portion and consolidate.





__





						Company News - Enzolytics
					

Enzolytics Inc. Announces Collaboration with Abveris to Discover Monoclonal Antibodies. COLLEGE STATION, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September -16, 2022/ Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC Markets "ENZC" or the "Company"). Enzolytics, Inc. announces a collaboration with Abveris, a division of Twist Bioscience...



					enzolytics.com


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> What kind of weird *** D movies do you watch?


Hah, the two movies I had in mind were Jurassic Park and The Fly, both of which are considered iconic and mainstream. There are lots of other mainstream examples of movies where "genetic modification" is fetishized as some horrifying thing that will bring about the apocalypse. Like for instance, basically every zombie movie ever.


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## Spicoli43

Um... yeah, that's a little different than the Human executioners known as Bayer twisting the genes of crops to resist insects and survive chemical onslaughts.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Um... yeah, that's a little different than the Human executioners known as Bayer twisting the genes of crops to resist insects and survive chemical onslaughts.


Well, people imagine that this twisting to resist insects etc. will result in long term health risks if the resulting plant matter is digested. But twisting to resist insects is exactly what evolution does as well! Why does corn have a husk? Why are cucumbers and their leaves covered in tiny spikes? Why are nightshade leaves poisonous? It's all nature trying to do the same exact thing. But once a human shows up to help with a lab coat on, now the thing'll kill you!


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Well, people imagine that this twisting to resist insects etc. will result in long term health risks if the resulting plant matter is digested. But twisting to resist insects is exactly what evolution does as well! Why does corn have a husk? Why are cucumbers and their leaves covered in tiny spikes? Why are nightshade leaves poisonous? It's all nature trying to do the same exact thing. But once a human shows up to help with a lab coat on, now the thing'll kill you!



Right, that's why nightshades are real bad for people with any auto immune condition and why they are ditched first on a Paleo reset diet, and are highly unlikely to be tolerated by someone after the reset. That's nature saying don't screw with me.

The consequences of the giant human experiment aren't known, but why sign up for a decades long trial? I'm only talking about the gene twisting, I'm not even mentioning the tons of chemical poisons that also exist on said crops. How are you washing those poisons off when they become part of the plant? You aren't.


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## Eddie_T

@Flyover I can see that you are in the GMO camp and choose to ridicule those that aren't but do you think denial and pushing unknowns on the populace unawares is proper? Since HFCS was foisted on us to replace sugar obesity has grown rapidly. Scientists are beginning to think the unnatural fructose content is the culprit because of metabolism issues. Fortunately labels show HFCS in the fine print which most shoppers don't bother reading. A friend lost 15 lbs just by dropping sweetened tea and he didn't even consider that it was sweetened with HFCS.

Also some people don't want to support the abortion industry and the Dr. Mengele trend in medicine. In-vitro fertilization sounds compassionate but spare embryos were not discussed when the procedure gained approval and now spare embryos may or may not become a source for morbid experimentation or even spare parts in the future. Measles, shingles and a number of vaccines contain or use  fetal cell lines from abortions (how long ago doesn't matter). 

I don't particularly care what you believe or don't believe but I believe the public has a right to be informed These things creep up on us and they have little to do with selective breeding or plant propagation no matter what you say.


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## zannej

Frankenstein is a prime example of anti-scientific experiment sentiment. Sure the "monster" in the movie is pretty much nothing like the one in the novel, but both shared the sentiment that things go awry when people mess with things they don't understand. As for the whole GMO thing, I really don't care. I've grown apathetic about many things. LOL.

People who do care can refrain from eating things they think are bad for them.  I can see the benefits and dangers of tinkering with things.

I didn't see Flyover being condescending or rude, but this is started to get heated so maybe we can change the subject so it doesn't devolve into ad hominem territory. Perhaps we can just agree to disagree?

I'm trying to prepare for potential hurricane Ida. It's supposed to come right at us. I'm hoping the pharmacy will be open tomorrow because I'm almost out of one of my meds and tomorrow is the earliest they could get it ready- but they have been short-staffed due to employees getting Covid.

I've already filled up all five of the 5-gallon buckets with water. Put out extra water bowls for the dog. Filled some bottles with water-- need to fill more but I'm taking a break. I'm thinking of getting some bags of ice to put in the freezer. I need to see what kind of stuff the store still has that can be eaten without cooking and that doesn't need to be refrigerated. Might have to make that run to the store today.

Even if it is a smaller storm, we may still lose power. The projected path shows the center to the east of us, but it could go either way.


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## Spicoli43

Good Luck, Z.

Maybe the storm will take all your local officials up like Dorothy and you can start a new Government! 

Sheriff Z!

If you want to look at the storm, here's a good site... Mouse wheel zoom, click on earth in lower left for overlay options. It's updated every 3 hours. 









						earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions
					

See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.




					earth.nullschool.net


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## Eddie_T

Working on replacing wall panel behind toilet after sharkbite plumbing splices. The wall panel was redwood 32" x 96". I cut it down to 32" x 32" (chair rail height) and painted the drywall above with textured paint (vermiculite added) to match adjacent walls. A little touch-up to do with the painting and waiting for a remote probe moisture detector to place behind the panel.


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## shan2themax

It's a troy bilt. Idk why I said toro.
The d started out good. Wake up call at 645am... delivery guy asking if I was having anything delivered with the mower. I said yes, he said he thought so, found it. Brought it with it..... then, the darn thing wouldnt start.... that's where the day went off kilter and I am now exhausted on my one day off between days working.... anyhow..... 6 hours later and 2 trips to home depot (14 miles away) it's running. It feels a little wonky in my yard, but my yard is not completely level.... and.... I am not a small woman. 

The absolutely hilarious part of the day...... my son mowed most of the backyard at 6am.... . I never told him I bought it. I am definitely going to have to make multiple laps because it looks like crap where he mowed 2.5 ft tall grass. I need to take the mulching cover off and just let it side discharge in order to get it cut. 

It's not a pretty cut, but at least I dont have to ask anymore. 



We had a wind storm Wednesday night.... so now I have this mess to try to fix




So... now I am just going to sit on my duff this evening. I may not even cook, I may just order a pizza.

So, I know our foods are often different, but now I'm curious about broccoli and cauliflower.  Especially because I like one and hate the other lol


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## Eddie_T

Looking at Pretty Place pictures to relax as I end my day.
pretty place - Google Search


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## zannej

Thanks, Spicoli.
Shan, that sounds like a mess. I wonder what was wrong with it. Sorry to see your plant thingy (blanking on the term for it) got knocked askew.

I'm just waiting for the storm to come now.  It's supposed to land Sunday night but I'm sure some of the rains will hit ahead of then.


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## Spicoli43

Good luck with the mower and the garden, Shan. I take it that kind of wind is rare?

No Evac. orders, z?


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## Rusty

I wonder if Zanne is in the path of the hurricane?


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## zannej

Not for my area as far as I can see, Spicoli. But then, the newsmedia hardly mentions anything outside of New Orleans. They act like New Orleans is the only place in this state. They were so focused on Katrina when it hit that they barely mentioned Rita and how much damage it did. It destroyed Lake Charles, Cameron, and a few other towns.

Although, my town did briefly get a mention a couple years back when we had record flooding. But it was only bc of a story about a guy who'd had his house flood in a previous record flooding. After that he went out and spent a ton of $ getting landscaping done, having a levy put in, and generally ensuring he wouldn't get flooded again. His neighbors all laughed at him and told him what a waste of $ it was and that he was a fool. So he was on the news with his dry yard and dry house while his neighbors were underwater saying "Who's the fool now?"

I saw some photos of a mobile home someone had tried to strap down with tie downs. People were laughing at it but then there was the comment, "Hey, if it actually works then it was worth it- if not, at least they tried".

Rusty, I'm editing because I just looked at some more recent projections and it shows the edge going over my area. But we have not been given any evacuation notice. The western edge of the storm is supposed to pass over the eastern side of my parish. I'm sort of in the northeast side of the parish. But, we can't evacuate so we'll just see how it goes.


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## Eddie_T

I was surfing the WEB and found these farm boxes. First they reminded me of Coca Cola crates we sat on as kids at the gas station. Then I recalled the Bell System three position box which could be used as three different height step stools or for sitting. Peter Brown scaled the Bell System box down a bit and made one for his shop. Three Position Box (Shop Stool) They look like a useful scrap wood project.


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## Spicoli43

Yeah, Z... That was my experience living West of Seattle. The Earthquakes were always limited to Seattle, even though they never happened there. They focused on Seattle because the buildings were older than dirt and they naturally didn't do well. 

I bet that guy's neighbors swallowed their pride and asked exactly what he did after that!


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## Rusty

zannej said:


> Not for my area as far as I can see, Spicoli. But then, the newsmedia hardly mentions anything outside of New Orleans. They act like New Orleans is the only place in this state. They were so focused on Katrina when it hit that they barely mentioned Rita and how much damage it did. It destroyed Lake Charles, Cameron, and a few other towns.
> 
> Although, my town did briefly get a mention a couple years back when we had record flooding. But it was only bc of a story about a guy who'd had his house flood in a previous record flooding. After that he went out and spent a ton of $ getting landscaping done, having a levy put in, and generally ensuring he wouldn't get flooded again. His neighbors all laughed at him and told him what a waste of $ it was and that he was a fool. So he was on the news with his dry yard and dry house while his neighbors were underwater saying "Who's the fool now?"
> 
> I saw some photos of a mobile home someone had tried to strap down with tie downs. People were laughing at it but then there was the comment, "Hey, if it actually works then it was worth it- if not, at least they tried".
> 
> Rusty, I'm editing because I just looked at some more recent projections and it shows the edge going over my area. But we have not been given any evacuation notice. The western edge of the storm is supposed to pass over the eastern side of my parish. I'm sort of in the northeast side of the parish. But, we can't evacuate so we'll just see how it goes.


Latest shows it going west of Lake Charles, right through your area.


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## shan2themax

@zannej it definitely is a mess. I used to live in New Orleans for a short time. Metairie area in the Forest Isle apts. It was in the early 90s. Definitely not somewhere I would ever want to work again. I hope you are safe.


@Spicoli43  those dont happen real often. It's my fault, I didnt brace that side (north) of the garden like I did the other (south) theres a 6 foot tall privacy fence about 15 feet from it and some trees on the west side about 12 feet. My cucumbers trellis is onnthe ground, my beans trellis is on the ground. I may have to pull alot of it out. My tomatoes are starting to show some blight from all the rain and my pie pumpkins have some powdery mildew. They are almost completely orange so it would be ok to pull them.

I still have carrots, onions, and potatoes I need to pull. So..... it may be the end of garden season for me this year. I'll just have to see this coming week

Here are some daytime pics



On another note. My sunflowers have been gorgeous this year





And some flowers


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## Flyover

@Eddie_T they use boxes like that in the film industry. Usually they're not painted. The ones of the size in your pic are called "full apples" because they're the full size of an apple crate, only closed on all sides, but with those same cut-out handles on the ends. Then they also have "half apples", "quarter apples", and ones that are basically just slabs of wood 1.5" thick or so and I forget what they call those. Slices maybe. They're used for bringing anything from dolly track to actors up off the ground/level with something else, or just to sit on. Only the "full apples" are used in a way that takes advantage of their various dimensions since the other ones would get tippy if you tried it.

Yesterday I started work on my garage and got pretty far: finished the workbench and a smaller end piece that holds both the miter saw and the air compressor & air tools, built a corral for the collapsible chairs, got things organized some. Today I hope to finish it: need to build some shelves for lumber storage and do more cleaning/organization, and get all my tools put away or hung up. The goal is to be able to park both cars and the mower in the garage while still being able to access everything.

Oh and I forgot to add the obvious: I spent exactly $0 on this whole project thanks to all the dumpster diving I've been doing. Budget originally was $250. Thank goodness for other people's wastefulness I guess.


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## Spicoli43

Shan, what about attaching it to the fence? Did you use the Sea Magic?


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## Eddie_T

@Flyover The film industry is interesting I was in a class at Port Hueneme while some of the Winds of War scenes were being filmed. In particular the sunrise bombing of Pearl Harbor was filmed at sundown Port Hueneme. Some of us went down to the waterfront after class. Bodies were maybe ⅔ size muslin dummies with helmets and partial clothing but in a quick camera pan looked realistic. I have forgotten what aircraft were used to simulate Japanese Zeroes.

Those boxes in pictured in my post were $85.80, $90.20 and $94.60 respectively with free shipping on Etsy (but free from your wood supplier). Antique corbels (which I will make) were $85 to $99 ea for the ones I liked.


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## Eddie_T

I have four pineapple (disease resistant) tomato plants around 4 ft high with a few blooms no tomatoes yet. I don't get enough sun due to tall poplar and oak trees. I have harvested a few Japanese cucumbers. My pole beans are bearing no, from four vines I may be able to pull enough beans to saute Korean style for one or two meals. I didn't try Sea Magic, maybe next year.


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## zannej

Thanks guys. The most recent projection shows the storm missing us entirely. Way east of the Parish. Alexandria is to the east of us and it is no longer on the projected path. I'm still watching that link Spicoli sent. It's a bit hypnotic watching the winds swirl around and around. I see the red colored winds have already made landfall.

I would hope the neighbors would swallow their pride, but that's something that doesn't happen often here. Too many stupid people. I doubt they could afford it after the damage-- and a lot of people don't have insurance (or don't have flood insurance specifically). The insurance companies here will find any excuse not to pay even if someone is supposed to be covered. I'm very lucky to be on high ground.

Shan, it sucks that your garden took such a hit. I hope you can salvage most of it. Wish I knew more about the blight on them. If I knew more about the garden I could ask my uncle and see if he has any feedback. He's a master gardener. Actually has some sort of certification for it. New Orleans is a cesspool. You couldn't pay me to live there. High crime rate and the whole area is a bowl that fills in big storms. Your flowers look nice.

Flyover, sounds like you've been busy and the dumpster diving has paid off.

I'm sitting here watching the weather stuff on the internet and hoping the storm doesn't turn back west. I keep hoping the stupid thing will just die out. I got woken up early because my cats were hungry so they piled on. One of the cats sat in front of my face and kept tapping my nose and lips to get my attention. I covered my face so she reached her paw under my hands/arms to tap my face. She meowed softly at me and then rubbed her face on my forehead. So I got up and fed them. They are now stuffed and lounging around my room and on my bed.


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## Eddie_T

When you're down in the dumps listen to this;


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## zannej

This is from Lafayette. I think I mentioned it, but I found the pic again.



I like that song, Eddie. First time hearing it.


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## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> I like that song, Eddie. First time hearing it.


Thanks to @shan2themax from both of us.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Thanks guys. The most recent projection shows the storm missing us entirely. Way east of the Parish. Alexandria is to the east of us and it is no longer on the projected path. I'm still watching that link Spicoli sent. It's a bit hypnotic watching the winds swirl around and around. I see the red colored winds have already made landfall.
> 
> I would hope the neighbors would swallow their pride, but that's something that doesn't happen often here. Too many stupid people. I doubt they could afford it after the damage-- and a lot of people don't have insurance (or don't have flood insurance specifically). The insurance companies here will find any excuse not to pay even if someone is supposed to be covered. I'm very lucky to be on high ground.



Remember, that Earth site updates every 3 hours. It updates next at 1700 your time. I would assume you get local news updates faster than that, but I just heard your Governor spout off a bunch of DUH stuff, so I don't know if you do. Hey, if there is a whole lot of wind, don't drive around (DUH)

There is no good Insurance company in the States. On some things, I have to check my pessimism. Not on Insurance.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> This is from Lafayette. I think I mentioned it, but I found the pic again.
> View attachment 26401
> 
> 
> I like that song, Eddie. First time hearing it.



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA

WOW... So, do they think the ratchet straps will keep the house from becoming a pile of rubble? 

I'm not understanding the advanced intelligence these people are displaying, but I'm pretty sure those straps will snap real quick.


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## Spicoli43

"Hurricane Ida is life threatening storm"... Biden

WHEW... I just don't know what I would do without him around. I just never figured it out until now...


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## zannej

The earth site you linked me is actually doing live updates. I have been watching the storm crawl closer to land, reach land, and now the eye is totally over the land. It has an option to select "now" as the time.

While what the governor is saying is "Duh" stuff, it needs to be said because there are a LOT of stupid people who have to be told these things. Keep in mind his audience is Louisiana and there are a whole hell of a lot of dumb f***s out here.

The tie down thing has me laughing. But if it works, it's worth it. Long shot, but at least they are trying. LOL. I've seen dumber things. Of course, there's always the chance the straps will catch wind and end up snapping and breaking windows... We'll see how it works out. I know people who still have tarps on their roofs from Laura.

Biden transformed in to Captain Obvious.

On the upside, I've noticed the wind speed has slowed down. Was at 147kmh at the fastest and now is around 112kmh in the fastest areas.


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## Spicoli43

Z, the "now" selection corrects it if it's been lagging. It will never show 3 minutes after the hour, only the top of the hour. It does update every hour now though, it used to be 3 hours. 

I can't believe there are people that dumb there. 

For the tie downs, what do you mean "if it works"? If the straps DON'T take someone out like "Final Destination", I would be surprised.


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## Flyover

I saw some research once (was it something someone here shared?) saying ranch houses with hipped roofs fared some X% better after hurricane Andrew than houses of a similar design and in the same areas but with regular gable roofs like in that picture. Makes sense to me: more aerodynamic. One of the buildings I used to work in was rated to withstand an f4 (or whatever the highest f number is) tornado, and that building was basically the shape of a low squat pyramid.

Should take those ratchet straps on the ends, move them out 45°, then cover with tarps all the way to the ground! Haha, or just consult a remodeling firm to swap in a hipped roof.

I was productive today. Built shelves to hold lumber stock and other stuff, sorted out all my stock and got most of it put away, built a corral for the rakes and got all the other tools and the strollers and extension cords hung up on the walls, made a cleat to get the ceiling extension cord taut and out of the way when not in use, and both cars are parking in the garage tonight!


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## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> Thanks to @shan2themax from both of us.


That is my absolute favorite song. I am a terrible Singer, however.... trust that when this song is played.... I'm singing it loud and proud. I have a wall poster with some of the lyrics on it. I will have to take a picture of it. I'd like to make a nice frame for it, instead of the poster frame it is in. 
I did not use sea magic, I've heard great things about it. I did use fish fertilizer twice, and then I used another type that I got when I bought that greenstalk planter. I have soaker hoses strung around the garden (3 50ft houses) and I ran them for 30-40 minutes twice a week.  It has rained alot here the past month, I believe that's what has caused the powdery mildew and blight. Not enough pruning happening between rains. 
My san marzano tomatoes are laying on the ground (3), I have 2 of my 3 sweet 100 cherry tomatoes stripped of nearly all the leaves to lessen transmission while these fruits ripen. I have 7 tomato plants (beefsteak and not sure the others... they were gifted to me) they are really struggling and some are knocked over. The pole beans grew up over the trellis and through the top of my bird netting. The trellis is almost on the ground, so that's a mess. My cucumber plants (2) are on the ground in their tomato cage. Potatoes are fine, carrots and onions are fine. My banana peppers are tilted over and my sweet bell peppers seem to be ok. I havent fertilized in a couple of weeks. It's supposed to rain here all week (decent odds) so I need to try to fertilize somewhat because of all the rain. 

My comfrey out front has grown TONS however, they are in plants and definitely need a good deal of nitrogen right now. So I need to do that in the morning as I am going to dry the comfrey and make comfrey salve with it.

My strawberries in my greenstalk are being eaten up by red wasps . They certainly are delicious however when you find a ripe non eaten one. 
My sunflowers are loved by beings, hummingbirds, hummingbird moths and birds. I see them out there alot. I wanted to save some seeds for next year, however they are gobbling them all up. Lol

I'm hoping to work on some of that stuff tomorrow. I have a MD appt Tuesday, and my ex fil passed away 2 weeks ago. I bought his wife a rustic flag case and name plate to put his military flag in. I'm going to present it to her Tuesday. 

The past 2 days have been pretty rough at the hospital. The highlight of today was talking to the maintenance man trying to figure out a leak at the nurses station in the ceiling.  I tried to talk him into using flex seal  it's been an intermittent but ongoing problem for 2 years. Turns out the ice maker on the unit above was the culprit... 
I showed him my pics of the bathroom floor i replaced and my sewer line I dug up. He was teasing me and telling me I was more of a plumber than he was lol.

@Spicoli43 what did you mean by attaching to the fence?


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## Spicoli43

Large Zip ties holding the hoops to the fence.


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## zannej

Ah. Ok. It looked like the feed was live. LOL. It did keep moving. It moved a lot farther east than I'd expected. Last I saw it was down to category 2 and was headed to Mississippi. I hope it won't hit Frodo's area.

It completely missed my area but our power did go out. My friend and his gf were on the phone talking to us. The gf's brother lives in Raceland. He didn't have the $ to evacuate bc his car broke down just before the storm & he didn't have time to get it fixed. Said his roof had blown off and it was pouring rain inside his trailer. Power went out and the call dropped in the middle of the conversation. I reported the outage to my power company thinking they wouldn't care but they actually restored it in a few hours. I was out for the night though.

The new backup unit worked to keep the internet on long enough for me to send a message to my friend that power had gone out but we were ok. Still waiting to hear how he is doing. He should be ok since the storms missed our area. Another friend who lives more to the south had some damage, trees down, fence taken out, power & water out. Hopefully they'll be able to get things fixed soon.

Spicoli, sometimes I'm surprised by what works and what doesn't work on things. Sometimes something that looks like it would never work actually works. Or at least doesn't backfire catastrophically. We'll have to see if there are updates on that house. My guess is it didn't work, but it's a wait and see thing.

And yeah, people here *are* that dumb. Our public education system has been sorely lacking for the longest time. Teachers didn't get raises for over 10 years. They spend all the $ on the school board and admins instead of on books, chairs, etc. They actively discourage any critical thinking and only encourage blindly following rules & never questioning anything. The public schools I went to here were run like prisons. Which might explain why we have the highest incarceration rate per capita. They are pretty much training kids for prison life.


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## Eddie_T

Were Covington and Amite impacted by Ida? I have a friend who is a diagnostic radiologist there.

I'm waiting for a migraine to depart then plan to miter some molding for a wooden panel behind a toilet. I use a DIY miter jig on my radial arm saw so I don't have to change from the 90*° *setup. Fortunately my migraines are silent and only affect my vision for their duration (usually 30 minutes or so). I've been months on this plumbing repair job (did I say I hate plumbing?).


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, Z... I'm happy you and yours are fine, I don't know how you can live there. My buddy in Miami that I grew up with near Seattle says people there are terrified of the thought of an Earthquake, but I don't understand that. You can't see that coming, but if I saw a Hurricane on the radar approaching, my Fat Democrat Mascot would be in Iowa!

I would like to know about that house if you find out. Maybe I'm the dumb one, I'm just not seeing how it gets anything besides effort points.

Discouraging critical thinking, blindly following rules, never question anything... That's the Democrat mantra.


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## zannej

I wouldn't want to live anywhere with Earthquakes again. Ideally, I'd like to find a place that doesn't have hurricanes, floods, fires, & droughts. But for now this is home. We went a very long time without major storms. You can sometimes get a heads up on earthquakes. Animals usually cue you in first. When we had a major earthquake in Guam, my cats were spazzing out for over an hour before it hit. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with them. They could feel it coming. Being on an island, it also caused very large waves. So the waves are another big danger of both earthquakes and hurricanes/typhoons.

I was concerned with the tie downs that with them being flat and wide they would actually get caught by the wind and lifted. So, who knows how that panned out. I doubt it helped any. Not sure if it caused any harm either. Waiting on someone in Lafayette to tell me whether or not the house is still intact with the tie downs.

I'm trying to motivate myself to get up and do something productive. 

One upside is the storm made one of my cats who has been staying out of my room want to be near me so she's been sleeping in my room again. Downside-- another line just popped up on my screen. Arg.. These damn lines. I really need to get the wall mount put up so I can get my new monitor mounted and won't have to deal with lines all over my screen.


----------



## Spicoli43

I only have Earthquake experience, 9 or 10 of them. That being said, there's a difference in Seattle skyscraper and Montana middle of a field. The last one here shook me awake but only destroyed a coffee tumbler plastic cap when it fell off a shelf. The big Seattle one I was in did a lot of damage. I looked up and saw the skyscrapers waving back and forth and the cable car lines dancing up and down... Yeah, F that.

People on the Oregon coast dread the massive Tsunami that is supposed to arrive with the massive Quake that is supposed to happen, so they have Tsunami warning signs and evacuation routes. I would live there, up on the hill. I would also live at the base of the Super Volcano in Wyoming because that will never explode in our lifetimes if ever.


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Large Zip ties holding the hoops to the fence.


Yes I did that. But on that side of the garden, I didnt put 1x1s in the ground to strap the pvc to for added strength. Its rained most of the day. I went out earlier to surmise and plan. My beans look like they might have fungus starting now, and some of them were up rooted. So I think that I am going to pick everything that is ready, and I may pull them up also.
I was looking at my brussel sprouts and they have been munched on pretty well. I have used DE several times, and used some sprays also. Seems those bugs are determined. I even use the hose to spray them down really well to get the worms off them a few times.i just need to go through and get rid of a bunch. 
I have 7 jack o'lanterns I pulled today and 4 pie pumpkins. My zucchini plant is dead and I think that the pie pumpkins are done also.so I will pull that stuff up and mow it over when its dry enough. 
I wasnt productive today at all took a 3 hour nap.
I still haven't bothered to fill out the paper work for my appt tomorrow.
My daughter needs to use my car for work tomorrow. She ordered bolts for her water pump pulley at the dealership 2 weeks ago and they still haven't come in. She only has 2 bolts on it currently.


----------



## Flyover

I didn't get all my tools put away, but I did finally get them all out of the boxes they were being temporarily stored in, which were taking up space on the floor. And I did get some put away: the red rolling cabinet is stocked, and all my most frequently used hand tools are up on the pegboard. So now both cars fit, and the mower, and the  kids' wagon, AND there's floor space to walk around.

Going to build one more high shelf for my OSB/sheet goods and wide 2x stock, and a set of cubbies for fasteners.

Once all that's done and everything's put away I'll take pictures.


----------



## zannej

I popped in briefly to see my friend and give him & his gf hugs since they are no longer in quarantine. Kitten I helped lost it's eye though. Will have to take the poor thing to the vet to get it treatment. Friend's gf is officially fired for having Covid-- but they told her they might un-fire her if she brings in proof that she had Covid. She got 3 printouts from the doctor but HR was closed by the time she got them. She going to take the paperwork down there hopefully tomorrow. She said she ran out of gas $ bc neither one of them have been paid.

Meanwhile, friend's mom found out she still has the deed to the house. She tried to get money from him (but he has none to give) so she could buy a trailer and park it behind his house. He does not want her living there but can't legally stop her from doing it. She is in to drugs and she steals stuff. He may have to move somewhere else. I'm hoping she won't get the $ for the house. Too bad he can't sue her for the house bc she promised she'd give it to him if he fixed it up-- and his grandmother tried to leave it to him but she died when he was still a kid. I now wish we'd let the city take possession of it and just bought it for the back taxes that were owed so he wouldn't have to deal with her.

I picked up some groceries, fed mom, and am now relaxing with a cat on my shoulder.


----------



## Spicoli43

So Z... I am just real curious. As far as cognitive "function" of people down there, are we talking "cuts with the knife towards themselves" or "puts a fork in the outlet because Red Bull costs money"?


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 I have to admit I had the same thought, with all these folks promising/willing property to other people but (apparently) not getting anything written down/notarized/signed in the presence of an attorney, etc., ensuring lasting disputes over ownership.


----------



## zannej

The latter, Spicoli. Although, there are some of the former as well.

Flyover, in m friend's defense, he never had a close relationship with his mother. She was barely in his life so he didn't know as much about her. She didn't try to mooch from him while his father was still alive. But once his father and grandmother died, she started acting like she wanted to be in his life more. He knew the house was supposed to be his and technically his father's name is still on it. He didn't know her well enough to know she would screw him over on it, but he learned pretty quickly that she would. I think he may have text messages somewhere that can back it up. At the time he agreed to move in to fix it up he was homeless. He trusts people and lets them walk all over him because he feels he would be a bad person to tell them "no". He really is a very sweet and caring person so people take advantage of that.

Yesterday when I went by, the kitten I'd helped with was in bad condition but the vet was already closed. I just got back from taking the poor thing to the vet. I knew he had lost one of his eyes already and the other one needed to be cleaned. But the vet found his front paws were swollen and leaking pus. Had to trim some of his claws and pus came out. One of his ears is also infected and has pus. This poor baby is in bad shape. She cleaned him up and gave him antibiotics. I desperately wanted to bring him home but I don't have a safe place to keep him. So I took him back to my friend, showed him the paws, told him about the infections, and said he promised to take care of him and keep him inside. Said he would not let his gf throw the poor baby out. I told him he needs the eye meds 2x a day and to have his paws rinsed at least once a day. I might go back over with some antibiotic cream for the paws but I'm worried the kitten will lick it off. I didn't want to go inside though bc his gf's family from Raceland are there.

Despite technically being over Covid & testing negative, my friend is still short of breath and feels weak. I'm hoping he'll recover quickly so he can get back to work. His gf is already interviewing for jobs at other places.

My brother mentioned to me that he has a job interview tomorrow. I think he wants me to drive him, but he has his own truck. He can drive himself. He might have to go out the back road though. They are tearing up the paved parts of the road right now on the road we usually take. They had only torn up part of it and left the dirt all piled up and soft so it was a royal pain to drive over. Good thing I'm in a truck bc I would have gotten high-centered in a smaller vehicle. No forewarning that they were tearing the roads up either. There was a sign knocked face down that said "Men Working" (I got out and set the sign upright). Ironically, none of them were working both times I drove by. They were all sitting around drinking (I assume coffee) and chatting.


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, there are standard documents and processes our society uses to establish who owns things, and who will own something after its owner has died, precisely because human relationships are never simple and you can't leave it up to guesswork about who might try to mooch from you, who might be kind to you, who might try to screw you over, etc. Someone who is sweet and caring and trusting can and should still take advantage of these standard documents and processes, and the fact that he chooses not to and then gets screwed over makes him hard to sympathize with. In my opinion at least. It's the kind of thing I could have sympathy for if it happened to a little kid who didn't know better, but a grown adult capable of living alone (and fixing up a house!) should have already heard the advice "get it in writing", or at least seen a couple episodes of Judge Judy by now.


----------



## Eddie_T

In my state real property does not go through probate unless it's cited in a will. Upon the death of the owner real property immediately goes to the class-A heir(s).


----------



## zannej

Flyover, he didn't fix up the house himself. We actually paid for a lot of it and I helped him with it. I agree that he should have gotten stuff in writing officially. It helps to understand the culture here though: They still do things on handshake deals instead of by contract. That is considered normal. A person's word is supposed to be their bond. Unfortunately, people lie all the time & my friend gets taken for a ride. At the time he made the deal with his mother he desperately needed a place to stay and she hadn't shown any interest in the house in years. She said that his grandmother had wanted him to have it and she wanted to do what the grandmother wanted (which turned out to be a lie). She hadn't paid taxes on it or done anything with it for years. It was a crack house that had squatters who overdosed so it was then vacant. I did advise him early on to get something in writing but he made the mistake of trusting his mother.

However, if she does try to take the house from him, we are fully prepared to remove everything we put into it- flooring, roof, drywall, cabinets, stove, appliances, laundry machines, insulation, ceiling fans, electrical outlets & cables.. everything. If she really does try to screw him on it, she's getting the house back in slightly better condition than when he moved in, but she's not getting an intact house. The amount spent on fixing it up is beyond jurisdictional limit of small claims court.

If he ditched his girlfriend and got a taller vehicle with AWD or 4WD he could move a mobile home out to our place and stay.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> They still do things on handshake deals instead of by contract. That is considered normal. A person's word is supposed to be their bond. Unfortunately, people lie all the time


Sounds like that system doesn't really work a lot of the time. "Get it in writing" is the system a judge will care about, and it's what a responsible adult does regardless of the local culture.



zannej said:


> we are fully prepared to remove everything we put into it


I am not trying to be mean or negative but I doubt this is true. I hope your friend will find a better way to protect his property, if he can prove it's his, than by threatening to destroy it.

For his own good, please sit him down in front of a couple episodes of Judge Judy.

I got very little done in the garage today, just made a little set of shelves to hold boxes of nails and screws. In my defense I was working (my job, I mean) and watching kids most of the day, and got dinner ready, which was an involved process because I had to marinate meat, soak corn, defrost garbanzos, grill the meat and corn (in a rainstorm!), make the garbanzos into hummus, cook rice, and finish the meat in the broiler because the rainstorm wasn't letting the grill get hot enough. Fortunately right at the end my wife came home and chopped veggies for the salad so all I had to do was dress it and mix. We ended up eating dinner about an hour later than normal, but it was tasty.

I'm worried about my cactuses out there in the rain. Their pots are closed on the bottom; normally they just dry out after it rains but it hasn't rained this much and their pots are flooding over. Their pots are plastic so I need to figure out a way to drill or poke holes in the bottom without making a huge mess.


----------



## shan2themax

My appt today went ok. I had to keep a food log of the past week. I didnt realize that I was not eating enough (or enough protein). That's just a really weird concept for a morbidly obese person. So, I have only been eating between 800 and 1100 calories, and that includes the sweet tea I drink. I just don't have an appetite, and my stomach always feels full.
So..... I go back the end of October to see how adding protein drinks goes, and to also see what comes of the EGD and COLONOSCOPY consult that was put in today. That could potentially not happen because the county I work in (same facility as tests) is in the red with Covid cases so.... idk

She said I had to give up tea .... because of the caffeine. Ugh!!  She did say that I could drink herbal tea (decaffeinated) however..... I really only like black tea... I can tolerate green tea. 
We shall see how everything pans out, and go from there. 
My onions did not grow much. I picked a few today that I could get too. My carrots are about 3 to 4 inches long. I didnt check on the potatoes, however it's not supposed to rain Friday, so I may try to pick them all then.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I'm worried about my cactuses out there in the rain. Their pots are closed on the bottom; normally they just dry out after it rains but it hasn't rained this much and their pots are flooding over. Their pots are plastic so I need to figure out a way to drill or poke holes in the bottom without making a huge mess.



They are Dinosaurs. It rains here then it snows a foot or two, burying my 3 potted Cacti, then it rains again before Summer, and they do fine.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> My appt today went ok. I had to keep a food log of the past week. I didnt realize that I was not eating enough (or enough protein). That's just a really weird concept for a morbidly obese person. So, I have only been eating between 800 and 1100 calories, and that includes the sweet tea I drink. I just don't have an appetite, and my stomach always feels full.
> So..... I go back the end of October to see how adding protein drinks goes, and to also see what comes of the EGD and COLONOSCOPY consult that was put in today. That could potentially not happen because the county I work in (same facility as tests) is in the red with Covid cases so.... idk
> 
> She said I had to give up tea .... because of the caffeine. Ugh!!  She did say that I could drink herbal tea (decaffeinated) however..... I really only like black tea... I can tolerate green tea.
> We shall see how everything pans out, and go from there.
> My onions did not grow much. I picked a few today that I could get too. My carrots are about 3 to 4 inches long. I didnt check on the potatoes, however it's not supposed to rain Friday, so I may try to pick them all then.



Well, you have to ditch all added sugar to lose weight. You can eat Raisins or Blueberries etc. for a few weeks, but you can't have Sweet anything. We aren't in the group of people that can just count calories and hope. We have to shock the system, and removing the main fuel source for the most part of Glucose forces the body to burn fat.

When the body starts freaking out because of no sugar, (weak feeling), it will convert to burning fat, but giving some of the Raisins will help transition it without overloading the system. A handful should be enough. Or, you might get by with a TSP of Coconut Oil. 

The only success I have ever had burning fat is that way. The only way you find out if your system works the same is trying it. 

If you really want to knock it out of the part, opt in to Organic Grass Fed Protein. Grain Fed is inferior in every possible way, and absolutely reiterates the "You are what you eat" mantra. Eating Grain fed animals or protein powder is the same as you eating the corn or soy on a molecular level. It's why none of those national diets like Jenny Craig etc. don't work. People can't eat the same thing on those diets that they normally eat at fast food joints and lose weight. It's simply called repeat business for the chains based on "hope". 

I bet your Dietician said just "eat less"? Yeah, don't know about her, but most of them have no clue because they aren't trained in how the body actually works. 

Here is some good Grass Fed Protein, it's cheaper on Amazon, but if you contact the company, they might price match like they did for me. 

Good Luck









						Raw Organic Whey & Raw Grass Fed Whey Protein
					

Free Shipping on All Domestic Orders!




					www.raworganicwhey.com


----------



## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> .  .  .  my ex fil passed away 2 weeks ago. I bought his wife a rustic flag case and name plate to put his military flag in. I'm going to present it to her Tuesday.


I need to put a flag case on my to do list so my son will have it for my flag some day. I am thinking simple w/o hinges and latch. It only needs to be opened once to put the flag in so just screws to hold the front on. Maybe knurled brass w/inserts at the corners to finger tighten. I was an honor guard bugler for twenty-some years and saw hundreds of flags folded.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I agree. It's an archaic system. I have tried numerous times to get my friend to try to get something in writing from his mother stating he gets the house for fixing it up & then if need be, he can take it to court. I'd do People's Court or Hot Bench instead of Judge Judy. We aren't planning to destroy stuff in the house, just remove stuff that was put in. When he first moved in the floors fell through. Had to replace joists & subfloor. He'd leave the subfloor. But he'd take the vinyl plank flooring, the cabinets, the tub/shower, the vanity, the toilet, the washer & dryer, most of the furniture, the cabinets, stove, etc and move them in to a different home. 

Shan, that sucks. I love black tea but I had to stop drinking tea because of my kidney stones. I now mostly drink water and a little bit of milk.

Eddie, that reminds me, we never got a flag from the govt for my father when he passed. Since he was a wartime veteran he should have received one. Not sure how to apply for one.

Took my brother for his job interview since the battery in CR-V is dead and his truck needs new motor mounts. He went in and within a minute came back out & said that they had already hired 7 people and weren't hiring anymore for the week. Didn't even bother to call to cancel his interview. So we popped in to see my friend and check on Nightmeow. Little kitty is still tired but better than he was yesterday. Friend looked terrible. His gf's family were all over the place and more of them came while we were there. Her bio mom, bio mom's husband, her inbred sister-cousin, inbred sister-cousin's baby, etc. Apparently some of the symptoms of inbreeding are speech impediment and being mentally challenged. Not the poor thing's fault though. The sister-cousin's husband is also mentally challenged. They are both on social security for it. But somehow, their baby (who is 10 days younger than my friend's gf's baby) is smarter. Much more alert and interactive. That may be because she gets held and interacted with all the time though. Neither one of the babies really had an interest in each other though. Just sort of ignored each other. The gf's baby wanted to chew on his aunt's phone. The other baby was eating chicken nuggets.

Shockingly, today my brother acknowledged that he wouldn't be able to live his current lifestyle without working if not for being supported by Mom.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Eddie, that reminds me, we never got a flag from the govt for my father when he passed. Since he was a wartime veteran he should have received one. Not sure how to apply for one.


the funeral director takes a copy of the DD214 to the Post Office to get the flag. I don't know what one can do later. Try this link;
Locations - Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs


----------



## shan2themax

@spicolshe actually told me I wasnt eating enough, the past 6 to 8 weeks have been a struggle with my gut and I just don't want to bother with eating. So.... I'm supposed to be doing better. That's a weird thing for an obese person to hear. I am definitely going to look into that link. One of my coworkers has cattle, I'm not sure how they are fed. However I have a 25? Cf freezer. I really should invest in meat.

@eddiethis is the one I got. It has little things on the back to hold the flag in


			https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KNPJZ4V?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
		

And then I got this name plate






						Amazon.com: Size: 3"W x 1"H, Personalized, Custom Engraved, Brushed Gold Solid Brass Plate Picture Frame Name Label Art Tag for Frames, with adhesive backing or screws - Indoor use only, Made in USA : Office Products
					

Amazon.com: Size: 3"W x 1"H, Personalized, Custom Engraved, Brushed Gold Solid Brass Plate Picture Frame Name Label Art Tag for Frames, with adhesive backing or screws - Indoor use only, Made in USA : Office Products



					www.amazon.com
				





@zannethere are some interesting videos on youtube about inbreeding that is in WV and KY. It's super sad listening to the only "fairly normal" person talking about having no friends outside of family.
Everyone interviewed but her had severe speech problems. 

This is one of the videos I watched


----------



## shan2themax

Also..... his flag was given to them after the services. I assume by the VFW


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Eddie.

Video is not working shan, but I can google it. 

I forgot to mention my friend was feeling awful because his mom brought over some tomales with jalepeno peppers. My friend is allergic to jalepenos and his mom knows it but doesn't care. He had to take a bunch of Benadryl to keep his airway from closing up (he doesn't have an epi pen). 

I can hear thunder kicking up. And I just ate chicken-- still have some grease on my fingers-- so Biscuits is trying to eat my fingers.


----------



## Eddie_T

@shan2themax Thanks for the link it's giving me ideas. I think just a rabbet for the rear cover and some black wood screws will work. I am going to sit the sides on the bottom board (45° bevel) to avoid the 22.5° mitered corners.


I clicked on the Watch on YouTube and it took me there. I'm too emotional, it brought tears.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> We aren't planning to destroy stuff in the house, just remove stuff that was put in. When he first moved in the floors fell through. Had to replace joists & subfloor. He'd leave the subfloor. But he'd take the vinyl plank flooring, the cabinets, the tub/shower, the vanity, the toilet, the washer & dryer, most of the furniture, the cabinets, stove, etc and move them in to a different home.


This was what I was doubting you're actually prepared to do. Removing that stuff intact and transporting it is enough to keep a crew of healthy young guys busy for a week, and that's if they have a 53' trailer. So in real life what your friend has is a threat, made to his mom, that he will destroy the house.

My garage hasn't seen much progress but it's the week and I have a full time job and three young kids and I'm the head chef on top of that so I'm not too bothered by it.

Though the clutter on my workbench has gotten out of hand...took me 15 minutes to find my drill chuck key today. But I eventually found it and put some holes in the bottom of my cactus pots so they can drain. The big one has been doing really well since I pruned it a few weeks ago: saw it's growing a couple new pads already.

My drummer buddy called and said he tried out recording with his electric drum set and it works well, so we're going to record a few songs whenever we can get together next. I made him a deal that if he'd lay down a drum track for this one song I like playing (but he finds the drum part boring) that I would never ask him to play it again, and would learn a song he likes instead.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @spicolshe actually told me I wasnt eating enough, the past 6 to 8 weeks have been a struggle with my gut and I just don't want to bother with eating. So.... I'm supposed to be doing better. That's a weird thing for an obese person to hear. I am definitely going to look into that link. One of my coworkers has cattle, I'm not sure how they are fed. However I have a 25? Cf freezer. I really should invest in meat.



Almost all health problems (Autoimmune) are caused by gut problems. I keep forgetting everything I have said to who, but I'm going to start this program soon... 





__





						DIGESTIVE HEALTH RESTORATION
					






					drjockers.com
				




In eliminating gut wrecking grains, your body will start to heal. The "American Heart Association", which is about as backwards idiotic as possible, loves to put their logos on Sugar grain cereal. I bet nobody in the entire organization knows what the ingredients are or what they do, but they get $$$$ from the industry and the "food pyramid" preachers. 

On the above program, if you quit everything for 19 days or so and then re-introduce Wheat filled happy happy yum yums, and they don't wreck you, maybe you can eat them forever. Conversely, you will probably know real quick if it's just something you shouldn't eat again, or at least wait a significant time before trying again. It's an elimination diet, starting with the foods that are scientifically proven to wreck the gut.

As far as finding Beef if your coworker doesn't have Grass Fed, you can check out Local Harvest or Eat Wild to find farmers / ranchers that are in your area. 





__





						Union City, NJ -  Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food / Pick your Own
					

Find local food near Union City, NJ! Use our map to locate farmers markets, family farms, CSAs, farm stands, and u-pick produce in your neighborhood. Find Your Farmer.




					www.localharvest.org
				








__





						EatWild
					

Eat Wild - Getting Wild Nutrition from Modern Food.



					eatwild.com


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Almost all health problems (Autoimmune) are caused by gut problems. I keep forgetting everything I have said to who, but I'm going to start this program soon...



We have talked about it actually. 
Idk what my problem is. I don't feel like I have too many hats on, however..... I also don't ever fully do anything that I set my mind to. I guess I just live in a state of overwhelm.  

I need to make lists and stuck to them. I do make some in my living room on my freezer (so does my son). He pointed out to me the other day that it does not good to jot down goals if they Aren't specific and dated.... so.. I am trying to improve on that. This was a about 4 weeks ago.
I have also been putting "thoughts" on there. My son thinks they are for me... and to some degree they are, however, they are more for him to ponder. Lol




Eddie_T said:


> I clicked on the Watch on YouTube and it took me there. I'm too emotional, it brought tears


It is very emotional. Especially when you see that a humans inability to control there sexual urges can be such a damning experience.




I suppose I'm off to bed for work tomorrow  .

I'll be praying for a good day. We are so short staffed, I often have 6 and 7 patients and then only 1 patient care person for 21 patients..... it's old, and people are demanding and cranky. Lol


----------



## Spicoli43

That's a good idea to have a white board like that, but I could duct tape a list to my bathroom mirror and I will find a way to completely miss it. One giant symptom of rotten guts besides the pain is brain fog. I'll know instantly if the program works for me if I remember that I checked the dryer lint trap and remembered to turn off the bathroom fan etc.. 

I remember being more alert when I was on a "loose" Paleo diet that didn't have Grain fed restrictions, so being Grass fed might be something I never quit.


----------



## Eddie_T

@Flyover  Ahh, drums and guitar, playing Dreams on my 6" Karlson cabinets which do rather well. I love the beat on that song. In 1979 I was at the Alaska State Fair in the Matanuska Valley and a band was doing a cover of Dreams. I had never listened to or heard of Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac so I had no idea what I was listening to. I was mesmerized and sought out the soundstage. They had a harmonica wailing the melody line. I didn't think to ask anyone the name of the song while I was there and it wasn't until this year that I found it on YouTube.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, my friend isn't threatening his mother with anything. We are not telling her of the plan to remove stuff if she tries to take the house from him. Almost every single thing was brought over there in my truck over time. She lives out of town so we could take stuff from inside without her knowing it. She'd likely have to go to court to get my friend out anyway since the city notes the house is in his care. We have other friends who would help us move stuff. We'd start with the bathroom and laundry stuff. I have enough space in my workshop if I re-arrange things for most of his stuff. We'd have to take things like the roof and front door last. We'd leave stuff that can't be re-used or that he doesn't want. He still owns the trailer his ex lives in and someone gave her boyfriend a house so he can re-claim his trailer to move stuff in to as well. Or he could sell it and get more $ toward finding another place. Worst case, we could fix up his burned house and move stuff over there. 

We're not expecting her to try to kick him out anytime soon though.  I'm still encouraging him to get something in writing (even in text) about the agreement. Right now he's been overwhelmed with being sick and his gf's family drama.


----------



## slownsteady

How are you all faring with the storm?


----------



## Flyover

Fair nuff, Zannej. You are more prepared than I thought, and would have more time than I thought if it came to it. I stand corrected.


----------



## Spicoli43

I found a new show on Travel called "The Osbournes want to believe" starring Jack, Sharon and Ozzy. It's all about Paranormal clips that Jack shows to the parents, and it's entertaining to me because I have experienced Paranormal things in places I have lived in 3 states, including this house. There is some compelling UFO stuff as well, which I'm not that into, but there is a couple of clips that might make me a believer...

It's on Sundays, but you might be able to watch the series On Demand. 

The only drawback is my ears aren't fully formed, so the good dedicated nannies at the FCC bleep out a lot of words. I think they are saying "Waffle", but I can't figure it out. I think, but have not confirmed, that our ears are fully formed by age 80. I sure do hope so!


----------



## Eddie_T

slownsteady said:


> How are you all faring with the storm?


In WNC flooding and over 12" of rain. No problems on my property.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad you brought it up because it made me think a lot about contingency plans, and how we would go about moving stuff. Between all the stress, being sick, and having a traumatic brain injury, my friend has a very hard time standing up for himself. I haven't heard from him today on how he's doing and I was exhausted.

Spicoli, I have a bit of hearing impairment as well. I generally have to use subtitles/closed captions to tell what people are saying on TV shows. Part of it is because some of those shows have very low volume for the speaking but super high volume for the sound effects. That is one of my pet peeves. The Osbournes are entertaining. Kelly was one of the guests on Crime Scene Kitchen. Joel McHale said that he last saw her at the Fox Toast & Roast New Year's party screaming profanities at Ryan Seacrest. He said "In that moment, you became my personal hero".

Censorship can sometimes make things sound worse than they are:
Case in Point:


Other than cook for Mom. I did nothing. Barometric pressure and thunderstorms had my head hurting. I woke up to 8 and a dog sitting on me. Tomorrow I have to go to the store to replace stuff my brother ate in large quantities that was not supposed to be for him and pick up some more prescriptions. They weren't eligible for refill last week.


----------



## Spicoli43

"I think they are saying Waffle" was a joke against the FCC nannies. As far as hearing though, I can't watch the regular TV. I need to watch the projector with the speakers right in front of my face. I could of course run the speakers from the 55" TV, but there's something about the 130" Projector screen that prevents me from doing that. 

Every time I walk into Costco and see the prices of their GIANT 70" sets, I try not to laugh at the prices. 

That video could be 20 seconds, but it makes the point that all censorship is stupid. If I'm watching the Osbournes unfiltered and they are all dropping F bombs left and right, then I have no problem with that, I was in the Army for far too long to be sensitive to anything. In the same situation if little kids were present, then the blame is squarely on me. 

If they scrapped the FCC and all the bloated salaries of those do nothings, the government could afford to pay for speech and cognitive function lessons for Joe.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> the government could afford to pay for speech and cognitive function lessons for Joe.


Careful what you wish for. If he was more articulate and less senile he might get even more of what he wants. I think there is still private property in this country he hasn't figured out how to seize, and some people he hasn't figured out how to imprison, and some neighborhoods he hasn't figured out how to turn into ghetto war zones, but if he had his full faculties he might work something out.

OK that's my year's worth of politics, I'm done now.

If my Craigslist buyer actually shows up then I'll sell off some cactuses today (well, hopefully more than just one or two). Gonna try and encourage a "bulk" sale. 

I still have half a dozen cuttings I need to pot up, and I'm amazed at how quickly the pruned "parent" plant has started growing new pads, and so many too!


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, Sleepy Joe isn't running the show, as he has said multiple times "I'm not supposed to take questions" or "They said I wasn't supposed to answer" etc... Considering Obama traded 5 Taliban Terrorists for the traitor Bergdahl, and at least one of those same Terrorists is now in charge of the Taliban, I think it's evident who is running things behind the scenes. 

As far as selling Cacti or any other cuttings, make sure they aren't patented or you could end up in hot water. Granted, the odds of your plant buyers being the plant police are almost nil, just saying. 









						Patented Plants and Plants with Registered trademarks and the Tale of White Fountain Weeping Cherry Trees. - Mike's Backyard Nursery
					

Patented plants, plants with registered trademarks. There very much is a difference between a plant that has been patented and plant that only carries a




					mikesbackyardnursery.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Finally dry enough here I can get stuff done outside every day now...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> the good dedicated nannies at the FCC bleep out a lot of words.


I'm glad they protect the happy innocence of children from some people's evil...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm glad they protect the happy innocence of children from some people's evil...



Ok, so the Government defines what is "evil", and people are supposed to just accept that? 

I can setup a code to unlock certain content, there should be a code to turn off the censorship if I feel there is no need for it. If the little members of the family visit, I can turn it back on, but they wouldn't be watching Ozzy swear anyway.

At what age does a little bit of personal responsibility kick in? Why is it that cartoons have more sexual references than almost any content?


----------



## Flyover

No idea if these prickly pear cactuses, which I originally bought on Craigslist from some teenager who had made cuttings from her own plant, are patented. If the plant police show up, I will happily confess I have no clue, await the results of their DNA test, and if they come back as a positive match for some patented variety of prickly pear then I will concede that ignorance of the law is no excuse and rescind my sale offer and take down my own Craigslist post. I am "fully prepared" to do that.


----------



## shan2themax

I worked on 2 different floors yesterday. Skilled nursing and then in the ER with holds (patients waiting on a bed to open in the main hospital). We had one employee leave as her weekly taste came back positive. One who coughed her head off all day (with proper PPE on) she said her allergies had been bad. However, once the first person who was positive got her results, all the other people who work on that floor tested early for this week. Then I went to ER to help with holds and boy was it a mess. All ER rooms full, about 25 people in waiting room, and 6 in triage. Then there were 8 patients in the ER (bed area) on stretchers. In my little area we had 7 patients and 5 were positive for covid.
One patient was younger 28-38 ish. Has brain cancer, and the third positive in a year. The last was 4 weeks ago, I am not sure of why they retested  (maybe because of the delta variant?) But she was on the vent with previous admission.
I can still feel my N95 and goggles stuck to my face even though I haven't had them on for 16 hours.
I am absolutely exhausted today. Had planned to do some things, however I work the next 2 days and yesterday kicked my arse.

@Spicoli43  think I am going to restart eating 2 tablespoons of sauerkraut every day. I did that for a while, but then quit. Not sure why.
However, I am anxiously awaiting an appt for an EGD/Colonoscopy because I am acutely aware that something is not right. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia (last year) and hope that that is the reason for my tiredness and pain, and not a misdiagnosis for something more.
That's the hard part of being a nurse. Knowledge is not always a wonderous thing.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am contemplating on what to use for drawer bottoms in my kitchen island. Whiteboard would make for easy cleaning but might not work for my method of gluing and nailing bottoms to sides. I'm thinking that if I lightly sand the edges before glueing it might work. On other drawers I have used ⅛" or ¼" plywood and added cheap peel and stick vinyl tiles as a drawer liner. Another option might be hardboard with finished side up. I seem to spend more time procrastinating than working but with my plumbing wall I came up with better solutions by not rushing into it.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> I worked on 2 different floors yesterday. Skilled nursing and then in the ER with holds (patients waiting on a bed to open in the main hospital). We had one employee leave as her weekly taste came back positive. One who coughed her head off all day (with proper PPE on) she said her allergies had been bad. However, once the first person who was positive got her results, all the other people who work on that floor tested early for this week. Then I went to ER to help with holds and boy was it a mess. All ER rooms full, about 25 people in waiting room, and 6 in triage. Then there were 8 patients in the ER (bed area) on stretchers. In my little area we had 7 patients and 5 were positive for covid.
> One patient was younger 28-38 ish. Has brain cancer, and the third positive in a year. The last was 4 weeks ago, I am not sure of why they retested  (maybe because of the delta variant?) But she was on the vent with previous admission.
> I can still feel my N95 and goggles stuck to my face even though I haven't had them on for 16 hours.
> I am absolutely exhausted today. Had planned to do some things, however I work the next 2 days and yesterday kicked my arse.
> 
> @Spicoli43  think I am going to restart eating 2 tablespoons of sauerkraut every day. I did that for a while, but then quit. Not sure why.
> However, I am anxiously awaiting an appt for an EGD/Colonoscopy because I am acutely aware that something is not right. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia (last year) and hope that that is the reason for my tiredness and pain, and not a misdiagnosis for something more.
> That's the hard part of being a nurse. Knowledge is not always a wonderous thing.



Well, being on your feet all day of course is a contributing factor. Being that Fibro (and most other diseases) is a direct correlation to the gut, do you remember IBD symptoms before you were diagnosed? I would say you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is Fibro's twin. 

Drinking that chalk for the EGD is always fun. I did it once, but hope to never have to do it again. I'm also hoping with my complete diet revamp and the Bone Broth reset that I will always be a good boy from now on so I can avoid EVER having the other end scoped. 

I WILL NOT DO IT, unless Little Baby Jesus comes down and tells me I have to. THAT'S IT.

During your appointment, please ask them about a Bone Broth fast to heal the gut, and about Leaky Gut syndrome. (Some Gastro's don't believe in it, which is a direct violation of how the body works). I'm curious to hear from an insider.


----------



## Eddie_T

My coffee dyed wash cloths were tan after being washed. My current experient in coffee grounds has some epsom salts added as a mordant to see if more color can be set.



Spicoli43 said:


> Ok, so the Government defines what is "evil", and people are supposed to just accept that?
> 
> I can setup a code to unlock certain content, there should be a code to turn off the censorship if I feel there is no need for it. If the little members of the family visit, I can turn it back on, but they wouldn't be watching Ozzy swear anyway.
> 
> At what age does a little bit of personal responsibility kick in? Why is it that cartoons have more sexual references than almost any content?


I for one detest what is happening to our language. I ignore my niece and grand nieces on facebook due to their ever present f-bomb content. I just don't understand why otherwise beautiful people can't use conversational English. Barracks talk in the 82d ABN had a lower percentage (and some of those guys prolly thought Beef Wellington was a wrestler).


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I for one detest what is happening to our language. I ignore my niece and grand nieces on facebook due to their ever present f-bomb content. I just don't understand why otherwise beautiful people can't use conversational English.



Right, which proves the FCC nanny rules don't do anything to begin with. Unless kids live in a literal bubble away from everything in society, they will know all the swear words by age 10 probably. 

But your comment about what is happening to our language doesn't apply because it's always been the same. Some people / families are always polite and some always swear. All the government agencies designed to "protect us" hilariously fail.


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## Flyover

Re. English, I've noticed people on the coasts use a lot of f-bombs, not even to accent things but just as a verbal tic. I find it grating. I don't really care if people cuss, but there's something about people who cuss A LOT that I find really difficult to listen to. Same for a lot of other verbal tics. But in a more general sense, outside of that, I know language is basically an open-source software and is always changing so I've stopped caring when I see bad grammar and even some bad spelling, though it's/its, there/their/they're, possessive 's used as plural, etc. will always bother me. 

We thought our (Maytag) washing machine was broken. It was making this really scary loud noise whenever it got to the spin cycle. First my wife called repairmen thinking I wouldn't have time to fix it. Their earliest appointment was in like 2 weeks, so I said lemme just watch some Youtube videos and take a look today. Luckily work was slow so I could do it between my morning meeting and lunch.

After watching videos, tilting the thing up to check for play in the belt/cams, putting it back down and removing the agitator to see if the splines are stripped out, I finally realized it was something very simple and easy to fix: the plastic cage over the belt and motor was damaged and a piece of plastic was bent up so that it was rubbing on the cam as it spun, like a baseball card stuck in a bike tire. I clipped it off and now it's as (relatively) quiet as ever. My wife said she'd buy me a burrito for that one.


----------



## Spicoli43

I agree, it irritates me when people swear constantly. I can have a polite conversation with a little old lady or a kid without swearing because I was trained right.


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## zannej

Eddie, can you sand/scuff the whiteboard coating just where you want to use the glue to make it adhere better? I think whiteboard drawers would not be a bad idea if they are thick enough.

I think the censoring of words that are considered offensive is silly-- particularly when they allow graphic depictions of violence on TV and movies. South Park called it when they said horrible deplorable violence is OK so long as they don't use any naughty words. The words themselves won't do any harm. There are languages where they don't have words that are considered "bad". There are phrases where the intent is considered bad though. I think it was a friend from the Netherlands who told me they have no "swear words" per se but saying something like "cancer you" (which is saying "I hope you get cancer") is considered extremely rude & might get censored. 

I personally don't care if people swear a lot. But I grew up around military bases and my father was from New Jersey. The f-word was an apostrophe in his neighborhood. My sister married a guy from NJ. He drops the f-bomg without even realizing it.

Shan, it must be very difficult working in the medical field right now. I have several friends who are nurses who talk about how brutal things are right now.

I'm waiting to see if the pharmacy will get my prescriptions filled today. They were both supposed to be ready by 2:30pm (still waiting) but 1 says it is still being filled and might be tomorrow. But I expect the pharmacy to be closed tomorrow since it has been closed on weekends lately. It's just my allergy meds so I can take non-prescription stuff in the meantime if I run out though.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I agree, it irritates me when people swear constantly. I can have a polite conversation with a little old lady or a kid without swearing because I was trained right.


IMHO swearing is used when people lack an adequate vocabulary. That being said there are times when swearing may be indicated. I guess what I dislike is swearing when the circumstances don't indicate it (kinda like an athlete's continuous use of "you know"). Swearing doesn't shock me, it just seems so useless in normal conversation. I wouldn't call on the nanny state for resolution, I just look for an easy escape.


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## Eddie_T

Have ye ever listened to some folks for a minute and thought "their cornbread ain't done the middle"?


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> During your appointment, please ask them about a Bone Broth fast to heal the gut, and about Leaky Gut syndrome. (Some Gastro's don't believe in it, which is a direct violation of how the body works). I'm curious to hear from an insider.


I will make a note of that. I actually took IBS meds 15 years ago, as a let's see of this helps strategy. It seemed too. However that med was taken off market.
When I am able to be at home, doing whatever physically that I want to do.... I do ok pain/exhaustion wise. However, you add going to work into that and then there is alot of the time that I just physically cant... and cant is a broad term. 
I'm the neighbor that you dont want because it takes me forever to finish something, and then the grass is consistently mowed (hoping the rider makes a difference in that). 

@zannej  its a very thankless job in general and especially now.
I took a nap today only to be woken up by a phone call alerting me that a person I worked with yesterday tested positive yesterday. I had my mask (surgical) and goggles on 95% of the day and I wasn't with her for 15 or more minutes (standard time frame) so hopefully I am ok. 
Its definitely super stressful currently. My mom has end-stage COPD, so it's always looming that me getting sick could be the end of her life. 
Being a nurse is stressful in general. Some nurses make it sound like it's so much fun, etc.... I have found that those are often the ones that hog the patient care people to do all of the "non-licensed" work. 
There is so much more involved other than using a stethoscope and passing meds. However society has dumbed it down to that and is very disrespectful and abusive in the inpatient facility. 

I dont cuss alot....EXCEPT..... when I am at work. I get super feasted trying to do my job amd donot well, and have to wait on this or that, or have to go to 4 other floors to find what I need, or have to start a shift half a shift behind because the previous shift got 6 admissions through the night. 

Exhausting for sure!


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## Spicoli43

I just replaced all the smoke alarm batteries because one was chirping yesterday morning. That one lasted 4 months and a week (Kirkland AA), which pales in comparison to the old detectors that used 9V, which never chirped because I replaced them yearly. Being that Kirkland is Duracell, I'm going to replace them next time with actual Duracell and see if there's a difference.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> IMHO swearing is used when people lack an adequate vocabulary. That being said there are times when swearing may be indicated. I guess what I dislike is swearing when the circumstances don't indicate it (kinda like an athlete's continuous use of "you know"). Swearing doesn't shock me, it just seems so useless in normal conversation. I wouldn't call on the nanny state for resolution, I just look for an easy escape.



Yeah, can be. I mix it up though, I swear loudly while using adequate vocabulary while yelling at the wall when a Moron is on TV. The swear word is usually just the Democrat Mascot with hole at the end.


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## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> I will make a note of that. I actually took IBS meds 15 years ago, as a let's see of this helps strategy. It seemed too. However that med was taken off market.
> When I am able to be at home, doing whatever physically that I want to do.... I do ok pain/exhaustion wise. However, you add going to work into that and then there is alot of the time that I just physically cant... and cant is a broad term.
> I'm the neighbor that you dont want because it takes me forever to finish something, and then the grass is consistently mowed (hoping the rider makes a difference in that).



Those are some of the best cover drugs in my experience (cover the symptoms). I tool Nexium and Prilosec for a couple of years, then got out of the Military and didn't have coverage anymore, which caused the IBS to come roaring back with avengeance. I discovered Baking Soda in water and that worked as a replacement cover. Turns out a lot of those IBS drugs cause cancer.


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## shan2themax

Yes theres been alot about those recently. This was a med specifically for IBS... not an antacid. It's been driving me crazy that I cant remember it


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## Spicoli43

Zelnorm?


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## zannej

Eddie, I get what you're saying. I do like it when people use larger vocabulary words-- mostly because my father did that a lot. I had that feeling of the cornbread not being done in the middle today. Friend's gf's brother started telling us he thinks "they" (didn't specify who) fired something in to the air to cause Ida and something about how "they" had fired something that incinerated a guy. Not sure what he thought was being fired in to the air to cause it, but he's never been the brightest bulb.

Only one RX was ready so I have to wait for the rest to be filled tomorrow.

I felt very sorry for an elderly lady ahead of me in line. I overheard the clerk telling her that if she got her meds it would be $641. Lady asked if that was with the GoodRx discount. It was. Her daughter came over and asked if she could help but when she was told the price her face just fell. She couldn't afford it either. They both walked away empty-handed and defeated. Medicines should not cost that much.


----------



## havasu

I went to get my car washed on Wednesday. This is the first time I've had it washed in 3 years, since I always do it myself so no harsh chemicals are used. How ironic that when I got to my car after washing, there was a computer note on my dashboard that the battery in my key fob needed replacing. Do you think my car was trying to tell me something?


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## Spicoli43

Z, he might not be that much of a chowder head. The Government owns tons of patents on modifying weather. 









						List of 100 US Patents Related to Weather Modification - The Sirius Report
					

A list of 100 US patents related to weather modification technology.




					www.thesiriusreport.com


----------



## Flyover

I did get my tools and everything put away today after all. Hung my ancient 2-man saw up over the service door. Workbench is actually a clear surface now. If I still drank I'd say I deserve a beer.

 My 4 y/o son has taken a liking to my smallest hand planes, and my clamps, and he'll find a scrap of 2x4, clamp it to anything heavy, and just plane away at the edges for an hour or more. Then when he's through with that he'll take a rasp and file the bevels he made until they're smooth, or take a rat trailed file and file grooves perpendicular to the grain. Keeps him busy all afternoon, it's amazing. And very cute. At the grocery store this evening he sat up in the seat of the shopping cart and I noticed his legs and feet were covered with sawdust. I was so proud.

Next is to organize the shelves that were in the garage from the previous owners, and the shelf in the basement where my indoor "quickly fix stuff in the house" tools, plus tape and glue and paint and stuff like that, are supposed to live.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad you let the little one use tools and play like that. Hopefully he'll develop an interest in woodworking when he's older (and hopefully wood won't be so damn expensive). 

Tomorrow I will have to go back to the pharmacy and I'm hoping the heat won't wipe out my energy.


----------



## Eddie_T

I just picked this up from the NCBI website;  "We confirmed a novel association of rising obesity trends with increased corn product consumption that may be linked to the growing and ubiquitous presence of genetically modified (GM) or engineered (GE) corn in the human diet." .  .  .  just thinking corn is not a natural food for cattle yet they are fed corn (GMO or GE) to gain weight for slaughter. When the gubberment admits it you know it's bad.


----------



## zannej

I feel very badly for corn fed cattle. Corn is terrible for them. It gives them terrible indigestion and can actually kill them. But the people who are raising them for beef clearly don't care about whether or not the poor things suffer or not. I realize it's a business and all, but less cruelty to the animals before they are made into food would be nice.

I went to wash my hands in the kitchen sink and heard the pneumatic pump running. I went outside with a lantern and found that the block the D-switch is mounted to had shifted (and would not shift back) so the switch was over the hole at an angle making it so the rod with the float wouldn't go in straight. It had turned sideways and gotten jammed with the D-switch's lever stuck in down position. The cistern was overflowing and the water almost reached the bottom of the pumps (jet pump & pneumatic). I reached in and pushed the lever p so it stopped. It's not the first time this has happened but it's been awhile. The block setup is just not working. Before the lever would jam because the rod needed vaseline. That was when the old switch was mounted on a pipe on top of the tank's lid. But the installer couldn't find that type of switch when he was coming to replace the old one. So he caulked a wooden block to the top and screwed the new D-box switch on to it. It was slightly crooked from the start and my friend adjusted the angle but it seems the block keeps sliding over time.

On the plumbing forums they recommended that I get a solenoid valve but I never could understand how that would work. When I looked them up, none of them seemed like they could fit. Others suggested some sort of cabled float that detects when the float is up vs down. I'm looking in to that option and hoping it would not fail. Saw a fancy system with sensors that go on a pipe but don't know if they can be submerged in potable water. Also not sure how I would connect it to the pump. I need the pump to kick on when the water level is not full. The pump is 1hp V 115/208-230. The wires to it right now are pretty thick. I think 10awg. So I don't know which voltage it is set at or even how to set the voltage (unless it just automatically goes with whatever it's getting).

Anyone dealt with something like this?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I just picked this up from the NCBI website;  "We confirmed a novel association of rising obesity trends with increased corn product consumption that may be linked to the growing and ubiquitous presence of genetically modified (GM) or engineered (GE) corn in the human diet." .  .  .  just thinking corn is not a natural food for cattle yet they are fed corn (GMO or GE) to gain weight for slaughter. When the gubberment admits it you know it's bad.



Yeah, my family prefers Grass Fed / Corn finished with molasses or something like that, but they also all love Omaha, which is completely grain fed feed lot. I doubt those cows ever see the outside.

I can't eat Costco anything because it's all feed lot, and it's all blade tenderized meaning you *have to* cook it to well done for safety. I have never met someone that wants a well done steak. 

As far as taste, I can't eat Grain fed ground beef after having 100% Grass Fed / Finished. It's like having the best, then going back to the worst for exactly what reason?

My whole family will just talk about the price, even though I remind them that it's MUCH cheaper to buy a whole Grass Fed / Finished cow than it is for them to buy their Costco / Omaha stuff or go to the Steakhouse. It' like $4 per lb. hanging weight for a Whole, but none of them will get it through their heads, and I don't have the huge freezer. 

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR


----------



## zannej

No Costco near us so we don't get any of that. Omaha steaks are overpriced and not even good. 

I knew people who liked their steaks well-done but they were mostly older people who grew up in a time where your food had to be overcooked to be safe to eat. They were worried about getting sick from anything that was cooked properly.

When my brother worked as a cook he always hated it when customers ordered steaks well-done. Especially when he would cook it well done, send it out, and customer would say it wasn't done enough. His manager started saying "Just burn it!" when people ordered well done. He would tell the waitstaff they should tell the customers how it hurt the souls of the cooks to have to ruin perfectly good meat like that.

I like my meat medium rare.

I looked at the motor specs and realized my air compressor pump is 12.2/6.0-6.1 amps. Trying to find some sort of float that is safe for potable water that can do up to 230v, 1hp and 13A (I've seen them up to 250v & 13A but 1/2HP). I'm wondering if sensors instead of floats would be better. Still waiting on responses in other forums on that front. No competent people in my area since not many people have water wells anymore.


----------



## Spicoli43

Overpriced is an understatement. I call Omaha a "Sales Extreme" site. Since all retailers have "sales" to try to convince you that you're getting a good deal, I run it through filters. I have known about Omaha for years, but in my example of the local Grass Fed beef being $4 per pound, Omaha's current sale I just checked runs at "50 percent off!", which clocks in at $36 per pound for feed lot inferior beef. Then add in of course the GMO aspect like Eddie pointed out. There is no way Omaha is keeping the animals inside 24/7, but feeding them Organic anything.

I just don't understand their customer base, because if they live in NYC or another big city, they are rich enough to buy the "Gold Standard" Wagyu, and if they are middle class like me, maybe Country fried, they might have a local rancher with a $4 per pound price if they buy a whole cow. 

I guess their customers must be Midwest corn growing and grain fed their whole lives kind of people. I don't see any other group of people that would pay THAT for THAT.

I remember a 50 percent off sale on "Zen Master", which was some voodoo soda that claimed a bunch of stuff, probably why it isn't made anymore. I bought a case that ended up being $1.29 a bottle or something like that. The factory mistakenly left the invoice in the case showing what they were charging the retailer, which was 39 cents. The "sale" price was still 300 percent what they paid. I know the retailer has to pay the bills, but that's when I figured out there is no such thing as a "sale". They could call it a "Break from charging you a S Load"! At least that would be honest.


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## zannej

A well-meaning friend gifted us with some Omaha steak stuff before. In fairness he'd come from Singapore & didn't know Omaha sucked. We got coupons for some free stuff so mom ordered it a few times. I admit, it used to be a little better in the past but it got more expensive and declined in quality vastly. Tiny steaks full of gristle. Turned in to absolute garbage. Once we realized we could get better steaks at the local stores Mom stopped falling for Omaha's bs.


----------



## chefman45887

Took a solid week of work, but I gutted out most of my bathroom but the tub/shower, and replaced the old caste piping in the walls for new pvc.  Pictures are the before , the video is the after.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Marketers know they can sell stuff for 10 times what it's worth by advertising it hard on TV... and TV likes the money they pay for ads... for instance car insurance companies that advertise 'low rates' on TV have rates 4 - 10 times what I pay...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> "...a novel association of rising obesity trends with increased corn product consumption..."


Most of that is probably from using corn syrup as a sweetener in place of sugar... and it doesn't taste as good as real sugar...


----------



## zannej

chefman, the transformation looks great! I like the marble looking tiles.

I despise corn syrup as sweetener. Weird thing is, I love corn. I love cornbread, sweet corn, corn on the cob, corn nuggets, etc. But I don't like the syrup form.

I had  headache all day yesterday but I'm feeling better today. Still feeling a bit tired though.


----------



## Eddie_T

I did a couple of gourmet blue cheese burgers on the Watchman Grill and laid a naked ear of sweet corn on the grill. I rolled it occasionally as I ate a burger just letting a few kernels brown a tad on the edge. Buttered it and it was super sweet with that bit of caramelization. The butter was my near ghee experiment in my water seal butter keeper. I checked it for mold and it had a bright ring where the water sealed the inverted cup. It was a verdigri color. I wonder if it was copper from my water or a pseudomonas bacterial colonization?


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Marketers know they can sell stuff for 10 times what it's worth by advertising it hard on TV... and TV likes the money they pay for ads... for instance car insurance companies that advertise 'low rates' on TV have rates 4 - 10 times what I pay...



Where do you pay 4-10 times less? I would like to know that.


----------



## zannej

I think rates depend on where you live. Also, some of those places like GEICO and Progressive give you lower rates for having higher education. They found that someone with a college degree who has multiple DUIs still gets lower rates than someone with a GED or lower who has no traffic tickets at all. Goes for job as well. The less $ you make, the more they charge you. The news did a story on it a few months back about how those companies rip off lower income people.

Today I went to pick up prescriptions but pharmacy closed early. If I'd skipped cooking for mom I could have made it in time. Picked up more frozen meals & ran in to my friend. Well, he came looking for me. He needed to get away from all the people in his house, saw my truck, parked near it, and looked for me. Then his grandfather saw his car and was circling the parking lot looking for him. Found him and laid on the horn-- friend jumped (because it startled him) turned and screamed at him "DON'T BLOW YOUR HORN AT ME!"

I checked sales on laptops to find my mom something she can handle better than the 20lb monster alienware one she's been using. It comes with a big backpack and is a royal pain to carry and move around. CyberpowerPC had a labor day sale. Upgraded to a 1tb ssd for free, upgraded to 16Gb 3200 RAM for $30. Got a free mouse and keyboard. Free $50 gift card, and I found a 5% off coupon code from couponfollow. It's got a 144hz 17.3" screen, blue backlit keyboard, 4gb GeForce 3050 video card, Intel i7 2.4GHz processor. Built in bluethooth and wifi. She'll be able to use her bluetooth earbuds with it. Now she can watch her Dimash videos and play games without having to lug the monster computer around. I think I may be able to clean up her old laptop bag to use for it. If not, maybe I can make her one. I saw one of the stores selling the fabric they make laptop bags and backpacks out of. I have cushioning that can be put inside it too.

I also helped my brother secure the lumbar cushion for his chair underneath the slip cover so now he's more comfortable. But mom's chair no longer leans back and the lift mechanism no longer works. So she might be in need o f a new chair soon-- unless we can figure out how to fix it. I think some sort of gas spring thing needs to be replaced to lift the chair.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I think rates depend on where you live.


I only live in one place but I get quotes up to 10 times what I pay. 
AARP/Hartford, Progressive, Liberty, and State Farm currently appear to be about the lowest rates. 
You can also use the websites that try to get you the lowest rates/quotes, although some only work with certain companies, and not necessarily the lowest priced ones. just pretend they do. 
Many companies have lower New Customer Rates, then jack the price way up upon renewal and say 'everybody did that', so can save by switching companies every time the old policy runs out. 
Progressive will give a low rate, you pay it, then a couple weeks later wants tons more info or they will raise the rate. Just tell them to get F'd or you'll report the Bait&Switch to the State Insurance Commissioner, and switch companies again when it runs out if not the lowest renewal rate.


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## Flyover

Insurance rates definitely are affected by where you live (I was shocked by how much my rates went up while I was living in California, even after shopping around for the lowest rates available), but I also agree with Buzz. I think a lot of those companies are banking on most people being careless/lazy, which they are.

Speaking of which, I pulled a perfectly good fishing rod, double-sided saw, cordless Harbor Freight weed wacker ("tool only"), flat-ended shovel, and bike pump out of one of the new construction dumpsters recently, though I tossed everything back in except the fishing rod (which became a gift for my son) as I didn't need any of the other things and didn't want to pay for a battery + charger for the weed wacker. If I had extra space to store inventory I could start a side business on Craigslist where I sell all the perfectly good things I find in the trash!

I'm almost done organizing my "new" garage. Gotta make sure I can find a before picture so the after pictures look more impressive. 

Typing this, I'm 1/3 of the way through my shoulder workout regimen. It's funny how sometimes people take pictures and I'm in them and they show them to me and I see this very muscly looking guy, but when I look down at my own body I still see the scrawny kid I was at 19. Body dysmorphia is a crazy phenomenon. Helps encourage me to keep working out!


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## zannej

My area has some of the highest insurance rates in the country. Partially because it has some of the worst education &, as I mentioned before, some of those companies charge higher rates due to lack of education. It's illegal to have a vehicle here without having insurance (unless you have it marked as not drive-able). Huge fines if you let it lapse for too long. So people will get the cheapest insurance they can possibly find that doesn't cover squat. They find any excuse they can to avoid paying out. Because there are a LOT of careless drivers and a lot of flooding in nearby areas, that also drives rates up. The only accidents I've had on my record were clearly the fault of other drivers & their insurance companies had to cover it, but they still keep raising my rates. They also sent us a check they knew we couldn't cash. They sent us a check in 2018 addressed to my mother and my father. My father died in 2009 & is not on the policy & is not one of the drivers listed on the vehicle that was hit. Mom went to deposit it but State Farm claimed that because it only had Mom's signature, it wasn't valid & therefore could not be deposited. So, not only did she not get the $, the check essentially bounced & she was charged a fee for it. The check had been lost in her drawer for a couple years and I found it a few months ago and took her to deposit it. She still hasn't contacted the bank or State Farm to rectify it. I'm going to have to persuade her to do something about it. The amount of the check almost covered the cost of one of my dental procedures.

Speaking of which, I've been getting a toothache in the area of a tooth I had filled. Not sure if the root is agitated or if there is something stuck in the gums or what. I might have to go back in and have her look at it and see if she can figure out what's causing it. I get pain when I drink room temperature or cool water or when anything cold hits the area. It's not major pain, but it's annoying.

I went to get prescriptions today and all were ready. Some dude up ahead was yelling at the pharmacy clerk about the medicine not being ready because they didn't have enough to fill it. He was carrying on about how this happens every month. He looked to me for support and I told him he shouldn't yell at the clerk since it wasn't her fault. He insisted they needed to order more of the medicine. I told him it needs to be approved to be sent & he interrupted and just kept shouting louder about how he's been having this problem for 20 years and it's every single month. I told him that maybe he should switch pharmacies instead of continuing to go back to one that he felt was screwing up and making a huge scene and berating overworked & understaffed employees. Part of the problem was that after they told him to come back in 2 days when they had enough meds, he would not leave the window. He kept trying to argue with them so other customers had to wait longer. After I called him out he did apologize half-heartedly to the clerk but continued to shout about what a problem it was. The main pharmacist had to tell him to leave so other customers could be helped. He shouted and had a fit about it before finally leaving. What a jerk! I made sure to be extra nice to the clerk and she thanked me for it. I almost forgot to mention that this dude didn't even stand in line. He cut in line ahead of the woman in front of me.

Before the rude jerk butted in, I was doing shoulder exercises because my right shoulder is still bugging me. There was a maskless woman directly behind me who had moved pretty close. It was hot outside still so I'd been sweating and my deodorant/antiperspirant wasn't working. When I lifted my arms up I could vaguely smell that my deodorant had failed even through my mask. The woman behind me seemed to have noticed as well because she backed way off. 48hr protection my a**. It hadn't lasted 5 minutes. LOL.


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## zannej

Septic tank service called before 8am. Guy was on my road trying to figure out where to go. I guess his boss didn't pass on the note to take a right at the fork (left goes to the river). I could see his truck from my window as he got closer and he could see the busted car port. I went out and showed him where the septic tank was. Discussed price-- he didn't know but his boss had written out a receipt. They charge service tax at the same rate as sales tax (10.45% for in town). Town takes about 6% of the tax and I'm outside of it and not supposed to be charged the town's tax out here. Was exactly $650. I looked for other services in the area that might be cheaper but there weren't any. It's on the high side of charges for the service but the guy told me that the place they normally dump the waste that is closer and cheaper is closed for maintenance so they have to go to a place farther away that charges more. Given that we made it 9 years without needing the service, it's not that bad, but still kinda sucks.

The dog was excited about someone being there and was running around in the wet grass. She stepped with her wet paws in cow manure and then jumped up on me. The phone woke mom up and then the septic truck made a lot of noise near her window so she got up and got her checkbook out. Once it was done she wrote the check and the guy gave me the receipt. He waited until he got the check to put the lids back on the septic tank. Told me I should try to run a bunch of water to fill it back up because rain might cause problems. There was a very small pocket of sludge in a corner that would not come up and he was worried it might cause problems if it rains. I saw him doing his best to get every last ounce of gunk out though and he had me inspect the tank before he got paid. 

I went in and sat with mom for awhile before taking a nap. The night before I'd found a heavy package on the porch and brought it in. I brought it to her and it turned out to be something that had to go in the bathroom so I lugged it in there and put the contents away (over a dozen packs of shea butter wipes- she buys them in bulk). After my nap I cooked for her, fed the cats, refilled the water for the kitties, refilled water for the dogs, and went out to get pictures from the shed.

I've decided that I am going to make lists of things to do each day and do at least 3 of them before I allow myself leisure time. I did my 3 tasks for the day. I wiped down the counters and the window sill near the kitchen sink while refilling the water for the dogs.

I'm about to take my meds and get another nap.


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## Eddie_T

I feel good, I just helped a friend re-establish a contact. A friend in FL had moved to a single level house and apparently changed phones and lost my friend's number. So I did a bit of data mining. I assumed he had lost his wife so I searched OBs using his name. I found his wife's OB and got his daughter's name. I did a search for her, found her and left a message. She is a very nice lady, called me back and gave me her dad's new number to pass on and we thanked each other for making it happen.

Did the forum change the page format or did my chromebook change its page display?


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## shan2themax

@Eddie_T I dont see anything different, but I just use my phone.

I felt good enough yesterday and made all the things.... and those sample bars were a pain because my batter was thickening up.








Sample size soaps, a few full bars, calendula salve and not pictured... whipped soap base (I'll use this to make other things with).

I've been in quarantine since last week. Negative test, but symptoms (which resemble my fibro symptoms including a not quite 100° temp.  I've been wearing my mask outside of my bedroom. It's no fun being home when you cant really do anything. I may not be able to go back till the 17th... so that will blow through 60 hours of sick pay. It was a little nerve wracking the first 5 days because my mom was also having a slight increase in breathing difficulty which was worrisome, but she seems ok now.


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## zannej

Eddie, I'm glad you were able to help your friends get back in touch. I'm also relieved your friend is still alive. Sad to hear about his wife passing though. 

Shan, the soaps look good! I hope you don't have Covid and that you get feeling better soon.

More lines have appeared on my screen. Blue, red, green... The green one has gotten thicker already and I have to try to move my browser screen around so I can read things properly. Before I get my new monitor set up, I'm going to take a picture of the screen with all the lines for posterity. 

I felt absolutely exhausted today so I slept until after 3pm. Got up and got food for mom (she usually isn't up before 3pm). Went back and napped. I saw I was losing daylight so I grabbed some drill bits, my Matrix, some sandpaper, and the boards I plan to mount to my wall. I drilled pilot holes where I marked for things to go, then I hand-sanded the boards as best as I could-- took all the grit off of one side of the sanding block. I lost daylight so I had to come back inside (I was out on the porch so I didn't get wood dust inside. I need to get some better sandpaper and see if I can get it to attach to my matrix sanding attachment. The velcro triangle piece at the to of the attachment came off the first time I took it out of the box so I will have to find some sort of heavy duty replacement, cut it to size, and put it on. Need to find more of the right sandpaper too. Or just try to wrap it on to the tool as best as possible.

Tomorrow my plan is to get up early and take my cat Itsy and pick up Nightmeow from my friend's house to take them both to the vet. Itsy has something swollen and sore on her lower jaw and Nightmeow's eye is worse (bc my friend's gf literally kicked him out of the house- she didn't know I could see her but I watched her swing her leg and kick him while shouting "GET!" to knock him outside). I came very close to going over and slapping the daylights out of her.


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## Flyover

Zannej, I almost said take a screenshot instead of a photo then remembered the lines wouldn't show up that way. 

I've decided to finally clean all the previous  owners' junk (mostly scrap trim and stuff like that) out of the mechanical room and move my office down there. So that's probably my next big project.

Pictures of the mostly-complete garage/basement tool shelf coming soon.


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## pbellamy

I’m drowning but it’s a happy drown.
I currently have projects all over the house.

One thing has led to another. My wife wanted to paint a wall in a basement bedroom  and re- tile the lower level floors.

So… the walls showed damp on a meter. So I ended up ripping out all of the walls to find rotten wood behind. Ouch. I ended up ripping the whole room back to the concrete wall and rebuilding from scratch… This enabled me to remove the entire run of pipe from my kitchen sink to the drain… over 80 feet of pipes that were not dropping properly so completely solid… huge fix! but then Ira came in and dumped a ton of rain on us… the newly sheet rocked room leaked (wet floor)…

so now I’m digging the front of my house up… the entire front patio was laid above grade… which rotted the sidings… and provided Ira with a way in 

lots of digging to remove concrete and, earth, rubble and gravel.., I’m knee deep in a trench… and cursing the previous owner… but I’m now planning to replace the rotten siding with new cedar.

Did I mention the downstairs floors have been stripped back to concrete for tiling which meant stripping a second kitchen to get the original 1980’s laminate tiles out so that room is a project  - all cabinets removed and plan in place to rebuild new units once the floors are done…

Also going on is a huge window replacement project - 16 foot glass wall with 8ft high sliding doors due to be delivered early November… paid for the day before Ira decided to let the water in.

oh and a kitchen on the deck to plumb and fit…

Oh, and this weekend my refrigerator died - it’s a 20 year old sub zero and about $12k to replace but first delivery date is April next year!!! Regardless I don’t want to throw it out as let’s face it you should be able to repair a refrigerator right?

tonight I’m chilling while building a router table to allow me to route the cedar siding.

oh and I work for a living!!! Fortunately from home right now!

I just wrote all that and realized it’s  a ridiculous amount of projects to have running simultaneously, but circumstances turned a single project into10 active projects all over the house…

Remember all of this is because my wife wanted to paint a wall green…

soooo what am I doing today?


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## chefman45887

Ouch at Murphy coming to visit your home.  Next year I have a  asphalt roof to redeck and replace with metal. I am now in savings mode for materials and buying the little items over winter.


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## Spicoli43

Shan, I would sell those on Craigs. Looks like a lot of work, good job.

zannej, I think that there is enough cat hair floating around in your house and you have kissed them enough that you're turning into one, sleeping all day!

pbellamy, I have been there when one project becomes 15, without the massive rain. I'll probably get 4 feet of snow because I thought about it. 

chefman... I'm in the same savings mode until lumber hopefully comes down to the price it was before the big coordinated Covid price gouging.


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## zannej

Flyover, I first thought about taking a screenshot and then realized it wouldn't capture the lines. I think I will first mount this messed up monitor and see how the cats behave around it (to see if they try to climb on the arm) and if the arm will hold up weight if they try to climb on it. I may have to put sticky tape or something on the arm to deter them from stepping. I've already had to stop one of my cats from stepping on the top of the monitor and pushing it over trying to climb over it 5x today.

pbellamy, that sounds like my kind of luck. Good thing you're able to do something about it though. Going to be expensive, but hopefully you'll get through it. I hope you can get your fridge working.

I'm currently waiting for my brother to wake up so we can take Itsy and Nightmeow to the vet.


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## shan2themax

You guys have been super busy!  I made some more soap today, it smells divine! It's called sleigh ride. It has peppermint undertones as well as other scents, but I am not good at picking out scents. I soaped at cooler temps today and it was a little easier to pour. It doesnt look like what I had pictured in my head because the fragrance oil changed the colors to brown tones instead of bright tones. However, I am sure they will be fine. I made this loaf and then had enough left over for 4 single flower molds. (I forgot to take a picture of them)



I should be able to unmold them by noon tomorrow or maybe earlier. There are several solid oils in there. This was a new recipe.

I agree that @zannej  turning into a sleepy kitty! Lol

@Flyover  cant wait to see your pics!

@pbellamy  youve got your hands full for sure. I am glad there is happiness found in the murk and more. Sounds like it was a blessing to find issues you didnt know about.

@chefman45887  I am going tomorrow to buy some OSB to put over a bedroom floor. I know it's not what I should use but I definitely cant afford plywood. So I understand!

@Spicoli43  thanks for the vote of confidence! Those were unscented but the ones today smell soooo good. 


I was finally released from employee health today. So just 48 hours of sick pay used. Grateful it wasnt covid after all!


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## zannej

Shan, the soap reminds me of fudge. Looks delicious. LOL. Glad you don't have Covid.

The lump on Itsy's chin turned out to be an abscess as I suspected. Vet had to sedate her and keep her over lunchtime to lance it. I was told that last night, Nightmeow's mother got territorial over food and hooked her claws directly in to the remains of his bad eyeball & wouldn't let go. People had to intervene. So he was not feeling that great and it was very sore when the vet went to scrub it. No anesthetic. Poor baby. He was crying and I wanted to hold him. He got plenty of cuddles afterward though. He slept on me while we waited over the lunch break to see about Itsy. I was so relieved it wasn't cancer. She's on my lap right now. I asked the houseguests at my friend's house to please remind him to give Nightmeow his eye ointment tonight and then 2x daily. He works tomorrow so I might have to go over and do it at least once.

They let me hold Scarpo, their bearded lizard. He liked me. Very sweet little critter. He likes to be petted. My brother had bright yellow on his shirt that Scarpo mistook for food so he took a taste and decided it wasn't food. Mom's laptop order got canceled because of some IP conflict. They said they can no longer do orders over the phone, it wasn't a billing issue, and for some reason they couldn't verify/get approval and we'd have to try re-ordering it-- but now it costs $50 more. Mom got mad and said we will not be ordering.


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## shan2themax

I just cut my soap a bit ago. It turned out better than I thought it would (because of the tanning of the colors). I need to get better about deciding how to divide the batter when using multiple colors. 

The scent is  Sleigh Ride


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## shan2themax

The flower ones I made with the left over batter need to harden a bit more (or I need to put them in the freezer for a bit.....) hmmmm


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## Spicoli43

Whoa! Totally Righteous Psychedelic Soap! Reefer on! 

Pizza.... mmmmmm.... Must find Donuts.... Donut Pizza!!!  Excellent!

Looks great, you could sell those at a Farmers market or on Craigs or wherever... I would say Ebay, but they charge too much. There's another site like Ebay for artsy craftsy stuff that my ex sold her stuff on. She did pretty good on it. 

Or, you could make 10 bars a year and develop a following like anything that's hardly ever made, and then retire early. The End.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  you are an awesome motivator... lol thank you!


So..... I had a huge blowout with my mom earlier. I needed to take my son with me so that we could put the OSB on top of my SUV. I told my mom I'd be gone for an hour or so and could she please not answer the door while I was gone so I wouldn't be stressed out with her home alone with them for that length of time.

Well...... let me tell you, she said she was perfectly capable of answering the door and then she started with the I am not an infant stuff, and the I am 73 years old... which she isnt, shes 72. I told her that she can barely get herself to the bathroom 15 feet from her bed, and I didnt want to worry about my dogs knocking her over or her letting them out accidentally.  I said I just need you to tell me that you wont answer the door while I am gone. 
She refused. I screamed and yelled and told her that her f****** cats were ruining my home and making me miserable and I didnt need anymore worry, could she just please not answer the door if someone comes to it. 
I am calm now, got what we needed and am back home now. 
Part of me wants to tell her that if she is that capable then she can fix her own meals, get her own cups of ice throughout the day and so on. I LITERALLY have put my desires and life on hold to care for her needs.

The dumbest part is that i just keep pouring alcohol on a wound because she is never going to change. Not ever.


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## Spicoli43

Oh yeah, you are right about cats and old people. Cats are little furry terrorists. I had NO IDEA what would happen when I got them because cats in other people's houses either ran and hid when I visited or were well behaved. As a BONUS HA HA HA HA, mine are Female, so they are in HEAT constantly... I want to throw them over the damn fence and let the neighbor have them!

Old people NEVER listen. That's all there is to it, and I think it's mostly because I'm not a Doctor, AKA a legal drug dealer or an Oncologist, AKA a legal executioner. I told several old people in my life that had cancer they need to remove Sugar from their diet... 100 PERCENT, NO cheating because Glucose is the primary fuel for Cancer cells.... NOPE, all had to have their cookies and sodas etc... They all said "Why does my Doctor have fruity sugar crap in my room then"???

Because He's an Executioner.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  I have told her about sugar (I mean I consume it....however.. lol) because she complains of yeast. I however do not know what I am talking about though..... even though I am a nurse. 

As a matter of fact, I think she is the only one who knows anything lol.

The infuriating part, she will act like nothing happened... that drives me crazy .

She has a pressure ulcer on her left elbow from sitting on the edge of the bed leaning on a tray table all the time. She says she gets them every winter there.. (duh... you just sit and lean all day every day) and she knew it was an ulcer. 
I told her it was the same thing as a bedsores, to which she replied it wasn't.... because there is usually a hole under the skin. I attempted to explain stages (why? I'm an idiot) nonetheless, according to her.... I am wrong.... again .... nurse... work in hospital.... take care of bedsores..... what do I know?
Btw.... she has never taken care of an elderly person, or a small child since my son was like 3.... hes 32, or an immobile person to know these things. 

I gave her some of the unscented calendula salve I made and asked her to put it on it. She says she did. Idk if she really did....
Here's a pic of it for fun 


Her cats arent fixed early, so they are also in heat on and off... drives me nuts


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## Eddie_T

@shan2themax  One of my wife's wound care nurses told me about this one, her's was on a Tee.


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## Spicoli43

HAHAHA WOW...... Sounds like she's just doing it to spite you. Anybody would figure the Nurse part would pass, but any 7 year old doing a SCIENCE experiment could explain the relationship between Yeast and Sugar! 

I watch these stubborn old ladies sometimes..


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## shan2themax

I am just glad that I kept the majority of what was swimming around my head out of my mouth. 
This is all I have ever known, my kids have always told me she was selfish, narcissistic, etc but I have always said..... now bow, we dont know what it's like to be given away and the emotional toll that plays..... and while that's true.... it's also BS. It was 62 years ago, theres been plenty of time to delve into it. 
I have to stop playing this dumb record. 

I'm not even upset anymore... I just have seen today, that the big picture is that she does not care about my wants or needs and thinks I am terrible and has felt that way since I was 12 and more so since I was 17

Example:
She had me unmarried at 22, I've never met my dad, he didnt pay child support or anything. Yet when I got pregnant @16, had him at 17..... she told me I should have known better, to which I replied..... she was an adult..... she should have known better..... to which I was told that that simply wasn't true. I should have been the one to know better. 
That's the sanity with her


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## zannej

Shan, the soap looks cool!

I'm very sorry about the situation with your mother. I know how that can be. Mine will refuse to do stuff she can easily do and complains if I'm not home to wait on her hand and foot-- even when I'm out getting groceries or taking care of something that needs to be done. She's gotten a little bit better about it lately though. She'll tell me I should go get a job and I have to remind her that she has a fit if I'm gone more than a couple of hours and that me having a job would mean she would have to fend for herself and she doesn't like that. She wants me to have a paying job but still be home to wait on her. I do plan to get a job once this pandemic passes though. Really hoping I can get something online if we can get better internet. I wouldn't mind being online text only tech support.

It rained all day and internet was spotty. The rain made me sleepy. I kept dozing off. 

The cats just went out in the rain and came back in soaking wet and want to sit on me. LOL.


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## Flyover

That's a tough situation Shan, not sure what else I can say. I have a lot of Indian friends for whom it's very normal, actually expected, that they'll live with their parents their whole lives and they seem to like it fine. I want to admire that but I personally don't know how it could be possible. My mom drives me nuts after five minutes _on the phone_ and that's without us even arguing about anything. I guess ultimately we all just try to do better for our kids than our parents did for us. 

I can't find the "before" pictures I took of my garage; they would make the "after" pictures more impressive. Oh well. Coming soon.


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## Spicoli43

Sorry, Shan... You have to resign yourself to the fact she will never change. The way you describe it, I would figure out how to put her in a home. None of my business of course, but I don't think I could have any good emotions toward someone like that.


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## zannej

It's pretty common in Chinese/Asian families for the children to stay with their parents. They usually don't have large families though. You'll have the grandparents, their grown sons and the son's wife & kid(s). The daughters are expected to move in with the husband's parents when they get married. Until then, they often stay with their own parents. It was about the same in Guam. It usually meant that they had constant childcare if the grandparents were still alive and/or aunts/uncles still lived there. I remember in Singapore they would have quite a few people living in a flat (apartment).

Although, in Guam they had a tradition of the parents having kids in their teens and the kids being raised by the grandparents. The parents could party, go to school, start work, etc while the kids were being raised and then when their kids were teens and started having kids, they would take on the role of parents to the grandkids. It wasn't uncommon for the grandparents to be far more attached to the grandkids than the parents were. And they had pretty big families there.

It's tough with family because it's harder to just kick them out or move away because there is so much societal pressure to take care of them. Sometimes it is rewarding. Other times there are people so toxic that the best thing to do is to cut them out of your life. Sad thing is, there are perfectly nice people who were nothing but kind to their kids but the kids are spoiled & not willing to help. I can see if the parents are a-holes, but some people give and give and all the offspring do is take. Then you have the reverse. Like my friend's mom who is always trying to bum money off of my friend. He's the only one of his siblings who is even on speaking terms with her because she has gotten on the last nerve of all of his sisters.

Today I cleaned up after my brother and around 7:30pm he decided he wanted me to take him to the grocery store. He wasn't willing to go earlier when I'd asked. It was raining but I found him an umbrella. I'm fine with getting rained on. Despite what kids may think, I won't melt if I get water on me. 

Also, this weather map sort of reminds me of a commercial for erectile dysfunction.


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## Flyover

Of my Indian friends, two (one male, one female) are close enough that I can relate their situations in more detail. Both are married (not to each other, haha) and live with their parents, though neither have kids of their own (yet?). The male friend at least has a very large family, all in India where he is too. The female friend lives here, as do her siblings and mom (and actually her situation is less conventional because her mom only moved in after being diagnosed with cancer so my friend is taking care of her), but her extended family is mostly in India and I'm not sure if it's an especially large family. The way Indians use "aunt" and "uncle" for both the literal "parent's sibling" and "friend who happens to be older" it's hard to tell sometimes how big the family really is, haha. (Some people in the US use "cousin" and "close friend" interchangeably too, it's funny.)

In my experience at least, kids have to be threatened just to keep them OUT of the rain. "Can I go play in the ditch in front of the house" (regardless whether we're about to leave to go somewhere or if it's time to sit down and eat dinner or whatever) is a pretty common refrain in my house if there's a heavy downpour. They're cute in their raincoats and boots though, it's fun to watch. It's my wife who acts like she'll melt. Personally, I have never owned an umbrella.

Reminds me though: we took our two youngest kids to the zoo this spring and it started rain storming really heavily as we were walking back to the car. I had the baby in a harness. It was her first experience being out in the rain and she got so excited, she was gasping and laughing and all four limbs were going full speed at once, it was hilarious. She thought it was some kind of special outdoor bathtime.

Zannej, your brother doesn't drive either??


----------



## Spicoli43

I have heard that Italians live with their families until they get married. I guess they don't mind it??? With never ending pasta, okay. If it was me... 2 weeks past my 18th Birthday, full up on pasta... 

"Mom, I'm moving out and going on a Paleo diet"... 

"You're F**** doing WHAT? You get your F***** A*** in here and shut the door, young man, don't you even think of F******** wait until your Father is home, he's going to Holy S***** Is the ceiling on my life collapsing, I'm dying!!! He's gonna rip your B**** off, you ingrate F***** Don't worry about me, I'll be dead in the morning, you take care of your 19 Sisters and Brothers, take all your 3 shirts and your pair of shoes that we slaved to buy you, go ahead, break our hearts"....

I agree with the standard US idea of moving out when you're 17 or so and getting struck with economic lightning so you know how the real world works. 

Zannej... I have never seen a 30 MPH Hurricane before. ??? There's nothing registering on the Earth site.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I have heard that Italians live with their families until they get married.
> 
> I agree with the standard US idea of moving out when you're 17 or so and getting struck with economic lightning so you know how the real world works.


By now I think most with Italian ancestry live like most other Americans... 
I thought 'standard US' was save money by living with parents until graduating college and thus qualifying  for a job your own family can live on through child bearing age...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> By now I think most with Italian ancestry live like most other Americans...
> I thought 'standard US' was save money by living with parents until graduating college and thus qualifying  for a job your own family can live on through child bearing age...



Could be. Their families are tight knit though, they don't stray far. 

I have never heard of living with the parents until graduating college.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Could be. Their families are tight knit though, they don't stray far.
> 
> I have never heard of living with the parents until graduating college.


You talk like Italians are from another planet... 
I assume 2nd comment is sarcasm...


----------



## Spicoli43

I have literally never heard of a kid staying with their parents through college. I never lived in cities where the rent / mortgage was insane though. People I knew my age after HS all had apartments and jobs, some went to college and lived in dorms.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I have literally never heard of a kid staying with their parents through college. I never lived in cities where the rent / mortgage was insane though. People I knew my age after HS all had apartments and jobs, some went to college and lived in dorms.


Only the kids with well off parents have the money to live in dorms plus pay tuition... most college students are commuters from home..


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I have literally never heard of a kid staying with their parents through college. I never lived in cities where the rent / mortgage was insane though. People I knew my age after HS all had apartments and jobs, some went to college and lived in dorms.


This was a new thing to me too, when I discovered many of my peers doing it after I moved out at 18 (though nobody I knew from high school did this). Even in the low-cost-of-living city I moved to, I guess it still allowed the kids to save more money. And I think a lot of the parents had anxieties about their kids moving out too. (Not sure why; I look forward to being an empty nester!)

Yesterday after moving the power outlet I hung a 98" long 2x4 across the masonry wall in my mechanical room and added a brace in the middle so I could have a place to hang my guitars. Gonna actually drill the holes and put the hooks in today.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Only the kids with well off parents have the money to live in dorms plus pay tuition... most college students are commuters from home..



Maybe you're right. I'm talking about 3 decades ago. Everybody I knew could afford an apartment with a roommate and still take College classes and go to the bars. Jobs in Construction or at the Navy Shipyard made it easy to afford.

Now, in a town where fast food or the gas station are the employers, that wouldn't work.


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## Eddie_T

We had to travel to go to college. Most that I knew came home for summers, I did until the end was in sight then I went to school year round until I finished.


----------



## Flyover

Once I moved out (age 18 right after high school) I was out. I moved across the country, actually. My mom moved too (she moved in with her boyfriend in another state; before that we'd been renting half a duplex). There was no "going back home". My home became where I lay my head. I felt like a grown-up because I was on my own -- no care packages, no taking my laundry home for mommy to do, not even phone calls because I didn't have a cell phone.

@Spicoli: which isn't to say I could afford it.  I pretty much starved until I was in my late 20s, despite working up to 3 jobs at a time.

I'm a bit alarmed about all the people my age (mid/late-30s) who now talk about "adulting". Like, WTF y'all been doing the past two decades??


----------



## Spicoli43

Oh yeah, I remember the Top Ramen days. That's where I got my High Blood Pressure for sure!! I also worked at McDonalds and Godfathers and had half off employee meals. I only had one good roommate though, lots of them didn't do their part. One of them spent my half of the rent on Coke, so I did get to go back to Mommy's house. HA HA HA HA.

Every time I think about making some extra cash, even though this is my joint, I remember all the bad roommates and it isn't worth thinking about..

I had to look up adulting, never heard that term. 

I guess they can run the dishwasher fine can they now, maybe sprinkle a little laundry detergent right in the clothes and turn that dial a little bitty bit now? When the machine goes beep beep, they can put the clothes in the dryer then? Maybe add a sheet of perfume surprise stuff while the dryin happens, hmm? Remove the clothes and fold them up nice and neat? Hang up some and iron others while feeling like a good accomplished person? 

Sorry, Stewie took control of the keyboard...


----------



## zannej

I was overseas where I couldn't legally get a job when I turned 18. When we moved to Guam I started working (and went to college). My college didn't have dorms and it's a small island so I stayed at home with my parents. I didn't make enough to move back to the mainland and I didn't want to permanently live there. Plus I was still covered by my parent's insurance until I was 23 so long as I was still going to college. By the time we transferred back to the mainland I'd been having health issues.

It's very common for people to stay with their parents now because jobs don't pay enough and rent is insanely high for tiny places. It's just not feasible.

My brother does drive but he's not allowed to drive Mom's truck (as that is our main vehicle). His truck needs some work done on it to be safe to drive. He was supposed to be making sure the CR-V got started to keep the battery up, but he forgot so the battery is dead. Also, since they messed up the road, the CR-V can't make it on the road. It would get high-centered. The truck has 18" wheels and AWD but I was having trouble with it. I need to get the tie rod & alignment checked because the steering has been feeling loose and the truck keeps pulling to the right. I'll have to take it through the car wash and get an undercarriage spray. It's covered in mud right now. My brother's truck only has 17" wheels and in the truck with 18" wheels I could feel and hear mud scraping the bottom when I drove today.

Mom insisted I go get mail and pick up an RX for her. Stopped in to see my friend & he wanted to go to HD to get a lousy cabinet. I convinced him to wait for me to take him tomorrow so he can get a better cabinet (HD has particle board garbage but other place has thick plywood and real oak). He's afraid to try to drive certain places due to being blind in one eye and having diminished vision in his working eye. We've been discussing how we are going to move an outlet for the microwave. He wants to put in some sort of countertop over the dishwasher so he can have more prep space.

Meanwhile, Mom bought another ice maker. We have one already but she forgot I guess. So now it's taking up space on the potato bin and I have no idea what to do with it. She said "put it up in a cabinet". I said "We don't have a cabinet large enough to fit it! That's why the old one is sitting out on top of the entertainment center Cordell gave us!" (the entertainment center has an 8 track player, vinyl record player, and cassette player in it).


----------



## Eddie_T

I've been using a little Igloo ice maker for five years, maybe more. I got it because the copper line to the fridge ice maker froze one time too many and I wasn't ready to fish a PEX line through the attic. Now that it's just me one filling will make enough ice to last a week. I transfer it to the bin in the fridge freezer.

I think I have a plan to get the PEX in place w/o crawling in the attic. I will use a couple of sticks of thin walled ¾" PVC with the *¼" *PEX inside to guide the PEX to a snare through the ceiling in the cabinet over the fridge. Then route it through the cabinet to behind the fridge. The kitchen and utility room are only 14ft wide so the attic is low. I routed coax through the attic that way from a satellite dish and it worked out well.


----------



## havasu

zannej said:


> It's pretty common in Chinese/Asian families for the children to stay with their parents. They usually don't have large families though. You'll have the grandparents, their grown sons and the son's wife & kid(s). The daughters are expected to move in with the husband's parents when they get married. Until then, they often stay with their own parents. It was about the same in Guam. It usually meant that they had constant childcare if the grandparents were still alive and/or aunts/uncles still lived there. I remember in Singapore they would have quite a few people living in a flat (apartment).
> 
> Although, in Guam they had a tradition of the parents having kids in their teens and the kids being raised by the grandparents. The parents could party, go to school, start work, etc while the kids were being raised and then when their kids were teens and started having kids, they would take on the role of parents to the grandkids. It wasn't uncommon for the grandparents to be far more attached to the grandkids than the parents were. And they had pretty big families there.
> 
> It's tough with family because it's harder to just kick them out or move away because there is so much societal pressure to take care of them. Sometimes it is rewarding. Other times there are people so toxic that the best thing to do is to cut them out of your life. Sad thing is, there are perfectly nice people who were nothing but kind to their kids but the kids are spoiled & not willing to help. I can see if the parents are a-holes, but some people give and give and all the offspring do is take. Then you have the reverse. Like my friend's mom who is always trying to bum money off of my friend. He's the only one of his siblings who is even on speaking terms with her because she has gotten on the last nerve of all of his sisters.
> 
> Today I cleaned up after my brother and around 7:30pm he decided he wanted me to take him to the grocery store. He wasn't willing to go earlier when I'd asked. It was raining but I found him an umbrella. I'm fine with getting rained on. Despite what kids may think, I won't melt if I get water on me.
> 
> Also, this weather map sort of reminds me of a commercial for erectile dysfunction.
> View attachment 26575


You're looking at it upside down. It is a Happy Storm!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> And I think a lot of the parents had anxieties about their kids moving out too. (Not sure why; I look forward to being an empty nester!)


Without the stability of both parents taking care of kids at home, once the last child leaves, probably 50% of the parents will get divorced within 5 - 10 years.
I grew up in a suburban bedroom community of working people next to the city over 5 decades ago. Parents wanted their kids to have as good or better life than them and most kids went to college. Most parents were sober, stable, married, both employed, and kind... like the Cleavor family only poorer. My Dad after getting out of Army/Air Force/WWII built our home himself on 5 acres of partly wooded yard land he bought in an idyllic setting with a creek running across the end of it. It was pretty much surrounded by woods owned by the stone quarry, farmers, and others. Kinda like living in a campground so we had no interest in 'going camping', that was home. Although my Dad also built boats that we took to the lake. The nearby city had 5 major auto factories paying good wages and employing tens of thousands of people and similar large factories making other things plus supporting businesses. The city also has several colleges. The major one with 2 campuses: a 4 year and up and a 2 year. The 4 year has dorms and fraternity houses but most students are commuters. The 2 year has no housing and most students are commuters. The other colleges were mostly commuter except for nursing schools. I went to college full time (less than full time got you drafted into War on Vietnam if you were a male) and worked full time over night, studied the rest of the time, ducked back into home to get what sleep I could. Still ended up in Vietnam later. Back in my day, part time jobs for students at large employers paid about the same as full time jobs, but now they've been cut to 1/2 - 1/4 of that pay. Probably because of outside competition from Asia.


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> One day we're gonna figure out the damage that sugar has done to humans. In the meantime, look at what is generally available to consumers to buy and eat, and look at the ENORMOUS amount of sugar that's digested on a daily basis while dining these foods, and one would have to be blind not to see the connection to this morbid obesity problem we have.
> 
> My first job out of college was as a sales representative with Nabisco. I remember the fights we had with the FDA in attempting to prevent product labeling, so we wouldn't have to list the amount of sugar, corn syrup, lard. The compromise was to shift to partially hydrogenated oils, instead of lard. I always wondered if the general consumer knew that the icing in an Oreo is nothing but confectioner's sugar (real sweet), and lard? (Now imagine Oreo Double-Stuf).



Some have figured out the damage done by Sugar, Table Salt, MSG etc... The only replacements for Sugar that aren't harmful (so far) are Xylitol, Stevia, Monkfruit. There is others, but the food producers can't stop using Sugar because of the Beet farmers. They have the replacements that people know. The same rings true for Salt, where people like me use Himalayan Pink or Celtic Sea Salt. Then there's MSG and it's 100 different names like you know.

With all the Excitotoxins, people wouldn't care if the Oreo was made out of Tarantulas as long as they had the Excitotoxins in them. People that are afraid of Spiders would say "Well, it isn't alive, so give me the Oreos".

Changing people diet wise is futile if they don't commit 110%. I can go from a flat belly to "Obese" during Football season because I snack a lot now, but I know how MY body works and how to control it. People on the Yo Yo that are actually trying to lose weight keep going back to the same National diet plans like Jenny Craig and WW that are the same exact foods as a Walmart freezer, only less of it, so their brain stays addicted to the Excitotoxins and the 14000 chemicals added to "food", and the only thing that happens is the programs keep taking their money.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The only replacements for Sugar that aren't harmful


Instead of replacing sugars, avoid them by staying active instead of sitting and munching... I'm boycotting NFL because they hate us, but do watch some CFB... keep doing other things while the game is on either in same room as TV or duck in occasionally to see some plays and check the score... Keeping active is also beneficial in several other ways and gets things done around the house... of course my bad back, bad hip, and bad shoulder doesn't make it easy to stay active... but use it or lose it...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Instead of replacing sugars, avoid them by staying active instead of sitting and munching... I'm boycotting NFL because they hate us, but do watch some CFB... keep doing other things while the game is on either in same room as TV or duck in occasionally to see some plays and check the score... Keeping active is also beneficial in several other ways and gets things done around the house... of course my bad back, bad hip, and bad shoulder doesn't make it easy to stay active... but use it or lose it...



Good advice, but I'm not the target. I could avoid snacking and just stay on a Paleo type diet all year, but I know I can get back there whenever I want because I don't have the Psychological and Physiological addiction to any of the food chemicals anymore. The first time I did a 110% committed Paleo diet, the chemical attraction so to speak was removed. I can eat Pizza or Ice Cream etc., but I never crave it. I don't crave fast food like I used to. 

I'll never watch the Anti-American leagues again. I fought for the Flag, I stand for the Flag. I kneel for God and the ones that never made it back home.


----------



## Eddie_T

I never understood the fascination for sports, HS maybe when I knew the players and they spoke in full sentences. NFL game comes on TV, good time for a nap or a Rosenfelt novel. I used to like the Rose parade but now it's all about the announcers, one can't even enjoy the bands. The same is true of Macy's and any televised parade.

I'm having to watch my coffee for gnats. I don't know how they get in. I don't have any produce in the house other than one cuke and a handful of pole beans and there are no gnats near them.


----------



## Flyover

Parades are streams of walking advertisements.

Sports -- I love playing sports, and I enjoy watching them if I happen into a room where a game is on, but how can people give a $#!+ which team wins, which player is on what team, how each team is doing, who's going to win the big trophy... I was rather consumed with that data when I was like 10 years old, but past puberty I realized it was pretty close to the least important thing in the universe. Do people who follow sports have nothing else going on in their lives? I am reasonably sure it's simply a religion for them actually.


----------



## Spicoli43

High School Football is a religion in some places like Texas. College Football is a religion everywhere. You either don't like it or you root for 1 of 2 major teams in the State and hate their rivals. That's about 97 percent of it. Some people like both major teams in a State, but I have never known anyone like that. 

I was born an NFL fan, but I never liked watching anything else, especially MLB because it's mind numbing on the boring scale. Now they outed themselves as Marxists, so I'm happy with that as my main excuse. Same with the NBA, too long of a season, don't care for Drama Queens like Lebron, and they are Chinese Marxists. Now, I'm just rooting for the NFL, MLB and NBA ratings to sink so low that they have to drastically cut player salaries so I can hear those prima donnas whine. 

I liked playing everything growing up, I was good at all of it because there was life before cell phones and the interwebben. All we could do is play and practice.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was listening to "You Say" by Lauren Daigle and got the feeling that I should email the link to a couple of ladies that I know. One of them emailed me a thanks as she is having a job related challenge.


----------



## zannej

I get sooo bored with sports. LOL. I can never tell what is happening and I don't like commentators. Although there was some football game on the other day and one of the teams had a tiger mascot and I like tigers so I was rooting for them. LOL. There was some weird clock and something about "overtime" and it kept counting down over and over.

Shan, I forgot to mention, if your mom has an issue with yeast, you might want to get some Parent's Choice shea butter wet wipes. My uncle first mentioned the antifungal properties of shea butter to me and I found the wipes. They have helped my mother quite a bit (her "girls" hang down almost to her waist and in this climate she's prone to rashes).

Friend ticked me off by not answering my messages and I finally went over there after 11 (he'd said he wanted to go to the store "early early" but didn't wake up and had his phone on silent mode). I called him several times. He & his gf were sleeping on the couch together. When he got up his gf fell and hit her head, arm, and leg on the coffee table. 

I saved my friend some $ because "The Deal Guy" on Youtube mentioned some of the big box stores will give discounts on damaged products. The butcher block countertop at Lowes my friend was getting had scratches, stains, and a big chunk out of it (on what will be the underside). My friend was unsure about asking, but I asked around and employees directed me to a manager. I very politely asked if they would do a discount due to the big missing chunk and other damage. Got my friend 20% off. He was pretty happy about that. Got the sealant for it and then hit the next store- Home Outlet (aka Surplus Warehouse). I grabbed the very last 12" base cabinet and he found the dishwasher end panel. Sometime this weekend I'm going over to seal and paint stuff.

Today is the birthday of another friend and her "present" was finding out she & her boyfriend have Covid. She's not in the best of health (due to neglect, abuse, and accidental mercury poisoning as a child) so I'm worried about her.

I put eye medicine in Nightmeow's eyes just in case my friend forgot. He wanted me to stay and hold him but I had to get home to feed mom. He just purrs and cuddles me. Such a sweet little baby. If the road wasn't so awful right now I'd go in every day.

Since they unpaved the road it is a huge mess. I almost go high-centered and I have 18" wheels. I could hear and feel the road scraping the underside but there was no way to avoid it. Whoever decided to tear up the paving during storm season is a moron.

But, mom has been fed, the cats and dogs are napping on my bed, and I'm about to get a nap.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  I will have to get some and see if that helps.
Thank you!

@Eddie_T that song will forever be my favorite.  I'm glad you enjoy it.

I made scrambled eggs day before yesterday for my mom, she told me today(?)
That she wanted to know why they werent yellow and resembled a sandy beach that water had swept past .

They were deep yellow farm fresh eggs and I pushed them around and around in the skillet. I keep telling her she needs glasses 

I am worn out today. We got the OSB the other day and I pulled up just a small section of flooring and replaced it with a piece of wood that i already had and them put floor leveler on the side that wasnt straight. I had them cut 2 of my pieces of OSB the other day. One at 30x 96inches and the other @24x96 wide. That way I could have a decent size of 2 pieces to put inside the closet floor coming out overtop of the bad spot.  Finally found my batteries to my circular saw, and was able to cut out the protrusion of both side of the closet.... one the first try even. I should have had them cut the one @25" and wedged it in there, but it only affects inside the closet. I work the next 2 days, so I wont be able to fix it until next week anyways. It certainly has worn me out though. For whatever reason my son piled the sheets of OSB on the wall I needed to work on. So that took alot out of me this morning just moving that all around. 
I should sleep like a baby tonight for sure. 

I was watching a YouTube yesterday and a bunch of other channels got together for his birthday and helped clean up his new property and helped build a well house and chicken coop. Those are my kind of people.  You just dont find community like that anymore.

I enjoyed baseball growing up. The man that raised my mom played professionally for the ?yankees?? For one season.  My grandmother (his wife) was a huge Pete Rose and Reds fan. She was deaf, but she would yell at that TV during games. I sure do miss her a bunch. 

As far as football. I never understood it much, my mom was a fan of Marshall University (my hometown) football, and then basketball in general. I didn't care about either. 

I was a very frustrated child and our relationship was much the same as it is now, except I now have opinions and likes and dislikes.... and then I didnt take up for myself much about my own desires. 

She put me through psycho-educational testing around my 13th birthday, and even in the notes of those results, it says we had a tumultuous relationship then. 

Today was a quiet day, and I made fried eggs this time lol


----------



## Eddie_T

Speaking of sugar wasn't Billy Graham's favorite a lemon cake with lard icing (shades of original Oreo filling).


----------



## Flyover

shan2themax said:


> You just dont find community like that anymore.


Depends where you look. That's exactly the kind of thing that would happen both where I live now and where I just moved from.

Re. Sports, I was an athletic kid and sports was something my 10 year-old brain could understand, that also offered numbers and status tension and things like that for my brain to chew on, so it's not surprising I was obsessed with it. But then I turned, you know, like 12 years old and the kids who were still obsessed with it I'd look at them and be like "Are you still playing pretend with your stuffed animals too?" I get that same feeling when I see adults following/talking about sports now. Some people are using politics to try to make it look like they're grown ups and not that they only now realized how ridiculous they look playing Sportscenter. (Of course the whole PC/anti-PC drama in sports is just more stuffed animals to play with and it's hard for me to picture a mature adult closely paying attention to that either.)

I hung up my guitars and my Northwest Coast Indian art prints in my new office yesterday. All that's left is some hooks for my backpacks, a couple shelves, and the rest of the art.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Do people who follow sports have nothing else going on in their lives? I am reasonably sure it's simply a religion for them actually.


Sports don't seem to fit the definition of religion:
RELIGIONS = ADDICTION to being LIED TO, an ENFORCED PSYCHOSIS, and WRITTEN ORDERS for their customers to automatically instantly HATE, HURT, and MASS MURDER EVERYONE on the planet not of the exact same religion !!!


----------



## 68bucks

I love sports. Played when I was young but I love CFB and MLB. I also love motor sports though I don't believe drivers are really athletes per se. I lost most interest in the NFL and only pay marginal attention. NBA does nothing for me since the 80's. 
Of course the owners are billionaires and many of the players are rich premodonas but it's all just entertainment. Athletes are no different than actors and no one seems to gripe about an actor making $15 million for a movie or $2 million an episode. My wife and I watch a ball game almost every evening. There usually is nothing else on worth watching.

So today I will do a few chores then watch a CF game this afternoon. I tend to record most races and skip though it in the evening.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> (Of course the whole PC/anti-PC drama in sports is just more stuffed animals to play with and it's hard for me to picture a mature adult closely paying attention to that either.)


Professional sports depend on fans for their support so when they start expressing (undeserved) hatred of their fans that can be a problem.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Since they unpaved the road it is a huge mess. I almost go high-centered and I have 18" wheels. I could hear and feel the road scraping the underside but there was no way to avoid it. Whoever decided to tear up the paving during storm season is a moron.


Is it 3 major storms you've been hit by this year? 
This city is in a CRIME WAVE with 1 1/2 MURDERS WEEKLY but, at least, they've got the taxes high enough now that after Welfare GiveAways, and major corruption, there's still some money left to re-pave the roads with now... surprised they found some workers to do that...


----------



## BuzzLOL

@Eddie_T I made scrambled eggs day before yesterday for my mom, she told me today(?) That she wanted to know why they werent yellow and resembled a sandy beach that water had swept past . [/QUOTE]
Did you make them with eggs, water, salt and pepper? Or add milk?


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> ...and no one seems to gripe about an actor making $15 million for a movie or $2 million an episode.


We gripe if they start expressing hate for America and Americans...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Some people like both major teams in a State, but I have never known anyone like that.
> 
> I liked playing everything growing up, I was good at all of it because there was life before cell phones and the interwebben. All we could do is play and practice.


I live in Toledo, Ohio so a fan of Toledo and Ohio State college football, but firmly boycott all America-hating pro sports now... 

Yeah, I mainly feel sports should be played rather than watched, so mostly just keep track of games in passing while doing other things, don't sit and watch for long... although realize as we get older, we can participate in sports less and tend to watch more...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Sports don't seem to fit the definition of religion:
> RELIGIONS = ADDICTION to being LIED TO, an ENFORCED PSYCHOSIS, and WRITTEN ORDERS for their customers to automatically instantly HATE, HURT, and MASS MURDER EVERYONE on the planet not of the exact same religion !!!


Whoa *・ ・ ・* you're painting religion with a rather broad brush. You've either been abused by a cult else you are an evangelistic atheist.


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> We gripe if they start expressing hate for America and Americans...


Some do some don't, can't lump them all together, imo, any more than any other group. That is one of the major problems we have these days, it's all or nothing regardless of the topic. If the kneeling for the anthem is the bar then by far most stand and love the USA. In some sports many are not from the US but most still stand. One thing I find funny is that before athletes started kneeling for the national anthem TV never showed he national anthem before a game unless it was the Super Bowl or the World Series. Now they show it all the time just to see what happens. Controversy draws views. It's what they're in business to do I guess.


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> I live in Toledo, Ohio so a fan of Toledo and Ohio State college football, but firmly boycott all America-hating pro sports now...
> 
> Yeah, I mainly feel sports should be played rather than watched, so mostly just keep track of games in passing while doing other things, don't sit and watch for long... although realize as we get older, we can participate in sports less and tend to watch more...


Hey we're neighbors. Lived in toledo area my whole life.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I live in Toledo, Ohio so a fan of Toledo and Ohio State college football, but firmly boycott all America-hating pro sports now...
> 
> Yeah, I mainly feel sports should be played rather than watched, so mostly just keep track of games in passing while doing other things, don't sit and watch for long... although realize as we get older, we can participate in sports less and tend to watch more...



Toledo and OSU are rivals? 

I do assume you hate Michigan by birth.


----------



## zannej

Yeah, 3 major storms thus far I think.

I'm still tired from yesterday. My friend said he went to cut some overhanging backsplash off the countertop last night and the saw kicked back and split the countertop. I think he means where the backsplash connects to the counter. I was going to suggest gluing and clamping but I think he already cut more of it off. If he'd listened to me from the very beginning we could have easily cut that countertop on my tablesaw before he first installed it. I'm waiting for him to respond with pictures. He said something about needing a 2x4 or something.

My vision is blurry and my brain is not fully awake. I think I'll take my meds and nap longer. I racked out yesterday but mom woke me up in the middle of the night to cook for her.


----------



## Flyover

Pro athletes are teenage and 20-something guys in tight pants whose job is to play with a ball. Regardless whether they are America-hating commies or flag-waving veteran-panderers, why would anyone care what their political opinions are?? Seriously, if you do then to me it suggests you have some weird fixation on these young men in tight pants.

If there's nothing else on, why not go to the garage and build something, or read a book, or write a letter to an old friend, or work out, or talk with your wife, or do basically ANY OTHER ACTIVITY besides sitting on the couch staring at a screen?? (Popping in to check on the screen is the same thing just reduced In scale.) In a few short decades you'll be dead. Why fill your precious hours with televised kids in tight pants playing games with balls? Maybe if one of them was YOUR kid I could understand...but even then, my mom doesn't show up at my office to watch me do my job.

What explains this? I can't fathom it.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have achieved a milestone · · · · my posture was already poor but reading 150+ novels online over the past year have made it worse. I do several exercises and use a couple of devices to stretch and position my spine with some positive result. I now find that I can achieve the position depicted in this youtube screenshot that wasn't possible a couple of months ago. Progress is slow but it took years to get the poor posture and I am well on the way to resolution. The second picture is the Spine-Worx device I use in the fully reclined position two or three times per day for 2 to 15 minutes.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Pro athletes are teenage and 20-something guys in tight pants whose job is to play with a ball. Regardless whether they are America-hating commies or flag-waving veteran-panderers, why would anyone care what their political opinions are?? Seriously, if you do then to me it suggests you have some weird fixation on these young men in tight pants.
> 
> If there's nothing else on, why not go to the garage and build something, or read a book, or write a letter to an old friend, or work out, or talk with your wife, or do basically ANY OTHER ACTIVITY besides sitting on the couch staring at a screen?? (Popping in to check on the screen is the same thing just reduced In scale.) In a few short decades you'll be dead. Why fill your precious hours with televised kids in tight pants playing games with balls? Maybe if one of them was YOUR kid I could understand...but even then, my mom doesn't show up at my office to watch me do my job.
> 
> What explains this? I can't fathom it.



I think you're projecting quite a bit. I have heard people bash sports before for various reasons because they didn't like them. I have never heard anyone talk about the athletes' tight pants, though as nobody stares at the tight pants.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I have achieved a milestone · · · · my posture was already poor but reading 150+ novels online over the past year have made it worse. I do several exercises and use a couple of devices to stretch and position my spine with some positive result. I now find that I can achieve the position depicted in this youtube screenshot that wasn't possible a couple of months ago. Progress is slow but it took years to get the poor posture and I am well on the way to resolution. The second picture is the Spine-Worx device I use in the fully reclined position two or three times per day for 2 to 15 minutes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 26594



Thanks. I have (had?) Scoliosis and have several Degenerative discs as well as at least one that slips out twice a year like clockwork, making me use a chair as a walker and turning me into Quasimoto for a week. 

Be careful with the pictures though, that guy has both a tight shirt AND tight pants. Whatever sport he is playing will upset somebody.


----------



## Eddie_T

I've been to Cleveland but never to Toledo. I had a first cousin that settled there and had two daughters. They have passed but there is a number of cousins several degrees removed in Toledo that I have never met.

Cleveland was interesting, University Circle a nice place to enjoy some culture. On two or three of my trips to then LeRC we flew to DC or Princeton in NASA 's Learjet. We would assemble in the hangar, sit in the plane for 10 or 15 minutes then taxi onto the Hopkins runway and never slow down. Expensive I guess but a neat way to travel.


----------



## Eddie_T

Speaking of tight pants, I like khakis but the chino look has shifted to tapered legs with tight hems which serve to simultaneously make both arse and feet look big. I don't buy them but I seem to be one of the few holdouts. I won't even offer comment on women in skinny jeans.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have very few "famous" places on my visit list other than Civil War locations, as I was fascinated with them living in Virginia. As far as movie locations, I am considering moving toward Astoria, Oregon, site of "The Goonies", and would visit Cleveland for my favorite movie of all time, "A Christmas Story".


----------



## oldognewtrick

I grew up in Cincinnati, mom and dad's family were both in Toledo. I remember going there as a child to visit. Most lived in Point Place, grandma lived in Sylvania. I can remember a restraunt named Red Wells that had awesome roast beef. After the war dad kept a boat at Bayview Yacht Club that's where mom and dad met. Still have a couple of cousins there that I haven't talked to in years.


----------



## Eddie_T

Several of us cousins were congregated in Kaw City, OK for a birthday celebration. One evening we went to Ponca City for dinner. One of the OH cousins was puzzled at a sign on the restaurant stating that it had sweet tea. I explained to her that they knew that a southerner) was coming and that I knew sugar will not dissolve in iced tea.


----------



## 68bucks

I traveled a lot in the south for work and it caught me by surprise when the menu said iced tea and when I ordered it I got a glass of sweet, really sweet, tea by default.


----------



## Eddie_T

68bucks said:


> I traveled a lot in the south for work and it caught me by surprise when the menu said iced tea and when I ordered it I got a glass of sweet, really sweet, tea by default.


Yeah, I forgot to mention that. If they don't ask (and you don't specify) you're likely to get the sweet stuff.  A friend gave me a gallon of Arizona  (made in NY) sweet tea and it's a bit too sweet.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, I don't bash sports. Sports are healthy and fun to play, can even be fun to watch if you happen across a game. But I'll admit I do bash _paying attention_ to sports, and I'll bash paying attention to the political opinions of people involved with sports too.  In how many instances is it worthwhile to care what someone's politics are? I can think of only a very few: someone you're going to marry (ehhh maybe), or someone who's going to represent you in local government.

Two younger kids are napping finally. I'm going to find the baby monitor now so I can work out in the basement.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, I don't bash sports. Sports are healthy and fun to play, can even be fun to watch if you happen across a game. But I'll admit I do bash _paying attention_ to sports, and I'll bash paying attention to the political opinions of people involved with sports too.  In how many instances is it worthwhile to care what someone's politics are? I can think of only a very few: someone you're going to marry (ehhh maybe), or someone who's going to represent you in local government.
> 
> Two younger kids are napping finally. I'm going to find the baby monitor now so I can work out in the basement.



It's not someone's politics, it's the league's politics. They are trying to poison the kids, just like classrooms are trying to poison kids.

You could pay attention to sports just fine if you stopped paying attention to the guys' tight pants.


----------



## Flyover

Who cares about the league, let alone its politics?? Why is this even something adults pay attention to?


----------



## Spicoli43

I don't care about the Pro leagues. I just mentioned what I care about. 

People that pay attention to sports do so for the love of the game. People that pay attention to tight pants need to lay on a couch and discuss it with a professional.


----------



## zannej

I know some people who pay attention to the tight pants in sports. I think it may be the only reason some of them watch sports. LOL.

Now, I was all about the spandex in early to mid 90s so I can't really complain, but now I hate tight pants. I despise "skinny jeans". I have to buy men's pants because I have a hard time finding comfortable loose pants for women that have decent pockets. I like big pockets on my pants. I always get stretch fabric ones though. I think it's knit fabric.

The talk of athletes reminded me of a thread I saw on Twitter that started out with news of a high school football player on a ventilator from Covid. Whole thread is about teenagers down to infants who are in ICU, on life support, or who died from Covid. A doctor posted the thread and it's heartbreaking.

I talked to some nurses and a pediatrician friends earlier who were lamenting how bad things are in the hospitals. The pediatrician said Covid is now causing brain damage as well as other longterm/permanent damage. It has mutated to become worse and is hitting children particularly hard.

I rested and then got up to cook for Mom. I was waiting for her to come out and say she was hungry, but started cooking first. She said she smelled the food so she left me alone. I watched Halloween Wars while eating.

Friend contacted me and told me that when he went to trim the formica countertop to get the new counter to fit (he had left part of the backsplash uncut bc he declined to use my tablesaw to cut it, the saw kicked and cracked the formica about 8" and it wouldn't fit on the counter properly anymore. So he might have to replace it. Unfortunately, that particular color is out of stock.


----------



## Spicoli43

I do believe I have both a sighting of tight pants AND paying attention at the same time... I cannot confirm the tight pants, as there is only one guy in the world that is the official spokesperson, and he is not me.

The paying attention part is obvious though, as several people have gathered around to do so...

1 Hour and 51 minutes into the video is where the questionable sightings are... Proceed with caution if you are a closet tight pants on guys seeker, maybe you are already good for the week...


----------



## shan2themax

So thankful that these last 2 shifts are over. My facility has 393 beds. 84 of those beds are positive covid patients.

Anyone have suggestions for an easy to install brand/type of ceiling fan? I despise hanging ceiling fans, however..... I despise sleeping in a warm room more and mine has gone kaput. I need something that can hang up there while I wire things... or something similar.


Tight pants, men smacking men on the but while tossing a ball and making millions..... I'll never understand it. 
I'm over here saving lives, being abused , and definitely not making millions....

Anyways..... back to ceiling fans.... I have back/neck pain, and have had bilateral rotator cuff repair in the past 5 years.... so the easier the better. Lol


----------



## zannej

Shan, you are looking for a "hugger" or "flush mount" style ceiling fan. Unfortunately, finding a good reliable one is a problem now. Most of the ceiling fans in my house are Evergo ones purchased from Sears in the 80s. You might be able to find working vintage ones.

It's important to know what size though, and that is not always easy to determine. The newer fans we've bought in the last few years have stopped working after only a couple years but the Evergo fans are still running (with the exception of the one in my room which I think is faulty electrical from the switch).

Lightinguniverse.com might have some decent ceiling fans. It's important to check the reviews. My friend got a Hunter brand fan with the motor DOA. You might also try wayfair.

Right now I have a Vornado desk fan to my right and a Honeywell desk fan to my left. I like to have a breeze.

I forgot to mention that last time I went to my workshop I noticed scorch marks around the breaker box. Not good. I decided not to touch it. Might explain why some of the lights in the shop aren't working though.

Today (ok, technically yesterday since it's after midnight) I went to my friend's house in the early afternoon. Chatted with him & his gf's family. Her brother is not very bright but her sister-in-law is pretty sharp.

I was hoping to paint the base cabinet before he put it in place but he had already jammed it against the wall-- which made it more difficult to pain. I couldn't find the painter's tape (turned out to be on the floor underneath a trash bag). I got a little spot of paint on the wall, but that wall panel will be getting painted at some point anyway. I was being picky and had my friend shine a flashlight on the corner so I could see if I missed spots. Even if it won't be visible it will still bug me. The gf's family were surprised that I had painted all of the cabinets.

I managed to only spill one little drop on the floor (but it wasn't on the vinyl plank-- it was where it was missing).

I also put the first coat of sealant on the butcherblock (it's food safe). Didn't have the right rags for it and had to use a crappy paper towel instead. I'm going to use a rag for the next few coats.

I'll post pics in the "my best friend's house burned on easter" thread.

I put medicine in Nightmeow's eyes before heading to the store to grab some stuff I forgot last time.

I'm planning to go back and do a coat of poly on the base cabinet, on the underside of the butcherblock, a bit up the sides of the butcherblock, and then put another coat of sealant on the top and front. Just 1 coat improved how it looked.

Got home and cooked for Mom. Cats missed me so they jumped on me the first chance they got.


----------



## Flyover

The tight pants thing was just a little joke that lots of people have already made about football/baseball, but wow you really latched on to that part, Spicoli. Was not expecting that.

I love playing music with my friends, but I'm not paying any attention to who's at the top of the charts, or where in the charts my favorite bands are. I love building stuff out of wood, but I don't care about Bob Vila's political opinions. And yeah, I loved playing sports as a little kid, still enjoy it when I get the chance now, like how I enjoy weightlifting and swimming. It's fun, feels good, makes me feel good later too because being frail and unhealthy and overweight would suck. Doesn't mean I could name a single weightlifter or (other than Michael Phelps because he was really famous) a single swimmer. That information just isn't relevant to my life at all.

So "Love of the game" might make sense while you're actually playing the game, especially while you're a little kid and have nothing else going on in your life. Why this "love of the game" should persist for so many people after about age 12, I can only speculate, but none of the reasons I can come up with are flattering.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I forgot to mention that last time I went to my workshop I noticed scorch marks around the breaker box. Not good. I decided not to touch it. Might explain why some of the lights in the shop aren't working though.



Whoa... Why are you doing anything besides calling an Electrician right now?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> The tight pants thing was just a little joke that lots of people have already made about football/baseball, but wow you really latched on to that part, Spicoli. Was not expecting that.
> 
> I love playing music with my friends, but I'm not paying any attention to who's at the top of the charts, or where in the charts my favorite bands are. I love building stuff out of wood, but I don't care about Bob Vila's political opinions. And yeah, I loved playing sports as a little kid, still enjoy it when I get the chance now, like how I enjoy weightlifting and swimming. It's fun, feels good, makes me feel good later too because being frail and unhealthy and overweight would suck. Doesn't mean I could name a single weightlifter or (other than Michael Phelps because he was really famous) a single swimmer. That information just isn't relevant to my life at all.
> 
> So "Love of the game" might make sense while you're actually playing the game, especially while you're a little kid and have nothing else going on in your life. Why this "love of the game" should persist for so many people after about age 12, I can only speculate, but none of the reasons I can come up with are flattering.



Your quote... "Regardless whether they are America-hating commies or flag-waving veteran-panderers, why would anyone care what their political opinions are?? Seriously, if you do then to me it suggests you have some weird fixation on these young men in tight pants."

You go from talking about their politics, (which you incorrectly attributed to the athletes and not the leagues) to tight pants that has NOTHING to do with anything and which NO OTHER GUY has ever said around me, and that includes 40 years of watching the NFL and MLB before they went woke, and about 30 years watching the NBA... NOBODY ever said that, because nobody has ever HAD your fixation which you are clearly PROJECTING.


----------



## Flyover

You're still fixating on that little joke I made in one comment. I don't know what to tell you. It's not even my joke. If I could go back and erase it I would because it's clearly become very distracting.

As for the politics, I was using shorthand but it's equally irrelevant whether it's the athletes or their employers or the advertisers. Why should any of that matter to a grown man with a job and a house and a family? It's like those old senile people who yell at the face on the TV because they believe the face can hear them, only they have the excuse of being old and senile.

It's sad to hear you wasted so many years and decades watching people play games with balls. Politics is a silly thing to finally be the red pill that snaps you out of it, but at least maybe will inspire you to turn your TV off and go do something else. There's always a silver lining! Sending best wishes that you can salvage your remaining time for something meaningful.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had plans but rain cancelled them again. I need a run of dry days to dry my entry doors. They have rain and sun damage. My rain chain solves the rain splash problem (except for torrential downpours) and I am considering a small pergola to block the sun. I could also hide a gutter section in the pergola but both are for future consideration.

I like the doors which are irreplaceable, I can't find anything I like even if I was willing to spend 2-3K. It's double doors with a Tee astragal between them. The pic shows the bottoms. So far I have removed flaky paint and applied a wood hardener. Next comes crack filing where glued-up panels have separated. Then comes sanding, base coating and antique glazing. My original base coat was Devoe Chinese Red, I think Devoe was bought out and Chinese red in other brands doesn't come close. Fortunately tractor/implement red in a rattle can appears to be a close match (and is both paint and primer. When I painted them 10+ years ago I used an airbrush to apply the glaze.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yes, I would never get different doors. Those are incredible!


----------



## Eddie_T

Resurrection Lily is in bloom. It's also called Surprise Lily or Naked Lady. It blooms in September before the foliage grows.


----------



## tomtheelder2020

Spicoli43 said:


> When the leagues kneel against the Flag and wave their own Marxist flag, that ticks me off, so I don't watch those leagues.


Kneeling does not mean what you think it does. Kaepernick chose kneeling as a form of protest because of a former Green Beret and former NFL player who was upset that Kaepernick sat on bench during national anthem. I encourage you to read this article (Colin Kaepernick: How taking a knee started after NFL quarterback met Nate Boyer | NFL News | Sky Sports) but please at least read this quote from Nate Boyer: 

"Taking a knee has never been in my experience seen as a disrespectful act. People take a knee to pray, to propose to a future spouse. When someone's knighted, they take a knee. When I visit Arlington (National Cemetery) and my buddy who's passed, I take a knee in front of his grave to pay respects.

"When a player's hurt on the field in a [US] football game, and probably a lot of sports, a lot of the other players will often take a knee out of respect until that player that's injured is either carted off, carried off, or walks off on their own.

"It's a respectful gesture. I also saw it like a flag being at half-mast in a way. We raise flags at half-mast when somebody passes away or we are remembering a dark day in our history."


----------



## Eddie_T

tomtheelder2020 said:


> Kneeling does not mean what you think it does. Kaepernick chose kneeling as a form of protest because of a former Green Beret and former NFL player who was upset that Kaepernick sat on bench during national anthem. I encourage you to read this article (Colin Kaepernick: How taking a knee started after NFL quarterback met Nate Boyer | NFL News | Sky Sports) but please at least read this quote from Nate Boyer:
> 
> "Taking a knee has never been in my experience seen as a disrespectful act. People take a knee to pray, to propose to a future spouse. When someone's knighted, they take a knee. When I visit Arlington (National Cemetery) and my buddy who's passed, I take a knee in front of his grave to pay respects.
> 
> "When a player's hurt on the field in a [US] football game, and probably a lot of sports, a lot of the other players will often take a knee out of respect until that player that's injured is either carted off, carried off, or walks off on their own.
> 
> "It's a respectful gesture. I also saw it like a flag being at half-mast in a way. We raise flags at half-mast when somebody passes away or we are remembering a dark day in our history."


Two wrongs don't make a right! There is a prescribed way to honor the flag and the anthem, anything else is disrespect. Kaepernick should have just stayed in the locker room.


----------



## Spicoli43

tomtheelder2020 said:


> Kneeling does not mean what you think it does. Kaepernick chose kneeling as a form of protest because of a former Green Beret and former NFL player who was upset that Kaepernick sat on bench during national anthem. I encourage you to read this article (Colin Kaepernick: How taking a knee started after NFL quarterback met Nate Boyer | NFL News | Sky Sports) but please at least read this quote from Nate Boyer:
> 
> "Taking a knee has never been in my experience seen as a disrespectful act. People take a knee to pray, to propose to a future spouse. When someone's knighted, they take a knee. When I visit Arlington (National Cemetery) and my buddy who's passed, I take a knee in front of his grave to pay respects.
> 
> "When a player's hurt on the field in a [US] football game, and probably a lot of sports, a lot of the other players will often take a knee out of respect until that player that's injured is either carted off, carried off, or walks off on their own.
> 
> "It's a respectful gesture. I also saw it like a flag being at half-mast in a way. We raise flags at half-mast when somebody passes away or we are remembering a dark day in our history."



You're basing your entire thought process on one person's opinion? I know several Veterans that agree with me. I saw Soldiers die right in front of me for the Flag that wasn't good enough for Kaepernick when he was paid insanely well. Did he flee to North Korea for their much better working conditions and pay? 

There is 10,080 minutes in a week. Why did he choose those 2 minutes? Why didn't he just gather with his supporters and kneel an hour before the game? Why didn't he kneel after the game? Why didn't he kneel before the start of the second half? If the point of the exercise was to be seen it would have been seen by the media that's there before the players and stays after they leave. 

Why didn't he kneel about the mass killings every single week in major cities that are Black on Black gang crime? 

The Flag and the National Anthem have NOTHING to do with racism.


----------



## Eddie_T

You're prolly are too young to understand but I guess the best answer is that I am a patriot from the get-go. I served in the "All American" Division, then served as bugler in a local Honor Guard for 20+ years. It's just a way of life for me and I resent those that want to take it away under a false pretense of freedom. The LSM seeks out LW protesters for financial reasons and puts them in my LR on TV as if they are newsworthy. If they tried their silly antics at a Military Rites funeral the Patriot Guard would escort them away. BLM as a phrase sounds noble but as a movement it has been hijacked by the LW.


----------



## oldognewtrick

femgroup said:


> Hopefully the moderator will allow these comments to remain.



Discussion is good, no problems with that. As long as things are kept civil, respectful there's no problem.


----------



## zannej

So, I didn't get to go to my friend's house bc my mother was being petty and didn't want me to go anywhere today for some unknown reason. I think she's mad that my brother hasn't cleaned up like he promised so she's taking out her frustration on me.

Meanwhile, local high school got shut down because of a bat infestation. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, I get that your mother is kind of like your employer since you're her caretaker, but how exactly is she able to prevent you from going to your friend's house?

I don't have a "before" picture of my basement workbench, which you'll have to imagine piled high with random hardware and other crap, and paint buckets strewn all over the place underneath. But here's the "after" photo:




As for my mechanical room office, here's "before":




And "after":




Not 100% done but good enough for some grainy photos off my flip phone.


----------



## pbellamy

I fixed the refrigerator… cost me some elbow grease and a $100 door seal…

fingers crossed as it’s a $10k replacement  and I’m not planning that type of investment!

I thought I was going to have  to replace it as it’s 20 years old and I figured calling out repair guys was crazy (they quoted $550 + tax to do the door seal (took me about an hour).

So talking to my father in law about replacing it and he shamed me into figuring out a repair… he told me it would be stupid to not try figuring it out. So off I went and looks like he was right! Cleaned  condenser coils (filthy) and new door seal(fiddly). 

So I impressed my father in law by taking his advice…. However 3 days later his broke and he replaced it with a new one!!! Guess it’s do as I say not as I do 

Anyway 1 thing off the list and the other 12 projects are moving forward albeit slowly!


----------



## BuzzLOL

femgroup said:


> So I ask this: You want him to be concerned about "black on black" crime, but not police brutality and killings? If that's the case, you have won me over.


The police aren't going out and murdering people, they are trying to stop Democrat criminals who refuse to be stopped from crimes/murdering by any lesser means! Also, the Democrats use the idiotic term of 'gun violence' when we people with brains know it's ADDICTIONS VIOLENCE no matter what 'tool' is used! But Democrats have no interest in putting an end to their beloved addictions... so they lie about causes. And we are against murdering innocent people of any race...


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> So "Love of the game" might make sense while you're actually playing the game, especially while you're a little kid and have nothing else going on in your life. Why this "love of the game" should persist for so many people after about age 12, I can only speculate, but none of the reasons I can come up with are flattering.


I understand that a lot of people don't watch sports, not their thing, and that's just fine. Do you watch TV at all, some people don't. But a lot of people watch shows that to me are mind numbingly boring. Crime/cop shows, and the dumb drama show that are on, and don't even get me started on reality shows. Me I'd rather sit down in the evening and watch a baseball game and read than watch a rerun of some show that wasn't any good when it was on the first time. I rarely will sit at watch a movie. There is just so much junk on TV. I record races that I'm interested in and sort of skip through them later. What about live events like going to a game, you on the same page with that too its no different really? If so I assume you never go to a concert or watch a performance on TV, you must only play at home because that would see like the same thing to me. I don't get why the "love of the game" concept is so foreign to you. I played sports for a long time but once you get too old to continue you should no long like sports and just ignore them? What about golf? I don't play and don't watch it, no interest. But if you're 60 and still play golf is it OK to watch it then?


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> Your opinion is your opinion, but why would he "kneel about the mass killings every single week in major cities that are Black on Black gang crime" when the National Anthem is being played. He indicated that his explanation for his action was simple: "to protest racial inequality and the oppression of Black people in America".
> 
> So I ask this: You want him to be concerned about "black on black" crime, but not police brutality and killings? If that's the case, you have won me over.
> 
> Also, wouldn't it be kinda, selfish to be concerned about 'black on black' crime, but not other types, i.e. black on brown, black on white, white on black, white on yellow, etc? What if a deeper dig into the police killings result in a solution for ALL of these crimes? It seems to me that the entire discussion, relative to Kapernick, focused on his kneeling and stopped any other discussion of him. The following blacklisting by the NFL, proves my point.
> 
> Here's my take: Any sane analysis of crime indicates that murder, at least, generally takes place against the folks in your closest periphery, so to stop 'black on black' crime, just integrate their neighborhoods. So NFL players should kneel for integration. That way they could focus on brutality.
> 
> (Author inserted this silly solution purposefully).
> 
> By the way, your thoughts about the timing of the kneeling is among the more reasoned responses I've read about this issue. I don't mind saying that I'm surprised at that, but I have to call them as I see them.
> 
> Hopefully the moderator will allow these comments to remain.



There's no oppression of Black people in America. That's completely fabricated by the Leftists because they count on Black votes. They are BY FAR more racist in their history, including Biden as the biggest racist. There is spots of racism in America like some portions of the Deep South, and Northern Idaho, but this isn't a racist Country. 

Whites die by Police gunfire an average of twice as much per year than Blacks, that's FBI stats. All it boils down to is that Idiocy is color blind. White people don't pick the Flag out and kneel for White justice because we refuse to support the idiots in our race.

There is some bad Cops, which is the same as there is some bad Plumbers and Accountants.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> There's no oppression of Black people in America. That's completely fabricated by the Leftists because they count on Black votes. They are BY FAR more racist in their history, including Biden as the biggest racist.


Yep, Democrat manipulation of blacks is still nearly as bad as when they actually owned slaves...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Yep, Democrat manipulation of blacks is still nearly as bad as when they actually owned slaves...



Yeah, that's why there is no outrage on the Left about the White woman that wore a Gorilla Mask and threw eggs at Larry Elder. People that only watch Leftist news probably don't know it even happened.


----------



## Flyover

68bucks, I was referring to "love of the game" as the thing that gets people emotionally invested in sports to where they follow how teams are doing, what athletes are saying, they can't miss a game, they get riled up because the league doesn't reflect their own political opinions, etc. It doesn't matter if that game is televised or they're sitting in the stands. I have in-laws who wouldn't come to my daughter's (their niece's) birthday party because there was a game on TV. One of them played football in high school, the other never played sports so far as I know. Both are in their 40s presently. They have "love of the game". I.e. it's their religion.

I enjoy watching sports, as I've said many times now. But it's very low on my list of things to do if I get some free time, because it's just not important compared to the tons of other things going on in my life, things similar to what I previously assumed most healthy adults have going on in their lives. (Actually I assumed this was true of most people from about age 12 onward.)

(I put on my weighted vest and went for a walk with my wife yesterday around one of the new adjacent neighborhoods. So many houses have 3-4 cars in the driveway and the garage is full of couches with a giant TV, where some guy is sitting and watching a game, usualy by himself. Often there's a flagpole out front with the flag of some sports team hanging from it. These houses clearly also have kids living in them. I asked my wife, "Don't these guys have kids to play with, or broken toys to fix, or floors to sweep, or dinners to help cook or anything?" She said most people put their kids in front of screens, throw out things that break and buy new, lots of women do ALL the cleaning, lots of families just eat microwave food every day. I felt like an alien on my own planet.)

Yes, I go to concerts. No, I don't care about the political opinions of the musicians. No, I don't walk around wearing t-shirts with band names on them. (I've bought a couple such shirts to support the band, but I only wear the shirts as at-home "working around the house" or "working out" shirts.) I love some bands I suspect are pretty right-wing, some I know are very left-wing. My favorite rappers are consistently the ones I wouldn't want to live within 100 miles of. My favorite world msuic artists probably have politics I wouldn't understand at all since they live on the other side of the globe. I love a lot of gospel and bluegrass music made by people with whom I'm sure I share very few if any spiritual beliefs.

One form of magical thinking is to imbue artifacts (objects, performances, etc.) with the properties of their creators. A lot of sports fandom is indistinguishable from idolatry, frankly.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't care what others do, at times it give me a chuckle. I worked with an engineer that came in one Monday so hoarse he could hardly speak. I asked him what happened he said  there was a Clemson (his alma mater) game on TV.


----------



## oldognewtrick

It would be a boring world if everybody liked the same things. And thank goodness we can still decide what it is we like to do with our spare time.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, she owns the truck that I would need to drive to get into town. So I didn't have permission to take the truck. The updates look nice! I need to get my workshop cleaned up.

I have to disagree about there not being oppression of black people. I have seen it for myself. There are numerous studies and statistics on it. I'm not going to get into it because I don't feel like arguing with people.

I went into town to get mail and popped in to my friend's house to sand and put another coat of oil on the butcherblock. Friend is feeling better today. His gf is also feeling better since my brother convinced her to start taking her meds again. He sat down and had a long talk with her last time about depression and how to cope with it.

Unfortunately, things aren't going so well with her brother and her sister-in-law. While FEMA did agree to give them a loan, they just got a call from their landlord this afternoon informing them that unless they paid rent ($550) for this month, they have until Oct 1 to get all of their stuff out of the remains of the rental property because he's going to demolish it. First of all, the place has not been livable since Aug 29 and they have not been in it since Aug 30. He can't legally charge rent for a place that is not habitable. The frickin' roof caved in! Second, he has to give them written notice and reasonable time to get their stuff out. The sister-in-law was crying because they don't know how they will be able to pick through the rubble and get everything out in time. It's a 4 hour drive each way to get there and they have no place to put stuff. I told them they need to contact an attorney for advice but also tell the landlord that they need written notice. He's also telling them they won't get their security deposit back. I told them that if he doesn't send them written notice with an itemized list of damages for a security deposit, he can't withhold it. But, he can't do it anyway since the place has to be demolished due to a storm- not anything they did. They thought he wouldn't have to return it because the deposit was given to the previous property owner who sold it to him. I explained that when he bought the property he took on the liabilities and is obligated to pay the security deposits of all of the tenants that were paid to the previous owner. If he didn't get that reduced from the price of buying then that's his problem. I'm hoping things will work out for them.

Sometime this week I need to get my transmission flushed and refilled on the truck. I'm thinking Thursday. Mom indicated she wants to go with me.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> I need to get my transmission flushed


You mean your mom's transmission! 


zannej said:


> I have to disagree about there not being oppression of black people.


Yup, me too, though I acknowledge the hazards of not defining terms like "oppression" and "racism". I do think if you don't have any black people close to you in your life, or don't interact closely with any black people on a regular basis, it's easy to pretend their situation is A-OK, but if you actually know black people and have honest conversations with them just about all can tell you story after story about racism they've been on the receiving end of, both from other people and from broader institutions.


----------



## zannej

LOL! Yeah, my mom likes to remind me sometimes that it's  her truck and not mine, but I tend to call it mine. I love that truck.

When I lived in California I did not notice the racism because I didn't experience it myself. Once I moved down here the racism was so overt that it was proverbially hitting me over the head. It wasn't until I went overseas to places where I was the minority and experienced micro-aggressions and discrimination myself that I learned how to spot it better. Plus I've studied both psychology and sociology. In sociology we talked a lot about things that seem harmless but are actually hurtful. Racism was one of the things we discussed. My brother-in-law recently went back to college and was learning about all sorts of studies that were done that showed subconscious bias. The racism isn't quite as bad here as it used to be. Interracial couples can hold hands in public and not be threatened (at least not in person) but there are still a lot of people here who use racial slurs in public and who post all sorts of racist vitriol on FB. 

One of the dogs stepped on my head and woke me up so I'm trying to get myself sleepy so I can rest. I'm going to try to make myself sleep for at least 8 hours but not longer but I have 6 cats and a dog hogging my bed. Two of the cats are on either side of me like little fluffy statues.


----------



## Spicoli43

There is spots of racism, but oppression is the complete rule over people. That can be applied to the Leftists rules for Covid, as the rule makers don't follow their rules. 

I have lived in predominately Black areas, there was no racism there.


----------



## ekrig

Trying to hire landscaping contractors to clean up and arrange the area around back and left side of the fence. Here to hoping that they quote me a reasonable price  I did the area around the house's foundation throughout the spring and summer, but I realize that there is still too much for me to finish this year, so...

There is plenty of racism, although most of time is via micro aggressions and other forms of discrimination. For example, my wife often gets suspicious looks and "cold" costumer service when checking out in the supermarket, but the same checkout person behaves quite differently to me. Or more easily get passed on or more carefully scrutinized when looking for a job... Hence, white folks (e.g., myself) don't really feel it, and we tend to think that everything is ok. The reality is of course that there is plenty to fix and that we all ought to try to improve by having an increased understanding and tolerance toward others.

All that said, the situation is also not as bad as the grim picture that some politicians want to make us believe. But that is not what it is really bad. What is really bad is that they are revealed time and time again that (1) they have no interest in actually changing the root causes of the problems and (2) all they want and a different kind of discrimination that, I venture, gives them more power over people. That is not just misguided actions, it is hypocritical (from the naive) and evil (from the disingenuous)!


----------



## tomtheelder2020

Spicoli43 said:


> You're basing your entire thought process on one person's opinion? I know several Veterans that agree with me. I saw Soldiers die right in front of me for the Flag that wasn't good enough for Kaepernick when he was paid insanely well. Did he flee to North Korea for their much better working conditions and pay?
> 
> There is 10,080 minutes in a week. Why did he choose those 2 minutes? Why didn't he just gather with his supporters and kneel an hour before the game? Why didn't he kneel after the game? Why didn't he kneel before the start of the second half? If the point of the exercise was to be seen it would have been seen by the media that's there before the players and stays after they leave.
> 
> Why didn't he kneel about the mass killings every single week in major cities that are Black on Black gang crime?
> 
> The Flag and the National Anthem have NOTHING to do with racism.


Clearly you did not read the full article.  That quote is not just from some random ex-soldier, it is from an ex-soldier who was so upset by what he considered Kaepernick showing disrespect by sitting on the bench during the National Anthem that he wrote an open letter to Kaepernick that was published in Military Times. They met, talked about it, and agreed that taking a knee was a more respectful way of protesting. If you read the article you almost certainly will still disagree - but you might gain understanding and respect for others opinions.

You seem to think that it is OK for him to protest as long as he either: 1) doesn't protest what he is most concerned about, or 2) protests in ways that are easily ignored. A person would have to be pretty craven to agree to either of those.

Frankly, I found  it absurd that you indicate he should have kept quiet in gratitude for being well paid. If fact, he was willing to risk his career (and he did loose his career - and potentially tens of millions of dollars) to "stand up" for what he believed in. Do you think you have that kind of moral courage? I'm not sure I do. If you read about Kaepernick you will learn that his actions were guided by his faith. Among those tattoos you see on him are “To God the Glory,” “GOD WILL GUIDE ME,” and “Faith.”  Effectively, you are saying he should turn his back on those too.


----------



## tomtheelder2020

Eddie_T said:


> Kaepernick should have just stayed in the locker room.


Where everyone could ignore him. And MLK should not have crossed the Selma bridge. Consider reading MLK's "Letter From Birmingham Jail."


----------



## Spicoli43

tomtheelder2020 said:


> Clearly you did not read the full article.  That quote is not just from some random ex-soldier, it is from an ex-soldier who was so upset by what he considered Kaepernick showing disrespect by sitting on the bench during the National Anthem that he wrote an open letter to Kaepernick that was published in Military Times. They met, talked about it, and agreed that taking a knee was a more respectful way of protesting. If you read the article you almost certainly will still disagree - but you might gain understanding and respect for others opinions.
> 
> You seem to think that it is OK for him to protest as long as he either: 1) doesn't protest what he is most concerned about, or 2) protests in ways that are easily ignored. A person would have to be pretty craven to agree to either of those.
> 
> Frankly, I found  it absurd that you indicate he should have kept quiet in gratitude for being well paid. If fact, he was willing to risk his career (and he did loose his career - and potentially tens of millions of dollars) to "stand up" for what he believed in. Do you think you have that kind of moral courage? I'm not sure I do. If you read about Kaepernick you will learn that his actions were guided by his faith. Among those tattoos you see on him are “To God the Glory,” “GOD WILL GUIDE ME,” and “Faith.”  Effectively, you are saying he should turn his back on those too.



Then go buy his Jersey and use it as a pillow case. 

Point out where I said he should remain quiet.


----------



## Eddie_T

tomtheelder2020 said:


> Where everyone could ignore him. And MLK should not have crossed the Selma bridge. Consider reading MLK's "Letter From Birmingham Jail."


Did MLK ever disrespect the flag or the anthem?


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Did MLK ever disrespect the flag or the anthem?


The Klan probably thought so.


----------



## zannej

So, I slept most of the day. I got up to cook for mom and ate a little, but not much. I should eat more. Honda place was booked up so I can't get my truck serviced until Friday.

I'm hoping the car wash will be working properly to do an undercarriage wash because it desperately needs it. Last time the undercarriage wash didn't work but there are no employees at the car wash for refunds or anything.

My friend's gf is back on her meds and already feeling better. My brother is feeling happier because he might be able to get a job from home. It pays less than his previous job but he doesn't have to commute and he can eat while at home. His last job he was on his feet constantly and didn't always get lunch breaks. I'm hoping I can get a job with the company too.

One of my friends who just got Covid is going through a rough time. The man that was like a grandfather to him just passed away. I hope it wasn't from Covid and I hope my friend didn't give him Covid. Still no details. I saw the man at the store just last week and said Hi to him. He was a bit more down than usual since his wife passed away about a month ago.


----------



## Rusty

Eddie_T said:


> Did MLK ever disrespect the flag or the anthem?


No but he plagiarized to get his doctorate. He also plagiarized the "I Have a Dream" speech.


----------



## Rusty

I was in the army with many black guys and worked in a factory with many of them. Most were really nice but there were also some black people who were extremely racist against whites. And there were white who were racist against blacks. Did you know that lighter skinned Hispanics are racist against darker ones? Guatemalans and Mexicans hate each other. It dates clear back to Aztecs against Mayans.


----------



## Eddie_T

Rusty said:


> No but he plagiarized to get his doctorate. He also plagiarized the "I Have a Dream" speech.


Plagiarism is common as citing references and footnoting is a hassle. I plagiarize a bit myself, I might cite a source for  long quote. But citing plagiarism in the case of MLK is ad hominem at the moment. MLK didn't insult patriotism.


----------



## Rusty

Eddie_T said:


> Plagiarism is common as citing references and footnoting is a hassle. I plagiarize a bit myself, I might cite a source for  long quote. But citing plagiarism in the case of MLK is ad hominem at the moment. MLK didn't insult patriotism.


No but he lied to get his doctorate, plagiarism is not allowed in a doctorate at all and had a passion for white hookers according to his buddy the Reverend Ralph Abernathy.


----------



## Eddie_T

Rusty said:


> No but he lied to get his doctorate, plagiarism is not allowed in a doctorate at all and had a passion for white hookers according to his buddy the Reverend Ralph Abernathy.


Sounds like he should have ran for Congress but it still has nothing to do with Kaepernick's disgusting misbehavior.


----------



## Spicoli43

Pretty boring day, have to finish sprinkler work tomorrow and turn them off for the year. 

Just watched Tucker Carlson destroy everything the Leftists say like normal, this edition was the Capitol "Insurrection" hoax that the Left called worse than Pearl Harbor and 9/11. The Left tried unsuccessfully to hide the videos from inside the Capitol that showed a bunch of people walking around aimlessly like it was a Walmart, not like it was an "Attack"... Gee, wonder why they tried to hide that video? 

There was other topics also, but nothing is surprising when the Left lies every time they open their mouths. Gotta love how the Border agents were "whipping" the Haitians when they don't have whips. Oh, but what is true is the Haitians commandeered an ICE bus and have been biting the ICE agents. You won't hear that on the Left of course, since they would rather get rid of all the Police.


----------



## Spicoli43

Got an email for a potential class action lawsuit against Oetiker PEX clamps, which look exactly like the Sharkbite brand, and which Amazon lists as Sharkbite. 

I use the solid PEX clamps, which have presented no problems. 









						Oetiker PEX Clamps Linked to Corrosion, Leaking
					

Reports have surfaced that Oetiker’s stainless steel PEX clamps may be prone to corrosion and cracking, which can cause leaks and flooding. Now attorneys are considering a class action. Learn more.




					www.classaction.org


----------



## Rusty

Eddie_T said:


> Sounds like he should have ran for Congress but it still has nothing to do with Kaepernick's disgusting misbehavior.


It just shows that for some reason, the people that are black martyrs seem to have a myriad of faults.


----------



## zannej

No one is perfect. There are people who did great things who also did some bad things. Numerous US presidents had extra-marital affairs. Some did good things for the country, others did not.

I don't find Kaepernick's behavior disgusting. He wasn't the first one to kneel in protest during the National Anthem. It's not like he was screaming and disrupting it. I've seen people do worse. The anthem talks about "land of the free" and in his mind, he and others were not completely free. He found a peaceful way to protest what he saw as injustice and no one was harmed by it. We can agree to disagree on the right or wrong of it.

My favorite cat went missing yesterday. He didn't come in for cuddles last night. It bugged me so much I went out and looked for him in the middle of the night. No sign of him- but the cistern was overflowing again and the rod was jammed down. The block seems to be slipping even more but I can't seem to push it back in place. The switch sparked when I lifted the rod back up to shut the pump off. I need to get a replacement asap.

CR-V needs a new battery because my brother failed to go out and start it every once in awhile (one of the few things he's tasked with). I couldn't do it because I don't have the keys. Gonna be about $200 for a decent battery. It also needs an oil change. I'll have to take care of that when we get the battery replaced.

My brother finally emptied one of the 3 trash cans in the kitchen (other two are full but he won't empty them- I usually end up having to do it). I've already filled it up with trash that overflowed and trash from the living room. Although, my brother and I both called BS on Mom claiming that she didn't create the piles of trash. I looked at my brother and gestured to the side of the room that is completely filled up almost to my waist with trash she threw over there. She also told my brother that since he's not working & not contributing to the household that he should have to put in 8 hours of work a day cleaning the house and that he will get free lunch. He just laughed at her like it was the most ridiculous thing. She pays for almost everything for him and he won't even take trash out once per week much less clean up after himself or do anything else. He does help me with the groceries, but that is mostly because he wants to eat the stuff. He would be in for a real shock if he were out on his own and had to pay for his own food, rent, phone, utilities, etc. He also thinks that if he paid rent, he would not be obligated to do any chores at all. I know, venting again. It's frustrating living with an overgrown child.

I'm really hoping my cat comes back and that he's ok.

Editing to say I also cooked and had trouble with my shoulder crapping out on me when I was trying to stir stuff. Then my back noped out on me when I was cleaning. I rested awhile and got back up to clean more. But now I need the trash emptied again and I can't lift it myself bc my back and shoulder are not cooperating.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> Numerous US presidents had extra-marital affairs.


Andrew Jackson made bridles for his horses out of Native American people's skin. It's not like Washington/Jefferson/etc. owning slaves where you can chalk it up to something about their time/station in society/etc. It was NEVER normal for someone to make horse bridles out of human skin. (As an added touch of ridiculousness, or maybe evil, Jackson used those very bridles to lead the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears.) But there he is on the 20. I'd say if Jackson can do that and still be on the 20, then some guy whose job is to play a game with a ball can kneel during the anthem for whatever reason he wants and still be on TV. You can't choose a different person to be on your money but you can watch something else on TV or better yet turn it off.


----------



## zannej

Good point. Jackson was horribly corrupt. I didn't know about the bridles thing. I knew about the trail of tears and him basically telling Congress to pound sand and how he got away with murder.

I'm still awake hoping my kitty will come back. I might go back out and call him again in awhile. He's neutered so he's not out looking for a mate. He normally doesn't go too far and doesn't stay out too long so it worries me that he's not back yet. Only one unaccounted for.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Andrew Jackson made bridles for his horses out of Native American people's skin. It's not like Washington/Jefferson/etc. owning slaves where you can chalk it up to something about their time/station in society/etc. It was NEVER normal for someone to make horse bridles out of human skin. (As an added touch of ridiculousness, or maybe evil, Jackson used those very bridles to lead the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears.) But there he is on the 20. I'd say if Jackson can do that and still be on the 20, then some guy whose job is to play a game with a ball can kneel during the anthem for whatever reason he wants and still be on TV. You can't choose a different person to be on your money but you can watch something else on TV or better yet turn it off.



Yeah, okay... Settle down, The Leftists lie CONSTANTLY... Was there War? Yes. Did Indians and Whites die? Yes... I don't see one real source of Jackson scalping Indians and using their skin, though. He even adopted an Indian child. 

Do I presume to know exactly what happened? NO
Do I know that the Leftists lie every single day? YES... Proven over and over. 

Here's the BRUTAL RIOT "Insurrection" on January 6th... Youtube censored it, wonder why? Don't watch this if you want to stay in your bubble.









						Tucker: What really happened on Jan 6 | Fox News Video
					

'Tucker Carlson Tonight' host shows how the media uses history as a tool to distort the truth




					video.foxnews.com


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> Im gonna have to leave you with your opinion, there is wayyy too much to unpack in that false statement. If it works for you to believe that there is no oppression, then there is nothing I can do to sway you. I was just say be careful in making that statement in mixed company, somebody is likely to blow a freakin' fuse.
> 
> However it's cathartic for me to see some of this stuff up close, if only for the WTF wonderment. So please oblige me . . . .
> 
> **There's no oppression of Black people in America. That's completely fabricated by the Leftists because they count on Black votes.
> 
> (I admit to eyerollin')
> 
> **There is (are) spots of racism in America like some portions of the Deep South, and Northern Idaho, but this isn't a racist Country.
> 
> (Deep South: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Maryland. I won't belabor it, but where do you think the majority of blacks in this country come from historically, or live now?   What in the world would it matter that, say, UTAH wasn't a racist area? Please re-read that).
> 
> ** Whites die by Police gunfire an average of twice as much per year than Blacks, that's FBI stats. All it boils down to is that Idiocy is color blind. White people don't pick the Flag out and kneel for White justice because we refuse to support the idiots in our race.
> 
> (You would, I think, be more of an expert on white cultural affinities than I, so I'll leave you with that. I would however, be dishonest If I said I believe It).
> 
> There is some bad Cops, which is the same as there is some bad Plumbers and Accountants.
> 
> (If Only Plumbers and Accountants could be imbued with the power of GOD, as policemen have. We could then compare the affect they have on people in general, and black men in particular.)
> 
> As I reflect, that wasn't too bad, and I'm no longer rolling my eyes. I hope you don't mind that I think the word of the day should be PERSPECTIVE.



You don't even know what oppression means. Way back in the day there was oppression when there was separate drinking fountains. Now, there is just racist people on all sides, like Al Sharpton and his minions... Where is the protests when a White man is killed by a Cop? Crickets............. That's the same OPPRESSION, though!

If you can't look up FBI stats, then you can't look up FBI stats.

"Power of God"... Are you from America? Have you ever heard of a serial killer? 

Why is it that Leftists think Cops would rather kill Black people than oh, I don't know... Go home to their families and cook, maybe watch a ballgame etc.???


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> You want black folks to be up in arms about a mask when Larry "slaveowners need reparations too" Elder is present? Remember the word Perspective. It'll come in handy when trying to understand some things.
> 
> (why won't those people be mad about the things I think they should be mad about?)



I didn't say anything about black folks. I said the Leftists, which are 95 plus percent White, all of them pandering to Black people constantly.


----------



## Flyover

There's a cliche about half-senile old people glued to their favorite cable news channel, yelling at their TVs, obsessed with what the Evil Left is doing, or the Deplorable Right is doing, seeing everything in terms of tribal politics, longing for the past because they believe the past was always better than now. It's just a cliche, right?

That Andrew Jackson mutilated Native American corpses and made bridles out of their skin is not contested by historians so far as I can tell. Other old people yelling at their TVs might contest it though. Some people believe the devil placed dinosaur bones in the ground. What you choose to believe about the past is ultimately a statement about you, your own epistemology.


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> It's funny sometimes when you think other folks can think for themselves, but somehow the angst of black folks is caused by the Democratic Party. But I guess that's the way it is.
> 
> I better get off this computer and read my Democratic emails for tomorrow so I'll know what to be angry about. Why won't they leave me alone!



Here's a little Biden pandering... Remember when he called Blacks "Predators"... Yeah, or "You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking"...

Remember Hillary pandering... Talk about CRINGE!!!!









						A ‘Black Lives’ pander by Democrats: Devine
					

Joe Biden’s video address to George Floyd’s funeral was impressive — but only if you just landed from Mars. With maudlin soundtrack and husky voice, the former vice president oozed empathy as he ch…




					nypost.com


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> There's a cliche about half-senile old people glued to their favorite cable news channel, yelling at their TVs, obsessed with what the Evil Left is doing, or the Deplorable Right is doing, seeing everything in terms of tribal politics, longing for the past because they believe the past was always better than now. It's just a cliche, right?
> 
> That Andrew Jackson mutilated Native American corpses and made bridles out of their skin is not contested by historians so far as I can tell. Other old people yelling at their TVs might contest it though. Some people believe the devil placed dinosaur bones in the ground. What you choose to believe about the past is ultimately a statement about you, your own epistemology.



I choose to believe TRUTH... That would be evidence backed up by Video in 95 percent of cases. The Left NEVER shows video because they don't have any. EVERY little thing they complain about or completely fabricate is a lie that has NO VIDEO. In the recent Border agent "whipping Haitians" incident, there is only pictures of the Horse REINS loose on the Horse. Leftists think that's a WHIP... Why isn't there VIDEO of the Haitians getting whipped?

I'm not talking Rocket Science here, they either have proof or they completely make it up. Why is it that every single Leftist on TV says the same exact thing? If they say that the "Haitians were whipped, this does not belong in America", you will hear that EXACT Programming phrase from ALL the Leftists on cue... 

Keyword "Programming"... Watch that Tucker Carlson clip and tell me how that was an "Insurrection" on January 6th. Can you? Why is that episode on Youtube censored to not show the Capitol?

C'mon Man!!!

As far as Andrew Jackson, obviously no video, but a reliable source that isn't Far Left would get me researching. 

Here is the Leftists saying the exact same thing...


----------



## Flyover

I don't watch the news, as I've explained before. I don't know anything about Haitians getting whipped or not whipped, the January 6th thing based on what I've heard sounded like a dumb protest that got out of hand but maybe had some people in there who thought they were doing something more significant than that.

The only time I ever saw Tucker Carlson was a clip of him showing a video from a band called the Tucker Carlson Trio.

Backstory: a friend of mine was in that band. Actually this friend was the bass player in my rock band when I was in high school, the same as in the picture I shared a while back, though he played a different instrument in the Tucker Carlson Trio. Tucker Carlson aired this video of them playing "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder. It was funny because I remember Tucker Carlson introduced the video by saying something like "I'm pretty sure these guys are trolling me but they're good anyway so here it is".

I can't find the original clip with Tucker introducing the video, but there is a clip where MSNBC re-aired just the video itself. You can see Tucker Carlson thank them at the end:


None of what you wrote addresses the evidence that Andrew Jackson was a psycho who did things that would make a Nazi serial killer these days blush. He is on the $20 bill. If a guy who plays with a ball wants to take a knee for the anthem, something he worked out after a difficult conversation with a veteran, then if you don't like it you should get away from your screens for a while. Go take a walk (I've heard MT is scenic), go hug your wife, go pick up some litter by the side of the road. Make your bed. You'll feel better, more clear-headed.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I don't think so. In the entire time I have pointed out facts that go against the Liberal narrative, you haven't told me you don't watch the news.

You haven't proved anything about Andrew Jackson... 

Why won't you watch the video clip of Tucker Carlson showing the inside of the Capitol?... I know, that would go against your programming.

I don't have anything obstructing my head, unlike Liberals. I have video PROOF of everything I say.


----------



## Eddie_T

@femgroup I did not mean "too young to understand" as an insult. When I was a kid everyone was a patriot so I thought maybe you had missed that era.

As for BLM being hijacked IMO I thought it never intended to start riots and others were using it as an excuse to start riots. Now I am unsure as I heard a BLM leader on national TV make an open threat (sorry I can't remember her name).

As a patriot I think Kaepernick's action was despicable, he was playing the media. If the media had ignored him it would have ended there. For example flag burning (another insulting, in-your-face protest) did not change America and when it was declared "freedom of speech" it fizzled. The real enemy seems to be the LSM but I would never try to throttle it. I boycott NFL and Nike not that it will hurt them but that it doesn't make me hurt. Kinda like me not taking the COVID shot due to its complicity with fetal cell lines.

I am not racist and resent racism when exhibited by either whites or blacks. I see a bit of it between the lines in some comments on this forum but am not going to stir that pot.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, I made a whole huge thread about not watching the news, which got split off from this one because it got so heated and off-topic. That was less than a year ago, I think.

What, in my description of my understanding of January 6th, makes you think I've been "programmed"? What do you imagine is my programming? Do you think I'm a liberal? (This plays right into what I said above about the cliche where people get obsessed with Left/Right...)

If you watch the news you have something obstructing your head, by definition. The news is literally an intermediary between the world and your head.


----------



## Spicoli43

No, if you watch FAKE NEWS like the Communist News Network or MSDNC or most of Fox News, your head is obstructed. If you watch news where they provide PROOF via video that contradicts everything the Leftists say, how can there be obstruction? 

If you parrot the Leftist talking points, then what are you?


----------



## Eddie_T

> I am a Vietnam veteran writing this on Veterans Day because I want to remind everyone, especially one, unknown person, that our flag is only a piece of cloth until you remember that it represents the soul of our nation.
> 
> Someone deliberately ignored that fact when they destroyed the mailbox post to which I affixed our flag. I'll admit that the act of vandalism was disturbing, but what actually caused me pain was to see our flag lying in the mud.
> 
> That flag was much more than a visible display of my support for America and for those who serve in the armed forces. That flag had special meaning for me. Like all the other flags that I affixed to my mailbox post, it was there to honor all my comrades who had died in Vietnam.
> 
> But it lay in the mud all because someone, who believes vandalism is a good way to pass the time, defiled our flag and, hidden by the dead of night, deliberately caused it to be defaced. I realize that for people with such a lack of respect for our country and our flag, there is nothing I could write that would make them feel shame or even a modicum of contrition.
> 
> Words will always fail to convey what is felt by those of us who served whenever we see our flag. We stand taller, we feel prouder and we remember — always remember — our buddies who will always be young because that war took away their chance to grow old.
> 
> That flag is now in my home. I will replace it with another when I erect a new post. The flag I affix to the post will be a badge of honor for all my friends, my comrades-in-arms who gave their all for America.
> 
> That flag will represent the soul of our nation. But for me, it will also embody the sacrifice my comrades made so that you have the choice to honor or defile it.
> 
> *JOHN J. KAUZA*
> Alexandria Township                       LETTER: U.S. flag represents soul of the nation


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> No, if you watch FAKE NEWS like the Communist News Network or MSDNC or most of Fox News, your head is obstructed. If you watch news where they provide PROOF via video that contradicts everything the Leftists say, how can there be obstruction?


Quite easily, due to both the lack of original context around the video and/or whatever new context is placed around the video. You think the news comes together by chance? No, it's carefully constructed. This is still true even if it's the news you personally agree with.



> If you parrot the Leftist talking points, then what are you?


I've heard a few leftist talking points, and some rightist ones, but I haven't parroted any because I don't know them well and have no interest in talking points anyway. Frankly, I'm only talking about this at all because I suffer from that "someone is wrong on the internet" syndrome where my border-collies-of-the-mind need to get out and run and chew on things so I feel the need to correct statements that look like BS. I don't actually have a dog in whatever big political epic struggle you seem to imagine yourself engaged in. My life is peachy, and will be peachy regardless whether some guy who watches too much TV in Montana thinks I ought to watch more Tucker Carlson!

All my views are my own, and actually I pride myself on my independence of thought. If I happen to say something that overlaps with something the Left has said I won't lose any more sleep over it than if something I say overlaps with a Rightist talking point that's fine with me too.

As I've gotten older the political opinions I feel confident in has dwindled down and down. At this point I would stand up for 2A rights, against legal abortion, and in favor of full drug legalization. That's it. That does not map to Leftists anyway.


----------



## Spicoli43

No, when you see a video, you can understand what is and what isn't happening. Well, most people can. News that is "carefully constructed" is the Leftist FAKE NEWS in which they invent the entire story. The shows I watch provide video, where a "whip" attached to an ICE agent is actually a Reign attached to a horse. On the FAKE NEWS, in the still picture, no video included, it can easily fool their audience into thinking it's a whip because their audience is obedient and never asks questions. EVER.

You have the need to "correct statements that look like BS"... Okay, fair enough. Why don't you?

What makes you think I watch too much TV?


----------



## Eddie_T

Back to Kaepernick, the fact that maybe three souls on this forum took no offense pales in comparison to the thousands that did take offense.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> their audience is obedient and never asks questions.


You basically just said you don't need to question your own preferred news outlet because it's trustworthy.


Spicoli43 said:


> What makes you think I watch too much TV?


The fact that you watch TV.


----------



## Spicoli43

I do ask questions when they say something that requires it. Most of it doesn't need an explanation, most of it is statements piggybacked off insanely moronic things the Leftists say. "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" or whatever they will call it next year is the most hilarious thing they say.


----------



## Eddie_T

Post times were weird, got it fixed.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I do ask questions when they say something that requires it. Most of it doesn't need an explanation, most of it is statements piggybacked off insanely moronic things the Leftists say. "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" or whatever they will call it next year is the most hilarious thing they say.



Mmm, sounds like compelling TV. "Here's us taking about how dumb something is that you already agree is dumb. Up next, we'll talk about how dumb something else is that you already agree is dumb. Right after these messages."  Sure to expand your mind, no doubt. 

I spend at least an hour a day outside thanks to my after dinner walks with the kids but man if I lived in Montana I don't think I'd see a ceiling between quitting time and bedtime so long as it was over 45 degrees and not sleeting! I don't know how you can even look at a TV, Spicoli. 

My wife took the two older kids to my eldest's gymnastics class so I had an unusually quiet evening with just the baby. Put her in the stroller and walked for about 75 minutes through one of the adjacent neighborhoods, caught up on the phone with my brother and also with one of my best friends who moved to the South back around 2010 and just had a kid maybe 6 weeks ago. 

He had just gotten word this morning that one of his friends (who I didn't know) had finally died of cancer. He sounded really sad at the start of our conversation but an hour later by the end of it our talking and catching up and discussing various things in life had cheered him up, it felt really good as we were getting off the phone. I'm lucky to have such amazing friendships.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I spend at least an hour a day outside thanks to my after dinner walks with the kids but man if I lived in Montana I don't think I'd see a ceiling between quitting time and bedtime so long as it was over 45 degrees and not sleeting! I don't know how you can even look at a TV, Spicoli.



Over 45 degrees is only 6 months. The rest is 40 to -40, or colder depending on how close to Canada you get. The wind is the fun part, that's when you can't go outside for more than 5 minutes. 

But... If you move here, I promise to tell you EVERYTHING else, no fingers crossed behind my back, if I lie, a fork through my eye... As soon as you sign the papers.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Over 45 degrees is only 6 months. The rest is 40 to -40, or colder depending on how close to Canada you get. The wind is the fun part, that's when you can't go outside for more than 5 minutes.


Well, I'm also not averse to putting on a parka and fleece-lined pants. But I hear you about the wind, that'd keep me inside -- but I'd still never think to turn on a TV. Then again I have no appetite for "Here's a dumb thing the people you already think are dumb did yesterday", I got that out of my system when I was in jr. high.


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> Let's see: You said: "You don't even know what oppression means "
> 
> My take. Have at it. That ends my discussion. I'm stuck here wondering how someone who actually thinks Tucker Carlson, who testified that his isn't a news show, it's an "entertainment show", has actually gathered the gall to suggest whether or not I know what oppression is.
> 
> Bless your heart, but if I am correct, you didnt grace the earth until roughly 1980 or so, and believe me, you know not of which you speak. I'm sure you'll respond, as you should, but that's it for me.
> 
> Notes
> 
> "Am I from America?'  I don't see the relevancy.
> 
> "If you can't look up FBI stats, then you can't look up FBI stats."  I just can't imagine the stat that would cause someone to not want to curb the killing of unarmed men.
> 
> "Why is it that Leftists think Cops would rather kill Black people than oh, I don't know... Go home to their families and cook, maybe watch a ballgame etc.???"  That's a new one for me. I've never heard that argument/position/debate requesting a cop not to go home, so it would be ridiculous to attempt a response.



I don't know what the mention of Tucker Carlson in the first point means, that makes no sense... Oppression was in the old days, not now. There's some racism now, but not all over the country like the Liberals claim. There is no widespread oppression here.

How do you know they were unarmed men? I know of 2 cases where they were unarmed, one was Floyd, and one was a guy running from the cop that unloaded his magazine in his back and tried to plant a weapon by him. THAT WOULD BE my comparison to bad plumbers or accountants etc... 

In most cases, the "unarmed" person is reaching for something, like the one that was shot and put on the mainstream news 24/7... Well, turns out he was reaching for a knife like an idiot. 

I can only assume when White people are killed by cops, they were reaching for something as well. The Leftists do think that cops would rather kill than just go home, that's the entire point. They are ALL cold blooded killers, according to the Leftist politicians and media. That's why they are trying to defund them or eliminate the departments in every major city. 

Now, the SMART thing to do for anybody of any race would be to keep your hands in full view all the time when interacting with an officer. DUH... Some don't, reach for their guns or knives, and are shot. NOOOOOOOOO SSSSSSSSSS SHERLOCK!!!

99.9% of Cops just want everybody to peacefully go home at the end of the day, except of course for those that go to jail. 

Why don't the Leftists talk about the 50 or so cops killed in the line of duty by criminals every year in this Country? Because they hate them and wish for more, that's why. 









						People shot to death by U.S. police, by race 2022 | Statista
					

Sadly, the trend of fatal police shootings in the United States seems to only be increasing, with a total 787 civilians having been shot, 73 of whom were Black, as of September 29, 2022.




					www.statista.com


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Well, I'm also not averse to putting on a parka and fleece-lined pants. But I hear you about the wind, that'd keep me inside -- but I'd still never think to turn on a TV. Then again I have no appetite for "Here's a dumb thing the people you already think are dumb did yesterday", I got that out of my system when I was in jr. high.



Ok, (True) scenario... 6 months, not all -40 with wind, but a good few weeks solid, mixed in with -25 no wind, weeks upon weeks to the point that when it finally reaches Zero degrees, people wear normal clothes like a shirt and a light windbreaker. During the real cold times, the TV is on and I watch an hour of news, the rest is fun stuff like the Oceans / Pyramids / Archaeological stuff etc...

You in the same scenario... The TV will be on, you don't have a choice, or the kids will drive you up a wall. The problem for you would be how much TV time and how much video games to try to prevent them from turning out to be the exact opposite of you... 

Now, all that said, you were on the interwebben a lot yesterday, unless you don't go to ANY news sites and your browser doesn't show any news headlines, what's the difference between that and TV?


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> They are ALL cold blooded killers, according to the Leftist politicians and media. That's why they are trying to defund them or eliminate the departments in every major city.
> 
> Why don't the Leftists talk about the 50 or so cops killed in the line of duty by criminals every year in this Country? Because they hate them and wish for more, that's why.





Spicoli43 said:


> Why is it that Leftists think Cops would rather kill Black people than oh, I don't know... Go home to their families and cook, maybe watch a ballgame etc.???


These are the sort of statements that are common place on the right wing radio programs. You and they speak in pure hyperbole. It always the same, all the leftists hate all the cops. The leftist all hate America and want to destroy it, the major news outlets only dispense lies under direction of the left and on and on. Flyover has pointed out the absurdity of people who believe that the only news source that isn't lying is the one they listen to, how nieve. We're still waiting on the proof of all the election fraud that the far right news outlets claimed and continued to suggest. 

I would agree about the many people that have been shot by police because they tried to reach for a weapon or similar stupid move. But there have been numerous videos of police shooting people when it seemed excessive. That doesn't include incidents when they didn't shoot someone but just beat the hell out of them a la George Floyd. I appreciate the intensity and adrenalin of the situation but there are a lot of cops that have serious ego issues. I know many cops including my Dad and uncle and all you have to do is listen to some of them talk about bashing someone with a night stick or something. They like to brag about it almost. That doesn't apply to all cops, I think most would rather not get physical in a situation but some just seem to like it and will take every opportunity to intimidate a person. And like most things a few bad actors paint the picture that most people see. And for the record my Dad and uncle are dyed in the wool democrats so do they hate the cops too? I also have a first cousin who is way right and hates the cops. He once tried to tell me my Dad had a cushy job paid by the taxpayers and didn't deserve his pension.


----------



## Eddie_T

femgroup said:


> Wow. There are thousands of folks on this post?


So now you're the English police? The thousands (or hundreds thereof) are in the good ole USA. "Everyone", maybe it only seemed so because people of your ilk didn't evangelize back in the day.

I do enjoy a bit of hyperbole such as ·  ·  ·


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> ... 1. I don't actually have a dog in whatever big political epic struggle you seem to imagine yourself engaged in.
> 
> 2. My life is peachy, and will be peachy regardless whether some guy who watches too much TV in Montana thinks I ought to watch more Tucker Carlson!
> 
> 3. All my views are my own, and actually I pride myself on my independence of thought.
> 
> 4. At this point I would stand up for 2A rights, against legal abortion, and in favor of full drug legalization. That's it. That does not map to Leftists anyway.



!. Obviously you do as you mention items further down. 

2. That was the attitude of Germans as Catholic Religious Terrorist Hitler took over and eventually got Germany leveled. 

3. BS, you spout several talking points. 

4. 2A Rights is obviously Rightist... Leftists would steal your guns 'legally' or illegally... They blame guns for ADDICTIONS VIOLENCE... 
Being against abortion freedoms is mostly an Extreme Rightist Psychotic Catholic Church position. 
Full drug legalization is an Extremist Leftist position that allows massive stoner crime/murdering and ODing as drug addicts lose control and refuse to work for a living.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> when they didn't shoot someone but just beat the hell out of them a la George Floyd.


Stoner career criminal George Floyd SUICIDED himself perpetrating one last crime. So that means everything else you said should also be ignored as nonsense... which it is...


----------



## BuzzLOL

femgroup said:


> Seriously? Democrat criminals?
> It's been empowering. (I've got to remember 'Democrat criminals' for my next get-together. I'll be the center of attention).


It was meant to be "enlightening"... but you Leftists always want 'power' from your lies... instead of from your work... since their usually isn't any body of work...
I grew up in a large extended Republican family of say 400 some relatives... we could place a $100 bill on the dining room table and invite hundreds of people over for a party around that table and elsewhere in the house and yard and after the party the $100 bill would still be there... try that with Democrats!
There a whole different world and lifestyle out there that you apparently know nothing about! A world of honesty and decency and no drug abuse and no smoking and no murdering.
A world apart from the Democrats' beloved CRIME WAVE of 75 MURDERS DAILY !!!
Sorry you're not part of it.  Not our fault.


----------



## BuzzLOL

tomtheelder2020 said:


> They met, talked about it, and agreed that taking a knee was a more respectful way of protesting.


Will never be acceptable to this veteran of foreign religions-fueled war! 
Americans pay for pro sports, piss us off and hate us and we're GONE !!!


----------



## BuzzLOL

femgroup said:


> But, of course, I let the Democratic Party tell me what to do. They are currently training me to be a Democratic criminal, and all sorts of nefarious stuff.


WOW! You are capable of some sensible truths!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Did MLK ever disrespect the flag or the anthem?


MLK Jr. was a lifelong Republican... because Democrats didn't allow blacks in when he was signing up for a party...


----------



## Eddie_T

Ever listen to someone talk for a minute and think their cornbread ain't done in the middle. Consider Kaepernick, he was playing for the NFL doesn't that N stand for National (national: relating to a nation; common to or characteristic of a whole nation)? Wasn't the jerk violating his own standard?


> "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> These are the sort of statements that are common place on the right wing radio programs. You and they speak in pure hyperbole. It always the same, all the leftists hate all the cops. The leftist all hate America and want to destroy it, the major news outlets only dispense lies under direction of the left and on and on. Flyover has pointed out the absurdity of people who believe that the only news source that isn't lying is the one they listen to, how nieve. We're still waiting on the proof of all the election fraud that the far right news outlets claimed and continued to suggest.
> 
> I would agree about the many people that have been shot by police because they tried to reach for a weapon or similar stupid move. But there have been numerous videos of police shooting people when it seemed excessive. That doesn't include incidents when they didn't shoot someone but just beat the hell out of them a la George Floyd. I appreciate the intensity and adrenalin of the situation but there are a lot of cops that have serious ego issues. I know many cops including my Dad and uncle and all you have to do is listen to some of them talk about bashing someone with a night stick or something. They like to brag about it almost. That doesn't apply to all cops, I think most would rather not get physical in a situation but some just seem to like it and will take every opportunity to intimidate a person. And like most things a few bad actors paint the picture that most people see. And for the record my Dad and uncle are dyed in the wool democrats so do they hate the cops too? I also have a first cousin who is way right and hates the cops. He once tried to tell me my Dad had a cushy job paid by the taxpayers and didn't deserve his pension.



Ok... Fair enough... I will take any examples of the Leftist MSM or Politicians praising Law Enforcement, not including their Capitol Police, who are nothing besides a Leftist organization. 

The Leftists in the Big City Councils, the Mayors all want to defund the police, and all let their cities burn, which affected small business owners. The MSM barely ever showed the riots, with one reporter from CNN famously saying that they were "mostly peaceful protests", as the buildings behind him were engulfed in flames. 

The Leftist news outlets take their marching orders from Nancy Pelosi. After the 2 year Mueller report was finalized and it didn't nail President Trump, tons of people ditched the Leftist media that had told them for 2 years that President Trump colluded with the Russians, but besides that, Pelosi said they should talk about Healthcare, and just like a light switch, that was the topic on all the MSM. 

You don't need proof of election fraud if you are capable of observation. How did Joe "win" while hiding in his basement 95 percent of the time, show up at rallies with 15 people, and have a motorcade that attracted 3 people?

How did he "win" compared to President Trump that had 40,000 people at his rallies and probably more at his motorcades? 

How did Joe secure MASSIVE votes of the Black population in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh etc., numbers that FAR surpassed the numbers that Obama got? Massive amounts of Black people turned out to vote for the frail dementia patient compared to the charismatic Black man?

Why did the massive Black vote for Joe only apply to those cities in toss up States, and not in big cities on the West Coast that were guaranteed Blue States? Why was the Black vote in those states normal compared to previous years?

What about the ballots under the tables? 

What about the ballots that were run through the voting machines 10 or more times on video? 

What about the Conservative poll watchers that were banned from the polling locations? 

What about the Thousands of ballots that were found to ONLY have votes for Joe, no other down ballot Democrats? 

What about the Thousands of dead people that voted? 

What about the people that showed up to vote, but were told they had already voted?

Cops that act like you say are the vast minority, and need to find a different line of work or be convicted and go to jail.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Toledo and OSU are rivals?
> 
> I do assume you hate Michigan by birth.


Toledo and Ohio State seldom play against each other...
Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and TTUN HC Jim Harbaugh both born in Toledo... 
Toledo used to be in TSUN before the Great Ohio - TSUN War... 
TSUN got the U P in exchange for losing Toledo... 
Toledo beat Arkansas... and went into their Big House and beat TTUN last time they played each other...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Can't find it now, but somewhere Spicoli mentioned 50 cops murdered yearly while enforcing peace, law, and order... I believe that number was actually closer to 200 yearly... and since crime is up 50% more since Jomentia took over, it's prolly closer to 300 rate now... I doubt OSHA should approve of that level of job death... But likely Jomentia feels it's fine...


----------



## Eddie_T

I like the last line of this one ·  ·  ·


----------



## BuzzLOL

"Andrew Jackson made bridles for his horses out of Native American people's skin." 

Tried to check that at Leftist Fact Checker site Snopes but, since the Founder of Snopes is now under investigation for tons of crimes, the site works differently now and all I could do was submit that claim and am now waiting on a response which will prolly take some time...


----------



## Eddie_T

Here's media report that on first glance seems unbiased  ·  ·  ·
FactCheck: do black Americans commit more crime?


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> "Andrew Jackson made bridles for his horses out of Native American people's skin."
> 
> Tried to check that at Leftist Fact Checker site Snopes but, since the Founder of Snopes is now under investigation for tons of crimes, the site works differently now and all I could do was submit that claim and am now waiting on a response which will prolly take some time...



I just tried to look that up at Snopes also, nothing found. They do have a banner "Save our Snopes"... Give us money... HAHAHAHA... Same thing as Wikipedia... "If everybody gave only $3"....


----------



## Eddie_T

Didn't Andrew Jackson found the Democrat party?


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Ok... Fair enough... I will take any examples of the Leftist MSM or Politicians praising Law Enforcement, not including their Capitol Police, who are nothing besides a Leftist organization.
> 
> The Leftists in the Big City Councils, the Mayors all want to defund the police, and all let their cities burn, which affected small business owners. The MSM barely ever showed the riots, with one reporter from CNN famously saying that they were "mostly peaceful protests", as the buildings behind him were engulfed in flames.
> 
> The Leftist news outlets take their marching orders from Nancy Pelosi. After the 2 year Mueller report was finalized and it didn't nail President Trump, tons of people ditched the Leftist media that had told them for 2 years that President Trump colluded with the Russians, but besides that, Pelosi said they should talk about Healthcare, and just like a light switch, that was the topic on all the MSM.
> 
> You don't need proof of election fraud if you are capable of observation. How did Joe "win" while hiding in his basement 95 percent of the time, show up at rallies with 15 people, and have a motorcade that attracted 3 people?
> 
> How did he "win" compared to President Trump that had 40,000 people at his rallies and probably more at his motorcades?
> 
> How did Joe secure MASSIVE votes of the Black population in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh etc., numbers that FAR surpassed the numbers that Obama got? Massive amounts of Black people turned out to vote for the frail dementia patient compared to the charismatic Black man?
> 
> Why did the massive Black vote for Joe only apply to those cities in toss up States, and not in big cities on the West Coast that were guaranteed Blue States? Why was the Black vote in those states normal compared to previous years?
> 
> What about the ballots under the tables?
> 
> What about the ballots that were run through the voting machines 10 or more times on video?
> 
> What about the Conservative poll watchers that were banned from the polling locations?
> 
> What about the Thousands of ballots that were found to ONLY have votes for Joe, no other down ballot Democrats?
> 
> What about the Thousands of dead people that voted?
> 
> What about the people that showed up to vote, but were told they had already voted?
> 
> Cops that act like you say are the vast minority, and need to find a different line of work or be convicted and go to jail.


Still beating that horse I see, you and the pillow guy. When all that BS (and I'll call it that until someone, anyone shows actual evidence) started I could only come to a few conclusions. 1. The Trump administration claimed that in 2016 like they do in any election they loose. They had 4 years to find it and stop it from reoccurring and either didn't or couldn't. 

Why is it the Republicans think that the Democrats are the only ones that could or would commit voter fraud? 
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...MQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2JksNahau_JdnGGgeeSnTr[/URL]
Or
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw24noVbAZNbQggdatmySUtT&ampcf=1[/URL]
3. If in decades of claiming election fraud it either doesn't exist anywhere near the scale the Republicans claim or the Democrats are just too smart for them to figure it out, for decades. 
We all saw how the shame audit in Arizona turned out. Great for the Cyber Ninjas (seriously?) they made $5 million and in the end said oh, sorry you the count was right. Laughed all the way to the bank. You claimed somewhere on this thread you require video, proof and none exists for this election yet you still hang onto the big lie. Seems kind of hypocritical.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Didn't Andrew Jackson found the Democrat party?


Yes... should have expected that!








						Democratic Party (United States) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## BuzzLOL

Leftist Snopes Founder not only plagiarist but also accused of rape...
Snopes Co-Founder David Mikkelson Accused of Rape by Wife 
But, of course, nothing is a crime to Leftists...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Snopes: Give us money... HAHAHAHA... Same thing as Wikipedia... "If everybody gave only $3"....


I don't support the ENEMIES of all good decent Real Americans! Includes the Lame Stream Misleadia FAKE NEWS LIARS !!!


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> Still beating that horse I see, you and the pillow guy. When all that BS (and I'll call it that until someone, anyone shows actual evidence) started I could only come to a few conclusions. 1. The Trump administration claimed that in 2016 like they do in any election they loose. They had 4 years to find it and stop it from reoccurring and either didn't or couldn't.
> 
> Why is it the Republicans think that the Democrats are the only ones that could or would commit voter fraud?
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...MQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2JksNahau_JdnGGgeeSnTr[/URL]
> Or
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw24noVbAZNbQggdatmySUtT&ampcf=1[/URL]
> 3. If in decades of claiming election fraud it either doesn't exist anywhere near the scale the Republicans claim or the Democrats are just too smart for them to figure it out, for decades.
> We all saw how the shame audit in Arizona turned out. Great for the Cyber Ninjas (seriously?) they made $5 million and in the end said oh, sorry you the count was right. Laughed all the way to the bank. You claimed somewhere on this thread you require video, proof and none exists for this election yet you still hang onto the big lie. Seems kind of hypocritical.




There's voter fraud in every election on both sides, just not MILLIONS of votes one way like in the vote for Dementia Man... Why didn't you rip me apart for everything I said individually and provide proof to counter my claims? Is it because you can't provide any proof?

How about that Arizona audit, which was only one County? How about it? Please feel free to NOT comment on the following... 









						Maricopa County Audit Report: Over 57k Votes in Question
					

Arizona’s Maricopa County forensic audit report presentation began at 4:00 EST Friday in the State Senate showing over 57,000 votes are in question. The Maricopa audit is just one county in Arizona…




					clarion.causeaction.com


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> During the real cold times, the TV is on and I watch an hour of news, the rest is fun stuff like the Oceans / Pyramids / Archaeological stuff etc...


Huh. Here we are just at the start of fall, but I don't remember you mentioning anything about the oceans/pyramids/archeology all summer. You talked a lot about what the Left is doing though. Throughout the summer, when I'm guessing it wasn't -40 out. If that's only a small fraction of what you're watching, and during the summer you hardly watch any to begin with, I guess that stuff must stick in your brain way out of proportion to how much you take in. I wonder why that is. Is it healthy?



> You in the same scenario... The TV will be on, you don't have a choice, or the kids will drive you up a wall. The problem for you would be how much TV time and how much video games to try to prevent them from turning out to be the exact opposite of you...


In the winter here my kids do watch an hour or two of cartoons per day. No news though. And we don't own any video games/consoles. Mostly in crappy weather the kids stay busy with creative stuff, games, crafts, gamified housecleaning, etc.



> Now, all that said, you were on the interwebben a lot yesterday, unless you don't go to ANY news sites and your browser doesn't show any news headlines, what's the difference between that and TV?


I work from home 3 out of 5 days a week and my job is usually (but not always) pretty quiet; I will admit to getting restless from time to time and going looking for stimulating written exchanges, including here. But no, I do not go to any news sites, and my browser doesn't show any news headlines. If I'm not finding things to do away from the computer (house projects, working out, helping with the kids, practicing guitar, etc.), then I email with friends/pen-pals a lot, and there's another forum (science- and tech-related) where I lurk. So, pretty big difference from TV.

I saw a study from 3 years ago saying Americans watched about 3 hours of TV per day. That actually seems like less than the numbers I heard when I was a kid, but I'm not sure what the numbers would say if you count stuff like Youtube, or whatever videos they show on news websites.


----------



## Flyover

Yeah, without looking it up (so I could well be wrong) I recall Jackson founded the Democrat party.


----------



## Eddie_T

I only have OTA TV and mostly just watch the news. It certainly has a bias but gives me a rough (if inaccurate) view of what's happening. I can stream youtube videos to the TV which is connected to my sound system. TV has some weird game shows which I quickly turn off. I like Blue Bloods and that's about all. I had rather read a book and have read prolly more than 200 novels since the pandemic began. A good novel cannot be condensed into  two hour TV movie with commercials. Reading novels is not a  total waste as it keeps my reading skills sharpened. I have my own speed reading technique as I suspect do most good readers. I sight read sentences and paragraphs rather than words. I would rather read the news than have an overpaid commentator present it if that were possible.


----------



## Flyover

Personally, I discovered that knowing what's happening, in the sense of knowing what's in the news, is only ever important if you find yourself having to prove you know what's in the news to someone else. I then realized I do not need to prove such a thing to anyone and that there was plenty else to talk about sufficient to never discuss the news again. At that point kicking the news completely out of my information diet was trivial.

I do pay attention to _new things_ in areas where I have a legitimate interest such as developments in my professional field, or in areas where I'm just kinda interested in learning something (like when I wanted to better understand home construction methods last winter) but I don't go to any kind of journalism for either of those things. There are plenty of experienced masters in those areas who talk or write about what they know. (This site included for sure!)

Maybe there are people out there with more urgent reasons to need to know what _journalists_ are writing and talking about, but I can't think of any reasons offhand.

Today I cut some 2x8 into 14.5" lengths to cover up the insulation between the joists on the exterior wall side of the room that used to be old office, including jigsawing a U-shaped hole for a duct. There were 7 such gaps that needed covering but I ran out of wood after covering 4 of them, so I'll have to scrounge up some more 2x8 soon.

I think I'll try to stay offline more this coming month, it's good to do that once in a while.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was in Denver one winter complaining about the cold weather. A fellow engineer Darrell Bywater from Bozeman, MT (wife Rita Beth from Poison, MT) had been stationed in Florida for a short time before coming to Denver. Darrell liked cold weather saying "He could put on enough clothing to keep warm but could not take off enough to keep cool".


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Huh. Here we are just at the start of fall, but I don't remember you mentioning anything about the oceans/pyramids/archeology all summer. You talked a lot about what the Left is doing though. Throughout the summer, when I'm guessing it wasn't -40 out. If that's only a small fraction of what you're watching, and during the summer you hardly watch any to begin with, I guess that stuff must stick in your brain way out of proportion to how much you take in. I wonder why that is. Is it healthy?
> 
> 
> In the winter here my kids do watch an hour or two of cartoons per day. No news though. And we don't own any video games/consoles. Mostly in crappy weather the kids stay busy with creative stuff, games, crafts, gamified housecleaning, etc.
> 
> 
> I work from home 3 out of 5 days a week and my job is usually (but not always) pretty quiet; I will admit to getting restless from time to time and going looking for stimulating written exchanges, including here. But no, I do not go to any news sites, and my browser doesn't show any news headlines. If I'm not finding things to do away from the computer (house projects, working out, helping with the kids, practicing guitar, etc.), then I email with friends/pen-pals a lot, and there's another forum (science- and tech-related) where I lurk. So, pretty big difference from TV.
> 
> I saw a study from 3 years ago saying Americans watched about 3 hours of TV per day. That actually seems like less than the numbers I heard when I was a kid, but I'm not sure what the numbers would say if you count stuff like Youtube, or whatever videos they show on news websites.




Paragraph A... Because the Leftists are killing the Country in every way, shape and form... The Economy, Policing, Border, Covid, Jobs, Gas Prices, Availability of goods, Letting unvaccinated migrants in with no tests carrying measles and worse etc... That isn't mentioning the fake election. 


Paragraph B... You better put them in Jiu-Jitsu or something if you're teaching them to be Martha Stewart.


----------



## zannej

Man, this thread blew up with the political stuff again. LOL. There was an interview (based on a book or article) awhile back with a guy who talked about how there used to be more than 2 political parties and you had more range of options/opinions but now it has become so polarized. Each side thinks the other is evil.

Fox news requires their employees to get vaccinated and any who refuse have to be Covid tested every day. They also practice social distancing and masking indoors. These rules were in place before any government mandates for vaccines. Yet they have their talking heads go on and say vaccines are bad. People who got vaccinated at the first opportunity and had no negative side effects are out telling people not to get vaccinated. I don't like Fox and I don't like CNN. They are both other ends of the horseshoe. Too extreme.

That is all I will say on that. My favorite cat is still missing. I'm still trying to hold out hope that he'll come home safely, but it's unlikely. Took my vehicle to the dealer yesterday for diagnostics and maintenance. They failed to do the all points inspection but charged $115 for it (I know they didn't do it because the inspection sheet was blank). They claimed my tailgate handle is broken but I could see they didn't remove the screws to take it apart to look. I'm now wondering if they actually drained and refilled my transmission fluid. They certainly ran the gas down though. Used 1/4 tank in the 4 hours we were waiting. I'm going to have my friend check the fluid later just in case. Another reason I know they didn't actually do the inspection is that I still have the check VSA, check emissions, & check ABS messages (plus check DRL and TPMS-- but I know the problem with the latter two). They didn't diagnose any of that. If they weren't the only Honda place within 100 miles I'd go somewhere else.

Mom for some reason blamed me for the dealership taking so long and for them not checking/fixing things they were supposed to. Got all pissy and said she didn't want to stop to eat and then later when I said I was hungry she asked why I hadn't said anything. I told her I had told her 5x but she didn't listen. We picked up mail (she still has some packages missing that were supposedly delivered but we never got them).

When I got home the cats had pulled my keyboard out from under its' cover and puked all in it. Saliva, hairball, plus cat food. It was a mess. I'd had it unplugged just in case. Flipped it upsidedown to try to get the liquid out. Cleaned it with a bristled tooth pick as best as possible. Left it face down so it could drain out. I was afraid to plug it if it might short out and mess up usb ports. So I didn't use it all night. Took it to my friend's the afternoon. He took it apart and it turns out it's "spill proof" and nothing got through. But my L key wasn't working. I had to take some of the keys off and clean it. Got half a shopping bag full of cat fur out. Need to take all the keys off during daylight in a room with no pets over a plastic bin so I can clean it better. I'm thinking if I get a tack cloth I can pick up hair and dust. The good news is that I have some games on my computer that only require mouse usage. So, I re-played Letters From Nowhere, Letters From Nowhere 2, Mysteryville, and started on Mysterville 2. They are object search and puzzle games. Letters from Nowhere is better. Mysteryville is ok but is unintentionally racist. It's still fun when I don't read the dialog. I don't think English is the first language of the developers & man, they butcher the way characters speak. It's all text so I don't have to hear it. I think it is slightly making fun of some of the racial stereotypes though. At least I hope it was intended as humor and not that they are that ignorant of cultures. I admit, I couldn't stop giggling about a character named Dong Li.

I forgot to mention that yesterday my phone just disappeared. No idea what happened to it. It's gone. I checked my pouch, on my bed, next to my bed, in the bathroom, in the hallway, in the truck, my desk, etc. Asked my friend to check his house for it. No luck. Tried calling it but it's off. Last I recall was setting it on my desk to charge. I will have to look around more and see if I'm just missing it somehow. I've asked my brother to help me look but he probably won't unless it somehow benefits him.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> You better put them in Jiu-Jitsu or something if you're teaching them to be Martha Stewart.


Check out this parenting advice


----------



## zannej

Guys guys! I have something important to say!

I like cheese. 
LOL. 

Whatever else people say about Martha Stewart-- she tries to act all elite and prim and proper but she came from a blue collar family, busted her hump to get where she is, and I think she could throw down. LOL. The woman knows how to use a skillet. I could see a "Lamb to the Slaughter" situation happening with her clubbing someone with a frozen leg of lamb and cooking it up to destroy the evidence.

My brother wants to go into town to get "ball washing supplies" and see if he can shower at my friend's house. Maybe the steam can help clear his sinuses. The hose for his nebulizer is broken so we need to get a new one.

Aminatu is all up in my face trying to get attention now.


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> As I stated, NO COMMENT



You can't comment. You're done for.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Man, this thread blew up with the political stuff again. LOL. There was an interview (based on a book or article) awhile back with a guy who talked about how there used to be more than 2 political parties and you had more range of options/opinions but now it has become so polarized. Each side thinks the other is evil.
> 
> Fox news requires their employees to get vaccinated and any who refuse have to be Covid tested every day. They also practice social distancing and masking indoors. These rules were in place before any government mandates for vaccines. Yet they have their talking heads go on and say vaccines are bad. People who got vaccinated at the first opportunity and had no negative side effects are out telling people not to get vaccinated. I don't like Fox and I don't like CNN. They are both other ends of the horseshoe. Too extreme.



Fox News is Leftist. Their ownership and a majority of their anchors are Left. The few that are on the Right or Independent / Libertarian have the best ratings in News. None of them say anything against vaccines, though.

The Covid vaccine is Russian Roulette, as proven by VAERS. It is vastly under-reported though, as it takes more than a half hour to complete one report, and Nurses don't have the time to do that every time. The truth is what I just said, and the blatant "fact checking" websites setup to counter what I just said is the absolute proof my statement is true. Fauci allowed the funding and creation of Covid.


----------



## ekrig

So... backyard cleaning continues apace. Cleaning, planting and mulching along the house is largely done. I'll be working on a walkway extending from the deck today. Hopefully I can share pictures here when done.

Also got quotes for remainder of cleaning along back and one side of fence. The best so far is around $4200; I was hoping to closer to $3000-3500. I don't know if it would be appropriate to post additional details here, but I'd be interested in knowing if people think if $4200 is reasonable or I might be able to do better.


----------



## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> So... backyard cleaning continues apace. Cleaning, planting and mulching along the house is largely done. I'll be working on a walkway extending from the deck today. Hopefully I can share pictures here when done.
> 
> Also got quotes for remainder of cleaning along back and one side of fence. The best so far is around $4200; I was hoping to closer to $3000-3500. I don't know if it would be appropriate to post additional details here, but I'd be interested in knowing if people think if $4200 is reasonable or I might be able to do better.



Cleaning WHAT? 

Picture?


----------



## Eddie_T

@femgroup  When I worked on the Kings Bay Submarine Base we had a black secretary that asked my opinion regarding a Baptist private school for her son. I knew the school was superior academically but wanted to be sure she knew why the school was originally established. She knew what I was inferring and had already explored it from that aspect finding that it had moved well past that mindset.

I also recall in the 90s when a black engineer (and his wife) came to our facility in NC. They had a motel reservation only to find out they didn't. I still hurt over that encounter though my boss (friends with the motel owners) accepted that it was a mix-up).


----------



## ekrig

Spicoli43 said:


> Cleaning WHAT?
> 
> Picture?



Apologies as I should have thought of that. I don't have great picture off-hand (the ones below are from late last year I think), but I'll try to get better ones tomorrow. The first picture shows the level of the problem because this house was a foreclosure and inhabited for 6+ years before we bought it. Then, when we got it we were focused on fixing stuff inside and this didn't seem like an urgent thing.

So there are 3 trees on the back fence that need to come out (I'll do the cutting, but the contractor will pull out the stumps) because they are either way too close to the fence (like the maple in the 2nd pic) or about to fall (pine on right back corner). Then they need clean all these shrubs and sapling growing everywhere, and regrade the soil along the back. I also want to get rid of that "pull-out" along side fence (enlarges from 3ft at the gate entrance to about 1ft wide) and make it an even 4ft wide area all the way though with 3-4 shrubs. Then, install stone edging, weed fabric, and put mulch everywhere. I have a sketch how I want it. I've also attached an estimate I received. The last $550 amount for a stone edging is for something else, so let's not consider that. The other things come out to $4225.

By the way, I'm contracting only the side and back because as I mentioned in my previous post, I've fixed next to the house myself already.


----------



## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> Apologies as I should have thought of that. I don't have great picture off-hand (the ones below are from late last year I think), but I'll try to get better ones tomorrow. The first picture shows the level of the problem because this house was a foreclosure and inhabited for 6+ years before we bought it. Then, when we got it we were focused on fixing stuff inside and this didn't seem like an urgent thing.
> 
> So there are 3 trees on the back fence that need to come out (I'll do the cutting, but the contractor will pull out the stumps) because they are either way too close to the fence (like the maple in the 2nd pic) or about to fall (pine on right back corner). Then they need clean all these shrubs and sapling growing everywhere, and regrade the soil along the back. I also want to get rid of that "pull-out" along side fence (enlarges from 3ft at the gate entrance to about 1ft wide) and make it an even 4ft wide area all the way though with 3-4 shrubs. Then, install stone edging, weed fabric, and put mulch everywhere. I have a sketch how I want it. I've also attached an estimate I received. The last $550 amount for a stone edging is for something else, so let's not consider that. The other things come out to $4225.
> 
> By the way, I'm contracting only the side and back because as I mentioned in my previous post, I've fixed next to the house myself already.
> 
> View attachment 26702



Ok, so a complete landscape job. As far as stumps, can you dig around them enough to use a chain saw on the sides and bore a hole through them for a chain / drag them out? I have done that, and got the stump below grade. That's what they will be doing, I assume. 

That's all I see that I would hire out for, you can buy the best landscape fabric on Ebay for relatively cheap, the Dewitt P5 here... Everything else you mention can be bought at Lowe's or wherever... 









						Dewitt P5 5 x 250 Pro-5 Weed-Barrier 5 OZ Landscape Fabric  | eBay
					

Get your DeWitt Fabric Pinshere (500 each) or here (1000 each). THIS IS A NEEDLE PUNCHED FABRIC. (THERE IS A FUZZY BACKING) ONE SIDE IS SMOOTH THE OTHER IS FUZZY.



					www.ebay.com
				




Other than that, maybe rent a Bobcat for a day and knock everything out? You can probably buy a new Laser level on Ebay for $500 or less and then flip it if you don't need it..

Sorry, I'm completely skipping your question about the bid because I think it's laughable.


----------



## Spicoli43

femgroup said:


> Yea, you won with all that logical, intelligent, well researched and well reasoned discourse.



Which you can't debate because it's true. The truth is Kryptonite to Liberals because your "Leaders" set you up for failure.


----------



## ekrig

Spicoli43 said:


> Sorry, I'm completely skipping your question about the bid because I think it's laughable.



Why do you say laughable? The price? The job?

Let me be clear, I most assuredly could do the work but I find that I don't have enough time, especially contiguous time. I did the side of the house (other side of the gate on the pic) and I'm finishing along the back of the house, but it took me the whole summer as I only can squeeze a few hours here and there. Anyway, letting a contractor finishing up the outside frees up time for me to work on stuff inside that still needs fixing.


----------



## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> Why do you say laughable? The price? The job?
> 
> Let me be clear, I most assuredly could do the work but I find that I don't have enough time, especially contiguous time. I did the side of the house (other side of the gate on the pic) and I'm finishing along the back of the house, but it took me the whole summer as I only can squeeze a few hours here and there. Anyway, letting a contractor finishing up the outside frees up time for me to work on stuff inside that still needs fixing.



The price. I get hiring out so you can do other stuff, I just can't understand why you would hire out, unless you are flipping the house soon.


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## Eddie_T

Playing with plumbing today (not my favorite activity) but gives me a lot of time for thought.

If I were participating in BLM I would only use violence as necessary to move out the invaders who try to hijack the movement. Since the problem seems to be LEO overreach I would calmly picket police stations much as I have picketed abortion mills. I still think insulting the majority by flag/anthem disrespect will accomplish little and violence breeds violence. And Kaepernick's stated refusal was to not stand and take pride in the flag for a country that oppresses black people. My position is that it's not the country that is oppressing blacks it is considerably more specific than that. Don't insult me for the actions of others.

This is an extreme example, Islamists claim their religion is a peaceful one then behead infidels. I know it's not all of them but it paints a picture. When I hear BLM I envision public clashes. To change the hearts of the majority the blacks must be nicer than the bad guys. Police overreach is there I haven't received a ticket in many years but when I did the officer certainly felt his oats and exhibited an air of superiority (and I am a white guy). Officers should be screened during the probationary period to weed out this trait which in my experience is all too prevalent in the blue line.

High speed chases all too often don't end well. I recall one that I wrote a letter about which was published. A kid on a motorcycle made some minor infraction but decided to run. He was chased into the next county where he wrecked and died but how many in blue can avoid the thrill of a high speed chase?


----------



## BuzzLOL

femgroup said:


> As for BLM? Not sure what you mean by 'hijacking', but it is still a noble cause for me.


BLM is SUPER RACIST !!! What's wrong with ALL LIVES MATTER? I thought we were getting rid of racism, not making it more profitable/evil/murderous/destructive?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Islamists claim their religion is a peaceful one then behead infidels.


ALL religions have written orders in their handbooks for their customers to hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone of a different religion or no religion addiction...


----------



## havasu

OK folks. This thread is titled "What did you do today?", which is not a political thread. 

Let's get back on track please!


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## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> OK folks. This thread is titled "What did you do today?", which is not a political thread.
> 
> Let's get back on track please!View attachment 26707


What Havasu said... I don't mind shutting this thread down for a week. 

Arguing points of view on a public forum...Is like trying to teach a pig to sing, it's a complete waste of time and annoys the pig.

Nobody's mind's going to be changed. We have our own personal views based on our own life experiences. Let's try to keep this thread about DIY matters, please.


----------



## shan2themax

So..... today I finally finished putting new 1/2" OSB down in the 3rd bedroom. My oldest moved out bought a house. It has taken me 3 to 4 weeks to get this done. I could just work on it a little at a time (literally). But... it's done yay me!!!!

And!?! I cut the vent hole perfectly on the first try. And I cut a small hole for the cable wire to come through on the first try. 

Now.... we have to put roofing tar paper down to protect this and I just bought cheap indoor (similar to indoor/outdoor) to put down. I will work on stapling that down tomorrow maybe. I can't put real carpet down because of my moms cats. Hopefully my other son keeps the door closed so they just don't go in there. I decided that I was just going to paint over bad places throughout the house with odor killer, put down 1/2" OSB and roofing tar paper and the padding and carpet when the time comes. Originally I wanted to cut it all out.... now.... I don't care anymore. It's getting harder and harder for me to do that kind of thing and I cant afford to pay someone else. Therefore, this is going to be my solution. 

Hopefully, he takes all the stuff out of here later tonight so that it's a clean slate tomorrow.  Then, I am going to find a cheap couch for the living room so that I dont have to sit in my room all day everyday (second son has been living in living room so that my mom had a bedroom, with first son gone, he has a room again)
I am looking forward to not sitting in my room all the time.


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## Spicoli43

Great job Shan! But why would you put down toxic tar paper? Have you considered just putting in waterproof vinyl flooring? If you do, you never have to worry about spilling anything again. 

Here's a post from a forum...

"In 2009 we installed hardwood flooring in 3 bedrooms, using roofing felt as instructed by the store from which we purchased the flooring. I had already become chemically sensitive from the materials we used in the building of a home we lived in previously. When I walked in the first bedroom just after my husband had laid the tar paper and smelled it, I was concerned, but we had other things going on and wanted to get the job done and out of the way, and my husband brushed me off and went ahead and laid the flooring.

I now suffer from chronic inflammation of both sinuses & other body tissue, and our youngest son has sinus issues and has even suffered from migraines. I'm convinced it's from the off-gassing of the roofing felt under the hardwood"


----------



## zannej

Still no sign of my favorite cat. I'm not quite ready to give up on him. I had one that went missing for 2 weeks and turned up before, but it's unlikely that he's still alive. :-( I've been going out and calling him from time to time but no response. Most of the other cats are staying inside. Earlier today Mom looked in to my room (door is open) and didn't see me under the pile of cats. LOL.

Still no sign of my missing phone either. It must have fallen somewhere. I will have to do more digging around and try to focus to see if I can remember where I last saw it. Thought it was my desk but it doesn't seem to be anywhere around there.

Yesterday I went to visit my friend. Asked him if the texture of the butcherblock was ok and he said it was fine and then admitted he can't feel textures because of nerve damage from nearly being electrocuted about 5x. We brought him with us to the store so he could get some new electrical outlets, a switch, face plates, etc. Trip would have been much cheaper if I'd left my brother at home. He got a bunch of stuff.

My friend just sent me a picture to show me he moved the wires for an electrical outlet up (it was covered by a base cabinet) and replaced the whole outlet with a new one. He also installed the microwave cabinet on the wall and put the microwave in it. I will have to get a small stepladder and stain it. I'll have to do the higher spots with my left hand and hope I don't mess up. Can't reach up with my right arm.

I woke up in the middle of the night, mom was still up, so I cooked for her. Watched some programs about the Hubble Telescope for a bit and then went back to bed. Today I mostly slept except to get up and cook for mom. I managed to lose my balance going in to the living room and slammed my shoulder into the doorframe.

I think tomorrow I need to go to Samsclub and get more water.


----------



## Eddie_T

Have someone call your phone unless it's turned off.


----------



## Eddie_T

I lost my balance a week or so ago. The room started moving, I grabbed the countertop for support and after a bit held on to furniture and made it to my easy chair. I did all the stroke tests and all was well. A friend said it was senior vertigo so maybe I won't be buying another motorcycle. I red up on vertigo and it describes the event to a tee.


----------



## shan2themax

@Eddie_T  it could also be your blood pressure.  Vertigo is no fun. You can buy meclizine over the counter. If 25mg makes you sleepy just take the 12.5. I actually take it to help with nausea.  Colonoscopy scheduled for October 11. (Woohoo... not)

@Spicoli43  long stories short..... theres a moderate sag in the house, floors are not the same heights currently, he doesnt sleep in a bed, he sleeps on the floor so linoleum wouldnt be comfortable.  There is already tar paper between the original 2 layers of flooring..... 
And..... unashamedly I'm afraid..... I'm tired and I just don't care. 
When the time comes that I am no longer dealing with cats.... then the intent is to add the 1/2" through the entire house and put padding and carpet everywhere but the kitchen, dining room and bathroom. 

I struggle to force myself to do the things that I do get done, it's a physical challenge at times..... however, most of the time I am in an emotional/psychological  headgame with life and trying to get through each day and all the challenges that come with that currently. 

I am trying to honor a parent to the best of my ability, while also trying to keep a little sanity intact, while also working in healthcare during this pandemic. 

I wish people would take it seriously, I wish we could televise patients (with permission of course) 24/7.
Watching people struggle to breath is something I do 24/7 at work and home and it is an absolute mind game. 

I helped transport a lady to a higher level of car yesterday that started out on 8 liters of oxygen per minute yesterday morning, and was on 15 liters when we transported her to the other floor. We couldnt get ahold of her daughter, so we called a friend, the patient was so worn out trying to breath and having oxygen levels in the mid 80s on 15 liters, she couldnt even roll herself over on her side.... she was 56 I believe. All she said when we told her we couldnt reach her daughter was.... I'll be ok.... over and over....

It's an absolute  crap show out there.


----------



## havasu

Thank you for the reminder Shan!

I too just scheduled another colonoscopy. Sorry for the reminder, but my sister died from this just 2 years ago, and worth repeating because it will save lives.


----------



## 68bucks

shan2themax said:


> It's an absolute  crap show out there.


My daughter is an RN and she says the same thing. Thanks for your hard work and compassion.


----------



## shan2themax

@havasu  this will be my first, but I am having a lot of difficulties with my gut in general. I'm sorry to hear your sister had colon cancer and I am so ever grateful that you are getting your colonoscopies done!

@68bucks  thank you so much. I am also an RN. Tell your daughter to keep her head up. My thoughts and prayers go out to her.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> You're teaching your boys to craft and clean the house like Martha Stewart, and you think they won't be stuffed in lockers and have the tar beat out of them... You should probably make them wear Bow Ties also, so the beating is over sooner.


Nice comment.

Yesterday I started working on my wife's coffee table. Got the red maple slab cut to length, shimmed it all up and set up the routing sled so I can start leveling it today. Plan is to level the top, tape it, then flip it over and pour the epoxy, then level that side, then do another pass on the top.


----------



## zannej

The comment about teaching boys to be like Martha Stewart reminded me that in my Freshman year of High School we had 1 boy who was able to get in to Home Ec (they normally wouldn't let boys take it and wouldn't let girls take woodworking or any of the "masculine" electives-- so when I moved out of the hellhole & went to a better school I took weightlifting, woodworking, electronics, etc-- stuff they would not allow me to take here and some they didn't even offer here). Anyway, the one guy in the class made himself an apron & was super proud of himself. He wore it all the time in class. One day the idiot teacher turned on an oven with a box of pizza in it (it was her pizza). It caught on fire. She opened the oven, pulled it out, and shoved the flaming box into the arms of a student. The student then ran to the door, someone opened it for her, and she threw it in the trash can. The trash can melted, fire alarm went off, and school did its fire drill stuff. Some guys saw the boy with his apron and started mocking him. And he said something along the lines "Why would I want to be stuck in a sausagefest with you when I can be here surrounded by the ladies? Women love a man who can cook!" so several of the girls started leaning on him and swooning just to piss off the jocks. He wasn't a creeper so he didn't hit on the girls but he was pretty popular with them. In my other school, boys learning to cook and sew was not considered abnormal or "feminine". 

Nothing wrong with boys learning life skills. I mean, not all of them are going to move out of the house straight in with a woman so they will need to know how to do basic stuff for themselves like cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

I'm supposed to go to samsclub today but it's raining and thundering. Road is going to be a $#itshow.

I forgot to mention something funny from the last time we visited my friend. Apparently his 9-yr-old daughter heard us knocking. She was half asleep and said "Dad, someone's f***ing knocking at the door" Friend: "What?" Kid: "Someone's knocking at the door". She didn't even realize she said it. He thought it was funny and didn't get upset bc he knows her mother talks like that. I mean, the mother calls her son a "f***ing retard" to his face & constantly swears around and at the kids.

Last night Fippy (the chiweenie) was on one of my pillows. He rolled on his back so I put a folded sheet over him (not over his face) to keep him warm. Had him all tucked in. But then a cat that weighs about the same as him decided the sheet was there to be his bed and sat on the poor dog. Dog was growling but couldn't sit up to snap at the cat. I had to get up and asked him "Do you want to go see mommy?" then watched him struggling to get out from under the cat to follow me. It took a minute but he finally got free.

One of the first things I did was have someone try calling my number. No ringing. I think it was off and charging. Or it ran out of battery. If it's in the middle of the house even fully charged it won't ring though. No signal.


----------



## havasu

Vacations are coming soon for a few folks who continue to ruin this thread.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Guess some just can't take a hint...


----------



## Eddie_T

I had some leftover garlic parmesan roasted potatoes (gravel size) so I placed some in two muffin pan cups and baked for 16 minutes. Pressed pockets in the potatoes added eggs and baked another 16 minutes. Simple low mess meal.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Eddie_T said:


> I had some leftover garlic parmesan roasted potatoes (gravel size) so I placed some in two muffin pan cups and baked for 16 minutes. Pressed pockets in the potatoes added eggs and baked another 16 minutes. Simple low mess meal.


Sounds good!


----------



## shan2themax

I had bratwurst with sauerkraut... it wasnt yummy. However, with my stomach issues nothing is anymore.
You'd think I would lose a few pounds since I have to force myself to eat these days.... but nope, here I am still fat and sassy lol


----------



## Flyover

I made aloo gobi (another Indian dish, this one made with potatoes and  cauliflower; I also added peas and garbanzos). It was good but not even close to that tikka masala I made last night. Tomorrow should be easier, it's Mexican night (nachos edition!) and that's harder to screw up because I have way more experience making it. Kind of a nice break from two relatively challenging recipes in a row, honestly.

After dinner my son and I started routing the slab flat for the coffee table. It was fun but very messy and somewhat tedious. We didn't get that far, maybe 1/5 of the way; it's a seven foot long slab of red maple.


----------



## havasu

Pics of the red maple please!


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I made aloo gobi (another Indian dish, this one made with potatoes and  cauliflower; I also added peas and garbanzos). It was good but not even close to that tikka masala I made last night. Tomorrow should be easier, it's Mexican night (nachos edition!) and that's harder to screw up because I have way more experience making it. Kind of a nice break from two relatively challenging recipes in a row, honestly.
> 
> After dinner my son and I started routing the slab flat for the coffee table. It was fun but very messy and somewhat tedious. We didn't get that far, maybe 1/5 of the way; it's a seven foot long slab of red maple.


What precious memories for your son to carry through life!


----------



## ekrig

I had to change several lighbulbs that had recently gone out. It is not a tricky matter but considering how picky my wife is with lighbulbs and the cathedral ceiling in our bedroom it was an exciting thing to get out of my todo list.

Other than that, I ordered some gardenias and weed fabric for the backyard landscaping project. I will be having the contractor do it but ordering several of the things myself saves a ton! Thanks to *Spicoli43*'s tip, I scored a Dewilt P5 6'x250' roll + staples for ~$100 which will be enough for the entire project (maybe with a bit of leftovers) and the contractor took $320 out of his cost. More than $200 savings. WOW!


I still haven't taken the updated pictures but I will get them, I promise.


----------



## zannej

I'm not much of a cook. I mostly do microwave meals. I can do a little cooking on the stove but it takes for frickin' ever for water to boil here. Fun fact: The lower elevation you are the longer it takes for water to boil. It boils so much faster in Albuquerque. I never use the oven (but it doesn't work anyway). Wish I could cook some of the stuff you guys made. I could probably learn but I hate cooking. 

I got a bit excited because some other friends (the ones who got screwed by a seller of a house who knew it was condemned but didn't tell them & then left the state before they could sue him) found someone who is willing to buy the place (knowing it's condemned) and are going to fix up another place (I think a trailer but am not certain). Anyway, they are going to get some of the cabinets from Surplus Warehouse so I've volunteered to paint them when they pick a paint color.

Got up early this morning and went to Samsclub with my brother. We had planned to stop at Panda after but they are closed on Tuesdays now. We killed an hour waiting for it to open (since I had forgotten it was Tuesday) by going to BooksAMillion. We were bummed when we found it was closed and then decided to try IHOP since we hadn't gone in years. I joked with my brother that we were going to get "the big breakfast".


The pumpkin spice pancakes tasted like regular pancakes so I was disappointed. I got ham, eggs over easy, and hash browns. My brother got a bunch of pancakes and was singing "I'm gonna regret ordering the big breakfast". I almost had the waitress move us to another table because there was a nearby booth with a small child who kept shrieking. She wanted the ketchup and her mother opened it to pour some on a plate but the kid held out her hands. She thought the kid wanted to eat it off of her hands so she poured some in to her hands and the kid started rubbing her hands together. Her dad said "No! Its not lotion!" When the food arrived she put ketchup on her eggs. Gross. LOL.

Still can't find my cat or my phone. :-(

I'm going to have to try looking tomorrow during daylight.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej  Water boils at 212° at sea level so simmering at sea level actually cooks faster that simmering at high altitudes. That's the science behind pressure cookers, raising the boiling point above 212°.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> Pics of the red maple please!


In good time, in good time.


Eddie_T said:


> What precious memories for your son to carry through life!


Thanks, yeah I hope so too. I try to let him do as much as I think he can safely handle, making sure he understands where something could go if it slips, how to remain alert, etc. In my garage he does a lot of sanding, filing, planing, clamping and (manual) screwdriving on his own even without my supervision, and with supervision he's learning to hammer nails. He's not yet 5 so it's bit by bit right now. He's great at fetching and returning tools though!

Tonight when we routed the slab it was in my neighbor buddy's basement shop and I didn't want to make my neighbor nervous, so I had to make sure my son was about 1.5x to 2x as far from any spinning blades as I'd probably normally let him stand. Eventually I got the sense that my neighbor realized my son was both comfortable and wary around noisy power tools, so I could have him hold the vacuum tube and follow behind the router, trying to catch as much as he could. He still got completely covered in sawdust, he looked hilarious.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, that is weird but makes sense. But for some reason stuff boils faster at my sister's house. Probably the combination of pots and stove though. I stand corrected. I wonder if humidity has any effect on it.

Things I forgot to mention: The guy who fixes my AC from time to time isn't going to be available for a long time. He's addicted to painkillers and apparently got high and got behind the wheel. Crashed in to a schoolbus full of kids. DUI, reckless driving, child endangerment, felony possession of controlled substance (even worse charge bc he didn't have a prescription). They didn't even give him bail. Fortunately, no one seems to have been hurt.

As an aside, today in the truck I was mentioning the trash can needs to be emptied in the kitchen. My brother then turns to me and said, "You need to wash the trash can, it's filthy!". I didn't respond but I was sitting there mulling over a response like "Hey, a$$hat, trash is supposed to be YOUR job!" But it never even occurred to him that maybe he could wash the trash can. He's not dumb but I don't get how he can lack self-awareness. I didn't want to argue so I just remained silent for like 20 minutes of the drive. I don't think he even noticed the side-eye I gave him. I wish we had an impartial mediator to sit down and help work things through to explain to him that I'm not his mother, he's a grown adult, and I'm not always going to be around to clean up after him.


----------



## ekrig

zannej said:


> I didn't respond but I was sitting there mulling over a response like "Hey, a$$hat, trash is supposed to be YOUR job!" But it never even occurred to him that maybe he could wash the trash can.



I think that you should have answered exactly that. When appropriate, as I think it was the case, I think that people need to get a jolt like that so that they can pull their business together. But I think that *it did* occurred to him that he could wash the trash but was too lazy and irresponsible to do it. Unfortunately, I see too many people with very similar attitudes around, including my workplace, you know, where it is their job!


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej  Don't be an enabler, set up some "tough love" rules and don't yield. No matter how bad it gets, don't give in.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Things I forgot to mention: The guy who fixes my AC from time to time isn't going to be available for a long time.


Is there something wrong with the A/C now? 
About 7 years ago I was nearly hit head on by a guy here in Ohio that was in process of getting his 20th DUI !!! ... Someone else at the time was also achieving 20th. I think the judges had had enough and they both got about 8 years in jail. Maybe a law was changed also around then.


----------



## Eddie_T

My ROKU Mod 3800 Streaming Stick remote died again and it didn't seem that long since I had replaced batteries. I started using a Romoku app on my Chromebook. Today I decided to check the remote so I rigged up a means to check current finding that it always draws several milliamps of current. The current fluctuates as if its charging and discharging a capacitor or maybe sampling the microphone or something.  My temporary fix is putting tape on one battery to make a tab for easy removal and leaving the battery ajar just inserting when I want to send a command.

Turns out others are having the same problem so we're hitting on ROKU for a free replacement but I'm not holding my breath. Some have a more severe problem and batteries last only a couple of days, I think mine lasted a week or so but originally lasted for months.


----------



## havasu

Mowed the lawn, then washed and detailed all 3 cars. That should get it to rain!


----------



## zannej

I may see if I can get my friend to come over at some point. He seems to be the only one who can motivate my brother to clean (but only barely). He has actually cleaned my brother's room for him about 4x already. One time he came over to help me clean up the mess my brother made in the front room (his room had gotten so bad that he moved in to the front room instead & then junked it up so badly it was worse than his room so he moved back to his room) but ended up spending all his time cleaning my brother's room instead. My brother promised to clean it up but he didn't and my sister was going to need to sleep in the front room on a visit. She was arriving in a couple of days. I ended up having to clean almost the whole house by myself. I ended up having to pay someone to help my friend clean the front room the next day because I was busy cleaning other parts of the house & it was when my health was taking a dive & I couldn't do it by myself. Sometimes all I ask my brother to do is to hold a trash bag open for me and take it out when I'm done filling it. Or to hand me stuff or put stuff up when I hand it to him but that often seems to be too much work for him. He gets bored and wants to go play on his computer after 2 minutes.

AC is still working ok but sometimes the capacitor blows and has to be replaced.

Mom just paged and wants food.


----------



## shan2themax

My mom and I both had MD appointments today. While I had my mom out.... I had my adult son remove all the empty coke cans from her room....... as expected, when we got home, she was pissed off. She said she had planned to work on them this weekend (that's laughable) and then she kept demanding that I tell her where they were.  I just ignored her. Then she demanded I tell her where they were because she needed to see them....

She also told me that I need to have a sense of humor when I was trying to get her in the house, she said she needed a big strong man to carry her in the house..... I replied that she didnt, that she needed to keep moving while she still could and get herself in the house. (I was assisting) and then she said that.....
Which, why I didnt just ignore that idk, but I went on to tell her all the reasons why I am not humorous (which I am humurous at work). I said I was barely hanging on some days at work, struggling to work fulltime, and trying to care for a parent that doesnt think she needs cared for, and that my house was falling apart and I cant do anything about it currently partially because her cats piss everywhere, and that I work in a stressful environment and I am exhausted and have too many responsibilities and am very overwhelmed. She gave me a little smirk and that was it. 

Monday was a supply run to finish that floor, yesterday was bloodwork and grocery order pickups, which walmart completely screwed me over and I had a bad day because of it and then all of that today. 
Tomorrow I work, it feels like it will be a vacation, (however I know that's a lie)

Needless to say... I am exhausted and am in need of a vacation..... which I have coming up in a few weeks, although I can't go anywhere . I can at least where pajamas for 9 days straight lol

I intend to put her on the back porch with me, if it's cool enough and have her go through stuff. I want my back porch back and there is no need for her to have a 10x20 porch full of stuff.
I told my daughter that she should come over with some popcorn and watch the crapshow unfold LIVE that day.

Part of me wants to record it.... for my own sanity. 

These are the cans she had in her room, just like this


----------



## Eddie_T

My 91yr friend called to see if I could find soda crackers online. He said he was tired of saltines as they have little taste and are too flaky.I found a couple of brands on Amazon, Diamond Bakery Hawaiian and Dux. They are pricey, I hope they aren't lying about being soda crackers. The difference between soda crackers and saltines is presumably the addition of  little yeast which might explain why they are too light and flaky. I know crackers are not as good as they were when I was a kid, especially Ritz.


----------



## ekrig

shan2themax said:


> Needless to say... I am exhausted and am in need of a vacation..... which I have coming up in a few weeks, although I can't go anywhere . I can at least where pajamas for 9 days straight lol


Hang on in there... As I too recently had the opportunity to take a week off, I'm sure that you'll feel great!


----------



## zannej

Shan, that sucks. I'm sorry she doesn't appreciate you or have any empathy. It can be so frustrating. It took a long time for my mom to ever show any appreciation for me. It didn't really happen until a few years after my dad died. I was 40 by the first time she ever apologized to me sincerely. 

I couldn't get off my porch today because Fedex dropped off a huge heavy busted open package from Tractor Supply for my neighbor that I couldn't move. I called TSC and they said it wasn't delivered by them. Thought maybe UPS dropped it off. Found the label and saw three things. First was the neighbor's phone number (which I didn't remember). Second was that it was from Fedex. Third was that it had my neighbor's family name as the street name instead of my family name. I think they may be trying to get our street name changed without our consent. Might explain why my street sign was never put back up after they stole it (no proof they stole it, but they are the only ones who had motive). Name might be under dispute. So I'm going to call the guy in charge of the roads tomorrow to discuss it with him. I want him to know in no uncertain terms that it would completely screw things up for us if they changed the street name. We were here before they were and they are just being petty at this point. I'm hoping it was just some sort of mistake though or that they used that name because they have a street sign with that name in front of their driveway.

Another person with chronic fatigue syndrome suggested that I try Lion's Mane vitamins to see if they help me feel any better. He said it helped with his memory/concentration. I'm thinking of asking my doctor first but I might talk to the pharmacist and ask if it conflicts with any of my meds in any way.


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, you've mentioned this street name thing a few times and I'm intrigued. You live on a street named after your family? But it's not officially named after your family? Like, I'm curious 1) how your street would come to be named after your family and 2) how, once that decision is made (presumably by some level of government authority), it could possibly become contested (aside from the physical marker being stolen, which really only makes navigation harder, doesn't retroactively change what's on the books).

Also, for whatever it's worth I don't think telling whoever's in charge that this would screw things up for you personally is very persuasive. A better strategy is to show howit screws things up for everyone. (E.g. your neighbors didn't get their -- probably very expensive/important -- package.)


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> I had bratwurst with sauerkraut... it wasnt yummy. However, with my stomach issues nothing is anymore.
> You'd think I would lose a few pounds since I have to force myself to eat these days.... but nope, here I am still fat and sassy lol



Gotta do that fast!


----------



## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> I had to change several lighbulbs that had recently gone out. It is not a tricky matter but considering how picky my wife is with lighbulbs and the cathedral ceiling in our bedroom it was an exciting thing to get out of my todo list.
> 
> Other than that, I ordered some gardenias and weed fabric for the backyard landscaping project. I will be having the contractor do it but ordering several of the things myself saves a ton! Thanks to *Spicoli43*'s tip, I scored a Dewilt P5 6'x250' roll + staples for ~$100 which will be enough for the entire project (maybe with a bit of leftovers) and the contractor took $320 out of his cost. More than $200 savings. WOW!
> 
> 
> I still haven't taken the updated pictures but I will get them, I promise.



Good to know that. From his price reduction, it looks like he didn't want to hassle with getting the fabric. Maybe you can tell him you'll get everything else also, and just pay him labor? Do you have a Military discount at Lowe's or know someone that does? That's 10 percent right there.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Is there something wrong with the A/C now?
> About 7 years ago I was nearly hit head on by a guy here in Ohio that was in process of getting his 20th DUI !!! ... Someone else at the time was also achieving 20th. I think the judges had had enough and they both got about 8 years in jail. Maybe a law was changed also around then.



That's Montana. People get DUI's 8 times or more before anything is done. They drive their snow plows and snowmobiles to the bar and get hammered. In this County, the revenue from their bank accounts must be extremely high because it's almost impossible to get pulled over for speeding. You have to be REALLY speeding or driving like an idiot in the Ice. In the 10 years I have been here, I can count on one hand how many cars I have seen pulled over by the Staters. Same thing for City and the Sheriffs. It's probably under 10 for all 3 agencies. 

In Washington State, speeding is their revenue. They have 4 or more Staters on a 5 mile stretch of Highway lighting people up one after another all day long.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> My ROKU Mod 3800 Streaming Stick remote died again and it didn't seem that long since I had replaced batteries. I started using a Romoku app on my Chromebook. Today I decided to check the remote so I rigged up a means to check current finding that it always draws several milliamps of current. The current fluctuates as if its charging and discharging a capacitor or maybe sampling the microphone or something.  My temporary fix is putting tape on one battery to make a tab for easy removal and leaving the battery ajar just inserting when I want to send a command.
> 
> Turns out others are having the same problem so we're hitting on ROKU for a free replacement but I'm not holding my breath. Some have a more severe problem and batteries last only a couple of days, I think mine lasted a week or so but originally lasted for months.



One of my Roku's has a battery problem, it doesn't recognize the commands very much, and touching the console resets it to the home screen. My other Roku has none of those symptoms and works perfectly.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Mowed the lawn, then washed and detailed all 3 cars. That should get it to rain!



And attract Birds.


----------



## ekrig

@zannej: I'm with Flyover on the name of the street. Once it is accepted, then someone can't just change it without a very good reason, not to mention how will someone else (i.e., USPS, Fedex, or UPS delivery folks) know where to deliver stuff). I'm also with Flyover that you need to make it clear on how that means more trouble to everyone, them included, it a change is somehow being considered and, if not, that they should replace the stolen sign. BTW, I seem to have read somewhere that if something is delivered to you, even if you didn't order it, you legally in the clear to keep it. (This was supposedly to prevent companies from sending stuff to people and then saying that they had to pay.) In this case, this is your neighbor so I generally wouldn't do it... Maybe say to the roads guy that if there are errors in the deliveries and USPS/Fedex/UPS complain, you'll send them his way 



Spicoli43 said:


> Good to know that. From his price reduction, it looks like he didn't want to hassle with getting the fabric. Maybe you can tell him you'll get everything else also, and just pay him labor? Do you have a Military discount at Lowe's or know someone that does? That's 10 percent right there.


He said something about using commercial grade weed fabric, blah, blah, blah, and being ~$300. Mind you, that's roughly how much the big box stores charge, so maybe he just doesn't know any better. Thanks to you, now I know! I think that the mulch charge is a bit high, but this is going to need 12-16 cubic yards... So overall I think that the prices he's asking are acceptable.


----------



## Eddie_T

Deliveries were OK even before my private road had signage. My neighbor put up street signs because others couldn't find his house. The 911 addressing named the road after me but the neighbor just put the signs up a year or so ago.


----------



## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> He said something about using commercial grade weed fabric, blah, blah, blah, and being ~$300. Mind you, that's roughly how much the big box stores charge, so maybe he just doesn't know any better. Thanks to you, now I know! I think that the mulch charge is a bit high, but this is going to need 12-16 cubic yards... So overall I think that the prices he's asking are acceptable.



Well, Dewitt is the best I have ever heard of. I have seen Dewitt rolls at job sites, and everybody I have talked to that's a contractor uses it. As far as personal experience, I put some P5 down over an otherwise weedy driveway section, and it kept them at bay. There was 3 weeds that snuck between the edges in 4 years, and I took care of them. When the fabric wasn't down, they could grow to 4 feet tall easy... Weed Trees is what they are called here.

Other than fading, which should be expected after 4 years, it held up great. I just pulled those sections of fabric and re-used them in other parts of the yard that I put 3/4 minus over. One thing you want to remember is NEVER EVER put dirt on top of the fabric because the wind and birds will bring weed seed, the weeds will grow and root through the fabric in their search for water in the ground, and you're screwed. 

As far as mulch, have you considered using rock like 3/4 minus to alleviate the Fire risk?


----------



## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> I think that the mulch charge is a bit high, but this is going to need 12-16 cubic yards... So overall I think that the prices he's asking are acceptable.



Ok, I just looked at the bid again, do you mind telling me the size of the mulch area? I know we aren't in the same area, but I just got 2" of 3/4 Minus for my driveway, which is 5800 sf, and the total delivered cost was $1400. Granted, maybe Mulch is more expensive, but besides the Fire risk, maybe you will save a ton with 3/4 Minus? 

If you look into that, ask if they have Tan. It looks incredible, but I was one week too late.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Deliveries were OK even before my private road had signage. My neighbor put up street signs because others couldn't find his house. The 911 addressing named the road after me but the neighbor just put the signs up a year or so ago.



I would NOT be a delivery driver around here after my first experience traveling around here, where some roads have 3 different names.


----------



## zannej

Ok, to clarify on the street name thing: It was officially named after my father when they first did the 911 system. That was before our neighbor owned land out here. He was best friends with the chief of police who introduced us. The neighbor wanted to raise cattle and the land he bought wasn't large enough. He asked if he could graze his cattle on our land in return for helping to repair fences. Chief vouched for him so we agreed.

When we got notified we were being transferred overseas we didn't want to sell the farm so we had our lawyer draft a lease for the neighbors (who had bought a parcel of land 1/4mile from our property). Deal was that they would maintain the house & property, take care of our livestock, etc while they built their own house on their property. They built a house for the older son but at some point they stopped paying rent and seemed to think they could get squatter's rights to our house. They went to a police juror who did not have jurisdiction over our area and had him print a street sign with the neighbor's name on it. They took down our sign and put up theirs. The change was never official or legal. When we came back, we contacted the correct police juror who was unaware of the change and said it was illegal so he had it changed back. They immediately shot the sign full of holes so it had to be replaced. They stole it when my father died so we had to get it replaced again. Then they shot that one up so it had to be replaced. Right after their old man died, our sign disappeared again. Pretty sure it was them. I think they are trying to have Scotty (the police juror who helped them before & who does not have jurisdiction) change the sign to their old man's name again.

Their family and my family are the only ones who live down this road. 

I called my police juror this morning but he didn't pick up. Not sure if he knew who was calling or if he was just busy. Other than him, I'm not sure who to contact about my missing road sign that makes it difficult to get packages. Back when we got the place we could not get any deliveries of any sort out here. But if they change the road name it will screw things up for google earth, gps, postal service, ups, fedex, etc. Plus I don't think they can legally change it without our consent. So, they may be trying to get the sign changed illegally.

After the futile calls I went into town and painted the cabinet at my friend's house. Stayed long enough to do a 2nd coat. I didn't paint the underside because he'd already mounted an LED light there and my back stopped cooperating. Went to the grocery store. Forgot to go to the post office (which caused mom to have a temper tantrum) and then came home.


----------



## ekrig

Spicoli43 said:


> Ok, I just looked at the bid again, do you mind telling me the size of the mulch area? I know we aren't in the same area, but I just got 2" of 3/4 Minus for my driveway, which is 5800 sf, and the total delivered cost was $1400. Granted, maybe Mulch is more expensive, but besides the Fire risk, maybe you will save a ton with 3/4 Minus?



The property is ~80ft wide and the mulch area will extend ~10ft from the back fence along the entire length, plus a ~50x4ft area along the side fence. Thank you for the pointer about he mulch fire risk close to the house because I wasn't even aware. I don't think that it is a huge risk given NJ's weather and we don't smoke or grill so... I think that stone along the foundation might be a good idea at some point, but I don't want stone along the back. Too much of a hassle if I need to change things later.

I finally took new pictures of the back. I'm still trying to finish next to the house with a walkway extending from the deck. For the walkway, I'm reusing the wood that I took out when I redid the topside of my deck. Even the 4x4s where from the deck. The second to last photo shows the poor state of the old boards, which is not surprising considering that they did get any care for at least 6 years. Still, the other side is in decent condition, especially after sanding to clean them up. They take a while to sand and I managed to sand a few after work today, and they look great afterward. Not bad for free wood!


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## zannej

I think mulch directly against the house can help termites get in, but I could be mistaking it with larger wood chips-- the kind they used to put on playgrounds in schools. It shouldn't touch the house directly so there should be at least some small gap.
The yard and that walkway look nice!

If I ever get a landing or deck built it will need to be some sort of composite because the moisture levels here rot pressure treated wood.

I'm currently waiting for my friend to send me pictures of the cabinet now that it should be dry.


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## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> The property is ~80ft wide and the mulch area will extend ~10ft from the back fence along the entire length, plus a ~50x4ft area along the side fence. Thank you for the pointer about he mulch fire risk close to the house because I wasn't even aware. I don't think that it is a huge risk given NJ's weather and we don't smoke or grill so... I think that stone along the foundation might be a good idea at some point, but I don't want stone along the back. Too much of a hassle if I need to change things later.
> 
> I finally took new pictures of the back. I'm still trying to finish next to the house with a walkway extending from the deck. For the walkway, I'm reusing the wood that I took out when I redid the topside of my deck. Even the 4x4s where from the deck. The second to last photo shows the poor state of the old boards, which is not surprising considering that they did get any care for at least 6 years. Still, the other side is in decent condition, especially after sanding to clean them up. They take a while to sand and I managed to sand a few after work today, and they look great afterward. Not bad for free wood!



Well, the weather in Montana is below freezing for 6 months or so, but it can get to 105 in the Summer. Being that wood mulch can spontaneously combust, I don't use it at all. It's like roots underground can smolder and you can't see it from topside, a pile of much can do the same thing. 

That walkway will look great! As far as the old boards, I did the same thing with the deck that was here. The boards looked horrible, but I planed some down on both sides to give them new life. Some didn't make it, and none were the full length when I was done, but I made other stuff with them just to play around.


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## ekrig

The mulch is only against the cinder block wall, not wood, but the gap is not as tall as I would like (~5in in some places). On the other hand, we've had problems with water accumulating against the basement wall and the pressure that caused during winter. Hence, I choose to have some degree of grading away from the basement wall. Anyway, in NJ they send heat advisories for days above 90'F...


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## Flyover

Zannej, how did the road come to be named after your dad? That's the most interesting part of the story and you glossed over it!


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## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> The mulch is only against the cinder block wall, not wood, but the gap is not as tall as I would like (~5in in some places). On the other hand, we've had problems with water accumulating against the basement wall and the pressure that caused during winter. Hence, I choose to have some degree of grading away from the basement wall. Anyway, in NJ they send heat advisories for days above 90'F...



I would do 18 inches minimum away from any part of the house if you're doing mulch. 90 degrees doesn't have that much to do with it, it's how long the mulch has been dry and in any heat, since it is like a blanket for insulation. (Assuming there is a few inches of mulch).


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## zannej

Flyover said:


> Zannej, how did the road come to be named after your dad? That's the most interesting part of the story and you glossed over it!


Sorry, I had typed it up but my cat jumped on my keyboard and erased my post. I forgot I didn't retype it. So, we bought the place back in the 80s before the 911 system was set up here. None of the roads were named at the time. When they started giving addresses to people in rural areas for the 911 system we were the only ones living out the road and the only ones who owned property on it. They started naming all of the roads after the residents on those roads. So there was Sally Seamon Rd, Jerry Johnson Rd, etc. The neighbors moved in much later but decided they didn't like having someone else's name on the road when they were essentially trying to steal our home.

I got up early, went to the post office with my brother, snuck in to my friend's house while he was sleeping (my brother has a key) and painted the side of the cabinet that I realized would need coverage since the other cabinets will be shallower.

I heard back from another friend who is very excited that I want to help with her kitchen. I told her if she sends me measurements I can help figure out a layout for her. I showed her my sketches I did for our other friend for his kitchen and she thought it was very cool.


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## havasu

I spent $1900 on a new pool pump this morning. Looking at my electric bill, my pool pump is costing $90 a month to run. The variable speed unit will run about $20 a month. In 2 years, I will have paid for the unit. It also means I don't need solar here, saving me $30K. Hell, I'm making money doing nothing. I feel like a Congressman.


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## shan2themax

I went back to Lowes today to purchase a couple of ceiling fans. I had picked one up a few days ago on clearance orig 99.99 clearance for 47.17. I decided to go ahead and get one for each room, so I needed 4 more. So I get them amd a few other things and go check out and they rang up $33.07 a piece. So, I got a good deal!
Now..... it will take me months to get these things hung I'm sure. I hate hanging ceiling fans,  and I am sure that my back, neck and shoulders are I'll prepared for this adventure.... lol

Anyway...  off to the grind for the day


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## zannej

Havasu, that is expensive but as you said, i will save you $ in the long run. I wish solar wasn't so expensive. I'd love to get solar set up here. Wish I could get the power company to remove all of their stuff from my property. Some of it blocks where we want to bush-hog. But they route through my property to other people's property apparently.  It wasn't that way when we moved in. They added stuff to our yard while we were overseas. 

I heard post office hours will be reduced, 3 day priority mail will be slowed to up to 5 business days, and prices will be going up for shipping packages. 

My friend eventually messaged me to thank me for painting the cabinet while he was asleep. LOL.

Shan, I'm glad you found a good deal on the fans. Hopefully you'll be able to get them up. Good luck at work.


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## havasu

Zanne, the key is under the doormat. I usually go to sleep at midnight. Can you come over at about 1AM and paint my kitchen and  livingroom? i'll leave the color choice on the kitchen counter.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> They started naming all of the roads after the residents on those roads.


And here I thought your dad was some kind of pillar of the community! A real society man! But nah they were just handing out street names to whoever came along and bought some dirt!


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## Spicoli43

It's been said that Fairies in the UK do house chores for people. I wish I had a nest of them to clean up my yard like the one in the video... (End of the video)


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## zannej

LOL. Havasu, I would actually do it if I lived near you. Reminds me I need to go over and do a 2nd coat but Saturday I felt like absolute garbage. Mild headache, felt dizzy, and just needed to lie down. My mother got mad that I was not feeling well so she activated super b**** mode. She called (on the landline phone's intercom) wanting me to get her something to eat. I said I would get it and told her I'd slept so long bc I wasn't feeling well. She hung up on me. When I went in the room to talk to her she wouldn't speak to me and then when I brought her food she was saying she wasn't going to eat it. I told her to put her own f***ing butter away and went back to bed. Came out a few hours later & she had put the butter away (or had my brother do it) and had eaten her food. I asked if she wanted something else to eat and cooked for her. She had calmed down by then but was mad about some credit card statement she was trying to pay online. I told her that maybe it didn't update since it was a weekend and banks were closed.

Monday we are supposed to go to State Farm to get insurance cards printed out. She lost the ones for the truck that were mailed to her- and she needs to ask them why they refused to let her deposit a check for some damage to the truck. Bank removed the fee for it being rejected but said State Farm claimed my father had to sign it-- he hasn't been on the insurance since he died.

Flyover, for awhile he was considered a big wig in the community. A newbie cop ticketed him for speeding on his way to work. Gas station attendant came out and said "Do you know who he is? You can't give him a ticket!" and my dad said "No, it's fine. I was speeding". But the attendant wasn't happy so he called the chief of police. Chief came down and asked about the ticket. Dad apologized and said he'd been running late. Chief asked to see it and then ripped it up. Told him none of his people would ever issue him a ticket again.

I'm hoping I won't feel dizzy today. My friend said he felt bad yesterday too. I wonder if its the weather. It's been hot and damp instead of nice and cool.


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## zannej

So, I went to wash my hands and no water came out. Went outside to check the well. Jet pump was humming but cistern is empty. I look down and the belt for the wheeled pump is broken. Ugh. Now I need to find what size it is and figure out where they sell them. No water until then. Also, I went to drink my milk and it's gone sour. Was supposed to be good through tomorrow. I shut off the power to the well so it won't burn the pumps up-- if they aren't already messed up. If either have to be replaced I'll have to postpone my dental appointment this month.


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## zannej

O'Reilly's Auto Parts had the belt. Put it on and turned power back on. It made some noise but wouldn't go fully. I went outside to check and it wasn't moving at all & I smelled something burning. Smelled like it was coming from jet pump side but I didn't look. I ran back in and turned the power off. Called the well guy but it went to voicemail. I left a message and my number. Hoping he can get back to me soon.


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## Eddie_T

I made Yeast pancakes for brunch. The lightest pancakes I've ever eaten. I proofed a tsp of dry yeast with a little sugar and water until bubbly, then mixed with enough Pioneer pancake mix and warm water to make about six pancakes. Proofed again in a slightly warmed oven for 20-30 minutes.


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## zannej

I have never been able to make pancakes successfully. Ended up with scrambled pancakes.

I got in touch with my friend. Brought him out and he checked everything. Jet pump is ok but the belt was slipping. Turns out the new belt (despite supposedly being the same size) was just a little bit too long. So we had to go with one an inch shorter. But now the piston end is knocking and the motor end is shaking. It might be worth it to have the pump guy come out and look at it just in case. My friend said the piston end should be replaced. I don't know if the wheel comes off of it or how to get the right size/type. I'll have to see if there is any writing on the piston end later. Right now I need to take a nap and see if this headache will go away. For now the water is full of air and coming out brown.


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## shan2themax

Ugh!!! Covid land all day. I am pretty sure that I alone wore a minimum of 30+ isolation gowns today and at least 40 pairs of gloves. The entire floor was a  show. Very sick people. 4 of my 5 patient were covid + and my other was RSV. I am completely and utterly exhausted, my Achilles tendonitis is VERY angry and I apparently need a waaaahhmbulance because I am so whiney. My back is on fire. If I had  some 55° or less water, I would sit in it for a few and see if that helped. 3 days off..... carpet to put down and 5 ceiling fans to think about installing 

My lovely chronic Achilles tendonitis is flared up today


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## zannej

Shan, that sounds awful. All of my nurse friends have said how stressful this all is. I hope you will at least get one day of rest. I also hope the Achilles tendonitis will clear up. That looks painful. I gripe about my ankles but at least they don't do that. It is so frustrating to live with people who have no sympathy/empathy. 

Fippy woke me up fussing at the cats. It's apparently not cold enough for more than 2 of them to pile on me. I'm going to try to rest until it's time to go into town. I hope Mom doesn't want to go early because I don't think my prescriptions will be filled until later.

My truck keeps doing a weird thing where when I first start it and start going over 20mph it hangs up and won't accelerate for a few seconds and then it will jolt and accelerate. It did it twice while my friend was in the truck with me & he said the throttle body probably needs to be cleaned. He said it's something he can do. I hope he's right.

Never heard back from the well service. Checked their FB pages and no posts since August 2018. I don't know if they are in business anymore. I want him to look at the pump to see if it can be fixed somehow. I don't want to run too much water until I know the motor isn't going to break.


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## Spicoli43

Shan... Take 3 days off. You have to. Everything else can wait until you feel better on your days off.


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## zannej

I agree. Sometimes you need to take some time to rest and recover. Obviously you don't want to put things off for too long, but when your body is feeling that bad, it's time to rest and recoup. 

I went to get mail and pick up some prescriptions. Talked briefly with a friend who works at Walmart. He told me an entertaining story about how when he first started working there he came from being a bouncer so he still had that ingrained. Said he was coming around a corner when he heard a customer yelling at two female employees (one of which was a supervisor) and shouting racial slurs at the subordinate employee. He started reaching over the counter to attack her when my friend thought "Oh HELL no!" and rushed over. He said just as the guy was about to reach the woman, he grabbed the back of the guy's head and slammed it down and bounced it off the countertop. Then he grabbed him by the arms, dragged him outside, and threw him on the ground in the parking lot. Everyone just stared at him in shock. Head of AP (asset protection got called in). AP guy reviewed the footage, laughed his a$$ off, deleted the footage and said "That never happened". Then told him he wasn't allowed to do that. The supervisor who'd been getting yelled at pulled him aside privately and told him he could have any days off he wanted, could have extra hours if he wanted, just tell her and no questions asked. He can call in whenever he wants without getting points.

I'm still laughing at the mental image of him bouncing the guy's head on the counter and tossing him outside.


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## 68bucks

That is hilarious! That's the kind of thing that brings a stupid lawsuit even though that's exactly what he had coming. Maybe Walmart should hire bouncers instead of greeters. Maybe flight attendants should be 6'4" former football players? Maybe people would act a little more civil.


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## Spicoli43

That had to be 5 years ago or more, Z? I think your friend made it up, but at least it's entertaining. Heads only bounce in the WWE.

These days if the Walmart worker talked in a loud voice to the customer, said customer could file a report of aggression against the worker. Even if the aggressor is about to choke an employee, that doesn't mean they aren't having a bad day. Their feelings need to be appreciated and they need to be listened to and given free Jewelry and video games and must be allowed to loot the store.


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## zannej

It was more than 10 years ago apparently. I have actually seen people's heads bounce when they fell (in real life- not on TV)-- it's not just a WWE thing. But, I think it was more along the lines of he slammed the guy's head down and pulled him back up so it looked like a bounce. I don't think he was making it up. When this guy makes something up its way crazier (and you know it's made up bc of the way he tells it).

I feel sorry for the employees who are paid so little, often not allowed to take breaks (even though its in corporate policy) and then they have to put up with verbal and physical abuse from customers & managers. I think I mentioned the time some dude mistook me for an employee, screamed profanities at me, threatened me, got up in my face etc until I got annoyed enough to give him a death-glare directly in the eyes before he backed off.

Sadly, we have a system that rewards the people who complain unreasonably. I always try to be polite if I have a complaint. 

I racked out before 11pm last night and managed to sleep through the night. Woke up around 7. The female cardinal is back and throwing herself a Mom's bedroom window again so Mom was lying in bed with her eyes open. Yesterday morning the cardinal had banged in to the window at least 250 times before Mom lost track. The window is filthy on the outside so there's no reflection. Not sure why the bird wants in so badly. There must be something in the room she's seeing that she wants to get to.


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## Spicoli43

Well, I will let you believe him, but being the prolific story teller he is, why haven't you heard that one before?

Walmart, Target, Amazon... All horrible places for employees. The Government should have made price fixing mandatory so the prices of everything was the same across the board. Dr. Evil wouldn't have gotten the upper hand to dominate business and put tons of Mom and Pops out of business simply because he could buy 100,000 of something at drastically reduced prices compared to the small stores.


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## shan2themax

I didn't do much yesterday (day off) I woke up to my tendon not as swollen and not as painful, I made a roast with carrots, potatoes and onions yesterday, it was really good.  I put down some cheap indoor outdoor carpet and then tried to find a way to hang these led lights in my sons room to light his dry erase panel board. That was a failure.
Today though was a win. I hung the 1st of 5 ceiling fans. That install was MUCH smoother than any other I have done. I needed to paint the ceiling under the old ceiling fan, but it's in my storage unit temporarily and I wasn't going to lose momentum, so I will paint around it later. I bought a medallion for that very reason, but the screws holding the fan on the ceiling bracket were in the way. So, I'll just take it back. It would have looked really nice though.  I thought about trying a second one, however.... I think I will be smart and not do that. Maybe next week or the week after.
I got the electric right and the fan hung with no problem at all. Went to move the ladder out of my room and forgot that my wirk stripper was on top and it fell and made a cut on my face. The air coming off this ceiling fan is so wonderful 



That scar underneath is were I vomited, passed out and fell off the commode and smacked my face on the bathtub in January 2020. I AM RIDICULOUS!!


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## zannej

Spicoli, he's a relatively new friend. We met him through mutual friends & with the all the crap going on we don't get to talk to him for long periods of time.

Shan, ouch! I hope it heals quickly. At least you got the ceiling fan up. Since my door stays partway open, one of my fat cats has been sitting on top of it. I forgot about it when I was heading to the bathroom. I opened the door wider and she fell on my head.

I reached out to the well service guy on FB and I think his wife or mother replied & said they would have him check his voicemail. He called while I was out so my mother took the call. He's supposed to come out tomorrow to look at the pump and we can discuss any upgrades/changes. He didn't say what time though, so that may kill my plans to go to Samsclub tomorrow. 

I got mail & popped in to State Farm to get the cards for the truck reprinted since the old cards expire on Thursday. Mom lost the new cards. I briefly asked about the check they denied & they said their checks are only good for 6 months (but there was nothing on the paperwork indicating that). She said if I can find the info they will re-issue the check.

I hung out with my friend for a bit but then another friend dropped her kids off for him to babysit. Kids are loud and annoying so I decided to head out (it was time to get food for mom anyway).

Been having a toothache but can't tell which tooth is the problem. It seems to be from the bottom but all my bottom ones have been fixed. Have a headache and neck pain too so I took some naproxyn.

Earlier I was in the room when we got a scam call from India. 
my brother picked up. Conversation went as follows:
Bro: *picks up phone* "Meow"
Scammer: "Hello?"
Bro: "Meow"
Scammer: "I'm calling from Medicare, how are you today?"
Bro: "The inside of my a$$hole itches, but otherwise I'm fine"
Scammer: *long pause* "Have you received your Medicare card for the year 2021?"
Bro: "Yes, it's resting under my balls right now."
Scammer: *hangs up*
Bro: "He hung up on me! How DARE he hang up on me! I answered all of his questions! How RUDE!"
Me: *laughs hysterically until I start coughing*


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## ekrig

zannej said:


> Sadly, we have a system that rewards the people who complain unreasonably. I always try to be polite if I have a complaint.


I don't think that politeness is a requirement when making well-founded complaint. In many cases, I found that it may actually be worse because others think that they can just ignore or steamroll you without consequence. I think that it is important to be respectful yet assertive. I understand that whoever is on the receiving end is a person too so I will give them respect and the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. When complaining about a business it is important to further emphasize that my issue is with the business and/or their practices and not them per se.



shan2themax said:


> Went to move the ladder out of my room and forgot that my wirk stripper was on top and it fell and made a cut on my face.



Ouch! We all need to keep safety in mind especially since we often do these things by ourselves without someone to help and cover our 6.


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## zannej

ekrig, since I worked in customer service before I always try to be kind when dealing with CS employees. I actually had some of the people thank me for being patient about things and I did get discounts/refunds etc because they were relieved to have someone treat them like human beings. That doesn't always work though.

Well service guy showed up around 1:15pm. He tightened some screws on the pump. Told me the shaking was normal-- it has some sort of rubber buffers to keep it from shaking the stand it sits on, but he tightened it up so it doesn't shake as much. He refused to take any money since he said he only did two turns of a screw & didn't feel that was worth charging for. Then he left for his next job.

Went to Sams but my brother couldn't help with the heavy lifting since his back was hurting. He sat in a recliner while I did the shopping. He did help unload stuff. There were two things on the list that weren't in the store. 

Scammer claiming to be from Medicare called again & Mom answered. She called him a scammer so he started swearing at her.

I'm tired & have a headache so I'm about to take a nap.


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## shan2themax

Today..... I fixed a rogue outlet in the bedroom.that I put the OSB down in. The out is original maybe? The wires were poked through the back ..... however, 1 white wire had popped loose, explains why everything down stream was iffy. All seems well in the electric world in that room. I was going to hang another ceiling fan. However... my son that lives with me (27) is not sure where he put my electrical kit and I am absolutely not messing with the electric in that ceiling without it. It has never had anything attached to it since I bought the house (2007). My oldest didn't want a light/fan, so I never bothered with it. 
Maybe next week, I can hang that one. Also.... I think I am going to change some ceiling lights out for these low profile ones. It will help me not feel like I live in such a gross place. 
Isn't it weird how our minds perceive things? That's a rabbit hole that it is entirely too late to go down. Lol


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## zannej

I'm glad you got it fixed, Shan. Hopefully you can get the rest of the stuff fixed. I need to replace some very old outlets in my house.
Headache is back. Mom is being surprisingly nice. Brother has been sleeping. ESO game launcher took a crap so I can't play. Been trying for hours to get it to load. I can't re-download the whole game because I don't have enough bandwidth. Might have to take the computer to my friend's house tomorrow to get it sorted.
I might just go to the workshop and paint something for the hell of it.

Still no sign of my missing cat or my phone. I think I'm going to call AT&T and cancel that line since I can't use it anymore and I'm not getting a new phone anytime soon.

My cat Bethesda is sitting in the sun soaking up the warmth and looking happy-- right in front of my computer screen so I can't see all that I'm typing.


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## Eddie_T

We finally have an option other than the wax ring for toilet installation. how many years did it take to get here?

I was just thinking how about a redesign for switch and receptacle installation. The side screws are essentially the same as they were in the day of porcelain switches and receptacles  ·  ·  ·  my thought would be for screw connections to be made in the rear of the box before the device is inserted to mount on stabs.


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## shan2themax

I was telling my son, that electrical wires seem barbaric in as far as technology. He actually seemed interested so I was telling him what way you put the wire in conjunction with the direction the screw turns, showed him over to remove some of the sheath and why. We talked about how you need to understand which wires are coming into the box and which are going out. I was surprised that he listened without being a smart *** in the meantime. 

At work today, one of the nurses found a painful lump or k ot on my back in the area where alot of the pain has come from in the past 2 years. So I had her draw a circle around the base with a sharpie. Its flat and not red, however, it is pretty painful. Guess while I have temporary art in the right sport, I will see if my PCP will take a look. 
I was on the Joint Center today, had one hip replacement and 3 spine surgery patients, discharge 3 of them and got a spinal stimulator around shift change. Pretty decent day all in all.
I am tired. I can't wait until October 26 so I can be off for a 10 days (I believe)


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## zannej

Shockingly my mother was actually very nice to me all day. She could tell I wasn't feeling well. Had a bad headache and she actually asked if I was ok. Itsy was trying to cheer me up. First she brought me a mouse, then she kept licking my forehead and cuddling me. She leapt from the coffee table to my lap to get cuddles when I was on the couch. When I was standing she jumped from the floor into my arms because I didn't notice her talking to me. LOL. Got the game launcher thing fixed. Had to load some sort of file for windows. Boo is now on me and purring away.


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## shan2themax

@zannej I skipped over the itsy part the first read.... and was trying to figure out why your mom was licking you . My goodness.

Tomorrow I only work day shift, get to start my bowel prep for EGD/COLONOSCOPY on Monday. Sounds fantastic


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## shan2themax

I survived! Lol
It wasn't that bad. Had a polyp in my stomach and IBS related to PTSD. Next I am having a gastric emptying study. 
Enjoyed my little nap when I got home. My back is trying to go out again like it did last year. I am not looking forward to that and happy a few days off will relieve it.
Hope all is well with you all


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## Spicoli43

Good, Shan!... Beware that study, they are probably wanting to operate on you. You probably know the last thing you want is gastric bypass.

You could just skip all that, get a 24 pack of Chalupas or Burritos and chill some Mexican water. That would do the trick. You would be seeing Stars and UFO's, but it would do the trick.


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## Eddie_T

I chose not t have a colonoscopy because my wife had one and the chain of decisions and procedures thereafter led to her death. In hindsight I may still have lost her but her quality of life for her last years would have been better. In short the decision to get a partial resection removed her ileocecal valve which was a disaster. It was not explained to us in advance and when I complained they said she didn't need it. I called them out on it publically at every opportunity and vowed to never go down that path. 

I also have a theory that colonoscopies and polyp removal generate polyps and heart catheterizations scar the arteries of the  heart but let's not go there. I may or may not have polyps but just take my daily fiber and go on with life.


----------



## ekrig

@Shan: Good that you're ok. If these exams "finds something" just remember to make your own decisions.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I'm glad you made it through the procedure OK. Do they numb you for it? I had a friend who they didn't numb first when they went to do it and she complained a lot. Can't really blame her. It's not something I would want done. I'm the right age for it but they are too expensive & even if they found something I couldn't afford the treatment anyway so f*** it.

Eddie, I'm very sorry to hear about your wife. That must have been awful. Sometimes they are so gung-ho about wanting to do surgery they don't consider other options.

I have some fibroid tumors that would require surgery to remove but not only is it too expensive, I don't trust the surgeons not to screw it up, and I can't afford to have the amount of downtime it would require post-surgery for recovery. I know my brother would not step up and take care of things.

I'm having dental pain again in the area where the teeth were fixed. I hope I won't need the tooth that was fixed drilled out and given a root canal. Maybe there is a cavity that got missed between the teeth though-- that seems to be where the pain is radiating. And now I can't find my naproxyn. Bleh. That is the 2nd bottle I've lost in the past few months. Probably behind my desk somewhere.

My friend came over to mount my monitor to the wall. He managed to find my phone behind my desk. It was under some papers apparently. I have it charging now. My keyboard is being a pain though. shift key on the right side is not working properly. I'll have to take the keyboard apart again and clean it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie... Sorry for the loss of your Wife. I guarantee you're right. I am not a fan of anything in Hospitals. (Except Nurses).

Z... Have you tried Oil Pulling yet? You could also swish with Salt water for 2 minutes. It could be a buildup of bacteria. 

Bacterial buildup under teeth can cause MS / ALS symptoms, so it can easily result in common pain as well.


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## shan2themax

@Eddieim sorry to hear about your wife. Surgeries can go wrong unfortunately. I have seen it happen a few times over the last 15 years. I try to educate my patients and their families more after the surgeon leaves the room (if I am knowledgeable about what is happening). I think that there are times when we suck at really ensuring the patient/families understand what is going on. For that, I am truly sorry.


I wouldn't have gastric bypass. I wish i had not ever had lap-band.

There is actually a disease called Familial adenomatous polyposis where there can be hundreds or thousands of polyps throughout your body .
However, polyps can be the beginning of cancer.

Scar tissue can form in stents. A stent is kept in place basically by health tissue growing "into it" but some people produce scar tissue that can lead to restenosis. In my experience, patients with restenosis have terrible diets and don't change their eating habits or lifestyle.

I always find it interesting that the sickest patients (meaning diabetics, coronary artery disease and such) are those who have medicare (prior to retirement years) and medicaid. I guess it makes sense, as this population is generally poor generationally. And of course, I am only going by those who tell me that information to begin with. I don't see a high percentage of those who are not on disability or generationally on medicaid, in the hospital for the same disease processes..... yet I know they exist because I personally know enough people that fall into that category also.
I grew up poor, and was poor until about 15 years ago. Makes me wonder about my next 20 years.

@zannej they spray your throat and also sedate you (concious sedation), I actually saw a little bit of my colon, but they must have given me more meds because I remember about 30 seconds and then was out again until in recovery. You can have a colonoscopy without sedation so that you don't have to have someone take you, you have to tell the MD in advance.  however.... I wouldn't recommend it. During my 30 seconds, I remember being uncomfortable and feeling alot of pressure.
I would try the oil pulling, when I got my upper denture, I had pressure sores until we got the fit correct. I would swish 2 teaspoons of coconut oil a couple of times a day and it was very helpful and helped health the wounds faster


----------



## zannej

I'll have to see if I can find coconut oil to try oil pulling. I completely forgot about it for some reason. CRS about new info sometimes. LOL. I used to have a great memory. There are still some obscure things I remember but a lot is now a blank. I'm going to see my dentist again on the 18th. I'll mention it to her and have her check to see if there's anything visible causing the problem.

I'm getting used to having to look up at my monitor instead of having to look slightly down.. I'm hoping it will level out more when I get around to building a new bed frame. 

I had a heart cath done but the anesthetic didn't kick in before they started. I have a delayed response and have a high resistance to painkillers and anesthetics so they had to give me more. Felt like they were digging in to me with a garden trowel at first. 

I know I really need to change my diet more. I'm going to sit down and look at what stuff I can get to try to switch to fewer microwave meals (or at least tv dinner style ones) and force myself to cook more. I have to clean up the kitchen first though. There's so much trash on the floor I keep tripping over it & I've been so frustrated with not getting help with cleaning that I've put it off. I'm going to see if I can get my brother to hold a trash bag open for me while I scoop up trash.

On one good thing, my brother is very happy about the new paper towel holder that is mounted to the underside of the cabinet. I found it on clearance. We had some nice oak ones that sit on the counter, but the cats kept knocking them down, broke some of them, and would shred the paper towels. Now they are up high where it isn't as easy for the cats to reach and the holder is secured to the cabinet. My brother said it's in the perfect spot because it's very easy to reach them. Before we were keeping them inside a cabinet. 

I can't remember if I mentioned that I did touch-up on the side of my friend's cabinet yesterday while waiting for his gf to get back from a doctor's appointment (turned out she had the wrong day anyway). He couldn't leave the baby unattended.

I think my phone base got unplugged while my monitor was getting hooked up. I need to trace the cord to see but one of the fat cats is in the way & I'm feeling lazy. LOL. I'll probably do it in a few minutes though.


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## Spicoli43

Shan... Are you friends with those... Nah, don't answer that. I couldn't talk to those butchers that do those surgeries for lap band and gastric bypass. It just proves that Doctors have no bloody clue about nutrition, but it infuriates me. 

z... If you oil pull until the 18th, you probably won't have any of the issues. One thing about you is you know what your problems are, which is half the battle. Finish the job. Start with 4 eggs in the morning and a Chicken Breast with Vegetables in the afternoon or something like that. Take a TSP of Coconut Oil when your body tells you to eat Sugar. It's just Science and it only takes 3 weeks, 4 tops. BAM! Brand new you. 

Then you can brag to your Brother how much better you are and that he can't possibly match your success.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej  If you look to the left of my kitchen window in the other thread you can see my paper towel holder mounted under the cabinet. I think my wife bought it then I made a couple for others. It's handy there close to the sink.


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## Eddie_T

I tried coconut oil in my coffee and it just sat on top and made it greasy.


----------



## zannej

I think the first step is for me to get the kitchen cleaned up enough that I can walk around and reach things. Right now there is a huge pile of stuff on the floor. My brother literally chucked the toaster on the floor when he set up the air fryer. I keep setting it on the counter and it gets knocked off. There are many other things on the floor but I will have to clean every single one of them before putting them away somewhere. I will have to get some more bins to put stuff in, wash stuff, put them in bins, and then have my mother sort through on what to keep and what to get rid of. Unfortunately, she likes to keep a lot of stuff we never use/don't need. But it's her stuff so I'm not going to throw it away. But, the pile of stuff on the floor is mostly trash. I can't even get around the side of the dishwasher (which acts as a movable island) because of all the trash. I was going to tackle it today but started having arrhythmia and decided to rest. I did clean up the hallway & plugged my landline phone base back in.

I also need to clean up the pantry. I had it completely cleaned up and then my a-hole brother locked one of the cats in because he got annoyed that she ran in while he was feeding them. She knocked a bunch of stuff down. Not only did he refuse to clean any of it up, but he started throwing trash in the pantry. I got a little bit of it out today. But the mouse urine & crap smell in the pantry is ultra strong now. I still need to patch that hole in the ceiling. Sometimes I wish my brother had shown even a modicum of interest in house maintenance/repairs. He was more interested in cooking. But then, I've never had an interest in cooking. I hate cooking-- which is part of why I eat microwave meals so often. Since my brother doesn't even rinse his dishes I'm constantly having to wash dishes in order to cook, and usually by the time I'm done washing dishes I'm too tired to cook or just too irritated. I'm probably going to have to cook tonight though. Mom wanted some corned beef hash but my shoulder was not cooperating.

I wonder if I'd be able to stomach fish enough to eat some. My brother got a bunch of frozen fish. I'm not a big fan of seafood. I'm more of a turf than surf person.

I organized my medicines and filled my pill dispenser. I need to get another dispenser for my vitamins. I'm not supposed to take my vitamins at the same time I take my thyroid meds so I have to wait. I'm going to get a little organizer for my night stand to try to put more stuff away. Eventually I need to clean out a bunch of empty RX bottles & stuff. Wish I knew of some good craft ideas for used rx bottles.


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## shan2themax

@zannej  so No to RX bottles. You have enough to deal with dont overload yourself with more. 
@Spicoli43  lol, I get what you're saying.

Probably TMI however, I didnt have a  for 26 hours after I ate yesterday. I find that slow considering I had only fluids on Sunday and then the prep.....

Back reared its ugly head today and had me in tears once. I weedeated for about 20 minutes today and it's been attempting to spasm this past week, I must have sent it overboard. I'm over these muscle spasms in my back every day.


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## zannej

I found out there is a recycling place for RX bottles in DeRidder but it's an hour away. Not really worth the drive. My sister has a big recycling dump not far from where she lives. There are bins marked for plastic and some for wood & some for metal. We have nothing like that around here. Since I don't get trash pickup we end up having to burn most of our trash.

My mom has informed me that she has gone a few days without being able to eliminate waste-- which is why I get her fiber bars.

Sorry to hear about your back. I know how that feels. The spasming really sucks. I discovered heated seats are great for that problem, but don't always get the right spots. Reminds me, a few of our electric blankets stopped working. Will have to find more. They didn't even last a year. They do not build stuff to last anymore. At least my heating pad still works. (knocking on wood).

Once my phone is charged and I get some daylight in here (lights don't work) I will get pics of my new monitor mount.

I made corned beef hash for mom so she was happy.

Princess is racked out next to me. in a weird position.


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## shan2themax

zannej said:


> My mom has informed me that she has gone a few days without being able to eliminate waste-- which is why I get her fiber bars.


If she doesn't drink a lot of fluids, the fiber will make it hard for her to go. 
I am glad you found your phone. I must have missed the part about where you found it!
See if their is a crafting page near you, they make take the bottles. Dependent on the size of them, you could put nuts/bolts/washers in them?


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## Eddie_T

My county has recycling stations conveniently located. They used to require separating plastics by type but they now all go in together. I'm amazed at how many people will drive to recycle unused meds, especially opioids. I hardly ever have any but when I do I just put them in my burnable trash. I don't trash meds until they are several years past expiry. I still have some coumadin that's maybe three years past expiry but rat poison don't really expire and may be good for COVID use.


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## havasu

I understand concerns about the hesitation with receiving a colonoscopy,  but I lost my older sister 2 years ago, which was directly linked to her failure to get a routine colonoscopy. After having stomach problems for a few years, they finally did a colonoscopy and discovered multiple tumors, with most being inoperable.


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## zannej

Shan, my mom drinks a lot of fluids, so it's odd. But, I think she doesn't get enough fiber in her diet. 
My friend found my phone while putting up the mount for my monitor.





I need to clean the cat fur off my walls. LOL. There are spider webs that caught cat fur. I keep meaning to do it, but I procrastinate.

Today I got some rest, went to the post office, and then to the grocery store to grab some stuff. They are still out of some things I want.

My phone is being a real pain. Digitizer is not wanting to respond to touch well. It keeps getting slower and slower. I need to pull all of my pictures off of it.

Eddie, My entire Parish doesn't have a single recycling center of any type. But then, it is probably one of the worst parishes in the state.


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## shan2themax

@zannej  that's great that's she is well hydrated!

I have done basically nothing today. I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher twice, put loaded potato soup in the crockpot, picked up a grocery order and whined and complained about my back all day.
I called off yesterday because I can't stand for long periods of time, it kills my back. Most days I am on my feet 85% of the time from 7am to 2pm. I usually go to lunch around 2 these days. 
I called my PCP and left a message with her to see what's next. I haven't had this much pain problems for several months now.  It hurts to stand, bend from side to side or rotate left or right. Bending over doesn't hurt but the coming back up is a bear. 
From googling, it seems to be illiocostical pain syndrome possibly. I had someone feel around my entire back and mark on my back where it is the most tender. It's all on the right side bottom of mid scapula to mid armpit. I may actually lose my mind. 
I am supposed to work tomorrow however, idk that I can do that. I cant stand fully upright either.
I have been using heat/ice and attempting some exercises I found on some PT websites. Nothing is helping. I am very frustrated. This started nearly 2 years ago. It had gotten better, not gone, but tolerable. However, that is not the case currently.  I had them circle the areas that were super tender and then circle the tender area in its entirety. So mid bottom of shoulder blade to mid armpit, almost down to waistline. I am hoping this "roadmap" gets someone's attention in the medical field


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## zannej

Shan, I'm sorry about your back pain. I hope you can get some relief. You've done more than I have this morning. 

I'm just trying to wake myself up. I didn't sleep well because some kitty kitties decided they wanted to eat before the sun came up & kept tapping my face & trying to get me to wake up. I have a policy of not feeding them between midnight and dawn, but they don't seem to accept this. LOL. I waited until the sun was well up to feed them but they weren't happy about it.

I'm currently helping another set of friends with their kitchen layout. They are somewhat gutting their trailer and trying to put in a new kitchen. But they don't have much space and pretty much only have 2 walls to work with as one wall is almost all giant windows. There is sort of a bay window like thing almost floor to ceiling- making that wall unusable. I'll make a thread on it in a bit.

Yesterday I got my mom out of the house to go visit my friend. She played with the baby and we hung out in peace while the friend's gf's family were away for a bit. Got her to Walmart to pick up her RX. I handled the pharmacy part while she rolled around in the riding cart to grab stuff. She actually took less time than usual.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I tried coconut oil in my coffee and it just sat on top and made it greasy.



Bulletproof recipe?

The object isn't to look at it!

HAHAHA


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> My county has recycling stations conveniently located. They used to require separating plastics by type but they now all go in together. I'm amazed at how many people will drive to recycle unused meds, especially opioids. I hardly ever have any but when I do I just put them in my burnable trash. I don't trash meds until they are several years past expiry. I still have some coumadin that's maybe three years past expiry but rat poison don't really expire and may be good for COVID use.



This City has one recycling station where they accept #1 and #2 plastic, cardboard, tin and aluminum, glass and old Oil / Gas. I don't use RX drugs, but I have no idea where to recycle old supplements. I have a small 13 gallon bag full of them for when I get that answer. 

Good thing you have old Rat Poison you haven't used. Is it because you figured out that Ginger and Cayenne are also blood thinners and make food taste good while not poisoning you?


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## Spicoli43

Shan... If you sit completely still, is there sharp pain? 

If you notice sharp pain upon moving, it might be an Intercostal Rib Muscle tear. I have? that, but it has been years since it has acted up, so maybe it's healed. 

Besides that though, have you tried Chiropractic? 

One thing I will always recommend is Acupuncture, but try to find a tech that is a graduate of Bastyr University, which is the Gold Standard of Holistic modality institutions. I have had Acupuncture from techs that graduated from Bastyr and techs that didn't, and it's like night and day. 

Have you heard of Gravity Defyer shoes? They supposedly help with all kinds of skeletal pain. I have a pair, but am saving them until my disc slips out again to test if they make a difference / will wait until Summer to wear them daily for the same experiment on my knees. It might be worth a shot if you can get them. Ordering for me took a few months. 





__





						Comfortable Shoes To Help You Live Pain Free | Gravity Defyer
					

More than comfortable shoes! Shoes designed to help with foot pain, knee pain, ankle pain and back pain. Our patented VersoShock technology absorbs harmful impact to keep you active longer.




					www.gravitydefyer.com


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## zannej

Dental work went ok. Someone almost ran into the back of me at a red light on the way in. I was behind a big truck and slowed gradually as we got to the light. Person behind me wasn't paying attention & slammed on their brakes. I also got stuck waiting on a funeral procession. I wonder who died.
Cats just had a fight directly over my foot. Gravy Jones is in a fighting mood today. He beat the crap out of poor Namir earlier and now he's picking fights with his sister, Aminatu. Looks like he's about to get into it with Biscuits-- who got upset when Gravy was fighting Aminatu. 

So, I got distracted. Dentist had trouble getting to the very back upper tooth. Side of my mouth got scraped up & I have prescription mouthwash and toothpaste to pick up tomorrow. I'm supposed to eat soft foods for awhile.

Rupert keeps trying to climb on me but keeps putting his claws in sensitive spots.

I'm tired so I will probably take a nap soon.


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## Spicoli43

Never thought I could possibly get so bored that I would start making Chocolate. This is just Cacao Butter, Cacao Powder and Coconut Sugar. I'm going to add Peanut Butter Powder to the experiment and figure out a good recipe for the Kids and add Liquor for the Adults.


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## Eddie_T

Hmmmm Chiropractic. That turned on a light on for me. I moved to the recliner, reclined on my SpineWorx board, heard several cracks and feel better.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Hmmmm Chiropractic. That turned on a light on for me. I moved to the recliner, reclined on my SpineWorx board, heard several cracks and feel better.



So that thing actually works?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> So that thing actually works?


It helps me, you should hear the pops and cracks. I am using it mostly for posture correction now but used to use it when my lower back hurt or was extremely tired. It should be fairly easy to make one out of wood if getting the curvature right.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> It helps me, you should hear the pops and cracks. I am using it mostly for posture correction now but used to use it when my lower back hurt or was extremely tired. It should be fairly easy to make one out of wood if getting the curvature right.



I might try one, but the cost of materials would be more than buying one. Thanks.


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## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I might try one, but the cost of materials would be more than buying one. Thanks.


You're right, unless one had scrap wood as I do. I was going to make one for my son but he didn't seem interested.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> You're right, unless one had scrap wood as I do. I was going to make one for my son but he didn't seem interested.



Well, I would want one designed correctly for the spine, not something I threw together.

I ordered it, will give my opinion after a few weeks using it.


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## Eddie_T

My plan was to make a pattern by tracing the curvature. Then transfer to 1" stock and cover the edges with foam pipe insulation. I still may make him one. It looks like Spine-Works may have improved the cushion strips.


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## zannej

Spicoli, the chocolates look good! How do they taste?

I still need to clean my kitchen but I'm exhausted today. I'm hoping  to get enough energy to do something productive. I know I need to go to the pharmacy today.

Are spineworks things custom made for people or are they one-size-fits all? I have lumbar lordosis and scoliosis. Exaggerated curve forward in my lumbar which also causes my upper back to turn back forward in compensation (sort of like a hunchback) and my spine curves to the left so my left shoulder is lower than my right. I saw a chiropractor for a few years back in Guam when it was covered by insurance. But, that was over 20 years ago now.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Spicoli, the chocolates look good! How do they taste?
> 
> I still need to clean my kitchen but I'm exhausted today. I'm hoping  to get enough energy to do something productive. I know I need to go to the pharmacy today.
> 
> Are spineworks things custom made for people or are they one-size-fits all? I have lumbar lordosis and scoliosis. Exaggerated curve forward in my lumbar which also causes my upper back to turn back forward in compensation (sort of like a hunchback) and my spine curves to the left so my left shoulder is lower than my right. I saw a chiropractor for a few years back in Guam when it was covered by insurance. But, that was over 20 years ago now.



Thanks. It's as simple as pumping gas with the mold... I used 100 grams each of Cacao Butter and Cacao Powder and about 50 grams of Coconut Sugar, so they are Mega Dark with a slight sweetness. I'm going to experiment with all kinds of different ideas, but will need more molds. It might get ridiculous because I go all out whenever I have a new "hobby".

One size for the Spineworx... I had Scoliosis as a kid, no idea if I still do. I have Degenerative disks like most people over 40, and a bunch of other fun stuff. If this thing helps me sweep the floor AND do dishes the same day, I will literally be excited.


----------



## Eddie_T

I made reverse seared burgers for dinner. I was gifted some 7 oz gourmet burger patties with squiggles of cheddar cheese in them. I placed 2 patties on a cast iron fajita plate in a 250° oven for 30 minutes then seared in the same plate on an induction burner (on the deck).


----------



## shan2themax

I have a massage (30 min) set for friday.
No sharp pain, it's a muscle spasm on steroids and just general hypersensitivity.  I went to my PCP yesterday. She felt like it is really related to fibromyalgia (I am so freaking tired of that word lol). She gave me steroids dose back to get me through the next 5 days (I work 4 out of 5) and then I am on vacation. She asked me to call my rheumatologist and see if he would up one of my meds to see if that helps....
I tried to be stoic when she told me that. Its not what I want to hear, however.... i guess at some point, I need to get serious about this dumb diagnosis and research it more. I am trying to read a book called. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: van der Kolk M.D., Bessel: 9780143127741: Amazon.com: Books
 I am only like 35 pages in, but it is interesting.
And then I have digitally borrowed a book about fibro, but I dont remember the title. However, I do feel better today after taking the steroids.... of course.
I bout a cheap table saw from harbor freight while it was on sale over the weekend. It only has a 9" rip, but for most things I would use it for that is plenty. 
I absolutely refuse to let this take the few things that keep me sane outside of family and dogs.

I am putting my craftsman 10 cubit foot cart together so that I can clean up the front of my Sanford and sons house lol. And hopefully use it to fill in some low spots if i ever have dirt delivered. The spring in the picture just about did me in.... until I figured out I was doing it wrong lol
I made vegetable soup for dinner. 
I now have to figure out how I will get my moms wheelchair in and out of the car 3 days a week for the next 4 to 6 weeks. I am not going to tell her no, i am shocked that she agreed to go. But man, is it going to be hard to do.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was working at an odd angle sanding and applying wood hardener to the lower part of my entry doors. I didn't have pain but a strained tiredness in the lumbar region. A few pops and cracks and a couple of minutes of stretch on the Spine-Works and I was good to go. I hope @Spicoli43 gets good results with his.


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## zannej

Shan, I hope the medicine adjustments and massage will help. I completely forgot about the coconut oil when I went to the store. No more tooth pain though. I was told to swish warm salt water around in my mouth.

Friend asked me to come haul lumber and cabinets today. They were trying to remember the name of a type of board and couldn't but I remembered since it's a kind I bought before. So they got some 1/4" luan (sp?) and put a 2nd layer of flooring over the rough plywood. They were cutting it with a box-cutter and I had to give them some tips on using a 2x4 to give them a point to bend the scored part against to get it to break. They didn't listen to me at first and messed up one of the boards. I also had a metal putty spreader that I suggested they could use sort of like a chisel. That actually worked. They didn't listen to me about staggering boards but hopefully that won't be a problem. 

I'd asked my brother to make sure to cook for Mom while I was out. I got back after 8pm and discovered he had gone to sleep without cooking for her after she'd asked him to cook & she couldn't get him to wake up. So she was ticked at him. So I had to cook when I got back and am now resting.


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## Spicoli43

Shan, I think I probably sent you this link? Maybe not..






						Fibromyalgia
					






					www.greenmedinfo.com
				




I think you really could use some Mary Jew Wana, Umkay? 

I fight through my back pain, but I'm headed toward the days where I will just lay around stoned out of my mind unless I find something that works... I HATE that feeling of laziness. It was cool as a kid, but the thought irritates me now. 

I can't thank you enough for the endorsement and recommendation, Eddie... That spine board is cheap and the shipping is only $10. I can't wait to try it.

I avoid Harbor Freight power tools because they don't have a warranty. That doesn't make any sense to my brain. Their 10" standard Miter Saw for basic jobs is $139.99 with a "90 day guarantee", while the Metabo at Lowe's is $149 (or $134.10 with Military discount) and comes with a 5 year warranty! I still have that Metabo (Hitachi) and the warranty is still in effect, and it has never let me down, cuts like butter.

That's a dump cart, right? I love my Gorilla, have had it for 7 years now and it needs a bolt that was lost somewhere and I filled up one tire so far. Other than that, it has hauled Thousands of pounds of rocks, gravel and dirt around my yard. I don't think the thing will ever quit. You're going to love the convenience.


----------



## zannej

I will have to look up the spineworx board. How exactly does it work? Do you use it in a chair or while lying down?

I forgot to mention my friend's mom caught a "mud puppy" that was as big around as my arm. Very cool critter. I just hope she didn't forget about it and that she remembered to set it free in a damp area.



I also saw a rail thin mama dog and her puppies (who were also extremely thin). Poor things look starved. I keep meaty bone dog treats in my car so I made mama dog & puppies very happy by giving them some. Mama dog kept coming back for more. I wish I could have brought them all home. They would be fat in no time.

Speaking of fat, I'm under a pile of 5 fat cats now.


----------



## Eddie_T

On youtube they show using Spine-Worxs on a yoga mat. I am using mine on a power recliner for convenience and ease of rising. I am going to try my zero gravity chair. I think an inversion table might work also.


----------



## zannej

I may be able to borrow my brother's yoga mat then. So, you're supposed to lie down on it then?

My body does not like me today. LOL. And my cats were hungry this morning so they were snuggling and stepping on me to persuade me to get up.  They stopped pestering me after I fed them, although Rupert is now sitting on my shoulder acting like a heating pad. It's funny that he was terrified of people as a kitten. Only reason I caught him (he was a semi-feral kitten) was because he got an ear infection so bad he lost his balance and couldn't run & was too sick to fight. But now he loves people. He tries to cuddle with people at the vet's office. He is a very sweet kitty.

I made the mistake of eating too much fried chicken last night so my stomach doesn't like me. I need to cut out greasy foods like that. I don't eat the breading-- I always peel it off, but there is still too much grease. I need to listen to my body (and not my tastebuds) about what not to eat. LOL.

I will probably go to the store to get more groceries later, but for now I'm resting.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej  here's a link;


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## zannej

Thanks Eddie, I wonder if they make them in different sizes for shorter or taller people. I don't think my brother and I would have the same size ones. He has a longer torso. LOL. My biggest problems would be getting off the floor. LOL. I wonder if will work on a bed. I already have an extreme lumber curve.

Went to the store, mom said no need to get mail because nothing is coming in soon. Got stuck in traffic because there appeared to be a wreck up at the turn-in to Walmart. I could see lights from cop cars and an ambulance. Was stuck for probably 30min to go 500ft. Got in and found they were out of a lot of stuff I'd planned to get, so my shopping trip inside was quick. Got gas, got home, cooked for Mom, ate some more chicken (will regret later), and cleaned my teeth. Found some nice scrubbers that get between the teeth well.

This was from earlier. I was able to get my camera without disturbing the critters leaning against my legs/feet.
The fluffy black & white against my leg is Biscuits, the one at the end of the bed in a basket is Mewlatto, not sure if Itsy (the fluffy tabby) is visible-- she was on a styrofoam thing. Calico is Aminatu. Fluffy gray & white is Sir Hammington. Orange kitty is Rupert.


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## Spicoli43

I have been trying to wean myself off Coffee this week, with 2 days completely off and today only drinking about 25 oz. In this week, I'm just firing on 3 cylinders or something (Out of 12)... I have to be off Coffee for 19 days for my new "Diet", and I don't know how that's going to play out. I tried Green Tea the other day, and that's like an insult to mankind or something. To top it off, I just chopped off my nose picking fingernail, so that's 45 days or so of not being able to get up there. 

SIGH. 

First world problems.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  .... I'm a nurse, so theres no mary Jane in my future. Today was crazy at work, but I was able to get through it... thanks to steroids.

Yes it is a dump cart! And yes I am super excited!

@zannej  you are getting all the kitty loves currently lol

I am off tomorrow and I am going to try my best to do nothing. Maybe I will clean my room so that that's done.... I need to make some labels for my soaps, and I also made some whipped soap and want to make lip balm and some lotion sticks or bars while I am off.
This is my whipped soap


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## Eddie_T

@zannej  No the Spine-Worx is one size for all.

The cats look so laid back and out of it.


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## zannej

Spicoli, I found I don't like regular green tea but green tea with citrus/lemon is better. It all depends on your tastes. I haven't had coffee in years. Never was overly fond of it. But, I can't have much caffeine. I've never been a fan of carbonated drinks. I tend to like milk, caffeine free tea, fruit punch, lemonade, and water. I mostly drink water. I'm working on finishing a bottle of pumpkin spice apple cider. It's ok, but not great. Way too much sugar. I need to reduce my carbs and sugars. I know this intellectually, but when it comes time to snack I find myself stuffing my face with those things. I need to find non-carb & non-sugar snacks.

Eddie, I guess "one size fits all" would make sense if it was adjustable, but people of different sizes may find it hits the back in the wrong spots. I might give it a try though. Most of the time the kitties are laid back napping. They are lounging around right now. I still haven't put up the styrofoam packing for my monitor because the cats are sleeping in the depressions for the accessories. LOL.

Shannon, that soap looks cool!


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## Spicoli43

Ah Yes, of course you can't have MJ Shan, what was I thinking? They will give you all the dangerous drugs instead. Does that whipped soap have the consistency of Goop? That's what I want, homemade Goop without the chemicals for when I work on Cars.

Coffee is the one thing I have never quit... Cigs, Chew, Alcohol about 20 times, but have been drinking Coffee every day that I can remember since Junior High. It's just my thing, and not having it this week a couple of days was like I was living in a different dimension. 

I was wrong about the diet... I can't have CAFFEINE, so Green Tea is out. Nothing Decaf, they use chemicals for that. Just medicinal teas that I drink anyway.


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## Eddie_T

I spray painted (implement red) the lower ⅓ of both entry doors. I used a rattle can but with a Can Gun spray handle. I am impressed, the handle works as advertised. I will probably use my airbrush for antiquing to match the upper ⅔. I think I will seal the bottom edges with a waterproof white glue. The next time I refinish them I will take them down and do a total refinish, maybe antique verdigris though I like the red.


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## shan2themax

@Eddie_T  I am glad to hear that that contraption works, because I bought one to see if it would make it easier to spray paint.

@Spicoli43  they definitely make soaps that are exfoliating for mechanics and such, I have seen them in some groups. You can also make a soap paste, it is goopy, however it's like a concentrate that you make liquid soaps with (most commonly). You are right, drugs are often pushed instead of finding the causative factor and working on that. I think that that comes from our society. Noone wants to take care of themselves, they just want a magic pill.
Speaking of magic..... the massage today was with CBD oil

@zannej thank you very much!

I survived the massage today. She said she agreed with me that she didnt feel like it was fibro. She said my muscles were knotted everywhere. I enjoyed it, I could tolerate more pressure than I normally could. Ice massage next week .


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## Eddie_T

Sunrise at YMCA Camp Greenville 10/22/21, it almost looks like an ocean view;


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## zannej

Eddie, those are pretty.

I've been thinking of getting one of those things to help spray paint but haven't pulled the trigger (so to speak). 

The caffeine in tea is one of the reasons I had to limit my drinking of it, but then the kidney stones sealed the deal. I know it is full of sugar, but I get fruit punch now.

Cats are piled on me as usual. My brother refused to take the trash out but he did pour a new bag of cat food in to the bin in the pantry so I can feed kitties more easily.


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## Spicoli43

Shan, do you know a good brand to start with for soap paste? Maybe somebody makes a version of Goop or Fast Orange without chemicals. I would rather make it myself if I could though.


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## zannej

I forgot to mention, I'm glad the massage helped, Shan.

Tried in vain to get my brother to take trash out so I can clean up more (no place to put trash bc it's overflowing again) but he keeps refusing. If I thought unplugging his internet would do anything but send him in to a violent destructive rage, I'd do it.

Waiting for a friend to call me about coming over to work on her kitchen. She hasn't even read any of my messages for several days, but I guess she doesn't check the message thing often.

I put toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet last night but it didn't do much so I will have to scrub it, but my back is not cooperating for the bending. I wish they made super long handled telescoping toilet brushes. LOL.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  I will get back to you with that Dyson. I work another 12 tomorrow.


Does anyone know if this is a grinding station ?


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## Spicoli43

Dyson?


----------



## zannej

Probably autocorrect. Shan, I have no idea what that is.

My brother wanted to go somewhere today and I told him we couldn't leave until the trash was taken out, kitchen picked up, and living room picked up more. So he actually took the trash in the kitchen out, filled a bag with the trash from the floor behind the trash can, took that out, and then brought me the trash can in the living room so I could fill it up and took that bag out and I filled the next bag up halfway. Of course, he was giving me grief telling me to push the trash down in the 3rd bag but I kept telling him stuff was just falling out anyway so he had to take it out. Got it cleaned up enough to have a walkway through kitchen and living room. Not completely cleaned yet but my back was not cooperating. I'd been sleeping off a sour stomach.

Put some soup in the pressure cooker before heading out. Went to a friend's house but he wasn't home- he was at another friend's house so we went there. Friend over there cut up some fruit-- plantains, star fruit, and dragon fruit. I ate one piece of each and then sanded the hell out of the countertop & cabinets to make them smooth. Discovered they didn't check before installing the butcherblock countertop that there is a large deep gouge on the top. I will fill it in with wood filler, sand it, and seal it, but I suggested she leave something like a mat over that spot to hide it. She was a bit disappointed. I wish I'd stayed for install of that top bc I would have spotted it before they cut it for the sink. I forgot to get pics. Power was off when I got over because they were installing a new outdoor light & new outlets/switches. Something is wrong with wiring though because the new stuff didn't work when they turned it back on. Gonna find a good day to go over and fill in the gouge.

Was trying to help the other friend when he went back to his house to put in a new door but my pain meds wore off and I realized I needed to go serve the soup to mom (she won't get up and get stuff herself). Got home and soup was too thick. Threw some butter and poured in some heavy cream, whisked the hell out of it and made it nice and smooth/creamy. I told Mom and she said "Why was there hell in it in the first place?" LOL.

Had a good nap. Worried about my friend though bc he messaged that something fell on his head, he had a knot on it, and wasn't feeling good. Promised not to sleep on it and said he might go to ER if he felt worse.


----------



## Eddie_T

Got my trumpet out and started working on my chops. I haven't played it in several years. My only public performance back then was Taps for military rites funerals. So far just scales and I had a hankering to try Wayfaring Stranger.


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## zannej

Went over to check on my friend and he was sleeping (against our advice). My brother stayed over there in case he needed to be carried out or something. Friend's gf's brother woke up & was hungry so he got out leftovers and shared them with us. Some kind of stir fry mixed with rice-a-roni and some baked mac n cheese.

I started feeling nauseous afterward so I went home. Sitting here with Itsy on my lap waiting for my brother to call to be brought home.


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## shan2themax

Bahaha @Spicoli43  I meant soon! Lol
It is a grinding station. I'm beat, going to bed.


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## zannej

Brother finally called after 4:30pm. I went and picked him up and headed back home. Cooked for mom, fed the dogs, got more food for mom, and now I'm resting. My body doesn't want to move well today.


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## Eddie_T

Vacuuming, dusting and polishing. Here's a view of my master bath built-in cabinet. My own unique door design. BTW did I mention that I like antique red?


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## zannej

Eddie, I love the red color. The doors are very cool!

Yesterday I went to samsclub. Meant to go in the morning but it rained all morning & lulled me to sleep. So I went around 3pm. Renewed the samsclub membership and got what was on the list. Went home & was exhausted. Slept most of the day today still feeling bleh. Then friend messaged and said his debit card is frozen until tomorrow & he's out of food stamps. His mom "borrowed" his card saying she needed only "a couple of things" from the grocery store. They just wanted bread, milk, and some meat to cook for tonight, which wasn't a big deal. His gf said the next time his mom asks about food stamp card she'll tell her its used up for the month.

Friend found out the Kenmore dishwasher he got from his grandfather doesn't work & they don't sell parts for it anymore but his mom said a place she just cleaned out has a similar one that works (owner just upgraded to something shiny & new) & she'll bring it by tomorrow.


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## zannej

I had a sudden burst of energy and started cleaning the old Kenmore fridge. I can't remember when we got it but I think it was in the late 1980s and that it survived the tenants somehow. We moved it aside but were still using it when we got our newer fridge circa 2005. My brother ate so much we needed 2 fridges. Once hurricane Laura hit I had to clean out all the food from it but didn't get all the leaky grossness that melted in there out. It is now full of small dead flies (I turned it back on when power came back on & turned cold up to max to freeze them all). After a few weeks I unplugged it to reduce our power bill as we hadn't put anything in it and I figured we could learn to get less stuff (less to clean out). It's taking up space in the kitchen & I want to get rid of it.

I mentioned to Spicoli I have two thoughts.
1. Clean it up myself and sell it on swap shop or marketplace for like $20 (as is and warning to flush out icemaker/water parts thoroughly- no guarantee of operation as its sat for a long time). I'd have to drag it outside and have someone pick it up.
2. Haul it outside & have my friend's mom bring the late veterinarian's son out to help her load it up and she can clean it out and sell/trade it. I don't really want her knowing where I live though-- although she's unlikely to come back out again. But the vet's son already knows where I live and once tried to ride my late horse (I say tried because the horse dumped him - first by sitting and then by kneeling).

I suppose I could get a couple of friends help me load it into the truck & haul it into town to have someone come pick it up (but I'd have to transport it upright to not mess it up).

Having my friend's mom haul it and clean it would save me effort and time. My back kinda gave out on me while I was cleaning it and I didn't get lower spots and still haven't cleaned the sides of the seals or the inside yet. If I get it cleaned up though, I could potentially make $20.


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## shan2themax

@zannej    You could list it for $20 or free on marketplace on facebook just to get rid 9f it.
@Spicoli43  are you wanting a paste that you can make things with or a substance more like goji or a bar with pumice in it to get the grit off?


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## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @Spicoli43  are you wanting a paste that you can make things with or a substance more like goji or a bar with pumice in it to get the grit off?



Like Fast Orange, Pumice but liquid enough for a pump. I have to analyze what is what in the Fast Orange ingredients besides the Orange of course, and the chemicals. I don't know if the pumice is the scrubbing agent. I have all Winter to figure it out, just wondering if you knew. 



			https://www.autozone.com/miscellaneous-cleaners-and-degreasers/hand-cleaner/p/permatex-fast-orange-hand-cleaner/441667_0_0


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## zannej

I never liked the orange scented cleaners. I prefer lemon. I guess because I grew up with lemon-scented Pledge & cleaners.

Yesterday I picked up mail and cooked. My brother was hungry late last night so I suggested he could have "some" of the leftover potato soup. He got out the container and ate ALL of it.

Then last night I tried to cook grilled cheese sandwiches in a pan my brother pretty much ruined (but only one we have in that size) and they kept sticking to the pan, the grilled crust part came off and it turned in to a scrambled mess. My brother ignored my mother when she said not to cook those pans on max heat (bc the instructions for the pans said they couldn't be put on that setting) and burned stuff into the pans. I managed to scrub them off, but it took off whatever smoothness the pans had for nonstick properties.

I might just haul the fridge outside (with my friend's help since my brother indicated he is not willing to help me move it since he's a jerk) and see if someone on marketplace wants it. Might also post on the swap shop.

Meanwhile my friend has asked me to help him re-design his office as a nursery for the baby. Not much space in there though. It's a small room and I don't know where he's going to put some of the stuff from it (like the small freezer).


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## shan2themax

So...... I am such a whiny baby today. Today is my birthday. I turned 50 . My oldest still hasn't told me happy birthday. My other 2 have and my mom has, and friends coworkers have. But him not has put me in a bad mood. 
I even got a birthday text from someone who has refused to talk to me at all for 5 years, except for Happy Birthday every year. 
He has his best friend in from Wisconsin (?), and his mother just received a bad diagnosis. Which could explain it, however...  this is repeat behavior, he often has to be reminded or I have to be an ***. So, this year. I have decided to not say anything to him. 
This is 100% NOT what I had envisioned for my 50th birthday. And I have told myself that whining over the 1 person, child or not, should NOT superceded the 75 fb happy birthdays or my other 2 children, mom bff and even the estranged friend..... so, it's taken me all day, but I am choosing to be happy anyways.

I ordered pizza hut for dinner, made my own cake (just realized i havent iced it yet ). Pizza hut didnt have pepsi. Which is ok, I quit drinking it a year ago, just thought it would be nice treat. 

I watched the documentary on amazon video called "Heal" and it is what caused me to change my headspace.  I am not currently in therapy because they are not in my enhanced network and are $180 per session , so.... 5 years worth of work and I have to start over. Maybe that's a good thing, idk yet.  We shall see.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. 
I am going to have a gastric emptying study in the morning. So.. yeah for radioactive scrambled eggs.... lol


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## oldognewtrick

Shan, Happy Birthday!


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## havasu

Hot Damn! Happy birthday Shan!


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## Eddie_T

Happy birthday! Shan


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## zannej

Happy Birthday, Shan! I'm sorry your son didn't remember. I've had birthdays like that where only FB friends knew it was my b-day bc it notified them but none of my family remembered. This year even my FB friends didn't remember. My sister forgot what the date was and called he next day though. LOL. I think with the way things are, people are forgetting what the date is. But it still doesn't feel good. I hope you get feeling better. I tend to be depressed on my birthdays so it's good that you've decided to be happy. Hope the gastric thing goes well. It does not sound fun.

I stayed home and did nothing but sleep, clean, and cook. Ok, I played with sketchup a little bit. I put in the door my friend added to the office off of his kitchen. He messaged me a few minutes ago and said he figured out why none of the electric was working in Lulu's kitchen area-- some cretin stole the damn breaker. Probably the deadbeat tenant (former friend) who wrecked the place and had to be evicted.

He also sent me pics of the living room that has been re-arranged in Lulu's trailer. Now I need him to send me more measurements from his office.


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## Spicoli43

Happy Bday Shan!


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## Eddie_T

HAPPY NATIONAL CINNAMON DAY!
HALLMARK MUSTA MISSED IT
COULDN'T FIND A CARD​


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## shan2themax

My daughter came over today and I put her to work helping me clean out my 1/2 bath aka storage room, tossed a bunch of stuff.  I worked her hard and then gave her $50. I might do that again in a couple of weeks. 

Had the gastric emptying study this morning, I had to stay the entire 4 hours as there was still a decent amount of food in my stomach even at 4 hours.  

Tomorrow I take my mom for the PT eval. I hope she can withstand all that they do during the eval, and I hope they can withstand the sassiness lol. I will be in the car.

I have not gotten to make any soap or salves or whipped butters or lip balms while I have been off. These massages are great. However the recovery is a doozey and the spasms are just as potent. However, I feel more relaxed.... if that even makes sense. My next one is schedule for Wednesday.


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## zannej

Shan, I'm glad your daughter came to help (even if you had to pay her). I am tempted to pay someone to help me clean up here. My brother has been dropping empty water bottles all over the floor in the front room.

Went to walmart today and mom came along to see if they had any candy on clearance but it was all gone by the time we got there. One of he employees said he rounded a corner and a woman grabbed two full armfulls of reeses pumpkins then hissed at him like a feral opossum. Said there was a feeding frenzy about to happen. LOL. But we did get rotisserie chicken. I'm expecting Mom to page me any minute now for more food.


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## shan2themax

So... the PT eval went ok. I did not get to stay in the car however. I have come to the conclusion that my mom is not capable of living in the present. They were asking about walking and my mom started talking about how she used to walk 3 miles every day. They got excited about that, so they asked how long ago it was. She said before she moved back up here (Ohio) from NC....... 20 YEARS AGO!!!
She did tell them she doesnt walk as much, however they knew that already because she is developing contractures from sitting on the edge of her bed all the time. Hopefully she will do the prescribed regimen, then we go back next week.

So..... the test I had on Monday. It was exactly as I had been suspecting. I have gastroparesis .
Also.... in looking through health files online. I was trying to find the xray that talked about my levoscoliosis. Curiosity got me when I saw the EKGs from surgery in 2018, so I looked at it and it shows an age indeterminate heart attack. So then, I went back further a few years and it said the same thing.... so, I go back to work on Friday and plan to have one of the cardiologist look at it. NOONE has ever said a thing to me about it, ever.. I may work in healthcare, but its disappointing at best sometimes.

I have another massage scheduled this afternoon and meds to pick up for this "new" problem. In reading, there is a possibility that my lapband has caused the problem, and I am already looking into getting rid of it.

I wish we could get to the bottom of this back problem so that I can get busy doing things I love to do.


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## Spicoli43

Sorry about your Mom, Shan. If she doesn't want to walk, she won't. That's Older Parent 101, they never listen because they know it all. 

As far as gastro... Good luck and 2 words... Peppermint and Acupuncture.

You had a M.I. and they didn't tell you YOU HAD A M.I.??????!!!





__





						GreenMedInfo Search
					






					www.greenmedinfo.com


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> You had a M.I. and they didn't tell you YOU HAD A M.I.??????!!!



Right? I mean, it could have just been a junk EKG, except for the one a few years prior to that that said the same thing.....

In general, makes no sense either because I have awesome cholesterol levels. My hdl is 80 and my total cholesterol was 121. LDL had finally made it out of the TEENS. 

But... back to the gastroparesis..... I have a fault vagus nerve also, i pass out when i throw up. When I was a kid, I passed out when I got too hot. I am more than 75% convinced that this stupid lapband is an instigator. Prior to getting it, I passed out after throwing up 3 times. Since 2011 when I got it, I cant even tell you how many times it has happened. Thankfully January of 2020 was most recent, however, I threw up 3 times in just about 2.5 to 3 hours and wound up on the bathroom floor each time. 
So..... I feel like this thing needs to come out. My insurance wont pay to remove it unless there's a problem or a need to switch to the sleeve. I really don't know that i want the sleeve, but am 100% sure I don't want the band. Also, I was ready that the sleeve can actually help with gastroparesis but I haven't researched it heavily.
I'll peruse the website you linked.

Had my massage today. I have been on vacation since the 26th of October, and no major projects or lifting or anything, she said my muscles in this problematic area are just as stiff and tight as when I work. She tried hard to rub out one knot in my upper back and it just wouldn't let go. I feel like a trigger point injection would be helpful, but these docs just want to call it fibro. It is very irritating.  
I will say though... back to gastroparesis..... I have been saying for several years that I never get hungry and I swear I don't eat tons. I drink more liquids than I eat food, and this does make sense with gastroparesis.  It has been an interesting read though. 

My mom is trying to update her address with the Default depart of federal student loans. They had an address from when I was 12. Now she is mad at him because he was trying to help and she was flustered, so she got off the phone and was telling her bedroom how stupid the process was. She was an ACCESS PROGRAMMER.

My goodness gracious. I have a headache lol.
Tomorrow is my last day off before I have to go back to the grind. Hoping to take it easy!


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, you are right about some of the older parents not wanting to listen to anyone. I wish I could get my mom to walk more. Even though she used a riding cart in the store the other day she at least walked to the truck, walked into the store (after I dropped her off at the front) and walked back into the house. Other than that, she only walks from her room to the living room. Not really counting the short trip from her bed to the bathroom. I've seen her get up and get stuff for herself when she didn't know I was in the room. I guess it depends on how quickly she wants something or how she's feeling. Some days she will call me to come out of my room, walk through the hallway, through the kitchen, and then to the living room to get her something out of the fridge (which is right outside the door to the living room).

Shan, none of that sounds fun at all. I hope the doctors can get it all sorted. I wish I could say I'm surprised that they didn't tell you about a heart attack, but I found out my older doctors didn't tell me about mine either. And I'm pretty sure I know when I had my first one. Cardiologists don't handle female patients well, but I know of at least 2 cardiologists who don't treat any patients well. People were dying left and right with only one in town (either he moved/died or has been replaced though).  I hope you get feeling better. Sending virtual hugs your way.

I stayed up all night playing ESO because they have a new expansion and I lost track of time. I was having so much fun. Then I napped until about 4pm. Got up and realized we had to go to Samsclub. Went there with my brother. I told him we were only getting a couple of things to make it quick. He decided to browse for other stuff but we got out fairly quickly. Then he insisted we had to go to walmart because he was out of 3 prescriptions & waited until he was out to call them in. I finally picked up mine. 

Got McDonalds and they screwed up the order royally. Charged for double quarter pounders but only gave single. Put all the toppings on one that was supposed to be only cheese. I called them to tell them about the screwup and that we were driving back in to get re-makes. They remade everything just fine. Manager was mad that they only gave a single in a box that said double when the order clearly said double. But, they are rushed sometimes & they don't bother to train people so I wasn't mad.

Got tired of kitties in the front room flipping their water bowl over and spilling it. They were literally climbing the doors (glass paned ones) and screaming at me about it. So I grabbed a bowl that can't be flipped over to use. It holds less water, but it's better than the idiots flipping it all the time. They could not wait to drink the water. I refilled their food, then grabbed a 25lb to refill the bin in the pantry to feed the kitties in the kitchen.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well Shan, low Cholesterol isn't good either. I have seen many Doctors talk about the ongoing Cholesterol myth, and many have said an Adult Male's perfect level is 200. Sorry, don't know the Women's level. It's just to sell drugs like every other "disease" when the body knows what it's doing. The "High" for Cholesterol used to be 280, then it was 260, then 240, 200, now they want it at 170 or something like that. Same with Blood Pressure. For a long time it was 140, now it's 130.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

You have demonstrated you are just as much a victim as those that don't work in the medical field. They don't give you the secret codes either. 

Z... Why don't you just do your stuff in town and then he can go get his stuff done? Plenty of time away from him.


----------



## zannej

My brother's truck won't start. His battery, which is still under warranty, seems to be bad. He's been dawdling on getting it taken out and replaced. 

He just woke me up a few minutes ago because our friend is in the hospital/ER and will need someone to come pick him up when he's discharged. Something about kidney stones and I think a bladder tear. I know the kidney stones part for sure. I was still trying to wake up when he told me. I've had a lot of post-nasal drip/mucus from allergies (allergy meds are not strong enough) and my guts don't like me right now. I took some Pepto and am waiting for my intestines to settle.


----------



## zannej

Picked my friend up from the ER around 6:40 am. Pharmacy didn't open until 9 & he was drugged up so I curled up on the couch until around 8:40. My brother and my friend wanted to go to Walmart to pick up cranberry juice. So we went there and headed over to the pharmacy when it opened at 9. Waited 10min for prescription to be filled and my friend scheduled an appointment at the doctor for 10:15. Dropped him off, went back to Walmart to get fresh rotisserie chickens (they weren't ready when we had to leave). He was in pretty bad pain waiting for the stuff to kick in. Then took him to the doctor's appointment & then dropped him off at home, got home, unloaded stuff from the truck & put it away, I cooked for mom and then dissected the chickens (I put the meat in a ziploc bag), fed the cats, napped, cooked again, did some cleaning, cleaned mom's feet & applied anti-fungal cream to her toes.

Today we went to vote. Tax amendments. I think a bad one is going to pass because the verbiage is misleading. I read the ballotpedia full description of what it does. It makes it sound like it will allow for the legislation to have federal tax to be deducted from the taxable income for calculating state income tax and that state will be lowered by like half a percentage. BUT, the Louisiana constitution already has a provision to automatically deduct federal. That will be eliminated so it is not automatic and the legislators will have to vote on whether or not to allow such deduction in order for it to happen-- and the tax bill only affects people in lower income brackets so it doesn't affect them.

My brother was supposed to come with us but he decided that playing video games was more important than voting. He had a little tantrum about me stopping to move a branch out of the way of my truck when we were leaving so he went back inside to play games. So Mom and I stopped to eat and then went to visit my friend. Lots of people were over. The little kitten I saved stole a slice of pizza from one of the visiting kids. My friend's ex & her boyfriend were cleaning out one of the houses across the street bc they bought it and will be moving in. My friend's GF was so angry. She's fine with my friend's daughter being closer but she hates the ex. I told my friend I was worried that his ex would constantly be sending her sociopath son over all the time. Sure enough, she sent him over and he just walked into the house like he owned the place without being invited and then locked himself in the bathroom with 3 little girls (one of them is his 9-yr-old half-sister and the other 2 were younger kids of a friend). My friend's gf lost her crap over it and was screaming at him to unlock the door and let the girls out right then. Apparently the 9-yr-old unlocked the door and they all came out. GF chewed the boy out about how he is not allowed in a locked bathroom with girls (he molested his sister in the bathroom a couple years ago and had been sneaking into her room to beat her up and do stuff too her-- but CPS refused to remove her since it was another child doing the abuse & not an adult). The sociopath just stared at her stupidly. He then ran into my friend's bedroom and started jumping on the bed. My friend was too out-of-it from the kidney stones to do much. Finally the ex's bf came over and told the kid to come with him. When my friend is feeling better I'll need to talk to him about making sure the brat doesn't come over all the time. While he was there he plugged in his tablet without even asking. He'll be over there using my friend's electricity nonstop if he's allowed.

The kitten sat on my mom's lap when not stealing pizza. LOL. I sooo want to bring him home. He's such a good kitty.

Got home and cooked for Mom and now I can't get to sleep.


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## LeeD

I finally did almost nothing today! A real day off!


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## zannej

My friend's gf messaged me whining that her nephew claimed my friend's ex's brat was trash-talking her & that she planned to go over there to chew him out. His complaint was that she's a b****. The thing is, its true. I had to remind her that she's legally an adult and he's only 12. Plus she got this from her nephew who might have been lying. As an aside, her nephew trashtalks her all the time. I told her that going over there to get into a beef with a kid is immature & would cause drama that isn't necessary. This isn't middle school, she needs to act like an adult. I did say that if the kid tries to come over she can tell him he's not welcome there (because really, he's not welcome there-- my friend HATES this kid and doesn't want him hanging around). Kid has no respect for people or their property. Pretty sure the ex will be sending him over there all the time now that she's moved in across the street. She can't abide watching her own kids (even though she's unemployed, doesn't cook, doesn't clean, and doesn't do anything but sit on her behind all day). 

LeeD, I had a similar day. I slept almost the entire day. Only got up to cook for Mom and now I'm ready for another nap. Chronic fatigue sucks. The kitties are happy that I'm being their heater though.


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## Eddie_T

and My cat must not be able to tell time he starts staring at his food bowl at 4:30 PM.


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## shan2themax

Well... today has sucked.
I cried myself to sleep last night because I am .miserable and mentally and emotionally drained. 
My mom had an appt at 945 this morning, it's too early and she has a terrible time getting ready. I told her that we were going to be late and that they would likely cancel the appointment.  She never listens. I had my son put her wheelchair in the car for me, I couldn't physically do it myself. I knew on the way over what was going to happen, but I kept my mouth shut. She needs to bear the consequences of her actions. So... we get there to register at 950, 8 people in front of her. 1012, we get up there and they tell her her appt is canceled as a no call no show. She tried to male excuses to get them to feel bad and they tell her to go to the window of that office. We go to that window, he is super booked for the day and they have no openings. She tries the victim route again and it doesnt work. Reschedule in December now. 
We had a talk about life on the way home. I know this is all hard on her. However, she makes it harder on herself and I am a realist. 
I am exhausted. She woke me up at 115 this morning. She wouldnt let me do her laundry as she says she is capable... so she attempts it. Leaves her oxygen behind on the way back and is screaming "I need my mouth piece, I need my mouth piece". I wake up startled because I take meds to help me sleep. I am trying to figure out what is wrong, she keeps repeating herself but my eyes arent working yet. I finally realize her tubing is going towards the living room, and she has no oxygen on her. 

I worked the last 3 days. I am mentally and physically spent. Now emotionally. I havent left work anywhere near on time.  
I know that I cant physically do this, but i have great insurance and need to keep it until i figure out what's wrong and my daughter has her surgery.

Ugh! Sorry that was so long, i just needed to vent.
I hope everyone else is having a good week so far.


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## Spicoli43

Shan... Sorry you have to go through that, but you have to remain as happy and stress free as possible because as we discussed, there is nothing you can do about it. It's almost like there is a "saving face" code when parents get older that we don't know anything and admitting we do know something breaks that code. I wasn't successful with my parents, and I don't know anyone that has been.


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## Spicoli43

Time changes are one of the most idiotic things, and they aren't needed anymore for some reason. I am not interested enough to look it up, but I have considered moving to Arizona literally for that reason.


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## zannej

Shan, sending virtual hugs your way. My mom has actually been more reasonable lately. Only had one tantrum in the past week. It sounds like you may need to get some sort of home healthcare support for your mom. She may be against it, but I'm sure you could use the assistance. I had a friend who didn't really want a caregiver but needed one. When the caregiver first came in, she tried to take care of the caregiver. Wanted to make her coffee, cook for her etc. The caregiver had to say "No! I"m here to take care of you! You need to rest up and heal!" Fortunately, she listened and the lady took good care of her up until the end.

I know how it is to get woken up and be super groggy, but at least I'm not busting my hump at a hospital all day like you've been doing. Even if your mom resists, is there any way you can get her insurance (if she has any) to cover someone to come help with her sometimes?

The heater in the house can't make up it's mind whether it wants to warm the place or let it remain cold. I woke up sweating like crazy & it was too warm but now it is cold again. We have no heat registers in the house-- only a thermostat in the hallway where the AC ducting sits in the cubby. I've resumed cleaning my mom's feet and putting anti-fungal cream on. I'd stopped for awhile because I got too tired and I was going to bed before she was. Last few days I've gone in before she was asleep and asked if she wanted her feet done. It does hurt my back to bend to do them, but she needs it done and can't do it herself.

Spicoli, I HATE time zone changes.

Yesterday I got up early & took my brother to get a new battery for his truck. It was still under warranty & was replaced for free. I got my mom a star wars toy on clearance (she collects them so it made her happy).

Right now I'm sitting here surrounded by sleeping cats. I've been looking up patterns/tutorials to try to come up with a design for thumbhole cuffs that go up the thumb a bit (sort of like a half-thumb cover) and cover the fingers a little bit more (but don't have fabric between the fingers). I'm trying to think of how to modify one of the patterns to have a half-thumb added for a little more warmth.


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## Eddie_T

I saw this cat bed frame on facebook and immediately thought of @zannej :

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2545589622421077/user/100011508006419


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## Spicoli43

Well, last night the Cat felt that nobody had to sleep, so she was playing jump on me, jump on the chair, jump on the dog and run and hide in her Fort... I watched it the 4th time, it was completely premeditated.

So, I'm going to play a game... Catch a Cat, Prepare a Cat, Marinade a Cat and BBQ a Cat.


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## Eddie_T

Woke up to find the power was out. Called it in and found out later it was my 7.2 KV underground feed, I am backfeeding my panel now. The crew with the radar/thumper arrived 5hrs later. I told them if my generator was too loud for them to hear the thumper to let me know. They found the problem it's closer to the pole and on someone else's property. I hope it don't take too long to splice.


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## zannej

That's a cool cat bed. I saw a tufted leather dog bed that resembles a chesterfield style couch. LOL. Well, there were a few of them. Waaay too expensive to get. My dogs like cat beds and my pillows & blankets anyway. They tore up an old memory foam one though-- dug into it to make a pit to sleep on.

Took my brother to the voting place because GPS doesn't have the road name properly. They keep changing the name/spelling. Apparently at some point it was Cherry Witchie then it got changed to Cherrywince and now it is Cherrywinchie. Not sure if people kept spelling the sign wrong or what. But It's spelled Cherrywinche on the voter's portal. 

I ran out of space on my phone for pictures and videos so I had to go through and delete some. Need to do more later on but I got in to watching some of them and saw pets I no longer have and it made me sad.

Grabbed stuff at Walmart and then got breakfast from McDonalds.

Waiting for mom to wake up so I can cook for her.


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## Eddie_T

Watched some neat youtube videos on making miter sleds for a table saw. Even a cheap table saw can yield perfect miters using a sled.


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## zannej

Eddie, do you have any links to those videos? I'd love to figure out how to make a miter sled for my tablesaw.

I did major cleanup in the kitchen yesterday. Got a good chunk of the trash out, now there are old dishes that the raccoons threw down that I need to clean and put away. Since the buggers were up in the cabinets I need to clean the cabinets as well. I haven't had any help so I've procrastinated on it. Today I've been helping my brother clean his room. Mostly just holding a trash bag up for him and moving it closer as he moved across the room. Back wasn't cooperating much with bending and picking stuff up myself. He hugged me and thanked me for helping. He agreed to help me with the kitchen cleanup afterward. I took another naproxyn since the first one didn't seem to work. Also remembered to take my magnesium vitamin since I have been forgetting and it helps with muscle pain. I want to get all the countertops cleaned up, get dishes (mostly tupperware junk) put away, and then get the old fridge out to clear up some space. Eventually we plan to get the kitchen table out as we haven't sat at it to eat a meal since my father died in 2009. It's just a big obstacle that we stack boxes on now. I think there may be room for it in the workshop if we clean up the workshop more. Worst case it can fit in the loft up there. The leaf for the center is in one of the closets-- that can be moved down to the workshop. The cats like to sleep on the chairs so at least some of those can stay, but others can go down to the workshop with the table. We have folding tables we can pull out should we ever need. 

I'm taking a break and resting my back. I think my brother is taking a break and playing with the kitties in the front room. They are full grown now, but we still call them "the kittens".


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## shan2themax

So... still getting my massages weekly. Thise are great. I changed muscle relaxers last week, the massage therapist said she thought that my muscles definitely felt less stiff and tight (I had had 2 doses then) so now.... 5 days later. I am happy to report that I haven't been in tears for a week. I have woken up much less stiff that I had been, and have had only a few mild spasms. I get another massage this Friday. Last week my back felt like it was trying super hard to pop while she was massaging it. We are going to continue back, but also work with hips and my left calf and achilles tendon soon. 
I worked 2 days in a row and didn't have a mental breakdown. I also had my charting done before 2pm and didn't stay past giving report. 
However, I do think that I need to seriously consider a different job. There are no openings that I am interested in at my facility.  So... I need to really search my heart and mind and come up with a game plan.

My mom has gotten ready both physical therapy days since the MD appointment that she missed. And I have stayed out of her way and not mentioned times about any of them since the incident. We apparently have an oxygen tank shortage in my area. I ordered 6 tall tanks, 6 small tanks, a few keys and another regulator.  They brought 6 small tanks, no tall tanks, no keys, and a concentrator.  The lady at the office is a b!^*h. And now I gotta call her again .
Hopefully my back continues to get better, because it has definitely taken its toll on me. It has also made me aware of my stomach issues now that it has eased up. This gastroparesis stuff is for the birds. I have been reading about lapband and gastroparesis and the band definitely needs to go. So... we will finish pursuing that soon.


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## Eddie_T




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## Eddie_T

I found out my portable 8" RAS is no longer portable. I was able to get it into my drive but couldn't hoist it on to my table sawhorse. I had planned to rip some ½ scrap plywood into 5" wide strips for kitchen island drawer construction. I will use my 10" RAS in my shop area but I don't usually move it off 90°.


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## Spicoli43

I did a 3 day fast, finished on Monday night. The goal was to heal my guts, I know I have Ulcers / IBS whatever, don't need an Endoscopy to tell me that. The fast consisted of 16 ounces of liquid an hour. There was no caffeine allowed. I mostly drank Organic Herbal Teas, had some Bone Broth with added Collagen Peptides and usually drank 8 ounces of water here and there with a dash of Himalayan Pink Salt on my tongue and a TSP. of Coconut Oil for energy / stabilization. I had a dash of Apple Cider Vinegar here and there and some Organic EV Olive Oil.

Being that I had no Sugar going in, the inevitable crash would happen, thus the Coconut Oil to ward that off. I decided I wasn't going to drive anywhere during the 3 days because I know what I'm like behind the wheel without Caffeine. The first 2 days were easy, and I didn't really get the "this is getting real old" feeling until about Hour 67.

When it was over, I had an Organic Grass Fed Protein shake and went to bed. I did cheat yesterday with those little Lindt Chocolate ball things, as the 14 days after the fast are supposed to be just cooked Vegetables with no sugar at all. (Chicken allowed, No Beef)... Have you ever had 14 days of mushy Sweet Potato and Carrot etc. since you were 15 days old? NO... Nobody has since the existence of Time. Even starving Cave Man would be divorcing Cave Woman over THAT! You know why the Hammer and Chisel were invented? Divorces, that's why.

I didn't cheat because "This sucks so bad, I need Sugar"... I cheated because those 67 hours were easy, I can repeat at least a 30 Hour fast whenever I feel like it without even sweating it. I was used to a 20 hour plus regular fast that I have done on and off for years, so maybe I'm "trained" up for the marathon so to speak...

Today, I was wondering if the cheating reset me back to square 1, so I had my usual 30 ounce Black Coffee. Normally, my guts would be screaming, but Coffee is my thing so I dealt with it... I have ZERO gut pain from the COFFEE, and the general pain is around a 1, when it was always a 6 or 7 before. I would call that a success for what it is, and I will probably have no issues going forward if I stick true to my OG Paleo type diet and avoid the chemicals in the processed foods that took my gut down in the first place.

Things I learned...

I Dropped 15 pounds, reduction in gut size. I can transition into a full on Low Fodmap diet for now / Transition into Paleo after a couple of weeks.

I craved Salt... Bigly... The need to supplement with good Himalayan Pink or Celtic Salt is noted. (NOT table salt). There is no way around that because there is a LOT of Urine created, understandably, which depletes all the minerals unless replaced.

No loss of energy, it isn't recommended to do anything more than a gentle walk around the block, but I could do normal household cleaning / dishes etc.

Commercial Bone Broth is possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted, as it's LOADED with Salt. I won't do that next time, opting to cook a Whole Chicken and drink the Broth with a pinch of Salt on my tongue if I feel like it. Chicken Broth from a whole Chicken is the way to go for continued gut maintenance, and it's free that way.

The Collagen Peptides drank in warm water isn't a picnic either, but it's much better than the Bone Broth. Considering both are Collagen building blocks that repair the gut lining, I don't know if I needed both or if using both was a 1-2 punch that repaired my gut completely / faster. I will probably never find that out, to which I don't care, but if I could do it over again from the start, I would have opted for the Peptides alone to see if that worked or just cooked a whole Chicken and drank the broth, saving the meat for after the fast.

I do know that a fast just drinking Herbal Tea and Water will be just that. There will be no gut healing without the Collagen, as I don't think the body can heal the gut with Green Tea. It needs GLUE.

I had some Acne issues. mostly because of "leaky gut", and the Acne is gone. I don't know if that would work for my 14 year old self.

I wouldn't do this if I was Diabetic, that requires work with a Functional Medicine MD or a Nutritional Consultant. The body WILL be in Ketosis no matter what, so that could be very bad with someone that is Diabetic. So that's the disclaimer if you choose to do something like this.

I would say you will probably want a lot of entertainment, be it internet / TV / Video games to pass the time. You might like people around if they are fasting, but might not like it if they are gorging themselves on your favorite foods.


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## zannej

Shan, I hope you can find a better job. It's tough right now to find the good jobs. A friend of mine who works in an oncology unit was telling me that they ran out of the right bottles for blood samples to do the 15minute blood tests so they have to use another kind that take much longer & that patients are having to wait hours because the blood has to clot before it can be spun & that it's so frustrating because the patients are already feeling terrible. Of course, she's the one who gets yelled at by patients and family over it.

Thanks for the video link, Eddie!

I've been finding things are harder to lift now. Wrists and arms are not cooperating. Legs don't want to raise high enough to step over things. Yesterday I could barely move. The 40s have finally hit my little brother. He's starting to feel his age and have aches and pains that I've had for years. Of course he brags about how he just "pushes through" but he really doesn't. He refuses to do anything. But, I know how it feels since I go through it all the time. I told him "welcome to my world". I started having those symptoms before my 40s.

I'm going to have to figure out what my mom wants for dinner. She was up earlier than usual so I made her lunch. Last night I heated myself up a spaghetti dinner thing. Took it in to the living room and had a bad coordination moment. Not sure how, but it flipped over and dumped on the floor. I sighed, ordered the dog to eat it, but she would only sniff at it. So I went to get Mom's dog. I picked him up from Mom's bed and carried him to the room-- which really confused him. Then I set him down in front of it and told him to eat it. The more interest Princess showed in it the more he wanted to eat it. So he cleaned it up for me. LOL. Yeah, I was that lazy (but I was having a hell of a time bending).

I really need to start doing some stretches and more exercise. Once I get the house cleaned up more I might look in to the DDP yoga stuff.


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## Spicoli43

Does anyone remember the Bud "Real Men Of Genius" ads from the mid 2000's?

If not, you can listen to them on this link... The singer on the ads is the lead singer of the band Survivor, Known for the song "Eye Of The Tiger". I wrote around 50 or so of my own ads... 



I sent a few examples of my ads to Bud, thinking they would like them and instead got a Cease and Desist letter... HAHAHHA... I can't sell them... Okay... Some of them are hilarious, for those that haven't heard them..

I wrote this one for my Sister and an Ex, both Miller Lite "drinkers"...


"Misses Miller Lite Not Really Drinker Bragger"

Budweiser presents Real Men Of Genius...

Today we salute you, Misses Miller Lite Not Really Drinker Bragger...

"I don't see no real Beer"...

When you reach your brave arm into the Ice Cold Water, you don't reach for a bottle turning Blue on the label or whatever, you reach for more Water in a bottle...

"It's really really funny tasting Water"...

You dance in your 1 square foot space, shoulders bopping, sweating to the 80's, no actual alcohol in your system...

"Please keep drinking absolutely nothing"...

Roll those shoulders, head nod lips out eyes closed uh huh yeah nobody's looking at you or anything...

"Groove on Misses really really weird non drinking dancer"...

Worlds are colliding, You are drunk on hopes, dreams and Beep Beep Boo Boo N/A beer has nothing on you.

"That Waterslide looks real fun Aye Carumba"

We're not saying you're not drunk because of not drinking alcohol or alcohol teleportation or whatever, we are saying you need to drink...

"Calm down Misses Tiny Space Miller Lite Kinda Dancing Drinker"

So crack open an Ice Cold Bud Light, Misses Miller Lite Drinker Bragger... Actually, take a whole case since your hat says Go Jets...

Real Men Of Genius,

Budweiser Beer,

St. Louis, Missouri.


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## zannej

That's funny, Spicoli. I'd never seen those ads. Of all the ads out there, I think my favorite are the Jack Links "Messin' With Sasquatch" ones. My dad laughed so hard at them. His favorite was the one with the loose salt cap. I forgot to mention, I prefer sea salt over regular table salt, but as a kid I would eat table salt. Mom made some Xmas ornaments out of some salty dough. Years later she was saying "I wonder what happened to them" and I said "They were delicious". She thought I was joking at first. but no, I ate those ornaments. They were made of dough!! They tasted like the drop noodles she makes for the chicken paprikash soup. Anyway, after watching the Messin' With Sasquatch commercials, when one of us is driving, we roll down the window and say "Hey, buddy, want a ride?" and roll forward.

Today my friend said he wanted to come over "early early" but he didn't wake up until after 11:20am. I'd been messaging him for awhile and he finally woke up. We took inventory of the plumbing supplies, decided to get a couple more fittings (not in stock at local hardware store). I drew the plan out and explained what I wanted to do with the supply lines. We figured out what fittings would connect where, etc.  He has some extra Pex at his house that I can use just in case. Went to Lowes & got the supplies & grabbed some ceiling tiles for his nursery and more staples for the staple gun. I wish I could help him with putting them up but that may be something my brother can help with since he's tall and can reach above his head with both arms. I can only do it with one. Went to my favorite Chinese restaurant afterward and then I dropped him off so he could get ready for work. He was bummed because he thought he was going to get fired-- boss has him training a new person for his job-- but then boss said he's getting a raise. Boss apparently knows he has some of the worst luck-- says he has a black cloud over his head-- and is sympathetic. But really, he's the only person in the region who can do the job-- they tried for over a year to find anyone else to do it and no one else has the skills/knowledge.

Mom apparently tried to call my phone but it didn't ring. Brother messaged my friend saying Mom wanted a Big Mac meal so I got that and the free mocha frappe from doing the survey. She was a bit salty when I got home and I was telling her tomorrow I will have to get my suit on to climb under the house. She got mad and said "When are you going to work on OUR house?" I said "Mom, I AM working on our house. That's what we're doing tomorrow!" She'd thought we were going to be fixing stuff at my friend's house. LOL.

Probably should get an early start tomorrow and get my friend some breakfast before we get to work. He works better on a full stomach.

As an aside we saw they are putting up a new cellphone tower in town. Hopefully it's for a cell service that I have or can get so I'll actually be able to get signal.


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## Sparky617

I spent all day yesterday working my HVAC contactor starting the install of a new system for my basement project.  I was running the duct work while he was setting the unit, a cool Mitsubishi/Trane ducted heat pump.  Running the ducts was a challenge, getting around all the obstructions from the upstairs unit, electrical, gas lines, plumbing, central vac, structural elements, etc.  We probably have another solid day of work ahead.  Plus we're going to replace my two aging units for the first and second floor.

Trane raised their prices 6% from when he first quoted the job, and they are set to raise them another 12% in January.  Right now my first floor furnace is on order, the upstairs unit finally arrived and I have all of the compressors and coils for both systems.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> That's funny, Spicoli. I'd never seen those ads. Of all the ads out there, I think my favorite are the Jack Links "Messin' With Sasquatch" ones. My dad laughed so hard at them. His favorite was the one with the loose salt cap.




They were Radio only ads. Jack Links were genius and Hilarious.


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## shan2themax

So.... it would seem the new muscle relaxer is helping. The last massage I got she did a fascia release. It felt like a giant comb lol.
My mom has been ready early for every physical therapy appt since she missed her MD appt a few weeks ago.  That relieves a lot of stress for me, and i am sure it is also less stressful for her. 
I realize I will be her one day, however I hope that I am more agreeable. (Not exactly the case currently lol)
I am taking a break from making my Thanksgiving dinner today (daughter is helping) we will eat this evening after my oldest and his gf get off work. I work on Thanksgiving day.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, love and laughter ❤❤


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## Spicoli43

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

I wish I could eat Stuffing every day, but then I would be as Fat as a Turkey! Bread just doesn't jive with me.


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## Guzzle

Too early for the plumbing parts place so I dawdled at Panera.  Then picked up a new flush lever. Then read some in a book on decision making.  Then used a comealong to hold my position while I stepped on deck board that is warped so I can crouch down and drive screws with my short arms while holding the plank in place.  Got several telemarketing calls from con artists with heavy accents.

Should blow leaves, probably won't.


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## havasu

Fixed a family heirloom this week.


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## zannej

Early Happy Thanksgiving, Shan. Hope things go well for you tomorrow. I had to go pick up more mail and then off to the store to grab a couple more supplies for when we crawl under the house. Will need to make sure we absolutely have everything we need. Friend wants to shut everything off, cut all the waterlines, and run the new stuff down under the house to have it ready to connect under the house so he'll only have to go under once. I got him some goggles to wear so crud won't get in his eyes. Can't find the ski mask thingies we used last time & didn't see any in the store. Stores will be closed tomorrow. Friday we are not going anywhere near a store.

My brother made some "red gravy". It was a bit too spicy for me and I had to pick out all the sausage (I don't like sausage for some reason) and added some heavy cream to it & it was good. It's messy though. He spilled it all over the counter and sink & didn't wipe it up so guess what I'll be doing later today/tomorrow. LOL. With the heavy cream it tastes sort of like Tom Kha soup. Can't remember the Thai word for pork. I remember egg and chicken and snake (Gai, Kai, & Gnu). 

Tomorrow we are supposed to have ham with brown sugar (since mom claims to hate honey ham-- despite having eaten it without complaint in the past). We don't celebrate Thanksgiving-- haven't celebrated any holidays since my father died.

My orange cat is being extra clingy. He is a quiet cat-- very rarely meows. But last night he meowed at me once and then stood on his hind legs reaching up wanting to be picked up and held. He wanted to lay over my shoulder (like when a baby gets burped). He slept on me all night under the covers. He's currently clinging to my shoulder.

My new Vornado fan arrived. I've got one that has been running for over a decade. New one is replacing a Honeywell that died after a year or so. Had 2 Honeywell fans fail after a year and a half or so. Vornados seem to be sturdier.


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## zannej

Hope everyone is doing well. I ended up visiting my friend to talk about plumbing fittings & the plan for Sunday. He had extra food so I had some stuffing, lima beans with ham, and some sweet potatoes.

Today my friend's bad luck struck again. His front steps broke while someone was stepping on them (fortunately she wasn't hurt).  He was late for work because we had to get new steps and put them in. They had some concrete fiberglass ones. They are super smooth and get dirty very easily. Gonna need some sort of textured sealant on them. Friend couldn't drive with low light and needs a ride home. He's trying to see if anyone at his work can give him a lift home but if not I'll go get him.

I also did some cleaning-- not as much as I'd wanted though. My body just wasn't cooperating. I need my brother to take the trash out. Found there is a slow leak under the sink from the cut off cold water line. Shutoff is turned but it's leaking anyway. We'll take care of that on Sunday though.

I discovered that mixing the ham my brother made with the potato soup I made is really good. It hydrates & softens the ham and adds better flavor to the soup.

One of the neighborhood guys called and said he wants to come out tomorrow to help cleanup in our yard. He knows the guy we paid to cut weeds refused to come do the work after getting $. He's such a nice guy. Wish we had some cash for him. Or some vegetables. If my father was still around we wouldn't need the man's help as much, but he'd be getting free veggies from our garden. My father would have kept the garden going. When he died the garden died. The trees stopped producing fruit. Even the pecan trees stopped producing. I don't know if he was fertilizing them or what.

Got Mom's laptop ordered & got an e-mail it was on hold due to billing discrepancy. Billing address is supposed to be same as mailing but we can't get our bills at our house and can't get Fedex/UPS at the post office. I had to call and point out that we've ordered from them multiple times before-- been buying from them since 2008. So they checked and said they would correct that in the system. Still waiting for e-mail confirmation.


----------



## zannej

Everyone doing OK?
I'm guessing people are busy.


----------



## Eddie_T

I pulled a muscle when I tried to put my 8" RAS on a table last week or whenever. My back still hurts so I am taking ibuprofen and  acetaminophen together for pain. Today I remembered that a nurse from Amite, LA who was well-read on meds and supplements told me that guaifenesin works to extend the benefit of acetaminophen so I am adding that to the mix.


----------



## havasu

I tore my bicep tendon and it is the worse pain I have ever experienced. Went to 3 docs, had 3 MRI's, 4 Xrays, and now dealing with a surgeon, who is hesitating on corrective surgery. I assisted my neighbors with drinking 4 bottles of wine and got a good night's sleep last night, finally. Sure better than the stupid pain pills they gave me.


----------



## zannej

Yikes. Sorry to hear about the injuries. Saturday the guy we sold the tractor to came out with a helper to start cleaning up my yard (fallen branches, stray feed bags for the cows, etc). Bush-hogged, cut weeds. Got a good amount of the blackberry bushes down but some were too tough. I mentioned to his helper about a small pine tree growing in front of the workshop door. He took a machete to it. I asked the older guy if we could hire him to cut down some trees (mostly smaller ones) to clear out the chicken yard so we can walk through it. He said yes, but couldn't do it that day. I said that was fine. He also said he'd go grab us some hay for the cows. I apologized for all the feed bags being strewn about- said I had to back off once I opened the bags so the cow wouldn't accidentally get me with her horns. She gets too excited about the feed. I told him if he gets the hay to bring me the receipt so I can pay for the tax on top of the price per bale. I wanted to pay in advance but Mom was asleep & she's got the $. Might see if he'll take a check and give him a little extra over the tax for his trouble.

I helped pick up in the yard along with them. He got the trash burn pile going so I started hauling out old boxes from inside and off the porch. Kitchen trash was overflowing & my brother was asleep but I managed to get the bag out. Unfortunately, it torqued my back. Once I got it to the trash pile I couldn't do any more bending or lifting for the day.

Then I had to make a trip to two different Lowes to pick up some plumbing parts we needed for Sunday. Some of it wasn't in stock at the nearest one so I had to go to the next town over. Popped in to HomeDepot for some head socks (like a sock that will fit over your head with an opening for the eye area). Got my friend some goggles to keep dirt out his eyes. 

So Sunday I got up early and started doing as much cleaning to make sure my friend could access plumbing more easily-- did as much as I could but ye olde back wasn't cooperating. Picked my friend up, got breakfast (so he wouldn't be working on an empty stomach), and got to it. Took inventory of the parts, bagged up what needed to go under the house, pre-cut some pipes to length to run down from inside the house, put shutoffs on all of them, put together fittings for outside, went in, shut the water (+water heater & AC to kill that zappy wire that got my friend last time), climbed under the house, pulled the pipes from the top down, hooked in to the manifolds, & got everything run except the cold line to the kitchen sink and the outdoor faucet. My friend's hands were too cramped to use the cinch tool anymore. We spent a few hours under there. He had to cut an access panel in the wall behind mom's lingerie chest. 

When my back has recovered I'm going to do some laundry. But, we still have more work to do today-- getting that cold water run to kitchen sink and that outdoor faucet. I will need to add a shutoff on to that faucet bc the old one got cut off. Need to see if I have one on hand or if I need to get one. Getting up super early (before 5am) to take my friend to a store to get something on cyber monday sale that he can't get online. Then after we nap we will work on the pluming more. I have to get some faucet supply lines for my bathroom sink. Also need to figure out what adapters we need to hook to the tubs/showers because they have old valves. 

Going to try to catch an hour nap before having to get up.


----------



## Guzzle

Needed to go in person to my doc because can’t get thru on the phone & my prescription wasn’t renewed.

But, woke up with severe calf pain, got my crutches, headed to the doc’s office.

Once I hobbled over to the building (no parking available) I realized I left my mask in the car.

The gift shop wanted $5 for said mask but a customer in the shop gave me a mask from her bag for free & and apologized to the shopkeeper.

Got on an elevator with all women.  I don't believe they undressed me with their eyes, so No Problem!

The doc’s lady said the prescription was sent to the pharmacy early this morning but she refused to call the pharmacy to confirm (I left my cell at home).  Her first name was unusual so I think she habla espanol.

By now my leg was almost better. . .?

How’s that for trivia?


----------



## Eddie_T

@Guzzle I know the feeling, I have fallen into that same crack between doc and pharmacy several times. Fortunately at present I don't have a doc and am on no pharmaceuticals.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> @Guzzle at present I don't have a doc and am on no pharmaceuticals.


I can't see me ever being in that situation.


----------



## zannej

Guzzle, so sorry to hear about the pain. Around here people don't usually wear masks so they will give people masks for free if they are required upon entry. No questions asked. Mom couldn't find her mask and I was going to look in the truck but the lady who was gatekeeping the doors handed her a mask to use and keep. I still need to find her mask. I know it's in there somewhere.

Yesterday I got up before 5am and booked to my friend's house and we made it to the store to try to get one of the TVs the app said were still in stock. But apparently employees bought the last ones after closing hours because when we got inside they had none left & the app updated to show they sold out. So we got a couple items there to not waste the trip-- friend found a pack of underwear 50% off (I know there is a joke in there somewhere). We enjoyed the heated seats on the way back and then checked our local stores. Went home, napped, took Mom to get her bloodwork, back home, napped, checked Bestbuy for tv deals & found a good sale on 65" Hisense ULED TV (it's like QLED but w/ new tech to give a crisper picture) & Dolby surround sound. Bought it online, waited for e-mail that it was ready, got e-mail, headed in and grabbed my friend, stopped at Samsclub to get milk and water, Bestbuy to pick up TV (associates were very helpful & friendly), made it back to friend's house & unloaded TV, put it up. Friend moved old living room tv to his bedroom and his old bedroom tv to the baby's room. TV came with voice command remote & it even knows how to properly spell Geoff Castellucci (the baby's favorite singer).

Got back home and crashed. Fortunately, my mother was able to make herself tunafish & crackers and some sandwiches.

Today I took mom for her doctor's appointment-- everything is good but she gained weight and sugar is a little high. She blamed me for buying muffins & donuts (I bought donuts once in the past few months, but I did get muffins). I asked her if I held a gun to her head and made her eat. Doctor laughed. We commiserated about craving sweets & how we can't eat just one. Doctor said they can't have certain foods in their house because they eat them all at once. We have the same problem. He recommended Russell Stovers sugar free candy. Stopped at the post office- my anti-vibration pads for the washing machine & dryer arrived along with my sandpaper for my matrix sander attachment. We went to Walmart afterward & I hated my life while waiting for Mom to pick out what she wanted. Finally got everything (including the aforementioned candies) & headed home. My back was really hating me. Got my brother tagged in to help bring in groceries. He even put some away.

Now that the washing machine will operate again (was refusing to bc it sensed no hot water even when we tried cold only wash) we can do laundry. He's hogging the machine. I held his laundry bag open for him while he unloaded stuff from the dryer.

I dissected a rotisserie chicken, gave the dogs some scraps, and am about to get a nap.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej  I like the Russell Stover sugar free assorted caramels. Hard to believe they are sugar free.


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## zannej

I like the dark chocolate truffle and the mint ones thus far. My brother likes the ones with raspberries. 

I decided to make today be a day of rest for me. The kitties are happy about this because they get to sleep on me.

I'm downloading updated drivers and software for my printer/scanner. I can print but haven't been able to scan. I want to scan my father's sketches of house layout, measurements, electrical map (he drew in all of the lights and such). I'll have to zoom in once it's scanned to see if it shows which ones share the same circuit. I wish I could tell if the dimensions he put were inside or outside though.

Well, software downloaded, now I'm installing. Shows all sorts of stuff about printing, but I don't see any about scanning. It's a wireless printer though, which is nice. I can communicate with it through the router.

My new little desk extender is holding up thus far. *knocks on wood*. One of my speakers got knocked off the stand but it's still on the desk instead of behind it. I'm glad I got this one instead of the smaller piece that only would have supported the subwoofer.

A new foot clinic is supposed to be opening up in town so we can find out if my brother can go there to treat his ingrown toenail that requires surgery. I also wonder if my mother can start going there instead of to the one up in Alexandria to save on time and gas.


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> I can't see me ever being in that situation.



I would say find a Real Doc, AKA a Functional Medicine Dr. They look to find the root cause of your problems instead of bandaging everything with Pharma drugs that only cause more symptoms which need more drugs. 






						Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
					

Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!




					www.ifm.org


----------



## zannej

Other than cooking for Mom, I got in plenty of rest. Watched some Holiday Baking Champinship on DVR. Huddled up with the kitties now.


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## Guzzle

Spicoli43 said:


> I would say find a Real Doc, AKA a Functional Medicine Dr. They look to find the root cause of your problems instead of bandaging everything with Pharma drugs that only cause more symptoms which need more drugs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
> 
> 
> Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.ifm.org


I take half as many drugs as the average male my age and I still feel I take too many. 



Today I found new ways of provoking the telemarketers & keeping them on the line without insulting them.  One way is to ask them to report their con-artist employer to the police, and they must know by now that he is a con-artist. 

Half hang up but I want to have most of them engage instead.  Make them feel guilty for participating in a  criminal enterprise.  Follow their conscience!


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## Spicoli43

I'm forever done with drugs since I figured out the monetary reasons for what they say and the corporate links. It didn't hurt my plight when the VA's only response to my problems was tranquilizers. It did the opposite and woke me up to the point I also figured out the evils of Big Food.

I'll never take their Covid vaccine linked to abortion, which pretty much everybody on the Left chants about "My body my choice", except they demand people take the vaccine that blatantly doesn't work. That isn't hypocritical or anything. How much confidence can it instill in the public when a current Board member of Pfizer is the former Commissioner of the FDA. There's no conflict of interest there. The vaccine was "95 percent effective", honest! The problem is Pharma lies all the time.

I'm into Monoclonal Antibodies, they are the future. They are shut down for the same reason that Ivermectin is shut down... To protect the profits of the cool kid companies. Meanwhile, we all MUST get the vaccine to save America! Well, they could shut down the border instead of letting in Hundreds of Thousands of people with diseases that make Covid look like child's play. That would make sense though. We definitely can't have that!

Speaking of on artist telemarketers, they don't even need them anymore with the TV commercials there are...


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## Eddie_T

As for provoking telemarketers, a friend takes pleasure in this. If it happens to be a woman he asks her bra size. 
When the one about expiring auto warranty calls he asks them which car they're calling about.When they they manage to ask him he tells them a 2025 Cadillac Escalade after they try to look it up and tell him it hasn't been made yet he tells them to call back after it's made.


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## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I'll never take their Covid vaccine linked to abortion, which pretty much everybody on the Left chants about "My body my choice", except they demand people take the vaccine that blatantly doesn't work. That isn't hypocritical or anything. How much confidence can it instill in the public when a current Board member of Pfizer is the former Commissioner of the FDA. There's no conflict of interest there. The vaccine was "95 percent effective", honest! The problem is Pharma lies all the time.


The cosmetic industry is into the abortion products game as well;
*Does PSP really come from dead babies?*​PSP (or Processed Skin Proteins) is a registered trademark of *Neocutis S.A.* The ingredient’s origins can be traced back to research conducted at University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland which showed that cultured fetal skin cells could speed wound healing. The cells used in the original research came from a “small biopsy of fetal skin…donated following a one-time medical termination.” These original skin cells were then duplicated by culturing them in the lab and have been used to create a cosmetic version that is known as PSP. Hopefully the fact that PSP does not come directly from dead babies will help your neighbor rest a little bit easier. This is not a new issue and, not surprisingly, there has been quite a buzz in the media over using fetal-sourced material. This whole discussion will disturb some people and intrigue others but you can click here to read more about Neocutis’ responsible use of fetal skin tissue.​


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> The cosmetic industry is into the abortion products game as well;
> *Does PSP really come from dead babies?*​PSP (or Processed Skin Proteins) is a registered trademark of *Neocutis S.A.* The ingredient’s origins can be traced back to research conducted at University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland which showed that cultured fetal skin cells could speed wound healing. The cells used in the original research came from a “small biopsy of fetal skin…donated following a one-time medical termination.” These original skin cells were then duplicated by culturing them in the lab and have been used to create a cosmetic version that is known as PSP. Hopefully the fact that PSP does not come directly from dead babies will help your neighbor rest a little bit easier. This is not a new issue and, not surprisingly, there has been quite a buzz in the media over using fetal-sourced material. This whole discussion will disturb some people and intrigue others but you can click here to read more about Neocutis’ responsible use of fetal skin tissue.​



Huh... Didn't know that. I guess I'll have to dump my Mascara, Brighteners, Whiteners, Darkeners, Exfoliants, Thickeners, Sparklers and Touchuppers.


----------



## Eddie_T

I double checked my wound care collagen (EMTGel) finding it to be bovine sourced. I thought that might be the case since it is made for animal use. Hmmmm, I wonder if collagen from chuck roast connective tissue would be good for wounds (it's nice and sticky)?


----------



## zannej

Yesterday I went to the post office and Walmart to get stuff. Mom sniped at me for not getting a new set of plastic drawers (I said I was going to look to see if they had anything good) until I told her I looked & they had absolute garbage ones for $50+. The one she needs to replace was 1/3 of that price. But the plastic has warped and it won't stay upright properly anymore. It actually lasted several years though.

The neighborhood guy came and scooped up the trash that wouldn't burn from my burn pile and dumped it in the hole made by a fallen tree-- several feet deep-- it uprooted and left a huge pit. He left a roll of hay in the field. Unfortunately, I didn't get out there before he left so I didn't get to thank him and pay him for the hay yet. I'll have to swing by and see if he's home later. I'm trying to motivate myself to get up and clean. 

I never got in to the whole makeup thing. Always hated it. Hated the feel of any makeup on my skin. Couldn't bring myself to get stuff near my eyes. I think I wore light makeup for my senior school pictures and my mom did a horrible job putting makeup on me for prom. She used some sort of muck all over my face (I think she called it foundation) that was too dark for my skin & looked awful. She also did 1960s style eye makeup and blush. In her defense, she never wore makeup either. LOL. 

Still feeling tired. My brother cooked the other ham in the pressure cooker so I will have to put the meat away & pull out all the bones. He eventually had to throw out his red sauce stuff because he left it in the pressure cooker too long. I'm surprised he actually threw it out himself instead of leaving it to me, but he wanted to use the pressure cooker. I need to do some cleanup but trying to figure out where to start.


----------



## Guzzle

*current Board member of Pfizer is the former Commissioner of the FDA*
see




__





						Revolving door (politics) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				



and




__





						Regulatory capture - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				




There are rules that even these high-rollers have to follow, but not many.

At least once, a family member of one of these was harmed by his conduct.  Ralph Nader pointed this out in public & then watched the fireworks.
I don't think the guy was mad because his family member was harmed, I think he was mad because this was made public.  The psych people might call this person a sociopath.

And if event A follows event B there's a math way of deciding if these two are a coincidence, but it cannot say that "person X" gave the order for either event, even if he is in the middle of these happenings.  It might have been an underling who did this for his own gain.

And then there's Russell's Teapot.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, written rules don't mean a single thing as far as publicly traded companies in the Bio sector. Pfizer and Moderna both claimed 95% efficacy with their vaccine, which is a blatant lie. If that were true, there would be no such thing as a booster... Having a "Booster" is accepted throughout the history of vaccines though, so people don't question them. 

The giant problem with all Pharma is that the companies themselves create (and doctor) trial results and efficacy to suit their needs. The FDA has nothing to do with that, although they are supposed to "regulate" the companies. The only thing the FDA does is find a bad batch of Spinach every once in a while to continue the guise that they are "protecting the public"...

Real vaccines that work include Polio and Rabies, which date back to before the Pharma companies figured out they could be absolutely corrupt and they wouldn't pay for it. A Veterinarian that has been in the business for 40 years or is retired will still have a positive Titer from their one and only Rabies vaccine that they got at the start of their career. There is no such thing as a need for a Rabies booster for animals, that's a con job.


----------



## Eddie_T

And then there's the 80/20 rule with government agencies, that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the employees.


----------



## zannej

Even though Mom is the one who got the flu shot at the last doctor's visit, I'm the one who has been feeling nauseous. But, seasonal allergies & my allergy meds don't seem strong enough so I've had post-nasal drip. Mom commented on how late I slept in & I said I woke up feeling sick. She was cool about it. Sent me to the pharmacy to pick up her prescriptions.

Stopped by to check on my friend. He said cops rolled by frequently last night to let the pre-teen hooligans know they were watching. New security camera is great. Snaps a pic every time a vehicle drives by and sends it to my friend. He got a few pics of his grandfather (who rolls by at least 3 times a day). Oops. I forgot to mention that bit of drama last night.

Some background: There is a neighborhood kid named Huey who is supposed to be on house arrest bc he shot up the school with a gun. He's got an ankle monitor & is somehow not in juvie. He's been leaving the house to break in to nearby homes and has been pulling a knife on people & threatening them and been trying to stab neighborhood animals (may have stabbed some-- we think he's the one who hurt my friend's fluffy gray kitten). Despite catching him in the act of breaking in to his ex's house and calling the cops, the cops wouldn't do anything about it. The mom said that without video or pictures there is no proof. (Nevermind that witness testimony has been good enough for court for a very long time). When my friend confronted him during the break-in, he threatened my friend with a knife. After the cops left, the kid went to my friend's house, into his yard, and pulled a knife on the gf's 12-yr-old nephew. (This Huey kid is between 11 to 12 yrs old). At least 5 people saw him trespassing & pulling a knife on the kid and then his group of moron friends started carrying knives and pulling them. The group of punks have been hanging out in my friend's driveway (until told to gtfo) and then across the street just staring at my friend's house. Huey's mother keeps driving by my friend's house super slow and glaring (she'll go by more than once- back and forth). So, yesterday, kids in the area started telling my friend that Huey & his buddies were having a sleepover at the house next to the one directly across the street and that "It's going down tonight" and that they were going to "f*** something up" at my friend's house. So I headed over there to take my friend to Walmart to get a security light, a security camera, and then take him to the police station to file a report. It was 7pm so none of the cops were in the station. He had to call for them to send a cop over to the station to talk to us. Told the cop everything we'd heard & the history with this kid. Cop said he knew the kid & he was supposed to be on house arrest. Asked for any other names or info and where they were staying. He said if those kids were "going to act grown" they were going to face consequences like grown people. Said he'd go have a chat with the parents in a non-accusatory way to not get their defenses up & check out that house across the street. He later popped over to tell my friend that there were 7 kids in the house, including Huey. He let them know that there is a curfewy, he's aware of potential threats made to my friend's house & that they would be given citations if they left the house & if they set foot on my friend's property- and that my friend was prepared to shoot them if they attacked anyone & that any property damage at all would be linked back to them & they could got to jail for it. They then sent patrols by all night.

Not sure why this kid wasn't put back in jail though. But, now my friend has the security camera. It has a speaker and a microphone so he can hear conversations on the porch and speak to people through it. It works even if he's at work. So he can send a message telling them to run for their lives if they come around.

Maybe Spicoli is right, I should find myself a screen writer and send this to some tv show. LOL.


----------



## ekrig

Eddie_T said:


> And then there's the 80/20 rule with government agencies, that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the employees.



That may well be a good case.
My wife worked for some time for the supply chain department of a public hospital as a contractor. When she started, their system and database had all sorts of inconsistencies that required constant manual fixing to the point where they even had hired people on staff to do it. Over time she fixed the entire system and rot rid of the bad programming and other issues introduced by the hired admin staff. I remember she telling me that hoped for the days in which the hired staff didn't touch the system because they only made things worse. There were ~3 employees making 3-4x more of what she made hired to manage the system, plus several other folks to manually correct the inconsistencies, and she rendered them obsolete within half a year. The worst of it all was that, in spite of her achievements, they refused to hire her permanently even though they had promised to do at the beginning; they wanted to keep her simply as a contractor. She refused to stay and the boss, who had just been promoted thanks to the improvements in the system and wouldn't hire her and lied about it, berated her for "not doing want he wanted" and refused to provide a letter of recommendation.


----------



## Guzzle

Ran a 100' cord to the pergola so I can fasten down some warped planks with very long screws.

Looked for my lost flip phone.  
The present company who administers the Virgin Mobile contract gave my wife the runaround so I now have to send a registered letter to a bricks & mortar address, if I can find it.
This lost phone can make us liable for 10s of thousands of dollars.

Checked Xmas lights & found that half of them are unreliable.  They're not worth fixing, you can't make silk purse from a sow's ear.

Had 100 milliliters of Rum mixed with 300 milliliters of Coca Cola to put this all in perspective.


----------



## zannej

Still feeling a bit meh. Threw up a little last night. Been sneezing my head off all morning. Took my allergy meds & waiting for them to kick in.

I ordered something from Walmart on a pre-Black Friday sale several days before black Friday. It sold out quick after I purchased it, but apparently they did the equivalent of an airline overbooking. They didn't actually have enough in stock to honor all of the orders but they didn't mark it as "out of stock" or cancel due to being out of stock. The day it was supposed to arrive I got an e-mail saying it was "delayed". It sat on "delayed" for 2 weeks before I finally canceled the order. Found a better item on Amazon for more $ but the quality made up for it and it's already shipped out.

ekrig, that really sucks, but I can't say I'm too surprised. So many supervisors these days do not appreciate good employees. It's one of the most common reasons for people to quit. But, sounds like this guy qualified for a YTA answer on reddit.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have the Walmart delays every year it seems, last year was Kids toys, this year it's a 100' Poly Air Hose for myself. Walmart won't let me pick it up. (They will ship it to me no problem, extra $5.99)... 

Northern Tool had them for about the same price, but I had to order 2 and use a promo code for free shipping. There's no way I put up the interior of my shop with one hose, and I give myself a pat on the back for avoiding Walmart, so it's all good.


----------



## Spicoli43

In other fun news, I got a Chocolate Melanger (AKA Refiner) so I can experiment making my own. It's so stupid simple to make Chocolate without added garbage and preservatives, but I mainly got it because the Soy Free 3 Oz bars are now "On Sale" for $2.49... I can make 3 Oz. All Organic from Bean to Bar for barely over $1 each.

You have had Chocolate that goes through a Melanger or Giant Refiner, that's how it's done commercially. This home model is simply Granite wheels with a Granite base that rub the ingredients until they are smooth. I'm going to do 1 Kg recipes so it's easy to follow, which ends up being 11.7 bars before I add stuff. The 1 Kg will start off with 5% Cacao Butter to grease the wheels, 70% Cacao Nibs and 25% Cane Sugar, but I will experiment with Stevia, Erythritol etc. 

I can also change it up with 5% Cacao Butter, 50% Cacao Nibs, 30% Milk Powder and 15% Sugar for a Milk Chocolate version... 

I can then Geek out and add Coffee grounds or whatever powder I want... Crystallized Ginger, Cayenne etc... I plan on using that .7 leftover on each batch to try something else like adding Maple Syrup or Mint or Orange flavor or whatever and seeing how it turns out instead of a whole batch...

The only catch with these machines is NO liquid is allowed, it will seize the recipe and possibly kill the motor. Anything liquid has to be added when the Chocolate is in a bowl ready to go in a mold. 

Here's a video of the machine I got, it's real easy, only 3 ingredients, nothing you look at on a label and have to use a search engine to figure out what it is... BOOYAH!!! Geek Time in my Kitchen!


----------



## zannej

That is very cool! I loooove chocolate. Doctor put me on to the sugar free russel stovers kind and they are so good. 

Kitties are purring for me and making me feel better. Taking an extra lower dose allergy pill with my regular allergy meds and such helped also. I was able to make myself get up and clean up an area I'd been putting off cleaning. Got it cleaned up so I feel better about that. Rupert is sitting on my belly & warming it. Lately he's been wanting to cling to my shoulder and be carried around.

Tomorrow I need to go pick up mail.


----------



## Guzzle

Holiday eating. . .

In high school I weighed 156, for a while I cut down on the emotional eating & weighed 169 but now I'm at 177, probably until Jan 1.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, Russell Stover is an example of why you would want to make your own Chocolate, to avoid the massive laundry list of ingredients. Even if you don't go full on Geek like me, you can make real good Chocolate on the stove with a Double boiler, some Coconut Oil or Cacao Butter, Cacao Powder, Sweetener and Mint or Orange flavoring or whatever. 

Maybe some of your allergies can be traced to Soy. I know I have that.


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## ekrig

Guzzle said:


> The present company who administers the Virgin Mobile contract gave my wife the runaround so I now have to send a registered letter to a bricks & mortar address, if I can find it.
> This lost phone can make us liable for 10s of thousands of dollars.



If I may ask, why are they saying that you a liable for that amount? I simply cannot fathom a reason for why that would make any sense; even a very expensive phone costs at most $2k...


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## zannej

Guzzle, I was around 150lbs in high school and that was my healthiest weight for most of my adolescent & adult life. But I haven't been under 200lbs in many years. Two of my medical conditions contribute to weight gain and some of the meds I take to combat them also contribute to weight gain.

If I had the counter space and such I would consider making chocolate. Really need to get the kitchen cleaned up first though.


----------



## Eddie_T

Kinda ridiculous but I'll report it anyway. Back when I was dyeing washcloths with spent coffee grounds I rinsed the coffee filters and dried them flat. I haven't tossed them so I decided to use them to cover food in the microwave to prevent splatter.


----------



## Guzzle

ekrig said:


> If I may ask, why are they saying that you a liable for that amount? I simply cannot fathom a reason for why that would make any sense; even a very expensive phone costs at most $2k...


It's the calls persons will make on my account & for which I will be on the hook. The H/W is probably worth $1, salvage value.
The $20 CYA letter to Consumer Protection goes out tonight via UPS [not USPS, they're awful].
I'm counting on calls & letters from a collection agency.  Maybe they will put a lien on our house.



zannej said:


> Guzzle, I was around 150lbs in high school and that was my healthiest weight for most of my adolescent & adult life. But I haven't been under 200lbs in many years. Two of my medical conditions contribute to weight gain and some of the meds I take to combat them also contribute to weight gain.



For a while my BMI was at 30 when I traveled a lot but now I can't seem to get it below 27.   Some of those opera singers are at 40 or 50.

US society offers us tradeoffs between meds & their side effects, tasty food made in factories, drugs & addictive TV programs to make us happy & distract us, addictive cigarettes made by organic chemists, alcohol, sugar, fat & salt,
& none are much good.


----------



## zannej

My cats just about had a riot this morning because they were out of food and the food bag was in the truck still. Normally they want to cuddle when they come in here, but this time they were informing me that they were hungry & I better get my fat behind up. Good thing they did. Reminded me to take my meds and to actually get up instead of staying in bed listening to the rain. They are now happily piled on keeping my feet, legs, chest, shoulders, etc warm.
I started a new sketchup drawing of my bathroom and my mother's bathroom so I can visualize things. Took some more detailed measurements and poked my head in the closet to see what the interior walls look like. Looks like there is another wall panel on the inside (opposite one of the shower walls for Mom's bathroom). I also did some calculations and figured that if I take the 12' section of the vinyl sheet for her room and cut it to 6'5" I'll have plenty of material to cover her floor as well as have enough to cover the guest bathroom. That's if it is a 12' section & we didn't split it already when cutting it to share for my bathroom. But, I'll figure that out on a dry day when I can drag the vinyl outside and roll it out to measure.

Also been looking up countertop material because the faux green marble thing in Mom's bathroom is not so great.

Speaking of the salt, fat, etc... I'm hungry.


----------



## Flyover

In the last two months I got a lot done around the house and with my hobbies, got a new job, and got some new weights for my gym which was a gamechanger and let me take my workouts to a new level.

Progress on the waterfall table is slow because of other commitments but it's coming along. I'm sanding the routing lines out, then I have to remove the bark. I'm keeping the natural contour though.

Getting away from the computer for a while was a good call, I recommend it.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> In the last two months I got a lot done around the house and with my hobbies, got a new job, and got some new weights for my gym which was a gamechanger and let me take my workouts to a new level.
> 
> Progress on the waterfall table is slow because of other commitments but it's coming along. I'm sanding the routing lines out, then I have to remove the bark. I'm keeping the natural contour though.
> 
> Getting away from the computer for a while was a good call, I recommend it.


Good to see all is well, congrats on the new job!


----------



## zannej

I was just wondering where you were, Flyover. Good to hear from you. 
My allergies are acting up today. I bent down to pick something up last night and got dizzy & I've had a sinus headache all night. I took my allergy meds and when I'm feeling up to it I'll go do the nasal cleansing thing.

Still feeling groggy. The phone woke me up. Some sort of scam call. Number identified as State Farm Insurance but the Indian guy on the line claimed to be from AT&T.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I ordered something from Walmart on a pre-Black Friday sale several days before black Friday. It sold out quick after I purchased it, but apparently they did the equivalent of an airline overbooking. They didn't actually have enough in stock to honor all of the orders but they didn't mark it as "out of stock" or cancel due to being out of stock. The day it was supposed to arrive I got an e-mail saying it was "delayed". It sat on "delayed" for 2 weeks before I finally canceled the order.


There are a lot of people now selling things labeled "Walmart overstocks" or "Amazon Overstocks"... they don't actually have the stuff to sell... just take your money... if you don't complain, they just keep your money... if you complain and ordered through PayPal or similar, you can get your money back... it appears nobody is prosecuting them for doing this scam... so many more are popping up...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> The phone woke me up. Some sort of scam call. Number identified as State Farm Insurance but the Indian guy on the line claimed to be from AT&T.


Missed a call at 8:AM this morning. Called the local number showing on Caller I.D. A lady answered and said she hadn't been using the phone, just somebody putting out fake local number on Caller I.D. trying to look like a local business...


----------



## zannej

I ordered through Walmart's website so it told me I'd get a refund in 7 business days. Will have to check to make sure it gets refunded. I've had that thing with the spoof calls. Very annoying. Apparently someone spoofed my number because a very angry lady called me & demanded to know who I was. I said she called me so she could identify herself. She then claimed I had called her. I said I didn't even know who she was so it was probably a spoof that made it look like it was my number.

Was sick all day yesterday but still had to go do stuff. Saw the dog my friend has been feeding get run over by a dude who was speeding down the road (speed limit is 25 & there are kids on the road). Dude didn't even stop after hitting the dog. Dragged and rolled the poor thing 30ft. Somehow the dumb dog survived (dumb for running into the road as the truck was coming). My friend said the dog was "too stupid to die". I said that it means if the dog had been female and human he would date it. Bonus points because as a female the dog would be a b***, which is just his type.

Today I went to get more groceries & pick up medicine.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend got a call from a girl crying, saying grand dad I have been in an accident. He said miss I only have one grand daughter and we are having breakfast together. A man came on the line saying he was a state trooper confirming that his grand daughter was involved in an accident. My friend said I have known a lot of state troopers and they all spoke better English than you do. He heard someone in the background saying hang up, hang up.


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## zannej

Sadly, that sort of scam works on some people. Particularly people who have a bunch of grandchildren or large family. They exploit people with memory problems. I wish there were stricter laws to nail people who do the scams.


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## Guzzle

zannej said:


> I wish there were stricter laws to nail people who do the scams.


There won't be, the bribes have safely landed into the offshore bank accounts.

Lately I've been telling them to call the police since they know they are involved in a criminal enterprise.  This does not go over well.  
To sweeten the deal I should tell them that if they then land in jail they should call me back & I'll post bail.


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## zannej

I had trouble getting to sleep last night. Mom wanted food in the middle of the night & gave me a hard time about finding something she would eat. Later on she complained she didn't like it. I took my meds around 11am and Mom woke me up around 1pm (since I was exhausted and napping) and wanted more food. I was having very vivid weird dreams. Can't remember too much about the one the first time I woke up. The one I just woke up from was about staying in a house we didn't know (as temporary guests, but the hosts weren't there) and desperately trying to find a bathroom. In my dream Mayim Bialik was helping me search for one but the house had a very weird layout. Found a cat litter area, a place for dogs to go, and finally found a human bathroom. That was my cue to get up and run to the bathroom. I usually only have those dreams as my body's way of telling me to wake up and go. Also in the dream, there was more than one bathroom in the house & my brother beat me to the first one. When I actually woke up I was hoping he wouldn't be in the bathroom. Since we only have one working bathroom right now it gets super frustrating when someone has to go and another person is already in there. Motivation to get my bathroom fixed up (although I don't want my brother plowing through my room constantly so maybe I won't tell him when it's fixed.


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## zannej

Discovered a leak under the kitchen sink. Thought it was the cold shutoff earlier on but it seemed to have stopped now that cold is not connected (will remedy that later). I heard dripping under the sink. Opened the doors & it was soaked under there. I reached in to feel the hot supply line for wetness-- nothing. Felt around the drain pipes, nothing. Then water dripped on my forearm. I touched the bottom of the sink and felt a wet rubber pad. It was dripping. I looked at it and it appeared to be a couple of inches away from the drain. Drain was still dry. I looked in the sink-- no visible damage. Asked on the plumbingforums wth this could be and was told the pad was to prevent noise in the sink & to peel it off, turn off all the lights, and shine a flashlight to see if anything comes through the sink. Sure enough. Two pinholes right next to each other that had been covered by the pad. Ugh. So, my stainless steel sink has holes. I'll have to replace it eventually. I might caulk it temporarily. I'd just come across my flex tape the other day but now I can't remember where I saw it. Need to find it and slap it on. I told my brother not to put water in that side of the sink but put a bucket under just in case bc he tends to forget things like that.


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## Guzzle

Even if I were 25 YO I doubt I could cope with your present situation.  You are being severely tested.


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## Eddie_T

I received a GoodRx card in the mail today. Does anyone know if they work to save you money and if so how (what is the money trail)? I don't take meds at present but am trying to decide whether to keep the card or trash it. I can't make guitar picks out of it as it seems to have a card stock core.


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## Guzzle

Found the source of the suddenly louder exhaust noise from my 2004 Subaru with hardly 50k miles.
It's a broken flange on the cat conv., about $950 for a new conv. from NAPA. 
My previous fix with sheet alum. & a hose clamp for an in-pipe hole is still holding, that was my first suspect.

One more peek for any worms in this can & then make a drawing with dims & then out to the store with my truck, out comes my checkbook, then long underwear, Liquid Glove, work light, jack stands & dumb looks from passersby, etc..

Been a while.


----------



## zannej

I'm going to have to find my flex seal tape later on. I found a possible replacement sink at Lowes for $169. It's not in stock at the nearest Lowes but there is one in Leesville. I don't feel like driving all the way there so I might order it for pickup at my local one or have it delivered. If it's delivered and has damage I can take it back to the store. If I pick it up they might complain that I should have inspected it for damage upon pickup.

My friend said he wants my old sink if I replace the current one. Sink is older than him and has seen better days.

I want to find a decent single-handle faucet that can be hooked up to a portable dishwasher but that also has a side sprayer (I don't like the pull-down faucets). I did get tempted by a faucet that has a pull down AND a pot filler but it was ugly as hell and the mfr doesn't honor warranties.



Eddie_T said:


> I received a GoodRx card in the mail today. Does anyone know if they work to save you money and if so how (what is the money trail)? I don't take meds at present but am trying to decide whether to keep the card or trash it. I can't make guitar picks out of it as it seems to have a card stock core.


I use GoodRX to get discounts on my medicine. Some it doesn't give very much, but others it gives a decent discount. You can go to the goodrx website and put in the name of medicine, dosage, and quantity of the medicine so it will tell you what the price of it is (with their discount) at various pharmacies. Although, in some cases having GoodRX can make medicine cost more. Like, if I got Metformin 500mg from walmart w/o GoodRX it would be $2.93 plus 6% sales tax, but because I have goodrx it's $11.11 plus 6% sales tax. The GoodRX code gets put on your account as if it's insurance. Even though it makes some cost more, it makes others cost quite a bit less. I may need to ask them to not apply "insurance" next time I pick up my metformin though. It's ridiculous that they charge more in that case.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I received a GoodRx card in the mail today. Does anyone know if they work to save you money and if so how (what is the money trail)?


Yeah, I'd like to know how those discount Rx cards work... I assume they work through some kind of Govt. connection/program... or maybe they just 're-arrange' drug prices... have a connection to drug makers?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> Found the source of the suddenly louder exhaust noise from my 2004 Subaru with hardly 50k miles.
> It's a broken flange on the cat conv., about $950 for a new conv. from NAPA.


Maybe your local muffler shop can simply weld it up...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Yeah, I'd like to know how those discount Rx cards work... I assume they work through some kind of Govt. connection/program... or maybe they just 're-arrange' drug prices... have a connection to drug makers?


Yeah, I can't understand how a free card can change prices on stock that's already in the store. There's gotta be a money trail.

It was a rainy day so I found an Amazon Prime free trial offer and binge watched Bosch Season 7. There's a few movies and series' that I want to watch within the free 30 day window.


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## zannej

I decided to patch my sink for now. Someone recommended JB weld so I found some at Walmart as well as some waterproof gorilla tape. I picked up a metal washer that had a very small hole. Thoroughly cleaned the bottom of the sink, roughed it up with a metal brush, did the same to the washer and wiped them both down with alcohol swabs. Stuck the washer to the noise dampening pad (which was still somewhat sticky), used the round cover from the duct tape as a surface for mixing the epoxy, used a toothpick to mix it, spread it on the washer, wiped the rest of it off on the underside of the sink and spread it out (was still able to see a little light coming through the hole) and stuck the pad and washer over the hole making sure the metal part covered the hole. Then I used waterproof gorilla tape to tape the pad tight to the bottom of the sink. Now I wait for it to cure.

Picked up some meat that came back in stock and cooked porkchops for myself for the first time. I've cooked steaks before but never porkchops. Mom wanted eggs & toast while I was cooking so my brother popped some bread in the air fryer on toast setting and I cooked the eggs on the other burner while cooking my pork chops. Buttered the toast, flipped the porkchop, then dumped the eggs on top of the toast, cleaned the pan & put it up, got my porkchops on the plate, and served the food. My brother did help me figure out when the porkchops were done and gave me advice on what heat settings and when to put the aji mirren on.


----------



## Eddie_T

What brand of air fryer do you have and what do you use it most for?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I received a GoodRx card in the mail today. Does anyone know if they work to save you money and if so how (what is the money trail)? I don't take meds at present but am trying to decide whether to keep the card or trash it. I can't make guitar picks out of it as it seems to have a card stock core.



If you aren't on meds, why think about going on them?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> If you aren't on meds, why think about going on them?


When I had eye surgery they put me on antibiotic and prednisone eye drops for a couple of weeks. I may have to have cataract surgery if my DIY NAC eye drops don't reverse or hold cataract development in abeyance.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> When I had eye surgery they put me on antibiotic and prednisone eye drops for a couple of weeks. I may have to have cataract surgery if my DIY NAC eye drops don't reverse or hold cataract development in abeyance.



Well, there's a lot of research saying it might work.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> What brand of air fryer do you have and what do you use it most for?


I know you weren't asking me, but we bought a Black & Decker one a couple weeks ago. Really it's a toaster oven with a convection setting. It gets used mainly on the "toast" setting, for making toast, cheesy toast, and frozen waffles. I've also used it on the "bake' setting to heat up frozen burritos, which I don't eat often but they come in handy sometimes. We tried the "air fryer" setting once and the fan made a loud buzzing noise that alarmed my wife enough for her to request that I immediately change it to a normal bake or toast setting, which I did because the buzzing noise was annoying me too, and I'm not 100% sure it was actually supposed to make that noise.


----------



## Guzzle

Flyover said:


> We tried the "air fryer" setting once and the fan made a loud buzzing noise that alarmed my wife enough for her to request that I immediately change it to a normal bake or toast setting, which I did because the buzzing noise was annoying me too, and I'm not 100% sure it was actually supposed to make that noise.


I'm 99% sure it shouldn't. 

Since your unit is new this is considered a factory defect & not end of life wearout.

Shaded Pole fan motors have tape over the motor windings & if the end of this tape gets loose the fan blades hit it.

If you tip over the thing & the noise stops this is likely the cause.

I will put up with a half hour of runaround from the vendor B4 I open the thing myself, thus voiding the [probably useless] warranty.


----------



## Eddie_T

I watched this 2020 video on climate change. Jordan Peterson predicts that the result of any action now will be immeasurable ten years down the road.


----------



## Guzzle

Why are people so afraid of what comes out of Greta's mouth?  I fear for her safety.

And Mr. P seems more qualified to be a cult leader than a scientist or a fortune teller.  & he may not be aware of his shortcomings in this regard.

In any case, I don't decide Public Policy & I wouldn't want the job if offered.

Here's some reading material:
unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation

but most of us cannot stand the truth, see
"The Veiled Statue At Sais"


----------



## Eddie_T

I have no fear of Greta she is no more a scientist than is Jordan. I would love to hear them in a real debate.


----------



## zannej

No idea on the brand of the air fryer. I'll have to look at it later. My brother uses it.
I'm on my phone right now bc laptop is at friends house downloading updates and the video card in pc flaked out. Took it apart and cleaned it yesterday. Tested it at friends house and it worked. Got home and same issue happened in about an hour. Took it back over, took it apart and deep cleaned the entire thing. It's currently trying to clone the main drive but not sure if video card crapped out again or not. I HATE using my phone to type.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> I have no fear of Greta she is no more a scientist than is Jordan. I would love to hear them in a real debate.


Who is likely to win that one?


----------



## Eddie_T

Guzzle said:


> Who is likely to win that one?


Who knows, but the entertainment factor would be large.


----------



## Guzzle

She'd get clobbered.  The "dice" are loaded.


----------



## Eddie_T

I liked this quote, chosen as the book's motto;

*“You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”*

― Daniel Patrick Moynihan


----------



## Guzzle

But. . . Mr. Moynihan. . .when do opinions become facts?  

Smoking has never been proven statistically to cause lung cancer, they can't in a free society, but they may want to confirm this with prisoners.  
Some sadistic organization maybe already has but hasn't published the findings.

And now, maybe, facts become opinions.  
We are definitely on the other side of The Looking Glass.


----------



## zannej

Update. hard drives on my desktop are ok but other than power supply, the rest is toast. Video cards are super expensive right now but my laptop can be used as a desktop once I set it up. I just want to get all the browser stuff, data, etc transferred over from desktop to laptop. on my laptop right now but keyboard sucks. gonna hook up desktop to get some data off of it before it crashes again and transfer to laptop and then hook laptop up to monitor, keyboard, and such. gonna need a chill mat/fans for the laptop and a safe place to keep it away from cats.


----------



## shan2themax

Hello all! Hope everyone is well. I have been busy, had a heartbroken adult daughter have to move back home. About 2 weeks ago.... with 2 puppies. We thought she had a blown head gasket and took her car to shop yesterday. They called today and said the head gasket was fine but the bank 1 converter is shot. So... we will look into replacing  that. ECSTATIC the head gasket was good. 
Still getting weekly massages, back feels better but this stiffness is a jerk and for the birds. She is interested in buying soaps from me wholesale so I need to really buckle down and get it busy making more products for when the time comes.


----------



## Eddie_T

I've been using Chromebooks for many years. I have a Lenovo PC if I need other S/W but most of the time I don't spin any hard drives. I think Chromebooks can now be interfaced with a printer but I still just copy anything I want to print to a thumb drive and take it to the PC. I don't need any antivirus S/W with the Chromebook and I'm not online enough with the PC to need anything beyond the free stuff.


----------



## ekrig

Eddie_T said:


> I watched this 2020 video on climate change. Jordan Peterson predicts that the result of any action now will be immeasurable ten years down the road.


That is a great video. Note however that he is not saying that changes would not be noticeable but rather that trying to measure the impact of changes *using the model that is used for the predictions* is very hard due to the uncertainty. In other words, how can we try to determine what to do using these models/predictions when the uncertainty is much larger than the effect of proposed changes. (I happen to know a bit about modeling and even know several climate scientists...)


----------



## Eddie_T

I understand, I am retired NASA. I retired before NASA bought the AGW claim presumably to get budget approvals. Dr. Roy Spencer is a climatologist that never bought the change in direction. Changes are so gradual that if we follow the path of Al Gore and Joe Biden all we can do is affect people's lifestyle at present and never measure the results to determine if it were worth the sacrifice. BTW did they ever change the signs at Glacier National Park say the glacier would be melted by 2020? I lived through the nuclear winter scare. he ozone scare and AGW is  just the latest "chicken little" scare seized upon by politicians.

I got tired of following the claims regarding correlation. Actually correlation cannot prove causation but you cannot have major causation without correlation. Some reports indicate that if one runs correlations against human caused factors the R-squared factors are less than one could expect with a coin toss. Do we want to change our life styles based upon a coin toss, not me?


----------



## zannej

Shan, sorry to hear about your daughter. Glad the massages are working.

My whole body aches because I made the mistake of riding in the back of my friend's 2-door car. First time I got out was a bit of a struggle. Then we stopped somewhere else and I took almost 10 minutes to be able to get out because I couldn't get my leg to support my weight while bent, there was stuff on the floor, I don't bend well, and I'm too fat. LOL. After that time I told my brother it was his turn to ride in the back because there was no way in hell I was getting out a 3rd time. I hurt myself the other two times.

The problems with my computer are not the parts themselves but my brother's un-neutered male cats decided to have a turf war by taking turns marking it. I taped up the side, moved it where I thought they wouldn't spray it, tried locking them out of the room but the dog tore a hole in the door. Stuffed the hole with things and the dog pushed/pulled the stuff out. So the cats kept getting in. One in particular cat was bad about it and would piss right over the top where it would drip down. Got into the fans, the CPU, the motherboard, the graphics card, and soaked in to the crevices of the plastic and stuff. Even after deep cleaning it, the inside still reeks. I love the chassis and the pretty light-up fans but they are so saturated I'm going to have to toss them. Good news is I told another friend about the predicament and he said he's got all the parts I need from an old computer. He wants to keep the hard drives and ditch everything else (not sure why). He said he'd get back to me with the specs on it. If he charges a reasonable price I may buy it and stick my hard drives in and then stick my computer somewhere the cats can't get near it. Even if I have to build a frickin' cabinet and add fans to the side (in such a position that if they pee on the fans it won't much up the computer). I'm a bit miffed at my brother for not getting the cats neutered when he had the $. 

Currently looking at purchasing a new door for the room.

On the upside, there was a 120w Sony sound bar on clearance at Walmart. I did a price comparison & it was way lower than online prices. I grabbed it and set it up (although I needed my brother to reach up on a shelf and plug it in to a spot I couldn't see or reach-- if I just had his height and longer arms I could have done it). It's so much better than the speakers that came on the TV. We were having trouble hearing things on some of the programs before and the sound quality is so much better. It's not like the Dolby surround quality we had when my dad has the surround system set up, but it's still nice.

The TV I got my brother for Xmas arrived. Mom spoiled the surprise that he was getting a TV but he was still surprised at the quality of the TV. It's a smaller version of the one my friend got for an early Xmas gift (Hisense U6 ultra quantum LED). Just needed a mount adapter bc the tv had 300mmx200mm spacing but his tv mount was 200mmx200mm. Simple fix. He has it all set up and running.

I'm using my laptop but I decided to plugin my keyboard and mouse to make it easier to use.

As an aside, I saw a new technology (at least new to me) in Bestbuy- Bose headphone glasses. You put them over your ears and it's like having earbuds in without worrying about them not fitting and falling out (I can't get earbuds to stay in my ears). Uses some sort of tech where it vibrates through the cartilage and the sound is very clear. I liked the Bose Tempo ones but all of the lenses are tinted. They don't sell clear ones. Razer makes some good ones as well. Now I am thinking it would be nice to have something without glasses that can hang over the ear and work the same way. Or with certain magnification like reading glasses. For me I'd need prescription lenses since one eye is worse than the other.

They do well to sell adapters to fit on existing glasses to turn them in to headphone glasses, because the prescription lenses are over $300.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I have no fear of Greta she is no more a scientist than is Jordan. I would love to hear them in a real debate.



I watched about 12 seconds of the video. She has no idea what she's talking about and was "installed" as the voice for kids or something, simply based upon her not being able to talk without her script. That's the first and last time I will listen to her because the entire idea makes no sense. (Like Climate Change has anything to do with our microscopic selves).


----------



## Guzzle

NASA/GFSC here.  Shoulda' stayed there.

BTW, Bayes' Theorem helps with making present day decisions about an unknown future, but you have to keep the numbers straight.


----------



## Eddie_T

Same here, lived in Bowie. However I retired from LeRC (now GRC).


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I watched about 12 seconds of the video. She has no idea what she's talking about and was "installed" as the voice for kids or something, simply based upon her not being able to talk without her script. That's the first and last time I will listen to her because the entire idea makes no sense. (Like Climate Change has anything to do with our microscopic selves).


Jordan gave her a pretty good put down. They are using kids to try to affect their parents. 
Lenin said, “Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world.”
Hitler said, “Whoever has the youth has the future.”


----------



## Eddie_T

My spent coffee grounds dyed washcloths. I am suspecting not colorfast though some were soaked in an epsom salts mordant.. They were dyed at different times as the brew grew stronger. I am saving grounds now to dye my khaki Crocs after I wash them.


----------



## zannej

The coffee dyed washcloths turned out well. Do they smell like coffee? Would be great if you could lock that in. LOL.

Got a call from my friend that he needed help moving a dresser. Went over with the truck, backed it in, and waited 15min for him & my brother to clear it off, empty it out, and get it out to the truck. got out the tie down straps and let my friend tether it up. Drove it to his place and backed the truck in so it could be unloaded. It was too bulky for me to get ahold of in any way. Put my tie downs away and waited for my brother to finish gabbing so we could go check mail and then go home. Got kidney stones again in my left side so not feeling great.

I also discovered that the tape that was on the gap in the glass in my window is gone so all that cold air is coming in. I forgot to grab my tape from my friend's house.


----------



## Flyover

I only ever read one book about smoking (this one, "For Your Own Good" by Jacob Sullum) and it's been a while but I remember it indicated something like smoking increases your odds of getting lung cancer by a few percentage points. Way less than the 100% that seems to be claimed by anti-smoking people, but not zero. (3% might be an interolable risk to a lot of people, and rightfully so.) Makes sense too: our lungs are definitely not evolved to inhale concentrated smoke. There's a good reason you hack and hack and think you're gonna die when you take your first ever drag on a cigarette. But yeah, the villainizing of smokers and outrageous lying about smoking is not good. Some things could count as "noble lies" but that ain't one of them.


----------



## Guzzle

For a smoking co-worker I looked up mortality for smokers & non-smokers.  Sickness is one thing but not too many people argue if someone is dead or not.

So nobody dies at 16 from smoking (IMO because they haven't smoked long enough) & nobody dies at 90 from smoking (because they would have already died from it if they were going to).  The peak age was 45.

IIRC, the cigarette makers file obscurely-worded patent applications for new cigarettes in foreign countries.  
These corporations are bad actors, they probably have intelligent sociopaths running them (the dumb sociopaths usually land in jail or in padded cells).

BTW, there is supposed to be a built-in lifespan for people (85 years) & depending on how you slice & dice the data, it does appear to be true.
The data also suggests that the "The 27 Club" is real, but Mick Jagger has beaten the odds here.


----------



## Guzzle

The shop welded a sleeve onto the cat. conv. pipe so now the car runs much quieter, $310 which includes the $130 towing charge.

I shoulda' learned to weld. 

I heartily recommend Certified Auto Repair, Inc. at 301-279-9451 & I heartily do not recommend any dealership.


----------



## Eddie_T

Dr. Jen parrots the mantra that supplements simply pass in urine. I can believe that excess vitamin-C might but what is metabolized seems to help me avoid the common cold. I haven't had a cold in so many years that I can't count the decades. Also my BP got a bit erratic about 20 years ago and I stabilized it with a hawthorn berry supplement. I know that it works because over the years as BP crept a bit I increased dosage and it went back to my norm.


----------



## Eddie_T

I smoke a pipe a bit, not more than one bowl a day if that much. I don't inhale but I like the smell of the smoke so there you go. I quit in 89 when my wife quit cigarettes, it just didn't seem right to keep smoking.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I smoke a pipe a bit, not more than one bowl a day if that much. I don't inhale but I like the smell of the smoke so there you go. I quit in 89 when my wife quit cigarettes, it just didn't seem right to keep smoking.


I did similar. Smoked cigars with my best friend in high school, did a little pipe smoking in my mid 20s. I'm talking once every few weeks frequency. Never inhaled, liked the smell and the slight buzz. Quit when it just started making me feel more nauseous than anything, and my pipe (a "churchwarden", the kind with the long curvy stem) got clogged up and I didn't feel like cleaning it.


----------



## zannej

I detest the smell of cigarette smoke. It just bothers me. I have damaged lungs from the croup as a child and I've always hated that smell. I start coughing and it makes me feel nauseous sometimes. I have the same reaction to perfumes and a lot of strongly scented things-- I can't set foot in a bath & bodyworks store. My eyes water, nose drips, I sneeze & cough....

I knew an old man who was still smoking at 91 years old. Got lung cancer that spread to his brain. So, it eventually killed him but it took a long time.

Got a sinus headache today. Kidney stone is kicking around on my left side so I'm feeling a bit bleh.


----------



## Guzzle

And some people have a heightened sensitivity to chemicals, f'rinstance they can't stand the smell of the chems used to make plastics.  This one is pretty disabling in this world of plastics.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Dr. Jen parrots the mantra that supplements simply pass in urine. I can believe that excess vitamin-C might but what is metabolized seems to help me avoid the common cold. I haven't had a cold in so many years that I can't count the decades. Also my BP got a bit erratic about 20 years ago and I stabilized it with a hawthorn berry supplement. I know that it works because over the years as BP crept a bit I increased dosage and it went back to my norm.



Yeah, natural is the way to go, but 95 percent of supplements are expensive urine because it's all lab created substitutes for vitamins. That being said, the Ascorbic Acid form of Vitamin C will keep colds / viruses away. That's the only lab vitamin I take, and the preferred form of C is Acerola / Camu Camu, but it's much more expensive. 

I haven't had a cold since 2000, but had what I think was Covid early on last year, killed it off in a day with more than normal C.

Hawthorne is contraindicated for the Heart, goes well with Cayenne, so I can definitely see it having an impact on BP. 

Who is Dr. Jen?


----------



## Eddie_T

Dr. Jennifer Ashton is the doc on ABC's GMA3 program.

Hawthorn berry is a vasodilator so it works even if you miss a dose unlike the meds that induce a bit of heart failure to lessen pump pressure.

My C is ascorbic acid with rose hips.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Most of my smoking friends got COPD about 10 - 20 years ago and really fear getting a good case of the Covid now... if they're still alive at all...


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Dr. Jennifer Ashton is the doc on ABC's GMA3 program.
> 
> Hawthorn berry is a vasodilator so it works even if you miss a dose unlike the meds that induce a bit of heart failure to lessen pump pressure.
> 
> My C is ascorbic acid with rose hips.



Oh, yeah I have seen her on TV... I used to watch "The Fake Doctors" every once in a while, forget what it was actually called, just a bunch of paid Pharma shills. Any "Doctor" on TV is a guaranteed Pharma shill, while only 99% in regular outside practice are. 

I often wonder if all these drugs they come out with are so good, shouldn't Nursing homes, AKA Euthanasia centers be filled with Olympic caliber athletes like Jack Lalanne? I mean most have been on drugs for what, 50 years or so? They should be in the pinnacle of health instead of screaming (begging) to die. 

And that's when the argument starts...


----------



## zannej

I've never been terribly bothered by plastic smells. But I still remember back in the 90s when I was walking through a shopping centre in Singapore and some overzealous employee tried to spritz me with perfume without asking first. My sister's boyfriend at the time jumped in front of the spray to protect me & told the lady "No! She's allergic!" and the lady apologized. Perfumes tended to make me break out in a rash on top of bugging my respiratory system. I can use Lysol wipes and Clorox wipes with my bare hands without only minor skin irritation after prolonged exposure, but perfume would start itching instantly.

Today I managed to get my mother's gmail account working again. Reset her password and manually entered it in to saved passwords section for her browser. Got her Youtube working again. Got her logged in to Build.com because she wanted to buy a fancy doorknob (well, 2 of them). I sent her the link on a lark just to see if she liked the style. Apparently she loved it. Got her a 5% off coupon to boot.

Ordered a new bedroom door that won't arrive until late January. New knob will arrive sooner. Ordered some escutcheons for the pex pipes coming out of the floor. 

Backed up some of my data from my PC before it decided to crash on me. I'll let it sit a few hours and try again. Will probably take me 3 tries (if it cooperates) at least to get what I want off of it.


----------



## Flyover

Since I fixed up my garage (I still owe y'all some pics of that, don't I?) we've been able to park both cars side by side, but there are strollers mounted on the wall next to my car that prevent me from easily being able to open the door and get the baby in and out of her car seat. Then I realized that since the hooks for the strollers are mounted on an 8 foot 2x4 that is itself mounted horizontally to studs on the wall, I can move the strollers anywhere I want, i.e. to sweet spots where they don't block the passenger-side doors. On the other side of the garage I'll probably also swap where the folding chair corral is to where the scooters are, which will make it easier for my wife to open her door and get out of her car. If I get a chance I'll do all this today, otherwise maybe this weekend or next week.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, good to hear you've made progress on your garage. I do miss the garage forum. I think it is now a subforum on here somewhere.


----------



## oldognewtrick

zannej said:


> Flyover, good to hear you've made progress on your garage. I do miss the garage forum. I think it is now a subforum on here somewhere.


Yes, tucked away in an obsecure corner lies the remains of the Garage Forum.


----------



## zannej

I picked up mail, tried to calm my mother down about her computer issues, and grabbed some groceries. First box of eggs I grabbed had a busted open egg. Whenever I find that, I get out a pen and mark an X over the spot with the broken egg and write "broken" on it so people will know it's got a busted egg. Right now I have the laptop on my lap and cats flanking it to soak up the warmth from the fans.


----------



## havasu

I loved the garage forum. Great mods there too!


----------



## Eddie_T

A buddy told me he and a friend had lunch, each had a roll and a bowl of potato soup, one had tea and the other had water. The bill was $20 and change. He said he's not going there any more. If I was working I would carry my lunch and join the "how long can I use this bag" contest.


----------



## Guzzle

In our house the second mouse on the second day has gone to meet his maker.


----------



## Eddie_T

Guzzle said:


> In our house the second mouse on the second day has gone to meet his maker.


My buddy has macular degeneration and is legally blind. He said a mouse must have gotten into his house during a party where the doors were open. He said he had seen it run through the dining room a couple of times. Another friend had set a trap for him but the mouse had taken the PNB w/o tripping it. I checked it for him and the bait pan was clean again. I put a little cooking oil on the trigger arm where it engaged the bait pan added PNB and reset the trap. We forgot about it and after dinner I was testing a little Christmas house that wouldn't light up and was startled by a snap. I looked at him and asked what was that! Then remembered the trap. Success! I re-baited and reset in case there was another.


----------



## Guzzle

In that same floor cab where the mice met sudden deaths, they had chewed the lid off a cooking oil bottle.
They never did that B4, it must be a supply chain problem. 

The next one will be sniffing PNB & cooking oil.


----------



## zannej

I can't use those sorts of traps anywhere my cats go bc the dummies will get a paw snapped. My best mouse trap is my little cat Itsy. She weighs about 5lbs but she is good at catching mice. She's caught rats more than half her size somehow. I think my orange cat wishes he could catch mice but he doesn't have teeth. Poor thing was trying to eat a mouse Itsy caught but all he could do was gum at it. He's perched on my shoulder right now.

Eddie, the prices of food have gone up so high. We went to Samsclub today but ate before we left because our favorite restaurant charges more on weekends (they have the steaks out all day long). The steaks are well done so I don't eat them. They tend to be so dry I can't eat them without choking.

Popped in to see my friend and pick up some stuff I left over there. The little kitten, Nightmeow was ecstatic to see me & ran up. I held him and cuddled him. My brother played with him for a bit. Nightmeow was looking at some game on my brother's phone and started gingerly swiping his paw down on the screen and moved some goblin creatures. It was so adorable. He's got a stuffy/drippy nose so I cleaned his nose off. He was leaning in to the paper towel for the grooming.

Back to the expensive food thing, there's a story about a michelin star restaurant in Italy that is funny and somewhat absurd. I know I wouldn't have stuck around as long as the writer did. Bros., Lecce: We Eat at The Worst Michelin Starred Restaurant, Ever

Followup including the reply from the Chef about the complaints (he basically said it was art & the writer didn't get it). 27 courses, very little edible: Review of Michelin-starred restaurant goes viral


----------



## Eddie_T

I meant to get back into baking bread but seem to only think of it at night. I should start some yeast growing tonight and be ready to go tomorrow, maybe?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I meant to get back into baking bread but seem to only think of it at night. I should start some yeast growing tonight and be ready to go tomorrow, maybe?



Here is a VERY LONG article on Bread that's also a sales pitch for the author's cookbook... I'm going to get it because I love Bread, but am allergic to it for reasons discussed in the article... The Cookbook is $17 for a digital copy or $17 plus shipping for a hard copy...



			Keto Breads: Your Guide to Baking Grain-Free Keto Bread


----------



## Guzzle

No mouse today.  Two more consecutive mouse-free days & we're home free.

Got three telemarketing calls spaced 10 minutes apart, around noon.
I asked one What is your business address? & after prompting from persons unknown he gave me the address of a house next door to mine that I moved out of in 1990.

None of them can say what county they're in but this might be normal for us US citizens. 

Everybody can improve their Improvisation Technique & this is one reason I am benefitting from these tireless con artists.  Bring it on, guys & girls!


----------



## zannej

Yeah, that was a long article. I'm thinking of getting the digital version if I can read it on my computer or have my brother read it (since he likes to cook). I wonder if stuff can be made in the air fryer or pressure cooker because our oven doesn't work.

Picked up mail: the door knob for the guest bathroom arrived. I was going to put a lever on it but my brother hates levers as they snag his shirts/pockets so I'm putting it on my bathroom door instead. I've got a schlage flair lever that is chrome on the bathroom side and brass on the bedroom side. The guest bathroom is getting a schlage siena oval knob that is chrome on bathroom side and brass on the laundry room side. Mom likes brass so she wants the knobs she sees to be brass.

I'm still trying to choose a good replacement sink for her bathroom to get rid of the ugly green sink.


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> No mouse today.  Two more consecutive mouse-free days & we're home free.
> 
> Got three telemarketing calls spaced 10 minutes apart, around noon.
> I asked one What is your business address? & after prompting from persons unknown he gave me the address of a house next door to mine that I moved out of in 1990.
> 
> None of them can say what county they're in but this might be normal for us US citizens.
> 
> Everybody can improve their Improvisation Technique & this is one reason I am benefitting from these tireless con artists.  Bring it on, guys & girls!



I want to get a landline just to mess with telemarketers. I could try with the cell, but the voicemails I get are all bot recordings...


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Yeah, that was a long article. I'm thinking of getting the digital version if I can read it on my computer or have my brother read it (since he likes to cook). I wonder if stuff can be made in the air fryer or pressure cooker because our oven doesn't work.



Contact them before ordering, Air fryer on bake might work.


----------



## Guzzle

The pitch is a bot, press 1, & if whoever answers can tell you what is 1 + 2 it is a real person {for now}.


----------



## zannej

I get a lot of the auto-hangup calls. You pick up and hear click click and they either hangup or it starts ringing another line to make it seem like you called them. I always hang up immediately. Sometimes there is dead silence for 20 seconds (the longest I've waited before hanging up). Now if I get 10 seconds of silence I hang up.

Even though its afternoon, its still cold so my cats and dogs are piled on.

I'd had an older version of Sketchup on my laptop but somehow the forced windows updates deleted it. My sketchup models are still available but the program itself is gone. That annoys me because I had some things I wanted to mess with.

I started cleaning the toilet earlier but Mom wanted to use the bathroom. She started freaking out about the "blue stuff" in the bowl and "Won't that ruin the septic tank?" I said "No" and she then remembered the blue stuff is not supposed to go in the toilet tank because it ruins rubber and plastic parts. I'm waiting for my allergy meds to kick in before I go back and start cleaning again.


----------



## Guzzle

I think with these silent calls they are listening for whatever they can pick up; how many people, adults or kids, women or men.  If I were them I'd record this info for the next TM who calls.
Speaking into the silence I try to be creatively & bizarrely obscene. 

It's hard to tell what works, these TMs change their strategies over time to adapt to what the called people do. 
Lately, I speak very slowly & act like I can't get my breath & I repeat back to them what they said as if trying to comprehend it [but I'm stalling for time].
They are hoping for someone not competent so this last routine should work.


----------



## shan2themax

Ugh!!!! That's how I feel currently. I am so sick of my back and the word fibromyalgia I could spit volcanoes. My house is crazy, my heartbroken daughter moved back in with her 2 pups (i think i told this already). So there are now 4 adults, 4 dogs, and 4 cats in approx 1150 sq ft of "living" space. 
I cant figure out when she is happy or sad or pissed off.  So I am trying to just give her more space. 
My mom had a MD appt yesterday and the lady was finishing up the paperwork for the woman in front of us (after the lady walked off) and after a minute or 2 of waiting, my mom said "well I guess this lady doesnt want to take care of us today". I explained that she was fi ishing up scanning everything in, she said well I know that.... I'm just talking. I said well you are being rude, she has to finish that first. then we get up there and she asks her name.... to which my mom doesnt say anything so I say her name.... and then she said.. "this is my daughter Shannon, she thinks I am old and senile and dont know my own name"  I told her she was ridiculous and absolutely not going to humiliate me in public.

This was all AFTER I had to call the office to say she was going to be late AGAIN. 
Anyways, we got home and I asked my daughter to help her get back inside because my back was killing me and I had to lift her wheelchair into and out of my car yesterday which just made it worse. And it went downhill after that because she told my dgtr that she would just take my side, and my dgtr told her she wasnt going to take sides but the she needed to get out of the car if she wanted help inside. And my mom said I had a very skewed view of the world because I told her that she wasnt going to tell me something that had just happened didnt and I needed to toughen up and get over it. 

I am exhausted... like for real, people are exhausting 

Anyways, looking forward to Friday (that's when I am cooking) gonna make a brisket and a ham, sweet potato casserole, and then my daughter is making macaroni and cheese and broccoli casserole and friend green beans. I am also going to make a cheesecake tomorrow so it will be ready for Friday. I work Thursday,  people better keep hands out of it lol
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it.




Ps..... I have found crunchy pb&j to be best in snap traps, they have to work a little harder


----------



## Eddie_T

Crunchy PNB for mice sounds like a good idea. My son caught several with Goldfish crackers. I think he was using glue traps. I caught one in my car with a Cheerio glued to the bait pan.


----------



## zannej

Guzzle, they may be listening for that. So we start answering with "meow" and make different weird voices.

Shannon, that sounds so incredibly frustrating. From the outside it's easy for someone to say just stick her in a home, but I know how it is to love people who are unreasonable and even cruel at times and not be willing to do that. But, it sounds like she really needs some sort of attitude adjustment. Sadly, she sounds too stubborn for any family therapy to work and I doubt you have time. I hope your daughter will recover from her heartbreak.

I finally finished cleaning the toilet. Using toothpaste worked out well. I had to sit on the floor because my back bothered me too much to bend and my knees hurt if I kneel. So, the toothpaste killed any nasty smells and actually helped with cleaning. I couldn't find the toilet brush so I used lysol wipes. I had to stick my arm into the bottom of the bowl to scrub and the water was so damn cold my arm and hand turned red. I washed up with warm water and a lot of soap. But now the toilet is sparkling. I may have spoken too soon because I just heard my brother heading to the bathroom...


----------



## Guzzle

shan2themax said:


> "well I guess this lady doesnt want to take care of us today".
> 
> "this is my daughter Shannon, she thinks I am old and senile and dont know my own name"


Maybe she feels her time is short.
It may also a slam against you "not taking care of her", two birds with one stone.



My "senile" retort [not reply] would have been "Am I right, Mom?"  Seize control by asking questions.
I don't mind getting revenge on deserving souls but your mom is giving it back to everyone, even bystanders.
As a kid, with my mother's verbal abuse & mind games, it was a decade before I bested her.  She then laughed but it was not from amusement, it was denial & astonishment.

With these barbs, your choice is to absorb, deflect or duck.
Best is a retort where she lands, figuratively speaking, on her own butt, like in Judo.

BTW, I have two daughters [mostly raised apart from me, not what I wanted] & we don't speak at all. There's no point.  My time *is* short.


----------



## Eddie_T

For whatever reason care receivers tend to be at odds with caregivers blaming them for all.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Sometimes burglars call to see if anybody is at home... if you answer, they skip your house for now... 

I use peanut butter to glue half a chocolate covered peanut to the trap trigger... mice love those things! 
(I have my traps adjusted to a 'hair-trigger' and a whole chocolate covered peanut it too heavy) 
(China made traps are poorly made and as bought an elephant could prolly step on the trigger without setting it off)


----------



## shan2themax

Guzzle, I am sorry you didn't get to be a part of their lives. I have never met my dad and I am sure now that he knows 100% I am his (ancestry dna) that he has his moments. Even though he has ways to reach out and doesn't. 

However, several years ago, In a heartfelt discussion with God one night, he brought something to my heart..... Pray for him, pray that he knows me and loves me and I will ensure you have eternity to get to know him.....
What is a few measly decades or even years, compared to eternity. So.... I am ok with it.  Eternity sounds much better than the possible heartache of another parent being present but also absent. 

I have often found that women can be horrible and vindictive when it comes to children and their dads. Too many times I have heard adults talk about how there mom kept them from their dad, or the dad was present but the mom was demeaning and such. 
Anywho, we all have traumas that we go through, and we have to learn to live with those traumas. 

My mom actually thinks she can live on her own. I think it is a terrible idea but if that is what she wants to do at the end of her life I have no control over that. She has been asking my aunt about how rent is charged in the elderly high rise she lives in.  My only request would be that she take 100% of everything she has with her. Because that would be unfair to leave it here and I would like to use my screened in back porch for what it was meant for.

I really try to be patient with her, and I am trying so hard to make the end of her life better than alot of it, however it's hard when she is so reactive and it never fails that when I feel the worst, she wants the most from me. 
She told me yesterday that she had wanted me to call her physical therapist and see why no new appointments had been made. Even though she never wants me to interact with her healthcare providers.
I just need a break from it all in order to reset and regroup.


----------



## Guzzle

Regarding God, I was dealt some bad cards, but God might say, "I also gave you the resources to deal with them."

I'd have preferred no bad cards, but keep the resources.

There was a lawyer at the gym & I asked him how I would have done suing my parents for a number of things back when I was a kid.  
At least they would have been publicly humiliated in open court. 
He said I would have needed an adult advocate.  

Women don't seem so bent on revenge as men.


----------



## Eddie_T

I read  that it would take around 32 years to count to a billion so I am going to leave a trillion alone.


----------



## Spicoli43

I used my Chocolate refiner for the first time today, making a batch of 60% Dark Chocolate... 60% Cacao Nibs, 30% Cane Sugar and 10% Cacao Butter... The first pic is right after I added the first half of the Nibs or so, the second pic is after 4 hours, and the finished batches after 10 hours. I poured the batch onto the 2 Stainless trays and added shredded Coconut and Candy Cane... 

In the future when I have molds, I'm going to mix the final ingredients in a bowl before putting the mix in the molds, but this was a test batch for every step, and I couldn't be happier... 

Tomorrow, I'm going to make a plain batch and a batch with crushed up Coffee Beans. I can tell this will be a fun hobby, and the best part is I can create 3 oz. All Organic bars for just over $1 each when they cost $2.50-3 plus in the store...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I read  that it would take around 32 years to count to a billion so I am going to leave a trillion alone.


A billion pennies is only $10 million... a years pay for professional sports people now...


----------



## Guzzle

Found out my Onkyo CD player didn't work anymore so I had to hook up this notebook computer to some patch cords to an amp to play Christmas music on Youtube.
We have much vinyl & a Garrard player so I need to find an RIAA preamp for mag cartridge. Or fix the old receiver in the basement. 
Ho, ho, ho. . .


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> Regarding God, I was dealt some bad cards, but God might say, "I also gave you the resources to deal with them."
> 
> Women don't seem so bent on revenge as men.


Religions fuel most of the mass murdering, all the religious terrorism (9/11, etc.), and most wars... will be glad when all religion is gone from plaguing us... 

Women can be plenty vengeful... especially jealous/religious women...


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> I read  that it would take around 32 years to count to a billion so I am going to leave a trillion alone.


At one count per second.  You can count faster than that but you should start now!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> We have much vinyl & a Garrard player so I need to find an RIAA preamp for mag cartridge. Or fix the old receiver in the basement.
> Ho, ho, ho. . .


Have the same problem... my Garrard I bought in 1970 in Vietnam... new 5.1 receivers don't have the preamp... have a couple old stereo ones with a channel out for the speakers, wonder if the preamp in them works for both channels... 
Also need to get the computer hooked up to the 300" TV projector, but the computer WiFi isn't working right, so can't put it close to the TV... the projector also has WiFi and YouTube, but the built in Android (cell phone type) operating system doesn't get everything or all the streaming the computer does... plus the computer has ad blocking...


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> Religions fuel most of the mass murdering, all the religious terrorism (9/11, etc.), and most wars... will be glad when all religion is gone from plaguing us...
> 
> Women can be plenty vengeful... especially jealous/religious women...


And God could say "I'm not an arms dealer.  You all chose this with the brain you got."

The women haven't killed off the men, nor vice versa, so Evolution says "all is well"
& let the fit survive.  As always. 

I spent my whole mil time at Lackland AFB, '67 to '70.  It would have been four years but I threatened to go to the newspapers about USAF misconduct, so 2 yrs, & 9 mons & an honorable discharge & the GI bill. 
That was a David & Goliath story.
Some of my peers were angry, some were maybe amused but most just watched.  The top brass were angry & surprised & a Lt. Col. was sent to Taiwan to punish him for even listening to me about a different corrupt contractor issue.

My later activities in that direction didn't turn out so well, for a while I was pricing out a trailer home. IIRC, used, $24K.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> will be glad when all religion is gone from plaguing us...



Huh?


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL, the way humanity is, when one religion goes away, another replaces it to fill the void. It may not be a religion of deities but it will be very strongly held beliefs about the world- ones where the believers think it is an absolute & there is no room for different opinions. It can be based on political parties/view. It can be based on siding with certain sports teams. It can be based on siding with certain issues with or against science. It can even be over science fiction and which show is better. There are people who get very angry in arguments over say Star Wars vs Star Trek or something. I believe South Park did an episode where in the future science (or their perception of what science was) became the religion.

There will always be people who seek to control others by manipulating how they think/believe and how they should respond. There will always be people who believe/follow them because they feel the need for purpose or guidance. Sometimes people crave a sense of belonging to a group. Mob mentality. There will always be excuses. Religion is and always has been a tool for control. When used well it keeps people civil & prevents anarchy. It sometimes offers comfort and helps people find a sense of unity/belonging. Much like being in a fan club. There are some out there who need to believe there is some higher power that will punish them for what is listed as wrongdoing to keep them from committing crimes they think they can get away with/not get caught. Religion can also be wielded as a weapon to turn followers in to soldiers to eradicate perceived enemies. It's all about who has control, who is following & how they interpret things, and what the goals are. It would be great to not have the fighting about which religion is "right" or whatever and to not have people killing one another over it or just using it as an excuse, but I know from the way humans behave & think that it will not end there. It might stop much of the violence/disagreements in the meantime though.

As for women and vengeance- it doesn't always have to be violence to be vengeance or vindictiveness. Many women use their children or the court system to get back at men they perceive have wronged them. But yeah, they are less likely to murder people with violence (poisoning is more common).

I'll get off my soapbox now. LOL. I don't want to start an argument on religion.

My allergies are not helping me today. I may have a mild cold-- constant sinus headache, stuffy nose, mucus, etc. My brother has a full on cold and feels miserable. Eyes crudded over and itchy. I was doing better before my dog went outside and rolled in the grass and came back in to get up in my face. I've taken 2 allergy meds now to see it will help. I did some cleaning last night and need to clean more today but am not feeling up to it.

I hope everyone else is feeling better today.


----------



## Flyover

Bah humbug everyone.

Nothing against religion per se, whether you fill that hole with Jesus or football or complaining about the other political party (and isn't religion just like guns: at the end of the day, when it happens on purpose, people kill people!), but I'd be happy to see Christmas revert back to a quiet second-tier religious holiday without any of its pagan gift-giving, tree decorating, elf-mythology influences. I reflect fondly on that polemical proto-Karaite who (I like to believe) lived 2000 years ago. I'm grateful that he was born, if it's true, and yeah it's something to celebrate, but the current holiday as it is probably works against him on net.

So once again, a merry bah humbug to you all.


----------



## havasu

Regardless of anyone's personal beliefs,  Merry Christmas to all.


----------



## Guzzle

What I'm doing today requires "Some assembly".


----------



## Eddie_T

Listening to the Hallelujah Chorus and thanking God for all his blessings.


----------



## Eddie_T

Made a pipe rest for my Missouri Meerschaum tobacco pipe from a 76 year old leather scrap. My brother had started to make a belt while he was on the USS Iowa when WWII ended and I found the remnant in my garage.


----------



## shan2themax

Today has been super bah humbug at work. Super short staffed, 7 patients 5 are incontinent, 2 can walk, one is 90 and highly pissed off and thinks she can walk when she cant even sit upright without help. 
I have contemplated quitting alot today. I tried not to cry in the elevator. My back is killing me, my massage therapist is on quarantine. I didnt sleep good last night and I am seriously considering either calling off tomorrow, or calling in dead. If I call off, I loose my holiday... I currently dont care because I am exhausted and in pain from turning people every couple of hours and pulling people up in bed. 

This is just absolutely absurd and my attitude towards it is even more absurd because I am fully aware that I am making myself have a bad day, when it isnt necessary.  
I had to apologize to my one patient who can do everything for himself because he is basically being neglected because he can do it all himself.


So...


I am gonna leave the bathroom now and go back to work.....
Sincerely..

The GRINCH


----------



## zannej

Happy Holidays everyone. I am still having a sinus headache. My friend reported he had some soreness in his arm after his vaccine, but otherwise no other symptoms. The baby and his daughter are sick though. He's home taking care of them. I just took my medicine and am still feeling tired. I'm hoping this headache will go away.

Shan, I hope your day gets better. It sucks that they aren't more accommodating when you have a medical issue, but that is the way the US is nowadays. Employees are treated like crap and have unrealistic expectations for performance.

The monetizing of holidays is a problem. All of the encouragement to spend $ people don't have on fancy gifts-- the decorations and such go out earlier and earlier every year to encourage purchases. Less than 10% of the population in Singapore is Christian but they still did big Xmas displays with santa, reindeer, etc and had decorating competitions. But they still aren't as bad as stuff back here with how much $ is put in to it and people going into debt for Xmas.


----------



## Guzzle

I ate too much.


----------



## shan2themax

Guzzle said:


> I ate too much.


I hope it was delicious


----------



## zannej

I didn't eat enough. LOL. I had a brownie and that was about it. Stomach isn't feeling great today.

I'm trying to make sense of my father's diagrams for the house's wiring.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, I hope you get to the point you feel better with Chiropractic and Acupuncture... Even doing a 2 day fast would help. I really hope you get a different job though, or at a different Hospital... Maybe a traveling nurse for people that still live at home?

I'm full on Little Baby Jesus, but don't believe in Church or giving gifts to Adults that can buy their own stuff. We all spoil the kids in the family and that's it.


----------



## Guzzle

shan2themax said:


> I hope it was delicious


Yes, thank you, , but some was emotional eating. 

"Home" for me for a long time was, figuratively speaking, a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike.  You are anonymous, you get food that is more or less palatable, you hit the rest room & you leave.

Adapting to my present reality has been challenging.  Pavlov might say I was conditioned.

This was, however, the best Christmas ever, and I never get tired of watching the bridge scene in "It's a Wonderful Life."

My job for the next month is to go from 180 to 170. I once got down to my high school weight but my looks suffered greatly.
But. . .not to the point. . . where women screamed & fainted and men barfed.


----------



## Eddie_T

I made *bourbon coffee creamer*. Since I am using it as a coffee creamer it seemed a bit ridiculous to incorporate instant coffee into the mix (it may have been for color). If I make it regularly I will have to keep a nice bottle for use. It makes 30 oz so around 4.6 oz less than a fifth. Maybe a brandy bottle they tend to be nicer than whisky bottles.

*Ingredients*

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon
1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 can is 14 oz)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
*Instructions*

Pour heavy cream and cocoa powder in a blender. Mix quickly to combine.
Add remaining ingredients. Blend until combined.
Pour into a bottle and seal, storing into the fridge for up to 2 months.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> BuzzLOL, the way humanity is, when one religion goes away, another replaces it to fill the void.
> 
> [ Don't blame "humanity" for what religion addiction and other addictions do to our society ]
> 
> It may not be a religion of deities but it will be very strongly held beliefs about the world- ones where the believers think it is an absolute & there is no room for different opinions.
> 
> [ Only religions have written orders for their customers to automatically instantly hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone on the planet that isn't of the exact same religion ]
> 
> It can be based on political parties/view.
> 
> [ Realize that religious terrorism mass murdering was legal worldwide until the USA was 'politically' formed via the Constitution from James Madison and Thomas Jefferson ]
> 
> I believe South Park did an episode where in the future science (or their perception of what science was) became the religion.
> 
> [ The evil religion industry fears that sane scientific thinking will replace their big money-making psychosis mass murdering ordering business ]
> 
> There will always be people who seek to control others by manipulating how they think/believe and how they should respond.
> 
> [ But if not religics, they aren't under written orders to mass murder those who disobey or believe other things ]
> 
> There will always be people who believe/follow them because they feel the need for purpose or guidance.
> 
> [ Religics are under written orders to believe/follow or be mass murdered ]
> 
> Sometimes people crave a sense of belonging to a group. Mob mentality.
> 
> [ Mob mentality results from being fed lies ]
> 
> There will always be excuses. Religion is and always has been a tool for control. When used well it keeps people civil & prevents anarchy.
> 
> [ We have a Constitution and well thought out secular laws now to prevent anarchy ]
> 
> There are some out there who need to believe there is some higher power that will punish them for what is listed as wrongdoing to keep them from committing crimes they think they can get away with/not get caught.
> 
> [ We have Government now to do that... and more fairly/sensibly ]
> 
> Religion can also be wielded as a weapon to turn followers in to soldiers to eradicate perceived enemies.
> 
> [ Yep, written religious orders to mass murder people for psychotic reasons }
> 
> It's all about who has control, who is following & how they interpret things, and what the goals are. It would be great to not have the fighting about which religion is "right" or whatever and to not have people killing one another over it or just using it as an excuse...
> 
> [ We certainly agree there !!! ]
> 
> , but I know from the way humans behave & think that it will not end there. It might stop much of the violence/disagreements in the meantime though.
> 
> [The religion industry loves to blame "humans" for the evil they order! Don't fall for those lies...
> Look into the smiling eyes of a baby and you can't believe we are born evil as the evil religion industry claims ]
> 
> As for women and vengeance- it doesn't always have to be violence to be vengeance or vindictiveness. Many women use their children or the court system to get back at men they perceive have wronged them.
> 
> [ Especially true of religious and otherwise mentally ill women... women seem to succumb to religion addiction much more easily than most men ]
> 
> I'll get off my soapbox now. LOL. I don't want to start an argument on religion.
> 
> [ No need to apologize... wish more people had as clear of thoughts about religion as you do... they wouldn't as quickly go along with unneeded religion-fueled wars... I was forced to go to religion fueled war... as was my father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, etc., etc... time for that to end !!! ]
> 
> My allergies are not helping me today. I may have a mild cold-- constant sinus headache, stuffy nose, mucus, etc. My brother has a full on cold and feels miserable. Eyes crudded over and itchy. I was doing better before my dog went outside and rolled in the grass and came back in to get up in my face. I've taken 2 allergy meds now to see it will help. I did some cleaning last night and need to clean more today but am not feeling up to it.
> 
> [ You guys may have a touch of the Covid-2019, Delta-2020, or Omicron-2021... I think it was in the USA long before doctors realized to look for it... BTW, people with allergies are less susceptible to Covid... it's new info, doctors/scientists don't know why that is... yet... 99.9999999% of the time, doctors don't look at your virus under an electron microscope to diagnose which one you have... and the 'Covid tests' don't tell which ones... they guess based on SYMPTOMS...
> 
> Looks like 'cold symptoms', you have a cold...
> 
> Looks like 'flu symptoms', you have the flu...
> 
> And of the above symptoms get so serious you may be in danger of dying from them, you have 'pneumonia'...
> 
> Corona viruses can cause any of those symptoms... especially in the already unhealthy... ]
> 
> I hope everyone else is feeling better today.
> 
> [ Same back at you... ]



Thanks for the intelligent discussion... I usually avoid such on Xmas Day... but now it's the day after...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Bah humbug everyone. Nothing against religion per se, whether you fill that hole with Jesus or football or complaining about the other political party (and isn't religion just like guns: at the end of the day, when it happens on purpose, people kill people!), but I'd be happy to see Christmas revert back to a quiet second-tier religious holiday without any of its pagan gift-giving, tree decorating, elf-mythology influences. I reflect fondly on that polemical proto-Karaite who (I like to believe) lived 2000 years ago. I'm grateful that he was born, if it's true, and yeah it's something to celebrate, but the current holiday as it is probably works against him on net.
> 
> So once again, a merry bah humbug to you all.



I prefer we keep the 'good will toward men (and everyone)' and the special magical day for kids and presents for them just before winter hits hard, but get rid of the evil mass murderous mental illness, hatreds, and psychosis of religions... 

No comparison between 'guns and religions'... guns don't have written orders for people to hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone that religions have! Guns are just another 'tool'... that can be misused like all tools by religics and other mentally ill people...


----------



## Eddie_T

You are entitled to your opinion but my wife was healed from angina and a friend was healed from peritoneal cancer while Maurice Sklar played "I am The God That Healeth Thee" in a violin medley.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> You are entitled to your opinion but my wife was healed from angina and a friend was healed from peritoneal cancer while Maurice Sklar played "I am The God That Healeth Thee" in a violin medley.


You're obviously psychotic if believe that...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> You're obviously psychotic if believe that...


 Far from it, are you trolling fo a fight?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Far from it, are you trolling fo a fight?


Simply telling the truth... as always...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Simply telling the truth... as always...


I am glad my life is not restricted to your opinions and truths. I expect you will never have to worry about personally experiencing a divine healing.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Can't experience something that doesn't exist...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Can't experience something that doesn't exist...


Keep telling yourself that but you may have a problem getting a significant following. Why do you feel it necessary to dispute the facts of others? Was there a bad experience in your childhood?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Keep telling yourself that but you may have a problem getting a significant following. Why do you feel it necessary to dispute the facts of others? Was there a bad experience in your childhood?


I realize you psychotics think a million things are real that don't actually exist... I was aware of psychotics by age 5...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I realize you psychotics think a million things are real that don't actually exist... I was aware of psychotics by age 5...


Well as Patrick Moynihan said, "You are entitled to your own opinion but not your own set of facts." There were two doctors and two nurses at the meeting as well as others who had a presence in our lives for years after the healings. My wife told her cardiologist and Sandi the lady healed of cancer visited her oncologist (who was removing her intestines and treating her abdominal cavity every three to six months) especially to share with him as he was an unbelieving Jew.


----------



## Guzzle

_*"Post hoc ergo propter hoc*_ (Latin: 'after this, therefore because of this') is an informal fallacy that states: "Since event Y _followed_ event X, event Y must have been _caused_ by event X." It is often shortened simply to _*post hoc fallacy*_. A logical fallacy of the questionable cause variety, it is subtly different from the fallacy _cum hoc ergo propter hoc_ ('with this, therefore because of this'), in which two events occur simultaneously or the chronological ordering is insignificant or unknown.[1]"

There must 200 total logical fallacies & cognitive biases.

Correlation does not mean causality.

"Prinzmetal's angina, a form of angina precipitated by vasoconstriction or spasm, appears to be a somatic phenomenon, but there is evidence, from research and case reports, of a *major psychological component*."

Science, medicine & the courts use evidence, religion uses faith.

ESP has been proven to exist & prayer has been proven not to work.

And I hope at least 50% of what I post is fact, and 95% is probably unachievable by us ordinary mortals.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Well as Patrick Moynihan said, "You are entitled to your own opinion but not your own set of facts." There were two doctors and two nurses at the meeting as well as others who had a presence in our lives for years after the healings. My wife told her cardiologist and Sandi the lady healed of cancer visited her oncologist (who was removing her intestines and treating her abdominal cavity every three to six months) especially to share with him as he was an unbelieving Jew.



Moynihan was psychotic... although what he said there is true... 

Jews are also psychotic... 

"The Fallacy of Numbers": a million psychotics still doesn't make unreal things real...




__





						Argumentum ad populum - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> Jews are also psychotic...


?
The two of you need your own Youtube channel.  I have faith you will get many clicks.

If I were one of you I would try to figure each & every hook the other has in me.  Over time, then the hooks may dull & fall out.
This works better than mutual provocation or ad hominem statements.

"a million psychotics".
!% of the population is supposed to be psychotic so the US should have 3M.  Did you guess at this?


----------



## Eddie_T

I am not writing this for you non-believers. I do not have to win a debate with you, that's between you and God. The unbelievers in this world outnumber the believers but we don't need a majority we have read the end of the book.

I am writing for those with hope so they will know these healings were documented and recognized both by the doctor that knew the heart catheterization results showing the left anterior descending  artery source of the angina and the doctor that performed the abdominal cleaning for the peritoneal cancer every three to six months.

edit: BTW my wife lived another 17 years and died from complications unrelated to that arterial blockage and never required nitro sublinguals again.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> healings were documented and recognized both by the doctor that knew the heart catheterization results showing the left anterior descending  artery source of the angina and the doctor that performed the abdominal cleaning for the peritoneal cancer every three to six months.


I don't doubt what you saw, I doubt your conclusions.

What percent of the time do these things heal spontaneously?

Bayes' Theorem may shed some light on this, but I need published numbers by credible sources.

Unfortunately, it's pretty difficult or impossible to run a controlled experiment on this.

In a US court, the jury is sometimes The Trier of Fact.  If 12 randomly selected jurors agreed with you, I would have to bow out, along with my probability computations.

I'm sure I believe in some false things just to get me thru life but my job now is to root them out in myself.  And I have mistakenly told people things they were not ready to hear.


----------



## Eddie_T

Guzzle said:


> I don't doubt what you saw, I doubt your conclusions.
> 
> What percent of the time do these things heal spontaneously?
> 
> Bayes' Theorem may shed some light on this, but I need published numbers by credible sources.
> 
> Unfortunately, it's pretty difficult or impossible to run a controlled experiment on this.
> 
> In a US court, the jury is sometimes The Trier of Fact.  If 12 randomly selected jurors agreed with you, I would have to bow out, along with my probability computations.


Louis (the other husband) and I lived with the facts we had no reason then or now to research the dark side to see if anyone disagreed with them. I think God gives everyone a way out in case they choose to disbelieve (even to the point of a smugness with their position). It doesn't bother me other than the fact that as a believer I have empathy for unbelievers. I daresay an empathy that unbelievers don't possess because they feel compelled to attack me for reasons they might not understand in the grand scheme of things.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> What percent of the time do these things heal spontaneously?


And medical treatments often work...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> The two of you need your own Youtube channel.  I have faith you will get many clicks.
> 
> "a million psychotics".
> !% of the population is supposed to be psychotic so the US should have 3M.  Did you guess at this?


You can't tell which one is telling the truth? 
ALL religics are psychotic by definition... psychotics don't know what is real and what isn't real...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Louis (the other husband) and I lived with the facts we had no reason then or now to research the dark side to see if anyone disagreed with them. I think God gives everyone a way out in case they choose to disbelieve (even to the point of a smugness with their position). It doesn't bother me other than the fact that as a believer I have empathy for unbelievers. I daresay an empathy that unbelievers don't possess because they feel compelled to attack me for reasons they might not understand in the grand scheme of things.


Telling the same BS over and over doesn't make it true...
Goebbels: 'Tell the same lies over and over and never deviate from them and 40% of the population will come to believe the lies... (enough to win elections where 50% tend not to vote...)








						Joseph Goebbels - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Telling the same BS over and over doesn't make it true...
> Goebbels: 'Tell the same lies over and over and never deviate from them and 40% of the population will come to believe the lies... (enough to win elections where 50% tend not to vote...)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Joseph Goebbels - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org


You seem to be spewing the same BS over and over. You fail to recognize that I am the primary source documentation for my facts you are just citing any argument you can google from other unbelieving sources. Look I am no threat to your belief you are free to opine as you wish.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> And medical treatments often work...


Did you miss that medical treatments had not worked? In fact Sandi's abdomen was growing and she was wearing loose clothing. The pastor was unawares someone commented to the pastor a few weeks later that Sandi was wearing khakis. The pastor thought it was an attire complaint rather than a proclamation. Sandi was indeed wearing khakis and the waist was gathered due to her trimness. The growth in her abdomen was gone.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> You seem to be spewing the same BS over and over. You fail to recognize that I am the primary source documentation for my facts you are just citing any argument you can google from other unbelieving sources. Look I am no threat to your belief you are free to opine as you wish.


I speak only truths... no BS... and recognized logic... 
Psychotics can't document facts... they can't recognize facts...
No threat? Religics are under written orders from their BuyBulls to automatically instantly hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone on the planet not of the exact same religion/beliefs... of course, USA laws, for the first time in history, put a crimp in that by making religious terrorism illegal... one of the reasons why religions/religics despise the USA...


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I made *bourbon coffee creamer*. Since I am using it as a coffee creamer it seemed a bit ridiculous to incorporate instant coffee into the mix (it may have been for color). If I make it regularly I will have to keep a nice bottle for use. It makes 30 oz so around 4.6 oz less than a fifth. Maybe a brandy bottle they tend to be nicer than whisky bottles.
> 
> *Ingredients*
> 
> 1 cup heavy whipping cream
> 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
> 1 cup bourbon
> 1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 can is 14 oz)
> 1 tsp vanilla extract
> 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
> *Instructions*
> 
> Pour heavy cream and cocoa powder in a blender. Mix quickly to combine.
> Add remaining ingredients. Blend until combined.
> Pour into a bottle and seal, storing into the fridge for up to 2 months.



Looks a lot like a recipe for Bailey's. (No Cacao though)


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I speak only truths... no BS... and recognized logic...
> Psychotics can't document facts... they can't recognize facts...
> No threat? Religics are under written orders from their BuyBulls to automatically instantly hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone on the planet not of the exact same religion/beliefs... of course, USA laws, for the first time in history, put a crimp in that by making religious terrorism illegal... one of the reasons why religions/religics despise the USA...


You are seemingly still complaining about the documented healings I addressed. Regardless of your opinion those ladies were healed and I do get a bit of a rush each time I push your buttons on it. You tend to become a bit incoherent. Why is their healing a threat to you none of your unbelieving friends ever need to hear about it. After all doesn't what happens on these forums stays on these forums?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Looks a lot like a recipe for Bailey's. (No Cacao though)


I purchased the bourbon to substitute for Irish whisky in Irish coffee. So I guess I was making Kentucky coffee. Anyway I found it to be too much trouble to make and settled on the recipe as a use for the bottom shelf Kentucky Supreme bourbon. I am delighted with it and If I go easy on it there's not very much alcohol in a cup.


----------



## zannej

On the comment about the Constitution being written law for people to follow: That only works if people think there will be consequences for breaking the laws. We've seen people break those laws numerous times over the years and they continue to do it when no one does anything to enforce the laws. That is one of the hooks with religion. Most of them have some omniscient being watching over everything & judging and that if people break the rules there will be no escape. Even if they won't go to jail, the deterrent is that they will go to hell or something in the afterlife for breaking the written rules. I still remember some minister saying that he would be out raping women if he didn't fear going to hell in the afterlife bc he believed he could get away with it & avoid judgment/punishment in the world of the living, but the fear of eternal damnation is what stopped him. My response to that was that he was a horrible person if the "only" thing keeping him from doing it was fear of punishment. Y'know, instead of the fact that it is wrong and hurts people. 

I've learned a long time ago that I'm not going to change people's minds by arguing about religion. People will believe what they want so I'm not going to dispute "miracle healings". Who was it that said "I reject your reality and substitute my own?"

When I studied psychology & sociology we discussed the mechanisms of how religion was taught & reinforced-- it lined up with brainwashing techniques. People are indoctrinated and have it forced into their minds to a point that it creates fear/anxiety when their beliefs are challenged (in many, but not all).

I still think absent deity worship, there are some humans who would still find a way to control others by writing oppressive laws/rules. Take for example cosplay groups. They get people in control deciding what passes muster & what doesn't. They ostracize people who don't follow their rules exactly the way they want. Nonviolent, but still stressful for some people. And then there are sports and people's allegiance to certain teams to the point that they actually do get violent. People with the addict personalities will always seek out something to fill the void and people with controlling personalities will seek out people to control.

I am not trying to knock anyone who believes in religion. To each their own. I'm not a confrontational person and I respect people here so I'm not aiming to agitate anyone. I know religion can be a very touchy subject. I try to refrain from any ad hominem arguments.

I'm not saying all people or that humans in general are bad- just that there are a lot of people in the world who suck. LOL. I used to have hope for the future, but honestly, there are a lot more stupid people in the world than I'd thought.

On to the Covid thing-- I'm not having any of the other symptoms. Just the stuffy nose, headache, and sour stomach from post-nasal drip. It's pretty common for me to get sick this time of year from colds & allergies. This time in 2019 I got really sick with some sort of virus. I've gotten a cold a couple of times the past 2 years, but otherwise been ok. I think the mask wearing and hand-washing has helped to an extent since it has slowed down the spread of colds & flu a bit.

I just got my booster shot today. This time in my left arm since my right arm is still healing from the shoulder/deltoid injury. The pharmacist said it was easier for him to do the shot on the left anyway. Thus far only mild soreness at the injection site and down the arm a little. Shot was completely painless.

The discussion of logical fallacies and what pretty much amounts to correlations between events is interesting. There is still so much to learn about the way the world works. Cause and effect. One example is a debate over whether insulin resistance causes Diabetes or if Diabetes causes insulin resistance. Do people get fat because they are insulin resistant or do they get insulin resistant because they are fat? I wonder if there is a little of both mixed in. IMO, there are no absolutes. Nothing is impossible (but some things are highly improbable). Theoretically if you throw a ball at a wall enough times the molecules can align in just the right way for it to pass through the wall instead of bouncing off of it. In practice, it never happens.

I had a brief argument with my brother while waiting for my vaccine where he showed his ignorance of biology but asserted with his arrogance how right he was and basically called me stupid. He was insisting that he knows more than me. Was saying "Don't confuse some random bs you heard on the internet with my education". Funny thing is, I have a higher education than him. He flunked out of college 3 times. The only reason he passed certain classes was because I helped him. Anyway, I googled it & asked some medical friends & it proved me right. I sent him the links as well as quotes. There are zero articles supporting his argument. I'm sure he will later tell someone how he was the one who was right and I was wrong and he'll claim I was saying the opposite of what I said. He did that after our argument on terminal velocity. He apparently was telling my mother about how stupid I was and how he had to "correct" me about terminal velocity. But I'd already vented to her about the argument so she told him she knew he was full of it and that I'd been the one to explain to him what it was (we were arguing about a penny dropped from the empire state building & I explained that it would reach terminal velocity & stop accelerating at some point but he insisted it would keep speeding up).

Ok, so I do get into ad hominem arguments with my brother bc he usually starts the namecalling first. LOL. But he doesn't count because he's my brother.  We're always going to mess with each other.

I have just gone off on a major tangent. LOL.


----------



## Eddie_T

Shannon, I agree with much of what you say. That's why I am neither Catholic or protestant. I choose to avoid what man did when he stole a Jewish religion and made a controlling universal "church" out of it. This is not the place to discuss the disparities of it so I'll just leave it there.


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> You can't tell which one is telling the truth?


I admit to having some difficulty with that, yes.


----------



## shan2themax

@Eddie_T its all about the relationship and the trust to believe in something that is mostly unexplainable until an experience happens and then you begin to have a deeper understanding.  
I am thrilled that your wife got an extra 17 years. A blocked LAD is no joke as well as all the fluid accumulation from cancer. I just lost a dear NP friend from gastric cancer in the last 2 weeks. She was the sweetest kindest compassionate woman. However, she is no longer in pain and I am grateful for that.

@Spicoli43 I want to do bone broth for a few days, however.... I am nervous about it. The last time I did, it was painful because of the fat. I should make more and skim the fat off better and give it a go.

I did not go to work today. I just did not have it in me to torture myself with my back AGAIN. I will lose my Christmas holiday because I didnt go to work today. I really just dont care. Sometimes, money just cant matter.


Today is my daughters 25th birthday, we had a good day, took a nap early and slept for like 3 hours, played with her puppies and my dogs and just tried to relax. 

Hoping a few days off helps, I have a terrible headache today, and sinus pressure. I hope it isn't anything more than that. I wear my mask everywhere and an N95 and mask when appropriate at work. I probably just need to drink alot of water!


----------



## zannej

Shan, it really sucks that you lose your Christmas pay over having to take time off for a legitimate medical reason. You'd think in a medical environment they would be more understanding of that, but I've heard horror stories of how hard nurses and doctors get worked- to the point of exhaustion and beyond. That is when medical professionals start making mistakes. It's not good for staff or patients. I'm now hearing some places are going to make staff who are actively sick with Covid return to work after 5 days (even if they still have symptoms).

I hope that the time off helps you recover a bit though. You need to rest. I still remember a nurse friend of mine who had saved up a bit of vacation time being so happy she was going to get a whole week off where she could rest and relax. But her husband went out and did something stupid with a firecracker so she ended up having to take care of him like he was her patient the entire week so she didn't get to rest like she'd planned. On one hand, she was empathetic to his injuries, but on the other, she was angry at him for doing something stupid and ruining her vacation. I hope the sinus thing is allergies or at most a mild cold.

I woke up sweating because it got too warm in here-- AC does not keep temperature consistent. It will get cold in early evening and then too warm in the middle of the night.


----------



## Guzzle

zannej said:


> I woke up sweating because it got too warm in here-- AC does not keep temperature consistent. It will get cold in early evening and then too warm in the middle of the night.


Lift your house roof with a large crane.
Put new house under it.
Lower roof onto new house.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, you could just use Collagen Peptides. I assume they take all the Fat out in the manufacturing, but that's all proprietary.


----------



## Guzzle

I seemed to have fixed my Onkyo CD player with two screwdrivers, a cotton swab & Isopropyl Alcohol.


----------



## zannej

Guzzle, glad you got the CD player working. I can't even find mine. I think it's somewhere in the dog's nest. Got it sometime in like '92 or '93. Not sure if it still works. I had a cat who used to sit on top of it and hit the pause button when she didn't like my music. I'd reach over unpause and she'd swat at my hand.

I had to call build .com because I mistakenly ordered a sink with only a single hole. Had to cancel the order (they weren't due to ship it until March). Ordered the correct one and the customer service rep added a coupon to the order for me.

I'm waiting for Mom to wake up so I can feed her, take her to get her booster shot, and pick up mail. I scheduled her appointment and will be waking her up in about 30min.

Stomach still doesn't like me today bc I ate something that didn't agree with me. Arm is slightly sore from the booster shot yesterday. Early this morning one of my fat cats ran in the room, stepped on my head, and then sat directly on the sore spot on my arm. Fortunately it's not that sore. Hurt more when he stepped on my ribs.


----------



## Guzzle

zannej said:


> Early this morning one of my fat cats ran in the room, stepped on my head,


IIRC cats will do that.  I don't take it personally & they don't take it personally if I scare the crap out of them once in a while.
We don't have pets & instead of a dog I have Mr. Smith & Mr. Wesson, but a shotgun is a better deterrent.


----------



## Eddie_T

Don't ever have two or more un-neutered tomcats unless you don't mind territory marking.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Why is their healing a threat to you none of your unbelieving friends ever need to hear about it. After all doesn't what happens on these forums stays on these forums?


The psychosis of religions is a threat because religions have written orders for their customers to automatically instantly hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone on the planet not of the exact same religion and religions also fuel the mass murdering, religious terrorism, and most of the wars.

Further religion discussion kinda moved over here:


			https://www.houserepairtalk.com/conversations/on-the-religion-thing.135042


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Shan, you could just use Collagen Peptides. I assume they take all the Fat out in the manufacturing, but that's all proprietary.


I will check into that. Thanks!


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> The psychosis of religions


I don't know if this helps or hurts your crusade.









						Why religious belief isn't a delusion – in psychological terms, at least
					

Dean Burnett: Why aren’t religious views classed as delusions or hallucinations?




					www.theguardian.com
				




The DSM doesn't specifically mention religion as a psychosis but you could read that into some of the symptoms.  
Your conclusion seems to be the same as your premise.
What is your personal definition of psychosis?


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I still remember some minister saying that he would be out raping women if he didn't fear going to hell in the afterlife bc he believed he could get away with it & avoid judgment/punishment in the world of the living, but the fear of eternal damnation is what stopped him. My response to that was that he was a horrible person if the "only" thing keeping him from doing it was fear of punishment. Y'know, instead of the fact that it is wrong and hurts people.
> 
> [ Typical religious psychosis and illogic! I went with a girlfriend to her Christian church and sat through the minister preaching hatred of Jews from the pulpit. ]
> 
> I've learned a long time ago that I'm not going to change people's minds by arguing about religion. People will believe what they want so I'm not going to dispute "miracle healings". Who was it that said "I reject your reality and substitute my own?"
> 
> [ Don't give up, many people get cured of evil mass murderous religion addiction mental illness once the truth about religions is pointed out to them in simple clear terms. ]
> 
> When I studied psychology & sociology we discussed the mechanisms of how religion was taught & reinforced-- it lined up with brainwashing techniques. People are indoctrinated and have it forced into their minds to a point that it creates fear/anxiety when their beliefs are challenged (in many, but not all).
> 
> [ So totally true... I studied in many more psychology courses in college than I was required to for my degree and then studied psychiatry in medical school. Psychiatrists, of course, are psychologists that are also medical doctors and thus licensed to prescribe mind bending drugs. ]
> 
> 
> I'm not saying all people or that humans in general are bad- just that there are a lot of people in the world who suck. LOL. I used to have hope for the future, but honestly, there are a lot more stupid people in the world than I'd thought.
> 
> [ Everyone is born good and normal, then some succumb to evil addictions later that make them evil.
> However, the evil religion industry claims the opposite, that everyone is born evil and must be cured by having evil psychotic mass murderous religion addiction mental illness forced on them! ]
> 
> On to the Covid thing-- ... This time in 2019 I got really sick with some sort of virus.
> 
> [ Possibly Covid-19/Wuhan/China flu before doctors/scientists really realized it was around and named it/created their plandemic... I had similar only at pneumonia levels in early 2019... My diaphragm and chest muscles were sore and tender from all the coughing/choking for 4 more months after it. I couldn't take a deep breath or sleep on my stomach/chest during those months. ]
> 
> I just got my booster shot today. This time in my left arm since my right arm is still healing from the shoulder/deltoid injury. The pharmacist said it was easier for him to do the shot on the left anyway. Thus far only mild soreness at the injection site and down the arm a little. Shot was completely painless.
> 
> [ A 3 year old girl died of a heart attack the day after getting the Covid shot, also:
> 3rd child in Vietnam dies after Covid vaccination - VnExpress International ]
> 
> I had a brief argument with my brother ... (we were arguing about a penny dropped from the empire state building & I explained that it would reach terminal velocity & stop accelerating at some point but he insisted it would keep speeding up).
> 
> [ Empire State Building might be tall enough for a penny to reach terminal velocity in AIR... but, of course, in a VACUUM it would keep accelerating... ]
> 
> I have just gone off on a major tangent. LOL.



Interesting to see this side of you... not just a person who complains of allergies and cats... LOL !!! 

I used to get headaches but about 40 years ago I decided I had learned to get headaches from my parents who often had headaches so I started thinking about things differently and haven't had a headache since... and I certainly don't miss those painful achy things...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> The DSM doesn't specifically mention religion as a psychosis but you could read that into some of the symptoms.
> Your conclusion seems to be the same as your premise.
> What is your personal definition of psychosis?


The AMA is infiltrated with addicts now so the DSM can't be fully trusted... 
Psychotic people can't distinguish real from unreal... it's actually quite simple...


----------



## zannej

I love my cats so I constantly talk about them. I'm one of *those* people who never shuts up about them. LOL. I was nicknamed Catwoman in school because I had 60+ cats and always talked about them. 

We've got multiple un-neutered tomcats. Hence my computer being an olfactory battleground and the video card getting hosed. Next case will be sealed up better so they can't piss in it. Bad thing with toms marking territory is that even neutered ones get annoyed with it and decide to join in. Hell, I have a female cat who decided to join the party as well. It's like graffitti. Bethesda wuz here. I've gone noseblind to it but I'm having to clean up constantly. I really need to deep clean the walls-- and get those cats neutered but they are supposed to be my brother's responsibility. I paid for my own kitties to get spayed. I'm more attached to my cats than to inanimate objects though.

My mother decided she didn't want to adult today so she had a tantrum and refused to go for her appointment. She wants to get the booster, but she didn't feel like going at the time it was scheduled. First she snapped at me for not scheduling the booster for her. I asked her what time. She told me to decide. So I did and I scheduled it. Then she snapped at me for scheduling it. I picked a time that would allow me to also get mail before the post office closed. I ended up going to get mail without her. Popped in to city hall to find out what my friend's taxes will be for the house he's in. They currently have no record of his name being attached to it even though he's been paying the taxes the past few years. 

He's upset bc he got another $600+ utility bill bc of his gf's family staying there and refusing to help with bills. I still think the power company is doing something screwy though.

Countertop samples for Mom's bathroom finally arrived. There were four of them and I handed them to her one by one in the order of what I figured would be least favorite to favorite. First 2 "meh". 3rd one "This is the one!" Then I hand her the last one "Oooooh! This one is better!" So, she's going with Formica Spectrum Blue. When we go for her appointment I'll take her to the paint section to compare paint colors with the sample to see which colors complement it since she won't go with black or white or gray for the cabinets & shelves.


----------



## zannej

On the topic of changing people's minds: There was a study done in Israel where they took people with strong beliefs in something and then presented facts that contradicted these beliefs. The more information/facts they presented, the more those people rejected the information and shut down. Their brains essentially froze up. They doubled down on defending their beliefs instead. They found the only way to get through the wall of denial was to agree with them and then to go to such an extreme that the people saw how absurd something was and started to question their previously held beliefs. An example was hating the Palestinians, thinking they are all trash, etc but then saying they are evil & all of the Palestinian children and babies should be rounded up and burned alive in a pit. Sadly, in the US, I have encountered people where there is no extreme that would break through to them. They would gladly see babies burned alive just for being born a specific race.

Confirmation bias is another problem. You can have two experts who run the same tests with different expectations and they will interpret the results to be what they expected/wanted.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> I will check into that. Thanks!



Welcome... I couldn't find a better price than Costco... The stuff is "hold your nose and choke it down", but I know it helped my guts. I could feel the difference after a few days. (Or not feel the guts on fire)...



			https://www.costco.com/vital-proteins-collagen-peptides.product.100736527.html


----------



## zannej

I hope the collogen peptides work for you, Shan.

I also wish there was a Costco nearby. They finally opened one in the state but it's too far away. My sister has one near her and goes frequently. Sometimes I wish we could transplant this entire farm over near her area (but away from people) close enough that we could still go to some of the stores there. They have a huge Lowes there. They also have much more food options than we have here.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I was nicknamed Catwoman in school because I had 60+ cats and always talked about them.
> 
> [ Are you male or female? I'd assumed male... ]
> 
> On the topic of changing people's minds: There was a study done in Israel ...  An example was hating the Palestinians...
> 
> Confirmation bias is another problem. You can have two experts who run the same tests with different expectations and they will interpret the results to be what they expected/wanted.


Yep... here's another 'interpretation': It wasn't Israelis vs Palestinians... as the FAKE NEWS would meekly describe it... it was Jews vs Muslims... which is going to be psychotic and irrational...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I also wish there was a Costco nearby.


Toured the local Costco when it opened, there was only one thing I saw that I prolly couldn't get for the same price or less elsewhere, and I already had a lifetime supply of that... and I could get the same price for smaller (nonbulk) quantities elsewhere...
Used to only buy chocolate covered peanuts at Sam's Club... just by paying a bit more markup, but when they totally required a paid membership, I stopped going in there...
Here's how their gasoline prices compare to some nonmembership stations like S&G:




__





						Toledo Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in Ohio
					

Search for cheap gas prices in Toledo, Ohio; find local Toledo gas prices & gas stations with the best fuel prices.




					www.toledogasprices.com


----------



## Eddie_T

Ohio used to have Wholesale Clubs there was one near NASA that I used to shop when I was in Cleveland once per month. I think it was later purchased by Sam's Club requiring a paid membership.


----------



## Eddie_T

Regarding cats,  I've probably posted this before but in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia I noticed that alley cats were Abyssinians. I mentioned it to one of the nurses and she said, "Don't tell me that I just lost a $500 Abyssinian."


----------



## Guzzle

". . .the more those people rejected the information and shut down."
Also, the brain rewards you when you feel certain.



BuzzLOL said:


> The AMA is infiltrated with addicts now so the DSM can't be fully trusted...
> Psychotic people can't distinguish real from unreal... it's actually quite simple...


I looked into suing people who defamed me.  Turns out I needed to prove damages, that some others actually believed the defendant & so my reputation was damaged.

If the AMA sues you for defamation & libel, I assume they can produce witnesses that say that they believe you.

You're right, the DSM can't be fully trusted, but not for your reason




__





						Dsm: A History of Psychiatry's Bible book by Allan V Horwitz
					





					www.thriftbooks.com
				





I looked into conspiracy theories because I have a few of my own.  The movie The Parallax View was good in this regard.
Anyway, let’s say I call the FBI because my neighbor acts like a communist/socialist/capitalist/weirdo/etc.

Then I wonder why they don’t act on it.

Then I realize that the FBI itself is infiltrated with communists/socialists/capitalists/weirdos/etc.

The only limit on this ever-widening plot is that the more people who are in on it, the more likely a disgruntled conspirator will go public; so the wider it is, the more unlikely it is.

BTW, Horwitz is probably Jewish.  I wonder if he designed the Space Lasers that started the CA wildfires. 

Thank you for reading but I doubt that I can help you.  And some of my posts are just to sharpen my writing skills.


----------



## zannej

Abyssinian cats are so pretty!

Costco near my sister has a ton of stuff that is not available in stores in my area. Prices are better too. The main reason we shop at Samsclub is because it carries things other stores in the area don't have.


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> From the description of that History of DSM book, it looks to agree with me perfectly...
> As an educated person with knowledge of psychiatry, Horwitz is prolly no longer Jewish... at least, not mentally... maybe stays in the 'club' for financial reasons...


Who is your hero?


----------



## Guzzle

zannej said:


> Abyssinian cats are so pretty!
> 
> Costco near my sister has a ton of stuff that is not available in stores in my area. Prices are better too. The main reason we shop at Samsclub is because it carries things other stores in the area don't have.


There's an IKEA down by Lorton, VA.
People rent large trucks & load them up with this stuff, I guess they're buying for friends (a lot of them).
We have two Costcos, Sams & IKEA within a half hour.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have always wondered why there are different models of Cats, since they are all just Giant RATS!


----------



## Guzzle

I think cats & rats started to separately evolve about the time of Eve but the historical record for this split is somewhat unreliable.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a doctor friend who is a neonatal pediatrician and has held a position at a teaching hospital. I overheard a lady ask him this question. She said they are teaching my grandkids evolution is there any medical evidence against it that I could cite? He said much but I'll give you an easy one, the physiological changes that take place at birth. They are carefully designed and orchestrated such that if they didn't take place the offspring couldn't survive.


----------



## Guzzle

Doesn't our present plague confirm real time evolution?  How 'bout shared DNA between us & chimps & yeast?

"The *Scopes Trial*, formally _*The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes*_, and commonly referred to as the *Scopes Monkey Trial*, was an American legal case from July 10th to July 21st 1925 in which a high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school.[1] The trial was deliberately staged in order to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. Scopes was unsure whether he had ever actually taught evolution, but he incriminated himself deliberately so the case could have a defendant.[2][3]"

Nothing ever changes.  Maybe that's a good thing.


----------



## Eddie_T

Yep ·  ·  · then there's those physiological changes at birth.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> Yep ·  ·  · then there's those physiological changes at birth.


Which evolution came up with after many, many tries.  I think the Doc was humoring her.


----------



## Eddie_T

Guzzle said:


> Which evolution came up with after many, many tries.  I think the Doc was humoring her.


I don't think so, what mechanism did evolutionists propose for such a happening?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> Who is your hero?


Thomas Jefferson is one... along with Voltaire... 
But many religics still prefer Catholic Religious Terrorist Hitler:








						List of Hitler quotes — he was quite the vocal Catholic
					

Douglas Theobald passed along an interesting collection of quotes from that atheist evolutionist, Adolph Hitler. It’s particularly interesting the he outlawed atheist and freethought groups i…




					freethoughtblogs.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> Doesn't our present plague confirm real time evolution?  How 'bout shared DNA between us & chimps & yeast?
> 
> "...high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school."



Yep, Covid-2019 flu virus has already evolved into several more variants... Delta and Omicron the best known ones... 

Scopes was found guilty of violating an evil religion-fueled law... and fined $1... but the trial cost taxpayers a fortune...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> the physiological changes that take place at birth. They are carefully designed and orchestrated such that if they didn't take place the offspring couldn't survive.



No real doctor would say that (unless humoring a religic) because they would know the fact that 50+% of human conceptions spontaneously self abort because the evolutionary random pairings in the DNA produce mostly organisms that are incompatible with healthy life...
New Research Shows Most Human Pregnancies End in Miscarriage
Or if you believe an imaginary evil god is real, then you must believe a god aborted those 50+%... making gods the biggest abortionists in the universe...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I don't think so, what mechanism did evolutionists propose for such a happening?


It's called evolution...


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> I don't think so, what mechanism did evolutionists propose for such a happening?


Several mechanisms, it seems.








						Evolution: How Does It Actually Work? - Science Lass
					

We’ve all heard of evolution and of associated words like Darwin and natural selection. But what do these things actually mean?




					www.sciencelass.com
				




On a video with Richard Dawkins, one woman had to deny that there is such a thing as fossils.

"The “belief in a just world” refers to those *more or less articulated assumptions which underlie the way people orient themselves to their environment*. These assumptions have a functional component which is tied to the image of a manageable and predictable world."

Lerner never said so but maybe these people all believe that there must be a God who gets involved in the every day business of this world.  They also blame the victim when bad things happen.





__





						Problem of evil - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				




If you were God, would you want to mess with the people on this planet?  I'd take the next beam of light out of here.  Have a rest stop at Alpha Centauri & then keep going.

I feel like I'm trying to pull a crutch away from you because I'm convinced you can stand on your own.  Maybe you can't & that's OK, too.


----------



## Eddie_T

Yeah, evolution is just another religion that requires faith to believe.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> No real doctor would say that (unless humoring a religic) because they would know the fact that 50+% of human conceptions spontaneously self abort because the evolutionary random pairings in the DNA produce mostly organisms that are incompatible with healthy life...
> New Research Shows Most Human Pregnancies End in Miscarriage
> Or if you believe an imaginary evil god is real, then you must believe a god aborted those 50+%... making gods the biggest abortionists in the universe...


Do you understand the physiological changes that take place at birth?


----------



## zannej

When my cousin was in college, she had a classmate get mad at a professor when talking about dinosaurs. Student insisted that dinosaurs never existed. The professor asked her to explain the presence of fossils. Her answer was "Because Satan put them there to confuse us!". Poor thing was laughed out of the room and never came back.

Complete change of topic: I'm trying to pick good color combos for my mother's bathroom. Spectrum blue is the countertop and already decided on. I'm trying to figure out if the other two colors complement it (still waiting to get Sketchup re-installed on my laptop to test colors). Deep River would be for cabinet and shelves and Sky Blue for the walls.
What do you guys think?


Mom might be amenable to having white for the trim that is made in to custom crown molding, but I'll have to ask her.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Yeah, evolution is just another religion that requires faith to believe.


Evolution is a known proven FACT that is still happening today... 
Even religions/religics evolve... today's American religics aren't as bloodthirsty as 300 years ago when they were burning 'witches' at the stake and drowning them...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Do you understand the physiological changes that take place at birth?


Yes, I studied all that in medical school long long ago...


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> Yeah, evolution is just another religion that requires faith to believe.


"re·li·gion
_noun_
the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods."

Nah.


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, I like those blues and think they work well together, but (and this is obviously purely my personal opinion so take it for whatever it's worth) I am not a fan of bathrooms that are all one color, even if several shades of that color are present. Otherwise it strikes me as odd and eccentric, like "wow you must REALLY like the color blue...I assume you only wear blue, only drive blue cars, only eat off blue dishes, etc." I'd personally be more inclined to go with a neutral shade for most of the bathroom and then feature those colors as accents. You could probably do something similar by making the walls white and using that sky blue for a shower curtain or the trim or something.

Are you redoing the floor too? What color is it/going to be?


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Yes, I studied all that in medical school long long ago...


Good, I'll just jog your memory, if these changes didn't happen as orchestrated the first birth could not have been successful. It couldn't evolve it had to be complete from the getgo.Shunts have to close so the heart can function as a four chamber heart separating pulmonary and systemic circulation and dropping the placenta from the loop. I'm sure as a doctor you understand all this. My neonatal pediatrician friend got rather excited just explaining the details of this (of course in more depth). He once took us through a trip of explaining how nutrients are offered to each cell which was quite interesting.

@zannej The dinosaurs were useful before the flood, since bulldozers were not available the dinosaur paths served as roadways. Just be sure to get out of the way when you feel the rumble of them coming.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, Mom *really* loves blue. I tried to get her to accept a white vanity or white shelves. Nope. She wants blue. Shower, sink, toilet, and the big cabinet will be white though. I say "will be" since we are waiting on the sink to arrive.

As an aside, HomeDepot is now following Lowes' precedent and allowing military members to register and get discounts on online orders. But they want DD214s or something. We can't figure out where my father's forms went. I'm doing a records request but I'm a bit confused. I know his date of entry into military service in '64 and his out date in '68 but he also served in the Army Reserves. Unfortunately, none of his notes/memoirs mention when he stopped doing reserves, but I think it was '92 when we moved overseas. I'm not sure if that affects the records request or not. He was retired and had just started receiving military retirement pay when he died. As a military spouse/widow, Mom is eligible for the military discounts.

The floor is sheet vinyl with fake tile pattern that has gray and brown tints. Not the prettiest floor. I put a little of it in an approximation of how things would look with the selected colors. Mom used to wear entirely monochrome blue outfits. Colors had to match. It wasn't until I got older and the matchy match outfits were harder to find that she started having varying shades of blue. Usually darker pants and lighter shirts. She sometimes wears pink, but most of her wardrobe is blue.

Although, at least her stuff is more colorful than mine. I wear gray and black.

This is the approximation I made of the vanity.


You can see a tiny bit of the flooring pasted in. I just took a photo I had and pasted it.

The blue is going to be way too dark unless we improve the lighting situation though.


----------



## zannej

There are all sorts of very complicated mechanisms in life that lead to creatures being born, living, dying, etc. There are all sorts of complicated things that even allow molecules to form specific objects. None of this proves or disproves the existence of a deity. The complexity of it does not disprove evolution.

I remember someone telling me evolution couldn't happen because you can't put watch parts in a box, shake it, and have them come together as a watch. But, I've heard people who believe "intelligent design" say that evolution was helped along. People will believe what the want though. When something can neither be proven or disproven it's all speculation.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej That's why it's called a theory, it's not testable or falsifiable. I just hate it when it suddenly is treated as fact. It makes for interesting debate but it's getting harder to get evolutionists lured into debate and when they do agree they want to invoke religion instead of science.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> @zannej That's why it's called a theory, it's not testable or falsifiable. I just hate it when it suddenly is treated as fact. It makes for interesting debate but it's getting harder to get evolutionists lured into debate and when they do agree they want to invoke religion instead of science.



*"Russell's teapot* is an analogy, formulated by the philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), to illustrate that the philosophic burden of proof lies upon a person making empirically unfalsifiable claims, rather than shifting the burden of _disproof_ to others.

Russell specifically applied his analogy in the context of religion.[1] He wrote that if he were to assert, without offering proof, that a teapot, too small to be seen by telescoopes, orbits the Sun somewhere in space between the Earth and Mars, he could not expect anyone to believe him solely because his assertion could not be proven wrong.

Russell's teapot is still invoked in discussions concerning the existence of God, and has had influence in various fields and media."

The second meaning of "theory" is "a body of science."  Drill down, dude.


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm familiar with Russell's teapot and the fact that one cannot prove a negative. However that has nothing to do with my position. In most subjects I don't bring my worldview to the table. In the case of evolution and religion it was the opposite. The lack of evolutionary evidence and presence of abundant flood evidence drew me to reading the biblical account. In my NASA career as an engineer supporting principal investigators (scientists) I often found them to have tunnel vision and I would have to expose them to the engineering world of goesintas and goesoutas. As you might expect that opened the doors for many interesting conversations. I find that even scientists tend to fall back on simple mantras that they have been taught. For me it's not a crutch or a religious belief I just ask why and show me on all conclusions. Today (as in global warming) it seems to be consensus science. In debates people often try to use their degrees or years of study as somehow trumping logic.


----------



## Guzzle

Look up the defense mechanisms of projection & denial, as a start. 
And let's assemble a jury, but I get to do voir dire first!

BTW, it's a good thing they didn't let me into Law School, I would have gone after corrupt judges & would be, right now, in a NJ landfill.

Uh. . .Mr. T?  
In the interest of full disclosure, you realize that I don't take this thread too seriously?  

Ergo, I can be rational & dispassionate?  

Therefore, I have a competitive edge over you?


----------



## Eddie_T

I am trying out a Mr. Coffee cup warmer. So far so good, it's saving me trips to the microwave and making my coffee more enjoyable.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a good friend who is a doctor (radiology) but he was first a lawyer and didn't like that so back to school he went. He paid his own way by going to sea as a merchant seaman when funds ran low. He is able to think outside the box which most medical professionals seem to have problems with. He and I had many good discussions on AGW, evolution, alternative medicine and even standard of care. We didn't debate as we always seemed to be on the same side of an issue. I miss him he moved back to Louisiana.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej Here's a link that should help with getting a DD-214. It's good that I have mine as my records were wiped out in a fire. I had already used my GI Bill before it happened. Request Military Service Records


----------



## Guzzle

I still have all those forms typed by sergeants on a manual typewriter.  
Last I looked I'm entitled to be buried at Arlington for $255.  The USAF will dance on my grave.


----------



## slownsteady

Eddie_T said:


> Yeah, evolution is just another religion that requires faith to believe.


Anything beyond what the five physical senses can detect requires faith to believe.


----------



## Guzzle

slownsteady said:


> Anything beyond what the five physical senses can detect requires faith to believe.


I'd add instruments that list.  

Invoking God or Satan "explains" everything.  Science predicts.  
How come God didn't tell us that gravity bends light or to wait for lasers to be invented?


----------



## Eddie_T

Science made climate change predictions but ·  ·  ·


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Good, I'll just jog your memory, if these changes didn't happen as orchestrated the first birth could not have been successful. It couldn't evolve it had to be complete from the getgo.


That process was perfected by evolution via trail and error in earlier animals long before human animals ever came along... 

I can prove a negative... I can prove there is no elephant in my house... at least, to me and other normal people... prolly not to psychotics...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Science made climate change predictions but ·  ·  ·


Fact is climate has always been changing... the argument is WHAT is causing it...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> That process was perfected by evolution via trail and error in earlier animals long before human animals ever came along...
> 
> I can prove a negative... I can prove there is no elephant in my house... at least, to me and other normal people... prolly not to psychotics...


I was talking about placenta births not limited to humans. Trial and error won't work with the required physiological changes.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I was talking about placenta births not limited to humans. Trial and error won't work with the required physiological changes.


Evolution trial and error invented those changes... and there were a lot of errors/failures... still are as evolution continues... even still over 50% failure rate in an already evolved system...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Evolution trial and error invented those changes... and there were a lot of errors/failures... still are as evolution continues... even still over 50% failure rate in an already evolved system...


Gradual trial and error could not account the closed heart shunts and circulation changes required. Even those who choose to believe it consider it to be a novelty.


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> Fact is climate has always been changing... the argument is WHAT is causing it...


But the change was more sinusoidal with a very long wavelength.  This straight line trend started in the 1800s.  Very damning evidence.

Kind of like the sales of thalidomide followed after 9 months by the occurrence of phocomelia.  That analysis got a Nobel Prize.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Gradual trial and error could not account the closed heart shunts and circulation changes required. Even those who choose to believe it consider it to be a novelty.


Evolution accounts for it because anything else is another failure... of course, psychotics can't handle facts...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Evolution accounts for it because anything else is another failure... of course, psychotics can't handle facts...


Seriously, if you  want to believe it's OK with me.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> But the change was more sinusoidal with a very long wavelength.  This straight line trend started in the 1800s.  Very damning evidence.
> 
> Kind of like the sales of thalidomide followed after 9 months by the occurrence of phocomelia.  That analysis got a Nobel Prize.


Climate change can be instantaneous such as when an asteroid strikes or a volcano explodes... 

Those of us who lived through Thalidomide and other FDA medical disasters are very wary of a partial semi-'vaccine' that only works on two years ago flu/cold... not the 2020 and 2021 variants... nor the soon 2022 version...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Seriously, if you  want to believe it's OK with me.


I only believe what can be reliably proven to normal people... I don't believe psychotics under written orders to mass murder everyone on the planet...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I only believe what can be reliably proven to normal people... I don't believe psychotics under written orders to mass murder everyone on the planet...


What kind of doctor are you, you seem to be hung up on the word psychotic?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> What kind of doctor are you, you seem to be hung up on the word psychotic?


When intelligently discussing religion, the words psychotic, evil, controlling, hating, hurting, and mass murdering are always going to be some of the first words involved...


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> What kind of doctor are you, you seem to be hung up on the word psychotic?


Off his meds?  
Persuasive speech uses strong adjectives, objective speech is more credible to me.

My search
correlation psychosis religion pdf
doesn't seem to help much.

I need a Venn Diagram: given a psychosis, what's the likelihood of being religious
& given someone is religious, what's the likelihood of a psychosis?
These are two separate questions.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> When intelligently discussing religion, the words psychotic, evil, controlling, hating, hurting, and mass murdering are always going to be some of the first words involved...


You are using the word "intelligently" rather loosely. Maybe we should end this conversation before paranoia is enhanced.


----------



## Guzzle

B4 that, is there anything you two agree on?


----------



## havasu

Yes, this banter is getting old....


----------



## oldognewtrick

havasu said:


> Yes, this banter is getting old....


Agreed, but it's been kept civil, unlike some discussions in the past. Everyone has a opinion, I've never seen anyone change anyone's position discussing issues on the internet.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, thanks for the link. I put in what info I remembered and requested the forms. I made a notation that I know the dates of service for the active duty part but don't know what his reserve dates were. He joined in '64 a month after he turned 17, stayed 'til 68 (serving in Vietnam) and then he was in the reserves before he married my mother in 70. So he either joined the reserves in the tail end of 68 or sometime in 69. I put he was enlisted but he was an officer in the reserves. He made it to Major rank. Sadly some of his records were burned in a fire at some facility that held documents (since he was still active in reserves in the 70s through 90s). He had to contact former supervisors to vouch for him to get some of his records restored. He had some of his medals and documents in his office when it was burned down in the 80s.

As for the religion and evolution thing, I don't think there is going to be any agreement so it's becoming a merry-go-round without the merry part.

My cat has decided she has to sit on my chest and while grooming herself so she keeps bumping my face.


----------



## BuzzLOL

oldognewtrick said:


> I've never seen anyone change anyone's position discussing issues on the internet.


I suspect better info available on the internet has changed lots of opinions... or at least modified some of the more off beat ones...


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Yes, this banter is getting old....


We moved the religion discussion over here, but Eddie_T hasn't gone over there:


			https://www.houserepairtalk.com/conversations/on-the-religion-thing.135042


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> B4 that, is there anything you two agree on?


Ah Guzzle, the religion discussion moved over here:


			https://www.houserepairtalk.com/conversations/on-the-religion-thing.135042/#convMessage-136042


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> We moved the religion discussion over here, but Eddie_T hasn't gone over there:
> 
> 
> https://www.houserepairtalk.com/conversations/on-the-religion-thing.135042/#convMessage-136042


The link didn't work but no worries as I am not interested in a religion thread.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> The link didn't work but no worries as I am not interested in a religion thread.


The link worked fine for me. Are you on a cell phone? Maybe this less specific link will work. You certainly seemed interested in discussing and learning truths about religion addiction above...


			https://www.houserepairtalk.com/conversations/on-the-religion-thing.135042


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> The link worked fine for me. Are you on a cell phone? Maybe this less specific link will work. You certainly seemed interested in discussing and learning truths about religion addiction above...
> 
> 
> https://www.houserepairtalk.com/conversations/on-the-religion-thing.135042


Chrome OS, but I have no desire to keep badgering you with my wife's healing experience.


----------



## oldognewtrick

We're not going to have hot topic discussions threads. No point. If that's what you're looking for, there's plenty of places to engage in discussing viewpoints on any given topic. 

If you're looking to discuss fixing things around the house, you're more than welcome here. We're open 24/7/365.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Chrome OS, but I have no desire to keep badgering you with my wife's healing experience.
> 
> View attachment 27256


Also using Chrome on a desktop computer here...


----------



## Guzzle

The military has all their records archived somewhere.  I'd find the address & send a certified letter requesting them.  You'll proly have to prove your identity.


----------



## BuzzLOL

oldognewtrick said:


> ...there's plenty of places to engage in discussing viewpoints on any given topic.


There's like -0- websites where you can tell the truth without getting banned... maybe Trump's new Truth Social  website will allow truths when it gets going in... February?


----------



## Guzzle

BuzzLOL said:


> There's like -0- websites where you can tell the truth without getting banned... maybe Trump's new Truth Social  website will allow truths when it gets going in... February?


You don't get it.  

And Dale Carnegie said don't talk about politics, sex or religion.  Who said what???


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> You don't get it.
> 
> And Dale Carnegie said don't talk about politics, sex or religion.  Who said what???


You don't get being an American... Madison/Jefferson said have Freedom of Speech to talk about anything you want... They may have gotten that from Voltaire...


----------



## zannej

Well, on the home improvement side: The lavatory for Mom's bathroom arrived today. UPS set it on it's side with the "THIS SIDE UP" clearly marked. In fairness, the shape/size of the box made it very difficult to carry it properly. I got winded dragging it in to the house. I did set it down in the right orientation though. I'd just hauled another heavy package that contained multiple packs of wet wipes (and like 50 packs of them weigh more than I'd though). Mom likes to order the shea butter wet wipes. My headache really spiked while trying to move that one around. (Ok, I don't know if it was actually 50 packs- it was more than 10 and it was heavy as f***). I started sweating, got short of breath, had arrhythmia, and had to sit down.

I'm feeling exhausted today.


----------



## zannej

Last night I made some chicken soup with eggs. Woke up in the night to 30°F temps. Made myself a makeshift tent with a fitted sheet stretched behind my head and over my laptop. Rupert had to get in with me because he likes being under covers. He's been my cuddle buddy. Went back to sleep after awhile. Got up early this morning when sun came up. 29°F outside. Cleaned a bunch of expired stuff and empty plastic shopping bags out of the fridge, wiped down the counters, swept the hallway, petted kitties, had myself a bowl of chicken soup. Briefly watched the news & got disgusted about prices going up more. Got back in bed and set up my tent again. Rupert joined. Biscuits started humping the blanket over my leg. Sir Hammington ran over the top of my head from one side of the bed to the other, then got under the sheet with us. Decided the sheet kept getting in the way so took it off and am sitting here under a pile of cats. Bethesda is just now making herself comfortable on my left leg. Biscuits is done humping my leg but is leaning against it while he grooms himself. I need to get up and do more cleaning.


----------



## Hamberg

Eddie_T said:


> *Ingredients*
> 
> 1 cup heavy whipping cream
> 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
> 1 cup bourbon
> 1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 can is 14 oz)
> 1 tsp vanilla extract
> 1 tbsp instant coffee granules



Did something similar - but simplified...

*Ingredients*

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
*1 cup bourbon*
1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 can is 14 oz)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
*Instructions*

Pour bourbon in glass, add ice cubes (optional step)
Sip (or guzzle, depending on day)!


----------



## Eddie_T

Hamberg said:


> Did something similar - but simplified...
> 
> *Ingredients*
> 
> 1 cup heavy whipping cream
> 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
> *1 cup bourbon*
> 1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 can is 14 oz)
> 1 tsp vanilla extract
> 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
> *Instructions*
> 
> Pour bourbon in glass, add ice cubes (optional step)
> Sip (or guzzle, depending on day)!


A true whisky snob drinks whisky at room temperature as as chilling drinks lessens the effectiveness of the taste buds and olfactory senses.


----------



## Guzzle

That's why the Coke/Pepsi debate is/was almost useless, they're both served cold.


----------



## Eddie_T

Back to the coffee creamer. I wanted Irish Coffee but didn't think I needed call-whisky to mix with coffee. While exploring that I ran into a suggestion that bourbon was as good as Irish whisky when mixed with coffee. So I picked a well-whisky (bourbon) after after a couple of uses decided a creamer would be make it much easier to enjoy a spontaneous cup of what I will call Kentucky Coffee. If I choose to drink Jameson it will be neat at room temp. Likewise even though JD offers a recipe for JD and Coke I will choose well-whisky for mixing with the sweet and bubbly and sip my JD neat at room temp.

I am on a tasting journey now. A friend who has me over for supper almost weekly has a good supply of top-shelf whisky. I do a a small sample taste of a different one each visit. It's more of a curiosity thing as I am not a regular drinker and am happy with the distinct orangey taste of Gran Gala.


----------



## zannej

The Coke/Pepsi debate is moot for me because I don't drink sodas. I hate carbonation in drinks. Dr. Pepper was ok if I could shake it and let it go flat. But I haven't had any in years.

Just started sneezing after being in Mom's room talking to her. Probably from all the after-shower powder in the vicinity. She was awake and filling in her coloring books. She got a bunch of fancy colored pens and pencils.

I'm waiting for my brother to finish playing some video games so he can help me move stuff so I can clean in the front room. I need him to lift the kitty condo top so I can get the base out and clean it.


----------



## Guzzle

My new DDS says that carbonation attacks tooth enamel.  I know Coke has carbonic acid that can dissolve a common nail over time [unless that photo was faked way back then].


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> That's why the Coke/Pepsi debate is/was almost useless, they're both served cold.


I can taste the extra sugar in Pepsi or New Coke despite it being cold... but now that I've gotten used to the taste of only cold Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola seems to have that dirty taste that is also found in the dirty smell of someone smoking crack cocaine...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> My new DDS says that carbonation attacks tooth enamel.  I know Coke has carbonic acid that can dissolve a common nail over time [unless that photo was faked way back then].


We soak rusty things in Coke to remove the rust, then paint them...


----------



## Eddie_T

Carbonation makes carbonic acid which resolves into CO₂ and water. However many carbonated beverages also contain phosphoric acid (for tartness) which is the active ingredient in Rust Cure which turns rust into a stable oxide .

BTW soda fountains used to sell fountain drinks called phosphates.


----------



## Guzzle

And we had a plague of pinhole leaks in the pipes for a while so the water company added orthophosphate to the water.
Only one our of pipes under the slab leaked at three minutes per gallon so the plumber bypassed it.  I could hear in the piping one morning & the water meter confirmed it.


----------



## zannej

I just know that I don't like the taste of carbonation and it makes me belch. As a kid sometimes sodas were the only drinks on school field trips so I would have to put up with coke or dr pepper. I never liked pepsi. But coke tasted better before they used corn syrup instead of sugar. When we were traveling they didn't always have milk & I never thought to ask for water with lemon so I would ask for coke with grenadine. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to get water with lemon in it. Cheaper and better for health.

Is it just me, or have beverage sizes at restaurants gotten smaller on the drinks that don't have free refills?

My brother actually noticed that I cleaned out the fridge and he thanked me for it. He also got absolutely enraged at Mom-- for good reason. She has a habit of sabotaging other people's cooking. She will change temperature, turn stuff off, etc. So, she gets into the kitchen and can't tell the difference between spicy food smell and something burning. So she goes over to the air fryer when my brother was cooking pork chops and turns it off. My brother sees her at the air fryer & asks what she's doing. Then he shrieks bc she hit the power button. She claimed she could see something burning inside. She was either mistaken or lying. My brother just about blew a gasket because he didn't know how much time was left to cook, the meat was not cooked through, so he had to turn it on again and guess (it got a little overcooked). She didn't apologize. Just claimed that nobody responded when she called us. She didn't call us. We would have heard her. I swear sometimes she does stuff like that on purpose. She's been practically bipolar in her moods today. One minute happy and the next having a fit.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a CO₂ cylinder and carbonate water, flat soda, lemonade, cider and sometimes wine. I haven't done much carbonating lately since my beverage of preference is tonic water with a good splash of limeade. I wonder if a quinidine tab would turn carbonated water into tonic water.


----------



## zannej

I never understood the appeal of carbonated drinks. I never liked the fizz. But, then I am weird. LOL.

Woke up early because some cats were having a loud argument in the kitchen. I went out and told them to shut up, had a bowl of soup, fed the kitties, crawled back into bed to look something up on my laptop, and am huddled under blankets. I need to go to the store today to pick up prescriptions and maybe grab a heated throw for my room. I also need to go to samsclub for some groceries. Fridge could use some more stuff now that I cleared a bunch of things out. Also need to make myself clean litterboxes-- but it's still freezing outside. Been trying to motivate myself to clean litterboxes for a few days now and have been procrastinating.


----------



## Guzzle

To me, your life sounds chaotic.


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> That's why the Coke/Pepsi debate is/was almost useless, they're both served cold.



The Coke / Pepsi debate IS useless because they are the same company, AKA owned by the same Institutions in Blackrock, Vanguard and State Street.


----------



## Sparky617

I passed my framing and HVAC rough-in inspection today on my basement project!  Now on to insulation.  My HVAC guy is coming Thursday to install my new attic unit for the second floor.   This project might actually get finished this year.  I'm hoping to get the insulation inspection next week.


----------



## zannej

Guzzle, I never did like sticking to an exact schedule. So yeah, pretty chaotic.

Sparky, that is excellent news!

I hope Shan is doing ok. I know things are super stressful right now for the medical community.

I got up fairly early, took my vitamins (been trying to take them around the same time in the morning), had some soup, went to the store with my brother. His RX was ready but Mom's hadn't been called in (despite her sending me to get her RX). Found a nice soft pillow that is currently behind my head while I'm sitting up on clearance. Got a laundry hamper on clearance too. Should have gotten more than one. Those things are expensive now and I could use more. Might go back later and hope they are still there. Got home, bro & I put away groceries, I tossed the pillow on my bed & the dog pounced on it & went to sleep. Later on when she got up to go eat cat food in the kitchen, Gravy Jones (one of the cats) was walking over to me, stepped on the pillow, stopped, started kneading it with his paws, then flopped down right in the middle, curled up and slept on it for the next few hours.

I took a nap and then forced myself to get up and clean up in the front room-- cleaned the litterboxes, swept the floor, took the bottom tray from the kitty condo out and scrubbed it, found some litterboxes hat didn't have litter but the cats had been using them & cleaned them out, put fresh litter in the boxes, etc. I moved the angle of the kitty condo. Namir is currently sleeping on one of the upper tiers while Temjin is sleeping in the litterbox. I really need to get a litter mat in there so I can pull it out instead of the whole tray next time. I have to get my brother to lift the condo off of the base for me to get it out.

Cooked for Mom as soon as I was done cleaning. It was only 50° out there but I was sweating my a$$ off while cleaning. I left the front door open so I could carry stuff out to the trash pile. Still need to haul more stuff out, but at least the litter crap is out.

Mom gave me the snuggy type thing I got her (she said it doesn't fit her right) so now that I've cooled off, I have it on to keep me warm. It's nice and comfy-- but I do wish it had thumbhole cuffs.

I really bundled up when I went out and nobody in the store said a thing about it. LOL. They all know people here can't handle the cold (it was still below 40 when I went to the store). We briefly chatted with Hazel (a Walmart employee from the Philippines). She works self-checkout and they gave her a new device- some sort of cell phone like thing that lets her remotely put in info and approve or modify a transaction if it asks for employee assistance at on of the self-checkout registers. So, one of our items scanned twice while moving it to a bag. I clicked to cancel one of them, she pushed some stuff on her phone, and it removed it. She told us that it's something they only give to self-checkout employees.

And now I'm probably going to nap. Kitties are piled on me and want cuddles. Aminatu keeps grabbing my arm. LOL.


----------



## shan2themax

I'm hanging in there @zannej ... thanks for thinking of me!. I am not going to work today, my mom woke me up around 320am with her breathing. She had gone.to the bathroom amd was having difficulties recovering from walking from room to bathroom (12ish feet maybe) It took a solid 30 minutes for her breathing to begin to settle before she could think about getting back to her room. I am awake now, hopefully I can go back to sleep soon.
We are supposed to get snow this afternoon I believe. (South East Ohio) My dog will enjoy that alot. My daughters puppies wont know what to think. 
 I rearranged my kitchen again, got tired of making ice lol.    I have realized over the years that if I am rearranging,  I'm probably upset or stressed about something.


----------



## zannej

I'm glad you're doing ok. Getting woken up in the middle of the night is no fun. At least she's still breathing, although I imagine some days you might have other thoughts about that-- if only briefly. It's a shame she doesn't want to accept that she needs help. I almost wonder if she is doing some of it for attention though.

My mother likes to fake having low blood sugar-- and she does it in a very dramatic and obvious way. She'll be acting normal when she thinks no one is looking, but when she wants to feign low blood sugar she starts doing heavy sighing and huffing. She will throw her head back and hold her mouth open. Thing is, she doesn't do this when she actually has low blood sugar. I was sitting in the bathroom one night and could hear her melodramatic huffing because she wanted me to get her ice cream and doesn't realize that she doesn't need to use a bs excuse for me to get her something.

I went to Samsclub and got some groceries. Stopped at HD and Lowes to get paint chips and some hardware stuff. I got some EZ-Hang thing to see if it will help hang doors. I want to make sure we don't have the problems my friend had with hanging doors at his house. Mom was happy about the paint chips and is still mulling over the options and I will have to bring more paint chips for her to look at. She does seem to have a hard time visualizing what color would go where and isn't understanding things for some reason. I kept having to tell her over and over that the entire paint chip with multiple colors wasn't the full color scheme, that she was to pick which colors she liked from them to decide what to put on the walls, cabinets, etc. I then had to explain satin, semi-gloss, and gloss to her. I'm kind of hoping she'll go with the Deep River color for the cabinets and shelves since we already have it.


----------



## Guzzle

Some of you could write short human interest stories, but I don't know how find a publisher.  
Or you could self publish for about $500.

Collect your posts, split them into chapters, edit them for the angle you want, what the heck!


----------



## Eddie_T

Maybe sell some content to an author to save them some research. During the semi lock down I have read 200 or more novels. One thing I notice when comparing authors is that good authors add enough minutia to add interest and personality to the characters. The same with movies, I am nearing the end of an Amazon Prime free trial and am culling a lot of movies after the first five minutes. A low budget movie is a bit like a high school play.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Just a wee bit of snow today in Music City.


----------



## havasu

With all that white sand, I reckon flip flops and shorts are the dress for the day?


----------



## oldognewtrick

I just took a trip to the Rx store to get a prescription for my wife, roads are horrible, others drivers are horrible, drug store was closed, stopped at the liquor store and bought bottle of wine and I don't like wine...


----------



## zannej

Picked up mail, cleaned more stuff, looked up info on Starlink, & right now Mom is on the phone with me (she's in the next room but used the intercom to call me to tell me about stuff on the internet).


----------



## Flyover

I finally used the Wasabi (that's the brand name, it has nothing to do with spicy green horseradish) knife sharpener I bought myself back in the fall. Made a few dumb mistakes but none were irreversible; got my big main kitchen knife cutting like a dream again after about an hour of trial and (mostly) error. Next up is the other knives, which are smaller and should be easier, especially since now I know how to avoid all the mistakes I made the first time.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I finally used the Wasabi (that's the brand name, it has nothing to do with spicy green horseradish) knife sharpener I bought myself back in the fall. Made a few dumb mistakes but none were irreversible; got my big main kitchen knife cutting like a dream again after about an hour of trial and (mostly) error. Next up is the other knives, which are smaller and should be easier, especially since now I know how to avoid all the mistakes I made the first time.


I watched a video, that's a neat sharpening jig. I do pretty well with a set of stones but it took some practice and of course my hand angles are approximate whereas yours can be perfect every time.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I watched a video, that's a neat sharpening jig. I do pretty well with a set of stones but it took some practice and of course my hand angles are approximate whereas yours can be perfect every time.


Heh, I don't know that mine are _perfect_...I don't trust my level (hastily downloaded onto an old bricked smartphone of my wife's) and I think part of my stroke, with the slight downward pressure, seems to want to tilt the stopper up.


----------



## shan2themax

To write a book........ hmmm, the thought had occurred to me. I feel like most people would find it made up. [email protected] and I have a similar existence. I believe hers is a much larger problem than mine. However, I have noticed the similarities in our story telling, and some stories and the need to use lots of details. 
I told my oldest that I should have made a youtube channel a decade ago. It would have been interesting for sure.  
We got about 5ish inches of snow yesterday.
Some idiot cut in front of my daughter yesterday and stuff came off the back of his truck, she got a flat tire and then another tire had a chunk out of it, so we bought 4 tires. She was super stressed and emotional which is never a fun combination.  Then it took 90 minutes to go 7 miles because of traffic and snow. It was a good thing that I didnt go to work because she would have been in a pickle. She had her puppies with her. 
I was hoping to finish getting this "pantry" cleaned out this week so that I could turn it into an office and try to find a nursing job I can do from home. Hopefully next week!


----------



## zannej

Shan2thmax, I'm glad your daughter was OK despite stuff falling off the truck in front of her. I hate when people don't secure stuff right. 

Today I was planning to run PEX down from under my sink so my friend can hook it up at his convenience but discovered I don't have enough of it. I'll have to grab a 10' piece from the store and run it down. While i was out there I decided to put a styrofoam box over the pit with the shutoffs since the lid went missing. I also realized the float lever on the well system was jammed *again* so I had to unjam it. Cistern overflowed yet again. Ugh.

Meanwhile, our 20+ yr old frost free freezer is developing ice, not sealing properly, and leaking water (from ice melting) on to the floor. The subfloor is now wet in that spot. Looks like we need a new freezer. Damn things are $900 for one that isn't even as big. Saw some for $3k, $7k, $11k, and upward. The less expensive ones are not available in my area.


----------



## Guzzle

"How Journaling Can Help You in Hard Times
Stressed and isolated? Try expressing your thoughts and feelings in writing."

I've seen it work verbally with others.


----------



## zannej

I tried to post last night but my ISP is being crappy. Says we went over our limit. We barely loaded any videos. Used far less data this month than usual but our ISP is miscalculating & their customer service is now in India and only reads from scripts. We desperately need a new ISP. I can barely load anything and it's frustrating.

I woke up this morning absolutely drenched in sweat. After a cold shower I did a bunch of cleaning. Got hit with hot flashes and am sweating again. I went outside to cool off but it was too warm outside to cool me off. Perimenopause sucks. Been dealing with it for over 6 years now.

I made a list of things I forgot to get last time I was at the store. I also need to add extra thick gardening gloves to my list since I have to cut blackberry bushes & the thorns go through regular gardening gloves.

At least the chicken soup I made last night turned out well. Mom wants me to make yellow rice but I need to find the right pot, clean it (bc even stuff in the cabinets gets dust), and cook over a hot stove and with feeling overheated its not something I want to do. Chicken soup was done in pressure cooker. Yellow rice doesn't turn out well in pressure cooker.


----------



## zannej

Double post bc my ISP sucks.


----------



## Guzzle

6?

It's out of my field, way out, but you might have 1 to 5 years more. 
The net makes everybody think they are an expert.

There may be software to determine this precisely if there is a market for it.

There is definitely a market for




__





						APACHE II - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## zannej

Had trouble sleeping last night. Couldn't get comfortable. Too much on my mind. So I ended up playing with Sketchup quite a bit. I rebuilt the ensuite bathroom and found new models to put in- found the right shower and sink. Modified a toilet to be approximate. Learned some new tricks on how to make adjustments- modifying color/brightness/contrast of entire textures and making new colors etc.

Found out that my phone *might* stop working with AT&T next month. They are disabling 3G and will not support any phones that don't have VoLTE. Now, my phone supposedly has it, but so does my friend's phone and they already deactivated his phone (after taking his $ for a monthly plan) saying it is "outdate". If we had another cell service that worked in this area I would dump them in a heartbeat.

Got up early, sneezed my bladder out, took allergy meds & vitamins, swept off the ceiling & cabinets in the kitchen around the ceiling fan to get rid of massive dust bunnies and cobwebs. Attempted to clean of ceiling fade blades but I can't really reach and the stepstool keeps collapsing on me. Left one little spot where I know a spider is holed up eating bugs.

Opened a fresh 25lb bag of cat food, fed kitties, watched an episode of Forged in Fire, and now I'm trying to transfer some data over from my desktop to an external drive. Says 35min left to go on file transfer- but it vacillates between 1hr to 35min.

I'm waiting for my allergy meds to kick in and then I will do some laundry.


----------



## Guzzle

You do have a publisher.  It's this forum. 

Our fan blades were cleaned & 8 hrs later one fell off.  Missed me by a few inches.
Cleaning blades puts very large torque on the blade mount, which it is not designed to resist.
Had to replace the fan.


----------



## zannej

My method of cleaning the blades was to stand below the ceiling fan while it was off and try to sweep the stuff off the underside and sides with a broom. It kept spinning. LOL. Anytime I've thoroughly cleaned the ceiling fan blades I've always supported the blades with one hand while gently wiping off the top and sides. I have to be careful bc not a single ceiling fan is actually mounted in a proper box, so the whole thing moves in the ceiling. The fan I was working on has been there since the late 1980s.

Finished transferring data from Program Files and am now transferring over 100Gb from Program Files (x86) over o the portable drive. Says I've got 2hrs and 35min left. We'll see if it will run that long.

I was going to cut weeds in the yard today but it rained all night and is raining now. Explains my gnarly sinus headache.


----------



## Guzzle

I back up once/month to an $8 8GB USB thumbdrive. Photos, letters, spreadsheets. The computer estimate is usually off, on the high side.


----------



## shan2themax

So...here I am at lunch. Fantasizing about being home. We have 75ish Covid + patients in my facility. I am not taking care of any today. 
I think I will work on "the office" tomorrow. Hopefully I have the gumption to do so. 
Its rained all day today, wonder if there will be mild flooding in the area. Maybe another snow storm next week?
Hope everyone is well. Gotta go back to work


----------



## Guzzle

Still working on a resistor network to combine TV, CD player & laptop earphone output into an amp with no switching & each output not forcing too much current into the devices that are off.

Youtube Oldies are about to get room-filling volume from my ancient HeathKit speakers.


----------



## zannej

Got my laundry in the washing machine (discovered my brother left some wet socks in there that were covered in mold and were still wet-- fortunately, it washed out). 
He also didn't clean the lint filter in the dryer. And he didn't shake his clothes out before putting them in the washing machine. They were full of trash. I found candy wrappers, store labels, foil seals for beverages, hair, and all sorts of trash in the front liner thing and in the dryer. Had to clean both out before I could do my laundry. But I "borrowed" one of his laundry hampers. He doesn't know he's not getting it back. 
I scrubbed the counters down pretty good, washed a bunch of dishes, and then cooked dinner. Waiting on my laundry to dry so I can fold it. I need a nap but brain isn't working.

Saw the formica mom wants or her bathroom is on sale on Amazon so she ordered it. Wish I could find a forgiving contact cement bc I'm worried it will go on wrong and bubble. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to cut it without any chips.

Cats like the clean counters. They were stretched out sleeping on them. Also, this is some of the dust bunny I pulled off of the ceiling fan:


Dust, lint, pet fur, and cobwebs.


----------



## Guzzle

That kid will kill your washing machine.
IIRC, there was a Seinfeld episode where Kramer put cement in a washing machine.


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## Eddie_T

@zannej I used something like this for my rough cuts. It cuts out an 1/8" strip as you go. I used a router with an edge trimmer for final trimming on the counter. Where I had to join edges w/o an obvious seam I used a router jig that clamped the formica between pieces of laminated particle board with just the edge peeking through for trimming.

Gundlach Plastic Laminate Cutting Shears-11-LS - The Home Depot


----------



## Flyover

Rocked out with my drummer friend today. We sounded good. Tight. (Most of the time.) Big step up having this new effects processor that can do loops so when we get to the end of songs that have guitar solos over the outros I play the riff a couple times, loop it, then change to a more overdriven effects patch (or just turn on the wah, which has a slight overdrive built in), and away I go. Apparently I did this seamlessly enough that he told me he didn't even realize I was doing it the first several times.

So much fun. 

But it came at the expense of bark removal on the waterfall table. I'll have to make up for it tomorrow.


----------



## zannej

Guzzle, it's so frustrating because I don't think he's even aware of how much of a mess he makes. He constantly complains about trash on the floor when it's his "job" to take out trash and it's usually there because the trash overflowed or because he was too lazy to throw it away and just dropped it on the floor. He shoves trash between the fridge and freezer as well as leaving trash on top of them so stuff falls on my head when I open doors. He leaves empty bags and boxes in both the fridge and freezer. He leaves cabinet doors open. The other day he left the kitchen sink running. He doesn't care about wasting water or electricity because he doesn't pay any of the bills. He hogs most of the counter with his stuff in the bathroom, leaves hair shavings all over the floor when he shaves, spills stuff all over counters and doesn't wipe it up. He's going to be 42 this year and he acts like a child. He's decided that he wants to just die young instead of planning for the future or trying to make life better. Sorry, venting.

Thanks, Eddie! I wish I knew what my father had used on the countertops because his cuts came out pretty clean, although the old formica is starting to come up on some of the counters. Do those sheers slide along and cut or do you have to keep moving the handles? I need to find some scraps to practice on.

Sounds like fun, Flyover.

Fortunately, the Deep Clean/Sanitize function on my washer works great. I cleaned the socks, dried them, and threw them at my brother's face when he was lying on his bed. At first he said "What the hell?!" Then he sniffed the socks and said he was happy with the washing machine's work. 

I'm waiting for Mom to page me in the middle of the night wanting something because she knows I have to be up early in the morning for my dental appointment. Anytime she knows I have to get up early she'll wake me up in the middle of the night.


----------



## Guzzle

zannej said:


> He's going to be 42 this year and he acts like a child.


Lost cause.
Evict.

Today your brother is 42.  Tomorrow you wake up & you are 85.
How has your life gone from Jan 10, 2022 to whatever year this is now?
What is your present situation?
Is this situation OK with you?


----------



## zannej

It's not up to me to evict. 
He can be helpful at times but he was always so spoiled he never learned to be responsible for things. He doesn't even think about it. Someone was always cleaning up after him. He was never assigned chores to do. I was the only one of the 3 of us who was made to do chores because I was Mom's least favorite. Jokes on her, now she relies on me to take care of her. LOL.

I gripe a lot, but it could be worse.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej The shears work just like tin snips except they don't twist due to two cutting edges on the bottom forming a channel taking out a 1/8 strip as you cut.


----------



## Guzzle

Use the shears on your brother!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Had trouble sleeping last night.


Did you have any caffeine late in the day or evening? I have to watch that so I don't lie awake until 5 AM...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Guzzle said:


> Still working on a resistor network to combine TV, CD player & laptop earphone output into an amp with no switching & each output not forcing too much current into the devices that are off.
> 
> Youtube Oldies are about to get room-filling volume from my ancient HeathKit speakers.


Been eyeballing a 4 inputs RCA jacks switch at Walmart... but thought I had one laying around here someplace...

For the TV projector, using amp in a receiver to drive the Sonics speakers I bought from the PX while in Vietnam 1970... 5 speakers in each cabinet with 12" woofer... plus a 'center speaker system' and rear speakers... still need a bass box... the projector has speakers in it, but voices coming from the rear of the room behind us doesn't cut it... surprised these speakers still work perfect... friend bought some Utah speakers and the cones rotted out about 30 years ago... 

Also need to hook the computer to the projector since it gets more you tube stuff than the projector and it has ad blockers...


----------



## shan2themax

I have not done diddly squat today. Placed my grocery orders to be delivered tomorrow, ordered dinner in, sent my daughter out around 1 for some coldstone creamery. 

Fantasized about quitting my job all day . Dreading Thursday when I have to go back.

Its 850pm and I am going to try to work on some stuff for an hour or so. I had my son get my portable heater off of the top of the closet because this "room" I am making into an office has no heat or air. I have to have it ready before I can apply because they want to see the area to ensure it has doors and is lockable for HIPAA reasons. It's getting closer to being emptied out and I am just going to use the metal wire shelves for office supplies like printer, paper, files etc.... 

Ok, talking about it has motivated me a bit more even though I am tired..... so, off I go.


----------



## Flyover

Waterfall table: the rest of the bark came off the slab quickly today. I didn't remove every last hairy fiber, but between the putty knife and draw knife I think I got most of it. I might do the miter cuts tomorrow!

Am also going to make a few cuts on some boards I'll be turning into a mini-workbench which will be a birthday present for my son (that I can also use as a low table/sawhorse).

Oh BTW, I got an overpayment notice from my last job. Didn't I gripe about it on here last time that happened? Anyone remember? I think it was the same employer!


----------



## zannej

Thanks for the info, Eddie. I wish I was confident enough with a router to get the right bit to carefully trim the edge. Is putting some sort of masking tape or painter's tape on the edge I want to cut a good or bad idea?

Buzz, I don't drink caffeine. It gives me arrhythmia and sometimes causes muscular convulsions. What years were you in Nam? My father was in the army from 64 to 68 but he spent at least the first year in Thailand so he was in 'Nam from 65 or 66 to 68.

Sending hugs you way Shan.

Flyover, I think I may vaguely remember you mentioning that before. 

My dental appointment went well. But I ended up being exposed to Covid while in line at the pharmacy. My friend's gf's family were directly behind me in line & stood less than 2ft away and talked to me for 15+ minutes. Said they were there to get something to treat their daughter's cold (she was right there and she talked to me). Later on the gf messaged me to say they lied & it was Covid. Now I have to quarantine.

I was already feeling a cold coming on- wet cough, mucus, sinus irritation, etc. I'm currently nauseous from post-nasal drip. If I get any sicker I'll have to get tested to confirm. Hopefully it will be negative. I really don't want my Mom to get sick.


----------



## Guzzle

Drank 50 ml of Baccardi Gold. I'm cutting back.

Got another letter from the IRS saying they need more time, so my next outgoing letter to the IRS will be to The Commissioner, by registered mail, summarizing their ongoing soap opera of excuses & asking them some questions they are not going to want to answer.  I'm good at that.
I figured they would have already sent somebody by to break my kneecaps. I guess they are short-staffed.  

Asked for a bid on a 60k input BTU/hr 82% efficient NG furnace.  50-50 they never call back.

Packed away the Xmas stuff.

Sat at my notebook Apple posting to this forum.


----------



## Spicoli43

Good Luck, Z... Kill it off with Vitamin C, D, Zinc... I think I had the Moronic variant, and killed it off in a couple days. I'll never get tested because the protocol is the same for any cold or flu. I just avoided people for a week and a half. That, and the tests aren't anymore effective than the vaccine. 

If it was Covid, it goes along with them saying Moronic is weak... It was about 10 percent what the colds I had as a kid growing up were, and now I'm immune.


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## Eddie_T

@zannej Some people use a utility knife to score deeply on the backing side and break like drywall or glass. My guess is that is best used for smaller cuts. Also some installers cut it just a bit larger than the substrate and file it to be flush with the edge.

I don't know if tape would help to get a smooth edge with the shears or not. I didn't try it since it was my rough cut. As you can see compared to the pencil line the edge on my cutoff is not a usable finished edge.




I used this device on the edge when I was doing a butt joint and my seams are essentially invisible.


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## zannej

Spicoli, I operate the same way I do with the flu as well, but I admit I wouldn't object to getting tested just to get my nasal passages cleaned out enough to make it easier to breathe through my nose. I'm going to wait a few days and go in for the nose-scrubbing. Hopefully I won't actually get it. I'm already having some sort of mild respiratory crud. When I thought I might possibly have Covid last year (before testing was available) and I had to go to the store I got in, got my stuff, & got out. Didn't stop to chat with anyone, didn't touch anything I wasn't buying, didn't get near other people. I just followed Walter the ventriloquist dummy's orders of "Get your sh** and get out!"

Eddie, what would you use on the front edge of a countertop with a flat edge? I will need to trim the edge piece both top and bottom and the front edge of the piece laying on top. I was thinking for the top part I could flip the countertop face down and then score the edge with a knife. Maybe for the front edge it could be turned up on the edge so the formica would be scored from the underside.

So, my friend wasn't able to pay his full bill for the month (it was fully paid the month before) but he made a partial payment of half the bill that it showed was owed 11 days ago. Today they shut off his power with no notice. He checked his bill and they said he owed $1,000.09. It wasn't even time for his bill to be due yet. They keep making his bill higher every single month. It's a 2 bedroom house. No way they are using so much power. I've got a 3 bedroom house with a well house that runs water pumps and a workshop and my bill is lower despite them tacking on $100 extra fee every month. They charge 10.79cents a kwh. Not sure what the hell my friend's power company is charging per kwh. But I do know it's illegal for them to cut off someone's power if they made even partial payment and their policy is a 20 day grace period and they didn't give him that or notice.


----------



## Spicoli43

Z, you have 2 other options to clean your sinuses out... You can snort a line of Cayenne powder, which is a helpful way to figure out you're still alive... Or, you can get a Neti Pot... It's like Navage, but $8 or so instead of $100. You can get one at any Natural Health store. 

I forgot to mention with the Vitamin C, the virus test... If you swallow enough Vitamin C, like 2-4 grams, your body will keep it if it's fighting a virus. If it's not fighting a virus, it will dump it in the toilet. That's not from me, that's from an Orthomolecular PhD, Andrew Saul. 

Regardless, if I had the Moronic variant, I will take that every month for the fun of it. It was so weak, it gets picked on by the other variants at Covid recess because it's so weak. 

You live in the %#$#%$#%@ Twilight Zone! Everything you say about that hellhole is insane... Normally I would say "In all due respect to where you live", but there is no pulling punches for your area. Are you sure you don't live in Beirut? 

He's getting screwed, it's not possible for the bill to be that high unless he's running a Meth lab. I'm at about 11 cents, and my bill is around $120 for Electric and Natural Gas.


----------



## Guzzle

"owed $1,000.09."
They're cutting their losses by cutting his power.

Interest on the unpaid balance @ some high rate?  Even if it's legal, getting his story into the local paper may help.

An unpaid balance of $100 owed 4 months ago @18%/month = $194.


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, I'm allergic to Cayenne pepper. I do have nasal sprays and such but they hit a blockage and won't go further. I have a deviated septum so one passage is smaller than the other. It took the brush to get past whatever the blockage is. 

I agree that there is no way in hell his bill was legitimately that high. Yeah, this area sucks.

Guzzle, He wasn't in several months of arrears though. He'd paid in full for all of the previous months but last month he had to make a partial payment and his bill for this month wasn't even due yet. They charged him an extra $140 fee on top of things and by law, they can't cut someone's power if they have made payments within 20 days. He was waiting for his next paycheck to pay more but they somehow artificially inflated his bill. They also refuse to let him see what his meter readings are and they don't give him a breakdown of his usage. They just give him a $ amount. I almost wonder if they are confusing his meter readings with the readings from the nearby grocery store somehow.


----------



## Guzzle

He should write to the Public Utility Commission in his state.  Meanwhile I guess he should get a generator or run a very heavy extension cord from his neighbor's outside outlet.  Don't run motors from this, tho.

There are no US debtor's prisons that I know of, so in principle he never has to pay them.

Welcome to US corporations & monopolies.  BTW, the PoCo is a "natural" monopoly.

Our ISP has already gotten unpaid labor out of us.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej I don't know what to advise as I have no experience other than what I did ·  ·  · and some of the details there I have forgotten. Maybe watch every YouTube video you can find on the subject. It would be nice if you had some scrap formica to practice with.

I used a trim router (not a full sized one) and did some practice on sink and cooktop  cutouts before getting brave enough to do the front edge.


----------



## zannej

Home Depot had a video showing how to install the formica over old formica that explained the process. I'd need a fine tooth downward cutting blade that fits my B&D Matrix jigsaw (but I can't seem to find downward cutting ones) and a ball bearing pilot bit that cold fit my B&D Matrix router attachment (or see if I have a router somewhere in the workshop). I think I have a plunge router somewhere.
Was really hoping the score and snap might work for some of the edges (before having to smooth them down. I'll have to find some old formica somewhere to practice on. The stuff going up the walls as backsplash in Mom's bathroom is not glued on, so I could use it.

Guzzle, they have actually restarted debtor's prisons in some states. One of the A states (can't remember of it was Arkansas or Alabama). People who have serious debt can be put in prison. Also, we do have a sort of debtor's jail system with people who couldn't afford to pay parking tickets/fines etc who end up going to jail for nonpayment, are unable to work to pay the fines, and perpetually stay in jail. They've had news stories on it because it involves private prisons.


----------



## Flyover

Daycare was closed yesterday so I had the baby with me all day, thus no lunchtime miter cuts on the table yet. Today though...

I did manage to steal some time for myself while the baby was napping to mess around with some clean guitar tones on my effects processor. It was through headphones so I don't know the "true" sound, but it sounded good to me anyway. It's cool how sometimes just having a new sound in your ears draws you along into writing new stuff (this definitely happened yesterday ).

For some reason, although I get a better distorted tone with better dynamics when I roll back the volume knob on the guitar to about midway, with clean tones it sounds better with the knob rolled all the way up, and still with lots of dynamic range. I wonder if it's because I never actually set my guitar up properly when I upgraded the pickups: I'm pretty sure they're mounted too low.

A buddy of mine used to do guitar setups. At the risk of having to find a new sweet spot for dynamics, I should ask him to take a look at it.


----------



## Guzzle

Flyover said:


> A buddy of mine used to do guitar setups. At the risk of having to find a new sweet spot for dynamics, I should ask him to take a look at it.


Out of my field.  
Does he use an oscilloscope & signal generators [triangle wave, square, sine]?
Guitar to pickup to electronics to speakers. Acoustic to electronics & back again.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't play well enough to justify getting one but I think the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro comes with the Peter Green pickup mod. I have a Fernandez sustainer.


----------



## zannej

I wish I knew more about musical instruments and the tuning stuff.
Woke up this morning feeling nauseous. Stomach does not like me. It was cold last night but the kitties kept me warm. I took some medicine & went back to sleep, just got woken up by the phone. Mom's eye doctor is going to be out of the office at the time of her appointment so they want her to come in during the morning instead of afternoon. Means we'll have to get up extra early because she takes a long time to get ready. I need to do some more loads of laundry for her soon, but my guts don't want me bending or lifting.

My friend reported that his gf has gone into full hypochondria mode and was sobbing like a baby yesterday because she had a temperature of 100.8. She went to the hospital over it & they sent her home & told her to rest. I try to remind myself that she has mental disorders that make her oversensitive and panicky about stuff. She's got mild schizophrenia so every minor medical thing freaks her out.

My one-eyed kitty is nipping at my hand right now because I'm typing instead of petting her.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej here's a link to some formica tips;
Cutting Tips for Laying Formica


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Eddie!

My friend's gf tested positive for Covid today. Said her lungs and chest hurt, she's having fever & diarrhea. Her baby now has fever and diarrhea. The people who infected her are also feeling bad today, but apparently that didn't stop them from going to Walmart. I messaged the friend who works there on Monday to tell him the people he saw behind me in line at the pharmacy have Covid & to steer clear. He told me they have been back in the store every day since- sometimes more than once per day. He's kept his distance though. He also told me that if I order curbside pickup he will make sure it gets brought out to me- but he said the pharmacy can't do curbside bc they are too understaffed. Said the store might have to shut down bc so many people have Covid. 

I'm still feeling nauseous. Got a sinus headache and earlier was having arrhythmia. Got irritation/itchin/tickling in my trachea. Almost out of cough drops. I've ordered more as well as vitamin C and zinc.

I did get some stuff done today- swept the hallway & wiped muddy pawprints off the counters. I'm about to see if the laundry is dry in the dryer. I picked up a bunch of Mom's laundry off her floor, shook it out, checked pockets to make sure they were empty, etc, and tossed them in. She tries to put her laundry in a basket/hamper but her dog pulls stuff out and stretches it across the floor so he can roll in it and sleep in it.


----------



## zannej

Took my Vitamin C and other vitamins. Made myself go outside, get gloves, and start cutting blackberry bushes. But the little mini chainsaw thing doesn't cut too much at a time and I have to hold each branch/weed I'm cutting on one end so it will actually cut and not just move. 1st battery died on me. Switched to second, realized I was sweating & getting short of breath. I need something that can cut larger swaths of these dry blackberry bushes. They were getting tangled on my sleeves and pants. I don't want anything gas powered (my gas cans all got stolen). I like battery powered stuff. A bunch of my weed-eating tools were stolen by the guy who was paid for yard work but never did the work. I'm very tempted to contact him and say "Hey, you still owe $800+ of work, come cut these blackberry bushes) and then watch him like a hawk." but I doubt he has any intention of ever repaying the money with work or $. 

I went for a walk and took in some nice deep breaths of the fresh air-- then devolved into a sneezing fit. I can't even figure out what is in the air to get my allergies going outside, but apparently there was something.

Feeling really tired but could feel worse. Cats are piled on the bed and spread out in the room on boxes and furniture. Dog is racked out at the foot of the bed. I'm waiting for Mom to want food so I can cook something for her.


----------



## Guzzle

Got 84' of gutters in four sections installed at the low bid of $1400 but they did try to sell me new fascia board @$12/ft.  Maldito!

That didn't work & so then I watched them for the whole 3 hrs (two guys).

50-50 I go with them for new siding.

They have my number & I have theirs, so to speak.


----------



## Spicoli43

I can't believe sheet metal costs that much. I assume they have the roll on the truck, and it just feeds it out and makes the gutters on site?


----------



## Guzzle

Spicoli43 said:


> I can't believe sheet metal costs that much. I assume they have the roll on the truck, and it just feeds it out and makes the gutters on site?


Yeah, they used my outside GFCI to power the machine.  I'd have used a gen so a HO can't say they destroyed his house wiring.  That cord must have been #8 AWG, it was a half inch thick.

That's what I don't know, the cost of 5" K style 0.032" white aluminum, 4ea. 2x3 downspouts, bands, end caps, supports every 18" on my say so, etc..


----------



## shan2themax

This is just stupid . I work 12 hours Sunday, and have to cross at least one bridge over the Ohio River to get home in all this junk in the dark.
I am terrified of plummeting off a bridge into the river. (Short story.... I was dragged through flood waters when I was a small child). 
Anywhere from 6 to 9 inches


----------



## zannej

Shan, that does sound frightening. I once got grabbed by some undertow and dragged in the ocean when I was first learning to scuba dive. Not nearly as dramatic though. I do often have anxiety dreams about going off bridges or roads in to water in a vehicle and trying to get my mother out before the vehicle completely sinks and fills with water.

I've been wearing a mask and trying to isolate from my mother (don't care if I have a cold, flu, or Covid-- I don't want her getting sick). But that got blown today. I was eating some pork chops and was chewing very carefully because I've had trouble in recent months with swallowing meat for some reason. I started getting air bubbles that I couldn't belch out and the food felt like it was getting stuck. I started hiccupping and felt myself choking a bit. I drank some water to try to flush it down but it backfired. It came pouring out my nose and mouth and I couldn't breathe for at least 30 seconds and ended up having to spew all the water and chewed meat all over myself, the floor, and apparently on the dogs. I made it to the trash can and heaved as much as I could out. But apparently Mom's little dog went running to her and climbed in her lap. She heard me hacking stuff up so she knew it was me and called me to say the dog got my puke on her. She was laughing about it though. I then had her pound on my back to get the air bubbles out. General consensus among friends is that it's probably acid reflux symptoms. Bleh. At least my nostrils got cleared out but my throat doesn't feel great. 

Time for the dogs to get baths.


----------



## Flyover

Got the miters on my waterfall table cut a few days ago but haven't had a good opportunity to glue up yet. Today's unlikely to work because I probably will spend most of it at the auction house picking up the treadmill we won...this particular warehouse has been a crowded, poorly run clusterf the last few years.

Realized the table is red oak, not red maple. Explains a lot.


----------



## Guzzle

shan2themax said:


> I am terrified of plummeting off a bridge into the river. (Short story.... I was dragged through flood waters when I was a small child).


That seems to count as a phobia, but it may not be disabling.
Still, nobody needs more anxiety nowadays.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was eating small stick pretzels dipping them in mustard when I recalled my first taste of such. When I was 13 we were visiting my mom's sister in NJ. My cousin and I rode the bus from Haddon Heights to Haddonfield to go swimming in the municipal pool. Ar the concession stand she introduced me to a stick pretzel held with a napkin and brush painted with mustard. I was also introduced (not at the pool) to pecan sticky buns which I have never seen any that compared with them to date.


----------



## zannej

The cabinets in my house are made of red oak, and back in the 80s we got 1k board ft of oak for around $200 so we had a lot of it for projects. It's not easy to cut through and drill unless you have very good bits & blades.

Friend's gf called after midnight bc my friend had to go to the ER. He had trouble breathing and was coughing up dark blood. Said he made a Jackson Pollock style "artwork" on the ER wall with blood when he really got to coughing. They didn't really do anything for him- just ran tests and sent him home. Pretty much what they always do with any serious ailment unless they have to transport someone to another hospital so they can get competent treatment, but the other hospitals were all full. They send people home when they are having heart attacks & stroke bc they suck here. They prescribed prednisone and told him to take Tylenol for his massive headache. He should probably be getting meds via a nebulizer, but they are absolutely incompetent.

Been coughing up mucus this morning. bleh. Need to get more Mucinex but the store was out.

His GF just called again. Her boss was absolutely insisting she had to come in to work today despite still being sick. She got to work and they could see she was sick, asked what was wrong, she told them and they said "WTF? Go HOME!" and said they would speak to HR. But a cook just got fired for being sick. I think they need a class action lawsuit for people getting fired for being sick with something contagious and not being able to work. Again, don't care what virus it is-- if it's contagious and a person is ill, they don't need to be made to go to work sick & risk losing their job. She was stressing last night about having to go to work sick & they demanded she come in or lose her job and then when she got there they said she's not even on the schedule. So, someone is dicking her around I think.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> . . .pecan sticky buns which I have never seen any that compared with them to date.


Down here I can get New York Style Crumb Cake but none of the other stuff I had as a kid.
Seems to me Entenman's made some kind of cream filled cake.


----------



## Eddie_T

Of all places I found something close (but not quite) to the NJ buns in Anchorage, AK. I should have asked them if they were from NJ. I am told that none come close to NY pizza either.


----------



## Guzzle

When I was a kid it seemed nothing ever changed.  Now it seems that everything is changing all the time.

I hardly recognize my NJ home town & the address at which I first lived may not exist anymore.

I stand corrected, it rents for $1200/mon.


----------



## Eddie_T

I ordered a folding knife, a MAM2038. It appears to be similar to the Opinel.


----------



## Spicoli43

Made some Chocolate yesterday with the intention of using Erythritol instead of Sugar because it's actually good for teeth, as the bacteria like Strep Mutans can't feed on it, likewise with the gut. I made the mix 70% (65% Cacao Nibs, 5% Cacao Butter, 30% Erythritol.) That was a mistake, as it seems much sweeter in the bar than by the spoonful. I might try Xylitol next time, which is also friendly for the teeth. (And is less potent). 

The next batch will be 90% though, so I can establish a baseline between "Way too much Cacao" and "Way too sweet"... 

When adding ground chunky Coffee into the mix with Cane Sugar, the Coffee tames it way down at the 70% level, so I know there is a sweetener, but it's not powerful. That isn't the case with Erythritol, which is full blast. It's all a grand experiment, and it's fun... The smell of fresh ground Cacao is like Heaven, and it fills the whole house. If you have never used a Melanger, you don't know that smell. If you have made Chocolate on the stove with Cocoa powder, you still don't know the smell. It's just indescribable.


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> When I was a kid it seemed nothing ever changed.  Now it seems that everything is changing all the time.
> 
> I hardly recognize my NJ home town & the address at which I first lived may not exist anymore.
> 
> I stand corrected, it rents for $1200/mon.



Yeah, I moved out of my first home when I was 10, then went back to see the town when I could drive and it had exploded. It took a while to find my way back. As a kid I only rode my bike 8 blocks each direction or so, but there wasn't that much left in the town. Also, as an 18 year old, the street and nearby park were tiny, but they were gigantic just 8 years earlier. 

The Tree I "helped" my Brother plant in the front yard now blankets the entire front of the house and half the neighbors, since the owners have no idea what to do with it apparently.


----------



## zannej

I heard that there was a huge fire or chlorine burning in NJ recently. You ever been to Clifton or Paterson areas? I think the house my father was born in (Clifton) is still around somewhere.

Chocolate looks good!

I went back to see my father's house in Clifton back in the late 90s. The owners at the time did not like us taking pictures and looking. We told him my dad was born in the house and he told us to f*** off. LOL. Sadly, both rolls of film from that trip got lost by air force photo lab.

Visited the house my Mom grew up in years back. I remembered seeing it in the 80s, went back in late 90s and the open fields were gone and filled with cookie cutter houses. I would get lost in those neighborhoods where every house looks the same.

I've looked at some of my past homes on google earth. Can't get a good view the house on Golden Shower Ln bc it's on military housing on Guam so they don't allow closeups. My apartment complex on Peck Hay Rd in Singapore was torn down and replaced with an ugly building. The plum tree in front of my house in California is gone. House in Virginia had numerous changes-- a gazebo was installed on a deck, they added a side garage entry and driveway, and the backyard looks a LOT smaller than I remember it. Swingset is gone and there are houses where forested area used to be.

It's chilly, cloudy, and damp today. It's making me sleepy. I'm trying to fill up a walmart cart for curbside pickup tomorrow or monday. I washed dishes and cooked corned beef hash and eggs for Mom. Got the eggs to her satisfaction this time.


----------



## Guzzle

Had a cousin in Clifton & had to live in Paterson for a while with an iron-fisted aunt & her wimp husband.  If I had stayed in Paterson, right now I'd be dead or in jail.

The house in NJ has been remodeled & expanded.  The new owners, two women, did *not* tell me to get lost.

I still go to HS reunions & the one-time Prom Queen & I exchange Christmas cards.  

At one reunion I learned that a curvy but not bright girl in my class apparently traded sex for tutoring & when she graduated she dumped the guy.

By now 1/3 of my class has probably died, even the good guys.
One classmate dropped 200' off the GW Bridge & did not survive.  Another killed himself.  And another one does seem to be mobbed up.  The odds are 5 or 10% were gay.


I mostly didn't hang around with my classmates & they didn't mess with me.

Ay, yi, yi. . . 
This account kind of sounds like out-of-the-ordinary but it might not be.


----------



## Spicoli43

"Golden Shower Ln"... Military humor at work. 

Well, I had a whole bar of the Erythritol Coffee Chocolate, 2 ounces, and about an hour later, this was the conversation...

Guts... "What did you eat"?

Me... "Chocolate"

Guts... "We know Chocolate, we are familiar, and we recognize the Coffee as well. Both have VIP parking spaces and Coffee is our CEO. I will ask again, what did you eat"?

Me... "Chocolate with Erythritol".

Guts... "So, you think combining Erythritol with Coffee and Chocolate was a good idea"?

Me... "Sure".

Guts... "Didn't think of running that by our Board of Directors, kind of an ask for forgiveness instead of permission thing"?

Me... "Yep".

Guts... "Well, since we will pay for your mistake, so will you. We hope you didn't make any plans tonight, but we really hope you did". 

So, basically I nailed the recipe for 17 (2 ounce) bars of a potent laxative with a residual Fart Fan runtime of 20 minutes.


----------



## zannej

Yup. Golden Shower was where they put people they didn't like.

Oh man, I guess that combo together just did not sit well. Yikes. I hope it passes quickly. At least you have a humorous way of describing it. Reminds me of reviews of Haribo Sugar Free Gummy Bears.


----------



## Eddie_T

Mullein tea supposedly has many medicinal benefits including lung decongestion. Any growing on your property?


----------



## Guzzle

Replaced a worn wall outlet.  Then a different breaker tripped but it was not related to my doings.


----------



## Eddie_T

In the midst of a winter storm.


----------



## Guzzle

Somewhere I have a photo of my 1975 Triumph Spitfire with only the antenna sticking out of the snow.  Those were the days. 

Caught our mortgage company now declaring our new mortgage payment to be higher than if we'd paid the escrow in one lump sum & I know they cashed that escrow check on Jan 6.

They do this every year.  If this were an honest error, half the time it would be in our favor.


----------



## zannej

If there is any Mullein tea plant growing on my property, I don't know about it. Not even sure what it looks like.

Woke up feeling cold but legs were sweating. Dogs and cats were piled on. It's usual for my room to be cold but not for Mom's room but hers was cold too. I checked the thermostat. Low setting is 64 but temp was showing as 56. I messed with the thermostat to turn it to heat mode. Then I started smelling burning/smoke. Sort of like the smell when the timber company does "controlled burns". I turned the AC to "off" mode but it wouldn't turn off. So I went to the breaker and shut off all of the ones I know affect the AC. I alerted my family that there might be a fire, and got my brother to get the ladder and hold it for me while I checked the attic. Unfortunately, I'm too unbalanced and stiff to really climb up there so I used a flashlight, but ladder isn't tall enough so I couldn't see much. I took video but it didn't get much either because it got stuck focusing on stuff nearby instead of farther away and the flash wasn't strong enough to see things farther away. Smell diminished somewhat after I turned things off. My brother is being a condescending snot saying he knows what burning smells like and it just smells to him like a heater working-- mind you, when he first woke up he said he smelled something burning. The cover for the attic access fell and I couldn't get it to go back up. I'll have to put it back up later when I'm not so winded.


----------



## Guzzle

Jesus.


----------



## Eddie_T

It's not uncommon to get a burning smell the first time a backup resistance element kicks in for the heating season. Also the fan will stay on for a bit until the element cools.


----------



## Guzzle

On the phone, using very poor German, I told the putzfrau in Germany that our cleaning lady is "with child" but it "was not me."

It took her a full 10 seconds to get that meaning.  I assume she knows about Ahhhnold.  And it seems "that was him."


----------



## zannej

Eddie, if this had been the first time it had kicked on this season, I could understand a little burning, but it's gotten down to the 20s in past weeks and the heat has kicked on without a smell. I may be overreacting, but I've had multiple friends lose their homes to fire before. I want to err on the side of caution. With this thermostat, turning to OFF hasn't worked in years. It used to cut fans and such as soon as I turned it to off. But now it won't respond to OFF at all. I can wait over 30min and it still stays stuck in fan mode.

When I warm up enough I'm going to change the filters again. I really don't want AC people coming over right now when the house is such a mess and I'm not feeling so great. I wish I was flexible and thin enough to climb into the AC compartment to look for any dust or lint that could be causing the smell. I'll pour bleach down the condensate line as well to see if that does anything. I doubt it would have an impact though.

I just set up a pickup order for later today.


----------



## shan2themax

Guzzle said:


> That seems to count as a phobia, but it may not be disabling.
> Still, nobody needs more anxiety nowadays.



I drive over one of the bridges multiple days a week. I dont even give it a second thought..... until there is snow and ice and/or the temps are freezing. Then I am irrational. When I was little even when it was warmer outside when we would visit my grandmother about 90 minutes away, if we were on the parts of the road close to the river I would attempt to hold my breath as long as I could see water. In addition to the flooding. I also grew up listening to stories of "the silver bridge" falling into the Ohio River when my mom was a teen
 She had gone over the bridge about 15 minutes before the collapse. I was always super anxious about these 2 things as a child (and a lot of other things). My mom always thought I was just being dramatic. 

Anyhow, I have a horrible headache and stomach ache today, so I can't  go to work until I talk to employee health and get tested for Covid. I will try to find a link for the bridge collapse.


----------



## shan2themax

Wikipedia's link








						Silver Bridge - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org
				





Article that includes local folklore:








						The deadliest bridge disaster in US history was caused by a tiny crack just three millimeters deep
					

In 1967, 64 people went into the frigid Ohio River




					timeline.com


----------



## zannej

I don't think it's totally irrational to worry about being on bridges when it there is ice/snow. I always had a thing about heights. I hated when we would drive up winding mountain roads. I was always worried we were going to miss a turn or lose control and fly off. I would have to close my eyes.

I hope you get feeling better soon.

Replacing filters and cleaning the hell out of the grilles worked. I hadn't cleaned the grille in my brother's room in a long time since it's in a dark corner and I can't really see it. I had to ask him to point a light at it for me so I could see how filthy it was. I should have worn a mask bc I got tons of dust up my nose. I had to sweep up trash and all the crud that came off the grille. Took me about 10min (I had to take some breathers as bending isn't good for me and I eventually had to get down on the floor when my back was giving me trouble). But, got them cleaned, fresh filters & breakers back on and heat is working again.

I made yellow rice for Mom. Came out with an odd taste & smell and can't quite place it. Almost like mold, but the pot was clean (I washed it right before use). She was ok with it bc she asked for seconds. I'm going to nap until it's time to go get my pickup order.

I've got  bit of a headache so I'm hugging my cat and listening to his purr.


----------



## Guzzle

So there is a real basis for your fear.

If large, fast moving trucks with drunk drivers crossing the bridge during snow & ice never broke thru the guard rails, for decades, I'd be reassured. 
But you are not me.

We do carry a hammer in each car for breaking out the elec. windows in the event of submersion.

There are proly videos on Youtube for handling this event. 
I haven't watched them; the hammer & the guard rails & the low cross-section profile of our cars is enough for me.


----------



## Eddie_T

It probably has nothing to do with rationalization. It may be similar to claustrophobia which I sometimes (fortunately rarely) experience.


----------



## zannej

Some phobias do have some basis in rationality, but then go beyond rational thought. I don't really think it's irrational to be wary of icy bridges as they really can pose a threat. Claustrophobia can make sense- especially if you've ever nearly suffocated before. I don't think my Mom has, but she is claustrophobic. 

Got my nap in, picked up my order, rushed in the door to put stuff away and made it to the bathroom before my bladder could explode. Came back out and organized things a little better. I'm about to take a cough drop because my bronchial tubes don't like me right now.


----------



## Flyover

I grew up in Cleveland where people are accustomed to driving in blizzards, but when after my sojourn throughout the nation I eventually settled in southwest and central Ohio, I found that drivers here seem to react to seeing a fleck of snow hit the ground by spontaneously forgetting how to operate their vehicles, and panicking instead. I'm guessing this probably happens in southeast Ohio too, basically anywhere south of about 42˚ latitude.

So Shan, you can at least hide in the crowd, but I doubt hardly anyone else can justify their behavior by citing a truly traumatic childhood incident.

That bridge collapse you linked reminds me of the Mothman movie with Richard Gere. I think it was set in SE Ohio too. Pretty good movie.


----------



## Guzzle

zannej said:


> before my bladder could explode.


I shouldn't be reading this. . .


----------



## shan2themax

@Flyover yes the Mothman! That actually happen in Mason County Wva @Point Pleasant, across from Gallipolis, Ohio. My mom is from Mason County. I also grew up hearing those stories, although I have never been able to recount them effectively.  I will say though, from the stories I heard to the movie, there really wasn't much similarities. Most sightings happened in the TNT area of Mclintic wildlife management area. There were munitions bunkers on the property somewhere and those were thought to have been the mothmans "caves".  It is actually a nice area, there are some ponds you can fish. I havent been there in about a decade, there isnt much there. However, the Mason County fair is held yearly a couple of miles from where this is.
More folklore about the area: 
There is a state park, it is called Tu Endie Wei, that means "the point between two waters" the Battle of Point Pleasant was fought there and some say it started the revolutionary war. I always did horribly in History class so IDK. There are alot of artifacts there and rooms set up with authentic furniture and a kitchen set up exactly as it would have been in the 1770s. (I *believe* the log home at the state park is original). The Shawnee Chief Cornstalk is who led the efforts. It has been said that that area will never prosper until it becomes a dry area (alcohol), supposedly as a curse.
You would think that because is has 2 different rivers surrounding the western and southern (I'm directionally challenged) sides of the small town of Point Pleasant, that it would have become more prosperous in the 1800s and 1900s. 
I have always been told I was related to Chief Cornstalk but idk about that. I am of British, European, Scottish and Irish decent per Ancestry DNA. I dont think the British and Shawnee were that "friendly" with one another, but I could be wrong.

Another childhood weirdness:
My mom played with a Ouija board when she was a teen/young adult, I used to love listening to her stories when I was little but when I became an older teenager I started getting creeped out by the story she told where the Ouija board they used always said its name was Nancy . 
So.... what I am saying is that I heard creepy stories about different things my entire childhood lol


----------



## Guzzle

shan2themax said:


> So.... what I am saying is that I heard creepy stories about different things my entire childhood lol


And now you can look at those stories thru an adult's eyes.

What we *didn't* do today is take the rapid antigen tests.  That's fine with me, the omicron case graph is rounding off & will soon fall,


----------



## shan2themax

Guzzle said:


> And now you can look at those stories thru an adult's eyes.



Yes! And that is the best part (and most freeing)


----------



## zannej

I think my Mom mentioned using a Ouija board once as a kid. Someone moved the board with their knees and they all freaked out. She never did it again. She used to do Tarot card readings and apparently was pretty accurate, but then someone told her it was evil so she stopped. She also played some game with her friends and sisters where they would hang a pendulum and it would swing toward numbers, letters etc. According to the pendulum she was told she would have 3 kids-- two girls and one boy.

I woke up drenched in sweat and feeling like absolute garbage. Yesterday I started having some trouble breathing. I couldn't pick up a damn ladder because I felt weaker than usual and couldn't breathe when I tried to lift it. Today I feel worse. I can feel that the mucus has migrated lower. My nose stuffed up last night (despite taking medicine) and I had trouble sleeping because the sound of my own nose whistling was driving me crazy. I tried blowing my nose into tissues and so forth but that didn't help. When I sat up I was wheezing. I called my doctor's office & they said to come in and get checked out. Probably bronchitis or the flu.


----------



## Guzzle

shan2themax said:


> Yes! And that is the best part (and most freeing)


With the bridge




__





						List of bridge failures - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				



you could view each person who successfully crosses the bridge each day as a lab animal who spins a roulette wheel & wins.
After thousands of people-crossings I'd say the bridge is safer than just about any other daily activity.
Even if it does disintegrate, what is the likelihood you'll be on it at the same time?

For the people who build bridges, the saying is "Every bridge takes a life."


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> Caught our mortgage company now declaring our new mortgage payment to be higher than if we'd paid the escrow in one lump sum & I know they cashed that escrow check on Jan 6.
> 
> They do this every year.  If this were an honest error, half the time it would be in our favor.



Escrow is made up of Mathilliterates. They are the people that didn't get past 2+2. Every year, they either take too much and send me a refund check or take too less and send me a bill saying to pay X or they will raise my mortgage amount.

I don't need Escrow because I can drive down to the County building and pay the taxes myself, and I have an insurance agent for the car. If they insist on holding my hand, at least they could use some of that cash to buy a few brain cells.


----------



## Guzzle

My mortgage co. seems to give orders to the USPS.  

And, we didn't use our home equity line of credit so they sent us packages saying "Urgent Mortgage Notification".  
After a while I started sending them back unopened.  They they called me about this so I started talking about a valve I couldn't find & I read 107v on the plate but not on the grid & what did this mean?  She got embarrassed & hung up.

Then they threatened not to release the lien even tho I never used the line of credit.  After 6 mos some guy wrote me to say he was releasing the lien so I went to the courthouse to confirm.  He was actually telling the truth.


----------



## Guzzle

shan2themax said:


> Yes! And that is the best part (and most freeing)


There was a bartender in Park City, UT.
Death took her brother @ age 21 so she does acrobatic stunts on skis at great speed, jumps off of things I would never jump off of, she trusts in physics, momentum, “moments of inertia”, etc. etc..
So I figured she was giving the finger to Death.

If you want to give the finger to Death, spend a whole day driving slowly over the most rickety & highest bridges you can find.  Then do it again.


----------



## Flyover

Guzzle said:


> With the bridge
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> List of bridge failures - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> you could view each person who successfully crosses the bridge each day as a lab animal who spins a roulette wheel & wins.
> After thousands of people-crossings I'd say the bridge is safer than just about any other daily activity.
> Even if it does disintegrate, what is the likelihood you'll be on it at the same time?
> 
> For the people who build bridges, the saying is "Every bridge takes a life."


You've zeroed in on the "irrational" part of "irrational fear/dislike" that makes a phobia a phobia. "Rational" as in, able to be expressed as a ratio. If no ratio of "safe bridge crossings" to "bridge collapses" can make a person not feel too scared to cross the bridge, then that is a legit phobia.


----------



## Guzzle

Never heard that before. . .


----------



## Eddie_T

I one sought to purchase some used climbing rope for yard use. Apparently climbers are snowflakes as none would sell to me. Their fear seemed to be that I would use the rope for climbing and sue them if it failed. Which reminds me; a good climbing rope will last _____ years, a bad one will last a lifetime.


----------



## Guzzle

And there's a rope called Red Alert, it shows a red core when it's time to discard.


----------



## zannej

Shortly after reading stuff about bridge collapses and icy bridges, one of my cousins posted a pic of a truck that went off an icy bridge recently. Landed on an underpass, rather than water, but still ugly.

I woke up feeling awful. Got an appointment with the NP, went in and got tested for Covid & flu. Negative for both, but I have bronchitis- which is what I suspected. Now I wait for the understaffed pharmacy to fill my prescriptions. She was going to give me a sample inhaler but they were out. She said she'd call me when they come in. Since I don't have insurance the nebulizer medicine would be too expensive. I still need to get replacement parts for my brother's nebulizer. He may actually be able to get parts covered by Medicaid though.


----------



## Guzzle

A heavy truck or bus moving fast can do a lot more damage to guard rails than a passenger vehicle.  And box trucks are not too stable with crosswinds.


----------



## shan2themax

There are 3 bridges I can cross from Ohio into Wva. I usually use the same one. It's a suspension bridge. They actually said a few years ago it had a defect and needed some major work. However, that kind of disappeared as a lot of news does. The bridge doesn't bother me at all under any other conditions. I drive over it a minimum of 6 times a week. When I drive it in suboptimal conditions of my liking, I rationalize why I will make it completely across it every time. Still makes me a nervous wreck. 
I actually remember before this bridge was built. I use to live across the street from where the foot of it is currently. The house I lived in is now an ATM machine. Lol


----------



## Guzzle

The Tacoma Narrows bridge taught them about resonance.  One car & one dog was lost, IIRC.

Computer design can probably make perfect bridges but there is always the "iron" project triangle of quality, schedule & cost. 
Nobody can do any two at the same time & certainly not all three.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I spent most of my childhood in the Tacoma area. "Galloping Gertie" was her name, and it wasn't fun going across the replacement because I already had a fear of heights instilled in me by my older Brothers. 

Add in a bridge that acts like a Bull and doesn't want you on it? 

No Thanks.


----------



## shan2themax

This is a decent aerial view of the span. It is gorgeous. 













						East Huntington Bridge - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org


----------



## Flyover

shan2themax said:


> It is gorgeous.


Aside from a section roughly between Cleveland and Akron that I've always loved, Ohio gets more scenic (but unfortunately, with fewer opportunities for work) as you go south and east.

I've known several people who lived in Athens and commuted to Columbus, which I find insane. Then again, since leaving CA I've been pretty averse to any commute longer than 10 minutes (and in the last few years, any commute longer than walking to my basement).

One of my best friends is in town visiting from the other side of the planet. Haven't seen him in about 7 or 8 years. He's here with his wife, whom I've never met. We'll all have lunch today and then spend the day together so he can meet my kids. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at me but I'm very excited.


----------



## Guzzle

This resonance thing is the same reason soldiers marching over a bridge are supposed to break up their steps.

And metal fatigue came as a big surprise for a railroad bridge a long time ago.


----------



## Guzzle

Will be making 60 phone calls after 7 PM to get bids on flooring, siding, window cleaning & NG furnace replacement.

The first two HVAC guys would not tell me how much a control board would cost but instead talked about warranty.

With one window cleaning co., the daughter of the owner is the girl friend of my wife's friend's son. 
I thought I should mention that because it would give us an "inside track" but  my wife says "No."  

OK. . .no.


----------



## shan2themax

There is a sizable amount of staff that drive 45 to 90 minutes one way to my facility which I find crazy. The wear and tear on your car, and travel time alone would have  to eat up the increased wages I would think. 

We are supposed to get a little more snow tomorrow night and saturday. I am excited for warmer weather so that the puppies can be outside longer and my daughter has more day light to deliver in and I can plant some sunflowers!


----------



## Guzzle

Here, the winter solstice gives us 9 hrs of daylight, going to 15 for the summer solstice, & we're at about the same latitude.
We'll get there!


----------



## zannej

Mom woke me up an hour earlier than I'd planned to go in. Brother wasn't feeling well, coughing up green mucus, so I went by myself to get mail and then stand in line at the pharmacy. My friend who works there wished me luck on my way in. It was a fairly long wait, but not as long as last time. The lady behind me was an elementary school teacher. She said she's sick but out of sick days and that they will still make her work from home and post online but not pay her because she can't physically come in. Pretty sure it's illegal for them to have her work and not pay her for it, but not surprised.

I noticed the pharmacy clerk who is normally fairly chatty and friendly seemed like she could barely move. She was still friendly, but I could tell she was not feeling well. She's been moving a lot slower the last few times I've seen her, but she looks like she's getting up there in age.

I grabbed some groceries that were back in stock, said bye to my friend on the way out (he now stands with the greeters) and went to load stuff into my truck. Pudding cup slipped out of its box and as I was sliding it back in, it managed to cut my thumb open and make it bleed. Papercut type- nothing major, but annoying as hell. It adds to my list of weird injuries/cuts: medicine blister pack foil, glass shelf, microwave door, & paintbrush were all on the list before.

I cooked one of the tv dinners for Mom and she was happy. Was feeling kind of weak and exhausted so I took a nap. Just woke up after Mom paged to tell me someone in our town extorted several hundred thousand $ from the city somehow. I'll have to look it up later. I was too tired.


----------



## Guzzle

IIRC, green means infection.


----------



## Spicoli43

Woke up around 0400 because a smoke alarm started it's battery end of life chirp. Of course that never happens at 1300. I replaced the batteries in all 5 alarms, but there was no napping after that. I like to get up at 0500 anyway. I don't know if the First Alert alarms themselves are the problem, or the Kirkland "Duracell" AA batteries that only last 4 months are. I'm going to get some Dollar Store AA's for my next rotation as an experiment.

The main companies (First Alert and Kidde) must enlist their employees to relentlessly bash the other brand, as both have Thousands of horrible reviews.


----------



## Guzzle

I wear ear protectors B4 I press the self-test button. 
Some of these smoke detectors work down to 7.6v, others bail at 8 something.
Defender makes a CO detector that alarms at very low levels.

Looked up a cone-beam x-ray machine for dental work.  A chat window popped up so I asked them how much it cost.  Wrong way to start a live chat!


----------



## zannej

Yeah, I think my brother is on prednisone for the sinus infection. I thought I was going to get prednisone but I think the NP mixed me up with another patient. Gave me some anti-malaria drug that has made me very sick. Ugh.

I'm trying to not throw up.


----------



## Guzzle

With Metronidizole I have low level nausea for the two week course.

"Prednisone is used to treat many different conditions such as hormonal disorders, skin diseases, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, allergic conditions, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, eye diseases, lung diseases, asthma, tuberculosis, blood cell disorders, kidney disorders, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, organ transplant rejection, swelling from a brain tumor or injury."

Mein Gott!


----------



## Guzzle

Grainger wants $1,100 for ~90k btu/hr, 80% eff. furnaces.  
The first bid came in at $4,200, so possibly $200 per manhour of labor, or slightly more.


----------



## zannej

Still feeling a little crappy, but could be worse. I'm mostly tired. The kitties are making me feel a little better by purring for me. My brother made red beans and rice which turned out well. This time he left out stuff that I can't eat so its better.


----------



## Guzzle

Some time ago I thought I lost a flip phone my wife gave me & wanted the account closed & a refund of the unused minutes, maybe $300 worth.  The provider gave her the runaround, I wrote to Consumer Protection, the cleaning lady found the phone under something in the house after a week or two, I wrapped it in tin foil to put it incommunicado.

Today we got a check with no explanation for $140 from some corp. that may be related to the provider.
Had a letter ready again to the Cons. Prot. asking that they compel whoever sent us this check to explain the amount in a sworn statement.
My frau put the kibosh on this.  I then recommended she ask the bank if this check will bounce.

If the check clears I will be putting a propane torch to this phone, then autopsy it.

Putting stuff in writing apparently compels agencies to respond.  For now.


----------



## Guzzle

For you bridge fans. . .


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> I wear ear protectors B4 I press the self-test button.
> Some of these smoke detectors work down to 7.6v, others bail at 8 something.
> Defender makes a CO detector that alarms at very low levels.
> 
> Looked up a cone-beam x-ray machine for dental work.  A chat window popped up so I asked them how much it cost.  Wrong way to start a live chat!



Well, the out of life batteries according to the smoke detector show up as almost fully charged in the Roku remote.


----------



## Guzzle

The web shows typ. milliamphour capacity for AA batts. but the cheap ones might have 1/3 of this value.


----------



## Guzzle

Got my second furnace bid @ $6100 for a trane ts8x2c100m5psca for which I cannot find the input BTU/hr.


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> Got my second furnace bid @ $6100 for a trane ts8x2c100m5psca for which I cannot find the input BTU/hr.



Do you have a Costco membership? If so, you can get a quote from Lennox..



			https://www.costco.com/lennox-heating-air-conditioning.html


----------



## Sparky617

Spicoli43 said:


> Do you have a Costco membership? If so, you can get a quote from Lennox..
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.costco.com/lennox-heating-air-conditioning.html


I wonder who Costco has doing the installations?  Given Costco is a national company, I'm guessing they have one company that is doing the work, which would be someone like ARS.  I wouldn't let ARS come within 50 feet of my HVAC equipment.


----------



## Spicoli43

ARS Rescue Rooter? They are only in 24 States.


----------



## Sparky617

Spicoli43 said:


> ARS Rescue Rooter? They are only in 24 States.


Well we can be sure Costco isn't doing it themselves, not sure if there are any nationwide companies, but they are definitely using one or more large regional companies.  ARS is really good at selling new equipment instead of repairing it.  I have neighbors that use ARS and are already on their 3rd system in 20 years.  I just replaced my 22 year old systems this year.  My HVAC guy has been really good at keeping them running.  I haven't spent more than $400 on repairs on the two systems in any one year versus buying a new system for $6000-7000.


----------



## Eddie_T

Breakfast for supper. Yeast augmented pancakes topped with a pair of eggs over easy and Log Cabin Original Syrup (maybe the original spelling of syrup).


----------



## Guzzle

Sparky617 said:


> I just replaced my 22 year old systems this year.  My HVAC guy has been really good at keeping them running.  I haven't spent more than $400 on repairs on the two systems in any one year versus buying a new system for $6000-7000.


Why replace them now?  Just curious.

My replacement reason now seems to be that my furnace is 50% oversized, so it probably short-cycles.  This oversizing seems to have been SOP in 1982. 
I'm not anymore worried about a gas explosion.  Also, I guess the efficiency is lousy, never had the heat exchanger cleaned.

So I know what to expect, now that I have a furnace model number I can probably price out a control board from Trible's.  Neither HVAC bidder would tell me & just cited warranty lengths.


----------



## havasu

I have 3 Costco's within 20 minutes from my house, and all 3 a/c and heater salespersons are from different companies. All three are very large companies which charge a bunch. Before getting my new system for $7995, which was a 5 ton unit, with all new ducting, new vents, installed in the attic, with a wifi thermostat that show my vacation pics all day. The company wanted $13,500 for basic install, with no gadgets, but I would have received a $1000 Costco gift card. Whoopee...


----------



## Sparky617

Guzzle said:


> Why replace them now?  Just curious.
> 
> My replacement reason now seems to be that my furnace is 50% oversized, so it probably short-cycles.  This oversizing seems to have been SOP in 1982.
> I'm not anymore worried about a gas explosion.  Also, I guess the efficiency is lousy, never had the heat exchanger cleaned.
> 
> So I know what to expect, now that I have a furnace model number I can probably price out a control board from Trible's.  Neither HVAC bidder would tell me & just cited warranty lengths.


I'm finishing my basement so I needed to install a new system there.  The one unit was requiring about 3 lbs of refrigerant every year so it was becoming a constant maintenance issue.  The other unit lost some, but not as fast as the first floor unit.  I figure I got my money out of them.   Since many of my neighbors have already replaced their replacement, I figure I'm doing pretty good to be on my first replacement after almost 23 years of living here.  The new units are more efficient 2 stage units too.


----------



## Sparky617

havasu said:


> I have 3 Costco's within 20 minutes from my house, and all 3 a/c and heater salespersons are from different companies. All three are very large companies which charge a bunch. Before getting my new system for $7995, which was a 5 ton unit, with all new ducting, new vents, installed in the attic, with a wifi thermostat that show my vacation pics all day. The company wanted $13,500 for basic install, with no gadgets, but I would have received a $1000 Costco gift card. Whoopee...


It is a lot like contracting installation services from Lowe's or Home Depot then.  You often can get better deals by going with an independent guy.  I have a garage door guy I've used directly.  He does installs for Lowe's but for my repairs I just go directly to him.  Very responsive and no middle man mucking up the works.


----------



## Guzzle

I wouldn't go with HD, Lowes, etc..  
They are large enough that they don't have to abide by contractual obligations & they know exactly what the general public will put up with.  
And with the net they know what customers are lawyers.

They also know how many customers they will lose for each dollar increase in bid price, but with the extensive cust. info they demand they can get a good price for this info from the dark web or the other web.

I just wanted to buy a basement window from HD that they didn't have in stock.  They wanted my phone number, I refused to provide it, I told him to make up a number.  One auto dealership did this for me [they'll probably fire the parts guy for doing this].

The HD guy gave me looks that would kill. 

So I made up a number & the HD computer came back within a millisecond with "invalid number".
I walked out & instead caulked my existing basement windows.

I know enough that I don't have to put up with this caca.



One HVAC guy bid a two stage unit but I want less complexity.  In fact, since I don't care about efficiency but only that I can fix it myself, I may now wait for a major failure.  
I'll still get multiple bids from my list of HVAC contractors, tho.

It seems my reasoning on this HVAC issue is evolving. I guess that's good.


----------



## zannej

Hope you can get the new HVAC installed for a reasonable price.

I had an allergic reaction to something yesterday-- I think the antibiotic even though it's not a sulfa drug. I'm waiting for my doctor to call me back to see what he advises. Couldn't get through to the pharmacy. When I listed the medicine combo a doctor friend of mine told me it's an experimental treatment for Covid-- but I tested negative for that-- but not bronchitis and there is no reason for it to have been prescribed to me. So either I'm being used as a guinea pig if she's participating in a study and she's just experimenting to see if it works for bronchitis or if she confused me with another patient and meant to prescribe it to someone with Covid.

I'm continuing to take Mucinex, allergy meds, and vitamin C for the time being.


----------



## Flyover

My wife announced her plan that tomorrow I will do the glue-up on the waterfall table. I also have started planning out a timeline to build the little mini-workbench for my son's birthday.


----------



## Guzzle

I'm gluing up custom-made cardboard boxes for all our stuff.  Fitting lids is still a problem.  
Box factories work to closer tolerances than I do.


----------



## zannej

My doctor's office failed to pass my message to my actual doctor and instead talked to the quackpot who prescribed the wrong meds in the first place-- who apparently had the response of :shrugs: and that I should be almost done with meds anyway. Nevermind the crap she gave me made me worse rather than better. I'm going to complain to my doctor next time I get to talk to him.

Went to the post office and grocery store. Got more red beans and salted pork. The tea my brother made for me helped a little but I'm still very tired.


----------



## Guzzle

Quack, crackpot, quackpot, "a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others"

You're good!


----------



## Flyover

A poor man's dough!

D'oh!

I mean a portmanteau.


----------



## Eddie_T

Now I suppose someone will write a treatise to explain the subtle difference between d'oh and a simple duh.


----------



## Spicoli43

Guzzle said:


> I just wanted to buy a basement window from HD that they didn't have in stock.  They wanted my phone number, I refused to provide it, I told him to make up a number.



How do they call you if they need more info, or if you need to pick it up? Get a burner phone if you're concerned about that.


----------



## Guzzle

I tell them that I will call them.

And in food stores or cafes when they want all this info
I tell them that I am not a member & I don't wish to be,
that I have no phone, no internet, no TV
& I live in a cardboard box in their parking lot.
That shuts them up & some customers laugh out loud. 

More & more these "foot soldiers" act like telemarketers, pumping me for info.  Because their boss/commanding officer told them to do it.
IT IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS! 

At some stores I pretend to mute & write down what I want.  If they then seem OK I talk to them. 
Most women are amused by this but one at this uppity auto body shop was very rude & I told her so, loud enough for *all* to hear.
The look on her face was one of astonishment, strong rage & strong disgust, all at the same time.  Too bad I didn't get a photo.

I am definitely having fun now.  It's about time.


BTW, today I soldered some wiring for my TV/CD player/Youtube signal blender that feeds into a 20w amp.
All resistors, no switching.
Youtube songs will now fill the family room & with decent fidelity.   It's about time.


----------



## Flyover

Got one leg glued on the waterfall table, with neighbor's assistance (leadership). Found out he's never actually done this. So we'll take lessons learned from this leg to improve how we do the other leg. Giving it 24hrs to dry.

I'm excited because after the legs are on then it's a table! The rest is just removing material (to make the legs level, plus more sanding) and then whatever I'm slathering on it as a finish. Poly prolly.

After dinner my wife and I hung out on the couch listening to classic country while the two youngest played on the floor.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Got one leg glued on the waterfall table, with neighbor's assistance (leadership). Found out he's never actually done this. So we'll take lessons learned from this leg to improve how we do the other leg. Giving it 24hrs to dry.
> 
> I'm excited because after the legs are on then it's a table! The rest is just removing material (to make the legs level, plus more sanding) and then whatever I'm slathering on it as a finish. Poly prolly.
> 
> After dinner my wife and I hung out on the couch listening to classic country while the two youngest played on the floor.


No pics?


----------



## zannej

So, more consultation with other medical professionals and I found out that the medicine combo the NP prescribed should never be given to anyone with heart conditions and that it can cause long qt. 
Was feeling so crappy yesterday I forgot to go out and put the Reflectix back up on the well shed so now the water inside the pump is frozen and I have to wait for it to thaw out. No working plugs in there anymore to plug in a heater.


----------



## Guzzle

And supposedly I have an inverted T wave.  As long as I can put out a decent amount of physical & mental work, I don't care.

And bradycardia, but I personally think it means I'm in good physical shape.  Not all med people agree with this, tho.

I get an EKG any time I go in a hospital so I infer that I am in a high risk group.  I don't care.

When trans humanism gets here, our consciousnesses get downloaded into very large & immortal computers.  Don't want it.


----------



## Guzzle

Apparently my ISP in collusion with my computer OEM keeps moving my Google bookmark down on the list of favorites
& puts the OEM ads in its place.

So I bookmarked a popular site & put in a false obscene title with phonetically-spelled words in its place so a computer cannot flag these words.
It's a variation on my way of handling telemarketers.
Youtube is onto my way of avoiding ads on their videos so I have to constantly change strategies, as do they.

I'll probably get thrown off the Web for this
& then I will come down with the Havana Syndrome
& then our tap water will start to smell funny
& then . . .


----------



## Eddie_T

I heard a sound much like the whoooosh when my gas furnace in FL suffered a minor explosion and sooted up the house. I was startled then looked outside the sliding glass door noticing that the snow and icicle hang-down from my metal roof had given way and crashed. I had earlier noticed that it had a nice line every 16" corresponding to the raised seams of the panels.


----------



## Flyover

oldognewtrick said:


> No pics?


For a while I was taking pics at every stage, then decided "Nobody cares about this" and stopped taking them, intending instead to just show one pic of the raw slab and then another pic of the finished table. Besides, all the photos of the inbetween phases just look like...incomplete woodworking projects. People already know what that looks like. Lots of debris and clamps and tools lying around, a big mess.


----------



## Guzzle

Eddie_T said:


> sooted up the house.


It's running rich.


----------



## zannej

I'd be interested in the photos. LOL. I like to see the process. Might just be me though.


----------



## Eddie_T

I think with supply chain problems and the availability of farmers' and tailgate markets in my area that it's time to permit farmer to consumer milk sales. I have friends who have driven into the next state to purchase pet milk or to meet a truck from PA at an Interstate off-ramp to take delivery of raw milk. I emailed my state senator only to get a reply citing the regulation number that outlawed rw milk in 1983. I returned fire;

I wasn't looking for information, it was a complaint! We have too much government in our lives. The laws and regulations need to be relaxed. The dairy lobby does not need to rule our lives, It's ironic that I can buy narcotics on the street but cannot buy milk from a farmer. Since goats are easier to maintain I can easily circumvent the law and purchase all the goat milk I could ever use but I don't like or want goat milk I want Jersey milk. It seems that politicians want our votes but end up passing more laws rather than getting us relief from existing laws. Wake up before it's too late.​


----------



## zannej

I'm waking up late. It's cold and there was drama last night-- or at least I heard about the drama. My friend's crazy gf (now ex) jumped on him, spit in his face, and threw her soda on him. He washed up and went to the store to get medicine. While he was out she was supposed to be home with the baby. But the baby called him from her phone and he checked gps on it to find she was somewhere else and he overheard her talking to a guy she cheated on him with in the past. She didn't know the call was on speakerphone and he started recording what she was saying-- lying to the guy and saying my friend beat her up and the guy saying she needed to go to the cops and report him for domestic violence. She hung up once she realized the baby had called, but my friend got enough. He went to the police and played the recording of her attacking him (he started recording her rages awhile back) and the recording of her side piece encouraging her to try to get him arrested. So, they know she's the aggressor and she might have been planning to lie. With the cops talking to him, he packed her stuff up and put it on the porch. He's not letting her take the baby though bc the guy she's with has mental problems and has deliberately overdosed on his medicines before. He's also sure the guy will lose interest once he has her- that its the thrill of getting something that's not his that has the guy wanting her so much.
Anyway, she's screwed up bigtime and hopefully my friend can move on.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Was feeling so crappy yesterday I forgot to go out and put the Reflectix back up on the well shed so now the water inside the pump is frozen and I have to wait for it to thaw out. No working plugs in there anymore to plug in a heater.



The South is having worse weather now than we are in NW Ohio - southern Michigan...
Need to fix an outlet in the well shed... for a heater... before ice starts breaking expensive things...


----------



## Sparky617

BuzzLOL said:


> The South is having worse weather now than we are in NW Ohio - southern Michigan...
> Need to fix an outlet in the well shed... for a heater... before ice starts breaking expensive things...


It's 51F in my part of NC today.  Our snow is mostly gone, except where it was piled up or in constant shade.


----------



## zannej

Yeah, my friend was going to help me with the outlets in the shed but he tested positive for Covid again. He's still sick. I grabbed him some medicine and groceries and left them on the porch swing for him.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> the baby called him from her phone


The baby knows how to unlock and use a smartphone to make a phone call??


zannej said:


> So, they know she's the aggressor and she might have been planning to lie


I'm glad the cops are on his side but...how do they know she's lying? How do they know your friend didn't beat her up like she said? Even if she was there talking to them it'd be her word against his, wouldn't it?



zannej said:


> I grabbed him some medicine and groceries


Haha in addition to town chauffeur it sounds like you're also the local Meals On Wheels!

Eddie, I got a postcard from my state rep over the holidays inviting me to get in touch. I usually would throw it out and forget about it but that evening I was in a writing mood so I sent a 5-paragraph email talking about one of the few political issues I actually have a strong and informed opinion on. Got a form letter back a week later but at the end of the form letter he included a one liner joke in response to the sarcastic closing salutation I'd used. So he (or a member of his staff) had read all the way to the bottom but declined to engage with any of the substance of what I wrote. He could have gotten a vote out of me (normally I don't even vote), and he squandered the opportunity! Why??


----------



## zannej

Flyover, she doesn't lock her phone so all you have to do is swipe to access it and she apparently had something set up so she could call my friend with one touch. Baby used it. When she realized the baby had called she freaked out and hung up.

The ex has been arrested before for getting violent, my friend has had marks/bruises to show that she's hit him in the past and he's told them she's been violent and that she is mentally ill. She has never said anything to the cops about him being violent (which he is not). He also has her on film violently attacking him and losing her mind. Many of the cops know him and like him. His grandmother was related to the former chief of police and one of his uncles is a cop (in another town). So, that gives him an "in". They are much more likely to believe him over her.

I tried to go to bed at a decent time last night but started having arrhythmia. Couldn't get my heart to settle down enough. I eventually conked out but it's still acting up. It's really annoying.


----------



## Flyover

@zannej, the cops (if they are doing their jobs) come and make arrests/issue citations if they determine a law has or might have been broken. They don't weigh evidence, or decide what happened or who was at fault, though they may provide testimony later. Weighing evidence, deciding what happened, who's at fault, and what the outcome should be is the judge's job. But yeah if your friend knows the cops personally and they're aware of the history then I guess he has an edge anyway, even without the recording of his ex's phone call.

BTW, it looks like Louisiana has one-party consent for audio recording, meaning that either the person doing the recording or the person being recorded must give their consent for that recording to be admissable as evidence. Your friend's ex's lawyer might be able to get the recording thrown out because the call was placed accidentally, though your friend's lawyer might argue that the accidental placing of the call is irrelevant and that once the call was in progress the normal rules of one-party consent apply. I'm actually curious what a legal expert would say about this.


----------



## zannej

The cops act like judges all the time here. If they like someone, that person can literally get away with murder (and that has happened here). His ex is too dumb to get a lawyer and couldn't afford one anyway. Even if she did, she would not be able to coherently explain her side to a lawyer. 

I'm not sure if it will go to court or not. We'll have to see how things play out.

Right now I'm concentrating on trying to get feeling better. Still inexplicably exhausted. Managed to go to the post office and grab sweet feed for the cows.


----------



## Admin

Yesterday I had to drive 3.5 hours one way to Laredo to get an interview for a trusted travel program. Glad to get it over with but COVID is wrecking havoc on every facet of getting stuff done quickly.


----------



## Spicoli43

I had to go to the VA Medical clinic today for an appointment, something I place much lower on the to do list than swimming with sharks or paragliding off a building in NYC.

They force people to wear masks, so I did, but mine didn't meet the "standard", so the Nurse said she would get me a cloth one to wear while I was there. Before I was able to express my feelings on said lunacy, the Man on a Typewriter in a thought cloud appeared and said...

"Do not say anything STOP. You are in Her House STOP. Put up with this futility for an hour and you will be done STOP. This is the Government you are visiting STOP. Even though this is a MEDICAL establishment, they don't know anything about how a virus spreads STOP. Even though the other part of the Government knows that only N95 masks work, the MEDICAL part of the Government has no clue STOP. Do NOT engage, I repeat, safety on, do NOT engage STOP.

I had no angst toward her of course, she was just doing her job, but a cloth mask is as effective as a Bandana that some people around here wore at the start of Covid.


----------



## havasu

Admin said:


> Yesterday I had to drive 3.5 hours one way to Laredo to get an interview for a trusted travel program. Glad to get it over with but COVID is wrecking havoc on every facet of getting stuff done quickly.


Why didn't you just take the company jet? It should be clean, I flushed the toilet and filled both fuel tanks (just water cuz I can't afford jet fuel) but they are full now!


----------



## Admin

havasu said:


> Why didn't you just take the company jet? It should be clean, I flushed the toilet and filled both fuel tanks (just water cuz I can't afford jet fuel) but they are full now!



I just want to come clean. I don't have a jet. I don't have a yacht. I've been lying all these years and it feels so good to come clean. I do have a helicopter and a hot air balloon but sadly, no jet, no yacht.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Admin said:


> I just want to come clean. I don't have a jet. I don't have a yacht. I've been lying all these years and it feels so good to come clean. I do have a helicopter and a hot air balloon but sadly, no jet, no yacht.


Well...whose Lear Jet have we been hijacking then? Havasu is the one that did it!


----------



## havasu

Oops


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, I always hated when I would take people to the VA. They never had enough wheelchairs, the wheelchairs they had didn't have foot rests, and the waits were always loooong. What sort of cloth mask did they offer? The little medical looking kind?
I've got cloth masks but they have filters in them and they have metal wire to make them fit around my nose better and extra fabric to hug under my chin so I get a snug fit. I don't know how effective they are in terms of viruses, but they keep my face warm when its cold outside and keep me hands off my face when my nose itches or when I sneeze.

A helicopter to get back and forth would be pretty cool. I wonder what kind of fuel and how much they take. LOL. Would turn a 20min drive to Walmart to a 3 minute flight.


----------



## Spicoli43

The VA is worthless here as a normal functioning clinic, almost impossible to get an appointment. They themselves say go to the ER even for little things so you get it taken care of now. If I want to make an appointment now, I'm probably 6 months out. 

The mask was a little cloth thing with ear holds. Mine has Velcro that attaches in the back and has breathable valves that block out Fire smoke, sewage smell, etc. It's not approved for Covid, but it's just to satisfy the Government requirement (Or so I thought)... Very few people wear masks anywhere else in town. They could have just given me a piece of printer paper folded in half, it would probably be better.


----------



## Flyover

A lot of places here specify that you can wear your own mask _unless it has a valve_.

Got both legs glued on the waterfall table! Will remove clamps tonight or tomorrow and just savor it for a while. Then I need to level the legs if necessary, then sand again and apply whatever kind of coat. (I was thinking a nice latex-based house paint, color hot pink...)


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a friend worked worked for Drexel IIRC. He said they used a special saw for leveling chairs. It had a horizontal blade set in a machined surface to trim one leg.


----------



## zannej

My sister's workplace doesn't allow masks with valves. I have masks with valves but they have filters inside. But, I wear another mask over it (mostly bc it's friggin' cold outside) and it keeps my face nice and warm. When they actually had mask mandates here (they don't anymore) I saw a woman wearing a piece of lace over her face and they let her in. They don't pay the employees here enough to argue with people and the cops refuse to back them up anyway.

The door I ordered is ready for pickup at Lowes but it's still under 40°F here so I don't want to go outside yet. Mom has an eye doctor appointment tomorrow morning. Gonna be fun getting up early and waiting on her to get ready. Takes about an hour to get there but she takes about an hour to get ready so I will have to get up 2 hours early. She doesn't wear makeup and I honestly don't know wth takes her so long to get ready. I can be up and out the door in less than 5 minutes.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I have a friend worked worked for Drexel IIRC. He said they used a special saw for leveling chairs. It had a horizontal blade set in a machined surface to trim one leg.


I saw something like that attached to a skid-steer once. They were using it to clear a bunch of trees. The attachment also had arms that would hug the tree during and after the cut, then the skid-steer would carry the still-upright trees somewhere else and lay them down in a pile. It was kinda cool, though it also looked like something out of an environmentalist propaganda film.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> I saw something like that attached to a skid-steer once. They were using it to clear a bunch of trees. The attachment also had arms that would hug the tree during and after the cut, then the skid-steer would carry the still-upright trees somewhere else and lay them down in a pile. It was kinda cool, though it also looked like something out of an environmentalist propaganda film.


I guess you never watched Swamp Loggers on tv.


----------



## Flyover

Correct, I don't watch TV.


----------



## zannej

I went to eat at Panda. Owner was happy to see me. He missed me last week when I was sick. His father was a pharmacist apparently. Although, they use the term "chemist". Stopped at Sams and grabbed stuff while my brother used the bathroom. Apparently, the guy next to him yelled "God damn it!" and changed stalls. Went to Lowes to pickup the door. It was supposed to be the smooth one but it has wood texture. I don't care. I brought it home. Wood texture one was more expensive than the smooth one. We got it into the workshop- cow came to inspect. Unloaded groceries. Cow slobbered on the milk cartons.

I just got in and am probably going to take a nap.


----------



## Flyover

Removed clamps, set the table on the floor, legs definitely will need leveled. Still it is cool to finally see this slab of wood become a _table_!

I'm rehearsing in my mind how I think we'll make the cuts and I can't quite picture it. If we just measure from the two "waterfall" edges and make cuts parallel with those edges the same distance down on each side, the table might still wobble because the top surface could have a slight warp or something in it, so while each leg's bottom edge is parallel with its top edge, the two top edges aren't actually parallel with each other. Or the top surface could develop a warp over time though I suppose that's always a risk anyway. I guess I'll see what my neighbor's idea is, since he's the one who knows what he's doing.


----------



## Eddie_T

I can't quite picture it but I'm thinking sit it on a flat surface, shim to level the top then with a pencil on a wood spacer scribe a line on the legs. The line could then be transferred as close to the bottom edge of the legs as desired.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I can't quite picture it but I'm thinking sit it on a flat surface, shim to level the top then with a pencil on a wood spacer scribe a line on the legs. The line could then be transferred as close to the bottom edge of the legs as desired.


Great idea! That's what I'll do.

Double thanks actually because now _I'll_ look like I know what I'm doing!


----------



## Eddie_T

I could care less what they say about chili in Texas. Wendy's chili is my favorite and I get the family size container. Today I hit Wendy's at just the right time to get the last of a pot. It was so thick I had to add a bit of water to the bowl I had for supper. This is only the second time this has happened to me.


----------



## havasu

Well, 2 weeks and $400 later, I got my Toyota Tacoma all fixed. Not only did I need to replace the servo motor which flips the blend door and opens the valve to the heater hoses, but discovered the heat/cool rotating dial has a brain that tells the servo motor to turn. My neighbor, who works at Toyota got me the parts for half price, so all in all, I learned something new and probably saved at least a grand.


----------



## shan2themax

Still here, still having difficulties working. I had an MD appt this past Monday, it was disappointing to say the least. I was telling her how I keep telling myself I just need to be able to get through one more weekend, one more schedule, one more MD appt, one more rheumatologist appt, trying to keep the hope alive that something will change and I wont give up 14 years seniority for nothing..... she told me that she loved my optimism and that I am driven by hope, but that I may need to be a little more realistic about my physical well being especially with no big changes with my back and now an added diagnosis of gastroparesis.  She told me that I needed to give myself a break and try to find something that I would enjoy as a nurse that wasn't as physically demanding......
Wasn't what I wanted to hear, however I needed to hear it from an MD I guess.  I have several work friends who are always asking me why I am torturing myself. 
My little "pantry" is being emptied and turned into an office. Hoping to paint it next week. Then I am going to start applying for some work from home positions that pay similarly.  At least at home I can use pillows/heating pads/ etc.


On another note. My daughters ex sent her a picture of the inside of the toilet tank at their house and there are mushrooms growing out of where the water is supposed to empty in the toilet . I have never seen that before. That is kind of gross.... to say the least


----------



## zannej

Good luck on the table, Flyover.
Happy to hear you got the good chili, Eddie.
Glad you got your Tacoma fixed, Havasu.
Shan, I hope you can find a better job soon. May I post that toilet tank pic on the plumbing forums?
Still feeling tired but a little bit better. Had stomach issues this morning and didn't get to the post office til after closing but still got the packages.
Helped mom get new H&R Block software installed. They had an asinine system for putting the verification code in and she spent 30 minutes trying to figure it out and was having a tantrum so I got her to vacate her seat long enough for me to check it out and find out what to do. Took awhile because their instructions were vague. But now she's working on the taxes.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej ,I dont mind. People may find it intetesting.


----------



## Flyover

The toilet mushrooms are indeed unusual. But did you try them in your stir fry? (Or dry them and sell them to some college kids?)


----------



## Spicoli43

Good luck, Shan. It's more than an MD and your coworkers telling you that you need to change something. Hope this helps...





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----------



## Spicoli43

I want to build a Time Machine and go back to right before someone decided that having Giant Rats as pets was a good idea. I wouldn't mind if they were wild like Otters. Otters are very cute animals that do funny things by themselves. They don't need us.

I had all my clothes for today laid out on the bed, working clothes, shopping clothes, relaxing sweats after everything was done with the towels, socks, shirts, underroos etc... One or both of my Giant Rats decided that was a perfect place to pee. I didn't know they had that much pee inside them, but they got most of the clothes. Luckily I have a waterproof bed cover. 

So no work, no going to the store, no relaxing... Just laundry on everything times 2 because it ain't getting out round 1. They have 4 Giant Rat boxes to pee in in the next room over. They know where it is. If I throw them over the fence in the middle of the night, nobody can prove it. If it wasn't freezing here, off they would go.

It makes absolutely no sense how you have 20 or more of these worthless animals, Z...


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Giant Rats as pets


I read this and figured you were talking about small dogs, but then the rest of what you wrote made me realize you must be talking about cats. But you got me thinking about small dogs anyway:

Some small dog breeds have interesting histories. Chihuahuas were bred to dive into holes to kill rats. Daschunds too. I don't know if it was shi tzus, but I heard one of those tiny Asian dogs was bred just to sit in the sleeves of noblemen to keep their arms warm. (That'd be quite a sight!) I'm guessing if people actually used those dogs for the work they were bred for it wouldn't be too bad.

Tiny dogs have a reputation for being yappy and annoying, but in my observation this is because a lot of the people who get those dogs don't really want dogs, they want something small and cute they can treat like a baby or a stuffed animal. (Instead of a dog, which you need to train to be a good dog.) Of course, many people don't train their larger dogs either, and that causes a lot of trouble too, but larger dogs at least don't attract the type of would-be dog-owners who just want something small and cute to treat like a baby or a stuffed animal. And that really messes up those dogs.


----------



## Flyover

I met a pomeranian once that was quiet and obedient. (Still playful when you indicated you wanted to play.) Its owner treated it like a dog. It completely changed my mind about pomeranians and other small dogs.


----------



## Eddie_T

·  ·  ·  and then there's Pit bulls.


----------



## Flyover

Every pit bull I've met has been chill, friendly, and generally well behaved. Lots of times dogs of unknown breed that bite people get called pit bulls in the reporting. In general there's a lot of ignorance around pit bulls. Most people can't correctly identify them or distinguish them from similar looking breeds (e.g. boxers, American bulldogs... I've even heard of people confusing Rottweilers and Dobermans for pit bulls), especially if they're looking at a mixed breed dog. Pit bulls are bred to have a strong bite that they can hold for a long time, but there's nothing particularly aggressive about them from a genetic standpoint. Some people get them because of the reputation, and those people want a weapon in dog form (rather than a dog), so like the toy breed owners they mistreat their dogs, resulting in bad behavior. When a poorly trained shi tzu nips at you it's annoying. When an abused pit bull does it that can be a serious injury. Of course many people who get pit bulls because they want weapons, being rather unintelligent people in the first place, also don't really know if they got a pit bull, but that's what they will tell people.


----------



## Flyover

Pit bulls have sort of become like the "assault rifle" of dogs: if it looks scary to you, it's a pit bull!


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm not afraid of them but I see that a majority of dogs available for rehoming are pits or pit mixes. The pics seem to confirm to the AKC standard (so no mistaken identity). My comment was leaning to toward the what were they bred for.

I had a Boston Terrier mix and the first time he saw a rat he growled and disposed of it as if it were a rope chew toy. I had a collie that ended up on a farm after I grew up and it herded milk cows and chickens with no instruction. Beagles will chase rabbits with no instruction. So with this experience I would not particularly trust a pit bull alone with children.

However, I have owned both a Dobe and a wolf-dog but I took care. I would not hesitate to own a Pit If I liked the breed but I would take care.


----------



## Spicoli43

My Sister in Law has a Pomeranian that has never been annoying, but little dogs in general annoy the living bejeesus out of me. I'm lucky that I was introduced to that "type" of Dog early in life so I never had any inclination to get one as an Adult.

My Best friend from age 10-15 lived across the street and had 2 Schnauzer's that would bark constantly whenever they saw me, for the entire 5 years. Let me reinforce that we had met. They did that for anyone at the door, anyone in the neighborhood walking by... Annoying little maggots. 

As far as Pit Bulls, the ones I have been introduced to are the most playful Dogs ever, they love attention and their Humans. The bad rap comes from Morons that have no idea how to treat Dogs like Michael Vick. 

Back to Cats... My oldest one jumped on the Island and peed all over a Spaghetti Squash today. First off, they are shaped like Mini Footballs, so ??? I have come to the conclusion that probably every other Man has figured out before me... We just aren't supposed to have Cats.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have one cat, now around 12 years old. When he's gone I will not meow.


----------



## Eddie_T

My 12 year old, 16 lb Russian Blue performing his Russian hat impersonation.


----------



## zannej

I'm still feeling cruddy. My friend is now negative for Covid but he had to go to the ER yesterday because he has pneumonia and couldn't breathe. He can't sleep because he can't breathe when he lies down. He's feeling pretty miserable. I dropped off some food for him and cuddled the little kitten, Nightmeow. Nightmeow then tried to follow me again but I had to put out food to distract him so I could leave.

Spicoli, sounds like the kitties were unhappy about something. I have a waterproof mattress pad on my bed as well. 

My brain is not fully working right now.


----------



## shan2themax

So..... my pantry is mostly empty and I put the first coat of paint on it. It will take several because the paneling is so dark and I was lazy and didnt want to go buy primer. I already had a new gallon of grey paint (whirlwind is the name) and so I am going to just use that. The room is bigger than what I thought (empty) lol. I would guess that it is 5 feet wide and about 9.5 to 10 feet long. Might measure it tomorrow. I am thinking about just painting the walls that you can see behind where my desk will be (it will be seen on video calls if I work from home). And just leave what i will be looking at the dark paneling.... I wes I'll see after another coat or 2 on this wall. The next conundrum is electricity..... I need it on a different wall and not sure how to go about that. There is an outlet in the living room side of the wall that I need it on, so I guess that I could piggyback onto that and place another box beside there.... idk, decisions, decisions....

Still hate going to work, worked on the skilled nursing floor the other day. Had to do Charge because they had no RNs of their own working from 3 to 7. So.... I swabbed the patients there for their Covid tests and helped the travel nurse that was with my figure out what she needed to do while the CNAs answered call lights. Those 4 hours were good hours.


----------



## shan2themax

Forgot some pics


----------



## Eddie_T

I read that pitbulls are responsible for 65% of fatalities by dogs. Rottweilers came in second. That sounds scary but there were only 284 deaths in the 12 year period reported. Studies of dog attacks are less accurate as so many go unreported and breed types are are not fully investigated as in deaths.


----------



## shan2themax

My daughter has 2 puppies that are pit mixes and it makes me a little nervous. I keep telling her that she has to make sure they know that she is the boss. The brown black one is a Male, he weighs 40 pounds at 17 weeks. The lighter color is a girl, she is around 30 pounds ( also 17 weeks)


----------



## shan2themax

So, this is this morning's pic. Much better than last night but the paneling lines are driving me nuts. I need to paint those also. I tried using a paintbrush last night but it didnt work very well


----------



## Eddie_T

Shan maybe a small chip brush or grout sealer brush would work for the grooves. Maybe even an old toothbrush.


----------



## shan2themax

I do have chip brushes and tooth brushes. Geat idea! I'll give those a try tomorrow! Thanks


----------



## Eddie_T

This pup has a cute face;


----------



## zannej

Shan, the paint is looking good! I have similar type of paneling and painting those grooves is a pain. Glad you had a better day even if you hate going to work. Puppies are cute.

Thing with pits is that they aren't more aggressive than other breeds, they are just more powerful. So when they do attack/bite they do more damage. We had Wymeraners for awhile but they attacked and killed cats so we rehomed them. One of them ripped the throat out of a rottweiler in a fight (after he was rehomed).

Speaking of doggies, mine was looking cute today. She was in her nest of pillows she made next to my bed. Itsy was sleeping on another pillow nearby:




She's pretty much my spirit animal of how I've been feeling the past couple weeks.


----------



## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> This pup has a cute face;



Thanks!

@zannej your pups are cute!
I hope you are feeling better soon!


----------



## Eddie_T

One trait of pits is that the ones that do attack show no warning sign of aggression, it's like they just suddenly flip out. Which kinda refutes the mantra that it's due to bad owners. Fortunately the stats are low but that's of little comfort if you happen to be in the mix.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have a feeling my Giant Rats might have peed up in the cubby place as well. I dread going up and finding out.


----------



## Eddie_T

I didn't think I had owned very many vehicles until I gave it some thought. Turns out that I have owned 17 in the car/truck category and 5 motorcycles. Seven in the car/truck category and 3 motorcycles were purchased new. Only 2 cars (used) were financed and I regretted that as they were always worth less than the balance owed.


----------



## Flyover

I have similar regrets about financing vehicles (done it for the two most recent used car purchases out of five lifetime used car purchases -- never bought a new car), but I console myself with the fact I've always gotten extremely good interest rates, and though I didn't always put the up-front savings into high-yield investments, being a generally thrifty person I'm sure I got plenty of value out of whatever I did spend it on.

I've marked the cut lines for the waterfall table legs but haven't gotten around to making the cuts yet. This is more lack of confidence than lack of time.

I did start working on a mini workbench (basically a small, very durable table) for my son's fifth birthday.


----------



## Eddie_T

As a kid I had a little corner office made of stacked dynamite boxes. I don't recall what I did in the office but I liked it.


----------



## Jeff Handy

shan2themax said:


> So, this is this morning's pic. Much better than last night but the paneling lines are driving me nuts. I need to paint those also. I tried using a paintbrush last night but it didnt work very wellView attachment 27456


I would have painted the lines first. 
With the edge of a narrow mini roller or similar small paint roller. 
You can still try that now, but you will have to follow up each painted line by brushing the paint out, there will be drips and runs. 
Keep the roller fairly dry, and only use one edge, and only load paint onto one edge. 
I have also seen foam trim rollers that have a V Shape.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have had High Blood Pressure since I was 12 or so, around 150 over something. I get down into the 138 range at home and tell that to the Docs at the VA as a reason why I won't take their pills. That's A reason, but the real reason is I'll never take a prescription again because of the deceit involved. 

"High" BP used to be 140, now it's 130. I guess they weren't selling enough drugs. "High" Cholesterol used to be 280, then it was 260, 240, 220, 200... Now they want it at 160 or something. Various people I trust say the total Cholesterol for Men is perfect at 200. I'm not taking the pills.

Well, last night I used my BP cuff and was at 123. I figured it had finally died since it's 18 years old, but I took 4 more readings throughout the evening, all in the low 120's.

I was thinking if that's accurate, what did I do to lower it? The only dietary change I could think of is I ditched all added sugar and have been chewing on dried Mango. It turns out that Mango can lower BP, but I have never seen any proof in my situation of any food doing that, at least not significant. I'll keep eating them and look for one of those BP kiosks if they still have them by pharmacies to check.


----------



## 68bucks

My doc tells me my total cholesterol should be <200. All the lab reports I have ever seen show that as the top of the target range. I have seen the reports yearly for 40 years now and don't recall it ever being different. 

Now my BP is a bit high. I went on a BP med this year. It has been persistently in the 150/90 range for a little while now and I had a real high spike earlier last year. My wife was really worried so I went on the med. Hasn't helped much so far. If I check it within a few hours after I run it's great. Still trying to commit to more lifestyle changes and looking for options. Not big on prescription meds on an everyday basis if I can help it. Keeps us posted on the mangos. I love mango.


----------



## Spicoli43

I heard that breakdown from a PhD a long time ago, and will have to search for it. If your Doc is around 200, that's a good sign they have done some research. When searching, I run into articles by the "American Heart Association", a fraudulent group you might have heard of.

In the late 40's / Early 50's, they were paid $1.7M by Proctor and Gamble to say that Proctor's "Crisco" was healthy, and followed the same recommendations for other Vegetable oils, Margarine, and even Kids cereals that are loaded with Sugar. That blatant lie continues to this day, while they demonize Butter and Coconut Oil. You can probably guess which group of foods leads to bad health and which doesn't. 

I got my Dried Mango from Costco, Organic Kirkland. I can't come close to making my own compared to their price of $16 for 2.5 Lbs.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I have had High Blood Pressure since I was 12 or so, around 150 over something. I get down into the 138 range at home and tell that to the Docs at the VA as a reason why I won't take their pills. That's A reason, but the real reason is I'll never take a prescription again because of the deceit involved.
> 
> "High" BP used to be 140, now it's 130. I guess they weren't selling enough drugs. "High" Cholesterol used to be 280, then it was 260, 240, 220, 200... Now they want it at 160 or something. Various people I trust say the total Cholesterol for Men is perfect at 200. I'm not taking the pills.
> 
> Well, last night I used my BP cuff and was at 123. I figured it had finally died since it's 18 years old, but I took 4 more readings throughout the evening, all in the low 120's.
> 
> I was thinking if that's accurate, what did I do to lower it? The only dietary change I could think of is I ditched all added sugar and have been chewing on dried Mango. It turns out that Mango can lower BP, but I have never seen any proof in my situation of any food doing that, at least not significant. I'll keep eating them and look for one of those BP kiosks if they still have them by pharmacies to check.


How much dried mango do you eat per day?


----------



## Spicoli43

About a Cup, maybe a little less. I took my BP this morning after some Coffee and it was 139, just now a couple of hours after Coffee and some Mango it says 117.

I also elevate my arm to the "10 and 2" driving position in line with the Heart for an accurate reading. Too low like the arm rest at a Dr. office is artificially high and raised higher than the Heart is artificially low.


----------



## shan2themax

120/70 is now considered the new "norm" for blood pressure guidelines. 
My total cholesterol is around 100. My last HDL (good cholesterol) was 61 and triglycerides were in the low 20s. And I am 110 pounds overweight. 


On the work note. I asked my boss to consider me for a different position,  being an admissions nurse. I sincerely hope that I can do it and that I am chosen. 
I would work Wednesday through Wednesday,  but off Sunday and then off 7 days. So work 3, off 1, work 3, off 7.

Hopeful!


----------



## Spicoli43

120 / 70 Now? HAHAHA Wow... 

For admissions nurse, do you mean just height / weight / BP etc., asking general complaints then putting the chart on the Dr.'s door? 

Good Luck, but wouldn't that be too monotonous?


----------



## shan2themax

As an admissions nurse (in a hospital setting) you have to take the patients entire medical history, including maternal and paternal. You also do a full assessment from head to toe, a skin assessment, medication list, address if there is an MPOA and/or living will as well as height weight allergies. The patient will already have admission orders and just be waiting for a room to become available. They usually do 10 to 25 admission assessments in a 12 hour period. 
Monotonous.... quite possibly so. I have done this a couple of times when we first started doing it, I was too busy to notice if it seemed monotonous or not. Lol
We shall see, it may give me the time needed to allow my back to get better and or the time for me to wrap my head around my future as a floor nurse. So, whether I get it or not... I know my days are numbered on the floor.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ah, okay... I was comparing it to the VA, where they already know everything about me. I guess the admissions will be much more sitting, so better for your back...

Have you done Chiro or Acupuncture yet?





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----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli where do you find dried mango with no added sugar? Everywhere I see it they add sugar.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli where do you find dried mango with no added sugar? Everywhere I see it they add sugar.



Costco, think it's $16 for 2.5 Lb. in store...



			https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-organic-dried-mangoes%2c-2.5-lbs.product.100438715.html
		


Or Terrasoul, where I get Cacao Butter and Nibs for making Chocolate. 









						Mango Slices
					

If you have never tried Terrasoul mango slices, you are in for a real treat! From the first bite to the last, they are satisfyingly chewy and naturally sweet.Our mangos are grown on small, sustainable, organic farms and are harvested only when perfectly ripe and juicy.  They are hand-sliced...




					www.terrasoul.com
				




Terrasoul is more expensive, but they screen everything for Impurities / Heavy metals, where the Kirkland brand does not. Terrasoul will email you a lab test for any product you ask about, been using them for many years. 

Costco is just convenient because it's here, but I suspect I'm on the last bag for stated reasons.


----------



## Eddie_T

I found this source but it has added sugar. 
Dry Mango Bulk — Sliced, Diced, Low Sugar Dried Mangoes Wholesale


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I found this source but it has added sugar.
> Dry Mango Bulk — Sliced, Diced, Low Sugar Dried Mangoes Wholesale



There's one Organic there with no added sugar. The others have FD&C coloring, which is from Coal Tar. As far as added sugar, I can't wrap my head around why anybody would need that.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I hope the change in pace gives you time to recover. Spicoli, glad to hear your bp is down. Mine is always high when I go to the dentist, but they take it with my feet elevated and right after I walked through the door and have been dealing with traffic. For some reason I always hit every single red light on the way there and get stuck behind people who go 10 to 15 miles under speed limit. LOL. Or the ones that speed up and slow down constantly.

I've still been feeling cruddy. Mostly tired. Internet has been barely working. Tried to load this forum to post earlier and it wouldn't load. My ISP has been barely usable even though I don't think we are capped yet. But it has been raining. I also wonder if they realized we ordered Starlink. Anything involving Starlink seems to not want to load. 

Dried mangos would sound good if I didn't hate mangos. LOL I don't know why, but I've never liked them.

I briefly popped in to see my friend, gave him a hug and spotted him gas $ and brought him more groceries. His gf was there to temporarily watch the baby long enough for her to pawn him off on someone else. She was calling someone to come watch him while we were there. She looked absolutely miserable. I got to hold Nightmeow and saw his eyes needed cleaning. I left him inside so he wouldn't chase after my truck.

The good news now: Starlink is coming! It should be arriving Monday and we have a 30 day trial period. If it doesn't work we can return it all for a full refund. We have 14 days to get it working before their billing starts.

So now we need to figure out how to mount Dish McFlatface to the house. Dishy needs to face north. The front corner of our house is North.


That is over the porch so I'm thinking I could do an eaves mount closer to the wall of my room. No trees on that side to get in the way. Dishy apparently can adjust itself. You turn it on, tell it to search and it moves around until it finds optimum location. It even moves with satellites it locked on to throughout the day to maintain the best connection.

Now, the problem is, it only comes with a ground mount that you just set on the ground. With cows in the mix, that won't work. But the attachments they sell won't arrive until March if we order them. Our Viasat renews on the 12th and I'm hoping we can have what we need before then to get it working so we won't have to pay for both ISPs in the same month. Mom doesn't want to spend a lot of $ on the mount so I'm wondering if I can repurpose something or get something like this: Amazon.com


I could either build some sort of blocking to support it lower on the eaves (which might be a pain) or modify the arms/collar attachment to let it sit lower down and with the arms spread further. Worst case, I could ditch the arms and come up with my own rig for the collar. If we aren't happy with it but it works we can still order the official eaves mount.

Other customers used that rig for Starlink's Dishy.

Another alternative would be to build a non-penatrating frame that straddles the ridge. I wish we could find magnets strong enough to adhere it to the roof though. Putting it on the ridge would make the cable run longer.

Next order of business is getting the ethernet connections to work as the modem has no ethernet ports and is wireless only. But my devices are wireless so that shouldn't be an issue for me. Eventually we can get a Mesh system set up, but as long as it works better than our existing ISP we should be OK.

I'm very excited about getting away from Viasat. It was so bad I had to drive to McDonalds to use their wifi just to look this stuff up!

Another good thing is that this has pushed my brother to agree to cleanup the living room with me bc he desperately wants to have Starlink by his birthday (which is Wednesday). Weird to think my baby brother will be 42.

Sorry for the verbal diarrhea. Got dizzy while cleaning earlier and then racked out for most of the day.


----------



## Spicoli43

Good luck, Z... You are the resident tester of Starlink for the rest of us. 

I would sign up for Starlink if the equipment wasn't $500. Like everything else Elon does, it will probably crash and burn for a while. I'll wait it out and save up a dedicated amount for when it's legit, which will give me time to research it more along with Oneweb, which should be functional by the end of the year. Here's a link of all the satellites...









						Starlink satellite tracker
					

Live view of SpaceX starlink satellite constellation and coverage.




					satellitemap.space
				





I have been in the market for a Sauna, so will be watching this presentation on Tuesday. I'm interested in their price, but know Costco sells Saunas also.









						Infrared Sauna Therapy Webinar
					

Infrared sauna therapy can make a huge difference in our quality of life.  In this webinar, learn how to use sauna therapy to detox.




					drjockers.com


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## Eddie_T

Starlink sounds interesting if it could be $50 per month. I would be afraid the $99 will go even higher in the future though kit prices should come down. They say they are losing money on the kits at present.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, they "say" they are losing money on the kits... We all know Elon isn't an idiot, and we also know that Aluminum and a dish and some wire from China doesn't cost $500. His landed price per kit is probably $25. He ordered 50 Million kits from Alibaba, where most of his other stuff comes from anyway.

Starlink is probably the same thing with different internals coded to their system...





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----------



## Eddie_T

The tracking system would run the price up a bit. BTW the tracking system will add to energy consumption more than a wall wart, if too much I guess that they could be powered down at night.


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Spicoli. I went out and dragged the old dishes to the front (had to fight old blackberry bushes to get them). Appealed to my brother's ego by saying I needed his hand strength to get the mounting brackets off of the old dishes. Hughesnet one was bulky as hell so I had to prop it up on my truck's bumper and hold it steady for him to remove the bolts. We might have something usable for an eaves mount from one of them. They are different sizes.

Not only was the equipment $500, the shipping was $50 and then we had to pay 10.45% sales tax on it. But, it doesn't come with everything we need. The eaves mount is $40. Cable management kit is $25 and the ethernet adapter is $20. We can do without the mount and cable kits but some of the computers won't be able to connect to the modem without the ethernet adapter and none of those things can ship until March. My old DishNetwork dish that was obsolete still had a pole attached to the mount but it is too tall and is crushed at one end so it will have to be cut off if it gets used. The Hughesnet dish doesn't have a pole. I hink the pole for it is used for the Viasat setup. Either that or there might be a pole lying around somewhere and I will have to look for it tomorrow. Worst case, I can buy a new pole or get a J-arm mount. I hope the local hardware store has the right sized poles.

Meanwhile, I busted hump cleaning up in the living room. My brother was supposed to do it-- he had promised to, but he never keeps promises. He helped for 2 minutes then went and got food. The he helped for about 5min and went and got more food. Then he helped for a couple more minutes and offered to cook for Mom. Stayed out of the room the entire time her food was cooking and left me to fill two contractor bags by myself with no help. Came back in and gave mom her food. She asked him if he was going to help me and he said yes. But then he went to go back to his computer and didn't help. Only thing he did otherwise was tie the bags off and take them outside. My back really hates me right now.

To give an idea of what I had to deal with:







Lights in that room don't work and the sun went down so I can't see to clean. I could barely see toward the end when I filled that last bag. I think I filled about 6 or 7 bags.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was going to suggest that you look for an old satellite J-mount or post so I am glad you found some. I saw on youtube where a sawed off post was too big. One guy wrapped the dishy post in tape to shim it, another added some self tapping screws to keep it from wobbling, both added a through bolt.  I'm sure you can rig up something that works.


----------



## zannej

Eddie_T said:


> I was going to suggest that you look for an old satellite J-mount or post so I am glad you found some. I saw on youtube where a sawed off post was too big. One guy wrapped the dishy post in tape to shim it, another added some self tapping screws to keep it from wobbling, both added a through bolt.  I'm sure you can rig up something that works.


Pretty sure I saw the video you're talking about. 
This review was actually helpful:


I still need to work on cleaning more tomorrow. I wonder how many more bags of trash I will fill. I really wish there was some sort of bag-holding apparatus that would hold the bag open for me because bending and fumbling with the bag is a pita.


----------



## zannej

I got 7 more bags filled and ran out of trash bags so I had to go to the store to buy more. I have bag number 8 filled about 3/4 of the way but my back tapped out. I'm completely exhausted. I managed to find an entire trash can under the trash. On of those kitchen trash cans that I forgot I'd set over for my mother to put her trash in but it fell over and she never used it so it ended up getting buried. I also found an empty contractor size trash bag under the pile and was able to use it before I had to go to the store. Lost a lot of time because Mom had me stop at McDonalds and they forgot to give me my drink. I waited 25min and then went inside. My drink had been sitting on the counter the entire time & they forgot. I got a free medium mocca frappe as way of apology.
We're waiting on Fedex to deliver the equipment still. Hope they will bring it out today. Last tracking showed it was in Lake Charles.



Bag number 6 about full with bag number 7 next to it and ready to be filled.


Trash can I uncovered


----------



## Spicoli43

Good job on cleaning, but you have to rip that felt carpet up also. It must go.

I don't understand though... Why do people put trash in piles when it takes an extra 10 seconds to set up a bag in a trash bin and 10 seconds to remove it?


----------



## zannej

I'm going to vacuum and see how clean it comes. I think we have a steam cleaner somewhere as well. Or at least a carpet shampooer vacuum. Shampooer is a weird looking word.
I have given my mother trash bags to put things in, she drops them and then is too lazy to put more stuff in them. I also gave her that 13 gallon trash can. I can't remember what her complaint on that one was. I think it fell over. So, I took the lid off of it and shoved it under the overhang part of her desk. She can pull it out to throw trash away and let me know when it is full so I can take it out. I also set up an end table for her to set stuff on. I had piled stuff on her chair while I cleaned and now I've put some on the end table and other places. We'll have to go through and organize things better. I have a piece of furniture in my room that I can move in there to have more surface area. Might swap it out with the end table because it has doors and she can store stuff inside it. Then I can move a piece of furniture from the front room into my room so I will have more storage space. The cats will miss it, but it will go nicely in my room since it matches my furniture.

Mom is happy with me for now. 

Meanwhile Fedex is really sucking and refusing to update us on the location of our package. Wanted us to have login which requires creating an account, but we can't create an account because they don't accept our physical address as valid. So, even if we wanted to set it up to go pick up our package from their facility, we couldn't do it bc we need an account.


----------



## Eddie_T

Zannej, I'm anxious to see how Starlink works out for you. If I had a neighbor with an interest in electronics we might be able to serve two households with one system. Our DSL costs around $50/mo. I wouldn't like to do a share with someone that wasn't a bit of an electronics buff as I would end up being their ISP. I don't really need the speed as I seldom experience buffering.

My son knows several people that have deposits in for Starlink so they will be interested in your experience.


----------



## Flyover

I was about to use my circular saw today when I decided to check and make sure the blade was square to the table. It was close, but when I loosened the adjustment and tried to retighten it it wouldn't tighten.





You see there's a kind of tab/handle thing to tighten it with. In the photos it's in the position that's meant to be fully tight, and you rotate it counterclockwise to loosen it. It's affixed in the center with a nut on what looks like a bolt. Well, that's not a bolt, the other side of it is round and cannot be gripped with anything.

In fact I can't get that nut off either, so I can't even _replace_ it with a bolt. Not sure what to do about this. Until I can fix this I can't trust the squareness of the cut even to within reasonable tolerances, because it could just tilt randomly if (when) pressure is exerted.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover are you sure the lever isn't stripped or the bolt just too loose to tighten? To adjust the lever position or remove the lever you remove the retaining clip from under the nut by prying it out with a screwdriver.

Also the bolt may be a carriage bolt which is damaged or the ways may have spread so the bolt turns.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej I havent heard anything about the position yet.i am debating going back to part time if I cant do this. We shall see.
Got a massage today, that was nice. I'm in the exhausted phase of life currently. Not really sure why.

However, my internet did get moved to the "office" yesterday. Just need to ramp it up amd figure out the electricity part. 

@zannej you are doing a great job cleaning up, dont let them bring you down. I am PROUD of your efforts!


----------



## zannej

Eddie, I'll be sure to post about how Starlink is working if Fedex ever bothers to deliver it. They keep making excuses. Said they are very busy. It's not holiday seasons so I don't buy that excuse. It's incredibly frustrating and its making my brother's blood pressure go up. Making mine go up too.

Shan, I presume that you're feeling exhausted due to all the stress. I'm hoping the change to office work will help reduce your stress-- at least physically. Are you able to get one of those heated massaging back rests to use while sitting? That might help.

Mom was accusing me of moving stuff that I didn't move (which I fully expected) but calmed down when I told her I didn't touch some of the stuff. She's starting to clean out her desk a bit more but somehow it got even more cluttered. We really need to box up or throw away a lot of that stuff. A bunch of CDs that won't run on windows 10. My friend offered to come over to help get the mouse-made confetti out of the carpet.

Flyover, I wish I could offer some help on the saw situation but I have no clue. I hope you can get it tightened.

Mom was hungry but the leftovers she wanted had gone bad so she had me get her a whopper from Burger King. I'm going to have to dig out the dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt later. I feel I deserve chocolate. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, I have not checked those things but I will.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Eddie, I have not checked those things but I will.


Another thought, if it happens to be worn or splayed ways you might try 45° which is at the other end of the run but not used as much as 90°.


----------



## havasu

I haven't checked the adjustment in my circular saw in years. This is a great reminder that the time to get your tools ready for use is before you need to use them.


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 I was going to go to a chiropractor this time last year, but he said I needed to do massage therapy first because I was so tight and stiff. I haven't tried acupuncture but I am not opposed to it.
She pushed my hip "into" my low back and it relieved so much pressure while she was doing it.
I took an Epsom salt bath this evening also, felt good while I was in the tub lol


----------



## Flyover

eddie_t said:
			
		

> Another thought, if it happens to be worn or splayed ways you might try 45° which is at the other end of the run but not used as much as 90°.


Yeah, there's a variable space where I can put the carriage bolt, so I can move it off the spot where it's been clamping the last who-knows-how-many-years if it's worn out there.



havasu said:


> I haven't checked the adjustment in my circular saw in years. This is a great reminder that the time to get your tools ready for use is before you need to use them.


Fortunately the cut I need to do can also be done on the tablesaw, so that's the plan for now.

Today I hope to get those cuts done, and also the cuts for the legs on my waterfall table. Waterfall table legs take precedent because I borrowed my neighbor's track saw to do them.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @Spicoli43 I was going to go to a chiropractor this time last year, but he said I needed to do massage therapy first because I was so tight and stiff. I haven't tried acupuncture but I am not opposed to it.
> She pushed my hip "into" my low back and it relieved so much pressure while she was doing it.
> I took an Epsom salt bath this evening also, felt good while I was in the tub lol



I need to get into Chiro also. The first time I had Acupuncture, it was an intense cleansing experience, but you have to find someone that knows what they are doing, hence the links to Bastyr University graduates. I have had Acupuncture from their people and people that have "heard about" Bastyr. The results were like night and day. 

That's not to say someone that graduates from another program doesn't know what they are doing, but I had no results in my experience.


----------



## zannej

I miss having chiropractic adjustments. It really helped. But I don't have insurance now so it's not an option.
Got a message from my friend that the sweet little kitten, Nightmeow, suddenly started seizing & foaming at the mouth. He didn't make it. :-( He was such a sweet little baby. I'm going to miss him. I really wish I'd brought him home.
Also found out that my brother's girlfriend in Japan who suddenly ghosted him didn't do it on purpose. She had a massive aneurism and died. The last time my brother talked to her, they were making plans for his next trip and then silence. He finally got a message from one of her co-workers last year who sent him her obituary. He said he didn't know how to process it so he didn't tell anyone and it explains why he got so depressed.
We finally got our Starlink equipment this morning- although the Fedex delivery driver looked super pissed off. I opened the window and thanked her. She didn't respond. She got in her truck and glared at me and then glared at my brother when he went outside and waved at her.
I took the pole that used to hold the dishnetwork dish down to the workshop and cut off the damaged end with the chopsaw. I then tested the fit of the new dish. It's slightly loose so I will need to pad the inside of the pipe and add extra screws for reinforcement. I got some drill bits for drilling metal at the hardware store.
Took my brother to eat at our favorite restaurant to celebrate his birthday. Went to bestbuy to get a wifi adapter for his computer. Grabbed milk from Samsclub. Got home and my brother is setting up the equipment. My back is really giving me trouble so I'm lying down.


----------



## zannej

Update: We got the dish set in the back of our truck for now and these are speedtest results compared to Viasat (old ISP).


----------



## Flyover

I got the waterfall table legs cut to level, and I installed the little metal leveling feet on the bottoms of the legs for good measure. (That wood is gonna move, no way to avoid it.) I did a good job cutting the legs but kind of a hasty job with the feet, because I had stopped to chat with a neighbor and was running low on time at that point, so they're not as well-hidden as I'd like. They might not even be installed correctly. But they work, and the table is now really a proper table and does not wobble. All that remains is sanding and finish!

Tomorrow I'll switch to working on my son's workbench. That means dragging out the tablesaw and using it to cut notches in the ends of 2x4s. Then on Friday my plan is to get all the cuts cleaned up and glue everything together.


----------



## shan2themax

So... today was crazy at work. 13k steps in 12 hours. And I didnt have my phone with me for 2 of those hours.

*however*, I can officially say that today was my official last day as a floor nurse. I start the admissions nurse position on Saturday.  
I am still putting my office together. I will work the 3 on, one off, 3 on, 7 off. So, I am nervous about that. Here's to hoping for the best!

@zannej I'm sorry to hear about your friends kitty


----------



## Eddie_T

Finally made duckduckgo my default browser I don't know why I waited so long.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Finally made duckduckgo my default browser I don't know why I waited so long.


Did that years ago with no regrets, on all devices that allowed it. Welcome to the circle of the enlightened!


----------



## Spicoli43

Sorry about the Kitten and your Brother's GF, Z. 

Your Starlink results are mixed compared to mine. My Download is slightly better, and my Upload is 1/3 of Starlink. I would still ditch Charter in a second if Elon starts charging reasonable fees, but it makes no sense now because it's basically on par for me because I don't upload anything. That being said, for people stuck like you, I'm sure it's worth it... Keep updating with good / bad please. 

Congrats, Shan!

Yes, Eddie... Welcome in from the dark side. I have been using DDG for years, and use Brave as my platform.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend gave me a slice of home baked cheesecake. It was the real deal no graham cracker crumb crust. It reminded me of the time a friend gave me some raw milk and a recipe for making cottage cheese. I ended up with too much cottage cheese so a search for a recipe to use it yielded a San Francisco Firehouse cheesecake recipe. I made it and it turned out well. A day or so later a French friend was over and I told her about it. After trying it she exclaimed, " Mister · · · this is the real thing ." I never tried it again, making cheese or a cheesecake.

I read somewhere about a farmer lady that was tried for distributing raw milk but was found not guilty, the legal term is jury nullification. Her peers must have been farmers (as they should have been).


----------



## Spicoli43

I have never had Cheesecake, but have never liked Cake in my life. I worked around Cheesecake Factory locations, but was never tempted to go in. 

Raw Milk is a perfect example of the backwards nanny state. The Gubment will let us have blank drugs for blank conditions with a laundry list of side effects so long it takes 3 minutes for the commercial, but unadultered Milk is "BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

But... Raw Milk doesn't trade on the NYSE.


----------



## zannej

I love cake but never liked cheesecake much. I LOVE milk. I found a kind at Samsclub that doesn't taste watered down-- doesn't have extra sugar added and it's great. I have been drinking more milk and I'm starting to feel a little better. I used to drink a ton of milk and felt healthier when I did. Could be psychosomatic though.

Starlink update: 
Cons: It seems to have packet loss every 5 to 30 minutes or so and I get disconnected or lag in games. This could be because my mount is janky though. Might be moving more than it should.
Pros: Packet loss/disconnects only last a few seconds and it reconnects. It automatically retargets satellites and gets itself back on track. It is super fast. I downloaded 20gb worth of games in under an hour. On my old connection I couldn't even download 1gb in an hour. I don't have to worry about data limits. My brother downloaded every game in his Steam library. I got Sims2, Sims3, Sims4 and all the packs that went with S3 and S4. It didn't have the data on my Sims2 packs. I will have to see if there is a way to reinstall Sims2 fully without using all of the disks. I had every single expansion pack that ever came out. The modem has pretty long range/strong signal. It reaches my brother's room and Mom's room. The location might be a factor though. The HVAC and water heater are no longer in the way with where we put this modem.

I'm cooking Mahatma yellow rice in the pressure cooker for Mom. She's been wanting it and we were out. She's pretty happy with Starlink. She streamed her Dimash videos and even started using her laptop again now that things load faster. She's able to get signal in her room from the modem.


----------



## Flyover

Finished the little workbench for my son. Basically a small sturdy table made of two 2' 2×10s glued together side by side for the top, 2×4s for the legs, and 2×6s for the skirt. (All scrap from cookie-cutter subdivision construction nearby, of course.) It's tucked away in the back of the garage until his birthday tomorrow.  

I felt like a genius when I realized I could save myself some work by "pre-loading" the bench with a few 5 y/o-appropriate woodworking projects: it needs a tiny half-notch cut in the underside of the top so it can accommodate a little bench vise I've got lying around, and the top surface needs a sanding; he'll be happy to complete that on his own, maybe with my help on the notch. Shortening the legs might end up being another project I'll help him with.


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Raw Milk is a perfect example of the backwards nanny state. The Gubment will let us have blank drugs for blank conditions with a laundry list of side effects so long it takes 3 minutes for the commercial, but unadultered Milk is "BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
> 
> But... Raw Milk doesn't trade on the NYSE.


It's hard to find raw milk. You almost have to know someone with dairy cows. You can sometimes find it in the Amish communities near us. We wanted some for cheese making.


----------



## havasu

Went to an unusual event last night. The local Boomers Recreation Facility grand re-opened one of their amusement parks last night, just for adults. there was beer and wine, all arcade games, miniature golf, ax throwing, virtual reality machines, go carts, and power boats. We had a blast reliving our past with no kids allowed.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Cheesecake with cherries sauce on top is some fabulously good eating! As is frosted carrot cake. 
Plain cheesecake not so much... 
Carrot cake is nothing like the name sounds... 
And a properly made fresh wedding cake is delicious... in vanilla or chocolate... or both...


----------



## ekrig

Flyover said:


> Finished the little workbench for my son. Basically a small sturdy table made of two 2' 2×10s glued together side by side for the top, 2×4s for the legs, and 2×6s for the skirt. (All scrap from cookie-cutter subdivision construction nearby, of course.) It's tucked away in the back of the garage until his birthday tomorrow.


Very cool. Are you planning to post pictures?


----------



## Flyover

Nope.


----------



## Eddie_T

An update on SpineWorx use. My posture has definitely improved and it's much easier to thrust my shoulders back. I can force a ramrod position against a faced opening. It's difficult but I try to do it once a day.


----------



## zannej

I'm glad you mentioned that. I completely forgot about it. I should look into getting one. Life has been crazy.
My brother made red beans and rice last night and I don't know it if was that or something else that gave me Montezuma's revenge this morning. I had to spend a significant amount of time cleaning the bathroom. Got some laundry done though so I was able to crawl back in bed with fresh sheets and pillows.


----------



## Flyover

My son liked his workbench, spent half an hour in a trance-like state planing on it despite it being 17°F out. Gave me a chance to take out the compost, check the trail cam, sweep the garage floor, and hang up one of the bird feeders my wife refilled.

Then last night we all (whole family except for the baby) played laser tag using the set my son's grandparents got him for his birthday, and well folks, I may have found my newest calling. I was unstoppable.

Though I did slip and fall quite heavily on the ceramic tiles in the kitchen and by the time I went to bed my knee was in 6/10 pain...today I have a limp and 8/10 pain whenever I put pressure or weight on it. I hope this goes away soon because it's leg day and I was actually looking forward to doing squats...


----------



## Flyover

I guess it was the very top of my fibula (the little knobby part that bulges out), not my patella, that I hurt when I fell down. And curiously, it feels better now that I've been walking around on it.


----------



## shan2themax

So..... Saturday was day 1 of my new position at work. It was wonderful that I got to pee when needed, get a drink when needed, sit when needed, and go to lunch when needed. 
My back still hurt some but not to the same extent. I am off till Thursday ,then work 3 off 1, work 3 off 7. I am hopeful that this will go smoothly!!!


----------



## Eddie_T

havasu said:


> I bought a heating rod for my safe, got a 12 gun pistol hanger, and a door pouch which holds another 10 pistols. Now I just need to go unload my son's safe and get my guns back.


I have six handguns of which two were freebies. My last one was a P3at, my little don't ask/don't tell pocket pistol. I don't need any more but might get something w/threads maybe a Ruger SR22 for backyard plinking.

For the cat owners I read an old saying today, *Nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.*


----------



## oldognewtrick

I lost all my firearms in a terrible boating accident.


----------



## Eddie_T

oldognewtrick said:


> I lost all my firearms in a terrible boating accident.


I may lose mine too. I'm told that in the old Navy all missing equipment was on the ship that sank (no wonder that it sank).


----------



## Spicoli43

I have had a Samsung Gas Range / Double Oven for a little over 5 years now, and it has never worked properly. 

The range igniters *sometimes* light, but it's a good idea to open the window first in case they don't to dissipate the gas. 

The clock / display is gone, it's either 7 minutes or 1 minute on the timer countdown.

When I turn the igniters on, sometimes the oven lights come on (Possessed)... 

The oven has never heated to temp, as it will ring as preheated at blank temp., but that differs from several thermometers by 50-75 degrees. The top oven, which I thought was perfect for a Pizza or say the sides for Thanksgiving, is utterly worthless. I tried a Papa Murphy's Pizza, and it took 50 minutes to not get done all the way. It was "edible", but not exactly done. I didn't try that again, and called in the service tech's, covered under the extended warranty but after the Samsung One WHOLE YEAR warranty.

The tech simply asked how I use it... Ummmm... Like a Double oven... "Nope, you can't do that. If you use the divider, it will never reach the proper temp, and if you do get to temp, opening the door will reset that by about a half hour in my experience"... So, the Double Oven is a giant gimmick that cost an extra $500 or whatever. 

I kept all the documented failure notes and called Lowe's warranty to ask them to come take it away to repair all the issues, as the warranty will end at the end of the year. I got an email saying they were refunding the entire purchase, they don't want to bother with even trying to repair it (Or they don't have the techs to repair it because the gubment is paying people to stay home still)... 

Either way, lesson learned on the Double Oven, and Samsung... While talking to the repair tech, I also talked about my LG dishwasher, which wasn't part of the call. He said his company won't touch LG, period. They simply won't work on anything produced by LG. That says something, considering they get paid by the homeowner or the warranty no matter what. 

So, I have to figure out a new oven from what Lowe's has, which might land me back with Samsung because other brands are made by LG.

If you're old enough, you remember Dishwashers and other appliances that lasted 30 years, don't you?


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> I have had a Samsung Gas Range / Double Oven for a little over 5 years now, and it has never worked properly.
> 
> The range igniters *sometimes* light, but it's a good idea to open the window first in case they don't to dissipate the gas.
> 
> The clock / display is gone, it's either 7 minutes or 1 minute on the timer countdown.
> 
> When I turn the igniters on, sometimes the oven lights come on (Possessed)...
> 
> The oven has never heated to temp, as it will ring as preheated at blank temp., but that differs from several thermometers by 50-75 degrees. The top oven, which I thought was perfect for a Pizza or say the sides for Thanksgiving, is utterly worthless. I tried a Papa Murphy's Pizza, and it took 50 minutes to not get done all the way. It was "edible", but not exactly done. I didn't try that again, and called in the service tech's, covered under the extended warranty but after the Samsung One WHOLE YEAR warranty.
> 
> The tech simply asked how I use it... Ummmm... Like a Double oven... "Nope, you can't do that. If you use the divider, it will never reach the proper temp, and if you do get to temp, opening the door will reset that by about a half hour in my experience"... So, the Double Oven is a giant gimmick that cost an extra $500 or whatever.
> 
> I kept all the documented failure notes and called Lowe's warranty to ask them to come take it away to repair all the issues, as the warranty will end at the end of the year. I got an email saying they were refunding the entire purchase, they don't want to bother with even trying to repair it (Or they don't have the techs to repair it because the gubment is paying people to stay home still)...
> 
> Either way, lesson learned on the Double Oven, and Samsung... While talking to the repair tech, I also talked about my LG dishwasher, which wasn't part of the call. He said his company won't touch LG, period. They simply won't work on anything produced by LG. That says something, considering they get paid by the homeowner or the warranty no matter what.
> 
> So, I have to figure out a new oven from what Lowe's has, which might land me back with Samsung because other brands are made by LG.
> 
> If you're old enough, you remember Dishwashers and other appliances that lasted 30 years, don't you?


Don't feel too bad. We bought high end appliances when we bought our current home, complete kitchen gut. Spent a fortune on Viking appliances. We wanted commercial grade stuff because we cook and entertain a lot. My wife does a lot of canning and baking. And I also wanted made in America if possible. So a dual fuel range and an electric French door wall oven and about $16,000 later I'm all set. We'll the range came with parts missing and a defective ignitor on 1 burner. Now there is an issue with defective door hinges so often the oven light wants to stay on. The wall oven I think was defective from the start. Wouldn't heat right. I had to to a bunch of tests to prove that. Had a tech out and found a burner element had burnt off one lead and wasn't working. The element had a 5 year warranty and the was discovered days before that date. I was stonewalled by Viking, they never did a damn thing, $500 for the element. Then they find a bad board that wasn't controlling the temperature properly, another $1500. That is when in found out that a residential oven is considered accurate with a +/- temp range for 30 degrees F. So at 350 setting temp can go from 320 to 380.  These are the worst appliances I have ever owned, very disappointed. I really wanted America made stuff as much as I could get at least. Didn't pay off obviously.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, luxury sometimes comes with a hefty price after the fact. That's well known in the world of cars, with BMW 7 series owners complaining that they paid $80K plus, but have to pay $45K plus just to repair the things. 

My Sister has a horror story concerning Wolf or Viking, cant remember which. Hearing her version combined with my Brother in Law's own version relegated me to Chinese (Or Korean like Samsung and LG, yeah right!) models. If I do a complete retro, I will look into high end appliances, but I know from them and you that it doesn't mean that much.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> If you're old enough, you remember Dishwashers and other appliances that lasted 30 years, don't you?


Sears and Montgomery Ward used to test the stuff they sold for quality and sell repair parts for things they sold us 150 years ago... those days are gone... 
My Wards/Admiral refrigerator is from the mid 1970's... still works... still frostfree... but... harvest gold color... 
My Caloric range on it's last leg... not even legs... about to get replaced...


----------



## BuzzLOL

oldognewtrick said:


> I lost all my firearms in a terrible boating accident.


Democrat junkie burglars got mine Fall of 2019...


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah, luxury sometimes comes with a hefty price after the fact. That's well known in the world of cars, with BMW 7 series owners complaining that they paid $80K plus, but have to pay $45K plus just to repair the things.
> 
> My Sister has a horror story concerning Wolf or Viking, cant remember which. Hearing her version combined with my Brother in Law's own version relegated me to Chinese (Or Korean like Samsung and LG, yeah right!) models. If I do a complete retro, I will look into high end appliances, but I know from them and you that it doesn't mean that much.


I'd really be interested if it was Wolf or Viking. I have a Sub-zero fridge and it has been great. I have considered trying to sell the range and wall oven and buy a Wolf replacement. I looked at them a few weeks ago. I don't know if I'm PO'd enough to cough up more money. BTW I bought a Bosch dish washer and it has been awesome. We have an open concept house of sorts and sitting 12-15' away you have to strain to hear it run.


----------



## Eddie_T

I think appliances with no electronics would sell but prolly only to a niche market thus an elevated price. My Whirlpool double oven and Jenn Air cooktop are original installed decades ago when I built the house. I have replaced elements.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Sears and Montgomery Ward used to test the stuff they sold for quality and sell repair parts for things they sold us 150 years ago... those days are gone...
> My Wards/Admiral refrigerator is from the mid 1970's... still works... still frostfree... but... harvest gold color...
> My Caloric range on it's last leg... not even legs... about to get replaced...



Yeah, most manufacturers figured out how to make the appliances work for just barely long enough to satisfy their 1 year warranty.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> I'd really be interested if it was Wolf or Viking. I have a Sub-zero fridge and it has been great. I have considered trying to sell the range and wall oven and buy a Wolf replacement. I looked at them a few weeks ago. I don't know if I'm PO'd enough to cough up more money. BTW I bought a Bosch dish washer and it has been awesome. We have an open concept house of sorts and sitting 12-15' away you have to strain to hear it run.



Viking. I was wrong about the story though, it was from a 3rd party dealer that said they were getting TONS of returns / service calls concerning Viking because Viking went Chinese and that was that.

The same dealer said Wolf was solid. I assume that applies to Sub Zero and Cove.

I have heard Bosch is the best for Dishwashers. My Maytag is absolutely worthless. Gone are the days of the "Lonely Maytag Repairman"... Homie is Dead from all the broken crap he had to repair!


----------



## 68bucks

Eddie_T said:


> I think appliances with no electronics would sell but prolly only to a niche market thus an elevated price. My Whirlpool double oven and Jenn Air cooktop are original installed decades ago when I built the house. I have replaced elements.


My brother has a small Thermador wall oven that was installed when the house was built in the 50's. He replaced a burner once I think. It's a real little thing but it works they use it all the time. Poster candidate for "they don't build them like that any more." He's planning a major kitchen reno in the next few years. He's been there probably 20 years.


----------



## LeeD

I've finally finished an organizer for the cabinet in the kitchen. My wife has tons of meds, vitamins, supps and stuff like this, so I made it for her.


----------



## zannej

I've heard that Bosch and Kitchenaid are good but that one of them has better customer service (trying to remember which one). I haven't used a dishwasher in a very long time. I hate them. I hate loading them, I hate unloading them. I'd rather wash dishes and stick them in a drying rack at comfortable height than have to bend down for a dishwasher. Always leaves white crud on the dishes so I have to hand wash them anyway. Mom used to insist that I had to use the dishwasher but I had to wash the dishes before putting them in, wait for stuff to cool down enough to remove, and then rinse & try them bc of the white crud. Ended up being twice the work. I mean, if I have to wash it first, what's the point?

Flyover, I hope your leg is feeling better.

Got a bit of a headache. Been napping and watching the Olympics a bit. Found out my brother didn't do the scan properly setting up Starlink. There's an obstruction to the east causing disruptions. Need to make the pole taller.


----------



## 68bucks

My last dishwasher was a kitchenaid. I put in a double drawer type when I did a reno at our last house. It worked OK. Was definitely louder. It was a double drawer type. We thought the idea was good since it's just the 2 of us, smaller loads. In reality it wasn't that helpful. 

LeeD, is your organizer homemade or bought? I'd be interested in what you did.


----------



## LeeD

68bucks said:


> My last dishwasher was a kitchenaid. I put in a double drawer type when I did a reno at our last house. It worked OK. Was definitely louder. It was a double drawer type. We thought the idea was good since it's just the 2 of us, smaller loads. In reality it wasn't that helpful.
> 
> LeeD, is your organizer homemade or bought? I'd be interested in what you did.


It's homemade. I made many small, different size compartments. The wife is happy. Got her another parcel today and already put everything there. I must say, I like it too. Everything is on their places.


----------



## zannej

Ooh, do you have any pictures, LeeD?

I am obsessed with looking at pictures. 
I spent most of last night downloading custom content and mods for Sims4. My brother made me panco breaded pork chops early this morning and then I napped for awhile. Got up and had to play referee to cats. Senator Snugglebum is in rut and is getting particularly aggressive with other cats (even the spayed females). He got into a very bad fight with Namir last night and then was going after him again today. Last night Namir got out when we were bringing in groceries (he and Temjin are still quarantined in the front room). He managed to make it near the back door and Snugglebum was kicking his a$$. I was trying to break them up but Snugglebum was going nuts. He was kicking, biting, and clawing my foot (had a shoe on so it didn't hurt) and leg. Pants protected my leg. At one point, I grabbed Namir with one hand to lift him from the fray but Snugglebum jumped on him and ripped him from my hand. I then had to step on him slightly and push him away enough to grab Namir again and get him up higher much faster. Namir was snorting, growling, hissing, and had his claws out so I had to put a mat under him to carry him back to the front room. He then continued to snort and growl for 20min. I offered him food to calm him but it didn't work. I had my brother check on him to make sure he was ok later bc he was not calming down for me. 
So this afternoon I was getting water out of the front room and Snuggy ran in. Namir fled the room and Snuggy started stalking poor Temjin. She ran out of the room but Snuggy kept running from me and getting on shelves where I couldn't reach him. I waited outside the room until I saw him move to where I could get him. I ran in and grabbed him, brought him out and put him in the kitchen. I put Temjin back in the front room but couldn't find Namir. I was watching TV when I heard thumping of cats fighting. Went out and Namir was near my room fighting with Gravy Jones (who also got his a$$ kicked bigtime by Snugglebum recently-- Snuggy got him cornered behind the pressure cookers). I put Namir back in the front room but he calmed down much faster this time. We need to get all 6 of the younger male cats neutered. Too bad the banding method doesn't work on cats.


----------



## Spicoli43

This highway leads to the shadowy tip of reality: you're on a through route to the land of the different, the bizarre, the unexplainable...Go as far as you like on this road. Its limits are only those of mind itself. Ladies and Gentlemen, you're entering the wondrous dimension of imagination. Next stop....The Cat Zone."


----------



## Flyover

Yesterday was beautiful, the kids were out playing all day, then overnight it rained hard. This morning I looked outside and saw all their toys were out in the lawn and driveway. The deckbox was wide open. The boy and a couple of the neighbor kids dug a hole in my yard. The stroller was out there too, with the diaper bag in the bottom of it, everything just soaked. Surprise chore for daddy.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have one too many cats and can't seem to keep his claws trimmed. I don't want to have his toes trimmed at first knuckle as some do.


----------



## Flyover

Did one last spot-sanding job on the waterfall table, then applied two coats of clear poly to the top, sides (by which I mean legs), and edges. Today I just need to poly the underside. Deciding whether to also do another coat or two on top. People will be putting drinks on it, kids will be spilling stuff on it...but maybe two coats is already enough? Anybody know?


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## zannej

An extra coat might be good, Flyover.

Last night was interesting. A lost dog has been hanging out the past few days and has become best buds with Princess. He's neutered but he still likes to lick her and she enjoys that. It was rainy & nasty out so Princess decided to come inside. Her friend followed her through the hole in the door. At first he was afraid he was petrified P) but then we gave him food and he made himself comfortable. Even jumped on my bed at one point (following Princess) but Biscuits launched himself at the poor thing and scared him away. He slept on a dog bed on the floor. I posted pics of him on FB in lost and found pets area & the owner finally saw. She picked him up this morning while my brother was taking trash out. His name is Ziggy and she had a hard time getting him to go. He didn't want to leave Princess. I told her I expect Ziggy to try to visit again so if he does I'll let her know so she'll know he's safe. She said she hoped he wasn't any trouble. I said he was delightful and was welcome to visit as I'm sure Princess will miss him. I didn't tell her about the licking thing though. LOL.
It's rainy today and the cats are curled up on me. Probably need to go to the post office today.

There was a very very bad wreck in town last night. Someone was stealing a Chevy Tahoe and speeding at 100mph through 40mph zone. Hit another vehicle and knocked it into a parking lot across the street. Hit other vehicles. One vehicle flipped over. Another truck was smashed (looks like a vehicle rolled on top of it). After that, the thief ran into a power pole. She almost hit my friend's ex. The ex posted pics of the carnage. One person was hospitalized. Not sure which one was the one that got hit by the Tahoe but guessing it was the flipped vehicle. Driver of that one was taken to the hospital. I think some of the cars were parked.

My brother asked "You think they will still ask for blue book on this truck that was for sale?"






I hope the owner of that Tahoe has good insurance. Car thief is in pretty big trouble for grand theft auto, reckless driving, speeding, and hitting that power pole. Probably will be on the hook for medical bills from the guy in the car that flipped. Assuming driver even has insurance or enough $. Friend's ex is lucky she didn't get hit bc she doesn't have insurance at all. My friend couldn't afford to keep paying it for her and told her she had to start paying it on her own. She's apparently very angry at him and wanting him to pay for it even though she cheated on him and left him. In her mind, he should have to financially support her the rest of his life. She also demanded that he give her a dresser he just got from his grandfather, a TV, a dresser that I bought for them on Marketplace that ended up going to his daughter, and a shelf thingy for the bathroom that I bought for him from Marketplace. He told her she can have her clothes, shampoos, jewelry, makeup, etc and the two pieces of furniture that she actually paid for: A particle board entertainment center and the baby's dresser. Those are the only two things she paid for in the house. She used his $ to buy the rest of the stuff. He knows by now that if I bought him something and he's not going to keep it, that he's supposed to give it back to me (or at least give me first shot at getting it back) instead of letting someone else have it.


----------



## zannej

Ziggy just came back. Princess has been staring out the window and moping for hours. She suddenly stood up, barked, and wagged her tail. I let her out of the room so she could go play with him. I've let his owner know where he is.


----------



## Eddie_T

Received my 1099s and ordered tax forms online. I am a paper person.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I am a paper person.


It's probably nice being able to slide under locked doors and all, but I bet you have to be real careful around fire.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> It's probably nice being able to slide under locked doors and all, but I bet you have to be real careful around fire.


But what's nice are all those paper dolls.


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## zannej

Ziggy's owners came and got him a few minutes after I let them know. The man was pretty awful to him. I get he was mad, but he was being overly rough and nasty to the poor thing. Wouldn't let him ride in the front seat of the truck on his daughter's lap. Insisted he had to be tied to a rope at the very back of the pickup truck. He jumped out and started hanging. I caught him so he wouldn't hang/choke. He got free of his collar and ran around while the man yelled at him and at his daughter. He ultimately ordered his teenage daughter to sit on the tailgate holding Ziggy in the back while Ziggy was tied to something in the back and drove with her like that. I wish I hadn't told them he was back. Ziggy kept trying to to go back to Princess. She was completely distraught and kept trying to get up in the truck with him and chased after them. The guy had to stop so I could pick her up and carry her in the house. She has spent most of the night and day staring out the window waiting for him to come back. They told me he's not allowed in the house and they keep him chained up outside. Makes me wish I'd kept him.
Meanwhile, I was sick today and rescheduled my dental appointment. I need to go check the float switch.


----------



## shan2themax

I survived the first week of working 6 out of 7 days. My back has hurt but absolutely nothing like it used to. It's nice to not be constantly telling myself that I can get through 1 more shift or 1 more schedule.

 I'm very thankful and humbly blessed.


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## zannej

Shan, I'm glad the new schedule is working out for you and that your back is feeling better. I wonder if that Spineworx thing would help. I keep forgetting to send the link to my Mom.

I went and checked the float after my last message. Good thing I did. Not only did I find the cistern overflowing again, but my oldest cat was sitting in a couple inches of water inside the shed half dead. I snatched him up, held him against my chest to warm him, and brought him inside where I toweled him off. I told my brother and he actually stopped gaming to come see. He set the cat on his electric throw to warm him up, but the cat didn't want to stay there too long. Once we got him warmed up and dried off he slowly walked to the kitchen, climbed a stepstool, got on the counter and started drinking water. He's been extremely thirsty. Took him to the vet as soon as they opened. WBC was 35k (supposed to be around 5k) so he has an infection and his kidneys are failing. He got IV fluids for a few hours before we could take him home.

He wouldn't eat anything at all and seemed to be in pain so we thought he was injured. Last night I left him in the bathroom with water and puppy pads. Mom felt bad for him so she let him out and put a small soft blanket down on her abdomen so he would sleep on it. Staying with her really helped.

I got up early to go help my friend transport a couch, grabbed some Boudin at the local quick stop, dropped my friend & brother off at friend's house, went to walmart to get my rx and some canned food for Boo (my cat). Picked my brother up, got home and unloaded stuff, gave Boo his meds, gave him some canned food (the stuff he used to eat as a kitten) and he actually ate. Gave Mom some boudin. Unjammed the float lever again. 

Mom is watching TV with Fippy & Princess in the living room. Boo is sleeping on her bed. My brother is playing video games. And now I'm about to take a nap.


----------



## Flyover

I finished the waterfall table days ago but the poly coat isn't as smooth as I want, so when when I get a chance I'm going to sand it down with 400 grit (or higher if I can find it) and do one more coat on the top, maybe outside legs too if I have time.

Meanwhile other projects are piling up...


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> I finished the waterfall table days ago but the poly coat isn't as smooth as I want, so when when I get a chance I'm going to sand it down with 400 grit (or higher if I can find it) and do one more coat on the top, maybe outside legs too if I have time.
> 
> Meanwhile other projects are piling up...


You can wet sand it, then buff it out with a buffer and some polishing compound. If your careful.


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## Flyover

Thanks, oldog. I do not have a buffer or polishing compound (which I assume is just some kind of abrasive material suspended in a fluid? Like toothpaste?). I have been advised to sand with 400 grit, refinish, then buff with a crumpled brown paper bag, so that's what my plan is.


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## zannej

I would think a bag might make it uneven, but I've never tried buffing with a paper bag.

Took my computer over to my friend's house to swap out the guts & get hard drives cloned. My main drive was going bad and had some issues apparently, but the "new" liquid cooling didn't work so my friend can't keep the PC on long enough for any diagnostics. It's still over at his house.

Boo is eating a tiny bit more but still not eating enough. Taking him back to the vet in the morning.


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## zannej

Boo is still eating small amounts but a bit more frequently throughout the day and he has a LOT more energy. Took him to get the iv catheter out and he was very quiet on the ride over. The vet said he looks a lot better already and that we'll see how he's doing in a few weeks and discuss any dietary changes that may be necessary. She said she has a lot of cats too and has one that is mellow like him. Got him home and he literally ran around. Jumped up on things, ran outside, came back in, wanted food. Didn't like the temporary food but we got more of the good stuff on. He ate some of that, had some canned food and ate a few cat treats. He's currently napping on Mom's bed.

Ordered a new cpu cooler for my computer since my old one and the donated one don't work. Friend can't keep my computer on long enough to check things out because it overheats too quickly. Might need to get a new chassis that has more space.

Also ordered a new attachment for my Matrix. They have a hammer drill attachment now. It can be set to normal mode though to act as a regular driver.


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## Eddie_T

Used the lathe to turn a taper on a twist-off cork so it could easily be reused as a stopper.

.


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## Flyover

Yesterday I sanded the waterfall table with 400 and then 800, followed by another coat of finish. Once it was dry I started with the paper bag thing but I thought it was just scratching it so I stopped, because the finish looked fine how it was. I am now calling the table "done".






Next project is a "gun hide", basically a little swinging cabinet door next to my bed where I can mount my shotgun lock. It should match the bookshelf pretty well. Wife doesn't like the 12-gauge just sitting on top of my closet zipped into in its carrying case. Frankly it's not a good way to store it for HD anyway.


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## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> Yesterday I sanded the waterfall table with 400 and then 800, followed by another coat of finish. Once it was dry I started with the paper bag thing but I thought it was just scratching it so I stopped, because the finish looked fine how it was. I am now calling the table "done".
> 
> View attachment 27610
> View attachment 27612
> View attachment 27611
> 
> 
> Next project is a "gun hide", basically a little swinging cabinet door next to my bed where I can mount my shotgun lock. It should match the bookshelf pretty well. Wife doesn't like the 12-gauge just sitting on top of my closet zipped into in its carrying case. Frankly it's not a good way to store it for HD anyway.


Nicely done sir!


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## Spicoli43

Got an email for a Fatigue Conference, Free online for a week starting the 21st. I think a lot of people could use tips on how to overcome fatigue, especially now.

I have watched tons of various conferences, and they are all the same in that they put up the day's videos for 24 hours and then remove them for the next day's videos. It's free as long as you can get through the videos each day. They are mostly all Doctors / PhD's etc., and of course their time is valuable, so they do pitch the conferences, and you have an option of buying them. 

I have watched several conferences that were extremely valuable for ongoing education in health, with the Paleo / Keto ones being my favorites. With the ones I have bought, I go back to them for a refresher every now and then.









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					fatiguesuperconference.com


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## Eddie_T

Flyover, the waterfall table is a work of art!


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## zannej

Waterfall table looks great!

I've been busy with the kitties. Weather has been a lot warmer and Boo decided he wanted to go outside and sit in the sun. He's started eating dry food again and is doing much better. He gets stressed out being locked up so I let him roam last night. He came in to sleep on me several times before going back out.

Also tired bc I rescued a couple of abandoned hound puppies that ran in front of my truck. They are good little boys but they want to play a LOT. Trying to find their owners (if by any chance they just ran off). Left a message with the animal shelter but they never called back. I got into it years ago w/ one of their employees when I called out her boss for lying about it being "no kill". She blocked me on FB with the official account after publicly calling me a b*** and saying I was a worthless p.o.s. Same employee that was private messaging people threatening to open their gates and steal their dogs to make them pay to get them back or have he dogs euthanized out of spite. I posted screenshots of the threats on the page when she started insulting me & one of the people she threatened. But, I have a friend who works there now and she said they have 30 dogs on a waiting list already. Tried to find neighbors who could take them but nobody was home.

These are the pups:



Talked to the nice neighbor's wife and gave her some money to have her husband get me some more hay. She refused to take any $ at first. Said her husband said we get free bush hogging for life from him because we sold him the tractor.

Upside of the puppy situation is that my brother has been going out and playing with them. He took them for a couple of walks. He needed to get away from his pc. But he realizes we can't keep them.


----------



## Flyover

Today I built the shotgun hide, start to finish. It turned out perfectly, closes just right and latches securely shut, even the ammo box fit in it with about an inch to spare on all sides. Best of all it's very inconspicuous. My wife didn't notice I built it until I pointed it out.


----------



## havasu

I'd love to see that!


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## zannej

havasu said:


> I'd love to see that!


Me too!

I spend the day worrying about Boo and looking for her because he got out and hadn't come back in (as far as I knew). I kept saying to my mother how worried I was and how I'd been searching for him and needed to give him his meds. She got mad at me for "letting" him out but was otherwise indifferent.

I went to pick up my desktop from my friend's house only to find out the drivers weren't installed so the mouse, wireless adapter, etc would not work. He had to burn the drivers on to a DVD and install them via the original dvd drive. First time he did it he had the wrong ones so he had to do it again.

Mom called (I had called her to check on her earlier) and said she was hungry. Claimed she'd only eaten 3 celery sticks that day and that I hadn't fed her. Mind you, I asked her at least five times if I could get her something to eat and each time she said "no". Before I left she said she didn't want anything. When I called to check on her she said she didn't want anything. So then she's all enraged and being nonsensical. Then she let me know that Boo had been in her room the entire f***ing time I'd been looking for him and she couldn't be bothered to tell me that until AFTER she let him out. 

I had to buy stuff to cook and grab some other stuff. I grabbed her a salad to eat while the yellow rice cooked. She ate the salad, we watched some Youtube on the TV with the Sony soundbar. I went out and found Boo, shoved him through the window, gave him his meds, got my hand slightly clawed for shoving something in his throat, gave him canned food, fed the other kitties, finished making the rice, fluffed it, served it up, etc. Boo went out again but now he's curled up at my side.

Left my desktop in the truck since it is dark out & I worried about tripping while carrying it.


----------



## Flyover

What you see in the above picture is the front. The side is the same depth as the bookshelf, hinged at the wall (the hinge is mounted to the same 2×4 I used as a sort of cleat to mount to the stud). So basically an L-shaped door added on to the end of the bookshelf. There's a hidden latch on the inside that only I can reach. When you open it up you need a key if you want to get the gun off the wall, because the gun mount doubles as a lock: 




Actually it's the wall of the bookshelf but it's on there with two bolts very securely. It's not going anywhere unless you either have the key or a lot of time and willingness to make noise and a huge mess. And you'd still have a lock through the trigger guard.

I found this was the perfect balance of easy enough to get to in an emergency (I timed myself at about 6 seconds from lying in bed, which includes fishing the key out of its hiding spot with my eyes closed) and kid-proof, with the added bonuses of 1) also creating an equally safe spot to put my ammo box, 2) creating another shelf I can use for other things, and 3) being inconspicuous so my kids arent constantly asking about the gun. (I'm eager to teach them about firearm safety and eventually use and cleaning, but on my terms not theirs.)


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## zannej

Looks cool! Reminds me of some of the furniture they used to sell at furnituretraditions.net (the went out of business). They had hidden compartments, hidden gun safes, etc built in to beds, dressers, armoires, etc. I LOVE hidden storage.

I was busy with puppy cleanup. Walked the puppies briefly. Unjammed float lever twice already (need to go check it again). One of the pups kept running in to the kitchen and I had to carry him out. They are already growing and getting heavier.

My dog's boyfriend came back briefly. She wasn't as interested in him this time. Either she was in heat last time or she's still mad about the puppies being around. She does NOT like them. They have way too much energy and want to put paws on her face and jump up. They are taller than her but slimmer. Cute little buggers. (Anyone want a couple of hound pups?)

Boo was feeling a bit better today. He came to see me and ran ahead of me to Mom's door when I asked him if he wanted "to go see Mommy". He ran in and jumped on her bed. He ate more today than yesterday but still less than he ate Wednesday. Someone suggested getting chicken flavored baby food. I'll try that.

I felt awful this morning. Major abdominal cramping and back pain. Took some naproxyn and curled into a ball. Got Ginger to curl up against my tummy. I was coughing and generally feeling bad. But I feel better now.

Mike (the guy who we sold the tractor to) dropped off hay while I was asleep. I'll have to call to thank him. He and his wife Peggy are so sweet.

Went to samsclub to get groceries and saw a guy in the parking lot playing a trumpet with a tip jar out. I've seen him before when I didn't have any cash on me. Stopped and tipped him this time and he was very appreciative. He cracked me up when he was playing "Play that funky music white boy". Never imagined I'd hear that on a brass instrument. In Singapore there were guys with missing limbs who would play musical instruments for tips in overpasses and underpasses so it reminded me of that. At least he's actually doing something instead of just begging like some of the people I see out asking for $.

I need to find some missing bowls in the house-- I think they are in my brother's room. But the lights don't work in there and his floor is covered in trash so its hard to walk in and look.


----------



## Eddie_T

Last evening I tried out my hamburger press and grilled  pair of 8.5 oz hamburger steaks on the rocket grill. I ate one with seasoned pinto beans. It tasted a bit blah and I had to go heavy with the steak sauce. I got the wrapper out of the trash only to find that I had mistakenly purchased 93% lean ground beef. I'll smother the second one with BBQ sauce and reheat for supper this evening (live and learn).


----------



## zannej

Lean can be ok if you mix it with enough stuff, but it tastes better with more fat in it for sure.
I'm a bit miffed at my brother right now. When we were bringing groceries in yesterday, the kitties got out of the front room. Instead of putting them back, he took them both to his room. But his door didn't shut right so Temjin apparently got out and disappeared. He doesn't seem to care because Namir is his favorite and Temjin is my cat. If I had lost Namir the way he lost Temjin he'd be screaming and swearing at me. I'm going to clean the litterbox one last time and tell him that since my cat is no longer in there, it is now his responsibility to clean the litterbox. I'm really worried about Temjin. If I'd known he didn't put her back in the front room and that she could be outside I would have started searching for her much sooner and maybe had a chance to find her. But now she's gone and I think she got chased off by the dogs or other cats or even killed by some predators in the woods. I don't expect her to turn up alive at this point and my brother just has an "oh well" attitude. He has no consideration for other people or their stuff-- including pets. Sorry, venting. I'm just so tired of his careless behavior and I'm feeling depressed.


----------



## Flyover

93% lean is a problem, but not an insurmountable one. Bacon fat is the solution.


----------



## Flyover

Finally had that exposed ceiling painted yesterday. They used oil paints and now my whole house smells like oil paints, and I've developed a cough. The ceiling looks great though.

I am now asked to build a desk, install a small chandelier, and I'd like to repair and wall-mount a couple of bookshelf speakers in my office. Fun times.


----------



## zannej

Any plans for what style desk? I wish I could find my dad's plans for the massive desk he built. I'll have to find pics someday when it is not a total disaster. It is on the back of built-in bookcases. I had him put in mirrors at the back wall to reflect light and make it look more spacious. Painted the underside of the top shelf sky blue. Has 2x2s sticking out to mount speakers. Leather padded foot rest shelf under the desk, drawers on one side and file cabinet on the other. Has a leather lined tray for the old scanner (which is long gone). We threw out an old couch and I pulled all the leather off of it to reuse.

Yesterday the power went out for a few hours due to storms. Puppies refused to go out so I had a lot of crap cleanup in the front room. When they finally went out it was too cold for them so they came right back in and I found them on the kitchen table eating cat food. Saw my oldest cat (the one that almost died recently) out in the field near some hay. Called him and he came running over. So he's feeling better.

I motivated my brother to search for Temjin by telling him he'd be responsible for cleaning the litterbox for Namir if Temjin didn't turn up. He nearly panicked. Started searching for her desperately. He finally found her hiding under some blankets next to the foot of his bed. She was just being a brat. She hid for 36+ hours.

Went window shopping at Lowes but they didn't have any windows in stock or on display. Ended up ordering a couple online bc its the last day of a sale. They said getting a tempered glass version would be $500 for a single window. I'm getting window film instead. Even if the film costs $100 it will still be less expensive than $500. The window was under $100 on the sale.

Took Mom for her booster shot at Samsclub. Walk-in and super easy. They took her in for it right away. Less than 5min wait and she was out within 2 min. Unloaded groceries, cleaned up more puppy crap. Unjammed float lever. Cleaned off the kitchen table as best as I could. A bag of epson salt my brother left there got ruptured and is stuck on the table. I need to find some sort of scraper to get it off. We had old cardboard boxes on there. My brother actually thanked me for cleaning it off.

Still trying to come up with a solution to mount the float lever in a different spot to see if it helps stop the jamming problem. I think I have a solution.

I want to remove the bottom plate from one of the old switches from the jet pump (looks like this) 


I can screw that on to a board and then anchor that in the pipe. I can then mount the float switch on the board and have it mounted close enough to reach. I can use another piece of board to hold it up so it won't drop or come out of the pipe. I have test-fitted at nut and it fits fairly securely inside the pvc pipe and holds the thing in place.
I have a few boards lying around that I can use.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> Any plans for what style desk?


Nothing fancy. There's an old Ikea table that the previous owners left in the garage, sorta bamboo looking thing. It's rectangular but for some reason designed with only three legs, all connected (one continuous piece of metal). Very unstable. My idea was to remove that metal piece and replace it with four wooden legs from Menards, then clean up the table top a bit and call it a day.

My wife's also been asking me to build a balance beam in the yard for the kids. So tonight after dinner I swung by my trusty adjacent under-construction neighborhood where sure enough a nice straight 12-foot 2×8 was waiting for me in the first dumpster I passed. Two 2×8s actually. So I brought them home and the kids' after-dinner activity was sanding the edge they'd be walking on. Thanks, wasteful construction company!


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## zannej

Man, I wish we had dumpsters with wood and stuff around here. Only places that have big dumpsters are places like Walmart, the high school, and some of the other stores that don't have wood. Pizza Hut has a dumpster IIRC.

Adding 4 legs sounds like a good idea. No Menards in our area either.

Puppies got in and knocked over trash cans I have been asking my brother to take out for months. 

Cats have been fighting bc they are upset about the puppies being here. Sir Hammington got his paw bitten pretty hard and was bleeding all over. Wouldn't let me touch it or get near him bc he was still in fight mode. I hear them growling at each other now.

Talked to a neighbor who said he will call around and try to find someone who can take the puppies. I'm hoping he can find someone soon. Even if someone just takes the male it will make things better. He's the more annoying one and the female is calmer when he's not around.

Looks like I'm probably going to have to fix my float lever without my friend. He keeps being too busy to come out. Casino arcade got 3 new games and he had to work overtime to set them up. I also suspect he doesn't really want to work on it but doesn't want to tell me.

I'm about to go break up the cat screaming fight.


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## Flyover

No recently-de-farminated subdivisions full of cookie-cutter new construction in your area, zannej? 

Menards is incidental; Lowes is closer to me but my local Lowes is so poorly run I can't stand shopping there.


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## zannej

Nope. Not much development of this area since the good mayor died. The last several mayors have either done nothing or just grifted. Current mayor is a grifter who put the blame for hundreds of thousands of embezzled $$ on an employee who allegedly killed herself. He claimed that he found out about her crimes, confronted her, and that she went home and killed herself. But this is a guy who goes around with cops extorting $ out of people and making threats and who keeps buying himself a new vehicle every 6 months on taxpayer's dime. He was also collecting rent on properties the city seized from people for not paying property taxes (back when they were charging $100 per month in late fees and not sending people notice of what their taxes were or when they were due-- and they don't allow homestead exemption like the parish does). They got busted on the $100/month thing bc it was completely illegal. They are not allowed to charge more than 10% and now the fee is 1% after the embezzling was found out. But, jerkface mayor is getting away with it.

The population is also shrinking quite a bit. We got hit hard by Covid and a lot of the population was elderly. Most people try to get the hell out of this place if they can. Wages are low, taxes are high, utility companies rip people off (mayor is getting a kickbacks on that), and there are no community centers & nothing to really do around here. So, teen pregnancy rate is very high, education sucks, & it has really gone to crap. Meth-heads have moved in to what used to be the nicer neighborhoods & they are now slums.

The nearest Lowes is an hour away but poorly managed as well. They do have some nice employees but also some awful ones.

My cats are upset about the puppies being around. Got a neighbor searching for homes for them. I do like the female but the male is really obnoxious. He's not as smart as the female. Earlier I looked in to the front room (through glass-paned doors) and saw the dog in the cat cage standing on the lower shelf on her hind legs eating the food on the upper shelf. Her brother was barking and whining because he couldn't get in there with her. We had to move the food bowl on top of the kitty condo (which is about 6' high).

So Senator Snugglebum is in full a-hole mode attacking all of the other cats but trying to be cuddly with me. He really got into it with Sir Hammington the other night. Blood everywhere. I had to chase him with a broom and then had to lock him in the pantry (aka kitty jail) for a few hours before he calmed down. He even went after poor Ginger (who is a one-eyed kitty). She actually jumped in to stop him from attacking Biscuits. Gravy Jones and Sir Hammington joined the pile.

And now I swear he has developed teleportation skills. Snugglebum was on my tv stand when I walked out of the room. I got some milk, turned around bc I heard growling. He was on the dishwasher terrorizing Yasuke. So I picked up a stirring spoon and scared him off. He ran toward the curtain to the back hallway (opposite direction than my room) like he was going outside. I then went back to my room and he was on my tv stand again.

I've already unjammed the float lever this morning. Will have to check it a few more times unless my friend can come help me get it fixed today. He said its his day off.

Yesterday I did almost nothing because I was exhausted and felt like I wasn't getting enough air. So I slept most of the day. I played on the computer a little between naps and unjamming the float lever.


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## zannej

I went over to my friend's house and gave him a new deadbolt to install. Electronic kind so he can enter a code to get in if he doesn't have a key on him. His ex was PISSED. I'm pretty sure she stole the key she claimed she lost and was using it to get in when he and the baby weren't there. Bc I went by and she was there when she wasn't supposed to be and had been locked out. I have my own code to enter to get in now but she doesn't get one and she was mad about it. But, she's not supposed to be there. Instead of getting the last of her stuff out, she's started bringing stuff back in. Pretended to lose her work jacket as an excuse to stay over there to "look for it". 
She was also mad that she got stuck watching her own baby while my friend modified the float lever setup. I'm about to go check it again to make sure it isn't jamming, but it looked solid last night. Pried the block off the lid, mounted it on to the thingy I showed in a previous picture, and got it set up so the rod stays straight.
Got back to his house and he got called in to work. His ex was mad bc she didn't want to keep watching her own baby. Baby started screaming bc he needed a diaper change and has a rash. She was yelling at him and yelling at my friend that he couldn't leave bc she "can't deal with" the baby. After my friend went out the door she slammed the baby on the couch violently and screamed in his face. Baby was screaming and trying to get away from her. She was roughly grabbing him and pinning him back on the couch. I told her to stop it and then sang to the baby to calm him down while she changed the diaper.
She really is unfit to be a parent.


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## Flyover

Stayed up way too late writing last night (hey I don't pick when the ideas come to me, and I've learned not to turn them away), then daylight savings hit, adding insult to injury in the morning when the baby woke up at what felt like 5am but was now technically 6am. Dragged myself through the hardware store grabbing stuff for putting legs on the table/desk thing for my wife. 

Then after lunch I pulled a zannej and took a nap! 45 minutes. After I woke up I got on the stationary bike for half an hour. Just did all the dishes for the day; it's amazing how fast they pile up on the weekends when we're all home.


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## Eddie_T

That reminds me that I have been skipping my Magnetrainer exercises. My plan was to pedal it while I watch the news but I have been slack.


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## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> That reminds me that I have been skipping my Magnetrainer exercises. My plan was to pedal it while I watch the news but I have been slack.


I hope you've at least been skipping the news, too.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I hope you've at least been skipping the news, too.


That's must be what happened, I need a better catalyst.


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## Yod12

Why are certain topics here being suppressed and censored? Looks like some folks here don't want to know the truth and holding on to their beliefs for dear life. Too bad.


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## oldognewtrick

Yod12 said:


> Why are certain topics here being suppressed and censored? Looks like some folks here don't want to know the truth and holding on to their beliefs for dear life. Too bad.


We haven't suppressed or censored topics. Threads were allowed and welcomed as long as they remained civil. They were only closed when they turned into name calling and flaming.





__





						Forum rules
					

Well They're just guidelines but they need to be read by all who join. As a member, you are able to post comments and questions on all of the forums available. There are a few general rules that you must follow though. This forum is a close community consisting of;  professionals  inspectors...




					www.houserepairtalk.com


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## Flyover

Yod12 said:


> Why are certain topics here being suppressed and censored? Looks like some folks here don't want to know the truth and holding on to their beliefs for dear life. Too bad.


I agree. Everywhere I go, nobody wants to admit that avocado is the superior alternative to mayo on a BLT. The sheeple are clinging to their backward ideas and misinformation!


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## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> I am now calling the table "done".
> 
> Next project is a "gun hide", basically a little swinging cabinet door next to my bed where I can mount my shotgun lock.



Nice Job! I'll be interested in seeing your "Hide a Gun," too! Right now, my shotgun is leaning up against the wall between my bed and the night stand. With a granddaughter that will be walking soon, I need to do something different.


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## Flyover

Ron Van said:


> Nice Job! I'll be interested in seeing your "Hide a Gun," too! Right now, my shotgun is leaning up against the wall between my bed and the night stand. With a granddaughter that will be walking soon, I need to do something different.


Thanks. I thought I put pictures in this thread...

EDIT: yup, they're here: What did you do today?

By the way, that gun hide's been there for almost two weeks and my kids haven't even noticed it, haha.


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## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Thanks. I thought I put pictures in this thread...



Yes, You did...Sorry, not enough coffee this morning!




Flyover said:


> By the way, that gun hide's been there for almost two weeks and my kids haven't even noticed it, haha.



Hidden cabinets and hidden latches are better than key or combo locks IMHO. It's like the difference between Concealment and Cover.


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## Eddie_T

Yod12 said:


> Why are certain topics here being suppressed and censored? Looks like some folks here don't want to know the truth and holding on to their beliefs for dear life. Too bad.


It has nothing to do with this forum but you may find this website interesting. I am trying to find out more about it as sometimes things seem too good to be true. US Resisters | Operation Resister Tyranny


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## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> It has nothing to do with this forum but you may find this website interesting. I am trying to find out more about it as sometimes things seem too good to be true. US Resisters | Operation Resister Tyranny


I had a question about this but I split it off on a new thread because it's off-topic and it's probably political.

I've been down in the dumps for about a week for no reason I can ascertain. Or maybe lots of little reasons that don't seem to add up. That's usually the way these things go. Anyway, I thought things were getting better over the weekend but today I'm back down in the dumps again. Very little motivation to get anything done. Hopefully this clears up on its own soon, because I want to get that table done and a new lighting fixture installed, and that's on top of my regular job and other stuff I have to take care of.


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## Eddie_T

Just finished Never _by Ken Follet. _A Chinese delicacy mentioned was deep fried rabbit ears.


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## zannej

Glad you made some progress. I hope your nap helped.

I feel a little better about taking naps throughout the day after my favorite aunt told me she takes a siesta as well. She's the one living aunt that was never judgmental with me and Mom. She said that in her studies she learned that some people have essentially 5 gallons of energy while others have a pint and that it wasn't right for the ones with a lot of energy to pass judgment on people with less energy or vice versa. Mom has been low energy for as long as I remember so I think I got that from her.

Yesterday I cleaned up puppy crap and cleared some trash (that my brother literally threw out the window) off the porch. He promised Mom he'd clean that living room in exchange for getting Starlink. Thus far I've been doing almost all the cleaning. All he did was have me hand him stuff through the window and he chucked it on the porch and then when I was asleep he tossed stuff out the window from inside the room. Didn't get much done. Found boxes that still have stuff in them and uncovered a small waste bin, a recliner, and the cupholder portion of a sectional sofa. Still need to uncover an end table and another recliner. My brother is under the mistaken belief that he will be able to fit the sectional sofa stuff through the window. Not gonna happen. Anyway, the boxes and trash were blocking off the porch & my brother made it clear that he felt it was my responsibility to take care of it. I wanted to be able to walk on the porch so I cleared it as best as I could. I had to sit on one of the steps because bending down was too difficult. It wasn't easy with puppies jumping up in my face.

I also went to the grocery store with my brother and stocked up on some stuff. I was hoping to get a ranch cobb salad for lunch but they were out.

This morning: More puppy crap cleanup. Got some stuff out of the truck to bring inside. Charging my new hedge trimmer (has to charge 16 hours before use), took my meds, refill pet waterers, feed kitties, let puppies out (they came right back in) and I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I want to pace myself so I don't get exhausted for the next few days. I was going to trim the weeds but waiting on that thing to charge.

Mom wants me to go to the store and get more ice cream. Funny thing is, she's forgotten its lent and she didn't give up anything. I'm not going to remind her. BUT, she's refusing to eat chicken, pork, and beef on Fridays bc some jerk in the Catholic church said that should be a year long thing and not just during lent. Nevermind she hasn't gone to church in over a decade.

Finally got around to hooking up my desktop and running it. Won't detect my mouse so I can't use it. Ugh.

Spicoli sent me a link to a place to post the puppies to try to get them adopted. They've already grown larger I think. Right now I'm trying to pick the best pics of them to post. They climbed on my bed and I managed to grab a few shots even though they didn't want to hold still. They don't show the markings very well so I may have to use some of the older pics to show their tails (the female has a grown tail but male has a tail the same color as the rest of his body).

I'm having total brainfreeze, but here are the pics (please excuse the mess-- I really need to clean up but have had a case of the f***its):








I cropped some of them because it shows even more of a mess and a cat. LOL.



As an aside, my door is coming apart at the bottom and side. There is literally cardboard inside it. Puppies are currently on my bed right now. Female is trying to sleep. Male is chewing up paper from an empty pharmacy bag. Fippy is to my right growling at them.

Right now: Female is on the left this time. In other pics male was on the left.



I think the 1st photo is probably a good one for posting. Maybe the last one too.

Now one of them has gone somewhere and the other is still on the bed. LOL. Hope one of them isn't chewing on stuff in the kitchen.

Edit: I typed this up before seeing the last page of replies because for some reason they didn't display to me and now they are. 

A lot of people have been feeling down lately.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> A lot of people have been feeling down lately.


For whatever it's worth, I cured myself on Tuesday by taking a couple long (1+ hour) walks with my kids and a bunch of their little friends. I think on each walk I had at least 6 or 7 kids with me, and that cleared my mood right up.


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## ekrig

zannej said:


> A lot of people have been feeling down lately.


Lots of reasons for why might be, but for me this yo-yo and oftentimes gloomy weather (raining all day during the past weekend here) and the time change are definitely at the top.

Talking of which, what do y'all think of the fact that now we won't be changing again from daylight savings time? Personally, I'd prefer to keep standard time, but curious what other's perspectives.


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## Spicoli43

You know the Country is in trouble when the only thing the idiot politicians agree on is the Sunshine needs protecting...   If he signs the bill, Slow Joe can say "See, I did something, the Mercury in thermometers is important too, because that's the one with rings around it that I protect 24/7 with my eyes on the sky. We must never let the climate change the rings of the Moon."  









						Dark mornings ahead: Permanent daylight saving time would push winter sunrises to nearly 9 AM in some cities
					

The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, meaning no more changing the clocks every March and November.




					www.foxweather.com


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## ekrig

Thanks @Spicoli43
What really got my attention was the part at the end of that page, quoted below for quick reference. The thing is that I had a preference against daylight saving and now I know why.


> *Would permanent standard time be a better option?*
> While summer sunrises would be incredibly early – 4 to 4:30 a.m. in some northern cities – under a year-round standard time regime, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine said this would actually be better for our health than permanent daylight saving time.
> 
> "Current evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology and provides distinct benefits for public health and safety," the AASM wrote in a position statement opposing daylight saving time.
> 
> Its statement goes on to say that daylight saving time causes the natural light/dark cycle to be delayed by an hour, which results in a misalignment of your circadian rhythm. This can be linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and other health risks, according to the AASM.


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## Spicoli43

I just wish they would pick something and stick with it.


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## zannej

As someone who has had severe depression, nothing ever worked to make me feel better. Not walking, not being around people-- especially not being around people. I'm not a people person. Being around a group of children would be a personal nightmare. I hate the sound of children's laughter. I'm a big fat grumpy cat. LOL.
Popped in to drop something off with my friend. He was down again. His ex was there and she had moved most of her stuff back in and was cluttering up the bathroom. He told her to get stuff out but she defied him & is now trying to guilt trip him by claiming that if he kicks her out she might have a miscarriage and it will be all his fault and he's stressing her out blah blah blah. Quite frankly, a miscarriage may be the best thing for her and the potential offspring bc neither she nor the guy she cheated on him with would be good parents. She's already neglectful and abusive to the baby she has.

I do think the bipolar weather is a big part of things. Also the wage stagnation, politicians refusing to agree on anything but daylight savings time, and the prospect of war.

Meanwhile, I dealt with drama from Mom when I got home. I offered her food when I first got home but she didn't feel like getting up. She waited until I got logged in to a computer game before she suddenly wanted something. So I closed the game and went to see what she wanted and spent about 20min arguing with her about how I can't read her mind, I got everything on her shopping list and she didn't include the stuff I would need to make what she wanted and didn't know she wanted that. She refused to eat stuff she had specifically asked for and was all nasty about it. She accused me of not listening to her because she had her back turned to me, mumbled, and I couldn't hear her over the tv. I had to mute the tv and ask her what she was saying but she was giving me attitude. Mind you, earlier I had to as her the same questions over and over again at least 10x before I got her to answer me bc she wouldn't listen to me. Then when I got her something she asked for and tried to hand it to her she started doing something else and wouldn't take it from my hand and I was standing there with my back hurting saying "Would you please take this!" Then she got mad about me "rushing" her. I'd been holding it out for 5min straight already. Eventually I figured out something she could eat and she calmed down and was nice again.

Still need to figure out why our landline isn't working. I think she was crabby that she couldn't call me when I was at the store bc the landline has no dialtone and we're waiting on AT&T to get back to us on whatever is wrong. But, my brother piled up trash right in front of the access to the panel so I'll need his help getting stuff out of the way.


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## Eddie_T

I kinda thought they should have compromised the time halfway between DST and ST. Time's a compromise anyway depending on whether one lives near the leading edge, trailing edge or in between for their time zone.

Here's an interesting article on time standards;
Why Are Some Countries 30 Minutes Off the Global Time Zone Grid?


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## zannej

I honestly don't care what they decide so long as they make a decision and we don't have to change the clocks twice a year. LOL.


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## Flyover

My preference would be for permanent daylight savings. I don't mind getting up in the dark, actually it makes me feel productive, like I'm getting a lot done even before the sun rises (because I am), but having it stay light for a while after dinner so I can do stuff outside and send the kids out too, is a huge boost to my well-being. In the middle of winter it would at least be twilight after dinner, which is still better than pitch-black out at 5pm like it is now.

I just found out we're moving to permanent DST and I couldn't be happier about it.


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## havasu

Unless Sleepy Joe and the Hoe vetoes it.


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## Eddie_T

I think for a reality check in my location I will drive a stake in the ground to find high noon and compare local time to it.


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## zannej

The puppies liked their new toys but they took them outside and I could only find one of them. Its a bright red cloth bone. They were fighting over it. No idea what they did with the cheaper toys that had rings and ropes. I'll have to look for it more later.

Float ever jammed. Bottom nut caught on the block. Will have to trim the block back and/or drill a channel for it. I'm leaning toward a little of both. The block is cut unevenly so it sticks out a little more at the bottom. I can turn the power off and take a sawzall to it later. Tired right now. I went out and cut a bunch of blackberry bushes back with the new little hedge trimmer. It is weak and doesn't have a large cutting diameter but it took out quite a few of the nasty buggers. I'll need something larger and more powerful for the thicker/tougher ones.  I have some small trees growing there that need to be cut as well. Stupid chickentrees that keep growing back. Can't put poison back there bc its within 20ft of the water well.

I had a grape otter pop to cool off. Probably still need to hit the store for more supplies. I want another wheelbarrow for hauling trash and maybe a machete. Halfway wish I could take a flamethrower to the blackberry bushes but they are waaay too close to the house.


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## Eddie_T

This must have been persistent nuisance call day. I have been sharing fax machine sounds with them as soon as I hear the telltale blip.


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## zannej

I played the sound of connecting to dialup internet for my friend's ex and she covered her ears. LOL.

Friend is upset bc his power bill was super high again. Over $800. They keep re-charging him for the deposit that he has paid multiple times already. Makes no sense. But a lot of people with Cleco have been complaining that they are being overcharged.

I had to go to the store again to get more stuff-- sweet feed, puppy chow (they found the bag and ripped it open and ate all the food), more chew toys, and some food for Mom. I'm going to need a nap.


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## Eddie_T

This was so cute that I borrowed it from another forum.


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## zannej

Aww. That is a cute kitty.

I needed to relax today. Fingers, hands, & wrists are sore from weedeating. Also getting leg cramps. I got up to let puppies out, cleaned up crap, washed dishes, took the trash bag out of the trash can and got my brother to take it out, went to Walmart for some stuff I forgot the other day. Stopped in to Buddy's IGA to see if they had some stuff Walmart doesn't carry. Napped with my kitties & the puppies. They have decided that my bed is the best place to be so they were stretched out next to my legs. Rupert, my orange kitty, decided to be my teddy bear and then crawled up near my face and purred. Boo came in and climbed on me an wanted to be petted and then was content to purr while my hands were resting on him unmoving. I think I had a 4 hour nap. Mom and my brother are napping now too. I had to unjam the float lever again. Trying to figure out the best way to trim the block. I have a dental appointment on Monday but I couldn't get an calls from my dentist to confirm my appointment because my landline is still out. One of the boxes that has wires for it is underwater right now down near the river. I don't know why they won't move it or waterproof it. I'm thinking of telling them I want a discount for however long my phones are out because of this because it keeps happening-- and they doubled the cost of my landline a few months ago without us making any changes to our plan.


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## zannej

I got up, took meds, cleaned up some trash, fed kitties, let puppies out, had to sing the cat summoning song for Sir Hammington to get him to come to me so I could get him out of Mom's room, went out and took another crack at those blackberry bushes. Got overheated so I didn't get as much as I wanted done and my back started hurting bc I had to bend. Realized I was gasping for air so I came inside to have an otter pop. Green color-- no idea what flavor but I just wanted to cool off. about to get some breakfast even though its lunchtime.
Need to do some laundry and maybe go to my friend's house for a decent shower with warm water instead of cold. 
Dental appointment tomorrow. Landline still out.
Phone is out of data space for pictures so I need to delete stuff.


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## Eddie_T

I guess I live a sheltered life, I had to google otter pops to see what they were.


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## Eddie_T

I have friends that hail from Norge. Languages are interesting. The Norge word for vacuum cleaner is støvsuger. However if we break it down støv means dust and suger mean sucker. If we combine those words we get dustsucker which IMO is more descriptive than vacuum cleaner.


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## Hamberg

It's like they have a different word for everything. (Steve Martin - different word)


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## zannej

I love Steve Martin! I still sing the "Cuz I'm a Dentist" song he did in _Little Shop of Horrors_.
Realized I'm off a day: Dental appointment is Tuesday. Gives me more time to get stuff done. Monday will be more weed cutting, oil change/tire check, engine cleaner put in gas tank & refueled, laundry (although I might start on some of that tonight if I can find stuff-- dark already and can't see crap in here since lights don't work), get some new cheap shoes (puppies chewed mine but they are wearable for now), and a nice shower.

The cornbread I got from Buddy's IGA was much better than I expected. Even Mom likes it.

Whole body hurts bc I went back out to cut more weeds. I think I might have a solution for stopping the nut on the rod from catching under the wood block on my float lever. If I can put something against the side of the block going all the way down to the hole so the nut can't catch under anything, maybe it will just slide up it and stay in line.

Did I remember to post my "before" pictures of the damn blackberry bushes? I took pics after I started the other day. Can't remember if I have any pics of before I started, but I think there are older pics where you can see the weeds growing like crazy.

This is some before (after the first trimming-- the blackeberry bushes went all the way to the cinderblocks before but I forgot to get pics):






I had to get my brother to take the after pics as my phone ran out of battery (charging cable slipped out) and has no more room for pics. Camera keeps crashing when I try to open it.





Got my brother to take pics of the puppies. Only ones that came out usable were the ones of them on my lap separately.
Peanutbutter (the female) with Jelly looking over my shoulder:


And Jelly (with Peanutbutter walking behind):


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## zannej

Got up, let puppies out, unjammed the float lever and went straight to yardwork. This time I found an old rake lying around in the yard and used it to rake stuff out of the way so I could continue trimming. After almost 3 hours the f***ing rake broke. Metal part came out of the handle and I couldn't get it to go back in. It was cloudy and had a nice breeze so I was able to tough it out longer than yesterday. Fortunately, I was still able to cut down the last of those mofo blackberry weeds in the target area.

Will have to get my brother to get pics later. For now I'm cooling off and will go get oil change and tire check after picking up the needed supplies at Walmart (I always supply my own oil and filter). 

I'm being lazy and will have to pick up after the puppies when I get back-- after some naproxyn.


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## zannej

Went to the pharmacy and picked up the Rxs that were ready. Have to go back tomorrow after 4pm to get the rest.
Got oil change, put seafoam engine cleaner in the gas tank, fueled up, tires checked, TPMS sensor replaced, and I took a shower at my friend's house. Changed into some new pajamas that say "Cat Nap". It seemed appropriate.
Got my brother to take pics of the yard but he refused to take more than the two he took (he was being pissy).
Here is the tangled pile of some of the blackberry weeds (looks a lot smaller when I piled it up)


And here is the view of the yard without the damn bushes. Stupid chickentrees still need to be cut though. And need to haul off trash. Those trees have thorns too. No wonder the blackberry vines like them- they are like cousins.


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## Spicoli43

I got a new BenQ 4K Projector to replace my old WXGA Projector that needs a new bulb. I'm still playing around with the settings and where I'm putting it, but placed on top of it's perch, it gives me a screen size of 144", exactly 12 Feet. My old one only mustered 120". 

If I drop the Projector down on the table, I'll get an even bigger screen, but will have to move the Cat food table and my adorable little... What are those things called... The name is escaping me right now... Oh yeah, the 55" TV.

I can't wait for March Madness to continue and for College Football.

Now for the fun parts... If you have a bare wall like mine and have wondered about getting a Projector, do some research, but in my situation, BenQ's website said I would only get about 120" out of it, so I would chat up whatever manufacturer you are thinking of buying from to get all the info. 

4K is the best... There is 8K projectors, but to my knowledge, hardly anything is broadcast in 8K yet. I wouldn't aim higher than that, besides you can always trade up later. 

I do know people that have held out on a Projector because they don't know how to get a proper screen, don't want to damage their wall etc... You DON'T NEED a screen... Unless your wall is Black! My Tan wall works just perfect.

And finally, if you don't want to spend $1600 or so on a nice 4K Projector, you can do like I did and finance one from Paypal credit if you buy on Ebay. Mine is $57 a month for 2 years, and I will laugh every time I pay that bill for what I got. 

I really laugh at the 86" or so TV's at Costco that cost much more than my Projector!

This is NOT a midlife crisis... This is not a midlife... This is NOT!


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## Eddie_T

Had 2  ingredient biscuits for breakfast. They are so easy to make, 1C SR flour + ½ C heavy cream yields 3 biscuits. The recipe says 4 but my tuna can cutter may be a little bigger than a regular cutter.


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## oldognewtrick

Spicoli43 said:


> I got a new BenQ 4K Projector to replace my old WXGA Projector that needs a new bulb. I'm still playing around with the settings and where I'm putting it, but placed on top of it's perch, it gives me a screen size of 144", exactly 12 Feet. My old one only mustered 120".
> 
> If I drop the Projector down on the table, I'll get an even bigger screen, but will have to move the Cat food table and my adorable little... What are those things called... The name is escaping me right now... Oh yeah, the 55" TV.
> 
> I can't wait for March Madness to continue and for College Football.
> 
> Now for the fun parts... If you have a bare wall like mine and have wondered about getting a Projector, do some research, but in my situation, BenQ's website said I would only get about 120" out of it, so I would chat up whatever manufacturer you are thinking of buying from to get all the info.
> 
> 4K is the best... There is 8K projectors, but to my knowledge, hardly anything is broadcast in 8K yet. I wouldn't aim higher than that, besides you can always trade up later.
> 
> I do know people that have held out on a Projector because they don't know how to get a proper screen, don't want to damage their wall etc... You DON'T NEED a screen... Unless your wall is Black! My Tan wall works just perfect.
> 
> And finally, if you don't want to spend $1600 or so on a nice 4K Projector, you can do like I did and finance one from Paypal credit if you buy on Ebay. Mine is $57 a month for 2 years, and I will laugh every time I pay that bill for what I got.
> 
> I really laugh at the 86" or so TV's at Costco that cost much more than my Projector!
> 
> This is NOT a midlife crisis... This is not a midlife... This is NOT!


One of my best friends converted his 2  garage into a theatre room. Carpeted the floor, installed sound foam on the walls, blackout curtains on the Windows, high end surround sound. It's almost like going to the cinema. I told him he needs a popcorn cart. I guess it's contagious. I'm going to his house today, I'll try and get a picture.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Had 2  ingredient biscuits for breakfast. They are so easy to make, 1C SR flour + ½ C heavy cream yields 3 biscuits. The recipe says 4 but my tuna can cutter may be a little bigger than a regular cutter.



Here's a Biscuit / Gravy recipe you might try... I was doing a batch every weekend until my oven broke, which is good because I have to be on Paleo anyway. I would PAY dearly for a magic pill that made my body irrelevant to the effects of Biscuits. I was just using a Coffee cup for a cutter.









						Easy Biscuits
					

Whip up this buttery, easy biscuit recipe to serve with breakfast or dinner. The dough is very simple to work with, so there's no need to roll with a rolling pin; just pat to the right thickness. — Taste of Home Test Kitchen




					www.tasteofhome.com
				












						Best Sausage Gravy
					

This gravy proves itself to be the best sausage gravy recipe when served over fresh, hot biscuits for breakfast.




					www.tasteofhome.com


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## Spicoli43

oldognewtrick said:


> One of my best friends converted his 2  garage into a theatre room. Carpeted the floor, installed sound foam on the walls, blackout curtains on the Windows, high end surround sound. It's almost like going to the cinema. I told him he needs a popcorn cart. I guess it's contagious. I'm going to his house today, I'll try and get a picture.



That's a good plan, I could do it if I ever build a shop.


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## Flyover

Reminds me of that weird thing where people replicate commercial spaces in their private homes. Recently I drove by yet another house where the owner had purchased and placed an old-timey gas pump right outside the garage. I think I said "Why??" out loud. And I've seen a few houses with professional NBA-style basketball hoops on one side of the driveway, though I never see anyone playing basketball. Maybe someone can explain what that "replicate the commercial space" thing is all about. Maybe nobody can. But then it's interesting that the money still flows for it.

I don't watch enough TV or movies to justify buying anything to watch TV on, let alone something large. (We have a 33" TV I bought back in 2012, and I think of that as a big screen. Biggest one I ever owned by a long shot.) Come to think of it, my TV/movie-watching is approximately zero. The kids average about 2-4 hours a week, mainly old cartoons. Sometimes I will pick out a few 10-minute Youtube videos on the laptop to listen to, not watch, while I'm doing dishes. I think if I ever started watching TV/movies a lot it would mean something in my life has gone very wrong. Too many other things I would rather do in my free time, and even a really good TV show/movie (of which there are very few to begin with) isn't as good as building something or playing music or lifting weights or taking my kids out to a park etc. Some people say TV and movies are just to turn off your brain, but then why not just use hard drugs like a respectable person?

My kids are all on spring break this week, which has been challenging; a disruption to the routine. But we're making the most of it and I haven't gone crazy yet, so we must be doing something right. Gonna put the baby down for a nap, do dishes, then get some work done.


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## zannej

I've got a 55" TV in the living room and I'm happy with it. 32" TV in my room doesn't work anymore. It's over 15 years old now. Never worked right with my VCR sadly. For some reason there was no color. I need to upgrade at some point but don't really watch TV in my room and the dog has covered it up with pillow and blankets she stole from my bed (her nest is between my bed and the tv and she's made a huge pile). I need o measure the space because I'm considering wall-mounting my next tv-- although, that might be too high. It's very low priority though. 
I mostly watch cooking shows and PBS. I don't like to cook, but I like to watch those competitions. 
Just took my meds so I have to wait an hour to eat.
Let the puppies out this morning & they came right back in when the rain started. Got a nasty storm going through. They expect 10" of rain. Dentist's office canceled my appointment and said they would call back to reschedule after the storm passes. They'd been calling my landline but its out still.

The puppies are on my floor wanting on the bed but they are afraid of the cats. Got several cat piled up on the bed because they don't want to be outside in this weather. Only Rupert has so much as noticed the thunder. He glanced up once after a loud crack and then resumed grooming himself. It's going to be a lazy day in my PJs today. If the road isn't flooded too badly I will go get RXs that weren't ready yesterday. I'll probably wear my PJs bc they are comfy. LOL.


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## Eddie_T

I like a fairly large TV but not large enough to dominate the room. I don't have a blank wall so can't go for a projector. I use the TV mostly for the news, youtube videos, an occasional movie, PBS music programs and Blue Bloods has become my only weekly TV drama. I stream Blue Bloods via an HDMI cable for less commercials. When I waste time I prefer novels, when a movie is made of a novel only altered highlights of the plot is presented.

I like sausage biscuits and sausage gravy biscuits but kinda gave up pork. A friend told me that her alternative doctor said he couldn't tell upon evaluating a patient whether they had cancer or ate pork. A hog is the dirtiest most disgusting animal there is. I guess that's why God labeled them as unclean.


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## Spicoli43

I don't even like my 55" TV on the stand, as it takes up a big chunk of space. I can get probably 2 more feet out of the projector image, so it would be 168" or so. I would have to move the TV stand, and I don't have anywhere to put it. I think 144" will be good enough when I move the Cat Food table. 

I have never liked Pork anything besides Jimmy Dean. There's a book / diet called "Eat Right 4 Your Type", in which the Doctor / Author promotes certain foods for each Blood Type. Pork is absolutely outlawed for everybody, according to the diet. Some Blood types have to have Meat like O, and some are Vegetarian. 

The Fascists at Wikipedia hate it, so it must be an effective idea.


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## zannej

I don't have wall space for a TV. We have a very nice entertainment center that held a Sony projection screen TV (projection inside) with built in speakers. The TV weighed 230lbs. Fortunately it has wheels so so it wasn't too hard to move out to put in a new TV. Old one kept getting moths inside it which was very annoying. Trying to watch and see moths flying around. Plus it couldn't keep up with the modern tech for broadcast. It was 58" so we had to downsize but the stand can't fit 60". The walls in the living room are some sort of printed pattern of birds and leaves and stuff and there are wooden planks to cover the seams. It's ugly.

Trichinosis was why pork was banned. We have better methods of handling meat now so it is less likely to happen. My pigs actually preferred to be clean. They liked bathing in the pond. Pigs will wallow in mud to protect themselves from sunburn or to get cool on hot day, but they prefer clean water when available. 

I went to Walmart to pick up RXs that weren't available yesterday. One of Mom's RXs didn't get approved by the doctor and my brother needs to get both of his approved.


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## Spicoli43

When I was in HS, long before HD existed, still in the VHS days, my neighbor had a gigantic big screen TV, must have been 60", which was of course state of the art at one time. I remember the picture looking good, but we didn't have anything else to compare it to. I helped him move it one time, and it was a 3 Man job... One on each side lifting and one to push the dolly under it, then repeat the other side.

If I was to guess, I would put it at 400 pounds. I don't remember my Dead lift numbers from back then, but I do remember hoping I never saw it again. We moved it to his garage, where it was sold that weekend in his yard sale. I think I had a 25" or so with built in VCR that I could move myself, but couldn't wrap my arms around.

Of course, Projectors existed back then, but nobody had them in their homes that I remember. They were just for boring presentations in schools.

Back to the present, I don't understand why anybody buys a TV. Even with limited space, a projector would work. For what I paid, I could get an 85" 4K TV at Costco, and then I would have to have multiple people help me hang it while being extremely careful like it was made out of eggshells, couldn't take it anywhere, and when I moved would have to repair the holes in the wall and paint or leave the entire thing.


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## Flyover

That's interesting about pigs, Zannej. I knew they bathed in mud as a kind of sunscreen, but I didn't know they actually preferred clean water. It's a shame more farmers don't provide it for them!

We're not huge on pork, but I use bacon fat in much of my cooking so I buy bacon whenever I'm close to running out. Just one 16oz package yields enough fat to last me a few months, plus it makes for one or two days of very tasty breakfasts.

And then of course I love my chicharrones. I buy a bag of those from time to time and...pig out on them.

If we order Chinese food I almost always get some kind of pork dish. And lately my favorite item to order at my local taqueria is el pastor, which is pork marinated in spices and pineapple juice, then sort of "grilled" (?) on a vertical spit just like how a Middle Eastern place will do shawarma.

Personally I like the way I prepare grilled pork chops (served over cheesy grits with a side of greens...oh man) but I have to admit they're not as good as my cheeseburgers (which are renowned) or even a decent bratwurst.

Even back when I was sorta half-assed practicing Torahic Judaism between about 2012-2017 I never gave up pork. I figured "Oh well, I guess I can't enter the Temple to sacrifice any animals!" Worth it!


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## Eddie_T

I recall a pig experiment where pigs in cages (four high) and fed only the the one on top. The weight gains didn't vary a great deal.

Cheerios are kinda low in protein (3g for regular and 4g for crunchy) so I am experimenting with adding 10g of vanilla whey protein to the milk.


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## zannej

Spicoli, if I had pure white flat walls and no obstruction, a protector would be fine. But, I'd have to find a place to put one and make sure it didn't get bumped and that would be a pain. So, having a flatscreen TV that can sit on a stand out of the way or mount to a wall works for me. I suppose if I could ceiling mount a projector and had decent walls to project on it would be fine.

I remember those TVs with built in VCRs. They were neat. I can't remember if we ever had one. I have a multisystem VCR that plays PAL, NTSC, and SECAM. I got it on 50% off sale for around $300 years ago in Guam. Don't know if it still works. I vaguely recall TVs with built in DVD player later on. We had a little portable thing that looked sort of like a laptop that had a tiny LCD screen and played DVDs. Dad used it to watch stuff in the back of the SUV when I was driving him to Houston for medical appointments.

Today was the 13 year anniversary of my father's death. Normally we call my sister but the landline is still out. I planned on staying in bed (other than unjamming float lever & letting puppies out & feeding them). But Mom decided to go to the bank to get some paperwork. I moved $ from my savings to the "Christmas Club" which matures in November and has a higher interest rate than my regular account.

Cleaned up puppy crap, cooked porkchops, went to Walmart to have Mom b*** and argue with me over stuff the pharmacist said. They gave her a 2 month supply of a medicine that she wanted a 3 month supply of but it was out of refills after 2 months. She had a fit like it was my fault and argued with ME instead of talking to them herself. They said her doctor did not approve her Naproxyn refill. 

Fortunately, I got her to get ice cream to encourage her to get out of the store faster. Normally she takes forever.


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## Eddie_T

I got into a discussion with the lady asking for my telephone number for the check when renewing my auto registration. Since we were holding up the line she caved. I now have a solution I am going to use the telephone company time service number if anyone wants a number on a check.


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## BuzzLOL

I bought some minibike parts from a place that doesn't do PayPal directly, so PayPal emailed the bill to me, but I had to join PayPal to do it, and to join PayPal they insisted on my mobile phone number which I don't give out, and they weren't interested in my landline number for some reason... whew!
Eventually I got to a place in the PayPal website that noticed I had used PayPal several times before and had my card number so let me join without the mobile number... and finished my payment thingy...
I get suspicious when a mobile number only is required! I pay $2.50 month for mobile service and don't want a million junk calls/texts burning up the minutes... they can email me or use the unlimited landline number/answering machine...


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Spicoli, if I had pure white flat walls and no obstruction, a protector would be fine. But, I'd have to find a place to put one and make sure it didn't get bumped and that would be a pain. So, having a flatscreen TV that can sit on a stand out of the way or mount to a wall works for me. I suppose if I could ceiling mount a projector and had decent walls to project on it would be fine.
> 
> I remember those TVs with built in VCRs. They were neat. I can't remember if we ever had one. I have a multisystem VCR that plays PAL, NTSC, and SECAM. I got it on 50% off sale for around $300 years ago in Guam. Don't know if it still works. I vaguely recall TVs with built in DVD player later on. We had a little portable thing that looked sort of like a laptop that had a tiny LCD screen and played DVDs. Dad used it to watch stuff in the back of the SUV when I was driving him to Houston for medical appointments.
> 
> Today was the 13 year anniversary of my father's death. Normally we call my sister but the landline is still out. I planned on staying in bed (other than unjamming float lever & letting puppies out & feeding them). But Mom decided to go to the bank to get some paperwork. I moved $ from my savings to the "Christmas Club" which matures in November and has a higher interest rate than my regular account.
> 
> Cleaned up puppy crap, cooked porkchops, went to Walmart to have Mom b*** and argue with me over stuff the pharmacist said. They gave her a 2 month supply of a medicine that she wanted a 3 month supply of but it was out of refills after 2 months. She had a fit like it was my fault and argued with ME instead of talking to them herself. They said her doctor did not approve her Naproxyn refill.
> 
> Fortunately, I got her to get ice cream to encourage her to get out of the store faster. Normally she takes forever.


I mounted my TV projector on a window sill on one end of my living room and shine it at the other end wall 20 feet away that is ivory color, that gives an 8' high x 14' wide 200" diagonal picture on that 8 1/2' high wall. It can be driven by a digital TV tuning box, computer, WiFi and other picture sources... There's a window in the 'screen' wall, so I removed the curtains and added a white pull down window shade as part of the screen when wanted... sound is provided by my 5.1 stereo system wired to speakers at the screen wall plus rear speakers and bass box...


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## zannej

The fireplace is opposite my TV on the other end of the room, but there's stuff in the way. The layout of the room just wouldn't work. Plus the entertainment center is dark brown. Sort of fake mahogany. 

I got my friend over to trim up the wood block to stop the float lever from jamming. Managed to find some tool I'd misplaced and he used the oscillating attachment to cut a chunk out of the block. My cistern has sawdust in it, but nothing we could do to stop it.

Cleaned up after puppies, fed kitties, took my friend to a dental appointment, went to Panda and hung out at his house for a bit afterward. Got home and made shepherd's pie for Mom. 

Friend is happy that the total cost of getting his teeth pulled is less than the downpayment for another estimate he got. They wanted $10k to pull his teeth and $3k up front. Also, he's no longer completely blind in his left eye. He banged his head pretty hard at work the other day & apparently the blood clots moved and his vision came back. It's blurry from afar, but he can see things up close.

Puppies in the backyward earlier today: 



Jelly likes to bark to argue with other animals. Fippy was on my bed. Jelly wanted to get on my bed but Fippy kept growling at him every time he tried. Jelly was barking like "Come on man! I want on the bed!" and Fippy snarled even more. Peanutbutter stayed at the very edge and climbed up anyway and got up to my leg away from Fippy and laid her head on me. Listed them on RescueMe but no hits thus far.

Got more pics of my yard (can take pics again after clearing stuff off my phone) from similar angles to the before pics.


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## zannej

Took allergy meds and let puppies out. A neighboring dog is visiting. Princess went to see him. I just let the owner know.
I think a wire got disconnected on the float switch bc the cistern never refilled. Most likely the power to it than the pump, but I do have a new switch somewhere just in case. Will have to make sure I find it.


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## zannej

No switches available locally but fortunately the problem was a loose screw. My friend came out and saw the lever arm was too loose and wasn't making contact when low to close the circuit and turn the pump on. He brought his laptop with him, set it down and started downloading some games with our internet (unlimited so not a problem), went out back, checked it out. I got tools and he tightened the screw, fixed my rake, got the blade out of my oscillating tool for me (I didn't push hard enough to get it open enough and need 2 hands to do it), chatted with us for a bit and then headed off to work. He managed to download 13gb in 20min so he was happy.

I was going to do some yard work but its' already too hot.

My hands were swelling jut standing outside in the heat. I have this weird thing where my hands and fingers swell up instead of sweating.

I'm waiting for my naproxyn to kick in before I go clean the toilet.


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## zannej

My brother rolled a 1 on a dex check while walking through the kitchen full of trash on the floor (bc he never picked it up) and he twisted his ankle and fell down. I immediately wrapped it and gave him an ice pack to put on it. Hopefully he didn't tear anything but he's got a court appearance tomorrow. Supposed to be a trial but they denied him an attorney 2+ years ago when he had his arraignment and he has to ask the judge for one tomorrow. Statute of limitations on the misdemeanor (which was absolute bs) is up but they don't care about following the law here.

I hurt my back so I can barely walk. We got some groceries and he took a shower at our friend's house.

I'll probably have to go to the store without him on Thursday or something to look for 10ft metal poles for mounting the dish higher up. It was $130 for one at our local hardware store. It's $87 at Lowes.


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## Spicoli43

What is rolling a 1 on a dex check?

Good luck with your back. Mine hasn't slipped yet this year, happens twice a year and I use a chair as a walker for a week, guaranteed.


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## zannej

Dungeons & Dragons (roleplaying) reference. Rolling a 1 means you fail epically. 
And he struck out again in court. They refused to let him have an attorney and didn't even listen to his testimony. The old dude who filed the complaint against him lied his a$$ off in court. It was a total $#!+show and I can't get my bp down bc I'm enraged. Bailiff had to stop me from chasing the old man and shoving his lying a$$ down the stairs. She saw me glaring and directed him to go the opposite way.

The judge had clearly already made up his mind before the case even started. But also, he'd been denied an attorney which is so illegal. Furthermore, statute of limitations on this was up 2 years ago so charges should have been dropped. I'm trying to calm myself down bc I am super pissed.


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## havasu

Requesting a public defender is nothing more than completing a form, determining if one qualifies for it. Were forms completed?


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Dungeons & Dragons (roleplaying) reference. Rolling a 1 means you fail epically.
> And he struck out again in court. They refused to let him have an attorney and didn't even listen to his testimony. The old dude who filed the complaint against him lied his a$$ off in court. It was a total $#!+show and I can't get my bp down bc I'm enraged. Bailiff had to stop me from chasing the old man and shoving his lying a$$ down the stairs. She saw me glaring and directed him to go the opposite way.
> 
> The judge had clearly already made up his mind before the case even started. But also, he'd been denied an attorney which is so illegal. Furthermore, statute of limitations on this was up 2 years ago so charges should have been dropped. I'm trying to calm myself down bc I am super pissed.



You moved to Pyongyang? Who is "they" that refused him an attorney?


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## Eddie_T

Wood fired hamburger steak, Dutch gold potatoes and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon followed with a Gran Gala orange liqueur  after dinner drink. This time the ground beef was 80/20 so the taste and texture were as expected.


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## Flyover

On Sunday I turned that old Ikea bamboo table into my wife's new desk. Now she loves it and spends hours in her office. Mission accomplished.

Today I repaired a bookshelf speaker. The cabinet face had been knocked off somehow, I think when we moved. I just glued it back on. Tomorrow the speakers (it's a set of two) are getting mounted on the wall behind my desk and I'll find a place for the amplifier.


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## zannej

havasu said:


> Requesting a public defender is nothing more than completing a form, determining if one qualifies for it. Were forms completed?


They refused to give him the forms to fill out. They kept giving him the run around. One person told him to call the DA's office, DA's office told him to call public defender's office, they told him to call someone else. Many times the phone rang and no one answered. He finally made an in person visit and was told he had to wait until his court date to request a public defender and then was not allowed to request one because they just went ahead with his trial.
They really jerk people around. I will also note that they had people on the docket and charges for things people had already been to court over and settled. Their recordkeeping is absolute garbage. ADA kept having to ask who had what file and ask for status and there was a lot of confusion. It was a hot mess.
Spicoli, judge initially told him he didn't qualify for a public defender (over 2 years ago when he was arraigned). They just want $$$ from people. 
I wish my brother had listened to me and asked them to call the girl who was there but he didn't want to traumatize her further. She moved away from her father bc he's a creep and she was really upset and sobbing when the incident happened. When my brother started asking the cop about what the girl said, that was when the DA flapped his papers or something and glared at him to get him to shut up and say he didn't remember. I wish he'd asked for the cop's notes. I don't think they even fully interviewed the girl. Old man lied and said his daughter has severe autism but she only has very mild Aspergers.
I'm still mad so I'm binge-watching Midsomer Murders.


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## Flyover

Zannej, your brother needs to talk to a lawyer. If he is being denied a public defender and this is a criminal case, then that's a major issue and he might have a lawsuit on his hands later but right now he needs to get a lawyer one way or another. If he blew all his lawyer money on computer games and cat food (haha) then your nearest law school will likely have a clinic where they provide some legal services for free or steeply discounted. If they don't, he should check the second-nearest law school, and so on. I don't know what he's been doing instead, but he should absolutely drop everything and do that. If he doesn't talk to a lawyer, then it is hard to be sympathetic.


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## Flyover

Mounted my speakers and also created a shelf to hold both the amplifier and my audio interface. Tested everything, works great, except the connection between the interface and the amplifier was funky because of bad cables so I have to buy some new male-to-male RCA cables because, incredibly, I discovered I don't have any lying around.


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## havasu

Z, someone is not being truthful. A public defender is a Constitutional right, unless this is an infraction.


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## Flyover

Installed a chandelier style lighting fixture, didn't electrocute myself, and it works.

Next project is a firewood rack to go in the yard, so it was off to the dumpsters this evening where I found ten 5-6 foot long pieces of that plastic-infused 1×6 decking that doesn't rot. Perfect. 

May the construction methods of my neighbors remain forever wasteful!


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## Flyover

By the way, speaking of waste, did I mention that a week ago I found _another_ working miter saw in the trash?? That means in the last few years I've pulled from the trash 3 working miter saws (one of them sliding, one just compound), 1 working scroll saw, 1 perfectly good miter table, and 1 working tablesaw. I also got a cordless HF weed wacker once but it had no battery. And that doesn't count all the perfectly good brooms, shovels, rakes, hammers, garden claw, and fishing rod. Somebody out there is paying actual money for this stuff. People are insane.


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## Flyover

Finished the firewood rack. Those plastic-infused 1x6s turned out to be more like plastic 1x6s with little flecks of wood in them. I still used them for most of it, but I could only screw through the broadest face, not into the sides or ends. To secure everything together at the corners I used some cuts of treated 1x8 I had laying around.

Now I suppose I should cut down a large tree branch and section it into firewood logs. 

Next project will be a small laptop stand.


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## Eddie_T

Here's a tip I use when I need to screw into end grain.


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## Flyover

Got home with the baby, the upstairs toilet had overflowed and soaked both the kids' bathroom floor and the ceiling AND floor of the office below with poop-water. (Good thing we did that ceiling with oil paint after all...) Now I get to spend the evening mopping and bleaching.


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## zannej

There are no nearby law schools. The system here is very corrupt. It's all about making $$$. They have a sewage problem and since we have such a small parish, there is not a lot of tax income. Especially since a lot of people qualify for homestead exemption. It was classified as a misdemeanor but the definition/rules of the "remaining after forbidden" changed last year, and so did the penalties. They applied the new rules to an old alleged crime. I'm sure they were lying to him and jerking him around. I honestly think the judge already decided his fate at arraignment years ago. It's the same judge. The one that chewed out a defendant bc the defendant's public defender didn't even bother to show up for his trial. As if it was the defendant's fault. Wouldn't let him have a different attorney. They are violating 6th amendment rights by bringing up cases from 3years ago. Court was only shut down for 6months at most. Statue of limitations was up on my brother's case. It's a clusterf***. It costs at least $5k for an attorney here plus taxes and fees. He can't afford it for a $690 in fines. I'm still looking to see if there are any civil rights attorneys or anyone that at least consults for free.

We've heard horror stories of them not logging info correctly and forgetting that people already had trials, already paid their fees/fines, etc but then get re-tried (also a violation) but the lawyers here are lazy and don't want to take on the system. The probation officer said there has been a rise in people being sentenced to probation bc they can be charged $50 per month. And even though 3 months is more than the books say is allowed for a sentence for "remaining after forbidden", they still gave it to get more $. I am thoroughly disgusted with this place right now.

But today wasn't so bad. Got a little info about my friend's neurologist visit (he paid for it with tax returns). His blood clots shrunk a little and moved to his frontal lobes. They are impairing his judgment and impulse control. Might explain why he let the ex come back and trash the place again.

My brother's ankle is healing but his knee was bugging him- he torqued his knee when he fell. Ate at Panda, picked up a 10ft pole for the satellite dish from Lowes, got groceries at samsclub, dropped a bidet off at friend's house, and got back home. I cooked for Mom and am back at my computer.

Today is my sister's birthday so we are waiting for her to call when she's off work.


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## Flyover

Zannej, as long as the law school is in your state you're good to go. You're in Loozyana right? I understand Tulane has a very good law school; surely it is not the only law school in your state. There's no excuse for your brother not to call around and see what free/reduced services the law schools in the state can offer him. Especially if he has evidence that he is being denied his rights. Complacency is what allows that stuff to continue happening.


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## zannej

Flyover, I'll talk to him about it, but he's pretty much given up. He hates this state. Hell, he hates his country now. He wants to move to Japan, but he said he'd settle for another country just to get away from this hellhole. I could probably call around for him, but I'm tired of doing things for him that he should do himself. I told him to subpoena the girl who witnessed things but he refused. He doesn't listen to me. But I'm still mad that they put a liar on the stand and that the DA intimidated the cop. The cop hung his head and shook it when the judge said the state proved its case. He knew it was a sham.
On the upside, I will probably never qualify for jury duty on a criminal case with that DA handling things. Hell, even without that DA there is little chance because I don't trust the system and if they ask me, I will tell them that I can say that I believe I would be held in contempt and fined up the wazoo for expressing how I feel about the system. Bc I honestly think they would do that if I told them what a crock their system is and how they only care about $$$ and not justice and that they convict innocent people just to get money.
I'm pretty sure the judge would be offended by that.
I will still talk to my brother and suggest he contact Tulane (I believe that is the only one in the state that has law school stuff). Problem is, he will have the burden of proving that they denied him court appointed counsel and it will be his word against theirs.
I've still been binge-watching Midsomer Murders. On season 3 now.


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## Flyover

The first result of my DDG search shows at least three other colleges in LA besides Tulane just with not just law schools but also law clinics designed to help people who have little/no money: Loyola, LSU, and Southern University.

If he's not willing to take a few minutes to at least try and get legal help when his actual constitutional rights are being violated and he's facing steep consequences for something he is innocent of, that is...interesting to know. It doesn't really make sense to me why he hates his country, in part because of its legal system, when he also seems to expect the legal system to hold his hand like a baby. Even if he faced a crooked courtroom. Like I said before, it's hard to be sympathetic. Sorry for being very blunt but that's how I see it based on the info provided.

By the way, is this a criminal or civil matter?


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> If he's not willing to take a few minutes to at least try and get legal help when his actual constitutional rights are being violated and he's facing steep consequences for something he is innocent of, that is...interesting to know.



He's in his 40's and he won't take the trash out.


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## Spicoli43

I was thinking about easy jobs, with Congress being right at the top since they can say whatever they want and get paid Millions while not actually doing anything. 

Then there is the Press Secretary... It seems real easy since they don't do anything besides put forth what the President wants communicated. There must be something I'm missing though, since all of Trump's Press Secretaries have communicated that they loved working for him, and Circle Back Psaki is leaving, but said she loved working for Obama.. 

I just don't get it.


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## Flyover

Some government jobs seem easy, but congressman and press secretary do not seem like easy jobs. One you're always hustling to get re-elected, the other is just a media job and media jobs are terrible -- high stress, long hours, close scrutiny all the time. You certainly won't starve doing either of those jobs, but most people take a pay cut to work them compared to what their resumes could fetch in the private sector. 

Heck, even Presidents only make "$400,000 a year; on top of that, they receive an extra $50,000 expense allowance, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment" according to Fox Business. That's nothing compared to the CEO of even a medium-sized company.


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## zannej

Flyover, it was a criminal matter. It was a misdemeanor but about a year or two after the alleged offense they changed the definition of "remaining after forbidden" to make it more inclusive (to get more people) and also changed the penalties (adding probation and/or jailtime).It used to only be a fine.

What happened was he was invited to meet his then gf's father. The gf lived with the father and invited my brother in. He stood there and was introduced, talked to the father a bit. The father decided he didn't like him. Said he wasn't comfortable with him dating the daughter (who was 21 at the time) and said "I think you should leave". My brother said "Ok" turned to his gf and said "You can come with me if you want" and started walking toward the door. At that point the old man reached for a gun while getting up from his chair, pointed it at my brother, said "I'm going to blow your (expletive) brains out" and cocked the hammer. My brother grabbed the gun, pushed it downward, stuck his finger behind the trigger so it couldn't be pulled and held on to it. He backed toward the door while saying "No one is going to get hurt" while his gf was screaming and crying. She called 911 and said her father pulled a gun. They got there and my brother was outside on the front steps still holding on to the gun to prevent the guy from shooting him. Cops broke it up, went inside and spoke to the guy first, came out with a ticket already written up and the old man kept shouting at them to arrest him. He then told the cop what happened and the cop said he had to issue a ticket even if he believed my brother was in the right. Said he had no choice. My brother argued with him but the cop said he could take it up in court. The gf said she wanted to leave with my brother. The father said she was not allowed to leave. Told the cops she had autism. They forced her back into the house and said she couldn't leave. He kept her prisoner for the next 5 days. Her employer (who was also my brother's employer) called in a wellness check and the cops that showed up told the father he had to let her go. So she started going back to work again but changed her shift to be different from my brother's bc her father was insisting if she ever spoke to my bro again he'd go to the casino and shoot my brother.

The cop claimed he talked to the gf after my brother left. In court he was starting to say she corroborated my brother's version of events but the DA snapped his papers and cleared his throat and gave him a look. Cop looked intimidated and darted his eyes back and forth from my brother to the DA and then suddenly claimed he couldn't remember what was said. He hung his head when he walked off the stand and he shook his head when the judge said he found the state proved their case.

The old man's version was that he told my brother to leave but that my brother was intimidating him by standing over him and that he refused to leave and that they argued for 20min before he pulled a gun and that my brother still refused to leave. It was absolute bs. Said he repeatedly told him to leave. Cop even indicated he believed my brother that it was only suggested he leave once before the gun came out. That was when the DA first started getting upset but the cop was looking at my brother.

The judge didn't look at anyone-- just at his papers as if he was bored. Then he said it didn't matter how many times the guy asked him to leave, he should have left immediately the first time. Didn't matter that he thought the guy would shoot him if he tried to walk away and that the guy didn't invite him in the first place. The law said that a person had to be asked to leave 3 times before it counted as remaining after forbidden. But they just ignored the law.

It's only a fine and 3 months probation, but it's still on his record and it's absolute bs. But then, I saw them bringing a charge against someone that they'd already gone to court over when we were there and several minute were wasted of them debating over it before they admitted it was written down on some paperwork that something had been done but the judge didn't listen and fined the person again. Dude was supposed to retire 2 year ago but I don't know why he's still there. He sounds completely bored when he's talking.

Speaking of trash, guess who has two thumbs and has to pick up trash tomorrow.


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## Flyover

Zannej, your brother should talk to a lawyer.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Some government jobs seem easy, but congressman and press secretary do not seem like easy jobs. One you're always hustling to get re-elected, the other is just a media job and media jobs are terrible -- high stress, long hours, close scrutiny all the time. You certainly won't starve doing either of those jobs, but most people take a pay cut to work them compared to what their resumes could fetch in the private sector.
> 
> Heck, even Presidents only make "$400,000 a year; on top of that, they receive an extra $50,000 expense allowance, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment" according to Fox Business. That's nothing compared to the CEO of even a medium-sized company.




Members of Congress have a cake job. All they have to do is say they are going to get things done, as if they and they alone control something. They never say "If 48 other Senators agree with me as well as the VP, we can get ____ done for the people of Pennsylvania!!!"

They all run on empty promises for the most part, and few actually do anything.

As far as Press Secretaries being closely scrutinized, that's true for Republicans. For Democrats that have 95% of the Media agreeing with their agenda, all Psaki has to do is say "I'll find out and circle back on that for you"... "I'll circle back on literally everything I have ever been asked in my time here and then I'll circle back and maybe tell you. In the meantime, feel free to spread lies on Morning Joe."

Members of Congress make well beyond their salaries thanks to bribes from lobbyists.


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## Flyover

This is not a political statement but a fact: congressmen spend a huge % of their time and resources working on getting re-elected. Even if that includes crafting lies, that is hard work. (Plus, as Judge Judy teaches us, it's always more work to lie than to tell the truth.) Even with lobbyist bribes I wouldn't want those hours and stress.

Press secretaries are closely scrutinized by their bosses and people they are representing. If you've never worked in media I can tell you it's long hours and high stress.

To my knowledge the jobs with the biggest rate of pay to lowest needed effort include stuff like administration at universities, and various positions in software development. And there's nothing wrong with that; all jobs can't be the same or be paid the same, that would be communism.


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## Spicoli43

Non-Members of Congress have to work hard to BS people into believing the blah blah blah flying out of their mouths. Some are honest, most are just looking for the CAKE job. Established members of Congress only have to figure out the line they need to stay around to get reelected, and that only applies in swing states. Senators in Heavy Blue or Heavy Red states are safe as long as they are on that side. House members are safe if they are in said districts.

Lets look at the absolute dumbest person in Congress... AOC. If she can do it, it's a cake job. She has zero cognitive ability, OR is lying through her teeth constantly. 

As far as Press Secretaries, you completely ignore that the Democrats don't care what she says. She can say whatever she wants because the media will never challenge her. Obama doesn't care in his third term because nothing will come back to him. That's all there is to it.


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## Spicoli43

In an attempt to cure a decaying molar that stares at me when I'm brushing, I picked up a copy of "Cure Tooth Decay" by Ramiel Nagel. It's real interesting, based on real Dentists that really knew what they were talking about because they did scientific observations of people and the diets they consumed. 

The key takeaways so far... 

_The idea that bacteria in the mouth create acid, forming cavities isn't scientifically based. It is literally from a VOTE in a meeting of the International Association of Dental Research in 1940... They VOTED on what is a commonly "known" cause of cavities.

_ Most Dentists are "Drill and Fill" because they are legally required to do so, AKA they can't tell the truth that diet determines whether someone has cavities or not. It also is a profit enabler to pay off all their debt. 

_Vitamin A is an absolute must along with Vitamin D to remineralize teeth or to keep cavities away. It has to be Fat Soluble Vitamin A, found only in meat.

_Including a Quart of Raw Grass Fed Whole Milk a day into the diet (Good Luck) resulted in immunity to cavities in research by a Dentist.

_ A surefire way to have a mouth full of cavities is to eat Oats and other Cereal Grains, as they are high in Phytic Acid. Soaking Oats for days barely removes any Phytic Acid. In a study of kids that had an otherwise healthy diet, those that consumed 1/2 to 1 cup of Oats a day had on average 6 more cavities than those that didn't consume Oats.

_ A reversal in tooth decay starts in as little as 7 days if the person is off all sweets and flours. The cravings for sugar disappear, assuming there is plenty of saturated fats such as Coconut Oil and animal fats. 

_Raw vegetables besides Cucumber can promote tooth decay because of the natural toxins present, and they are hard to digest. 

_ Fermented Cod Liver Oil is the best supplement on the program, 1 Tsp a day. The other choices are Whole Fish including the heads and guts and Animal organs, so I'm cool with a Tsp. of Cod Oil.

All this is based on research by Dentists, but it goes hand in hand with the rest of the body, how people are what they eat. Everything the gubment says is an absolute lie, and all one has to do is go to the grocery store. 80 plus percent of people there are overweight or obese because they are on the Government approved SAD diet. 

The "Food Pyramid" results in only one thing... A lifetime membership as a paying customer to the Allopathic "Doctors" and the Pharma industry.


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## Eddie_T

So the sardines that I used to eat were healthier than those that big bro has chosen for us.

Has diet or something else changed the voice of females. So many I hear on the media sound so much like damaged speakers that I have on occasion actually checked my speakers.


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## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> So the sardines that I used to eat were healthier than those that big bro has chosen for us.
> 
> Has diet or something else changed the voice of females. So many I hear on the media sound so much like damaged speakers that I have on occasion actually checked my speakers.



Sardines are mentioned, all fish is good. White Rice is the least evil of all grains, and if one were to consume grains and oats with something good such as Raw Milk, the Milk would offset the Phytic Acid. 

Are you sure they are Females? There's probably 24 genders now.


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## Spicoli43

Obama is speaking now, which is I believe the first time he has made an appearance at the White House in his Third term. Usually Presidents speak all the time. Huh. that is so weird.

He's just speaking about his disastrous Obama care though, probably why he never speaks anymore.

What I really don't understand is why he doesn't stay at the White House anymore ? I mean yeah, he has that Mansion on the beach that is immune to floods due to Global Warming, but still, it's THE WHITE HOUSE!!!


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## Flyover

Sentimentality, yearning for the past, seems to be a reflex in those who are anxious about their future. Many people do not realize how much control over their own course they really have, or maybe they have ceded that control -- to whatever extent there's a difference.

I was going to build a laptop stand today but it's raining (normally I'd wheel the tablesaw out to the driveway) and I'm not in the mood: at this moment, 3/5 of my household has Covid. 4/5 if you count me, because I don't really trust the negative result from that at-home test. But at least only 2/5 of us have symptoms anymore. But the symptoms aren't the worst part, the worst part is being responsible and preventing the spread to others.

Checked in at work, got a minuscule amount of writing done. Mostly have been sitting here gritting my teeth at the paradox of knowing how much worse things could be on the one hand, and on the other hand realizing how crappy everything feels right now.


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## zannej

I took my brother for a walk-in at the doctor yesterday. He said my brother might have a fracture in his foot/ankle so he sent him for x-ray. But I was having kidney stones so we went straight home afterward. I took him to get his x-ray and popped in to pick up his rx from walmart. We'll see if it helps but it's a type of medicine I've taken before that didn't help and gave me acid reflux. 
I've been meaning to go cut more weeds. Blackberries are flowering. I might just trim back the ones that are in the way and leave the ones on the fence.
Never heard back from the guy who was interested in one of the puppies so I need to keep posting about them in other places I guess. I'll have to hit up the vet's office to post about them as well.


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## Eddie_T

Figured my taxes and it worked out pretty well as planned. I owe $762 with no penalty and I have adjusted withholding for 2022 to total a few dollars more than 2021 tax bill.


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## Flyover

I ended up building that laptop stand after all. Turned out pretty nicely. Even with just a dry fit it's pretty sturdy but I'll take it apart and glue at some point tomorrow.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I ended up building that laptop stand after all. Turned out pretty nicely. Even with just a dry fit it's pretty sturdy but I'll take it apart and glue at some point tomorrow.


You got me thinking  ·   ·   ·  I purchased a desk similar to the pic for my wife. I had it sitting nearby and had adjusted the top but forgot that the legs were adjustable. I set the legs at their shortest and adjusted the top. Now it's just right for my chromebook while I am sitting in my rocker recliner.


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## zannej

Flyover, I'd love to see the laptop stand you built.
Eddie, that is cool.

I scrubbed the toilet & seat, installed the bidet part. Got 2 of 3 things hooked up (t-adapter to toilet, hose to adapter & bidet, but the fill valve would not go on the adapter. I took it off the toilet to maneuver but no matter what I did, it cross-threaded. Got my brother to try but he couldn't do it and stopped trying after 60 seconds. I put teflon tape on it but brother refused to try again. Asked my friend if I could bring him out to do it because we needed to flush the toilet. Left my brother to sit with the baby so the baby wouldn't be alone (although friend's mom was there by the time we got there). Bro sat on the couch while friend's mom steam-cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. Friend took less than two minutes to get the fill valve attached and get the adapter on the toilet. I had no trouble with that part before but with everything else hooked up it was resisting. Friend said Hi to mom and then I took him home. His mom was just hauling her stuff out to to go clean my friend's grandfather's house (his late father's father). 

I tested out the bidet. Wouldn't turn on at first. I removed a sticker and messed with a flap then turned it on again. The spray hit the door across the room. So it works.


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## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Flyover, I'd love to see the laptop stand you built.
> Eddie, that is cool.
> 
> I scrubbed the toilet & seat, installed the bidet part. Got 2 of 3 things hooked up (t-adapter to toilet, hose to adapter & bidet, but the fill valve would not go on the adapter. I took it off the toilet to maneuver but no matter what I did, it cross-threaded. Got my brother to try but he couldn't do it and stopped trying after 60 seconds. I put teflon tape on it but brother refused to try again. Asked my friend if I could bring him out to do it because we needed to flush the toilet. Left my brother to sit with the baby so the baby wouldn't be alone (although friend's mom was there by the time we got there). Bro sat on the couch while friend's mom steam-cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. Friend took less than two minutes to get the fill valve attached and get the adapter on the toilet. I had no trouble with that part before but with everything else hooked up it was resisting. Friend said Hi to mom and then I took him home. His mom was just hauling her stuff out to to go clean my friend's grandfather's house (his late father's father).
> 
> I tested out the bidet. Wouldn't turn on at first. I removed a sticker and messed with a flap then turned it on again. The spray hit the door across the room. So it works.


I hate plumbing. I repaired leaky pipes in the wall months ago but have not seated the toilet on the waxless seal yet. Luckily I haven't had any guests.


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## zannej

Replacing pipes in the wall sounds like a bear. I haven't installed the toilet in my bathroom yet because I keep procrastinating on doing the self-leveling floor. I don't bend or kneel as easily as I used to. I really need to get it done though. I keep forgetting about it and when I remember it's there's not enough light.
Still need to pull old fill lines for my sink but I'm too fat and inflexible to reach where they connect to the faucet. Gonna have to see if my friend can do it. Also need to find my tools.
I'm hoping it will be cool enough tomorrow for more yardwork.
At least we now have the toilet working again. My poor brother came in while I had things disconnected and he needed to crap. He was doing a little dance and I couldn't for the life of me get the fill line hooked. I was rushing to try to put the seat back on which is why a plastic part broke. Then the bolts weren't long enough so I had to take the bidet off and reattach the seat as best as I could. I need to find the superglue and some tape and see if I can get that piece back on. I wonder if JBweld works on plastic...


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## Flyover

Zannej I'll take a pic or two today if I remember and get a chance.

Eddie, it isn't designed to go over the lap; it goes on my desk kind of like a monitor stand. See, I have two laptops -- one provided by my job and one that's mine. There isn't enough room for me to just put them side by side, so they're stacked and the one on the bottom is hooked up to an external monitor. (Sometimes the one on top is too, depending on how much screen real estate I need for the work in doing.)

That would be almost fine for a permanent setup but these are laptops: I sometimes want to grab one and go work somewhere else. Or, sometimes I want them to switch places depending on which one I'm using for a zoom call (can't use the webcam with the lid closed, and lid closed also makes the internal mic and speakers muffled). This means a multi-step process of lifting one laptop up, unhooking cables, etc.

Now recall my use of the word "almost" in the previous paragraph: my laptops mustn't actually touch one another. If they do, my personal one goes into sleep mode and takes a long time for me to wake it back up. I'm not sure why this is exactly but I believe there's a short or an improper grounding or something somewhere in the housing. That sort of problem is above my pay grade whereas building a small thing out of wood is not.

So until now I've been separating them by balancing the top one on a small box placed on top of the closed lid of the bottom one, which made taking one away from the stack additionally complicated. But with this stand I built I can just unhook a few cables and pull whichever one I want, as if pulling from a slot or shelf.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover, I knew yours was (or involved) a stand but it sparked my old brain into using something that was in plain view but purchased for another purpose. My son used an adjustable stand so he could sit or stand when he was crunching numbers for a medical company.


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## Eddie_T

A friend flew in from AZ for the Masters Golf Tournament. He said the airline had coffee bags hanging in the rest rooms. He asked an attendant what the purpose was. It seems that coffee is a wonderful odor absorbent. Upchucking is not uncommon on flights and the odor lingers. I did some googling and find that gourmet coffee is not required the Dollar Tree stuff works just as well. One site suggested that spent grounds can be dried in the oven and used. It might provide some relief for animal owners as well. Coffee bags are not required just place grounds in a small decorative dish.

I have some sealed coffee bags that can be repurposed (left over from foreign travel some 20 years ago).  A continuous cup of coffee with breakfast is not the practice in Russia and Ethiopia (they must be on the tea standard).


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## zannej

Flyover, the computer going to sleep might have something to do with the "lid" settings for when the lid is closed. It might not necessarily sense that the lid is closed unless the other laptop is on top of it and hits some sort of sensor that tells it to go into hibernate mode.

But having it set up differently so they don't stack is better. They will overheat if they don't get enough air/space to vent.

Thus far I've slept in and taken medicine. I put the puppies up late and I haven't heard them barking but I need to let them out and clean up but I'm waiting for my back to loosen up a bit. It's too stiff. I went to bed earlier than the other night.  My cat Boo is letting me know he wants me to get up. He tried earlier this morning and I was out of it so he went outside for a bit. He's on a comfy pillow chittering at me now.


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## Flyover

Zannej, this happens even if my personal computer has the lid open. If I set it down on top of my work computer, lid open, it goes to sleep. If I have it lid closed hooked up to an external monitor and then I set my work computer on top of it, it goes to sleep. It's something about contact, which makes me think it's a short or some similar kind of power issue in the housing. It's a Macbook pro so the housing is metal.


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## Flyover

Pretty sure all five of us in my household have Covid now, at various stages. (Fortunately three of us are in the mostly-post-symptomatic just-need-to-quarantine phase.) And it rained almost the whole day yesterday but we managed to get out and take a family walk in the morning, then come back and do some stuff in the yard.

I've been brainstorming ways to keep a robin from building its nest on my extension cords in the garage. I keep having to pull nesting material off of there and toss it back outside, haha. At our last house, what worked with the swallows who wanted to build a nest over our front door was putting one of the kids' toy lizards up on the wall near where they were nesting. We don't have that toy lizard anymore but I did find a toy T-rex, so I clamped him right up there next to the cords. We'll see if that works. Hopefully the robin has some ancestral fear from back when it and the T-rex lived side by side!

Today is the first clear day in a while so I'm going to grill burgers for dinner. I don't have any bison to mix in right now but they're good even just as 100% beef.


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## Eddie_T

There's a farm in a neighboring community that raises and sells the meat from beefalos. I haven't tried it.


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## Flyover

The robin did not care about the T-rex, nor did it care about a very realistic lizard profile I drew and tacked on the wall near the extension cords. Wife suggested peppermint oil, but I want to see what else I can do before resorting to chemical warfare. A fake owl could be fun...


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## oldognewtrick

Moth balls work good on some critters. I use to have to buy some panty hose, cut the feet above the ankle, fill it with moth balls, tie the opening and drop them on top of a doctor's roof a couple times a year to keep the buzzards from roosting. I know, wasn't my idea...but it seemed to work. And, he paid me for it. He lived on a hilltop overlooking downtown Nashville. One if the best views anywhere around town.


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## Eddie_T

I can't envision how the ext cords are hanging but for mine a piece of cardboard could be fashioned to block both the inside and top of the loops. Robins like an open area so prolly wouldn't try to go behind cardboard to access the top of the loops.


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## Spicoli43

I kept Robins away from a Cherry Tree for a while with a fake Owl, but then a Hawk or Falcon divebombed it and pulled up just short, aborting the mission. The Bird then apparently communicated to the Bird world that the Owl was fake, and Robins along with other birds promptly feasted on the Cherries.


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## shan2themax

Hello all! 
I finally fixed my shower! There was something  in the drain and I couldnt get it plunged up.... so, I bought this borescope (  DEPSTECH Wireless Endoscope, IP67... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYTHWK4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share   ) last week and used it just now and I found a plastic threaded piece from shower head with a quarter and a bunch of hair all tangled together. It came with a little hook piece to add on to it and I was able to drag it up and out the overflow. I am ecstatic!!!!


New job is still going really well, and I am getting to the point that I can do more things around the house!

I'll catch up on the thread later. Right now I am going to go take a shower and not stand in 4 inches of water!


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## Eddie_T

Shan, maybe you could offer low cost endoscopies as a side.


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## Flyover

My extension cords are wrapped neatly and hung on a long pegboard hook. The robin was attempting to build its nest on top of the coils, along the length of the hook.

I took a cut piece of that wood-infused plastic 1x6 stuff I used to build the firewood rack, and just placed it on top of the extension cords, just balancing there, and that seemed to do the trick for now. Apparently the robin wanted a highly textured surface for its nest. I don't use my extension cords that often but if I need a more permanent solution maybe I'll mount that piece of plastic permanently up there just above the cords, leaving enough room I can still easily slip them on and off the hook.

The cheeseburgers turned out phenomenally. At first I was afraid I'd added too many breadcrumbs, especially since the meat was 85/15 and I didn't add any oil or fat to it and the only liquid was one egg and a dash of Woosterchesterstershire sauce (or however you spell it), but they ended up perfect. After flipping them I brought the coals up real close so one side (the side with the onions pressed into it) had the merest crispy crust. Great mouthfeel, I might do that every time now. None of the kids picked their grilled onions off this time either.


----------



## shan2themax

Hello all! 
I finally fixed my shower! There was something  in the drain and I couldnt get it plunged up.... so, I bought this borescope (  DEPSTECH Wireless Endoscope, IP67... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYTHWK4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share   ) last week and used it just now and I found a plastic threaded piece from shower head with a quarter and a bunch of hair all tangled together. It came with a little hook piece to add on to it and I was able to drag it up and out the overflow. I am ecstatic!!!!


New job is still going really well, and I am getting to the point that I can do more things around the house!

I'll catch up on the thread later. Right now I am going to go take a shower and not stand in 4 inches of water!


----------



## shan2themax

Apparently my phone is super proud of me and posting again all by itself


----------



## oldognewtrick

Flyover said:


> My extension cords are wrapped neatly and hung on a long pegboard hook. The robin was attempting to build its nest on top of the coils, along the length of the hook.
> 
> I took a cut piece of that wood-infused plastic 1x6 stuff I used to build the firewood rack, and just placed it on top of the extension cords, just balancing there, and that seemed to do the trick for now. Apparently the robin wanted a highly textured surface for its nest. I don't use my extension cords that often but if I need a more permanent solution maybe I'll mount that piece of plastic permanently up there just above the cords, leaving enough room I can still easily slip them on and off the hook.
> 
> The cheeseburgers turned out phenomenally. At first I was afraid I'd added too many breadcrumbs, especially since the meat was 85/15 and I didn't add any oil or fat to it and the only liquid was one egg and a dash of Woosterchesterstershire sauce (or however you spell it), but they ended up perfect. After flipping them I brought the coals up real close so one side (the side with the onions pressed into it) had the merest crispy crust. Great mouthfeel, I might do that every time now. None of the kids picked their grilled onions off this time either.


If you're a fan of Wortc...... whatever sauce, try some Dales. I use it on a lot of stuff.


----------



## Flyover

Thanks oldog.

I'm actually not a big sauce guy. I use the w...ster sauce as a minor ingredient in a few things that I make, none of which I make often, and that's about it. If it wasn't for the kids I wouldn't even have any ketchup in my house. Just Cleveland brown mustard (for hot dogs) and Habanero sauce (which I like so much I'll do shots of it).

Today felt more like a normal work day, with meetings and emails and the whole shebang.


----------



## Eddie_T

That reminds me I need to find a hot dog mustard I don't know if Bertman is available in NC or not.

I was almost ready to order a Magic Jack VOIP but could find only negative reviews. I had the original version and it was OK but required a computer.


----------



## zannej

The fake owl never worked to scare away birds in my yard. They literally crapped on the fake owl we had.

I wonder if a fake cat would work. And maybe motion sensors with noise/lights to scare them.

The cardinals are still throwing themselves at Mom's bedroom window every morning.

Shan, I'm glad you fixed your shower. I need to work on mine. Been really tired.

Best friend is supposed to help but he's had more drama with his ex. She's been super jealous of a girl he likes spending time with him. Even though she cheated on him & left him and they aren't in a relationship she's accusing him of "cheating" on her. She's pregnant with another dude's baby and she's pulling crazy bs. The other day she told him no woman would want an "ugly toothless motherf****" like him. Yesterday she picked up a full trash can and threw it at him because the woman he has a crush on bought him an Apple Watch or something. He said he's kicking her out and that she won't be allowed to be alone with her baby (bc she might get violent with him).

I had a nice restful lazy day of binge-watching Midsomer Murders. I'm on season 5 now. Watching the older episodes is fun because I see actors & actresses that I recognize from other programs. I also love the architecture. The houses and buildings are neat.


----------



## Flyover

Took a walk with the kids this afternoon. What did I find in the dumpsters this time? A Dewalt 6 gallon air compressor. Don't change, America, don't change.


----------



## zannej

Is the air compressor working?

I slept in 'til after 3 and then got up, let puppies out, cleaned up after them, etc. Went to the store but on the way popped in to visit my friend. He really has tossed his ex out and told her she's not welcome back. He's working on finding a babysitter for the little one. His daughter was there too and was happy to see me. She started piling kittens on me. She's very happy about "sweet kitty" (aka Krillin) having kittens. Four adorable little ones.

She told me how my friend's ex kept saying "I'm da Momma!" all the time and that her response was "Not for long you're not!" She used to really like the ex but now she hates her. Friend was out of puppy food and cat food so I grabbed some at the store. Stopped by to drop it off and Krillin jumped in the front seat right on the food bags. My friend said that having the stability of someone to watch the baby isn't worth putting up with his ex's violent temper and jealous attitude.

I'm back at home about to binge-watch more Midsomer Murders. I'm on season 6 now. 16 more seasons to go.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was thinking as I made coffee this morning. My Bonavita coffee maker has a thermal carafe. I thought that was better than one with a warmer but I'm rethinking that. If the coffee is consumed in a reasonable time period OK but I'm thinking leaving it for a long slow cooling may be bad for the taste. I'm thinking I should pour any left over after breakfast into a glass carafe to cool and microwave by the cup later.


----------



## zannej

I don't drink coffee so I have no thoughts on the carafe.

I've released the hounds and fed them, watched youtube videos on how to do stuff with my phone-- solved the insufficient storage issue, fed kitties, watched some Midsomer Murders, and trimmed blackberry weeds near the air conditioner.


----------



## zannej

I primed the 10' pole with Rustoleum metal primer. Drove my friend home from the ER, held kittens, got him some food, and chatted with him for awhile. He has a large kidney stone but also has signs of prostate cancer so he will need to go get tested for that asap. Hoping there is another reason for the symptoms.
I let the puppies out. Made myself some grilled cheese sandwiches and scrambled eggs. In a bit I'm going to see if the pole is dry enough to do the finishing coat of paint.


----------



## Eddie_T

oldognewtrick said:


> If you're a fan of Wortc...... whatever sauce, try some Dales. I use it on a lot of stuff.


I was lazy and did a Bubba Angus burger patty in the small George Foreman grill and served it with Dale's steak sauce and a side of Margaret Holmes seasoned pinto beans. I like the Dale's steak sauce, soy but different.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't want to get too many gadgets in the kitchen but I saw a picture of a Sous Vide cooked medium rare chuck steak that looked delicious.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Sous Vide cooking is amazing! I don't have one, wish I did. Cooks to a perfect temp, then toss on a hot grill to sear. Easy to use, set it, and forget it's til time to eat. No overcooked or under cooked again.


----------



## Spicoli43

I can't cook in plastic with all the chemicals that leach into the food. I saw a report where scientists took bottles of PET #1 plastic (Water, but is also Soda and other stuff) and exposed them to the trunk of a car in Arizona to simulate a shopping trip. The level of Antimony leaching into the water bottles was tested cold, room temp, and at various temps during the day. The amount of Antimony in the water was off the charts during the hot times. The last thing I will do is boil food in plastic.

To each their own though, all my siblings love it and also cook stuff wrapped in Aluminum foil.


----------



## zannej

I tend to boil water in metal. I have an electric kettle that is nice.

The pole got hit with some rain after it dried so I had to wipe it down and do some touch-up on spots I missed and spots that scraped off when I moved it. There are tool hanging hooks in the car port. Someone on another forum said he would put tubes on hooks like that to paint them. Hook wasn't strong enough to hold the pole horizontal but I have it at an angle so it is off the ground and I was able to get better coverage. I also primed the board that the mount will go on. I'm letting it dry but it's extremely damp out and might rain again.

I was only out there a few minutes and I'm soaked.

Today is my friend's appointment to get tested for cancer. Not sure how long it will take to get the results.









						Google Maps
					

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.




					www.google.com
				




Too bad they misspelled the sign.


----------



## zannej

I was watching Midsomer Murders with my headphones on and my brother snuck up on me and reached his hand around to the front of my computer. LOL. But I saw my cats reacting to him before I saw his hand so I knew something was up. We chatted a bit and then I let the puppies out, fed them, walked them for a bit, did the finishing coat of paint on the pole (it came out very drippy and messy but I don't care as long as it is covered). Walked pups a bit more, and am about to watch more Midsomer Murders. Discovered we can watch it on the TV if I can figure out how to use the app on the tv and login to my Amazon Prime account.


----------



## Spicoli43

So, z... How is the Elon Internet experience so far?


----------



## Eddie_T

When Starlink come to my area I will have to see what angle McDishy is at when locked on. Then I can see if I have any hope for finding a spot. They say it has to point a little to the north so maybe if I put the mount more to the south of my yard it would give me a better window. I won't be getting one unless they get competitive with DSL. I'm not into gaming (whatever it is) so only need to watch the occasional movie or youtube video w/o buffering.


----------



## Flyover

Got sick of the precarious tangle of belts on the closet shelf and quickly built a rack for them yesterday. Now each one has a hook (actually a screw) to hang on along the side wall of the closet.


----------



## zannej

@Spicoli43  Starlink is going pretty good but the tree obstructing it causes some outages and I think hey went down for maintenance for about 15min the other night around 2am. 

@Eddie_T It doesn't completely lock to a stationary position. It moves a bit to track the satellites as they move in the sky. But there is a general area of range that needs to be clear.
This is what my Visibility tab for the modem shows (the image rotates constantly):



@Flyover that sounds like a good idea. I need to put more stuff back up. Cats like to pull things down. They are lucky I love them so much.

The puppies have pretty much doubled in size since I got them. I'm going to have to get them some harnesses so I can take them to the vet and see if anyone there wants them and get them vaccinated for Parvo and probably rabies and claw trimming too. They scratched my legs up while jumping up on me for attention. Separately, they are ok to manage and love individual cuddles. Together they fight for attention and get too excited. They do get me up and moving, but they are a pain and they have started destroying stuff. Nothing major thus far, but I don't need more messes to clean up.

Today it rained a lot but I went to the store to get Mom some vitamins and then she wanted fillet of fish from McDonalds. The cashier was very nice and repeated my order back to me slowly to make sure it was right. Good thing because she misheard something when I was ordering and I had to correct it. I made sure to thank her specifically for repeating the order back. Some of them don't do that.

I'm currently being lazy and trying to find the term for something I saw in Elder Scrolls Online- its like a sewer grate but it's vertical. Sort of like a portcullis or yett but it is stationary and goes somewhat underwater. It is to block things from getting in to canals/sewers while still letting water through. I tried various searches but couldn't find the right term and can't find good example images (because I need the right search terms). It's only for my own edification, but it will bug the hell out of me until I find out. LOL.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> @Eddie_T It doesn't completely lock to a stationary position. It moves a bit to track the satellites as they move in the sky. But there is a general area of range that needs to be clear.


 An antenna that small has a fairly wide beamwidth but needs incremental adjustments to keep the best overall view. The satellites are low and fast and as more satellites are placed in orbit it will be easier to keep them in view. My sky view is pretty limited but viewing an antenna in operation in my area will give me a clue, especially the general area of its pointing. Its track is not going to resemble that of bigger dishes and higher orbits that I have experience with because it's dealing with multiple satellites coming into its beamwidth.


----------



## Flyover

Had an hour to kill, made a quick birdhouse out of scrap wood I had lying around. It's not reusable because I forgot to hinge one side, so I won't bother applying a waterproof finish. I'll make a proper reusable one some other time.



Meanwhile we've decided to just let the robin build its nest in the garage. After I thwarted its attempt to build atop my extension cords it relocated it to the top of my 6-foot ladder which I barely use anyway. Bygones. It's kind of neat to watch anyway.


----------



## Eddie_T

This morning at Pretty Place YMCA Camp Greenville (SC)


----------



## Flyover

Mounted the birdhouse on a tree where we can easily sit and watch it. Had a few birds come check it out: a tufted titmouse, an Eastern bluebird, a black-capped chicadee, maybe one or two more my wife saw. None of them have started nesting in it yet, but I have a good feeling about it.

My oldest had a friend over; the point was that I should take them and my middle child to an Easter egg hunt that my wife had found out about from a flyer the oldest had brought home from school, passed out by a classmate.

We got to the place and it was a church with a large wide-open field next to it. Cars were in the parking lot, but the field looked completely deserted. We parked and watched and I saw a family get out of their car and walk into the church, with kids carrying Easter baskets. So I said "Ohh, it's an indoor Easter egg hunt. Alright kids, let's go," and we got out and walked toward the church.

A kid who must have been 7 or 8 years old greeted us in an unusually enthusiastic and articulate way that made me think he was one of those child preachers-in-training or whatever. I asked the adult standing nearby, who I think was his mom, if this was the place for the Easter egg hunt, and she said yes, so we went inside.

Then I noticed all the little girls were in fancy dresses and all the little boys were in suits. Same for the adults: all the men wore suits, all the women wore dresses, with long skirts. That long skirt thing sent up a red flag. (My kids were in play clothes, and I was in my usual cargo pants and t-shirt and work boots, with a sawdust-speckled jacket I'd just worn while making the birdhouse.) We walked further into the main room of the church where I was expecting to see a large cleared area with eggs hidden poorly in the center, but instead I saw rows of chairs with a center aisle, and most people sitting in the chairs.

My eldest's friend turned to me and asked "Are we at a wedding or something?" I laughed because by then I knew we were not at the right kind of Easter egg hunt. I gathered the kids and said "Let's step outside, I've gotta make a phone call." Smiling and apologizing, I led the kids back through the small crowd of people and out the front door, repeating my half-lie about the phone call to adults who gave me questioning looks.

I got the kids back in the car and did indeed call my wife, to let her know she had sent us to what looked like some kind of fundie cult. We both had a good laugh about it as I sped out of that lot and drove the kids to Dairy Queen instead. (Which, it turned out, was closed for Easter. )

Every Easter egg hunt we've attended in the past, in multiple cities, has been at a public park, attended by normal people in casual clothes. People show up, an Emcee starts things off, and the kids look cute picking up eggs, then everyone goes home. Clearly, this was not that kind of an event!

Thanks for nothing, Ostara!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Toledo is paying $2million to upgrade the local YMCA building for them which looks like an unConstitutional entanglement of Govt. and religion...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Toledo is paying $2million to upgrade the local YMCA building for them which looks like an unConstitutional entanglement of Govt. and religion...


Call the AARP they love to attack Christians! They might even hire you as a bird dog.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Call the AARP they love to attack Christians! They might even hire you as a bird dog.


Would you prefer Govt. supporting Mosques? Wiccan temples?


----------



## Spicoli43

Religion arguments are allowed, but me eviscerating every Leftist policy based on their whack imaginations isn't... 

Okay.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Religion arguments are allowed, but me eviscerating every Leftist policy based on their whack imaginations isn't... Okay.


LOL! Prolly just hasn't been seen by a moderator yet... 
I tried to use the harmless legal word 'negro' on 'conservative' site Daily Wire and it isn't allowed! 
Conservative sites are censoring even worse than evil lib sites! 
WeLoveTrump is just as bad!


----------



## zannej

Eddie, one neat thing about setting up Starlink is that you can load the app on your phone or tablet and hold it in various areas and it will do a scan to see if it has a good view and help you figure out the best placement for the dish. The stand it comes with is a ground mount so you can move it around if you aren't happy with it. 

Flyover, that is a cute birdhouse. I saw a robin the other day checking out a perch on to of a column on my porch. I hope she nests there. But she's probably nesting inside the decorative vinyl where there's a hole from falling tree damage.

I went to Walmart this morning to get discount candy. My friend is particularly fond of reeses so I grabbed some for him. Found some sugar free stuff for Mom. I got my brother to go with me and pitched the idea by saying "Hey, wanna go to Walmart to grab armfuls of half-priced candy and hiss like feral oppossums?" (Because of a friend who works there said a woman did that last year). He was there so we told him what I said and he had a good laugh.

Puppies are outside playing. I need to put their flea collars on them. They were playing with poor Princess earlier. When we were leaving I noticed her collar is too long so I called her over. She climbed into the truck to get away from the pups (she normally runs bc she hates going to the vet & thinks car trips are all vet trips-- bc they usually are). I cut the collar shorter so she no longer stepped on it and then let her get out and run away from the pups. I still need to get them over to the vet's office and see if the vet can help get them adopted. But they are sooo spoiled now. They are accustomed to sleeping on human beds and being able to come inside whenever they want.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> LOL! Prolly just hasn't been seen by a moderator yet...
> I tried to use the harmless legal word 'negro' on 'conservative' site Daily Wire and it isn't allowed!
> Conservative sites are censoring even worse than evil lib sites!
> WeLoveTrump is just as bad!



Well, the King of Evil sites known as Twitter censors everything that doesn't have to do with their Far Left views. They won't let President Trump on the platform, but will let the Supreme Ayatollah of Iran have an account. Then again, Jack Dorsey does try to look like Bin Laden, so that's that.

They (Twitter and ALL of the Leftist media) are LOSING their 1/2 over Elon possibly doing a hostile takeover of Twitter, although I think it's all a PR stunt.


----------



## oldognewtrick

BuzzLOL said:


> LOL!* Prolly just hasn't been seen by a moderator yet...*
> I tried to use the harmless legal word 'negro' on 'conservative' site Daily Wire and it isn't allowed!
> Conservative sites are censoring even worse than evil lib sites!
> WeLoveTrump is just as bad!


We really don't care what your opinions, attitudes or feelings are. Everyone's entitled to believe what they believe. Keep discussions civil and we'll let  threads run. Bash, bully, flame other members because of their opinions/beliefs will not be tolerated, period. As weve said before, keep it civil and all is good.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Just looked outside and everything is covered with SNOW! Wasn't there when I dropped a friend off at the hospital for stent surgery earlier...
Mentioned a lady that goes to local casino looks like Audrey Hepburn, now every site including this one is trying to sell me prints of this poster:
https://static.greatbigcanvas.com/i...oods/breakfast-at-tiffanys-1961,mg0083669.jpg


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Just looked outside and everything is covered with SNOW! Wasn't there when I dropped a friend off at the hospital for stent surgery earlier...
> Mentioned a lady that goes to local casino looks like Audrey Hepburn, now every site including this one is trying to sell me prints of this poster:
> https://static.greatbigcanvas.com/i...oods/breakfast-at-tiffanys-1961,mg0083669.jpg



That's just part of living in the Matrix. There was an inch of snow on the ground yesterday, and after I took a shower it was all gone. 

As far as ads, the Brave browser blocks them all.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> They (Twitter and ALL of the Leftist media) are LOSING their 1/2 over Elon possibly doing a hostile takeover of Twitter, although I think it's all a PR stunt.


I think shareholders are getting additional free shares equal to their current holding that will then cut the value of each current share (and all shares) in half... but don't know if Elon Musk will also get the additional shares... Twitter isn't worth it, no matter what... never liked the posting format there... and news articles about Twitter comments always repeat the same thing about 10 times over for some reason...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> As far as ads, the Brave browser blocks them all.


My AdFender and free trial of AdBlocker have both expired, does Brave block ads before and during YouTube videos?
AdBlocker does and wanted $40... since I didn't buy it, now they offer it for $20... is Brave free?


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I think shareholders are getting additional free shares equal to their current holding that will then cut the value of each current share (and all shares) in half... but don't know if Elon Musk will also get the additional shares... Twitter isn't worth it, no matter what... never liked the posting format there... and news articles about Twitter comments always repeat the same thing about 10 times over for some reason...



I haven't heard anything about dilution with the buyout offer, just that the offer was much higher than the current stock price and he would take it private.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> My AdFender and free trial of AdBlocker have both expired, does Brave block ads before and during YouTube videos?
> AdBlocker does and wanted $40... since I didn't buy it, now they offer it for $20... is Brave free?



Brave is free, but they have an annoying ad system where they show you their ads and pay you in Crypto. I turned it off and don't use it, so can't comment further on that. 

I just clicked on 10 or so Youtube videos, no ads.


----------



## Spicoli43

"Many media figures have criticized Musk's moves as that of another ultra-wealthy figure with too much power and harmful to democracy and free speech."...

Hmmm... Who owns all the Liberal news that does censor free speech and DOES follow the same SCRIPT? Oh yeah, HAHAHA Silly me... Billionaires, that's who. That's why they are freaking out, they can't control Elon, just like they can't control Trump.

PERIOD.


----------



## Eddie_T

It may be a year before Starlink is available in my area. Google won't tell me why. My guess is that the current orbital paths don't pass over me. I can't go out and look for them as they now have visors to reduce reflectivity. Earlier ones didn't.

I was never interested in the smartphone craze. I just use a $25 phone for talk only. But a look at a working Dishy (in my area) will answer my questions.


----------



## Spicoli43

I'm researching Electric riding mowers, the EGO costs $5500. Looking at the calendar, I will probably mow 21 times this year.

If I were to get a $2600 Gas model that takes 1.25 gallons to mow my yard, at the current price of $4.05 a gallon, it would take a whopping 27.2 years of just fuel to make up the price difference. I'm not including belts and blades and oil and Sta-Bil etc. for the Gas mower, but am also not including new batteries or electricity for the EGO. 

At $6.50 a gallon, it's 16.9 Years, and at $8 a gallon, it would be 13.8 Years. 

I need a serious explanation why the EGO costs that much. (Ryobi and Cub Cadet have similar price points).

They sure think the thing is special, since they named themselves EGO. Considering that most of the glowing reviews are from EGO's site and blatantly smell like employees wrote them, I would question it from the start. Home Depot deleted my evisceration of the Electric Cub Cadet from last year, and Lowe's has deleted my reviews as well. Every product has some fake reviews involved, but the ones for the EGO are barf worthy, they are so over the top.

Then there is the 5 year warranty, which doesn't cover any impact parts like tires or wheels or even the seat (90 days). I assume it's just for the electronics, which is fine if it doesn't break down. The warranty service goes through Lowe's, which is a Red Flag nightmare in waiting since Lowe's policy is if it's on paper, it's lost... 

They don't have chat or email, only phone. I got through quickly today for questions, but the mowing hasn't started up North, we have another month. Nurseries don't even open until this time in May. I can't imagine the hold times for when the upper Third of the Country is added to the list of people calling. 

I could see myself buying the $2600 Husqvarna, trying to break it for a month, and buying another one this year to stick in storage and hope the first lasts years. I would be able to get the extended warranty on the first one and spend less than $100 more than the EGO.


----------



## 68bucks

With the way the build the mowers they sell at the big box stores you might need 3 mowers to last 27.2 years. I have a Toro zero turn that is 10 years old and is a piece of junk. I got it with the house and would never have bought the thing new. A decent quality zero turn starts at about $5k for a smaller one. The 50"-60" models I have looked at are a lot closer to $10k than $5k. Just haven't been able to swollow that yet. But the day is coming when I'll have to buy.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> With the way the build the mowers they sell at the big box stores you might need 3 mowers to last 27.2 years. I have a Toro zero turn that is 10 years old and is a piece of junk. I got it with the house and would never have bought the thing new. A decent quality zero turn starts at about $5k for a smaller one. The 50"-60" models I have looked at are a lot closer to $10k than $5k. Just haven't been able to swollow that yet. But the day is coming when I'll have to buy.



Yeah, the main key when buying a new anything at a big box store is to tell them you expect it new. My Electric Cub Cadet from last year arrived in a crate and I had to assemble a few things. It was a piece of junk, but I couldn't blame it on Home Depot, as they didn't sell me a floor model that everybody in town and their kids had climbed on and played with. I saw a review for the EGO in which the customer received it and it had moisture in the control panel, indicating they had it sitting outside in the rain. Lots of reviews saying rust on Gas models etc...

When I order a new mower, I will call them with my order number and tell them if it drives off the truck, I will refuse delivery. It must be new in a crate. 

I don't think I'll get a zero turn again, the Cub Cadet ripped nice gashes in the yard every time I tried that. 

60" Toro's are around $7K here at HD with a 3 year warranty, and Lowe's has the Ariens 60" for $5900 with a 4 year warranty (2 year transaxle). 

For me, the 46" Husqvarna for around $2500 with a 3 year warranty and an additional 3 year warranty is the only thing that makes sense. 

Unfortunately, that saying "You get what you pay for" doesn't exist anymore, as everything is junk. Might as well get the cheapest junk and keep doing that.

Everybody in my family is against extended warranties, but I might have changed their mind with my Samsung range that never worked in the first place. Almost 5 years later, a service call that would have cost me more than I paid for the extended warranty, and they sent me a check for the entire purchase because they don't want to attempt to fix the piece of junk. 

Extended full meal deal for everything I buy from now on.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am experimenting with staining floor tile grout. Back when I laid the tile dark grout was not available. I stained the grout years later with water based deck stain but it doesn't seem durable enough for the kitchen. I noticed on HomeRefurbers.com that someone was using wood dye to color grout. I couldn't discuss it with them as hackers have taken over that forum. However it gave me an idea for using black walnut hulls to make a dye. I will get some nuts (in the hull) from a friend this season.

Meanwhile I cracked and ate a black walnut and placed the shell in enough hot water to cover it. It leached enough from the shell to make some dye to experiment with. I think the article I read in Fine Woodworking years ago used ammonia to leach the hulls (not shells). If it proves durable I have a solution (pun intended) even if it's not durable I have a free solution.


----------



## Spicoli43

Just one example of why I don't do business with Allopathic MD "Doctors"... A very high percentage of them are complete idiots...

"When I bought my tickets for me, my wife (who is pregnant), and our unvaccinated 4-year-old, I assumed you would continue to have a mask mandate," Dr. Jeremy Faust tweeted shortly after the mandate was lifted by U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Florida. "Now you cancel it and we will have to board our return flight under your new no mask required policy?! Thanks so much." 

Hey tender guy... You can still wear your mask that doesn't help you unless it's an N-95. Make sure not to get sick, wouldn't want immunity or anything!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Fully shotteds Jokementia Bribery, his wife Jill, Ohio Gov. DeWine, his wife all currently sick with the flu...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Brave is free, but they have an annoying ad system where they show you their ads and pay you in Crypto. I turned it off and don't use it, so can't comment further on that.
> 
> I just clicked on 10 or so Youtube videos, no ads.


Guess I'll try Bravo as a 2md browser and see how it works...


----------



## zannej

Even if you don't have a cellphone, you can use a tablet or even laptop to get positioning for the dish for starlink. Starlink.sx lets you see the orbital paths of the satellites. Not sure if it works for people who don't have Starlink or not. Only one is somewhat in my area and the ground server for my area is in Texas.

Not doing much today. Played with the puppies and cleaned up. Need to go clean litterboxes again.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Even if you don't have a cellphone, you can use a tablet or even laptop to get positioning for the dish for starlink. Starlink.sx lets you see the orbital paths of the satellites. Not sure if it works for people who don't have Starlink or not. Only one is somewhat in my area and the ground server for my area is in Texas.
> 
> Not doing much today. Played with the puppies and cleaned up. Need to go clean litterboxes again.


Thanks. My son tells me the resident employees and the office at the YMCA camp have their deposits in so all I have to do is sit back and wait.


----------



## Flyover

Well I thought I'd do what all my neighbors did last week and finally mow my lawn for the first time this year, but I think my mower's battery needs a charge. It makes the RRrrRRrrrRRRrrr noise when I turn the key in the ignition but it never sputters on.

I don't have a charger, but my one buddy does. Is there a way to charge a riding mower battery safely without a charger?


----------



## zannej

Cleaned litterboxes, chased the puppies while they misbehaved, helped my friend mount the new 10' pole. It's wobbly unfortunately. Went to TSC bc local hardware store was closed and got more screws thinking the board we put on the eaves was the problem but the fascia of the eaves itself is a bit on the weak side. Grabbed 100' of paracord to temporarily stabilize it. Got one end wrapped around the chimney and the other extending to the car port. We get lag spikes from time to time but it says there are no obstructions.


I wish we'd ordered the extension power cord and just tried to put it on the tower but I don't think my friend is up for that. It took 3 people to get the pole up and at one point my brother dropped a ladder on my head (I wasn't under it, he was messing around with it and dropped it) behind him (which was where I was standing- near the porch bc I was organizing my tools).

Puppies ran off with the gorilla tape (which was wrapped around the base of the pole to make it fit tighter in the mount.

Went back into town with my friend to buy him food. He's really sore after having to handle that pole. Lots of jokes were made about pole-handling. Got home, washed dishes, put a couple of the ladders on the porch, & made hamburger stroganoff with sautéed mushrooms. Put away leftovers and watched some show about amputees getting prosthetics made. I'm ready for a nap.

Good news is there are no obstructions for the satellite currently. It is wobbly so it lags a bit, but otherwise doing ok.

Thinking of getting https://www.amazon.com/Directv-Braces-Support-Monopoles-Slimline/dp/B014RW92KU/ to stabilize the pole. Since the eaves are weak, I think they could attach to the roof in a spot that isn't over a room.


----------



## ekrig

Flyover said:


> Well I thought I'd do what all my neighbors did last week and finally mow my lawn for the first time this year, but I think my mower's battery needs a charge. It makes the RRrrRRrrrRRRrrr noise when I turn the key in the ignition but it never sputters on.
> 
> I don't have a charger, but my one buddy does. Is there a way to charge a riding mower battery safely without a charger?


I don't know of a way, if it exists. If the lawn mower starter is 12V, do you have a car jumpstarter? Or just jump-start it like one would a car?

Also, you may have already checked this but, have you looked at the motor side and made sure everything is smooth and well lubricated? What I mean is that, even though the battery may indeed need a charge, if things are "sticky" on the motor, then the starter is having to work extra, needing more current from the battery. Also, once you do get it running, I would check the alternator or your battery may just be old.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Cleaned litterboxes, chased the puppies while they misbehaved, helped my friend mount the new 10' pole. It's wobbly unfortunately. Went to TSC bc local hardware store was closed and got more screws thinking the board we put on the eaves was the problem but the fascia of the eaves itself is a bit on the weak side. Grabbed 100' of paracord to temporarily stabilize it. Got one end wrapped around the chimney and the other extending to the car port. We get lag spikes from time to time but it says there are no obstructions.
> View attachment 27815
> 
> I wish we'd ordered the extension power cord and just tried to put it on the tower but I don't think my friend is up for that. It took 3 people to get the pole up and at one point my brother dropped a ladder on my head (I wasn't under it, he was messing around with it and dropped it) behind him (which was where I was standing- near the porch bc I was organizing my tools).
> 
> Puppies ran off with the gorilla tape (which was wrapped around the base of the pole to make it fit tighter in the mount.
> 
> Went back into town with my friend to buy him food. He's really sore after having to handle that pole. Lots of jokes were made about pole-handling. Got home, washed dishes, put a couple of the ladders on the porch, & made hamburger stroganoff with sautéed mushrooms. Put away leftovers and watched some show about amputees getting prosthetics made. I'm ready for a nap.
> 
> Good news is there are no obstructions for the satellite currently. It is wobbly so it lags a bit, but otherwise doing ok.
> 
> Thinking of getting Amazon.com: (Pack of 2) Directv Long Braces for J Mount with 2" OD Clamps Support Arms Monopoles Ka/ku Slimline Struts : Electronics to stabilize the pole. Since the eaves are weak, I think they could attach to the roof in a spot that isn't over a room.


That installation looks like an accident about to happen. I would never add a 10ft pole to an eave mount. It might work if the pole was extended to and anchored into the ground.


----------



## Flyover

ekrig said:


> I don't know of a way, if it exists. If the lawn mower starter is 12V, do you have a car jumpstarter? Or just jump-start it like one would a car?
> 
> Also, you may have already checked this but, have you looked at the motor side and made sure everything is smooth and well lubricated? What I mean is that, even though the battery may indeed need a charge, if things are "sticky" on the motor, then the starter is having to work extra, needing more current from the battery. Also, once you do get it running, I would check the alternator or your battery may just be old.


I was worried about jump-starting it from my car...couldn't I fry the battery doing that? It's okay, my buddy has a charger he's going to lend me.

I checked the air filter and the engine oil before I even tried starting it. Both are remarkably clean and the oil was right in the center of the defined area on the dipstick. The mower was brand new when I bought it a year ago, and I definitely mow as infrequently as possible, so I'm sure nothing on it is worn out.

If it's still not starting after a good charge I'll slink back here and complain some more until I get help.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, its not perfect but we do have it secured on either side. I'm planning to add guy wires. Absolute worst case I can try to find a roof mount that can handle angles. but that puts it closer to the tree obstruction. I am also considering putting up a very tall ground mount pole that I can sister it to from below for more stability. We still plan to use guy wires.

Today I dodged puppies measured the eaves (bc my friend thought the overhang was only 12" and I had to disabuse him of that idea), and then I cleaned up the hallway and kitchen floor and hauled out trash. Waiting for my brother to clear a heavy bag for me so I can do more but I worked up a sweat and am cooling off.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> It makes the RRrrRRrrrRRRrrr noise when I turn the key in the ignition but it never sputters on.


Do you have gas in it? Some mowers just start better with a full tank. My old clunker won't start at all unless the tank is completely full...
If mower battery is 12 volts, jumping from a modern (after 1953) 12 volt car won't hurt it... 
(Some old British cars have + and - backwards) 
Today's gas evaporates leaving a clear waxy difficult to see substance in the carburetor jets that can block fuel flow... 
Often have to check the sparkplug for sparking and for crud buildup on its tip, as well... spark should be a hot strong blue color, not weak yellow or white...


----------



## havasu

They recommend keeping mower tanks full to stop condensation from forming inside the tank, which will fall as water droplets into the bottom of the tank.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> They recommend keeping mower tanks full to stop condensation from forming inside the tank, which will fall as water droplets into the bottom of the tank.


That's interesting. Makes sense! I'll remember that.

Buzz, I filled the tank before starting it. The mower is a year old and I use it lightly, it shouldn't have much buildup on anything. Like I said, the air filter and oil were both clean even after a full summer/fall's use. I'd be surprised if the spark plug had a lot of wear, but I will check.


----------



## Flyover

My buddy's charger didn't look like it'd be sufficient (only 500mA, with tiny little alligator clips like you'd use on an electricity science project when you're a kid) so today I bought a 1.5A charger/maintainer. Now I just have one I can use each spring. And lend to my buddy if he needs it!


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> That's interesting. Makes sense! I'll remember that.
> 
> Buzz, I filled the tank before starting it. The mower is a year old and I use it lightly, it shouldn't have much buildup on anything. Like I said, the air filter and oil were both clean even after a full summer/fall's use. I'd be surprised if the spark plug had a lot of wear, but I will check.


Take the air filter off and give it a small shot of starting fluid when you crank it and see if it fires. If you didn't use fuel stabilizer in the fall the gas can evaporate from the carb and gum it up, doesn't matter if it's new. If it fires briefly with starter fluid then dies you probably have a fuel issue. If it does nothing it could be a spark issue. Just some ideas.


----------



## Eddie_T

With motorcycle batteries I learned that for long life they should be kept in a charged state. Before the concept of battery tenders I used a timer to turn a 1.5 amp charger on for a short period everyday. When the little charger/tenders became available I left one on for the winter months. When the battery is fully charged they float rather than constantly trickle charging.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have been researching moving to Arizona or Texas, but that's off the table for now since interest rates are double what they were pre Covid... Just like everything else going up in price because of what is easily Obama's most disastrous term. 

I'm trapped in my house at 2.25% interest, which is 37.6% actual...

If I sold and bought at the lowest I see, 4.375%, that's 79.7% actual... That's before the expected increases next month, and ongoing. 

Only in America would people be faced with massive increases in everything they buy, including paying 80 percent interest on their house, and STILL vote for the people that put them in that situation. The housing part belongs to all the evil people of the one party with two heads.

The only positive is my property value won't stop increasing because people on the Left Coast are fleeing the Communist governments there, and there is a massive shortage of houses here, driving them into an auction format. Putting up a for sale sign is only worth it for the exercise because once the hole is dug, the house has 7 offers.


----------



## Eddie_T

I've got a pot of pintos cooking and plans for a pone of cornbread when their done.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Eddie_T said:


> I've got a pot of pintos cooking and plans for a pone of cornbread when their done.


No ham bone in that pot?


----------



## BuzzLOL

I went to buy a 24 pack of bottled water today... couldn't believe the price had just inflated by 75% !!! ... I mean... WATER !!!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> My buddy's charger didn't look like it'd be sufficient (only 500mA, with tiny little alligator clips like you'd use on an electricity science project when you're a kid) so today I bought a 1.5A charger/maintainer. Now I just have one I can use each spring. And lend to my buddy if he needs it!


That 1/2 amp charger will charge a mower or even car battery... just takes longer...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I went to buy a 24 pack of bottled water today... couldn't believe the price had just inflated by 75% !!! ... I mean... WATER !!!



Everything is going up. I would go to a local brew shop or look online for 1 gallon glass jugs with lids. I have to use the gallon jugs and fill them at the Supermarket in their Reverse Osmosis machine because my well water isn't that good. (If you get 1/2 gallon growler jugs, the stores will probably charge you the full gallon price.)

It's a pain to drag around gallon glass jugs, but it's only 25 cents a gallon, and there is no added Antimony like in the plastic bottles.









						Antimony leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water - PubMed
					

Antimony is a regulated contaminant that poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water. Previous reports suggest that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics used for water bottles in Europe and Canada leach antimony, but no studies on bottled water in the United States have...




					pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
				




Or, if you're on City water, you might try an under the counter Reverse Osmosis system. They are easy to put in, and you can use filters you get in 50 packs on Ebay. I got mixed results with well water, and some manufacturers say City only, so that would be a research point.


----------



## Flyover

I ended up stopping by AutoZone and picking up a 1.5A battery tender. I plugged the mower in for maybe 10-15 minutes in the middle of the day, then after dinner she started right up.

Now I have joined the soulless droning masses who have already mowed their lawns in 2022.



Spicoli43 said:


> I have been researching moving to Arizona or Texas, but that's off the table for now since interest rates are double what they were pre Covid... Just like everything else going up in price because


I got to the word "because" and thought "Here it comes" and then kept reading and sure enough. Politics is so boring. It's pro sports without the athletic skill.

My family has been trying to adopt a greyhound and I'm learning this is far more difficult than I thought it would be. If you're in Ohio and know a greyhound that needs adopting please let me know.


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Everything is going up. I would go to a local brew shop or look online for 1 gallon glass jugs with lids. I have to use the gallon jugs and fill them at the Supermarket in their Reverse Osmosis machine because my well water isn't that good. (If you get 1/2 gallon growler jugs, the stores will probably charge you the full gallon price.)
> 
> It's a pain to drag around gallon glass jugs, but it's only 25 cents a gallon, and there is no added Antimony like in the plastic bottles.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Antimony leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water - PubMed
> 
> 
> Antimony is a regulated contaminant that poses both acute and chronic health effects in drinking water. Previous reports suggest that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics used for water bottles in Europe and Canada leach antimony, but no studies on bottled water in the United States have...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Or, if you're on City water, you might try an under the counter Reverse Osmosis system. They are easy to put in, and you can use filters you get in 50 packs on Ebay. I got mixed results with well water, and some manufacturers say City only, so that would be a research point.


I have an RO system and have a well. Drinking straight RO water isn't too good for you. My system includes a re-mineralization stage to add a desirable minerals back at suiible levels. Helps the taste too. I haven't had any issues. My system also has a little pump to help refill a little faster. RO does waste a lot of water but I git sick of buying water all the time. 

BTW the PET plastics are the clear plastics like the small water bottles use. The translucent gallon jugs, like a milk jug, are polyethylene and I don't believe present the same problem.


----------



## Eddie_T

I got an idea for using my camera tripod as a small table  I need something to uses as a rest for zeroing the scope on my new pellet rifle. My thought is to drill a piece of scrap wood or MDF for a T-nut to mount on my tripod. I'll put a buckwheat hull pillow on it to rest my arm on to keep it steady. Maybe I'll add a cupholder and get even more use out of it.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I got an idea for using my camera tripod as a small table  I need something to uses as a rest for zeroing the scope on my new pellet rifle. My thought is to drill a piece of scrap wood or MDF for a T-nut to mount on my tripod. I'll put a buckwheat hull pillow on it to rest my arm on to keep it steady. Maybe I'll add a cupholder and get even more use out of it.


Cool idea, but beware: those consumer tripods are often a bit flimsy unless you keep the legs telescoped as short as they'll go, which is usually about 18 inches or less.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> I have an RO system and have a well. Drinking straight RO water isn't too good for you. My system includes a re-mineralization stage to add a desirable minerals back at suiible levels. Helps the taste too. I haven't had any issues. My system also has a little pump to help refill a little faster. RO does waste a lot of water but I git sick of buying water all the time.
> 
> BTW the PET plastics are the clear plastics like the small water bottles use. The translucent gallon jugs, like a milk jug, are polyethylene and I don't believe present the same problem.



Yeah, I add Himalayan Pink Salt. I don't think Milk bottles leach, but they aren't heated that I know of. A water (or Soda) bottle is always in heat be it the warehouse or delivery semi, truck or someone's trunk. The only places they are cool is in a Grocery store fridge or a home fridge, and by then it's too late.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Politics is so boring. It's pro sports without the athletic skill.
> 
> My family has been trying to adopt a greyhound and I'm learning this is far more difficult than I thought it would be. If you're in Ohio and know a greyhound that needs adopting please let me know.



Politics messes with every part of our lives, and now it's to an extreme. It's a bunch of Kindergarteners on steroids. Everything I said is true, though. 

For a Greyhound, you would probably have to travel. There's a Catahoula Leopard in OH, and lots in surrounding states. They are the result of breeding with Greyhounds, and are just as fast. I had one, but she was too rambunctious, she needed to be outside all the time. they FLY.









						► Catahoula Rescue
					

"Click here to view Catahoula Dogs for adoption. Shelters & individuals can post animals free." ― ♥ RESCUE ME! ♥ ۬




					catahoula.rescueme.org


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Now I have joined the soulless droning masses who have already mowed their lawns in 2022.
> 
> Politics is so boring.


Haven't mowed my lawn yet... like to keep it longish and healthyish... had left it longish over the winter... 

I guess politics would be boring if don't mind paying 3 - 4 times as much for things as a year and a half ago...


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Cool idea, but beware: those consumer tripods are often a bit flimsy unless you keep the legs telescoped as short as they'll go, which is usually about 18 inches or less.


Luckily my tripod is a good (old school) one a SafeLock Zoom-Leg. I don't know if they still make them.


----------



## BuzzLOL

I switched to bottled water after the city tap water came within hours of killing me... I didn't know until reading in the newspaper that the tap water was what was causing me to have enlarged liver and ever increasing liver pain over the years. I used to make fun of people who bought bottled water at $1 a small bottle when tap water was so cheap. The last day I drank tap water I had such severe liver pain I thought I would die and also had diarrhea 12 times that day!








						Toledo Issues Emergency 'Do Not Drink Water' Warning to Residents
					

Algae toxins poison Lake Erie; 400,000 people without water. Photo by Scott Strazzante / Circle of Blue Efforts by the City of Toledo and other “point source” dischargers of phosphorus have not been enough to stop toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. The city warned residents not to drink their...




					www.circleofblue.org


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 We're not set on a greyhound because of the speed, though being able to jog with the dog was on my wife's checklist for breeds. We're getting a greyhound primarily for three reasons: 1) their calm demeanor, 2) their short single coat (meaning they are both "hypoallergenic" and easy to groom), and 3) their low incidence of health problems like hip displacia etc. that would require expensive surgeries. Also they are dog-sized rather than rat-sized, which I like.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I switched to bottled water after the city tap water came within hours of killing me... I didn't know until reading in the newspaper that the tap water was what was causing me to have enlarged liver and ever increasing liver pain over the years. I used to make fun of people who bought bottled water at $1 a small bottle when tap water was so cheap. The last day I drank tap water I had such severe liver pain I thought I would die and also had diarrhea 12 times that day!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Toledo Issues Emergency 'Do Not Drink Water' Warning to Residents
> 
> 
> Algae toxins poison Lake Erie; 400,000 people without water. Photo by Scott Strazzante / Circle of Blue Efforts by the City of Toledo and other “point source” dischargers of phosphorus have not been enough to stop toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. The city warned residents not to drink their...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.circleofblue.org



That's insane... Like Flint... YOU PAY THEM to provide you clean filtered water. I'm not going to deep dive into it, but it screams of rampant corruption. Was there a nice massive class action lawsuit because of it?


----------



## Eddie_T

@Flyover Have you tried petfinder.com or petcurious.com?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 We're not set on a greyhound because of the speed, though being able to jog with the dog was on my wife's checklist for breeds. We're getting a greyhound primarily for three reasons: 1) their calm demeanor, 2) their short single coat (meaning they are both "hypoallergenic" and easy to groom), and 3) their low incidence of health problems like hip displacia etc. that would require expensive surgeries. Also they are dog-sized rather than rat-sized, which I like.



I have never heard of a Greyhound just jogging before. I have never seen them do anything besides run in a field though. My Catahoula Leopard would have been a jogger. She wasn't calm though, she was certified insane. I can't speak to full Greyhounds there. 

As far as Hip Dysplasia, the Vet told me that I would need an MRI for my Newfoundland and at least one surgery when he was pulling up lame. (1 year old). I took him to a Holistic vet that said "nonsense", gave me a bottle of DGP (Dog Gone Pain) and sent me home. When needed, I gave it to him and he lived 12 years without surgery, no complaining. 

Vets Best makes a different version for aches and pains which I haven't tried. I also haven't tried DMSO, but I would try anything before surgery, which probably wouldn't work anyway. 

I wouldn't be avoiding a breed known for hip problems because it's just like anything else. A Greyhound could break it's leg since it's a Racer. My Golden is 12 years old and doesn't groan when lying down, never gave him supplements.


----------



## Flyover

@Eddie_T: Yes, I've got accounts, saved searches, alerts, the whole nine yards. As well as going directly to the local greyhound adoption places and filling out applications.

@Spicoli43: Greyhounds jog, it just isn't sufficient for them. You have to take them to a fenced-in dog park (or your large fenced-in back yard if you've got one) and let them run all-out a few times a week or more. But the nice thing about greyhounds is they are content to lay around on the couch the rest of the day.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43: Greyhounds jog, it just isn't sufficient for them. You have to take them to a fenced-in dog park (or your large fenced-in back yard if you've got one) and let them run all-out a few times a week or more. But the nice thing about greyhounds is they are content to lay around on the couch the rest of the day.



Yeah, that was the time I saw the Greyhounds, behind a school after Football practice. It was 4 Soccer fields long, and they flew down it and flew back. I think it must have been 30 minutes worth, I stuck around just to watch them. 

My fenced acre wasn't enough for my Catahoula, found her a ranch with 20 plus acres.


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> That's insane... Like Flint... YOU PAY THEM to provide you clean filtered water. I'm not going to deep dive into it, but it screams of rampant corruption. Was there a nice massive class action lawsuit because of it?


I was on Toledo water for the better part of my life including during that episode. I never had any issues and I drank water that day before I heard the news. The algae problem on the lake has existed for years but has worsened in the last 10 or so. The lake is actually a lot better than it was in the 60s. When I was a kid the water on the shore of Maumee Bay was all nasty and foamy, smelled bad too. 

So no flint type deal. Toledo's treatment system was basically overwhelmed by the amount of algae toxins in the water. They have since of course upgraded the system. Most people would have no problem the water that day, some would or did have I'll effects, and some will or did have severe effects. I don't recall any deaths being attributed to it.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> I was on Toledo water for the better part of my life including during that episode. I never had any issues and I drank water that day before I heard the news. The algae problem on the lake has existed for years but has worsened in the last 10 or so. The lake is actually a lot better than it was in the 60s. When I was a kid the water on the shore of Maumee Bay was all nasty and foamy, smelled bad too.
> 
> So no flint type deal. Toledo's treatment system was basically overwhelmed by the amount of algae toxins in the water. They have since of course upgraded the system. Most people would have no problem the water that day, some would or did have I'll effects, and some will or did have severe effects. I don't recall any deaths being attributed to it.



Well, without knowing the details, I assume most of the problems are because of dumping. As a kid, there was frequent Red Tide warnings on the beaches of Puget Sound for probably the same reason. 

As far as deaths, they wouldn't say it was due to the algae, they would say it was due to anything else that built up over time.


----------



## zannej

The cost of the plastic bottles that contain the water has gone up. That's why the price increased. Plus companies are price-gouging like crazy.

I've got two redbone coonhounds if you want some sort of hounds. 
They love sleeping on beds, cuddling, and being cute. They like to chew some stuff though. I need to get them more chew toys. 

I'm currently trying to decide which sort of pole clamps to get for my satellite setup since I've decided to mount another shorter pole over the eaves and bind the existing pole to it for more support.


----------



## 68bucks

Th


Spicoli43 said:


> Well, without knowing the details, I assume most of the problems are because of dumping. As a kid, there was frequent Red Tide warnings on the beaches of Puget Sound for probably the same reason.
> 
> As far as deaths, they wouldn't say it was due to the algae, they would say it was due to anything else that built up over time.


The cause is too many nutrients running into the lake. The source is the debate. Toxic algea is pretty bad, kills lots of stuff. I know one thing I hated about Toledo water was in the fall, when the lake cooled and turned over the city would have to change and increase the treatment a d the water would smell sort of funky. It lasted a few weeks usually.


----------



## Eddie_T

Now they are saying PFAS in food wrappers and sludge fertilizer. Not to worry according to TND News the government is studying and the report should be available in two years.

The Guardian reports;
Revealed: the dangerous chemicals in your food wrappers


----------



## Flyover

Yesterday I had 30 minutes to kill so I decided to saw down a large dead branch off one of my trees. It must have been 18" in diameter, so to do it I used my 5' two-man saw for the first time (obviously with just one man). It's an antique but it did the job well! Quite a workout though.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Now they are saying PFAS in food wrappers and sludge fertilizer. Not to worry according to TND News the government is studying and the report should be available in two years.
> 
> The Guardian reports;
> Revealed: the dangerous chemicals in your food wrappers



That doesn't surprise me a bit and reminds me of all those nonstick pans that claim they are PFAS / PFOE free. Well, they have to use some kind of chemical combo to be nonstick, there's no way around that.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Yesterday I had 30 minutes to kill so I decided to saw down a large dead branch off one of my trees. It must have been 18" in diameter, so to do it I used my 5' two-man saw for the first time (obviously with just one man). It's an antique but it did the job well! Quite a workout though.



You mean to tell me you didn't go to the Trump rally? 

HAHAHAHAHA


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, I went to see my friend's band play at a bar last night. The bar had a few large TV screens above the bottles and one of them was tuned to the news, which I couldn't help but glance at from time to time.

I already had some vague awareness of who Trump is...he was a TV star or something, I think? But this time I also am up enough on current events to know someone with that name had a rally recently!


----------



## Eddie_T

I hate it when I accidentally hear or see something on TV I didn't need (or want) to know. I was perfectly happy with not knowing what Tom Brady retired from, then I accidentally lost my innocence (and he didn't retire anyway). What a crazy world we live in, our minds are flooded with useless information.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I hate it when I accidentally hear or see something on TV I didn't need (or want) to know. I was perfectly happy with not knowing what Tom Brady retired from, then I accidentally lost my innocence (and he didn't retire anyway). What a crazy world we live in, our minds are flooded with useless information.



Well, you just demonstrated that you didn't know who Tom Brady was, so your mind isn't flooded with that useless information. Try getting away from the LGQVDSTDHIV+%$# garbage. It doesn't matter if you never listen to news radio or TV, you will be a victim by walking around town.


----------



## Eddie_T

Topped a bunch of thorny locust saplings hoping they will either die or attempt new canopies so I can spray with herbicide. I used to dig up their roots when I was younger but now I yield to chemical warfare.

Sipping a cup of orange herbal tea. The tea bag will be repurposed for repair of the nail on my right pointing finger. It has a habit of growing out and splitting. I am going to try using clear fingernail polish. Apply a base coat, press the paper into it, then apply a top coat. If that doesn't work I'll try crazy glue.


----------



## zannej

I took my brother to the courthouse to see his probation officer. He went in and then came out and went to the DA's office, then came out and had to walk to a new little shed they erected directly next to the school parking lot. Waited over 30min just rocking out to Queen music while waiting.

Picked up mail and took one of the cats to the vet. He got in a fight and has a swollen sore lump. Vet said it might turn in to an abscess so to keep an eye on it. Gave him an antibiotic shot and said to bring him back in a week. He was a sweet little angel the entire trip. Didn't make a sound-- and he's a cat who climbs the door (with glass panels) and howls at us.

I saw a hawk on the way in. Flew down, landed on a tree, and stared at me. Beautiful creature.

Eddie, I hope the fix for your nail works. I wouldn't recommend crazy glue because it can heat up and cause chemical burns. Not sure what else to use though.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to mount my satellite to the side of the antenna tower. Needs at least 12" clearance behind it to not bump the tower when pivoting. I've ordered a J-pole mount to set on the tower and a clamp to sister the 10' pole to it and then I can use the support struts that came with the mount to tether the pole up high.


----------



## Spicoli43

I can't wait for this documentary...









						2000 Mules | Official Site
					

A new film by Dinesh D’Souza, exposing widespread, coordinated voter fraud in the 2020 election, sufficient to change the overall outcome.




					www.2000mules.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I was perfectly happy with not knowing what Tom Brady retired from...


Famous/important people retire... and then suddenly realize they're just 'another old guy nobody pays attention to'... and so they want to unretire... IF they can...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Famous/important people retire... and then suddenly realize they're just 'another old guy nobody pays attention to'... and so they want to unretire... IF they can...



Not Brady. People will analyze him like he was a lab rat. He had a very average College career, was the 199th player drafted, and is the greatest NFL QB of all time. Only 3 QB's have run slower times at the combine since he ran there 22 years ago. 

People point to his success due to marrying a supermodel all the way to selling his soul (because those choices make sense)... I point to his rigorous diet, avoiding fast food, alcohol, caffeine etc., and getting plenty of sleep. Nothing explains why he's slower than a Geo Metro, though.

Brady is the Amazon.com of the NFL.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Not Brady... He had a very average College career, was the 199th player drafted, and is the greatest NFL QB of all time.


QB Tom Brady only looked weak at TTUN / B1G because he was behind undefeated star QB Brian Griese! 
Brady finished up there beating Ohio State U and Alabama U... which is far from "average"... 

QB Big Ben Rothlisberger didn't play QB in high school because the high school coach played his son at QB... but when they got to college, coach's son fizzled and Big Ben shined... 

I figured in retirement, Ben and Tom would while away the days playing golf together or something... but Tom couldn't handle retirement... he'll have to be dumped...


----------



## Spicoli43

Ohio State and Alabama were average then, He beat a 6-6 OSU team and lost to the 11-1 version. As far as Alabama, he didn't play the 7-5 version and beat the 10-3 version in the bowl game. 

Those days were before Alabama started playing patsies every year, with their schedule strength well outside the top 25. In 2019, their strength of schedule was 49th.


----------



## Eddie_T

Oh no, TMI already!


----------



## Spicoli43

Does anybody know where CNN+ was filmed for the entire 3 weeks of it's existence?   I'm looking for some good barely used furniture.

_Jimmy Failla


----------



## zannej

Went to the grocery store to get more ice cream for Mom and refill my RXs. Pharmacist says I'm eligible for tetanus, pneumonia, and flu shots. I really should get tetanus. I haven't had one in over 20 years. I'll have to go back in for it at some point.

Sister still forgot about Mom's birthday. I guess work is keeping her busy. She said she was "trying to figure out how so many smart people can be... not so smart". She works in STEM field and has worked for the same company since she was in college. She now has supervisory responsibilities instead of being a code monkey. But then, when she was a code monkey she was programming nuclear missile guidance.

It's fairly warm today. Jelly was giving me pathetic looks wanting attention the other day.


Thankfully both dogs are out playing right now.

My friend has made a dental appointment to get all of his top broken teeth pulled but earliest they can see him is mid July (unless there's a cancellation).


----------



## Eddie_T

I have english ivy climbing a number of tall poplars. I read an article saying that if the vines were cut so nothing connected with the ground the vine would die. The article said the toots holding the ivy to the tree were not feeders. I tried it and nothing died however in some places I stuck supplement bottles over some bunched cut ends and filled  bottles with salt or 2,4-D solutions and those vines died. Today I cut some vines at or below ground level and stuffed bunched ends into larger wide mouth plastic containers and filled with a salt solution. I will spray the ivy creeping along the ground with 2,4-D herbicide. I used to pull it up and burn it but it got ahead of me.

Teabag laminated fingernail is holding fast so I think it's a good repair technique for a split nail.


----------



## Spicoli43

Do you know 2,4-D is one half of Agent Orange?

You could just spray Vinegar on it.


----------



## Eddie_T

I read some reviews that said vinegar will kill the leaves but not the roots plus horticultural vinegar (20%) is more dangerous than glycosulfate or 2,4-D. I mix glycosulfate and 2,4-D for ivy. I know it's dangers but I am desperate.

Currently watching a streaming concert of Joyce Anderson and Harvey Reid.


----------



## zannej

Reminds me I need to cut more weeds soon.

I got more feed for the cows. I feel awful for the younger cow. She's limping something horrible but I don't have a trailer to take her to the vet and he won't come out. It looks like a displaced hip and I don't think there is anything that can be done for it from what I've seen/read. She still cuddles with her mother and has a good appetite. Manages to cover long distances albeit very slowly. I wish we had someone like Dr. Pol in the area.

I got toys for the pups to encourage them to chew on toys instead of other things. They were playing with them last time I looked.


----------



## Flyover

Yesterday I stood and stared at my lawn and just felt happy. My lawn looks like a blanket of different shades of green, with a heavy random smattering of yellow dots from the dandelion flowers, and occasionally a patch of purple flowers too. It's gorgeous. In the summer I'll be able to walk around and just bend down and pluck dandelion leaves and eat them; a walking salad snack.

It's easy to see the property line where my neighbor's lawn starts because the dandelions abruptly stop and the green is just one shade. Some people prefer that look, I guess because they don't care how much poison they have to pour into the earth or how many pollinators they have to deprive/kill to get it, and it more closely resembles a major league baseball outfield from the TV. That's the goal apparently: your lawn is supposed to look like an outfield from professional baseball. A lot of people even waste twice the gas in their mowers doing the criss-cross cut on it.

Strangely I've never seen any major league baseball outfielders standing at the ready in my neighborhood, but maybe they're just making their rounds through everyone else's dandelion-free lawns first. At least they won't have to worry about bees!


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I read some reviews that said vinegar will kill the leaves but not the roots plus horticultural vinegar (20%) is more dangerous than glycosulfate or 2,4-D. I mix glycosulfate and 2,4-D for ivy. I know it's dangers but I am desperate.



Just use regular Vinegar and salt and be diligent.


----------



## Eddie_T

@Flyover, My lawn is in full bloom, the ajuga bloom is blue plus some white. I am avoiding mowing hoping the seeds will be viable and help it spread. Later some small leaf hostas that are spreading well will raise their lavender blooms. All this free whereas grass didn't do so well. I do have some dwarf mondo grass that is hardy I am not sure what to do with it. It's a dark green and makes a very dense low carpet but doesn't spread as fast as hosta and ajuga.


----------



## zannej

My lawn has a bunch of stinging nettles spawning so I will have to kill them but I don't mind having flowers around. I'm waiting for my 4 o'clocks to grow back in. I let them get out of hand but they smell nice and I like them. I found that there is a huge patch of blackberries growing down in the barnyard where the pond used to be so I don't feel bad about killing blackberries near the house.

I'm feeling exhausted today and resting. Pharmacy switched me to another generic thyroid med again and it isn't as effective as the last one was. So I have less energy.

If I wasn't driving when I wanted the pictures I would have taken some of the side of the road on the way into own. Lots of different colored flowers. Someone in town has wisteria plants.

I just let the puppies out and am trying to wake up. I will probably do some cleaning today when I can get myself moving.


----------



## Eddie_T

Here's a close look at dwarf mondo grass


----------



## zannej

I went out and tossed some balls around for the puppies and petted the cow before some light cleaning inside.

Ate pork chops with hoisin sauce and am back inside making phone calls bc Fedex claims they delivered a package (while I was outside playing with the pups) and left it at the front door but they must have taken it to the wrong address. I called and gave a description and said I looked all around and it wasn't anywhere to be found and plus I was outside when they allegedly delivered. I don't think they even came down my road.


----------



## Spicoli43

Had a Pitbull wandering around my yard today, the neighbor called her friend at the Vet on the Pit's tag and the Vet had the owner call my neighbor. Turns out the owner lives a couple of miles away, 3 roads down. 

The owner's daughter was playing at her best friend's house today, which is on my road. The thing is, the Dog has never been to my road on a walk or in the car according to the owner.  

Could be a coincidence of course, but it makes me think of something I was told when I was a little kid... If you have a lost dog, tie the shirt you are wearing to a car antenna or something like that so they can pick up your scent and find their way back home. 

The whole time she was here, she was sniffing the air, I assume looking for the little kid. (The Dog, not her owner).


----------



## Eddie_T

I was at a friend's house for supper and we toured his property on his golf cart. We stopped at his daughter's house to see her she shed and plantings. I noticed some sprouts of what I thought was 'thorny locust". I asked her what t was. She said I'll find out, took a picture with her smartphone and said 'devil's walking stick' just that fast. Seems that it has medicinal properties but I am going to wipe it out if possible. It can grow as high as 50 ft  and spread by suckers from roots to form an impenetrable hedge.


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, I kinda wish the pups would go 3 miles away and stay. I had to argue with Jelly today bc he got on my bed and was trying to chew medicine bottles. I pushed him off, erected a barricade of blankets. He barked and tried to climb up. I barked at him, he backed down. Then he sat on the floor and barked and howled to protest. I barked back. He whimpered and whined but then left the room.

Eddie, that reminds me of a pervasive tree we have growing in our yard. Cut it down 10x already but if the roots remain it grows back.

I've been absolutely exhausted these past 2 days. Fedex finally delivered (I heard the truck later on) but she tossed the package on to the porch so it rolled under something and was hard to find. Still stuck to her story that she delivered earlier though.


----------



## Eddie_T

Practiced trumpet scales and  couple of melodies. I decided to keep my chops up as I never know when someone might want Taps sounded for a loved one. I am no longer in the Honor Guard but a number of friends might request me.

I am currently trying to learn Unchained Melody and Matt Redman's 10,000 Reasons.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, that is cool! I never learned any musical instruments. My mom got a violin for my sister and clarinet for my brother but never even offered any instruments for me. But then, I was in choir while my brother was in band. And my sister asked for a violin at a young age. My brother didn't want to play clarinet but my Mom played clarinet as a child and that was the only instrument she would let him get- despite the fact that he had asthma. Apparently she didn't want to play clarinet either but her parents made her & she decided to follow in their footsteps.

I was going to do yardwork but I stepped outside and it felt like a sauna. Then it rained. Had to put the puppies to bed early. I was also going to cook but power kept going out. So, I slept and played ESO.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Eddie, that is cool!
> 
> But then, I was in choir while my brother was in band.



Yes, that is cool of Eddie... 

My Mom got us all in band because she had been in band and we were poor and so she knew that was going to be the only way we kids got to go to high school football games, especially away games, and some other summer activities like festivals and fairs in nearby towns... Cherry Blossom Festival, etc...


----------



## Eddie_T

Played Gershwin's Summertime it's a good number for trumpet practice.

Skinned the bark and thorns off a 5+ ft "devil's walking stick" to see if it might actually be useful as a walking stick. It's very straight and fairly light weight. It might not be strong enough  to use in my ravines but may work for my friend to keep balance on his gentler inclines.

Used Barkeepers Friend cleanser to scrub the embedded steel off my ceramic knife sharpener. It was getting too slick to do the job. I pulled a rubber band back and forth through the small one to clean it.


----------



## zannej

I watched an episode of Midsomer Murders then took the puppies to the vet to get examined & rabies/parvo. Vet said they look to be about 7 months old. Male weights 34lbs & female is 33lbs. The male puked on the female in the truck. I need to update their rescue me profile and get good pics of them outside-- but its about to rain again.


----------



## zannej

My friend said it sounded like I had a bad wheelbearing bc there was squealing from the back tire. Took it in and they said it was a brake caliper. I just had new brakes put on a few months ago. They were ordering a new one. I told one of the guys that I put the parking brake on but he must not have heard me. Kid who was trying to back it up out of the shop area said something was wrong. I said "Did you release the parking brake?" and showed him where the lever was. Then we noticed there was no squealing and it turns out just cleaning the brake caliper out worked and they canceled the order for the new one.

but it's hot as hell and I'm ready for a nap again. This weather always makes me tired.


----------



## Flyover

I've been meaning to go around the basement and patch up my exposed ducts with foil tape, but it keeps getting pushed down the "project list". I thought this was the kind of thing I'd do in idle moments, the way I might pick at dried glue. But now I realize that's bogus, this is only the kind of thing that will happen if I put it on the "do today" list and actually do it until it's done. So now I just have to pick a day...


----------



## Eddie_T

Just thinking ·  ·  ·  why would anyone watch 'so called' reality TV? I thought people watched TV to escape reality.


----------



## Flyover

Reality TV is a misnomer; these are shows that are carefully cast, scripted, and edited to tell a story. Actually, everything you'd ever see on TV is like that, even "documentaries". Reality TV is distinguished from dramas and sitcoms only by its visual language.

"The Office" was a pseudo-reality show, and the only real difference between it and an actual reality show like "Cops" or something is that the fact that the characters onscreen being played by professional actors was not concealed in the show's credits and marketing.


----------



## BuzzLOL

A lot of TV appears to be geared toward shut ins and bedridden people desperate for some 'variety'/company... 

Hollywood loves sitcoms as they are CHEAP to make... a camera, script, room, a few cheap new actors, a little furniture and you have it... or survival shows outdoors where you don't even need a room...


----------



## Flyover

Reality shows took off during the writers strike in (I think?) the early 2000s. When the director and producers are just yelling prompts or feeding lines to the people in front of the camera and then patching it all together in post, you save a lot of money on writers. So yeah, money of course has a lot to do with it. It's not always true but reality shows tend to be the cheapest, and the floor for how cheap you can get with a viable reality show is always going to be lower than with a viable sitcom.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> A lot of TV appears to be geared toward shut ins and bedridden people desperate for some 'variety'/company...
> 
> Hollywood loves sitcoms as they are CHEAP to make... a camera, script, room, a few cheap new actors, a little furniture and you have it... or survival shows outdoors where you don't even need a room...



Well, probably cheap for no name actors, but at it's peak, I know the main cast of Big Bang Theory were making a cool Million each per episode. Something close to that. The spinoff to that, Young Sheldon, is almost all new actors to me, but it will be around for a long time because it's hilarious. 

As far as "Reality TV", I will never watch any of that garbage. I don't know the plots or anything like that because I always mute the commercials, but they don't make any sense, especially the dating ones. Why would ANYBODY watch people on dates? I mean, NOTHING better to do?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Reality shows took off during the writers strike in (I think?) the early 2000s. When the director and producers are just yelling prompts or feeding lines to the people in front of the camera and then patching it all together in post, you save a lot of money on writers. So yeah, money of course has a lot to do with it. It's not always true but reality shows tend to be the cheapest, and the floor for how cheap you can get with a viable reality show is always going to be lower than with a viable sitcom.



The first one I'm pretty sure was when MTV stopped playing videos and had a show where a bunch of people lived together. Don't remember the name or care, but I know I haven't watched MTV since then for that reason.


----------



## zannej

I admit that I like watching some of the home reno programs that are supposed "reality" but I know they are scripted. Like The Property Brothers don't actually find homes for sale and will only let someone be on the show if they are already in closing on a house they found themselves or through a real realtor. On Love It or List It its the same deal. Most of the houses they show aren't even for sale. They film the people with both endings (saying they will love it or list it) and then producers choose which ending to show. Some where they say they are listing are not listing bc the houses "for sale" were not for sale and they are stuck with whatever renos were done to their house. They also take about a $20k cut out of the budget for "production costs". They got sued by at least one couple over shoddy work & taking budget meant for reno for the production.

but I still watch some of those programs just to see the renovations.

I really hate the super fake shows like the Repo men and stuff where if it were real it would be illegal. And I hate all of the celebrity "reality" stuff like Kardashians. I really don't give a flip about an Armenian mob family. 

I know even the court programs like Judge Judy have fake/scripted elements but I like to watch those out of nostalgia bc my late elderly friend watched them every weekday when we would come over for coffee & cookies.

My plans for getting anything done have not one well. Between my exhaustion and the heat outside I can barely move. I had to let the dogs in early bc they were overheating. I did clean stuff out of the truck a little bit, but not enough. Couldn't be out there for more than a couple minutes.

I did go to Lowes and find some paint on clearance that I liked the colors of. Got two can and am trying to decide which one to use on my door (since Mom said she didn't want the color of my new door's paint to be white on the hallway side). Also went to Samsclub to get water and milk. Got the latter but they were out of the former.

My skittish cow actually let me pet her and scratch behind her ears so I got her sweet feed.


----------



## Ron Van

Finally finished our new steps this week. First I had to remove the old stone step which was an 8" rise and replace it with two 5 3/8" wood steps covered with LVP and bullnose.


----------



## oldognewtrick

Ron Van said:


> Finally finished our new steps this week. First I had to remove the old stone step which was an 8" rise and replace it with two 5 3/8" wood steps covered with LVP and bullnose.View attachment 27893
> 
> View attachment 27894
> 
> View attachment 27895
> 
> View attachment 27896
> 
> View attachment 27897


A very nice upgrade, Well Done sir!


----------



## Spicoli43

Good Job Ron!


----------



## Ron Van

Taking out the old stone step was incredibly dusty. We’ll be fighting the dust for a while! Originally, there was a 36” wide door centered on the stone step but I opened up the wall to make a larger opening and the stone step didn’t make sense anymore, plus it was ugly.


----------



## Ron Van




----------



## Flyover

Ron Van said:


> plus it was ugly


In the right context it might have been cool (like, in an adobe house in NM), but it was definitely out of place there. Nice work.


----------



## Flyover

Today I pulled out some poison ivy near by a neighbor's fence and sprayed whatever I couldn't pull out. Most of the poison ivy originates on his side and is growing through the fence. Plus, the fence is his and it's starting to fall apart.

I'm friends with all my neighbors, except this one who I've never even had a full conversation with. I will have to be careful to navigate this fence/poison ivy thing without creating any drama.


----------



## zannej

Ron, great job on the flooring and steps!

Flyover, I hope you can get things navigated with the neighbor. I wonder if he likes having poison ivy to deter people from touching stuff. Or if he just doesn't care.

My 20+ year old Frigidaire upright "frost free" freezer is going out. Stuff is melting even though it feels cold and air is blowing. Mom told me to turn it colder. Can't find the dial. But there is a big block of ice over the lower left area. Mom said "Can't you just wipe it away?" I had to explain that it's not just a small amount- it's a huge chunk. I will have to take everything out and store it, defrost the freezer, to get rid of ice, and try to figure out what is wrong. Either that or get a new freezer.

My friend thinks a coil is frozen over. I have no idea. Any ideas?

Meanwhile, we've figured out how to keep the pups from getting in once we let them outside. Cats can still get in so its a win win. Pups don't think so. They whine and scratch at the back door.

I went to visit my friend today. He said his kidneys are so infected they are barely working. He can only drink water. He threw the kittens outside and I held two of them. The fluffy orange one (that I've named Mochi) had burrs all stuck in her fur. I spent half an hour picking them all out. I did pause to give her snuggles in between. She rolled on her back and let me rub her tummy. Sweet little thing.


----------



## Flyover

The neighbor in question is due west of my house. The neighbor directly to the south of him and sw of me has had the same problem (poison ivy growing out of the w neighbors lawn, through the fence into his lawn), and talked to him about it once. Sw neighbor told me the w neighbor denied it and claimed the poison ivy originated from the sw neighbor's lawn! I have been in the sw neighbor's lawn and can verify this is not the case. 

So now I'm prepared for the w neighbor to make the same claim to me, that it's growing out of my lawn and through the fence into his. I doubt photo evidence will help because I'm sure that's what my sw neighbor would have tried. Maybe I can invite him over to my side to look with his own eyes? But I'd bet my sw neighbor tried that too.

So for now I'll just keep spraying whatever I can't pull out. As for the collapsing fence, maybe I'll just let it fall all the way and then see what he does.


----------



## Eddie_T

@zannej  I use a hair dryer to remove ice in my chest freezer w/o removing all the content. Also to defrost a dorm fridge in the garage.


----------



## zannej

It turns out that there were some boxed frozen food items blocking the internal vents that circulate air in the freezer. I noticed when pulling stuff out and have now moved the obstructions so the air is circulating and the freezer is working better. I will need to make sure not to let those get blocked again. I haven't checked to see if there is still a massive chunk of ice down lower, but some of the stuff melted and then refroze so we may need to throw some stuff out. The ice cream took a hit.

The puppies managed to dislodge the obstacles we put in place to keep them out, but only the female came in to sit in my room. She left the cat food alone and was content to sit in a laundry basket near my bed. She was well-behaved. The male came in when I was calling them to put them up in the front room. They like it in there because they have a queen size bed and air conditioning. Unfortunately, they completely ruined the carpet in there.

The heat has not been helping my exhaustion levels.


----------



## Eddie_T

I worked a couple of hours cutting back invasive forsythia in a shady area where native fern and monarda have a good stand. They are natural companion plants and monarda in bloom looks beautiful growing amongst ferns. I will have to carefully wage war on the forsythia when new sprouts appear.


----------



## shan2themax

Long time no posting.....
My find I got today at Habitat Restore.
I will probably paint it at some point, I'd like to find an upper hutch piece for it at some point also. For now, it is going in the kitchen and I am getting rid of a chrome  microwave stand and putting that stuff in and on this


----------



## Flyover

That's beautiful Shan but why on earth would you paint it??


----------



## shan2themax

Flyover said:


> That's beautiful Shan but why on earth would you paint it??



If I can find a top to go with it at some point, I probably wouldnt.  It is gorgeous as is. Although, I dont like the gold handles, or gold at all. I might clean those up and spray paint them. That would probably satisfy me for a while. Lol


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> If I can find a top to go with it at some point, I probably wouldnt.  It is gorgeous as is. Although, I dont like the gold handles, or gold at all. I might clean those up and spray paint them. That would probably satisfy me for a while. Lol



The American Pickers' Grandkids would find it in 50 years and say "Somebody painted this?????!!!!!"


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Long time no posting.....
> My find I got today at Habitat Restore.
> I will probably paint it at some point, I'd like to find an upper hutch piece for it at some point also. For now, it is going in the kitchen and I am getting rid of a chrome  microwave stand and putting that stuff in and on this
> View attachment 27910


Nice find!


----------



## zannej

Looks nice, Shan!

I had a day with a lot of sleeping again. Had a sinus headache most of the day but was able to pick up mail and go to the store to get more food for Mom. I still forgot the damn potato salad though. She left it off the list. I had to get printer ink so she could print her taxes. H&R's tax program left off one of the deductions she could take & it was going to cost her $1800. I did an override and fixed it but it won't submit digitally because of the override. I'll have to mail the forms off tomorrow. Printer ink prices are freaking insane though. And even if I have full black ink, it won't print if it is low on colored ink.

My brain does not want to function right now. It got down to 93° after I left the store.


----------



## Flyover

The robin that built and then abandoned its nest in my garage on the ladder, built a new nest on the box for the electric meter right outside one of the sunroom windows--and has now found a Mrs. robin who apparently Agreed To Do The Deed with him because she's laid two eggs in it. She sits on those eggs most of the day.

Right beneath this nest is a window well, and in that window well lives a toad. Last year there were four living there, so I hope this one gets more company this year.


----------



## Eddie_T

One season robins built in a bush that happend to be where a roof valley discharged rain. Come the first rain a very wet robin was sitting with wings spread to the edges of the nest. It stayed in place as my wife placed an umbrella on top of the bush.


----------



## Spicoli43

Entering the frustration season where it's too cool to plant grass, still too cool to turn on the sprinklers, but the weeds have no problem growing! While the massive housing shortage is pumping up the price of houses and making me happy that way, I can't sell and move away from my weeds because of the massive interest rates that are twice or more than I'm locked into.

The only option now would be to buy an RV or a Truck with a camper and move around. I could park at an RV site for a month and see if I liked the town. I could do that until the housing market crashes, but I don't know if it will. The old adage of "What goes up must come down" might have been broken.

Here's a look at housing inventory over the years...









						An inventory crunch is making life impossible for home buyers. Our interactive map can help you track the availability of houses for sale near you.
					

MarketWatch analyzed five years of monthly housing inventory data and created a tool you can use to search by county for the change in homes available for sale.




					www.marketwatch.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I read where some retired couples are selling or renting their homes and living fulltime on cruise liners. They say the cost per day is less than combined costs of home, vehicle and other costs of living.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I read where some retired couples are selling or renting their homes and living fulltime on cruise liners. They say the cost per day is less than combined costs of home, vehicle and other costs of living.



I couldn't do that. I have a problem being at Sea, figured that out as a young laddie in Seattle. Boats are great until you want to get off them. I have an intense control issue where I need to be able to go somewhere when I want to. The only exception is Salmon fishing. I could do that on a boat all day every day.


----------



## zannej

I saw the male cardinal on the porch looking for food this morning. Puppies keep getting in and we have to keep putting them up in the front room where they whine and bark-- but they chewed one of my DVD sets so they can stay in there if they won't stay out and behave. Princess was happy for them to be locked up. They want to play with her and she doesn't want to play with them.

Went to Samsclub and got everything on the list this time. Visited my friend to see how he's doing. He passed a kidney stone but is having trouble because his enlarged prostate is restricting his urethra and making it harder for stones to pass.

His ex thinks she's going to get on disability while simultaneously thinking she's going to get into nursing school (she doesn't have a high school diploma nor a GED). She only has an 8th grade education.

I'm tired so I will be napping soon I think. Cue Mom to want food.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I read where some retired couples are selling or renting their homes and living fulltime on cruise liners. They say the cost per day is less than combined costs of home, vehicle and other costs of living.


This cruiseliner plan would be ideal if you...
- Are in good health
- Don't have kids/grandkids you want to be able to see regularly
- Don't have any hobbies
- Have a high tolerance for bland, salty, fatty food
- Don't live on a planet where there is likely to be another pandemic during your remaining years


----------



## Eddie_T

It might be a blast until one has travelled the world. It wouldn't interest me. My first cousin did it for years as a tour guide. When he tired of travel he fell back to the office in NYC. I think he was with America Express I don't know how that ties in with cruises. He's prolly long retired with travel perks.


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## Eddie_T

I saw this on reddit and posted it for Zannej. Would you believe the guy climbed that 25 ft tower to install the dishy?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I saw this on reddit and posted it for Zannej. Would you believe the guy climbed that 25 ft tower to install the dishy?


??? I suspect that tower is way more than "25 feet"! In fact, I don't think it's even legal! Per FAA regulations, anything over 60 feet has to have warning lights on it! I think those cross bars are spaced each two feet. My antenna is 55 feet high, but pivots down for maintenance...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Entering the frustration season where it's too cool to plant grass, still too cool to turn on the sprinklers, but the weeds have no problem growing!


Been mid 80's every day lately here in NW Ohio... tying and breaking records for heat... will have to give my lawn its first mowing now... it's knee high in spots... I like to keep it longish and healthy... left it long over the winter to insulate the ground... rain yesterday and for later today...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> ??? I suspect that tower is way more than "25 feet"! In fact, I don't think it's even legal! Per FAA regulations, anything over 60 feet has to have warning lights on it! I think those cross bars are spaced each two feet. My antenna is 55 feet high, but pivots down for maintenance...


You're right!  I misread the post. It was 25m. I thought it looked too tall.

I would like to know what dishy actually requires for a clear view in my area. I am sure the instructions are written to cover all latitudes in general. When they show up in my area I am going to closely watch one to see how much actual tracking it does. A phased array has a wider beam width than a dish.


----------



## Eddie_T

I looked at Clark desert boots on ebay yesterday and received discount offers today.


----------



## Flyover

I spent last night in the ER at the children's hospital. Croup is scary, man!


----------



## havasu

Sorry to hear this. Is the little one better now?


----------



## Eddie_T

I made an inverted Tee lumbar and back posture/support cushion for use while reading, surfing or driving from a Dollar Tree pool noodle.


----------



## zannej

Yeah, power cord for dishy isn't long enough to put on top of the tower but we will see how high we can get it when my friend is well enough. I just put $50 worth of gas in his car for him today bc he didn't have enough to get to work. He's got a 2013 Scion CT or TC or something like that.

Flyover, I hope the little one will be ok. I had the croup when I was young. I remember it really really sucked and it damaged my lungs.

Yesterday I took my older dogs to the vet for vaccine updates and claw trimming. Fippy was very well behaved. Princess squirmed a lot but did not get aggressive. Vet kept saying how cute she was. Fippy has a heart murmur. Vet started telling me what it meant and I said "Fippy! You have the same thing I have!" He's down to 14.1lbs. Princess is 17.8lbs. At one point Fippy was over 18lbs. 

Today I took Mom for an eye doctor appointment. No sign of eye degeneration due to Diabetes but there is some sort of cloudy something at the back of her left eye associated with old age I think. They want to check again in 3 months. Went to Walmart afterward. Hot as hell and I'm exhausted.


----------



## Flyover

Thanks all. Yes she's better,


----------



## Flyover

Hah, I spoke too soon. We were back there again early this morning. Hopefully _that_ was the last time!


----------



## ekrig

@Flyover I hope that you little one recovers quickly and you all stay safe and healthy.


----------



## Flyover

Thanks again. These incidents are scary (and a bit surreal--interacting with modern medical practice is always surreal) while they're happening, but once the scary part is over we're relieved and exhausted and eager to get "back to normal". 

I'm hoping to knock out a few house projects this coming weekend.


----------



## zannej

I hope she's doing ok now, Flyover.

It's hot as hell here right now. And the mimosa tree is blooming for the first time in years. but its too hot to go out and take pics.


----------



## Eddie_T

Pulling sedum from my lawn filling two five gallon buckets. It looks OK in a rock garden but can be quite invasive. I am trying to eliminate it before I mow otherwise every scattered leaf becomes a new pant. My grass replacer hostas are called curly fries. Mowing doesn't kill them and may encourage faster root spreading.


----------



## zannej

I'm trying to find a picture I posted here or on one of the sister forums of the capacitor for my HVAC unit so I can remember what the specs were on it.


----------



## zannej

HVAC is still not working but I've got 2 Vornado fans blowing on me. It was absolutely miserable last night. The guy who works on AC stuff is apparently out of jail right now but I don't have his contact info. Waiting to hear from my friend.

Freezer went out this morning so we rushed to the store to get ice and a big *** cooler to keep stuff in to keep it cold.


----------



## Spicoli43

Meanwhile, I have the heat on because it's in the 33 degree range. The weather is supposed to be normal next week so I can turn the sprinklers on, we'll see. In the meantime, I get to look at dormant grass that hasn't had snow since yesterday morning.


----------



## zannej

I've heard it is that cold in other places up north but we've got the heatwave down south. I wouldn't want to be back in Guam right now so close to the equator. 

I cut weeds around the AC until my arms gave out. I was using manual clippers. There's a damn tree growing next to the unit now and I need to figure out how to cut it. Despite the heat, Mewlatto wants to be on my shoulder.

Had a good laugh earlier because Mom walked into the hallway and Gravy Jones was on the drawers next to the door. He got right up in her ear and yowled as loudly as he could (which is something he does to everyone). She turned and yowled back in his face very loudly. He put his ears back and backed away. My brother came running out of his room to see if she fell.


----------



## zannej

Aaand, just found out the hvac guy is back in jail as of yesterday.


----------



## Spicoli43

There's only one HVAC tech in town?


----------



## zannej

There are two but one no-shows a lot. Well, the boss of the company doesn't seem to go out on calls anymore and his employees (I think family members) often can't be bothered to go out. The guy in jail was the only one who would come out reliably. So, my friend got in touch with the other guy and he said his employee would come out but employee refused as he had his kids there and was mowing his lawn. But he walked my friend through the job over the phone (after my friend watched some Youtube videos I sent him on how to do it). Guy clarified a few things and sold the parts we needed to get the job done. Cost $90 in parts and I will stain my friend's kitchen door and and help him hang it up when he is ready. It needed two new capacitors and the guy in jail had jerry-rigged the wiring pretty weirdly. First capacitor fixed the compressor issue but the fan wasn't wanting to work so 2nd capacitor fixed that. It is finally starting to cool off.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ay...Yi...Yi... After hearing the experiences in your town, I will think before complaining about anything here.


----------



## zannej

Aaand. AC stopped working again. Compressor and fan won't turn on and I have no idea why. Internal HVAC fan is blowing but external is not and its 91° in the coldest part of the house.


----------



## Spicoli43

I watched a show on History called "The Unexplained" with William Shatner. Each episode is completely different, but this one was about Mummies, and one part of the show was on Self Mummification.

Some Buddhist Monks in Japan in the 17th Century believed that they could keep their souls alive forever by performing Self Mummification instead of dying naturally and not having any control over what happened to their bodies.

They would starve themselves and ingest a tea that was toxic and had embalming properties, so the embalming process would start from the inside. 

They would be buried in this state when death was close, and their fellow Monks would excavate them and put them on display, forever keeping their souls alive. 

Interesting concept, although I wouldn't try it. It did get me thinking though... That explains Biden, Feinstein, Hillary, Pelosi and Schumer!!! 

I know, long time to get to the punchline, but Bada Bing!


----------



## SavvyCat

Today I replaced the plug end of my deep freeze and added an extension cord (see thread from a few weeks ago).

I also decided I was GOING TO figure out what was leaking under the kitchen sink. I finally found it was in the first joint from the disposal, which was cut at an angle. After I fixed that, another part leaked. Fixed that and another part leaked... You know how it goes.  All connections got opened, cleaned, taped, and tightened by my pincer-like Cancerian hands. No more leaks... yet...

In between, I yelled at a mockingbird mocking my cat, who thought he was hunting it when I know it was the other way around. The darn thing WILL NOT leave! Just keeps squawking.


----------



## WasVilla

After two years of repairs and improvements, house sale is pending.  Got full price, all cash, 45 day escrow, no contingencies.  Starting to pull stuff from garage to temporary storage.  Septic inspector Monday, house inspector Thursday.  We are very satisfied.


----------



## Ron Van

WasVilla said:


> After two years of repairs and improvements, house sale is pending.  Got full price, all cash, 45 day escrow, no contingencies.  Starting to pull stuff from garage to temporary storage.  Septic inspector Monday, house inspector Thursday.  We are very satisfied.


Real estate is still booming. I’m not sure where people are getting the money but it’s a good time to sell. We sold our house two years ago for an all time high price but now that same house is valued at 25-30% more. We moved to a lower cost state and got more for less.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> Real estate is still booming. I’m not sure where people are getting the money but it’s a good time to sell. We sold our house two years ago for an all time high price but now that same house is valued at 25-30% more. We moved to a lower cost state and got more for less.



Some places are booming, some are busting. Zillow sends a forecast of the zip codes you look for property in on a monthly basis. It's booming here, booming in the middle of nowhere Texas, booming in certain coastal parts of WA, and busting in certain coastal parts of WA and OR. 

There's no way to look up a zip code for an instant forecast, something I requested from them for the future. 

Not that they will be right, but they were real close on my refi appraisal. I'm just making sure everywhere I would move is generating a report for when the interest rates aren't insane.


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm reading up about black walnut hull uses. Since I will be working with black walnuts this fall and making dye for my floor tile grout (and wood staining). I thought I would look into making my own hull extract for medicinal use. It's amazing how many beneficial uses it has. The medicinal extract is apparently made from green hulls.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> I'm just making sure everywhere I would move is generating a report for when the interest rates aren't insane.


We really lucked out, I think. We sold our California house in July 2020 for a huge profit (I bought it in 1989). We were able to put a significant down payment on a house in a lesser cost state. We got a good interest rate for a small mortgage on the new place but I made a huge mistake...My wife was on the deed but the loan was strictly in my name. If something were to happen to me, there is a federal survivors rule that says the bank should refinance the mortgage for the survivor but this didn't make me feel very good. We ended up refinancing the mortgage a year ago to get her on the mortgage. The interesting thing is that the interest rate had dropped to 2.9%! This is the lowest I remember it being in my lifetime. It actually was a Blessing that it happened that way. I remember mortgage interest rates being as high as 18% and 6% was considered good in normal times.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I'm reading up about black walnut hull uses. Since I will be working with black walnuts this fall and making dye for my floor tile grout (and wood staining). I thought I would look into making my own hull extract for medicinal use. It's amazing how many beneficial uses it has. The medicinal extract is apparently made from green hulls.



Yeah, almost everything outside has medicinal properties. There's of course the poisonous plants everybody knows about and a lot people don't, but Master Herbalist is a good course to take.

*





						Search Earth Clinic
					

Search Earth Clinic




					www.earthclinic.com
				



*


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> We really lucked out, I think. We sold our California house in July 2020 for a huge profit (I bought it in 1989). We were able to put a significant down payment on a house in a lesser cost state. We got a good interest rate for a small mortgage on the new place but I made a huge mistake...My wife was on the deed but the loan was strictly in my name. If something were to happen to me, there is a federal survivors rule that says the bank should refinance the mortgage for the survivor but this didn't make me feel very good. We ended up refinancing the mortgage a year ago to get her on the mortgage. The interesting thing is that the interest rate had dropped to 2.9%! This is the lowest I remember it being in my lifetime. It actually was a Blessing that it happened that way. I remember mortgage interest rates being as high as 18% and 6% was considered good in normal times.



I can see a bank getting away with not refinancing her, something she would have to go to court for. 

Yeah, it's amazing what homes can go for these days. My Childhood home is valued at $550K. It's 4/2/1400 sf with a basement and a small yard, but the bedrooms are smaller than today's builds. It was built in '51, and is worth about $80K more than my 3/2/1550 sf on an Acre built in '06.

It's all where you live, but people from CA move here and buy land because my House on an Acre is less than half the cost of their cookie cutter where you can reach out the bathroom window and knock on your neighbor's house. Yes, jobs pay more there, but still, it's insane. 

It's all good because my value has gone up $170K since last year, so I could buy the biggest truck and nicest camper to go with it and go hide out in RV parks until housing collapses along with the interest rates. 

The cheapest VA 30 year loan now is 77% interest at Navy Federal while conventional loans are 85% interest... I'm at 37%, so I have no choice but to sit here if I want to move and build elsewhere. 

Isn't the 18% you talk about the Carter years? I remember people talking about those rates. In actual terms, 18 percent for a 30 year loan is 442%

Banks are ALL criminals.


----------



## zannej

Savvycat, I'm glad you fixed the leak under the sink. 
Wasvilla, congratulations on the house sale!
Ron Van, I'm glad you were able to get a good deal on your house.
Eddie, I don't think I've ever had black walnuts.

Spicoli,  you're right about some places being good for selling and others not. Houses in my area were selling dirt cheap. My late friend's property- which was 4 lots with two houses, a workshop, greenhouse, garden, etc sold for less than $25k. A house down the street sold for $3k. My friend's ex bought a house on his street for $11k more recently. That was after prices went up more. Granted, the house needs a lot of work and they had to clear out the former tenant's massive porn collection and the place needs to be re-wired.

We sold our house in California back in the 80s. Or, I suppose I should say, we had a real estate sell it and somehow they skipped the part of getting my parents' permission on the final sale price. To this day my mother gripes that the agent sold the house for waaaay less than my parents said they would sell the house for-- less than they had paid for it. We moved and when we arrived here we were told the house had sold but they had not been asked to sign off on it and the deal was done. I don't know if that was legal or not.

Meanwhile, we are still sitting in the heat. Can't get the fan on the outside unit to keep turning so the compressor won't stay on. Not sure if the fan is bad or if its an electrical problem.


----------



## 68bucks

Ron Van said:


> We really lucked out, I think. We sold our California house in July 2020 for a huge profit (I bought it in 1989). We were able to put a significant down payment on a house in a lesser cost state. We got a good interest rate for a small mortgage on the new place but I made a huge mistake...My wife was on the deed but the loan was strictly in my name. If something were to happen to me, there is a federal survivors rule that says the bank should refinance the mortgage for the survivor but this didn't make me feel very good. We ended up refinancing the mortgage a year ago to get her on the mortgage. The interesting thing is that the interest rate had dropped to 2.9%! This is the lowest I remember it being in my lifetime. It actually was a Blessing that it happened that way. I remember mortgage interest rates being as high as 18% and 6% was considered good in normal times.


Yea the rates are crazy still. I got  2.75% on our refi. I remember our first place. Stood in line all night for a state program for first time buyers. It was 1985. We got the loan, 11-7/8%. We were so excited.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Aaand. AC stopped working again. Compressor and fan won't turn on and I have no idea why. Internal HVAC fan is blowing but external is not and its 91° in the coldest part of the house.


Check the circuit breaker and thermostat (mine has batteries in it) first... those capacitors are easy to change... just make a note of where every wire goes... some of the Asian capacitors they sell these days lucky to last a year... if you lived closer, I'd bring my capacitor tester over...
Been 80's and 90 here lately in N.W. Ohio... just under 70 max predicted for next few days... good working outside weather... we got almost none of the rain they had been predicting lately... which is fine...
Some of my grass is knee high now... guess it's time for the first mowing... I leave it long over the winter to insulate the ground... and longish most of the time to keep it thick and healthy and soft for the kids to fall on...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah, it's amazing what homes can go for these days.
> 
> It's all where you live, but people from CA move here and buy land because my House on an Acre is less than half the cost of their cookie cutter where you can reach out the bathroom window and knock on your neighbor's house.
> 
> The cheapest VA 30 year loan now is 77% interest at Navy Federal while conventional loans are 85% interest... I'm at 37%, so I have no choice but to sit here if I want to move and build elsewhere.
> 
> Isn't the 18% you talk about the Carter years? I remember people talking about those rates. In actual terms, 18 percent for a 30 year loan is 442%
> 
> Banks are ALL criminals.


It's amazing how much home prices can go down and up these days... my home went down about 80% to what I paid for it 42 years ago... now going back up again... but in this Democrats run city with 1 1/2 murders weekly and poison water, it's rising slowly now...

Back in my home loan days 45 - 50 years ago I was paying 8 - 10 1/2%... had heard of 6% earlier... never dreamed it would ever be around 3%...

During Carter years, was selling real estate as a Realtor... remember bank mortgage rates at 21%... IF they would give one at all... was glad to get a land contract at 10.5%...
Savings CDs paying 14% interest...

"Banks are criminals" ??? Would you be interested in lending out hundreds of thousands of dollars at 2.75% ? To the types of borrowers seen these days?

A few years ago, Ted Danson sold his home that looked like mine on Malibu Beach for $16Million... his lot was even smaller than mine... looked like a foot between his roof edge and his neighbors' on both sides... don't think he had an unattached 3 car garage like mine, looked like they parked in the basement... can have a steep driveway down to the basement where you don't get snow...

My contract for electricity at 4.9c just ran out... company wants 13.7c now... switching back to local utility at 5.4c... outside offers from 6c to 20c...

Nat. gas at 33c... haven't looked to see yet when that expires... offers now are 55c - $2... low offers are monthly variable rate... which can be scary... they stay low over summer, but as heating season comes back around, they can soar on shortages... A few years ago had gas jump from 33c to $1.20 without warning... I had checked rates online and called them when it looked like others were raising their rates... but there had been no clue they were going to charge me more after the month of usage... complained to the local gas utility handling the billing, but that fell on deaf ears... 

Local electric co. had just been busted for paying Ohio politicians $60Million in bribes for favorable legislation... may be why they are trying to look good by not cranking up rates at the moment...


----------



## Spicoli43

Banks are Criminals, it's not 2.75%... It's almost 47%. 

Your 21% example is 531%

Put $100,000 loan into this calculator, 30 years at 2.75%... See the $46,900 in interest on that $100,000?






						Amortization Schedule Calculator | Bankrate
					

The mortgage amortization schedule shows how much in principal and interest is paid over time. See how those payments break down over your loan term with our amortization calculator.



					www.bankrate.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Had a good laugh earlier because Mom walked into the hallway and Gravy Jones was on the drawers next to the door. He got right up in her ear and yowled as loudly as he could (which is something he does to everyone). She turned and yowled back in his face very loudly. He put his ears back and backed away. My brother came running out of his room to see if she fell.


There's a lady kinda looks like Audrey Hepburn comes into local casino so may check her out. Inspired me to watch her ancient movie Breakfast at Tiffany's last night for the first time. <Spoiler Alert!> Her character treats the cat as horribly as she does all the men around her. In one scene she bats the no name cat toward the closet and it grabs the lattice strips of the door and hangs there. Cat likes to jump down on people's heads and shoulders from shelving. Reading between innocent lines of the story looks like she's really a prostitute that takes advantage of 20 - 30 ultra rich men a month and dumps them daily while thinking she's a proper 'duchess'. George Peppard's character is a less hidden gigolo who thinks he's a writer. Mickey Rooney wasn't recognizable as a Japanese guy. Buddy Ebsen plays a doctor mistaken for a private detective..


----------



## zannej

My breaker is on and the inside unit is working fine. The compressor turns on but it shuts off because the fan won't turn. Inside fan is working but the one in the unit outside is the issue it seems. Unless something connected to the fan motor in there is messing up.

The capacitors were changed already. It's frustrating bc its so damn hot. Thermostat is on and shows the temperature. It was trying to tell the outside unit to turn on but the damn fan won't turn. Got it turning briefly but then it stopped. So I don't know if it is not getting enough power to turn or if it is too rusty/weak. I guess I will have to call the repair guy and see if he will deign to come out to check.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Put $100,000 loan into this calculator, 30 years at 2.75%... See the $46,900 in interest on that $100,000?


A mortgage is worth it for a couple that wants a quick real home for their family... 

I always paid my mortgages off pretty fast... during the first years of a mortgage, only a tiny % of the monthly payment goes toward the principal... the rest goes to interest... add 11 times that tiny % to each payment made and you're actually making a year's payments each month! Since most people's income rises yearly, it's not too hard to keep doing that or close to it until the mortgage is paid off really early! 
Of course, banks/lending companies don't like people to realize that. Once I had a company try to charge me a big early payoff fee, but it wasn't in Jimmy Carter's 'Truth in Lending Statement' that accompanied the Mortgage Note, so my Lawyer told them to drop it or he'd have a Federal Court Order on their desk within 48 hours. So they did.  (not to be confused with the new Ministry of Truth)


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, it's a sliding scale, but when they make the made up out of thin air rates, they assume and hope people will carry it for 30 years. If I pay off my House in 10 years, it will end up being 11% interest instead of 37%... 

The Left is the party of Homelessness, though, that's why the rates are going way up and it's why they parroted the $15 an hour minimum wage. People working and wanting the $15 didn't think for a second that their employers couldn't pay that and they would be laid off. 

They also didn't factor in that their landlords were going to jack up the rent. If they were locked into a mortgage, that's good as long as they weren't chopped down to part time. Part time and laid off people is why there is massive amounts of homeless in tents in Seattle, LA, Portland etc... All Far Left cities. Those tents weren't there before the $15, and NOT ONE politician on the Left said anything besides good things about it because they are all Millionaires and will never feel the impact of their policies.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> My breaker is on and the inside unit is working fine.


The fan bearings may be dry and seizing up... there's also a contactor/relay outside that the thermostat wiring tells to pull up and turn the outside fan and compressor on... sometimes it can also be pulled up manually with a finger... 

My friend has a neighbor that is a HVAC guy that doesn't charge much, but he's usually too fat/drunk to want to go out and do anything...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The Left is the party of Homelessness, though, that's why the rates are going way up and it's why they parroted the $15 an hour minimum wage. People working and wanting the $15 didn't think for a second that their employers couldn't pay that and they would be laid off.
> 
> They also didn't factor in that their landlords were going to jack up the rent. If they were locked into a mortgage, that's good as long as they weren't chopped down to part time. Part time and laid off people is why there is massive amounts of homeless in tents in Seattle, LA, Portland etc... All Far Left cities. Those tents weren't there before the $15, and NOT ONE politician on the Left said anything besides good things about it because they are all Millionaires and will never feel the impact of their policies.


Interest rates going up because dufus Feds think that's how you slow inflation, but that's for normal times, not the insanity going on now! Raising rates takes away more spending money, causing less products to be bought, and still more companies to fail on top of the tens of thousands of companies that just failed! And fewer companies/products made, means still higher prices for any remaining products in shortage! And Jokementia Bribery says raising taxes on companies will cut inflation, not realizing companies will have to add the higher taxes into their prices! It's a vicious circle not understood by the Left that thinks money is something that comes in the mailbox weekly or monthly for a lifetime...

True, when wages go up quickly EVERYTHING ELSE also has to go up quickly! And/or people lose their jobs.

I bought a '77 new car for $5K... later looked to buy a new '81 car of same model... then it was $15K !!! And that was with a V6... not the V8 I got earlier... gasoline price increase had killed off demand for V8's, so hard to get one, barely being made, although in sales literature... V8 making employees prolly laid off, plant shut down... I've experienced severe inflation before!


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## Spicoli43

I haven't got an explanation from any economist how raising interest rates will curb inflation when everything is sky high in price. The Fed isn't supposed to do what the Executive branch wants, but Powell is doing exactly what Obama wants while he did exactly what Trump wanted and everything was priced great including record low Mortgages. 

Lumber went up insanely like we all know, but that's fabricated, completely made up by the lumber industry and the major players like Lowe's and HD. It doesn't exist because the lumber yards were staffed just fine during Covid.

The Left does think money comes in the mailbox. In '20, we had a Dem. Governor that locked everything down except fast food, all restaurants were closed and people got checks to not work. That isn't still happening, but the kids don't want to work. The Pizza Hut on the main drag doesn't have dine in because they don't have any staffing. The sign on their door says "Will hire Veterans / Seniors." They don't want any kids that don't know what work is.


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## Flyover

I'm not on "The Left" but I've gotten money in the mailbox before. Cash. For something as easy as completing surveys, no less.

Every contractor/skilled tradesman I've talked to tells me it's hard to find help, as in people who are willing to show up and work. I'm surprised by this, and kinda wish I was 17 now instead of 20 years ago because I remember it being really hard to get a job back then. I used to put in applications at 50 different places before I'd get a single interview anywhere, and the jobs I finally ended up getting were usually pretty horrible. And this remained true even after I'd gotten some experience both as a contractor's assistant and installing/uninstalling shows at an art gallery.


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## BuzzLOL

I've gotten emails promising money for doing a 5 minute survey... but the surveys went on forever and never any money...


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Lumber went up insanely like we all know, but that's fabricated, completely made up by the lumber industry and the major players like Lowe's and HD. It doesn't exist because the lumber yards were staffed just fine during Covid.


The lumber industry was also shut down by the plandemic... I'm talking tree cutters, factories, etc... not just the home stores... plus with a Dim Govt now, those industries have to fight to be allowed to cut the tree huggers' trees...


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## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> The fan bearings may be dry and seizing up... there's also a contactor/relay outside that the thermostat wiring tells to pull up and turn the outside fan and compressor on... sometimes it can also be pulled up manually with a finger...
> 
> My friend has a neighbor that is a HVAC guy that doesn't charge much, but he's usually too fat/drunk to want to go out and do anything...


When I had the AC set to Cool or Auto it is telling the compressor and fan to turn on because I hear the compressor and saw the fan trying to move. But it short-cycled because the fan wouldn't do more than jostle a little. Now, could be the capacitor for it is defective & not giving enough power. Since it looks rusty, I think it might be the motor though.

I've been calling the regular AC guy (the one who doesn't return my calls) and leaving messages. I've asked my friend to call them bc he actually gets callbacks. I stopped using their service bc they never call me back. I don't want to come off as a Karen, but its boiling in here.

I had the same experience with surveys. Neverending and often they want me to buy something or subscribe to something in order to complete. So its scams.

I did once get $10 for winning one of the scratch-offs at Publisher's Clearing House. I play the games there sometimes out of boredom.


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## Ron Van

zannej said:


> When I had the AC set to Cool or Auto it is telling the compressor and fan to turn on because I hear the compressor and saw the fan trying to move. But it short-cycled because the fan wouldn't do more than jostle a little. Now, could be the capacitor for it is defective & not giving enough power. Since it looks rusty, I think it might be the motor though.


I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago. If I went outside and pushed the fan blade with a long screwdriver, the fan would start and run but it seemed a little slow, nonetheless, it would cool the house that way until the next time it cycled off...then the fan would need another push to start. Not very convenient.  

I looked around for a new fan and capacitor but found the local HVAC places won't sell parts to a homeowner. I was getting ready to go out of state for a short term job so I didn't have time to spare and just called a repair person to do the job. 

They came to my house armed with a condenser fan motor and capacitor which cost a little over $200 and installed it. While he was there, he checked the charge and operation of the unit. The total bill was $530.00 for an hour of work. I wouldn't be afraid to do that job myself if I had the time to order the parts and have them shipped to me. All the work is easy to get to on the condenser unit outside. No freon lines need to be opened to change the condenser fan. 

If you have a capacitor checker, you could just change the capacitor if it's bad but if that doesn't fix it and then you need to get a motor as well, you're looking at a long time without A/C. That's why I told the guy to just order a motor and capacitor and be done with it.


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## Ron Van

zannej said:


> When I had the AC set to Cool or Auto it is telling the compressor and fan to turn on because I hear the compressor and saw the fan trying to move. But it short-cycled because the fan wouldn't do more than jostle a little. Now, could be the capacitor for it is defective & not giving enough power. Since it looks rusty, I think it might be the motor though.


On my old house, I had a "Cool Cap" installed on my Condenser fan. It's a big plastic cover that looks like a garbage can lid that is hinged and flips up when the fan blows it but then shuts when the fan is off. The purpose is to keep rain and other debris from getting in the fan blades and motor. It seems like a good idea to me but nobody will sell a Cool Cap to a homeowner. 

I think they are afraid a "Dumb" homeowner will drill into the condenser coils or something while trying to install it.


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## zannej

Ron Van, the new capacitors should be working if they aren't defective. I've called again but regular AC guy still won't call back and the other guy is still in jail. There's a thunderstorm right now- which is cooling things down a little at least. My friend gave me the name of another AC service that didn't show up when I googled. Guy used to live down my road. Said he's booked up today but can send someone out tomorrow. I had to text him the address with my cellphone and hope it went through. It took me awhile to figure out how to add new contacts to text bc I almost never text.

I hope they get the message and can look at it. Still don't know why the one main service refuses to callback. I'm worried it might be hard to find replacement parts since the model number isn't anywhere on the unit.


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## Eddie_T

I clicked on this icon seen above but didn't see anyone over there to join?



I baked and ate a potato with butter and crumbled bacon. I microwaved the potato for 3 minutes then placed it in a 400°oven for 15 minutes or so. To take advantage of the oven being hot I made 3 two-ingredient biscuits to bake along w/potato. I ate 1½ buttered biscuits with strawberry preserves. As my wife did before me (she picked it up from my mom) I buttered all 3 biscuits while hot. I'll have the other 1½ biscuits tomorrow prolly toasted and topped w/syrup.


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## Flyover

I'm three days into planking every day for at least one minute. My goal is to increase that time incrementally so that in maybe a month I'm planking for ...uh...I have no idea how big an increase is realistic, only that I'm sure I can increase it. Curious to see if/how it affects how much weight I can lift during other exercises.

Meanwhile the pool opens up after Memorial Day so I can start going there a few afternoons per week. Swimming is by far my favorite way to exercise. This will be the first time in my life when I'm regularly both lifting weights and swimming (in the past it's always been one or the other), so I'm pretty excited.

We found out this weird thudding noise we were hearing from our bedroom ceiling is a woodpecker attacking the gutters. (Neighbors saw it.) He attacks them every weekend morning. I know why he attacks them (probably there's tiny caterpillars or tasty bugs or something in there) but I don't know why he only attacks them on weekend mornings--that part makes no sense to me. Also, his attacks are noisy but pretty futile; I can't even see a scratch on the gutters anywhere near where the neighbor said he saw the pecking taking place.


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## zannej

Eddie, that sounds delicious. I need to stop thinking about carbs so much. Spicoli is trying to help me go low/no carb. 

Flyover, is planking where you lay on your stomach on something and stretch out straight horizontally?
I wish we had a pool at home because I'd take up water aerobics. The only public pool in the area is outdoors in the sun.

The woodpecker sounds annoying. We still have the cardinals slamming themselves into Mom's bedroom window. But now the male is going around to the front after I feed the dogs and taking dog food one piece at a time. Not sure where he goes with it, but he lands on the bowl and picks up a piece, looks around, looks in the bowl, looks around more, ponders the universe, looks in the bowl, and then flies off.

The original installer AC people actually called back so I canceled with the other guy. He was cool about it (no pun intended) since I told him I'd been calling the original installers. They had a new fan motor in their truck (that was the culprit). So they installed it. It started raining pretty hard while they were working on it. I gave an otter pop (flavored ice in a plastic sleeve) to one of them since he was the only one who accepted the offer. I had to change shirts bc I was soaked but had a hard time getting the clean shirt on bc it kept sticking to my wet skin and rolled up at the back and didn't want to come down.

I got satin pillowcases on my pillows to make them cooler (had microfiber on before). Its nice and cool now and I'm about to take my meds and get some sleep. I'll see how many cats feel the need to pile on now that its colder.


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## Spicoli43

People in my neighborhood in WA nailed platforms to the sides of their houses and put fake Owls there to keep woodpeckers away. The real Owls didn't keep them away, but the fake ones worked.


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I made 3 two-ingredient biscuits


I made biscuits for sausage gravy over biscuits... they're also good with just butter... 
Biscuits made with milk, butter, selfrising flour, egg, corn oil... 
We ate 3 biscuits, froze 6 for later...


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> The original installer AC people actually called back so I canceled with the other guy. He was cool about it (no pun intended) since I told him I'd been calling the original installers. They had a new fan motor in their truck (that was the culprit). So they installed it.


Around here A/C can last 20 years but in Vietnam where it's over 100 about 10 months of the year we burned through window A/C units in 3 years when I was there in the army...


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## Eddie_T

I'm thinking of trying milk with oil in lieu of heavy cream to make two three ingredient biscuits. The heavy cream is easier but I fear some will go bad on me if I continually keep it on hand. I could also try buttermilk biscuits if the milk and oil works out. I use 1c SR flour and ½c cream to make 3 large biscuits (cut with a tuna can). I'll have to determine the right amount of oil to make the ½c oil-milk emulsion.

Speaking of buttermilk  I tried a new culture yesterday and it seems to have worked out OK. I used Aldi buttermilk for the first time as a starter. Some brands don't work as well and the buttermilk separates radically into whey and solids. I noticed the date on the whole milk was April 25 but it still passed both smell and taste test. Shaking every day keeps it from spoiling.


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## zannej

My cat Biscuits doesn't like when I put butter on him. 
7 cats piled on me last night. I'm still barely awake. Trying to motivate myself to get up if I can get cats off of me.


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## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> My cat Biscuits doesn't like when I put butter on him.
> 7 cats piled on me last night. I'm still barely awake. Trying to motivate myself to get up if I can get cats off of me.


My MIL made cat head biscuits.

My Russian Blue has some congestion that is hanging on.  He was a feral and visiting a vet isn't an option. I am debating whether to try some Fish Mox amoxicillin mixed in coconut oil on the back of a paw for him to lick off.


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## zannej

I got up and fed the cats. Dogs were out all night so I put them up. Peanutbutter managed to pop the door open and get out so I had to put her back in. They have a bed in there and should be comfortable. They don't want to be outside because they come right back in.


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Around here A/C can last 20 years but in Vietnam where it's over 100 about 10 months of the year we burned through window A/C units in 3 years when I was there in the army...



We took over the Iraqi Republican Guard barracks, AC undoubtedly provided by American ingenuity and cash during the Iran/Iraq War. Maybe I'm making that up, don't care. It didn't quit the whole time we were there.


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## Flyover

Got word around 8:30am today that my grandfather had died about four hours earlier. We were close. He was almost 99 and had been in and out of the ER/hospital a lot the past few years so it wasn't a huge shock or anything, though he had an important scientific project he was working on right up until the end and never got to finish. I feel pretty bummed out.

I took the morning off and had planned to take my daughter for a round of frisbee golf but it was raining, so I did some woodworking in the garage instead. Built that balance beam the kids have been asking about. It comes apart so I can store it in a corner of the garage but all assembled it's probably 15 feet long.


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## zannej

Spicoli, I think the humidity/moisture in Vietnam may have had a part in the AC dying. You mentioned to me that Iraq has a dry heat. I think Vietnam is like Florida and Louisiana with the hot wet weather.
Of course, it also depends on the quality of materials used. They used to build things to last longer. Now they deliberately make things to break down so they can charge more $ to sell new ones.
Flyover, I'm very sorry to hear about your grandfather. 99 is a long life but when its family its not long enough. Balance beam looks cool though. Are he kiddos into gymnastics?

I've been out of it today. My right ear is itching like crazy & I think I scratched inside it too much yesterday bc now it is sore. I have clear liquid coming out. When I shake my head I can hear it sloshing a little and my hearing is impaired in that ear. I can feel the liquid inside and it makes the inside itch. It may be the start of an ear infection.

I really need to cut back on the carbs and eat more meat & regular veggies.

My brother didn't take his stuff out of the cooler and all the ice melted. He blamed me for it but I'm not having any of it. He can be responsible for his own crap. I just hope I won't have to be the one clean the stuff out if it rots.

Kept the dogs in most of the day bc it was hot and just let them out. Of course they are now on my bed. I've never seen hounds that hate being outside this much.


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## Flyover

Zannej, the oldest is into gymnastics. But no kid can resist a balance beam. Few able-bodied adults can either, when it's right there!

By the way, that robin has now hatched three chicks, with the one remaining egg beginning to hatch (note the tiny beak-hole). This morning she was out getting food so I nabbed a photo:


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## Spicoli43

Sorry for your loss, Flyover. That's one heck of a life though. My Grandma lived to 97, family record holder. 

Zannej... Yeah, Dry heat in Iraq. Brutal dry heat like Death Valley. I don't know if I hated Miami more though with the humidity and rain every single day for an Hour. I was only there for a week, but couldn't live there.


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## Eddie_T

Flyover, as kids we used a nearby railroad as balance beams (we just couldn't resist), I had forgotten how pretty robins egg blue is. The nest is a work of art. Rough material in the structure and fines in the finish work resulting in a near perfect circle. No training required, all programmed into the DNA. I wonder how many lines of code are involved?


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## Flyover

Thanks again for the condolences, everyone.

I watched the robin build the nest. The reason it's a perfect circle is because the robin puts the stuff down and then sort of turns around in a circle to tamp it down using its belly. Since its legs are fairly centered under its body and its body doesn't change size as it rotates, all it has to do is make sure its feet don't wander as it executes the turn. But yeah, its ability to know what coarseness or fineness of material for what part of the nest is also really cool. With some birds it's even more advanced, e.g. hummingbirds using spider silk, waterfowl using down, etc.

That fourth egg hatched this morning, so now there are four chicks in there.


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## zannej

Flyover those are adorable baby birds and the egg is very pretty. 

Birds are amazing at nest-making. There are some that can make little huts with doors. Not sure how, but they engineer it so they can pull the door shut. My dad told me that when he was a kid his grandmother or aunt (can't remember which one) had long red hair. She would take her hair out of her hairbrush and put it out the window. So all around the neighborhood the birds' nests all had red hairs worked into them.

Anyone seen the videos of birds dubbed over in some sort of computer-like voice where the one bird says "Becky, let me smash"? It's weird but funny.

Spicoli, when my parents were first married they lived in Death Valley. Mom said it was hot there but she said the heat here is worse because of the humidity. At least in dry places you sweat can evaporate and cool you off, but here the sweat and moisture just cling to you and don't cool you off.

I went to the Chinese place, then to Samsclub, then Walmart, post office, & to my friends house to drop off some Ensure. It's not the healthiest thing for him but it's better than sodas. I was telling Spicoli I don't know how this guy survived to his 30s not eating fruit, vegetables or drinking regular water. He exclusively drinks sodas and energy drinks. But he stays skinny. For now at least.

When I got there the baby was covered in food and crying. My friend was getting ready to leave for work and the mother was ignoring the baby. So I got a wet paper towel and started cleaning him up. He flinched at first (I think his mom hits him). She's very rough when wiping off his hands and face to the point he's afraid of her and squirms to get away. But once I showed him I was being gentle he held his hands out and let me clean between his fingers and wipe his mouth. I then showed him how to wipe his high chair tray with the paper towel and let him try. So, he started trying to wipe it himself. Poor baby will probably spend the next few hours stuck in that high chair bc once my friend leaves, his mom will probably stay on the porch or go into my friend's bedroom, shut the door, and play on her phone like she always does. She really should not be having another baby when she doesn't like the one she already has.


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## Spicoli43

zannej... Was your Dad stationed at Ft. Irwin? 

Speaking of the Military, I watched an episode of "The Unexplained" last night that featured disappearances. One guy went hunting for an Ancient Inca City and never returned, a story about that Malaysia Jet that disappeared, and then of course on any "disappearance" show they have to include the Bermuda Triangle.

I heard in the past, and this episode included WWII era planes that were lost in the Triangle, but a different show said they might have the exact location of the triangle off, so it could be further north, or a bigger triangle. 

That got me thinking. All my trips to the Middle East included Dallas to Maine, then to Ireland or Germany. Same thing on the return trips. I used to think it was for fueling, but it's not like we were in puddle jumpers. Now I'm wondering if the Maine part was to ensure the planes didn't travel through the Triangle? 

Dallas straight to Ireland or Germany would be very close....


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## Spicoli43

Well, back to riding lawnmowers. Many of you remember my unending problems with the electric Cub Cadet last year. I eviscerated them for releasing untested junk and eviscerated Home Depot for selling it to the point they got rid of my review. 

I tried Lowe's this year, bought a Gas Husqvarna at the start of May, expected delivery 3 weeks ago. Got a call saying someone cut the battery cables and took the batteries on all 6 of my model. Ok, well maybe don't leave them outside all night? Please bring me the mower and a battery and cables and I'll hook it up. It's not Rocket Surgery... NOPE, that would void the warranty.

Ok, so how long until someone repairs one and brings it to me? Two weeks... Fine... Wednesday I get a call... "We have your mower, someone will call you in the morning to arrange a block of time to deliver"... Great. No call Thursday, I check the website, says it's delayed. Okay, whatever, I'll call Friday... 

Talk to customer service Friday morning, she says the mower is ready. It's supposed to be delivered, I don't have a trailer. Ok, she will call the manager and have him call me. Great. I wait all day, no call. I call back and ask to talk to someone in the garden center last night. I get the same guy that told me the batteries were taken weeks ago. He says "Nobody called you? The mower is here, but there's no battery."

Weeks have gone by, the same mowers have sat there the whole time, nobody there or me is authorized to hook up the battery / cables and they have to be shipped to Lowe's corporate or their authorized repair center or whatever. The person responsible for this operation is not some freshly hired schmoe off the street, it's not One manager... It's TWO MANAGERS in that department that are the only ones with the authority and the mowers haven't moved an inch.

The guy I'm talking to is great, just as frustrated as me, but he says my only option is to come see what they have in stock. 

Nah, probably not... I'm going to Home Depot to look at what they got, hopefully a Toro. I have to avoid Cub Cadet for obvious reasons, and Cub Cadet's Brothers Craftsman and Troy Bilt which are the same exact tractor mower. I'm trying to avoid John Deere because the service center is 90 miles away and if you go to their website, problems are answered with "That's too bad, call your dealer" for every complaint. 

I don't think I'm supposed to have a riding mower by force of nature. I think I'm going to run off, get married and join the Circus or something and never mow a lawn again.


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## ekrig

@Flyover Sorry to hear about your grandfather. Even if one might be somewhat expecting it, it still hurts.

@Spicoli43 The service of the big box stores just keeps doing. I used to be a faithful HD client back when they pretty much always had the best prices and great costumer service. Then I caught them charging much more that other places several times and I started going to Lowe's and they have great prices (on _some_ things) but their costumer service was always bad... Trying going back to HD but their costumer service has also gone downhill big time. They don't care because there is almost no competition, and frankly it is our fault, for letting ourselves get trapped with only those few choices... Anyway, removing bad reviews is simply corrupt on HD's part. Thanks for sharing.

Try a ACE hardware or Tractor Supply if there's one close to you? Best of luch


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## Spicoli43

ekrig said:


> @Spicoli43 The service of the big box stores just keeps doing. I used to be a faithful HD client back when they pretty much always had the best prices and great costumer service. Then I caught them charging much more that other places several times and I started going to Lowe's and they have great prices (on _some_ things) but their costumer service was always bad... Trying going back to HD but their costumer service has also gone downhill big time. They don't care because there is almost no competition, and frankly it is our fault, for letting ourselves get trapped with only those few choices... Anyway, removing bad reviews is simply corrupt on HD's part. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> Try a ACE hardware or Tractor Supply if there's one close to you? Best of luch



Yeah.... Lowe's CEO, Marvin Ellison, is a former Board Member or an executive of HD. He went from HD to burn JC Penney's to the ground and then to Lowe's, where he is burning it as well. It won't be to the ground, but the differences are noticeable. Lowe's used to have a 10% Military discount on everything, no limit while HD had it on a few things with a max discount of $50.

Now, Lowe's eliminated Lumber and Wiring and everything else to do with construction as well as appliances from the discount program. HD gave me a 10% discount on the Toro mower I just bought, maybe the discount is this weekend only, but I'm good with that. 

Lowe's also went from a 3 Year extended warranty for mowers at $274.97 to a 2 Year extended warranty for $364.97!
HD sold me a 3 Year warranty for $314.

HD corporate was horrible for years, and the local HD was like dealing with absent minded children. I haven't been there for a couple of years, but somebody straightened it out. They are running smooth, at least at the customer service desk. One thing that always drove me nuts was the bizarre way they ran their store (See something for X price online, it's Y price at the store. Can't buy it in the store, have to order online to pickup at the store for the online price)...

The problem with hating them is they have the best equipment. It's not even my opinion, it's the senses we all have called sight and touch. HD's Husky brand obliterates Kobalt and makes it look like Fisher Price, while HD's Makita obliterates pretty much everything Lowe's has. I had to grit my teeth to order two of the biggest Husky tool chests they make at the local store because it was almost impossible to communicate to them that I wanted THAT particular model. After I ordered them, didn't receive them, called them and they said I couldn't order that at the local store. Even though I did. 

Sorry for the ramble, had to illustrate their customer service back then compared to now. 

Maybe Lowe's CEO is a HD plant. It would make sense.

As far as Ace, there is two here, and I would drop everything to only shop there, but their prices can get creative and they lack a wide selection. The people have brains, though, unlike some "Managers" at Lowe's.


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## zannej

How recent was the elimination of the military discount from construction stuff at Lowes? I got military discount last time I bought stuff (although they won't do the discount on stuff that is already discounted). They did stack a military discount with damage discount for a butcherblock countertop that had a big chunk taken out (we used that as underside) and some gouges. But that was awhile back. If you register as military you can purchase stuff with discount online. HomeDepot doesn't do that.

That really sucks about the problems with the riding mowers but sounds like the kind of luck I would have with stuff. I ordered something from Lowes in January that was supposed to arrive in February but then they said it is delayed until June. I hope it will be intact. I've had problems with both of them. You might have better luck with Tractor Supply Co. I just bought feed from TSC. Cow was circling my truck like a shark and all excited. I'd be pretty ticked off about all those issues though.

Still have ear irritation and felt cruddy today. Met my friend at the gas station and spotted him some gas and filled my truck up. Grabbed a new dog toy for the pups so maybe they will stop trying to eat DVDs.

I wanted to do some cleaning in my room but I looked at it and couldn't figure out where to start. I'll have to work on it when I'm feeling better. Right now I feel bleh. I'm always exhausted the day after going to Samsclub for some reason.


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## Spicoli43

Corporate wide, the Lowe's change was in the last couple of months. I have seen Reddit posts that date back to when the new CEO took over in 2019 I think. 

I bought the mower online today and got the discount at HD, $400 worth. Their website says that's the max allowed per year. I'll find out if I try to buy something again. They have never had a discount online before, or at least they didn't when I bought that mower last year. 

The thing that bothers me most is the pandering. I don't want them to say "I love you so much" as we sing Kumbaya around the campfire. I want to know if there is a discount on blank product or not. They should have a discount or don't. I spend far more at Costco than any other store, and there's no Military discount there.

Several TSC stores in the State, none close though.


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## Flyover

When it comes to buying tools and stuff like that, I think of Lowes/Home Depot/etc. as a last resort, if I can't find what I need on Craigslist or at auction or those types of places. (As for lumber...well, they give that away for free at the construction sites around here, as I've noted.) There aren't many (maybe any) tools where it matters if I get them brand spanking new, and the cost of a warranty + risk of needing one is mitigated by the low price I pay for buying it second-hand or at auction.

Some people, I guess also overlapping with the ones who buy brand new cars and those new cookie cutter houses whose dumpsters I'm pulling lumber from, seem to care a whole lot that whatever they buy is squeaky clean brand new with zero operating hours on it, and are willing to take on the headache of dealing with the incompetence, backsliding, inflated prices, and crappy service of the big box stores. (But not so willing that they don't complain about it.)

I'm of the mindset that a high quality used tool is better than a crappy new one.

Of course I am also just a hobbyist/DIYer who lives in suburbia. If I was a pro who needed a new mower for my landscaping business today because I was down one, or a builder who needed a new jobsite saw because my old one crapped out and I had to finish framing a customer's house by the end of the weekend, or had a small farm and needed to repair my chicken coop today, etc., then having the convenience and speed and support that comes with buying new would make more sense, especially since I could write it off later as a business expense. (Complaining about it would still be a little weird but hey we're only human here.)


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## Eddie_T

Then I'm guessing you don't drive a $50K F-150 pickup with the high performance interior (whatever that is) to haul new stuff home either.

My BIL had a F-150 to pull his boat but an old USFS surplus Dodge pickup to haul a drum of diesel fuel (for his backhoe) to the jobsite. I guess he didn't want spilled diesel in the bed of the F-150.


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## BuzzLOL

I usually bought used USA-made tools at local flea markets, but most of those have recently closed and the ones still open have few tools... or same price as buying new... 
3 years ago I spotted a Sears Professional Cordless saw for $35... while I stood looking at it, the seller dropped it to $25, so I bought it. When I got home and looked it up I was shocked to see it sold for $500.00 new!


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I usually bought used USA-made tools at local flea markets, but most of those have recently closed and the ones still open have few tools... or same price as buying new...
> 3 years ago I spotted a Sears Professional Cordless saw for $35... while I stood looking at it, the seller dropped it to $25, so I bought it. When I got home and looked it up I was shocked to see it sold for $500.00 new!



Can't buy USA made old school stuff here unless you're extremely lucky because everybody else knows that. People will try to flip the stuff on Craigs, but the prices are to the point I don't even make an offer.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Then I'm guessing you don't drive a $50K F-150 pickup with the high performance interior (whatever that is) to haul new stuff home either.


That would be a very good guess.

A couple weeks ago I was climbing the big tree in my back yard, using the rock climbing holds I'd installed about a year ago, and when I'd climbed about 4 feet up I found I was suddenly standing back on the ground with a scraped up arm. Looking down I saw one of the holds lying in the grass; it was the one I'd been standing on. I picked it up and inspected it; both of the 3.5" screws that had been securing it to the tree had shorn completely in half, and appeared rusted.

So today (or sometime this week as I get time) as a precaution I'm going to remove all the other holds from that tree as well. Don't want to get sued!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I picked it up and inspected it; both of the 3.5" screws that had been securing it to the tree had shorn completely in half, and appeared rusted


42 years ago I bought house I'm in with fairly new looking unitized concrete front steps... occasionally salting them in winter to melt ice disintegrated them in a couple years... so I built wooden steps out of Wolmanized wood... they've held up fine the past 40 years but the drywall screws I used to hold the flooring on have rusted to nothing and some flooring board ends are curving up a bit... then irritatingly bang down when I step on them... guess I go to the home center and put out a little more for some stainless steel screws... as a boater, I've always had a love for S.S. stuff... although not on kitchen appliances... that looks 'commercial' instead of 'home'...


----------



## Flyover

@BuzzLOL Yeah I didn't quite get the craze for stainless steel appliances, prefer just plain black, but I guess they don't bother me. I do love stainless steel counters, but I know that is an unpopular view unlikely to help me with resale value later. This house has granite counters and now having lived with them for a couple years, I've decided I do not like granite counters.

Today's going well. A meeting with my boss ran way over but we were discussing some upcoming travel which I am looking forward to. And despite weightlifting hiatuses stemming from my kid's recent health problems and my grandfather's death a week ago, I was able to get back to full weight at the gym today (actually maxed out my adjustable dumbbells). And my daily planks are up to 2m15s!

Got a lunch date in one hour with Mrs. Flyover too, that'll be nice.


----------



## Eddie_T

Dried some spent coffee grounds for shop use as a wood filler. I have tried sawdust mixed with wood glue but didn't like it. I have read where some have had a good experience with coffee grounds. What I will probably try first is on one of my paneled front doors that has small cracks where a couple of inset panels were glued up. The fix is to rub dry coffee grounds into the crack then apply krazy glue.

Another method is to mix grounds with wood glue to make a filler. One woodturner mixes grounds with clear epoxy to fill cracks in bowls he is turning.

I also worked on my sawhorse table which I left out in the weather too long and one crosspiece rotted. Basically it's a 2x4 (70") spine with two cross pieces (32") and metal folding legs. I cut a new cross piece for a half-lap joint to the spine. I'll try to remember to post  pic when it's on its legs again. I had planned to just purchase a couple of 2x4s and make a new one but not at today's prices.


----------



## Eddie_T

The sawhorse table repair is complete. It's not pretty but is a real workhorse (pun intended) and stores easily.


----------



## Flyover

Nice idea, Eddie.

Are those just lap joints?


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Nice idea, Eddie.
> 
> Are those just lap joints?


Yes, I put some glue plus a screw from the bottom to hold it together. I originally purchased the legs for a hollow-core closet door I found at the dump. When the luan veneer finally failed due to washing window screens on it I got the idea of a simple frame.


----------



## Flyover

Our four baby dinosaurs turned their noses up at me today when I asked them nicely for a photo. Little bastards.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have been looking for a good Herbal detox program and one found me. It's a 7 week course in which I will learn from one of the best teachers, Dr. Karta Purkh Khalsa. I have read articles about him, by him and heard lectures as well in the past. He's basically a Sensei in Indian Medicine, AKA Ayurveda, is a Chief Scientist at Yogi Tea, and is a founding faculty member at Bastyr University in Seattle, which I know to be the Rolls Royce of Natural Medicine Universities. Students from all over the World go to Bastyr to learn from the best.

I'll pay $297 plus the cost of Herbs and will have the entire course for life so I can go back to it and do a detox every 6 months or whatever I feel like. I can also teach those around me to detox. 

The way I look at it, most people have had a LOT more screen time, exposure to indoor toxins, stress, not eating the best etc. since the Pandemic started. Everybody needs to detox unless you live in the mountains of Ecuador or something like that. Modern United Statesians are wickedly bloody toxic. I have MUCH more Brain Fog than in the past.

In the webinar the Dr. held tonight, he went over the toxin overload in our bodies and why that exists and herbs that are powerful in helping to detox. I have been studying Herbal medicine / Natural medicine for 17 years, but apparently not good enough because most of the stuff he said tonight I had never heard of. Like I said, Sensei.

Even if I wasn't completely convinced about the program, I could justify it because I need to spend $1000 on a credit card to get a $200 cash back bonus, so it's almost a wash for me. As I grab my belly and realize it will be gone soon with all the toxins and garbage that festers inside me, I look at my Bowflex that's a clothes hanger and say... "Get ready, I'm coming back"... I need a Headband and a Joe Esposito cassette tape.









						A 7-Week Live Herbal Detox Workshop with K.P. Khalsa - The Sacred Science
					

A 7-WEEK LIVE Herbal Detox Programwith K.P. Khalsa STARTS ON MONDAY JUNE 27TH, 2022 If you are looking for more energy, vibrant health, and a refreshed body that will allow you to be the best version of you, we are hosting a live program that is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. What if...




					herbaldetox.thesacredscience.com


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> As I grab my belly and realize it will be gone soon with all the toxins and garbage that festers inside me, I look at my Bowflex that's a clothes hanger and say... "Get ready, I'm coming back"...


That's exciting. Will you report back when you see results?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> That's exciting. Will you report back when you see results?



There are no results with a Bowflex. It's a placebo. Without free weights, it's simply a way to get back to where you were when you left off.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> There are no results with a Bowflex. It's a placebo. Without free weights, it's simply a way to get back to where you were when you left off.


Oh, you mean the thing with the bench and the long bendy things. My adjustable dumbbells are made by Bowflex so for some reason that's what I was picturing in my mind. Oops.

I'd take just a set of 35lb dumbbells and a bench over a Bowflex (the one you've got) any day, but I'd take the Bowflex over nothing. If you start using it regularly, I'd bet you will see results. I hope you'll tell us how it goes.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have had Bowflex versions since they were actually good. The Ultimate 2 was a great machine and I did get results that were inline with my free weight bench numbers. The current Bowflex I have is the PR3000, which comparatively is garbage. Everything has been downhill since Nautilus bought them. With the current machine, unless you have never lifted weights of any kind, it's easy to max out a lot of the exercises. 

I bought Dumbbells during the pandemic, but they smelled like a chemical factory so I took them back and got a gallon milk jug and filled it with rocks!


----------



## Flyover

Whatever you lift, whether it's a milk jug or a sandbag or a proper dumbbell or one of your dogs, just lift it repeatedly and don't stop just because you're feeling lazy! You will see results.


----------



## Eddie_T

My son used the original Soloflex with the elastic bands. It did the job, muscles don't know the difference.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> My son used the original Soloflex with the elastic bands. It did the job, muscles don't know the difference.



Well, you can't work the muscles the same because there's no control for the Soloflex or the Bowflex. The advantage is other "Micro muscles" get worked that you don't work with free weights, the disadvantage is you can't work specific groups that good. Also, there's no weight relation. 310 pounds on the Bowflex does not translate to free weights. It translates to a trip to the ER if someone thinks it translates.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, you can't work the muscles the same because there's no control for the Soloflex or the Bowflex. The advantage is other "Micro muscles" get worked that you don't work with free weights, the disadvantage is you can't work specific groups that good. Also, there's no weight relation. 310 pounds on the Bowflex does not translate to free weights. It translates to a trip to the ER if someone thinks it translates.


Well we don't have to agree but my son is in great physical shape and hasn't been to the ER. With the Soloflex he didn't need a spotter and could use it at his convenience. He wasn't trying to see how much he could press. I think the arguments again Soloflex and such mean little to most of us. YMMV


----------



## Spicoli43

Right, I'm just comparing the differences as someone that is sitting in the same room as a Bowflex. 

A Bowflex or Soloflex or stepping on rubber bands and curling them... ( I have those too, haven't used them much )  can make you look good as long as the diet matches the workouts, but it's no comparison to free weights in any way shape or form. 

And the commercials with the people using the home gyms... No, you don't look like that using a Bowflex.


----------



## Eddie_T

Some of us are exercising for health not for a certain look and the Soloflex is good for that. Personally I prefer the simplicity of the Sollflex over the Bowflex and I pay no attention to commercials. In fact there were no commercials when he ordered the Soloflex. I went for the the original NordicTrack and it met my needs for workout but took up too much floor space.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, if you don't like the Bowflex, now is a great time to sell it: lots of people are working from home and investing in their home gyms. Replace your Bowflex with something you prefer and will be more likely to use, but don't wait! Anything that gives you an excuse to put off getting into shape is bad.

I've been taking the kids to the pool a lot since it opened on Memorial Day. Today was our third time going since then. During the "adult swim" period I'm the only person in the pool, which is fine by me. I swim laps. My cardio is atrocious, so on the first day, I swam two laps. The second day I swam three and was totally beat. Today I swam four and probably could have swam another but I didn't want to make myself useless. I figure the lifeguards must be laughing at me, but whatever. Maybe the smart ones notice I swim one more lap each time. Next time I'll swim five, etc. Ideally I'll build back up to where I was ten years ago, when I could swim for 45 minutes at a stretch.

What I'm really proud of myself for, though, is that I then drove home and did a full weightlifting workout too. Feels good!


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks Dad!

I was working out in Junior High when you were in diapers, but I'll be sure to seek out your advice first if I ever need it!


----------



## Flyover

We must have miscommunicated. I was trying to be positive and encouraging because you said you were going to start getting back into shape, which I was genuinely happy to hear. Whatever I said wrong, I hope I haven't discouraged you. Good luck.


----------



## Eddie_T

Comparing effectiveness of workouts by looking at photographs of paid models defies my sense of engineering logic. The only things important to me is does it benefit me without making my home look too much like a gym. BTW the original SoloFlex makes a rather neat clothes rack when ironing shirts.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> We must have miscommunicated. I was trying to be positive and encouraging because you said you were going to start getting back into shape, which I was genuinely happy to hear. Whatever I said wrong, I hope I haven't discouraged you. Good luck.



No, I liked your other reply better. Post it, please.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Comparing effectiveness of workouts by looking at photographs of paid models defies my sense of engineering logic. The only things important to me is does it benefit me without making my home look too much like a gym. BTW the original SoloFlex makes a rather neat clothes rack when ironing shirts.



That's what I'm saying. It is possible to have abs while lifting other than free weights, but those "demonstrators" in the commercials looked like that the second they saw a Bowflex. You won't get that just using a Bowflex, or I would be like that because I have constantly owned Bowflex machines since 2001.

Granted, I blew out my entire body in Iraq in 2004, but I never got close to looking like them even under forced dedication to working out. 

As far as Flyover's suggestion of finding a used Bowflex online, I can tell anybody to get the Ultimate 2 if they can find it and never let it go since Nautilus completely screwed everything up when they bought the company. Absolute rubbish. I would rather have my Ultimate 2 back than a Ferarri.


----------



## Flyover

My suggestion was to _put your _used Bowflex online. Meanwhile find a simple bench and set of freeweights.




Spicoli43 said:


> No, I liked your other reply better. Post it, please


Nah it was rude. There's enough other people being rude on here, I'm gonna try and keep it polite.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> My suggestion was to _put your _used Bowflex online. Meanwhile find a simple bench and set of freeweights.
> 
> 
> 
> Nah it was rude. There's enough other people being rude on here, I'm gonna try and keep it polite.



I can't do freeweights until I have shoulder surgery probably, and I will never let the VA butchers cut me, so that's that.

Your comment, something like I would be in diapers while you were still lifting was directed at me and hilarious. You should gauge how people respond to messages before dropping all the fun out of a conversation. Not everybody is real tender these days, although it seems like it.

No individual could possibly offend me when President Obama's old guy figurehead is a raging pedophile and many corporations like YUM (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC) and Netflix, Etsy, Google, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter etc. are raging pedophiles that want to change the gender of Kindergarteners. 

How could ANYTHING that a regular Joe or Jane says offend anybody else?


----------



## Flyover

I figured there was a chance you'd get the joke and find it funny, but there was a chance you wouldn't, in which case I'd just be adding to the rudeness. It's hard to communicate humor effectively just with text.


----------



## zannej

No costco within 100 miles of me. There is only one in the entire state.

Spicoli, I agree about wishing they would be consistent on saying whether or not there is a discount.



Flyover said:


> Our four baby dinosaurs turned their noses up at me today when I asked them nicely for a photo. Little bastards.
> 
> View attachment 27993


Aww. They were probably preparing to open their mouths for food hoping it would get dropped into their mouths.

My dogs hold their heads up like that to look at me and at the cats. They are starting to be less afraid of the cats but they want to snuggle them.

Been absolutely exhausted and still trying to get energy back. Ear thing is bugging me in both ears now. 

I need to take my Mom to get her bloodwork sometime so she can have it ready for her appointment. 

Got really mad about some bs Lowes pulled. Months ago I ordered two windows & they were supposed to arrive sometime in March. I got an e-mail that there was a delay on the order. Said ETA was June 3. So, June 3 comes along, I check status and it suddenly said the payment was never processed (which makes no sense). So, I used a different card. Not all it says is "delayed" and no ETA. I never once received any notice about payment not being accepted. Gonna have to go back and check statement for that card to see if it was actually charged or not. So, not sure if I'll get the windows at all now. If I don't get an ETA I will have to call them and I *hate* talking on the phone.

Otherwise I'm doing OK. Just tired. Need to focus on cutting back on carbs/sugars but I've been bad about it. I was doing good for awhile but then I saw fresh donuts in the store... 

The other day I could not get up. Just in and out of consciousness & couldn't move or get up. Just complete exhaustion -- I blame it on after-carb crash which is why I know I need to cut back majorly on carbs-- but I left the poor doggies locked in the greatroom for 24+hours bc I was out of it. They drank all their water & had no food. When I finally let them out they went berserk. Running around, jumping up on me and scratching the hell out of my legs. I have been trying to make sure that doesn't happen again. I refilled the water and put out their food.

There's a male cardinal that hangs out with his mate at the back of the house where they both slam into Mom's bedroom window. The male makes his way around to the front to steal dog food piece by piece.

Cats were also unhappy with me. I had them pouncing on my head, tapping my face with paws, and trying to get me up but I wasn't moving. Later after I finally came back to the world of the living I gave canned food to my two oldest kitties. They were so happy they started cuddling afterward. Boo and Itsy climbed on my lap afterward. Itsy started grooming Boo then he turned to groom her-- mutual lick-fest. Then Boo flopped on his back and racked out on my lap while I rubbed his tummy.

Also, dogs got so rambunctious about being locked up so long they knocked over all the trash cans, ripped open bags, and dragged trash all over. I've cleaned some of it before I got too tired. Still need to clean the rest.


----------



## Eddie_T

Did some pruning on an aging butterfly bush, I don't know if it can be salvaged ot not. I am potting some limb junctures to see if they will grow
roots.

My fat cat went into a stand of hostas. I perked up thinking he was hunting but he was just seeking shade.


----------



## Eddie_T

Remembering D-Day.
I had a cousin that was in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he purchased or read every book he could find on WWII and especially the Bulge. In his LR I met a local who had served in Darby's Rangers. When I walked into my cousin's auto parts store in uniform (back in my youth) with the 82d patch on my shoulder he had tears in his eyes as he recalled seeing that patch on the shoulders of the 82d ABN road guards at every crossroad as they came out of the Ardennes. He never forgot!

The Ranger was Osbourne Sawyer assistant BAR man. I learned from a BAR man that the assistant had the hard job, he carried the heavy ammo.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Remembering D-Day.
> I had a cousin that was in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he purchased or read every book he could find on WWII and especially the Bulge. In his LR I met a local who had served in Darby's Rangers. When I walked into my cousin's auto parts store in uniform (back in my youth) with the 82d patch on my shoulder he had tears in his eyes as he recalled seeing that patch on the shoulders of the 82d ABN road guards at every crossroad as they came out of the Ardennes. He never forgot!
> 
> The Ranger was Osbourne Sawyer assistant BAR man. I learned from a BAR man that the assistant had the hard job, he carried the heavy ammo.



I remember when Men were Men and the enemy was scared. Now, under the Democrats the Marines have Rainbow bullets, The Army has Tutu's and the Air Force has Switcheroos. This Rainbow rights garbage is getting out of control.


----------



## Eddie_T

I made some fake yogurt by using buttermilk and a vanilla instant pudding mix. The buttermilk tang gave it a bit of a lemony taste.


----------



## BuzzLOL

I noticed the expensive special hedge plants that have leaves year around on one side of my house have nearly all died out... they're difficult to get more to grow from... the seeds don't seem to work... about 1% of cuttings will root and start growing... the cuttings on the other side I did years ago seem to be doing very well now... they seem to like some shade but not too much shade like ones on first side are getting now...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Remembering D-Day.


Always impressed from D-Day to Germany surrender was only 11 months... out of about an 8 year war... Japan invading Asia mainland 1937 to Japan surrender 1945...


----------



## havasu

Just read an article noting that for the second year in a row Biden had failed any mention of D-Day. We as a country owe such a debt to all those who participated.
This administration is disgusting!


----------



## Flyover

Last night I was catching up on Charlie Brown comics online and my oldest was looking over my shoulder. I got to the one for June 6, which was this one: Peanuts by Charles Schulz for June 06, 2022 | GoComics.com and she was confused, so I got to explain all about D-Day to an 8 year old. I think she sorta got the idea.


----------



## Eddie_T

Haha, saw this on a humor site,


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, all that is true. I don't get how anybody could fall for any of that, but the biggest case is the "Cures" for anything and "Race for the Cure" and Pinkwashing everything. It's fine to give to something one believes in, but those people NEVER think about it. 

The only reason there is Covid vaccines is because they can reinvent them several times a year, and people will STILL get jabbed because they don't THINK... They couldn't do that with HIV / AIDS, so no vaccine, and they still use that as a cash cow. 

If blank disease is cured magically (on accident), then that entire segment of that Pharma company goes POOF, and the subsequent earnings reports are down, shorts jump on the stock and pulverize it into the ground. Institutional investors like Blackrock jump ship, and normal retail people like me ditch, and that's that. 

NO pharma company would be safe from that downfall, so they make sure never to actually help anybody. Until there's no such thing as money and greed, there will be no cures from them. WE don't need them, though.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, that sign is humorous and contains kernels of truth, but it is not the truth. Reality is never as cut and dry as what people write on signs/t-shirts/bumper stickers/etc., but accurate statements about reality don't go viral on the internet because they are nuanced and unexciting and they usually don't clearly indicate a group of people you can blame your problems on or feel superior to.

Today I helped some delivery guys wrangle our new sectional to the living room. They did a lot better than my wife and I did getting the old couch and love seat out yesterday. Just did 50 chin-ups in 5 minutes. Later I will hang up some wall items my wife wanted.


----------



## Eddie_T

Yeah like the big black carbon footprint though CO₂ still hasn't been proven to be the enemy and the black footprint on posters is disingenuous as CO₂ is colorless.


----------



## Flyover

As of noon today, our four little baby robins are gone. This morning one was standing on the edge of the nest and flexing its wings a bit, so I guess I should have seen this coming. Still, it felt surprising!


----------



## Spicoli43

CO2 just exemplifies how what the Leftists say is just a test to see how many people regurgitate their drivel. If they truly believed it, nah, scratch that... They would still fly Private Air everywhere and drive 6 MPG Escalades. They wouldn't, however, build mansions on the beach like Obama and Gates.

The funniest thing is them ditching "Global Warming" for "Climate Change". While Yes, the Earth has warmed since the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago, did it stop to the point they had to change the term? Considering the very first events in the very first book of the Bible happened only about 5100 years ago, they undoubtedly had the exact same climate we do now. 

But... But... The Bartender AOC says the world will end 9 years from now!!! 

Here's your sign.









						Carbon Dioxide Fertilization Greening Earth, Study Finds
					

From a quarter to half of Earth’s vegetated lands has shown significant greening over the last 35 years largely due to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new study.




					www.nasa.gov


----------



## Eddie_T

Cultured some buttermilk. Even though living alone I still purchase milk in the gallon jug. By shaking the jug daily plus turning some into buttermilk I avoid spoilage and keep my buttermilk cost the same as whole milk.


----------



## Flyover

Today I did my shoulder workout, but I did it as a circuit, and except for bendover flyes did everything standing on a balance board. It was fun. Followed that with jumping rope and a 2-minute plank.


----------



## zannej

I've been exhausted as usual. Did some cleaning, wrangled puppies, broke up cat fights, took mom to doctor's appointments. He told her to cut back on carbs/sugars. She's been eating these chocolate ice cream drumsticks. She tried to blame me for her eating them by saying that I buy them. I said I buy them because she tells me to. Doctor said no more so she was mad at me (but she got over it already). She'd been eating a lot of them. 1 to 3 per day. Her A1C was 8.8 and it had been down to 7.1. Her current blood sugar meter doesn't want to work so I mentioned that to him--it only worked once & she had to call their tech support to get it to work that one time. Rest of the time it won't cooperate so I asked about the constant monitors. He scheduled her with the diabetic expert at the office who can show her how to use the Freestyle Libre. 

I'm trying to wean myself off of carbs. Made sure not to buy more donuts and stuff. I'm eating more meat and fruit but I need to work in more veggies.

My windows from Lowes finally came in. They waited a few days to e-mail me about it though. Supposedly arrived on the 7th but they didn't e-mail me about it until today.

I spent a long time in line at the pharmacist yesterday. I was next in line but some old guy was having a fit & carrying on insisting that the doctor prescribed Ivermectin for him & that they needed to give it to him asap bc he lived 100 miles away. They had not received the prescription from the doctor & said it would have to be approved by his insurance & he wouldn't stop arguing. Only one window was open because the keyboard for the other window ran out of battery & they were trying to fix it. As soon as it was fixed I went to walk up and some woman who had just walked in rushed over to the window and cut in front of me. She then had the pharmacist go to the shelves and bring out some Valtrex & explain its not a prescription. She had him take it out of the box and discuss it with her (she should have gone to the consultation window instead) but she was buying batteries and wanted to check out there. Some people are just rude. That took several minutes and then the old man (who was arguing for at least 20min) finally left in a huff & I was able to get my RX. The poor dude in the Superman shirt behind me was looking annoyed and then they called someone who had been sitting and waiting since before we got there to come up next (after me) and he looked even more frustrated. Can't say I blame him.

Friend tried to see if we could move the pole to the tower but the cord isn't long enough. I've ordered the 150ft cord instead. My brother keeps trying to change the plans even though he knows absolutely nothing about the stuff and we already have the hardware to mount it the way we've planned-- but he doesn't care bc its not his $.

Eddie, I didn't know you could turn milk to buttermilk that way.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej, my MIL found the recipe on a box of powdered milk and used to make buttermilk that way. Make a half-gallon of milk and add 1C of buttermilk and leave it on the counter until it made (shaking and the burping the jug occasionally to expel CO₂). I started using fresh milk because powdered milk was more expensive. When the milk jug was nearing expiry I would add a cup of BM from the previous batch to keep the process going. In those days BM and fresh milk were priced the same then BM became more expensive so it became a means to save spoilage and have cheaper BM. IOW a win-win situation as I love buttermilk plus it's useful in baking.


----------



## Flyover

Today was full of doing. Worked out. Prepared and grilled four different things for different meals. Dug a pond the size of a Jacuzzi bathtub, using a hand shovel. Then split a bunch of large logs with my ax. Exhausted now.


----------



## zannej

I somehow managed to get my foot tangled up in the power cord to the charging base for my landline phone's handset. I was having a dream about fighting something and getting my foot stuck. Woke up and realized my phone wasn't charging (light usually comes on and it makes a beep when removed or placed on the base). I found the wire was still under my ankle/foot and that it had been torn out of the plug. Had to order a new charging base and it costs almost as much as the handset. Ended up getting one with a handset because the only charging bases I could find under $40 were used & I didn't trust the sellers. 

Flyover, I'm exhausted just reading about all that work. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

The crappy thing is that at the end of the day our dishwasher stopped working. Kept throwing the same error code. I was up past midnight trying to troubleshoot it. Today I've contacted support and we'll hopefully have a repairman out by Thursday, but I'm going to call Monday and if the anticipated cost of the repair is in the same ballpark as a new dishwasher, and I can get a new dishwasher at the same time or sooner, I'm going to do that instead because I hate that stupid Samsung POS. Until then it's a lot of handwashing dishes for a family of 5...

Oh, and I didn't get to sleep in my bed for even half the night because the middle kid tried to sneak into bed with us and then when I got up to put him back in his own bed, his bed immediately broke. (It was on the fritz before, and this time it just gave out.) So he scampered back off to my bed and I just headed for the couch. Sleeping on the couch hurts my back anyway, but now this was after all that digging.

I did not wake up happy.

The good news is I have "If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie" stuck in my head, and I like that song.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover, I would get the 5 year extended warranty if I were you on ANY new appliances. My Samsung Double Oven didn't work correctly from the start and I needed to have a service call after the incredibly long 1 year warranty that came with it. That service call would have been about the same price as the 5 year extended that I bought.

Eventually the oven completely gave out in year 4 and they didn't even have an interest in fixing it, so they sent me a check for my entire purchase price. I have heard people in the past as recently as this year say they would never get an extended warranty. That's wrong though, there simply isn't any other choice. 

5 Year warranties for Dishwashers, at least here, are $115 at Home Depot and $129 at Lowe's.


----------



## Flyover

Thanks for the advice spicoli. In that case I'd have to factor that in when comparing with the service cost.


----------



## Eddie_T

I wanted biscuits and strawberry preserves this morning. I was mixing the SR flour and cream for biscuits and thought why not just one large biscuit. As I was pressing it out on the silicone sheet I thought this is a baking sheet. So I baked the 5" dia biscuit on the silicone with a metal baking sheet under it. So with little muss I had bread for breakfast with enough left  to reheat and have with beef stew for supper (accompanied with a glass of fresh buttermilk).


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Thanks for the advice spicoli. In that case I'd have to factor that in when comparing with the service cost.



Well, the first service call would probably pay for the warranty. They won't even show up here for under $100. Also, both plans from HD and Lowe's have a 30% refund of the plan price if you don't use it. That's nice, but it will probably be impossible to get 6 years out of an appliance.


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## Spicoli43

My every 3 month smoke alarm chirping has started, with one magically needing new batteries in the day on Sunday. That has never happened, but another alarm made up for that by needing a replacement in the middle of the night. Not 0500 when I could acceptably wake up... 0215, the literal middle of the night.

These use AA, but Man, I miss the 9V alarms and am going to try to find some. I never had a chirp before with them and just replaced them with the semi annual time change.

I also had one of the current alarms go into failure, full alarm. I hadn't heard that sound in a long time and it sent my Heart into my throat while I raced to figure out that there was no fire.


----------



## zannej

The dishwashing machine in my house hasn't been used in maybe a decade. Well, not used for its intended purpose. I put stuff in there for storage/drying and it has not been plugged in for a very long time. It never actually washed the dishes. I had to wash them before putting them in bc it would never clean stuff off. Then I would have to re-wash stuff afterward because it left a white film of scum on everything. But Mom insisted that I use it back then. I finally got tired of it. It's only other use is as a small island (since its a freestanding one with wheels).
Started having arrhythmia and feeling something is off with my heart the last couple of days. Googled the symptoms of my meds & its the thyroid med the pharmacy switched me to. It can cause fatigue & slew of heart issues. So, I'm going to call my pharmacist & doctor and ask for a switch to what I was taking before that didn't cause this stuff.
I had trouble sleeping last night because my brother's cats were fighting all night. Snugglebum really has it in for Namir, although Namir had been starting fights throughout the day. Either Gravy Jones or Biscuits had tried to defend Namir & got his tail kicked by Snugglebum. I broke up a fight last night, got Snugglebum up on the cat tree to distract his focus on Namir but Gravy Jones got jealous so he jumped up there. He likes to ram his head in and rub his face on other cats (and dogs) when trying to get attention. Snugglebum was worked up already and got so angry he jumped on Gravy, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, picked him up, flipped him over and threw him off of the cat tree onto the floor. I'd never seen another cat actually throw another grown cat like that before. Namir went to a hiding spot and was so upset he growled, hissed, and smacked at anything that came near-- including me. Now he's resting but he looks like he's in pain. I can't get him out without getting bitten. My brother is sitting on his behind doing nothing and refusing to help even though they are his cats.
Feel like I didn't get any sleep last night.

Hope you can find a good dishwasher that actually lasts.


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## Flyover

They said it will be $200 fee + labor for someone to come out, plus potentially $130 or more for parts. (The motor is what I suspect, if it is a part.) That is a tough spot because it's still $200-400 less than a new dishwasher + warranty, so I'll probably just have to swallow it.


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## Spicoli43

Can you get a Home Depot or Lowe's Credit Card? I just ran a mock purchase through Lowe's and they offer 12 months same as cash. 

If you choose the repair, you're getting majorly hosed because it will break again because it's a name brand, and more importantly because it's a Samsung.


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## Flyover

I could afford to just buy a new dishwasher, but it's taking a gamble basically, that this one won't break again, in a way I can't fix myself, within another few years. I'm feeling lucky. And besides, money I can wait and pay later is worth more than money I have to shell out now. (Plus in 2022 how long would I need to wait to have a dishwasher delivered and installed...)


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## Flyover

This photo's from a couple days ago. My wife took some plastic sheeting from when our new couch was shipped to us and used it as a pond liner. I used the kids' wagon to haul over a bunch of rocks to secure the liner at the edges, then hooked a 100' hose up to one of the rain barrels. The entire 55 gallon barrel filled the pond about 1/3 full, then a storm did the rest for us, but the next day it was hot and sunny and apparently the sheets had holes in them or something, so despite the clay soil most of the water was gone by the afternoon. She's now ordered a proper liner off the internet and we'll just keep the plastic that's there already as an underlayment.


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## Spicoli43

To each their own, you're talking about a name brand that is already broke. I would finance the purchase of a new one and put the $1000 or whatever into Ebay stock since it hasn't been this low in a long time.


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## zannej

I felt really awful yesterday-- lack of balance, feeling lightheaded, exhausted, arrhythmia, shortness of breath, etc-- and decided not to take my thyroid meds last night. I already feel better. That Euthyrox was wrecking me. But I will have to talk to my doctor and pharmacist about switching back to the Levothyroxine that was working well for me. I felt great when taking that. I'm still a bit tired, but not as foggy as I was. I can breathe better. My brother stopped taking it as well because it was making him ill. When my mother got put on it a couple years back it made her sick so she had the doctor switch it to Levothyroxine. 

I will probably go to the store to get more porkchops. 

Puppies behaved on letting me put them to bed last night. I was filling the water bowls so they both came in. Jelly hopped up on the bed and Peanutbutter walked over to drink the water.

If my energy holds up I'm going to do some more cleaning today.


----------



## Eddie_T

Burned some brush. High temp was 93° but I was in the woods. Rain is in the forecast and I don't want to make the pile bigger since it's under the tree canopy. The trees are high but I don't want enough heat to damage foliage. THe pile was damp in bottom so I used a leaf blower occasionally to keep it hot.


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## zannej

I cooked for Mom, released the hounds, and then she wanted me to make pudding. The pudding is setting. I also called my doctor and the pharmacy to get my thyroid meds switched. I'm sweating like crazy. Mom says she's cold.
I saw a tool I want Amazon.com
I'd make short work of all the amazon boxes so they wouldn't fill up the trash. I need to do more cleaning after my nap.

Eddie, good idea to take care of the leaves before they build up too much.


----------



## Flyover

The auction house lost one of my items (will get a refund) but I got the other two home. One item was a patio table more befitting a family of five than our little old square one. The new table is now assembled and ready to host us al fresco when it's not sweltering out like it was today. The other item was a Delta faucet I bought as the end result of my inquiry here (Leaking faucet in bathroom sink) and which I will probably install sometime this week. I'm pleased at having bought an $80 faucet for about $30-something. I have no idea how people have all this stuff and pay retail prices for it.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I've bought a few things on ebay and on sale from various sites. Waited for discounts or found coupons for things. It really has helped. We got a Delta faucet for my brother's bathroom. Mom has a Moen. I'm switching out my AquaSource one to a Pfister.
I picked up my medicine. Saw another angry person arguing with the pharmacist. She whined that she doesn't use this pharmacy because of whatever issue was happening. but there she was taking up a place of another customer at this pharmacy. She started saying how she should go somewhere else and the pharmacist politely invited her to use a different pharmacy if she wanted. He then aske her where in the hospital she worked and she answered (I can't remember) and he made small talk about it to be nice to her. She calmed down a little but still left angry because it was going to take 30min to fill her rx. I picked up my RX and it was less expensive than the generic they gave me that made me sick. I also got them to fill the same type for my brother and waited the 30min for it to be ready.

I'm currently trying to find out more about contact cement options. There's a 3m Fastbond that doesn't grab right away and requires a little pressure to make it bond permanently. I want something like that in case something needs to be moved or have bubbles worked out when I put formica on Mom's counter. but 1qt of Fastbond is $51 and I only found it on ebay and amazon. I want something local (so it won't spill or dry up in transit) that has the same features. Any suggestions?


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 you are going to love this.

Earlier when I said my dishwasher broke, what happened was it threw this error code that normally means the Waterwall (this is Samsung's idiotic linear version of a spray arm) was out of alignment. Only, I checked repeatedly and the Waterwall was installed properly, and nothing I did when following the troubleshooting instructions for that error code worked; at the end of this series Samsung (and other websites) indicated the problem is likely the motor.

Okay so I've been washing dishes by hand for our family of five every night. Each night it takes me about an hour, and that's even though we've temporarily switched to paper plates. (There's still kids' lunchboxes, pots and pans, utensils, coffee mugs, baby bottles, etc.) I was very excited for the repair guy to come out, and I calculated the price was going to be about half that of a new dishwasher.

Today the repair guy arrived, wearing a polo shirt with the Samsung logo on it. He walked in, scanned the S/N on the dishwasher, asked me what the problem was, and I told him the error code. He shone is flashlight inside the machine, looked in there for about 6 seconds, and started telling me what the code means. I indicated that I knew. He started telling me how the Waterwall works. I finished his sentence and he nodded his head, satisfied that I indeed knew this already. He started to point to where the motor is and I, having already watched a bunch of Youtube videos, once again indicated that I knew that's where the motor was.

He looked at me and said "I would have to replace that motor. That motor costs $500. This dishwasher costs $500. Do you see what I mean?"

I said yes, it means that I should just buy a new dishwasher. I asked him if he could expedite one from Samsung. He said it would be no faster or cheaper than if I just bought one on my own, and here's the part you'll love, Spicoli. He said:

"Get a Whirlpool. If they don't have Whirlpool, get an LG. And buy an extended warranty." He pointed at the logo on his shirt and said, "My shirt says Samsung. I am telling you, get a Whirlpool. If no Whirlpool, LG."

I immediately thought of you and laughed a whole lot (on the inside of course).

Then he found a way to enter the visit into his system so I got charged $0, and I thanked him and he left. That's gotta be the most honest repairman I have ever met.

Of course what I ended up doing was driving to the big box hardware store and finding out that a new dishwasher of any decent quality costs more like $700 to start with, with extra fees for delivery and installation on top of that, plus I'd have to wait two weeks!

So instead I found a scratch-and-dent that had only been returned because it didn't fit in the customer's house, a Frigidaire (same company as Whirlpool, I believe) that normally goes for $850 but was marked down to $200. Still has the styrofoam and protective tape on it. After a quick check with Youtube I confirmed that I could very easily install this thing myself, so I bought it, then went back with my wife's SUV to pick it up. It sits in my kitchen now and I will install it tomorrow. The $650 I saved is as good as an extended warranty in my eyes.

Plus who knows, maybe someone from Craigslist will take this old Samsung dishwasher off my hands for $50 or something.


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## Spicoli43

HAHAHA Yeah, I agree with the repair guy except no LG or Whirlpool or Whirlpool's Brother Maytag or GE... I have had all those dishwashers, and all are junk... As far as Frigidaire, they are solely owned by Electrolux. 

I have a brand new Frigidaire True Convection Air Fry whoopdie dooptie Oven in the garage to replace my Samsung that was covered under warranty, but need a good air day to open the windows and burn off the chemicals they put on the heater elements. I got a 5 year extended warranty from HD for $160.

IF... And this is a Lottery IF... Frigidaire is a good Oven, I will look for other appliances they make. 

I think you did real good, it doesn't matter if the thing only lasts a year for $200, but that low price would concern me.


----------



## Eddie_T

I usually watch the late news to see if we are at war yet and to get a weather update. I turned on the TV at 2300 (w/o turning on the sound system) and a basketball game was on. I thought it might end shortly so I just kept going with a state digital library book search. When the game ended they just started milling around with a split screen showing some talking heads. What caught my eye was how goofy everyone was acting especially the BB players. Weird head movements, funny faces, funny walking and body movements (even some strange solo dance steps). With no sound it was hilarious I gave up waiting for the news after about 30 minutes of utter foolishness.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Of course what I ended up doing was driving to the big box hardware store and finding out that a new dishwasher of any decent quality costs more like $700 to start with,


Repairman was prolly correct, $450 at 1 1/2 years ago last time he looked... 
I'm still using my GE Potscrubber dishwasher from 1970's...


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## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad you were able to find a returned model for $200. They don't sell returned or floor models for any less than $400 in my area.
It's 92° and humid. "feels like 99°" according to weather. 
My friend came out around 10 to start working on the satellite. Moved it to the tower. Too hot to get pics. But it is up and working. Took about 10 minutes for it to face the right direction and find a connection. It's a teeny bit slower than it was before but still a whole hell of a lot faster than our old connection so I'm happy. I'm about to see if it disconnects during gaming or if it has cleared the obstructions. I was worried the dogs would mess with stuff outside but then my brother pointed out they were inside looking out my bedroom window.
I'm already exhausted.


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## Spicoli43

Z... So, you're happy with the service comparatively, even though with the old you didn't have to mess with it every day?

The equipment for Elon Internet here was $500, now he wants $599... The monthly was $99, now he wants $110... Shipping is $50

Like I said before, he gets the equipment from China, probably Alibaba for $10 or less per set, guaranteed. 

He could charge $500 and $50 a month for service forever and effectively kill off all the competition, which I would love, but I'm convinced his price hikes alone are just to fund his takeover of Tweety.


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## Eddie_T

Stained some more grout lines in the kitchen with walnut hull dye. I think I made a serious mistake  ·  ·  ·  I should have used a dirt colored dye rather than a dark color. Maybe next time around I'll just saturate grout with linseed oil and let it collect dust.

I used to be able to right click on an image and 'search google for image' would appear as one of the options in the dialog box. Did that go away when I went to duckduckgo?


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Friend tried to see if we could move the pole to the tower but the cord isn't long enough.


Does Hughes Net charge what you're paying?


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## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I used to be able to right click on an image and 'search google for image' would appear as one of the options in the dialog box. Did that go away when I went to duckduckgo?


Sounds like a browser thing to me. I remember having context menus that changed when I updated my browser. I can highlight text and right-click and search for it on DDG, but I don't appear to be able to do that for images. Are you needing to search images a lot?

Today I installed my new dishwasher. The parts that I expected to be difficult were no more difficult than that, but frustratingly the installation instructions were also confusing so some of the things that should have been easy were difficult too, and it took me a lot longer than I expected. But it's done, I didn't have to take time off from work, and I saved $650 and a two-week wait. My dishes are being cleaned by the robot as I type this.


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## Eddie_T

I can do it for text but not images. IIRC the image used to highlight when I right clicked not so on DDG. I didn't do it very often but nice when I needed it. I wanted another image of this to quickly get a screenshot of to save filing and editing to post here. I can't get the whole reflection in  screenshot.

edit: I found it by doing a text search.


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## zannej

I'm still happy with Starlink. I just checked and they raised my monthly payment to $110 with no warning, but that is what I was paying for Viasat and it was super slow and had limits on how much we could load. Funny thing, Spicoli, I told my mother about the price hike and she said "Elon wants the money to buy Twitter!" LOL.

Buzz, Hughesnet charges more than than $110 per month and does not have any unlimited plans. They advertise unlimited but they have data caps. You go over and they throttle your speeds for the rest of the month. Also, Hughesnet has the absolute worst customer service I have ever dealt with. Their software constantly miscalculated data usage and said we used more than we had. It said we were loading 5mb every hour for 20 hours straight when our power was out and the modem couldn't send or receive anything. It also claimed we uploaded over 10gb in an hour- which was physically impossible on our connection. Downloading 10gb would take 2 weeks on it. Bottom line: It sucked.

Someone on another forum pointed out that the pups look more like Rhodesian Ridgebacks without the ridges than like coonhounds. I compared pictures and she was right. Peanutbutter actually has a stripe down her back and Jelly's back has a rougher texture. So they may be part RR.


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## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I wanted another image of this to quickly get a screenshot of to save filing and editing to post here.


I was watching a video of eagles and one swooped down and picked up a big fish out of the water, the fish's body looked bigger than the eagles feather covered body! I was totally impressed, never realized they had that kind of lifting power into the air!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I told my mother about the price hike and she said "Elon wants the money to buy Twitter!" LOL.


A mere 10% price hike... most of us know why the price of many things is now suddenly 50-500% higher...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I usually watch the late news to see if we are at war yet...


Had to laugh, when USA attacked Iraq, people watching CNN knew when that war started an hour before the president of the USA did! He came on TV and announced he authorized the war would likely be starting in a couple hours...

Also, when the U.S. Marines secretly attacked that beach in Somalia under cover of darkness... only to discover a 100 TV news crews there waiting to film it... Something similar just happened this week: FBI and police with guns drawn attacked that truck with 31 unarmed Freedom Front guys inside. One of them had a camera and filmed it from the guns pointed at them view. I guess their crime was wearing masks at a time when they weren't being forced to wear masks... Of course, the FAKE NEWS had told the story completely differently earlier...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I was watching a video of eagles and one swooped down and picked up a big fish out of the water, the fish's body looked bigger than the eagles feather covered body! I was totally impressed, never realized they had that kind of lifting power into the air!


A little lakefront community near my hometown paused a town council meeting to watch an eagle fish.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Sounds like a browser thing to me.


I have the Chrome and Brave browsers both up and switch back and forth for which one works better for certain things. Edge browser came with Windows 10 but barely worked at all for anything. Brave blocks ads on Youtube and most sites, but doesn't work with emails from Discus. Chrome works with Discus emails and blocks gmail ads, but allows computer stalling/stopping ads buildup on long websites and videos.


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> ...31 unarmed Freedom Front...


Remembered the name wrong, 31 unarmed Patriot Front protestors...


----------



## Tailgunner

Eddie_T said:


> A little lakefront community near my hometown paused a town council meeting to watch an eagle fish.




Saw an immature Bald Eagle fly right in front of  my car with a large fish in his talons, so cool !


----------



## Jeff Handy

I went fishing in Canada a few years back, and we splurged to hire a guide for one day near the end of our trip.
We had been admiring the bald eagles all week, and how some of them had even been swooping over our boat.
Our guide pointed out a few eagles perched nearby, and when we reeled in a few undersized northerns, he showed why they were hanging around. 
He would hold up a fish, an eagle would take flight, he would toss the fish in a high arc, and the eagle would grab it just as it hit the water. 
A few times, they would catch it in the air.


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## zannej

My mother went on a fishing trip with my dad and there were a ton of seagulls around. Every time they would reel in a fish, the gulls would grab it on the hooks and take off so they ended up reeling in a bunch of seagulls instead of fish (they let the seagulls go). But she has a fear of seagulls-- not that they will hurt her, but one time when she was a teenager walking with a friend some gulls flew over . Her friend looked up and a gull took a crap right on her forehead & eyes. So, Mom has always worried gulls will crap on her as well. 

Have you seen the birds that can dive 200ft deep into water, catch a fish, and then fly out of the water with it? An underwater camera captured footage of one before. 

I'm about to go to the grocery store.


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## BuzzLOL

Jeff Handy said:


> ... when we reeled in a few undersized northerns, he showed why they were hanging around.
> He would hold up a fish, an eagle would take flight, he would toss the fish in a high arc, and the eagle would grab it just as it hit the water.


That sounds like it would be just as illegal as keeping undersized fish... same net effect...


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> ...friend looked up and a gull took a crap right on her forehead & eyes.


Had that happen to my friend once... I offered to go get some toilet paper... she said: "Never mind, that bird is miles from here by now..." ............. LOL !


----------



## shan2themax

I am saddened with the passing of Olddognewtrick. He was always so kind and helpful!

This past month has been a world wind for me. I was super sick for 5 days and ran a low grade fever for another 6. I think I had Hep A.
I will get to why I think that in a minute. 
So... as many know, my mom lives with me and has end-stage COPD. I sent her to the ER 15 days ago, she spent the first 2 in the ER because there was no beds on the level 9f care she needed. She got to her room finally at around 330pm. At 5pm the same day, I get a phone call that she had gone into a fatal heart rhythm amd they had done 3 rounds of CPR before she had a heartbeat again. She was intubated and sent to ICU. I got to the hospital about 15 minutes later. Spoke with cardiology and she had an emergency heart cath. They did 2 stents, but the LAD (commonly called widowmaker) was calcified and the could not get a stent through there but were able to open it to about 50%. She actually needs open heart surgery, but the rehab would be grueling, and theres a good chance she would have a difficult time coming off the vent. She was hard to take off a couple of days after her heart cath. She also had an acute kidney injury which is resolving, but she has stage 3 chronic kidney disease, she has had to get blood twice, she had an NG tube for tube feeds until last friday. She failed her modified barium swallow last week, so they repeated it this morning.... waiting on results. If she failed, she will need a peg tube for nutrition and meds. She's had a rough 2 weeks.
I am exhausted, never got to take time after I felt better to recoup. This has been a mentally and emotionally exhausting couple of weeks. She is on a regular cardiac floor now. I'm not too crazy about this floor prior to her being a patient(I have worked on it), I have been here for 2.5 hours and have yet to see her nurse. I go back to work on Thursday, I hope I have the stamina to work those 7 days.... 
She is still a big risk because of the blockages, she doesn't remember any of it. She struggles with short term memory currently, it's like talking to a dementia patient to some degree. I have wondered if she had some impairment, just because of the changes in her executive functioning abilities, how she saves the weirdest things, and divides things up. She had 2 sisters that had dementia, so it's not an impossibility.


I read all the recent threads, but my mind is scrambled and really the only thing that stuck.... was OldDog.... I hope is family is getting through ok.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> This past month has been a world wind for me. I was super sick for 5 days and ran a low grade fever for another 6. I think I had Hep A.
> I will get to why I think that in a minute.
> 
> So... as many know, my mom lives with me and has end-stage COPD.


Hope you're over whatever you had now... I had Covid pneumonia and recovering from its damage from Feb. 2019 to Nov. 1st 2019... before it was even 'popular'... and then the 3 later variants, but much more minor... 

Yeah, as our parents get older we can all go through months to years of that stuff with them... we want to keep them alive forever... but as a testament to reality, both my parents and my 34 aunts and uncles are all gone now... Mom in 2013... last uncle Jan. 2021... 

Seems all the smokers my age I know/knew are all gone now or having symptoms of COPD...


----------



## Spicoli43

Sorry you're going through that, Shan. I know you want the best for her despite the past. Hang in there, if anyone is strong enough, it's you.

I didn't know OldDog passed. I pray his family recovers from their loss.


----------



## shan2themax

@BuzzLOL , I did get tested for Covid but was negative. Flu a/b negative also..... I just realized that I didn't explain why I thought it was hep A. My moms liver enzymes were elevated so they did an ultrasound and a hepatitis panel and she was Hep A +.

I went to the nurses station after I had been there for 3.5 hours today, and asked for her nurse. She yelled from behind the desk area that she would be with me in a minute. I stood there for 5 full minutes waiting, and then finally walked off and went back to my moms room because physical therapy was calling out needing help. She yells from behind me that she is on her way, I just rolled my eyes because I am just a little ticked off at this point. When I got back to the room, I made sure my name badge was in a prominent place so that she could see it, and called the PT by name.
She suddenly had a desire to answer questions that I didn't even get to ask. 

Anyways...... my mom past her swallow eval, sort of.... 
She has to have mechanical soft foods and nectar thick liquids. I had to go to the units kitchen and get pudding, ice, water, an extra cup and some thickener to make her a drink and see how she did. 
I tried to get her to feed herself but she couldn't. 
She had her hand resting on her carrots and didnt realize it. She appears to have some vision deficit and/or no understanding of turning your head to look at people. She has been confused so that probably plays a part in it. She only ate about 10 or 12 bites and was just completely worn out trying to eat.
The nurse in me has a feeling that there is something new wrong, but I can't put into words what... it's just a gut instinct.
This admission we had: COPD exacerbation, small pulmonary embolism, congestive heart failure, NSTEMI (type of heart attack), v-fib/torsades (fatal heart rhythm), DEATH, 3 rounds of cpr, emergent heart cath, stents, acute kidney injury, new diagnosis of stage 3 chronic kidney disease, hematomas from blood draws, failed picc line (special kind of iv) insertion because of blockages, NG tube and tube feedings, gallstones (thankfully no obstructions), 2 units of blood, severe sepsis, a mystery "rash", that IV steroids didn't get rid of, inability to ambulate, vision problems, confusion, and difficulty swallowing. 

I am exhausted. 

I am going to have a massage tomorrow I haven't been in 4 weeks and I normally go weekly. 

@Spicoli43, thanks for the vote of confidence, I might need reminded.



My riding lawn mower wouldn't work the other day.... long story short, after going to bed and starting fresh assessing the situation; i had taken the mulching plug off to make sure there was nothing wrapped around the blade because i ran over a dog toy..... when i put it back on, it was sort of crooked and wasn't hitting the safety switch correctly so it wouldn't start. I was VERY VERY happy to have figured that out because the grass hadn't been mowed in 3-4 weeks.

I think that when she goes to rehab/nursing home..... I am going to treat myself to a hotel room.with room service for a couple of days.... rest, recharge and then get back into the swing of things.

That's the plan at least.

I hope all.you dads/stepdads/mentors had a very happy fathers day and.your other halves treated you well


----------



## Rusty

They say the covid tests are wrong about 40% of the time.


----------



## shan2themax

They usually do a rapid and a pcr. If rapid is negative, the pcr (antigen) is the deciding factor


----------



## Flyover

I learned a lot of interesting stuff at work today and met some interesting people, and had some very productive conversations. I really enjoy my job, and one of the greatest things about it is getting the feeling over and over again that it's the perfect job for me, that my weird mix of characteristics comes together exactly right for what I do. I don't know if I'm really going to end up making a difference with the work I'm doing right now but I feel like I'm building toward being able to make a big difference eventually.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Rusty said:


> They say the covid tests are wrong about 40% of the time.


As far as I know, the Covid tests just check for raised antibody levels... but can't tell what actually caused them to rise...


----------



## zannej

I had missed the thread about olddognewtrick. I was wondering why he stopped posting. It makes me very very sad. 

Shan, it may be somewhat of a mercy that your mother doesn't remember what she's been through because it sounds traumatic. But I know that doesn't make things any easier on you. I hope on some level your mother realizes how lucky she is to have you there for her and how your position can ensure better care for her. I have a friend whose husband went through some major health issues and the only reason he survived was because she was a nurse and she knew what to watch for & who to talk to at the hospital to get things done and ensure proper care. But even nurses don't always get taken seriously at hospitals. Her husband thanked her on her birthday by saying he wanted a divorce. So she moved to Tennessee and was having major cardiac issues. They had to stop her heart and restart it a few times. She was in the ED and they wrote she was here for anxiety instead of listening to the diagnosis of 3 different doctors who said it was cardiac.

I'm not sure how Covid tests work but I know they have a very high false negative rate where I live. Every time my friend got the test done by the NP it came out negative. Same with mine. But he went to the hospital for the test the next day and it was positive. Even though my test was negative, she treated me as if I had Covid instead of bronchitis (which was the official diagnosis) bc I think she knew it was Covid. They barely swabbed my nostrils when they did the test. I was sort of hoping they were still doing the bristles up to the brain because I wanted my sinuses cleared again. My nasal passages hadn't felt that clear in years.

More drama in hicksville. My friend's gf had her car repo'd. I'm surprised it took them this long. She deserved it for quitting jobs and not making payments BUT they didn't leave a contact #. I had to find something and get their address from a friend who lives in that town. They finally got through and were told that they would have to pay to get their stuff from inside the car back. I sent them links to articles explaining that's illegal. They legally HAVE to return the property inside without fees.

Took my brother for a job interview. Stopped at post office on the way. The charging stand for my handset phone arrived. Bro was griping up a storm that he was going to be late. I got him there 10min early.

My sister called last night to check on us. I'd been e-mailing her but I guess she finally had enough time to call. She's been busy at work now that she's a manager.


----------



## Spicoli43

Oh boy, I'm hoping that 18 cent gas tax relief gets passed. That will not only make up for the disastrous policies of the Obama admin, it will also provide an extra cup of Top Ramen once a week per 4 people. I'm so happy there's no economy or baby formula or stable food prices for at least the next 6 months. 

But hey... No Mean Tweets!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> but please do feel free to delete all the off-topic stuff.
> 
> (Remember, EVs have been around for well over a hundred years.)


1. Another person who can't quite understand the rare difficult American concept of Freedom of Speech... is there any other country that has it? Certainly not the theocracy countries... they label it heresy/blasphemy... 

2. And also remember that all EVs have FAILED for over 100 years...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> More drama in hicksville. My friend's gf had her car repo'd. I'm surprised it took them this long. She deserved it for quitting jobs and not making payments BUT they didn't leave a contact #. I had to find something and get their address from a friend who lives in that town. They finally got through and were told that they would have to pay to get their stuff from inside the car back. I sent them links to articles explaining that's illegal. They legally HAVE to return the property inside without fees.


Not sure why you're helping her/enabling her... she should have learned by age 3 that wrong actions can have serious consequences...

BTW, we have a town by that name: Village of Hicksville


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> 1. Another person who can't quite understand the rare difficult American concept of Freedom of Speech... is there any other country that has it? Certainly not the theocracy countries... they label it heresy/blasphemy...
> 
> 2. And also remember that all EVs have FAILED for over 100 years...



Well, there's no freedom of speech by definition on a private message board, but I would *Think* that a general forum would welcome free speech and not aspire to be like Fascistbook, but that's how it is. I just enjoy the fact that they are so Fascist here that they shut down my 2 topics that had to do with Politics! They can't win if they can't censor everything to fit their narrative.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Actually, the public is welcome in here so it's not so 'private'... Also, few years ago, SCOTUS ruled shopping malls were the new 'public forum' and feel the same way about websites open to the public all needing to allow Freedom of Speech...

Tesla Achilles Heel thread also just shut down... 

Fakebook messaged me a couple days ago that I was shadow banned again for telling the truth... that only seemed to last a couple hours... guess they noticed I'm part of the $$Billions lawsuit against them!


----------



## 68bucks

So if people are down on Facebook or social media in general why do they go there? Fasciestbook, fake book people make comments like that and complain about being banned but they are members. It doesn't make any sense to me. I have no interest in Facebook or Instagram or the like so I just don't go there. Why do people join the sites and complain about what they can or can't say there? I don't get it. To me it's a private company and they can choose to manage it any way they like far as I'm concerned. I don't go on their site so I could care less what they sensor or don't sensor. If you don't like how they are run why do people keep going there? Is it just so they can be offended and complain? Someone please elaborate.


----------



## Rusty

BuzzLOL said:


> Actually, the public is welcome in here so it's not so 'private'... Also, few years ago, SCOTUS ruled shopping malls were the new 'public forum' and feel the same way about websites open to the public all needing to allow Freedom of Speech...
> 
> Tesla Achilles Heel thread also just shut down...
> 
> Fakebook messaged me a couple days ago that I was shadow banned again for telling the truth... that only seemed to last a couple hours... guess they noticed I'm part of the $$Billions lawsuit against them!


Facebook has me blocked for two days. I shared a post from one of their advertisers, a gun shop. I had shared posts from them for about 5 years. Suddenly, it violates "community standards". Last time I was blocked was for sharing a joke that came out of my "memories". It was fine the first time.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> So if people are down on Facebook or social media in general why do they go there?


Prolly same reason you're alive and living in a country currently run by a Hitlerite... we try to fix what's available... we're in a national CRIME WAVE of 75 MURDERS DAILY and MILLIONS of other DAILY CRIMES... but we still live here... even though most of us don't like that... 
My high school friends, other friends, and 350 relatives are on Facebook, so I convene there with them...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Rusty said:


> Suddenly, it violates "community standards".


Probably depends on which censor or algorithm looks at your posting... Fakebook left me alone for a few months, but the censors now seem to be back with a vengeance... until they notice I'm suing them...


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> So if people are down on Facebook or social media in general why do they go there? Fasciestbook, fake book people make comments like that and complain about being banned but they are members. It doesn't make any sense to me. I have no interest in Facebook or Instagram or the like so I just don't go there. Why do people join the sites and complain about what they can or can't say there? I don't get it. To me it's a private company and they can choose to manage it any way they like far as I'm concerned. I don't go on their site so I could care less what they sensor or don't sensor. If you don't like how they are run why do people keep going there? Is it just so they can be offended and complain? Someone please elaborate.



I don't go to Fascistbook or any of those sites. I'm here because it's a valuable resource, but when things divulge into politics, I will point out the disaster that is happening, and I will always be right because it's undeniably in front of everybody's face. Some people here don't like that and report me, and then the posts are vaporized or the thread is closed.

I'm just pointing out the Fascism here, because my 2 topics on Politics that have nothing to do with other threads were locked. That makes it obvious, they can't say "Keep it nice and on topic" on those threads.


----------



## Spicoli43

If anybody has any debate about this video, please say so...


----------



## zannej

Buzz, I'm not doing it to help her, I'm doing it to help my friend. Some of his stuff was in her car for some reason. They need the car seat at the very least back. But I also don't like when businesses rip people off. Its one of my pet peeves. The girl *should* have learned at 3, but I think she was 3 when she had to be taken away from her alcoholic drug addict mother and put in foster care. Her adopted mother (who was one of those people who does it for the $) didn't raise her right. She didn't raise any of the kids right. She found out she could get paid to foster and then collect the kids' SS if she adopted. Pulled the kid out of school & was supposed to home school her but didn't. So she only has 8th grade education and a slew of mental illnesses. No excuse for her to act the way she does, but it explains some of the behavior. 

My brother thought he got rejected for the job he interviewed for yesterday but it turns out they have to get approval from higher up so its pending (and my friend is pushing for them to hire him since he works in the same area-- although for another company). Speaking of my friend's work, due to his inability to work fulltime bc of his health issues, his company hired another guy who lied on his application about knowing how to do stuff. My friend trained him and the guy was a slow learner but figured some stuff out and worked ok at first. He was supposed to take over more and work hours my friend couldn't. Unfortunately, after his training he stopped showing up for work most of the time. They got on his case about it so now he comes in, clocks in, goes back out to his truck to get high, comes back in blazed and sits around doing nothing. Every time my friend comes in (afternoon) none of the morning work has been done at all. So he's having to do this guy's job while the guy does nothing and gets paid. And this isn't a minimum wage job either so the guy doesn't have the excuse of low pay or bad treatment from management. They are very accommodating. But my friend currently can't get through to the higher ups to get the guy fired. The guy simply doesn't care about the job and doesn't want to be there. They won't hire anyone else while he is there though. Its one thing to be overwhelmed with too much work and doing the job of 2 to 5 other people. It's another to just be lazy.

Bro made red beans and rice last night. He was supposed to break the meat up but didn't. Then told me I had to do it. Also, he overfilled the liquid level so when I was letting the steam out, liquid started shooting out. He looks at me and said "You're going to have to clean that up". Nevermind that he has never ONCE cleaned up after himself when he makes a mess cooking. Anytime he cooks I have to put leftovers away and clean the pots/pans/utensils. He really seems to think he would make it out on his own if he moves to Japan but he can't even close a cabinet door or turn off a light. He has zero sense of awareness about being responsible. Sorry, venting.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> But I also don't like when businesses rip people off. Its one of my pet peeves.


LOL ! One of my pet peeves is not blaming the person who first began the problem.


----------



## zannej

Two wrongs don't make a right. Plus the car payments were initially lower when the gf started out. She set up automatic payments and the bank claimed it was fraud & refused to pay the first note. After two days the bank told her they refused to pay so she made them pay but the dealership said bc the payment was now 3 days late (bank waited another 24 hours to pay) her monthly payments doubled. She got fired from the casino for getting Covid. Took months to get hired for another job. Then got fired from that job for collapsing at work and having to be sent to the hospital. She's got cardiac issues and is pregnant (the getting pregnant part is entirely her fault bc I think she got pregnant on purpose). No job= no money to pay. She's been doing job interviews and trying to get a new job.

My friend said they got the stuff though. Lady he dealt with was an ex cop who knew the law and let them get their stuff without having to pay anything.

I'm waiting for my brother to finish his gaming so we can go to samsclub.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> She got fired from the casino for getting Covid.


The fake plandemic/evil mandates (super pimped by an unnamed political party) severely damaged tens of millions of Americans financially... and still is damaging some as certain mandates continue... and there are those trying to create another fake plandemic and more controlling mandates... along with 'Ministries of Truth'...


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> The fake plandemic/evil mandates (super pimped by an unnamed political party) severely damaged tens of millions of Americans financially... and still is damaging some as certain mandates continue... and there are those trying to create another fake plandemic and more controlling mandates... along with 'Ministries of Truth'...


What does that have to do with getting fired for contracting covid? If you live/work in an "at will" state they can fire you for almost anything. Outside of race, religion, sex, age or disability they can fire you for whatever, you have no protection. This is nothing new, been that way for decades. If the employer has over 50 employees the the FMLA may offer some protection against unlawful termination.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> What does that have to do with getting fired for contracting covid?


I've heard there's 'no such thing as a stupid question'... but... 
I've prolly had the flu 50 or 60 times during my working career, but before 2021 I never heard of anyone getting fired for simply catching the flu...


----------



## HandyOne

After 3 attempts to get to a location for new car license plates, I finally got that done.    They had moved all the offices and the online version was not looking too good.    So I finally found a location that use to be a restaurant.    The deed is done and on the car.


----------



## BuzzLOL

HandyOne said:


> After 3 attempts to get to a location for new car license plates, I finally got that done.    They had moved all the offices and the online version was not looking too good.    So I finally found a location that use to be a restaurant.    The deed is done and on the car.


In Ohio, it used to be whenever the political party of the governor changed, it also changed who got to sell license plates... now it's just a matter of who will work for that small amount of money, I suspect...


----------



## zannej

I know people who got fired for getting the flu here. Walmart is particularly bad about it. They fire people for medical conditions that should be covered under the FMLA but in order to get that enforced requires a lawyer and if someone can't afford a lawyer they are screwed. Also, Covid is not the same as the flu. It killed a lot of people in my area.

Went to Samsclub but they were out of 3 of the main things on our list.

Also stopped at the Chinese place and got good food. I had watermelon for dessert.


----------



## Spicoli43

HandyOne said:


> After 3 attempts to get to a location for new car license plates, I finally got that done.    They had moved all the offices and the online version was not looking too good.    So I finally found a location that use to be a restaurant.    The deed is done and on the car.



In every State I have lived in, it's at the County Government office. From giant Counties to towns with one stoplight, it has always been at the County seat. Sometimes a Courthouse, sometimes not, but never at the former Wax Wash Diner and Gas.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I know people who got fired for getting the flu here. Walmart is particularly bad about it. They fire people for medical conditions that should be covered under the FMLA but in order to get that enforced requires a lawyer and if someone can't afford a lawyer they are screwed. Also, Covid is not the same as the flu. It killed a lot of people in my area.
> 
> Went to Samsclub but they were out of 3 of the main things on our list.
> 
> Also stopped at the Chinese place and got good food. I had watermelon for dessert.



Sorry, Z... Covid is a Media and Government on both sides Monster. It killed a lot of people with Pre Existing conditions, especially in Liberal run cities where they forced Covid positive people into Nursing Homes. That's not speculation, that's Governor Cuomo and other ruthless Governors verified. They killed Thousands of Nursing Home patients.

Everybody else pretty much has immunity now after a Flu or Cold like period. As somebody with a huge pre existing condition, granted I'm not 85, I killed it off with Vitamin C.

I believe everything you say about Wally World, they are horrible slave masters. They have always been. A very good buddy of mine that I have known since we were Tadpoles and served in War with had an absolute Cherry job as a WM Store Manager after our tour. It was like 7G's a Month... He quit when he saw how bad it was and what he was expected to enforce on the peasant employees. 

For those that don't know, those ticked off ain't my day employees at WM are probably regular nice people outside of that H hole. Just sayin, I have proof from someone I literally trust with my Life... But not my Money or my Wife!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Also, Covid is not the same as the flu. It killed a lot of people in my area.


Covid is just the flu pumped up by Democrats to make $$Trillions for the shots makers that donate to them and destroy Trump's Best Economy Ever... the flu has always pushed people through death's door that were already at it...


----------



## Eddie_T

Considering a new bicycle. Does anyone have experience with shaft or belt drive? I have a derailleur mountain bike and like neither the derailleur nor the riding position. I would like to try an old school upright bike but with hub gearing (more than 3 speed) and coaster brake but with shaft or belt drive. Local shops only have derailleur shifting so there is nothing to test ride.


----------



## Rusty

I use Facebook because I have family and friends spread all over the globe. My high school class uses it for contact for reunions. My granddaughter sends me pictures on Facebook of my great grandkids that I can save to my computer and print out anytime.


----------



## zannej

I have friends in the medical field who saw young healthy people with no preexisting conditions die from Covid. But a lot of people still died regardless of their prior health status. I'm not going to argue more on it so we will have to agree to disagree.

FB is good for keeping in touch, but it is also makes people vulnerable to cybersnooping. FB's phone app accessed just about all data on cellphones-- text messages (not within messenger), call logs, banking info, photos, private docs, etc. And then they sold it to various companies. Those companies used it to make profiles of people to target with specific ads.

Also, TikTok is straight up spyware.

Today is my friend's birthday. We brought him some $, bought him food, and hung out for a bit. His daughter said something that didn't make sense to me (I guess I don't have the same reference knowledge) that made him laugh for 5 minutes straight. Dogs were climbing all over me when I got home. They wanted to be held but they are too big to be held so they just knocked me over and laid down on me. They aren't big face lickers but they like to lick hands, arms, and legs.

On the way home we saw a guy with a flat. Stopped to see if he needed help. His spare was flat. He hopped in the back and drove him to his friend's house nearby and dropped him off so he could get help. It was too far for him to walk in his heat on an unpaved road with no sidewalks.


----------



## Flyover

After dinner I took the kids on a walk to one of the adjacent brand new subdivisions. I was looking at the ugly complicated rooflines (that's right Eddie, they're ugly! Ugly, I tell you!) and while maybe there were ridge vents and soffit vents, there often weren't any other types visible. No box vents for example, and usually not even gable vents. I watched these houses get built as quickly as possible, with everything done just for looks and no regard for quality of either materials or design.


----------



## Eddie_T

I know what you mean, the real thing doesn't go up fast. One of my dear friends is a master builder one of the original Ranneklev Brothers of Katonah, NY. His house is perfect and with every visit I spot a detail I missed before but the design is functional. He covered his deck and used three gables to keep the roof peaks low enough to harmonize with the overall design and be under upper story windows. He also has a tower room with a spectacular view. Sunsets from his deck are to die for. In today's market it's prolly worth $2 million.


----------



## Eddie_T

Sunset from my friend's deck;


----------



## Spicoli43

Rusty said:


> I use Facebook because I have family and friends spread all over the globe. My high school class uses it for contact for reunions. My granddaughter sends me pictures on Facebook of my great grandkids that I can save to my computer and print out anytime.



The idea of Fascistbook is great, if it weren't Fascist and if it weren't controlled by the NSA... Why do you need a "clear" face shot to have an account? Because it's the NSA, that's why.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Fascistbook ... Why do you need a "clear" face shot to have an account?


??????????? .... They have no picture of me and never asked for one... 
Now the singles site I'm on, PoF dot com, insists on a head picture, if you have a picture at all, one isn't required, but they don't want boobs only or sex organ pictures... which is understandable...


----------



## Spicoli43

Huh... I would say you're lucky if it was a worthy site, but they have apparently asked for that for a long time... The most hilarious line I have ever heard... 

"Please upload a photo of yourself that clearly shows your face. We’ll check it and then permanently delete it from our servers"

HAHAHAHA... Fascistbook never deletes anything of course. And what are they going to check it against? The NSA Database? My picture isn't anywhere on the interwebben unless the States I have lived in have it for my DL's and the Military for my ID... Costco also. 

I had FB when it first started for about 10 minutes and deleted my account because it was completely different from Myspace. They sent me emails for years after that saying "You haven't logged in for a while"... How do you know, since my account was deleted? Uh Huh.





__





						facebook requires a clear face picture at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


----------



## Rusty

Spicoli43 said:


> The idea of Fascistbook is great, if it weren't Fascist and if it weren't controlled by the NSA... Why do you need a "clear" face shot to have an account? Because it's the NSA, that's why.


The only picture they have is my profile picture, my dog.


----------



## BuzzLOL

I'm 74 and have had all 4 variations of Covid/flu, but no deadly nonworking shots, and am healthier now than before getting the latest flus... a drug cocktail they gave me for something else also accidentally cured the 9 years of ever worsening left hip pains I was having earlier. I wanted another hit or two of that drug cocktail to see if it would also cure my right hip pain from another cause earlier, but since it wasn't approved for that, even though it works, they wouldn't give it to me. So I had to wait another 10 months of pain for the right hip to cure on it's own... now I can run pain free for first time in years... just the bad back left...


----------



## Rusty

Spicoli43 said:


> Huh... I would say you're lucky if it was a worthy site, but they have apparently asked for that for a long time... The most hilarious line I have ever heard...
> 
> "Please upload a photo of yourself that clearly shows your face. We’ll check it and then permanently delete it from our servers"
> 
> HAHAHAHA... Fascistbook never deletes anything of course. And what are they going to check it against? The NSA Database? My picture isn't anywhere on the interwebben unless the States I have lived in have it for my DL's and the Military for my ID... Costco also.
> 
> I had FB when it first started for about 10 minutes and deleted my account because it was completely different from Myspace. They sent me emails for years after that saying "You haven't logged in for a while"... How do you know, since my account was deleted? Uh Huh.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> facebook requires a clear face picture at DuckDuckGo
> 
> 
> DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> duckduckgo.com


That story is wrong. None of my family has ever been asked to submit a picture.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Huh... I would say you're lucky


Think I've been on Facebook about 5 years... never went there much until after a class reunion and added some friends on there...


----------



## Spicoli43

Rusty said:


> That story is wrong. None of my family has ever been asked to submit a picture.



Random I guess.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Interesting: 








						CDC Insists 'Severe Reactions' to COVID Vaccines Are Rare, But New Survey Proves That Is an Absolute Lie
					

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention just signed off on Covid mRNA experimental gene modification shots for the youngest Americans. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Saturday voted unanimously in favor of the Pfizer BionNTech and Moderna bioweapons injections for...




					www.thegatewaypundit.com


----------



## zannej

I've been asked by FB to pick a profile pic but never been asked to use a real photo of myself. I had FB delete/untag me from photos family posted of me bc I do not want my picture out there. It's not the NSA that wants your data. They really don't care. It's advertisers/companies that use your pictures for their own advertising without your permission. They want to get your data to target you with ads and maybe even sell your info to nefarious parties to try to blackmail you.

I'm tired again today. Its hot as hell and I had to struggle to get the pups put up last night. They kept trying to climb on me. One of my cats was offended and started swatting the dogs in the face after I told the dog to back off and the dog wouldn't. Sir Hammington defended me. The dogs used to yelp and run away but this time they dodged and ignored it. They know not to chase cats though. They also hate being outside. I can't blame them with this heat. WTForecast app described the weather as being "inside Satan's a-hole".

I'm planning to do some cleaning & cook stroganoff tonight. Need to keep myself more awake.

Upside: My new Matrix with LED arrived. Came with a new battery and charger (some stuff doesn't these days) and I got it for $49 when it normally retails over $75. I had been wanting one but didn't want to pay that much. I have a list of more power tools I want but I really need to see if anyplace in own is hiring and if my brother can look after Mom while I'm out. I was talking to my friend and if they fire the useless employee who doesn't do anything, he can try to get one or both of us hired with his company. The dude he works with can't do simple things and lied about his experience. Dude doesn't even know how to use a screwdriver. My friend can teach me how to do the work (which he said is stupidly easy). I did study Electronic Engineering in college so I have some knowledge of the computery stuff. I'm better with power tools than my brother.


----------



## Spicoli43

The NSA absolutely tracks everything, Snowden outed that. 

Z, you're "It's hot" descriptions aren't to do with the weather. You know where it's in the 80's and 90's all year long. What was different? 

What's a Matrix with LED?


----------



## Eddie_T

It seems that in the US the current trend is to dress and groom as poorly as possible.


----------



## Flyover

Personally I like and approve of our current fashion trends. As long as my t-shirt and basketball shorts are clean and unstained I can outdress 95% of other men I see in public, while remaining comfortable and minimally restricted. Plus, many women are quite fetching in skin-tight pants.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> It seems that in the US the current trend is to dress and groom as poorly as possible.



Well, the trend is they let themselves go and just eat fast food and processed food constantly. I very rarely see someone that's in great shape, including in the mirror. I know how to get there though, the people I'm talking about don't seem to care. 

As far as clothes, nobody dresses up here unless required for a job like a tie or business casual in offices.


----------



## Eddie_T

I guess I am just old school I like neat hair and groomed beards (less than 1"). For men's clothing khakis, blue blazers and neat shoes go well anywhere and have a clean look. Most people I see today have little concern over how they look and definitely don't look clean (unkempt hair, beard and clothing).

Neat hair/beard example.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> the trend is they let themselves go and just eat fast food and processed food constantly.


The "let themselves go" bit seems true for sure. I've noticed at the pool, if someone is over the age of about 20 there is a something like >90% chance that person will be visibly "overweight" (with lots of jiggly fat hanging all over them) and >30% chance that person will be what I'd call "obese" (with so much fat they are shaped more like an egg or a blob than a human). It's alarming, because I always think of the effect this must have on my insurance premiums.

I see this trend happening to a lesser degree with kids and teenagers too, which is sad. When I was a kid there'd be one or two "fat kids" per class, now it seems like they could be a whole class to themselves in any given grade, and most of them are way fatter than the somewhat chubby "fat kids" I remember.

As for what people are eating, I don't have insight into actual data but I sometimes notice what other people have in their grocery carts in the checkout aisle, and what I see is often depressing. I've heard diet is more important than exercise in terms of putting on or losing weight, but I know when they blow the whistle for the adult swim time, I'm usually the only guy swimming laps in the pool. There is a relationship, if I remember right, between how much you exercise, how much you sleep, and what kinds of calories you naturally crave.

Eddie, imagine shearing off most of what is on the top and then adding it to the beard, and that photo of George Clooney is practically me! Only I never dress like that except when I'm at a wedding or something.


----------



## Eddie_T

I never wear a tie anymore. I have trouble finding khakis that are not pegged. IMO pegged makes both butt and feet look too big for most people. And the Chinese shoes everyone seems to wear make feet so large I would prolly trip over them. I like a deck shoe or original desert boot with straight leg jeans or khakis. Or cargo pants for ease of carrying my P3at (.380 cal) in the phone pocket.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I guess I am just old school I like neat hair and groomed beards (less than 1"). For men's clothing khakis, blue blazers and neat shoes go well anywhere and have a clean look. Most people I see today have little concern over how they look and definitely don't look clean (unkempt hair, beard and clothing).
> 
> Neat hair/beard example.
> View attachment 28070



All Raging Commies look like that.


----------



## Flyover

The two friends I have in real life who are actual Marxists both seem to be channeling Marx himself, looks-wise.


----------



## Eddie_T

I guess I can't knock it. The retired coach was pushing his bike up on the bypass. A couple stopped to see if they could help. He said he was OK, the lady pressed three dollars into his hand and they left.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I never wear a tie anymore. I have trouble finding khakis that are not pegged. IMO pegged makes both butt and feet look too big for most people. And the Chinese shoes everyone seems to wear make feet so large I would prolly trip over them. I like a deck shoe or original desert boot with straight leg jeans or khakis. Or cargo pants for ease of carrying my P3at (.380 cal) in the phone pocket.



I have to wear Tactical Cargo Pants. I'm not comfortable in anything else, and can't wear shorts because I have White Boy Fever. Bad.

You need a Holster!


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> The two friends I have in real life who are actual Marxists both seem to be channeling Marx himself, looks-wise.



I don't know why anybody would do that unless they were close to Santa's age.


----------



## Flyover

I wear cargo pants exclusively, but mainly in the colder months. (I don't know if they're "tactical" or not...since I'm not active duty military, nor a member of a militia, nor LEO, it would just be "tacti-cool" anyway, which I think is pretty lame.) The cargo pockets are really useful (especially when you have kids) but also something about the way they cut those pants is just more comfortable, so long as you don't buy the trendy modern ones that are cut slimmer. I figured out to always get Wrangler cargo pants, and I'm at the point where I have to buy them used because they don't make the relaxed fit relaxed enough anymore.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like the bluish green mossy color of Korean War fatigues but the exact color is hard to find. No way would I purchase camo. I usually get shirts and pants at the 'Upscale Resale' Shop of St. Philips but it's getting harder to find straight leg pants.

I bought the .380 pistol because it fits any pocket. IMO holsters are are a continual discomfort. I don't understand those that carry 9 mm or larger all the time. I don't feel EDC to be necessary but with all the discord I may carry more often.

I like the pocket accessibility of a blazer. Windbreakers and other jackets may have pockets but lack of structure makes them hard to access for pens, check book, shopping lists or whatever.


----------



## HandyOne

Spicoli43 said:


> In every State I have lived in, it's at the County Government office. From giant Counties to towns with one stoplight, it has always been at the County seat. Sometimes a Courthouse, sometimes not, but never at the former Wax Wash Diner and Gas.



Oh, I usually have gone downtown to the County Courthouse, but recently they moved a lot of stuff like that to a new building.    I went by but I was short on time, and didn't want to park on the hot asphalt then go in and roam around finding it.    Where I usually have done it was in a small shopping center and better parking, shorter lines,etc.   It was not there.


----------



## HandyOne

Eddie_T said:


> It seems that in the US the current trend is to dress and groom as poorly as possible.


What kids and adults wear to school and restaurants and stores, would have been washing the car attire or rags.     But, I do appreciate not having to be as dressed up as I was as a kid.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I wear cargo pants exclusively, but mainly in the colder months. (I don't know if they're "tactical" or not...since I'm not active duty military, nor a member of a militia, nor LEO, it would just be "tacti-cool" anyway, which I think is pretty lame.)



No. You stick out like a sore thumb.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I like the bluish green mossy color of Korean War fatigues but the exact color is hard to find. No way would I purchase camo. I usually get shirts and pants at the 'Upscale Resale' Shop of St. Philips but it's getting harder to find straight leg pants.
> 
> I bought the .380 pistol because it fits any pocket. IMO holsters are are a continual discomfort. I don't understand those that carry 9 mm or larger all the time. I don't feel EDC to be necessary but with all the discord I may carry more often.
> 
> I like the pocket accessibility of a blazer. Windbreakers and other jackets may have pockets but lack of structure makes them hard to access for pens, check book, shopping lists or whatever.



Well, with a safety like a Glock, Okay... Well, one thing nobody can bitch at you about, only like 8 rounds in the Mag, right? EDC depends on the area. Nobody here really has to because everybody else is.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> No. You stick out like a sore thumb.


You mean someone in the military/a milita/LE/etc. sticks out if they wear cargo pants? I can't tell what this was in response to.


Spicoli43 said:


> Nobody here really has to because everybody else is.


Don't you love that?  Herd immunity!

BTW I've heard there are statistics that show the typical civilian self-defense shooting involves fewer than 5 rounds fired.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> You mean someone in the military/a milita/LE/etc. sticks out if they wear cargo pants? I can't tell what this was in response to.
> 
> Don't you love that?  Herd immunity!
> 
> BTW I've heard there are statistics that show the typical civilian self-defense shooting involves fewer than 5 rounds fired.



No, we know when the person wearing cargo pants is a Civilian. 

"Militia"... And you claim you don't watch TV... Apparently you do for that idea. I have never seen a Militia member that I know of. 

Fewer than 5 rounds to subdue the Oppressor. The rest are for fun.


----------



## Flyover

Back when I was a contractor's assistant I used to work with a guy who was in a militia. He was a plumber in Arizona. Nice guy. I don't know if people in militias normally use the word "militia" but (it was 20 years ago) I remember either he did or his friend did. I don't remember what kind of pants he wore. Probably jeans.


----------



## Flyover

Also:


Spicoli43 said:


> No, we know when the person wearing cargo pants is a Civilian.


Is the "we" in that sentence intended to imply you are not a civilian?


----------



## zannej

The Matrix is the Black & Decker Matrix. It can swap out to have different heads. It can be an impact driver, hammer drill, trimsaw (circular blade), jigsaw, reciprocating saw, flat sander, oscillating tool, router, small belt sander, air compressor/inflator, & hedge trimmers (2 different types). I don't have the last 3 attachments. Those are just the attachments I know about. There may be more. The original Matrix didn't come with a light. 

I'm one of the people who dresses up sloppily when going into town. T-shirt covered in cat hair. Men's pants (although I got one pair of shorts that I wear over and over-- only shorts I have now). I don't care if I have holes or stains so long as I'm comfortable. I really don't give a rat's behind what other people think and its not like they dress up to go to Walmart. I'll wear freshly cleaned non-stained stuff to doctor's appointments.
Answering for Spicoli, he was in the Army. 

My dad loved cargo pants. One time when he was in Thailand he visited a tailor to get some suits made. The tailor offered to make him some cargo pants "only not so ugly" as the ones he was wearing. He really amused them because he spoke Thai but he learned it in the 1960s so he used the older phrases.

I got in some good nap time. Have to go to Samsclub in the morning. Trying to motivate myself to eat better and be more productive. I'm hoping the productivity will follow the eating better part.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Also:
> 
> Is the "we" in that sentence intended to imply you are not a civilian?



No, just spent my entire working life as a non civilian besides HS fast food.


----------



## Flyover

I knew Spicoli WAS in the military, he talks about having served, but he said "we know" -- present tense, as if he is still in the military.

Neverind, he answered my question. (I just had a power outage.)


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> basketball shorts


Basketball shorts aren't that short any more... apparently someone thought American men were showing too much leg...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Basketball shorts aren't that short any more... apparently someone thought American men were showing too much leg...


My dad complains about that all the time. (He was an athlete back in the 60s/70s.) "Skirts" he calls them.


----------



## BuzzLOL

HandyOne said:


> What kids and adults wear to school and restaurants and stores, would have been washing the car attire or rags.


Can't believe how women like to buy new jeans with 6 or 7 rips across the pant legs these days! 
I'd be snagging those rips on everything I do... maybe they like to prove they don't do anything...


----------



## HandyOne

BuzzLOL said:


> Can't believe how women like to buy new jeans with 6 or 7 rips across the pant legs these days!
> I'd be snagging those rips on everything I do... maybe they like to prove they don't do anything...


I only have jeans with tears that I've worn in them, then only wear around the house as they are well broken in.  The whole nice jeans are for leaving the house.


----------



## Eddie_T

I thought the ladies liked my looks but I guess they're just wondering why I bothered to bathe and put on clean clothes.

No safety on my mouse gun, it's double action only.


----------



## Flyover

Today I replaced a light bulb, like the master craftsman that I am.


----------



## Eddie_T

That reminds me that I have an unopened box of six free(?) LED floods to replace all my exterior filamentary floods but I haven't made the move yet. The (?) is because the utility has permission to charge us all a penance so they can give freebies to those who bother to apply.


----------



## Spicoli43

Because of the massive price increases, I am on a 2 Month diet of only Lentils and Brown Rice / Quinoa / Mung Beans. I never thought I would eat Lentils unless I was in a Nuclear Fallout Shelter, but I guess I'm PRACTICING considering the way the country is being run.

It's an organ cleansing diet taught by an Ayurvedic Doctor (India) and will save me money, but it was done out of necessity to flush my system out. I can have other things on a weekly basis like Onions this week and a Pear. I also can add spices and good Salt to the gruel, so it isn't that bad. This week is Digestion, so herbs are used like Ginger that facilitate better cleansing. 

Obvious restrictions are all fast and processed "foods", Beef, Anything with Sugar other than the Pears, etc. Gone is the normal 4TH BBQ and fixins etc... After I'm done with the course, I'm going to incorporate back into my diet Eggs, Ground Beef and Bison, and other Vegetables like Broccoli. 

What I NEED to remember to do is get off my Democrat Mascot and workout a lot because of the massive carb load. I have done a lot of "diets", but most are the polar opposite like Paleo. I have eaten nothing but Pasta and Rice when I was a poor kid out on my own for the first time, but never intentionally. 

I don't have a craving for anything with Sugar because of the massive carbs, and maybe I will never have a reason to include Sugar in anything.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 I don't know if it would violate your diet, but there's a middle eastern dish called majudara that is delicious and you might like it; I make it probably once a month or more. I use onions and cilantro but it could probably work without them; the main ingredients are rice and lentils. I like to use jasmine or basmati rice, actually I wouldn't recommend it with any other kind of rice.

First you cook about 1/3lb of lentils in boiling well-salted water.
While the lentils are cooking, make your spice mixture: a tablespoon of cumin, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of allspice, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, and half a teaspoon of turmeric. A pinch of garlic powder is optional.
Then in a pot with a matching lid, saute diced onions (I like to use coconut oil for its clean taste and high smoke point) over medium-high until very well cooked, adding half of your spice mixture as you stir the onions. I've seen recipes say to carmelize the onions but I never manage to cook them quite that far.
Then you add a cup and a half of uncooked rice to this along with the rest of the spice mixture and stir it until the rice is coated in the spices.
Then add the right amount of water according to the rice package, raise the heat to high, and basically cook the rice according to the instructions or however you'd normally cook it. (For my jasmine rice this is bringing it to a boil then simmering covered on low for 15 minutes.)
When the rice is cooked you add the lentils and chopped cilantro and stir it all up.
My wife likes her majudara with Louisiana hot sauce, which I consider offensive; instead, I like to drizzle it with tahina (a well-mixed dressing of tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, paprika, and water).

If the fact that this is vegan bothers you, use bacon fat when you saute the onions. You can also crush up a boullion cube and add it to your spice mixture.


----------



## Flyover

I had this flashlight that plugs into a car cigarette lighter. The other day I had it plugged in in my car, but when I pulled it out it broke and a few parts of it were left in the socket. I fished them out with my finger and caused a small spark. (I was being dumb and forgot to take my key out of the ignition first.) Now my cigarette lighter and radio don't work.

It's been nice driving around just listening to the engine (or more often, my kids talking) but I've decided it's time to replace the fuse. Maybe I'll get time to do that tomorrow or Friday.


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks, Flyover. I will try it this week. I have probably had it, there was a lot of days in Iraq where we were gifted food by locals, always rice dishes. When my diet is over, I think I will celebrate by learning to make Shawarma. That is INSANE.


----------



## Flyover

I was going to add, I've tried swapping in quinoa for rice in majudara. It's still passable but not as good.

Shawarma shouldn't be too hard. For just one person, I would do it as a two-step process: first bake a beef & lamb meatloaf spiced with the same spice mix as the majudara, plus maybe some caraway or fennel seeds but don't overdo it. Plus just a hint of freshly chopped mint. Make the meatloaf so it holds together really well, maybe that means using two eggs instead of one. Then refrigerate it, slice it real thin, and put your slices under the broiler or pan-fry them to crisp up the edges. Serve over french fries of course! Garnish with red cabbage or beets and radishes and a pickle. Drizzle with more tahina.

Btw, I often joke about how outside the US most food amounts to "saucy protein chunks served over rice".


----------



## shan2themax

This is how my day has been. Livid, doesnt begin to explain how I feel. 


Copied text from post I made earlier on fb:

Mom update:

The good parts..... she gave me a little bit of a hard time a couple of times, which was lovely, I asked her if I could lick her face once, and of course she told me no...(she thinks I am way too serious, so I was trying to be more tender and fun-loving). Before we left I told her since she wouldn't let me lick her face, I would just kiss her forehead instead. She ate a few bites, with no problems other than it tasted disgusting. She let Michaela and I reposition her, change her and get her comfy.

The bad parts:

And I am leaving out some details for obvious reasons.

When we got there she was grey, she didn't know our names, although she did call me big mouth lol. She didn't know Michaela and she didn't recognize pictures of her cats that I printed off to help motivate her. Since she was grey, I looked at her concentrator because it was only on 3 liters on Sunday, and again today, it was on 3 liters. I turned it up to 4, found her nurse, listened to her tell me what I already knew. Went back to the room, gave it about 10 minutes, she needed the bedpan, so I called out. She wasn't doing any better, so I trace her tubing with my eyes only to see that the tubing extension attatched to her nasal cannula was not connected. It was tangled in her phone cord and partially under this small hutch/microwave cart thing in her room.

I put them back together and slowly she started pinking up again. I meant to take my pulse ox with me, but forgot it. After a few minutes of oxygen, she knew who we were, knew the cat pictures where her cats, and wanted to try to eat.

Her nurse today was the ADON of that facility. I let her know that I was not impressed with the care she was receiving this far in this stay. I reiterated all the things that she needs help with, that was discussed on 3 different days (she has been there 5 days). 2 days of which were the same nurse and same STNA, one day was the admissions nurse. 

My mom has this 1 very brief chance, to strengthen. How can you do that, when the minimums.... oxygen, fluids, foods, a tiny dose of pain meds to make physical therapy a little easier because of the 3 rounds of CPR to save her life, arent being met?
It's very basic care, it shouldn't have to be asked about multiple times, and I definitely should not walk in to her not getting oxygen because it wasn't properly hooked up and she can't use the call light well (physically) and is too confused to know that she needs to.

4 star facility, what happens in 2 star facilities? 

I ****CHOSE**** to drive an hour each way, to try to ensure she is cared for properly. So far, I'm not impressed (except for the scopolamine patch to reduce nausea and dizziness)

2 good things came from this. She is still alive at the moment, and I was not arrested because i was able to maintain self control.


----------



## Eddie_T

Shan, Time to listen to "You Say"- Lauren Daigle.


----------



## shan2themax

I made my daughter listen to me sing it on the way there and back. Theres so much peace in his love.


----------



## zannej

Shan, You might want to have a word with patient/family advocacy & describe the issues. Your mother could have died from that oxygen tube situation. The fact that no one checked and she was visibly gray is very alarming. They need to be aware that things are not being done properly. I'm so glad you went and checked on her. If I'd found my mother in that condition and the oxygen tube wasn't hooked up properly, I would be seriously angry.
I had a great uncle who died after surgery because the oxygen tank they hooked him to during surgery was empty & no one checked. Medical malpractice is a huge problem and it continues if no one does anything about it.

The dogs chewed the power cord to my laptop-- they chewed the part hardwired to the power brick. So I borrowed a wired mouse from my brother and am using my desktop but it is saying it isn't a genuine copy of windows and some other crap I will need to fix. I hope I can find the code thingy I got when I bought windows to set it right.

I have a hard time seeing the screen since I'm used to it being closer. I need some computer glasses.

I slept all day yesterday and am still tired. I'll be heading to Bestbuy when it opens so I can get an adapter for a laptop charger.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I was going to add, I've tried swapping in quinoa for rice in majudara. It's still passable but not as good.
> 
> Shawarma shouldn't be too hard. For just one person, I would do it as a two-step process: first bake a beef & lamb meatloaf spiced with the same spice mix as the majudara, plus maybe some caraway or fennel seeds but don't overdo it. Plus just a hint of freshly chopped mint. Make the meatloaf so it holds together really well, maybe that means using two eggs instead of one. Then refrigerate it, slice it real thin, and put your slices under the broiler or pan-fry them to crisp up the edges. Serve over french fries of course! Garnish with red cabbage or beets and radishes and a pickle. Drizzle with more tahina.
> 
> Btw, I often joke about how outside the US most food amounts to "saucy protein chunks served over rice".



Oh, I wouldn't try that unless it was for 6 people or so. I don't know how you do it with ground beef though.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan... Sorry for your troubles, but there is no such thing as a good nursing home. There might be good Nurses within, but the admins are worthless. I would move her to a local place if you can so you can see her more.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Oh, I wouldn't try that unless it was for 6 people or so. I don't know how you do it with ground beef though.


If I lived alone I'd just make a bunch of it, eat half this week and freeze the other half for another week, but if you want to save it for a special occasion when you have company that makes sense too.

It doesn't have to be ground beef; anywhere from one to two thirds of it should be lamb or something that tastes like lamb (e.g. goat, kangaroo) but the other half can be something milder like bison. You just have to make sure it has enough fat.


----------



## Spicoli43

We are having a different conversation, or you know of a version I have never heard of... The Shawarma I'm talking about is spiced thin sliced meat packed onto a spit and roasted, then they slice it off... Or, since I don't have a Levantine kitchen, skipping that part.


----------



## HandyOne

@shan2themax  sorry to hear of the troubles your Mom is living through via the nursing home
I have found that the more that you are there the more staff attention will be for your Mom.    And I found that the couple of times I took a cake or cookies to the nursing home staff where my  Dad was, seemed to help them remember him in a favorable way and they did take good care of him.    
Best wishes for you and especially for your Mom.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> We are having a different conversation, or you know of a version I have never heard of... The Shawarma I'm talking about is spiced thin sliced meat packed onto a spit and roasted, then they slice it off... Or, since I don't have a Levantine kitchen, skipping that part.


No that's exactly what I'm taking about. I'm describing a way to make essentially the same thing but without the need for a huge vertical spit.


----------



## zannej

food talk is making me hungry but I'm tired.

They had the adapter that lets me charge the charger but I need to order one to charge the laptop with the charger. The charger didn't come with the appropriate cable. Kinda miffed about that.

But I got some stuff at Samsclub and Walmart. Found a nice neck pillow that is comfy. Bought some smaller Corelle brand plates since Mom kept griping about the plates being too big.

Mom keeps insisting on eating carbs. Especially potatoes. I'm trying to avoid eating them and have been eating grilled chicken.

Still waiting to hear back from the person who might want to adopt the puppies.

I'm using my desktop as my laptop's battery ran out. I wonder if its possible to get a new battery. The one I have drains super fast. Can't get my desktop to recognize my cordless mouse so using a crappy corded one for now.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> No that's exactly what I'm taking about. I'm describing a way to make essentially the same thing but without the need for a huge vertical spit.



Same spices? You can't pack Ground Lamb on a spit. I'm not trying to be a Democrat Mascot, but if you are thinking of something else, I want to know that recipe also.


----------



## Spicoli43

Z... You seem to buy a lot of electronics stuff, and I keep forgetting to pitch this markdowns site. If people want to know how to use it, I'll explain it, but it's pretty straight forward...



			https://brickseek.com/


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> The dogs chewed the power cord to my laptop-- they chewed the part hardwired to the power brick. So I borrowed a wired mouse from my brother and am using my desktop but it is saying it isn't a genuine copy of windows and some other crap I will need to fix. I hope I can find the code thingy I got when I bought windows to set it right.


Have you checked the power cord to see if it can be repaired?


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Same spices? You can't pack Ground Lamb on a spit. I'm not trying to be a Democrat Mascot, but if you are thinking of something else, I want to know that recipe also.


Yeah, the spices would be the same or close. (Possibly double the paprika, and add lemon juice?) Shawarma at restaurants often uses a mixture of beef and lamb too, so the flavor should be identical.

I said ground instead of shaved lamb, because since you don't have a big vertical spit, you'd start by making a meatloaf, and shaved meat stacks well but wouldn't hold together for that format. So instead you bake and then refrigerate the meatloaf, then slice it real thin, and then broil or pan fry the slices, to get that same shaved-style crispiness.


----------



## Spicoli43

I'm going to trust that you made that up and it tastes great and it's your recipe because I have never heard of it... This is what I'm talking about. 





__





						shawarma at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


----------



## Flyover

I know what shawarma is; I am of middle eastern background, also I'm an adventurous eater anyway. My recipe idea is based on the same modification I've seen done (but never personally tried) for making gyros at home.


----------



## Flyover

Another idea is one I've used for making Mexican style _pastor_ (basically the same thing but pork, marinated in spices and pineapple) at home. For shawarma you would use thickly-marinated meat chunks, not ground meat, and you pack them on metal skewers, then roast them in the oven over a baking sheet. You can finish in the broiler if you need those crispy edges. If you start with shaved beef and lamb you can probably just take it off the skewers at the end and be good to go. It might just fall right off onto that baking sheet!

Dang now I'm hungry. I wanna try making this...


----------



## HandyOne

Flyover said:


> I know what shawarma is; I am of middle eastern background, also I'm an adventurous eater anyway. My recipe idea is based on the same modification I've seen done (but never personally tried) for making gyros at home.



My Dad loved swawama from the street vendors in downtown Cairo.   He was there for  year in 1984 and just absorbed the Egyptians.    He totally loved it there.


----------



## zannej

I've never had shawarma. We've never lived anywhere with much Middle Eastern culture or cuisine.

I did check the cord to see if it could be repaired. Friend said it looks like it can but he's going to to be busy this week bc his gf got denied food stamps & she's completely mooching off of him again so he has to work overtime to support her lazy crazy behind.

He said I can find some heat shrink sleeves at o'reilly's. I'm trying to work out when I can meet up with him. Just woke up and my vision is blurry as hell. Dogs puked in the kitchen but I'm not up to bending to pick it up just yet. I thought I put both of them up but apparently Peanutbutter is out.


----------



## Flyover

I caught a cold or something about a week ago and didn't work out for 5 or 6 days, then yesterday resumed weightlifting and went pretty hard, followed by eight laps at the pool. Today I am very sore and loving it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I know what shawarma is; I am of middle eastern background, also I'm an adventurous eater anyway. My recipe idea is based on the same modification I've seen done (but never personally tried) for making gyros at home.



Well, everyone is technically Middle Eastern, but ok you win.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, everyone is technically Middle Eastern, but ok you win.


Hah no I was born in the middle East, my dad is from there, half my siblings live there, etc. I know the food pretty well. But I don't "win" anything, I was just trying to convince you that making your own shawarma is totally doable and you should try it.

Ps. Everyone is technically East African, I never heard the one about middle eastern.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have never tried a gyro. Dare I risk an Arby's or should I wait until I can get a more authentic representation?


----------



## zannej

Shawarma sounds interesting. i'll have to save some of the recipe ideas. i like trying new foods. Also the shift button doesn't work while pressing i on my keyboard for some reason so it keeps coming out lowercase. i will have to clean the keyboard again.

Slept until after noon but not restfully. Got more e-mails from the person who wants to adopt the puppies. Her husband sent e-mail too. Unfortunately they live over 3 hours away. Might be worth it to rehome them though. They seem like nice people, but i was facepalming that the woman was telling me she had jimmy choo shoes and expensive stuff and then wanted me to meet at her house. maybe she doesn't know about robbers and what a bad idea that is to tell someone she doesn't know that kind of stuff. i found her address from a google search so i know where she lives. i need to warn her about that. i've suggested meeting in a neutral public place where they can bring their dogs to meet the pups. I'll have to clean out the truck-- its raining right now though so it will have to wait.

Cats have been sneezing a lot. not sure if it's allergies or if its bc i need to change the hvac filter.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Hah no I was born in the middle East, my dad is from there, half my siblings live there, etc. I know the food pretty well. But I don't "win" anything, I was just trying to convince you that making your own shawarma is totally doable and you should try it.
> 
> Ps. Everyone is technically East African, I never heard the one about middle eastern.



If you're from the Middle East, you win the Shawarma debate. If you're born in Italy, you shake your head at "Olive Garden"... I have always heard Iraq was the start of everything with Babylon, Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates etc... I have never heard East Africa. I think anywhere Date Trees are from is where it started. They are the best snack food on Earth, no debate, end of story, Shukran.


----------



## Spicoli43

I haven't been firing on all cylinders all day... Maybe I'm turning into an Electric? I forgot to go pay the power bill, forgot to take a return to Costco, messed up cooking my Rice and Lentils, which is an utter travesty, had a weird feeling driving to and from stores, felt weird working out etc... I figured it out though, I completely forgot to drink Coffee today until 1600. That makes NO SENSE. I have had Coffee every day since I was in Junior High, almost always upon waking, been covered in dust for 2 weeks without a shower in the Army, but my crusty hands held a Coffee cup.

Maybe my body is forgetting about Coffee, which WOULD BE an utter travesty. On my cleansing diet, I'm allowed to have Black Coffee, but it's advised to cut down. Now, I always want Coffee, but a reset happens in the body when chemicals are purged. I don't want anything to do with Sugar, that is gone and it's only day 6. Don't want Pasta or Pizza or Bread of any kind, Don't want Soda etc... I do want Shawarma, but that doesn't count because it's perma.

If I started drinking Tea all the time like a Limey, I will never admit it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I have never tried a gyro. Dare I risk an Arby's or should I wait until I can get a more authentic representation?



You should have an Arby's, so when you have a real one, you will know how fake the Arby's is.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> You should have an Arby's, so when you have a real one, you will know how fake the Arby's is.


That's what I was afraid of! Early Arby's had beef roasting on a spit near the register. Now engineered beef roasts are cooked or heated out of view. I wonder if pink slime is in the mix?


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Shawarma sounds interesting. i'll have to save some of the recipe ideas. i like trying new foods. Also the shift button doesn't work while pressing i on my keyboard for some reason so it keeps coming out lowercase. i will have to clean the keyboard again.
> 
> Slept until after noon but not restfully. Got more e-mails from the person who wants to adopt the puppies. Her husband sent e-mail too. Unfortunately they live over 3 hours away. Might be worth it to rehome them though. They seem like nice people, but i was facepalming that the woman was telling me she had jimmy choo shoes and expensive stuff and then wanted me to meet at her house. maybe she doesn't know about robbers and what a bad idea that is to tell someone she doesn't know that kind of stuff. i found her address from a google search so i know where she lives. i need to warn her about that. i've suggested meeting in a neutral public place where they can bring their dogs to meet the pups. I'll have to clean out the truck-- its raining right now though so it will have to wait.
> 
> Cats have been sneezing a lot. not sure if it's allergies or if its bc i need to change the hvac filter.



When did shoes and expensive stuff come up in the discussion about adopting Dogs?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> That's what I was afraid of! Early Arby's had beef roasting on a spit near the register. Now engineered beef roasts are cooked or heated out of view. I wonder if pink slime is in the mix?



I worked there about 30 years ago, they were Rectangle Pink blobs that we put in the oven first thing in the morning 0500 or so, as the joint opened at 1000... I always wanted to cut into it to see what it was. They definitely look Alien at the start. 

Beef roasting on a spit... Wow, that would be weird at an Arby's.

The local Gyro place has the spits.


----------



## Flyover

Regarding gyros, you could do what spicoli suggested just for gits and shiggles, and he is probably correct that trying the Arby's version first will heighten your experience later on when you try the real thing. If it were me though I'd just go straight to the real thing.

I agree about dates, they are perfection. Medjool dates, chilled and firm. I grew up eating them but was never that fond of them, but I got reintroduced to them recently when my wife cut out processed sugar and started having me buy them for her every week.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I have always heard Iraq was the start of everything with Babylon, Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates etc... I have never heard East Africa.


I think the fertile crescent is where they say western culture started, based on the argument that this where the biblical patriarchs came from. East Africa is where the oldest human remains are found, and those of our immediate hominid predecessors.


----------



## Eddie_T

IIRC the round roast on a spit in Arby's would date back to around 1969. I would have to drive about 30 miles or so to find authentic Greek food. That would represent around $10 in gas for RT so it may be a long time before I go that far to a restaurant. I think there is a restaurant that has gyros I'll have to ask Gus Constantine for a recommendation.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Regarding gyros, you could do what spicoli suggested just for gits and shiggles, and he is probably correct that trying the Arby's version first will heighten your experience later on when you try the real thing. If it were me though I'd just go straight to the real thing.
> 
> I agree about dates, they are perfection. Medjool dates, chilled and firm. I grew up eating them but was never that fond of them, but I got reintroduced to them recently when my wife cut out processed sugar and started having me buy them for her every week.



Yeah, that's what I get from Costco. They are from California, but the trees are from Morocco, or so they say. I have had Deglet Noor, but they aren't as good. I don't remember why.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I think the fertile crescent is where they say western culture started, based on the argument that this where the biblical patriarchs came from. East Africa is where the oldest human remains are found, and those of our immediate hominid predecessors.



Right... They were born in Iraq, but heard there was plentiful Lion hunting in Ethiopia, so they ran over to Egypt to ask where Ethiopia was, then ran there to hunt, but that was too much running so they perished.


----------



## Flyover

I think this is the recipe where I heard about making gyros: 

I've tried many other recipes by this guy and they are always on point so I trust him.


----------



## zannej

I wanted to be completely honest with her about the dog's behavior and I mentioned they liked to chew things- including shoes. She told me she'd had some very expensive Jimmy Choo shoes that her other dog had chewed and that she was ok with chewing behavior because she loved dogs so much. My concern is if someone is surprised by the dog's behavior and wants to dump them back or abandon them for it. But she is ok with the bad behaviors I described. But now she's got Covid so I have to wait.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> heard there was plentiful Lion hunting in Ethiopia, so they ran over to Egypt to ask where Ethiopia was


I just realized, this comment has an extra layer of historical accuracy that isn't a joke: Historic vs Present Geographical Distribution of Lions



> Lions survived in parts of Mesopotamia and Syria until the *middle of the 19th century*.
> By the late 19th century, they had been eradicated in Turkey. They survived much longer in Persia, where the *last pride of five* was hunted as recently as 1963.



This surprised me; I thought lions had been gone from the middle east for thousands of years.


----------



## shan2themax

Y'all...... if my last post wasn't enough for you regarding my mom. You may, or may not, be shocked about what happened next. Although, I am now at the port of reporting the facility. So I am not going to post currently. Until I know what steps to take next. This isnt going to be pretty. 
I will say, she is back in my facility in the ICU.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Y'all...... if my last post wasn't enough for you regarding my mom. You may, or may not, be shocked about what happened next. Although, I am now at the port of reporting the facility. So I am not going to post currently. Until I know what steps to take next. This isnt going to be pretty.
> I will say, she is back in my facility in the ICU.



Yes, don't post about what I think you will do. Legally speaking.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was notified of a Carolina Dog but it's 100 miles away so about $30 in gas just to check it out. I filled out an application then backed out and didn't hit the send button. I would have to see the dog to check conformation sometimes volunteers aren't very accurate with breed identification. The eyes (eyeliner look) and ears look pretty good.


----------



## zannej

I'm worried the people who wanted my pups are backing out. They haven't e-mailed back. I'll have to wait and see how things go.

Shan, I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope things get resolved quickly. I hope whatever action you have taken against the facility works out in your favor (and for the good of the patients). I'm guessing there's more malpractice. Sorry your Mom is in ICU but glad she's still alive.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I think this is the recipe where I heard about making gyros:
> 
> I've tried many other recipes by this guy and they are always on point so I trust him.




Thanks. I like him, would watch his food show.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 He uses a funny voice in his videos which I'm guessing some people might have trouble getting used to, but I like his presentation style and his sense of humor, and most of all every recipe I've tried by him has been excellent. I listened to an interview with him once and his sensibilities about food and cooking are very sharp and well thought out, you can tell he gets it.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like his sense of humor as in the pronunciation of gyro. A bit off topic but this reminds me that I am planning to brown some cold sliced canned corned beef to use as a ham substitute in Eggs Benedict.


----------



## Spicoli43

I looked for his show on Roku, nothing. I'll watch more of his Youtube videos...


----------



## Eddie_T

I wanted strawberry preserves so started to make two-ingredient biscuits. The heavy cream had a best by Feb 22 date but still tasted sweet so I continued. If the cream had spoiled I was thinking milk with some oil added but how would I get it to emulsify for the same simplicity of mixing as with the cream. Then I recalled the science experiment that bud16415  posted on the homemade mayo thread. That in turn prompted me to search for a mayo biscuit recipe. 

So my thought for next time is to use 1C SR flour and 1/2C (milk and 3tbs mayo blended) to make 4 large biscuits. If that works out well it also helps solve the problem of using up the homemade mayo before it spoils.

Chef John's minute steak with egg is also in my future,


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, so far as I know his videos are just on YouTube, and his recipes are at allrecipes.com, I guess both are probably all together in one place at Foodwishes.com.


----------



## zannej

I got up early & went to see my friend. He was out of diapers and there weren't any in town. He's put in 77hours of overtime work (he gets paid overtime for going to a different casino farther away) this week. We ate at Panda (Chinese restaurant) and then I got the diapers at samsclub. Grabbed some stuff for Mom (tempura shrimp) and stopped at Autozone to grab stuff to fix laptop cord. He fixed it and I have my laptop charging up again. He said once he's accrued enough $ from working overtime he'll come out and fix some stuff up at my house-- finish reconnecting some of the waterlines etc.

I drank some orange juice (fresh squeezed at Samsclub) and am actually feeling fairly good today. I'm cooking yellow rice for Mom and will take a nap after.
This was my lunch:


----------



## shan2themax

This morning's musings of a loon (me)
Fb post:

Today is a day that we celebrate freedom in America, however, freedom has a different meaning this year. 
My mom wants freedom. I tried to find out exactly what kind of freedom she wanted, so that I could pray more specifically. 
I asked if she wanted freedom from the hospital? Freedom from fear? Freedom from health problems? Freedom from this life that she would never want to live the way she is?

She told me to just forget it. I tried to explain that we are supposed to be specific in our prayers.

On the rare occasions that I can get her to look directly at me when we are talking, I see so much anger and hatred in her eyes.

We have never had an "easy" relationship, yet I have spent the majority of my life over the past 20 years trying to help her to have a better life than she had in her younger years. 
All I have ever wanted for her was for her to be truly happy, and "free" from the heartaches she has experienced in life. 

My mom needs freedom from so many things: fear, anger, resentment, disappointment, past failures, lost hope's and dreams, but mostly......  she need freedom from whatever this perceived "evil" she has mumbled about. She needs spiritual freedom.

On this day of "freedom". I just pray that as she cries out to God, she can begin to get the freedom from whatever it is that she won't articulate and that we can have a peaceful visit today without her fussing about everything that I say or do, and that I can have the words she needs to hear, and not the words that I want to say.

If you're about to celebrate today. Don't just celebrate Americas freedom. Celebrate the people you love, the good life that you live, and the ability to rise above generational curses and dysfunction. Rise above the negativity in life and hold onto the positives. This life we lead is a warzone, armor up and be spiritually prepared for what life throws your way because that devil will stab you where it hurts the most.




I have been her with her since about 11, it has been a pleasant visit thankfully. 
Still in ICU


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Now my cigarette lighter and radio don't work


I seem to remember having a car that the radio and lighter were on the same fuse...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> He was out of diapers and there weren't any in town.
> he gets paid overtime for going to a different casino farther away) this week.
> 
> He said once he's accrued enough $ from working overtime he'll come out and fix some stuff up at my house-- finish reconnecting some of the waterlines etc.
> 
> This was my lunch:


I picked up some diapers for a friend last week, she wasn't getting any more delivered before tomorrow... 
I need to get back to my casino, haven't been there in a while... lost interest when the slot machines went dead as they recovered from/survived the plandemic... they sucked money and gave no wins... I'm missing the additional income from there... 
Did I miss it? What happened to your rattlesnake? 
Lunch looked delicious... if chicken... not mutton...


----------



## BuzzLOL

This site went weird... was putting us and our comments today on page 253... despite we're up to 256...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> On this day of "freedom". I just pray that as she cries out to God, she can begin to get the freedom from whatever it is that she won't articulate


LOL ! ... I'm hoping we finally get freedom from all religions and the religion-fueled-wars such as in Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Iran today...


----------



## Eddie_T

Shan, Prayer works ·  ·  ·  I recall an experience where I left my wife around midnight after a bad day in the hospital. She was going down fast symptoms were trouble swallowing (they gave her a swallowing test earlier), couldn't clear her throat, slurred speech and head listing to one side. As I drove home crying and praying I got a clear revelation in my mind ·  ·  · it's the medication. I couldn't think of any changes in meds. But as I drove on it came to me a tiny gel, what was it called?

When I got home  I googled the closest thing I could recall, "teflon pearls". The google hit was "Tessalon Perles". I could hardly sleep and got up early raced to the hospital and told them to take her off the med. They said the doctor would have to change the orders but that she could refuse them. The doctor that ordered the swallowing test came in and told me she was progressing well. I chewed him out telling him about the med and that she was exhibiting every side effect. It turns out that an alternate to her admitting doctor had added the med because she was coughing and no one had noticed the added med.

Several hours later I ran into the doctor I had chewed out for patronizing me. He's really a nice guy and he said, "you were right about the med".

 A patient in a hospital or nursing home needs an advocate and a smart one. A patient can be lost in one day due to a mistake or simply a lack of communication.


----------



## zannej

Buzz, it's chicken sticks-- Chicken cooked with ginger and some other spices. It's delicious. The long beans had onions with them but I had to make sure not to get any since I can't eat onions. They weren't cooked down enough to cling to the beans and make me sick though. I have a problem with hydrated onions.

Rattlesnake disappeared after we scared it. The snake expert said it probably moved on because it didn't feel safe there anymore. We really scared the hell out of that poor thing. I kinda feel bad for it because it was just trying to find a nice cool place to chill out and be safe & then we came along and it probably thought we were trying to eat it.

Shan, maybe you can pray for her to have whatever type of freedom it is that she wants. 

I personally do not believe in prayer, but if people feel comforted by praying I won't discourage it. Although if action can help, I always encourage action over prayer (or in conjunction with it). I remember a story about my grandfather wanting a new car and he was praying and praying until my grandma finally walked over with a newspaper and said "Ray, God helps those who help themselves. He's not going to drive a car over here and leave it at your doorstep if you pray enough-- you have to actually *look* for one! Take this newspaper and look in the classifieds for one or get up and go to some dealerships!" 

Eddie, I'm glad you chewed out the doctor and made them aware of the added med. That really shouldn't have happened-- they should have known what she was given. Sounds like malpractice. But you spoke to them and advocated for your wife and that helped. How is your wife doing now?

I never got in to the whole casino thing. My friend works at the arcade part. He told me that he went to Paragon casino for his work (he works for alpha omega entertainment) & that the employees there were absolute jerks, didn't bother to do their jobs, & had to be re-trained. But he caught them having a group chat right after his meeting where they showed gross insubordination & were trashtalking everyone but him. He screenshotted it, sent it to their bosses (some of whom were being trashtalked) and on the ride back got a call from the bosses telling him to call all of those people up and tell them they were fired. He wants the current manager of the arcade where he normally works to be fired because she's been there since November, still doesn't know how to do her jobs, and aggravates customers. She was ripping customers off on their token purchases & then gave customers attitude when they tried to get their $ back or get the correct amount of tokens. 

His coworker who isn't actually working is still coming in and hiding in the office doing jack squat while collecting $. I think he gets paid $17/hr to sit on his behind. He wants to get them to hire my brother and fire the other guy. He knows my brother will be able to do the job. Hell, if they fire the other guy, I'm tempted to apply. Some stuff just involves removing a couple of screws. I can do that.

I'm tired today because I couldn't sleep well last night. Brother woke me up looking for Namir and then cats were hungry so they were walking all over my head and letting me know they wanted food. My brother had refused to bring in the cat food bags from the truck so I had to get up in the middle of the night to go get a bag since they were out. I had to wrangle the puppies to get through the front room but I made it and fed them. Yasuke is currently sleeping with his chin and paw on my wrist. I'd take a pic but my phone is too far away to reach.

Mom has a doctor appointment tomorrow so I need to make sure she can find all of her clean laundry and/or wash more for her.


----------



## Eddie_T

Zann, I lost my wife almost five years ago. She went into septic shock, core temp went down and kidneys shut down. Later I learned that these might be somewhat rare side effects of the tamoxifen she was on for breast cancer. It was never discussed at the time. I prolly could have sued but what good is money when one's lost their soulmate?

I've had a troll insist that hawthorn berry is not controlling my blood pressure because it's anecdotal. I suspect he doesn't understand the true meaning of the word. If my observation is that it works and I found the right dosage by experimentation that's scientific as far as I am concerned. It might be anecdotal to someone else or it might work for them too. Maybe the same for prayers, only helps true believers and followers but that's a whole 'nother story (not for this forum).


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Zann, I lost my wife almost five years ago.  ...what good is money when one's lost their soulmate?
> 
> I've had a troll insist that hawthorn berry is not controlling my blood pressure because it's anecdotal.


Eddie, may be time to look around for some more companionship... maybe not marriage, just someone to go places with once in a while, talk to, take your mind off other things... maybe your wife would tell you the same thing... 

It may be Placebo Effect... if you think the berries work, the thought calms you down, they kind of do... but if they work, that's fine... not hurting anybody else... except maybe doctor's wallets.... LOL! 
I live a very healthy lifestyle... lots of physical work... lots of fun... no addictions... at 74 blood pressure hangs around 65/115... about like a 15 year old's... heading for 150 years old?


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a circle of friends, I just meant that a sum of money wouldn't replace my wife. I will run out days before I run out of money anyway since I am debt free.

My test with hawthorn berries was scientific for me. I experimented until I found the proper dosage. Also I have had to adjust upward over the last 20+ years as I age. I don't think placebo effect applies to controlled experimentation plus as I reported on another thread I just happened onto the BP control as I was taking the supplement for another reason.


----------



## HandyOne

Did everyone have something special for the 4th weekend?   I went to a family friend and watched the neighborhood fireworks last evening.   
I hope all had a good time.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had grilled burgers with friends and as I drove home at 2130 the college fireworks display was in progress so the sky was interesting and traffic was minimal.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I had grilled burgers with friends and as I drove home at 2130 the college fireworks display was in progress so the sky was interesting and traffic was minimal.



That College believes in America? Huh. weird.


----------



## Flyover

We took the kids to watch one parade, then they marched in a different one. I love America but hate parades. After that I worked out and then made pizza from scratch so we had an early dinner. Then, since everyone's sleep schedule has been messed up lately anyway, we took the kids to see fireworks at one of the local high schools. It was much later than two of them have ever been out, and quite a bit later than the oldest is used to being out. I don't like fireworks (I'm no fun!), but the peoplewatching was great at least. However, we left five minutes later than I requested, which cascaded into us being stuck in traffic, which cascaded into us getting home extremely late, so today we all overslept and didn't have enough time to do the activity we'd planned (exploring some caves that are about 90 minutes away). But it's okay, we figured out something else to do instead and that was fun.


----------



## zannej

I'm very sorry about your wife, Eddie. That is awful! I'm glad you still have friends around to keep you company. 

I visited my friend and grabbed some groceries and didn't do anything special. I really don't celebrate holidays. It doesn't have any meaning for me.

Thus far I've refilled pet waterers, fed kitties and dogs, and cooked for Mom.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I don't think placebo effect applies to controlled experimentation


Actually, it does apply, to get around it you have to have 'double blind' experimentation wherein two groups of people both think they are getting the berries, but one group isn't. And the diagnosers/recorders also don't know which group is which, in order to see if they really worked. If there was a real statistical difference.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> That College believes in America? Huh. weird.


Many college graduates will become soldiers or successful business people or both eventually who know responsibility...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Actually, it does apply, to get around it you have to have 'double blind' experimentation wherein two groups of people both think they are getting the berries, but one group isn't. And the diagnosers/recorders also don't know which group is which, in order to see if they really worked. If there was a real statistical difference.


Actually it doesn't! Why would I need double blind studies to prove something that has worked for 20+ years. Double blind studies might prove probabilities that it would work in a population. 

I'll just make a hypothetical comment. Anecdotal might suggest that it works for ten out of a hundred. That number might not be large enough to make market claims. But if I happened to be in that group of ten why should I worry about the other ninety?

Once there was something wrong with the product and my BP varied until the supplier replaced the product.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Usually go to my cousin's farm July 3 for a big pot luck family party and to watch the fireworks at the nearby suburb, but, like many places this year, they couldn't get the fireworks or workers or something, so that is postponed to July 8. 
This city had fireworks July 2, instead of usual 4th, I didn't know that, so missed them... 
State of Ohio made private fireworks freedom legal, but this Democrats-run city chose to keep them banned... no matter, sounded like a continuous war zone around here all evening... 
For the past week, someone has occasionally been setting off a firework that sounds illegally large... it shakes the houses with the concussion... sounds like the dummy mortar rounds we used to get in the Army with 1/4 lb. of C4 in them... flash so bright it turns off the street lights and they have to work their way back on...


----------



## Eddie_T

We used to like the M-80 tubes that had the fuse in the side and cherry bombs that had  a hard shell. We used to shoot lit cherry bombs high into the air with a slingshot. Both of those had real fuses not paper wrapped powder. I recall some silver salutes as well.


----------



## zannej

Talk of fireworks reminded me of a karma story. The old man across the street raised a son who became a minister and the minister was extremely racist. The old man was racist in terms of his words and opinions but he was gentle and never wanted to hurt anyone, but his son was another story. He was missing some fingers and his mother told everyone it was from a fireworks accident. Then one day the old man admitted to me that his son had gone down to the quarters and had been throwing dynamite blasting caps at black children and one blew up too close to his hand. He was over 18 at the time so he absolutely knew better. Not sure how he got the caps-- I think from somewhere he worked.

My brother cooked some stew meat in a sauce but the sauce cooked down too much so it was too dry. It tasted good though. Needs a more substantial sauce though.

I opened a can of sliced mushrooms and Temjin stole a large piece and ate it. I didn't think she would eat raw mushroom, but she did.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> We used to like the M-80 tubes that had the fuse in the side


The M-80s, M-100s, M-1000s they sell nowadays are nothing like the old ones were!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> ...the minister was extremely racist.


Some still trying to convince us the divide in America is between races... but it's actually between junkies and normal people...


----------



## Eddie_T

A restaurant and catering service closed due to the owner dying with COVID. In divvying up some of the leftovers my buddy ended up wit a gross of wieners and a jar of sliced dill pickles. He gave me a quart of pickles. I ate about half then decided I preferred my sweet hots which were half gone. I am moving dills into the smaller sweet hot jar as space comes available and the result is good.


----------



## 68bucks

My wife makes cold pack pickle mix most years. They stay nice and crunchy for about a year but are still good after that. Small pickles, cauliflower, green tomatoes, and carrots. She uses banana peppers and/or japalpenos depending how hot you want them. After the pickle mix is gone we fill the jar with boiled egss. If you like pickled eggs, they are awesome.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> We used to like the M-80 tubes that had the fuse in the side and cherry bombs that had  a hard shell. We used to shoot lit cherry bombs high into the air with a slingshot. Both of those had real fuses not paper wrapped powder. I recall some silver salutes as well.
> 
> View attachment 28102


M80's were fun until I got one with a fast fuse. Luckily it was on the ground and I instinctively covered my ears, but I never messed around with them again... That was like Divine intervention saying "Those aren't for you"...


----------



## ekrig

My wife and I spent the past Sunday cleaning up our HVAC ducts. We already have ~6x6 cuts by the system. The main duct out of the system was pretty clean, so it was a simply matter of cleaning up the registers. The return duct was very dirty and seemed to still have some pet hair. We don't have pets because my wife is allergic to cats and dogs. (And yet we had  cleaned this before.)

Had to block that duct to the HVAC system and then attached a ventilator to the 6x6 opening using flexible 6" duct, cardboard and lots of tape. Then used a dryer vent cleaning push where possible to release some dust and then used the vacuum in blower mode to push it down. My wife is feeling much better from her allergies. So, if you're having allergy problems, make sure that you have cleaned your AC and vacuumed the whole place.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> My wife makes cold pack pickle mix most years. They stay nice and crunchy for about a year but are still good after that. Small pickles, cauliflower, green tomatoes, and carrots. She uses banana peppers and/or japalpenos depending how hot you want them. After the pickle mix is gone we fill the jar with boiled egss. If you like pickled eggs, they are awesome.



Cold pack... Putting the food in Quart Masons with pickling spices and salt, covering with boiling water, sitting on counter for an hour, sealing, shaking and putting in the fridge?

That's what I do, don't know if it's called "Cold packing"


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Cold pack... Putting the food in Quart Masons with pickling spices and salt, covering with boiling water, sitting on counter for an hour, sealing, shaking and putting in the fridge?
> 
> That's what I do, don't know if it's called "Cold packing"


Yes same process except I think she lests the brine cool first and they have to sit still on the counter for 24 hours before you move them. Basically no processing. A friend of mine also makes fermented pickles in his refrigerator. Small batch at a time. They are really good too.


----------



## Eddie_T

My brother made a pickle press for his wife (Japanese). Basically it was like a book press with a stainless steel threaded rod. It pushed a fitted round of wood down on the pickle mix in a flat bottomed bowl. She would salt cabbage (or whatever) and press the juice out  into the salt. Then after a bit unscrew the press and let the mix reabsorb the juice. I think you can buy plastic versions but I have never tried one. She didn't call it kimchi but that's essentially what she made.


----------



## Flyover

I attempted to install our cartop carrier on my wife's car. Because the car does not have a cargo rack I planned to use ratchet straps routed through the doors and fastened to the "oh-sh**" handles. Alas, my ratchet straps were too short and I won't have time tomorrow to buy longer ones. The installation was cancelled, and instead we will ride crammed in with our luggage, cooler, and Pack-n-Play. Good thing it's only a two-night trip.


----------



## Eddie_T

Para cord loops, but don't use square knots.


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Some still trying to convince us the divide in America is between races... but it's actually between junkies and normal people...


I'm not sure what this has to do with the guy being so racist he was trying to hurt/kill children just for being black. This guy was racist. Race was the reason he targeted them. It had nothing to do with "junkies". 

But, I'm not going to get into an argument on racism.

I still have not heard back from the people who showed interest in the dogs. Not sure if they changed their minds or if they are busy.

I'm about to see if my brother will get out his air pump to fill the tires on the truck. sensors are saying they are low. then I need to go get the inspection sticker renewed.


----------



## HandyOne

To change the subjects.   A photo taken with my phone last evening.


----------



## zannej

That is very pretty, HandOne.

I put air in two tires (that sensor was saying were low). Sensor now says all tires are good. I got the inspection sticker on the truck updated, grabbed some blood sugar test strips from Walmart, and got back home. I did have to get my friend to help me look for my registration so I could get the sticker-- and I was holding the registration in my hand like an idiot. LOL. Friend takes it from me and says "This is the registration". Me "I'm an idiot". We had a good laugh about it though. Next week is his dental appointment. Will have to get up very early for it. I hope the price didn't go up in the time we've been waiting. He got scheduled for it months ago. They have to put him under so he can have the teeth pulled. I'm trying to clean furball cat vomit out of my lap desk right now.


----------



## Eddie_T

Reading a novel where they are sliding raw oysters down their throats with horseradish, lemon juice, tabasco and cocktail sauce. That reminds me that I don't understand why anyone would pay the price for oysters and not chew them. What am I missing here? I have eaten raw oysters but I chewed them thoroughly.


----------



## havasu

I love slurping oysters.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I'm not sure what this has to do with the guy being so racist he was trying to hurt/kill children just for being black. This guy was racist. Race was the reason he targeted them. It had nothing to do with "junkies".


You're obviously one of the people still trying to convince us the divide is between races instead of between normal people with GOOD JUDGEMENT and junkies with BAD JUDGEMENT who murder people for bad reasons!!! 
And/or you've been fooled by the evil FAKE NEWS LIARS who pimp the same lies...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Reading a novel where they are sliding raw oysters down their throats


One year a friend talked me into adding oysters to the Thanksgiving stuffing. Nobody would eat it because it smelled and tasted like it was rotten/spoiled... Rather than waste it, I ate most of it myself, trying to hide the taste under lots of turkey gravy, but wasn't enjoying it like usual.


----------



## Spicoli43

I hadn't seen an Oyster or the Ocean for that matter until I was 10. I walked down to the shore with my M&D where a guy was shucking Oysters. He said "You want one?"... I looked at my Dad, who said "Go for it."... I put the Oyster in my mouth and it slipped down my throat without my approval. Everybody laughed except me, and that ranks right up there on the gross scale for me. I'm not much of a Seafood eater for life because of that.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I'm not much of a Seafood eater for life because of that.


Yeah, I pretty much need seafood baked, breaded/fried, or grilled/broiled... except boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce...


----------



## Spicoli43

Just smelling Shrimp or Crab or Lobster will initiate a sick reaction in me. I can't go to restaurants that serve any of that, which limits me to Burger joints pretty much. Clam Chowder is okay, and Smoked Salmon.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like Oysters Casino I tried Clams Casino but clams are too chewy to suit me me. I tried an octopus strip once, it chewed like a rubber band. After a few minutes I discretely deposited it in the trash.

But back to my oyster question, why eat them raw w/o chewing? Is it just for the slime? Even the slime is masked by horseradish, lemon juice, tabasco and cocktail sauce.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Just smelling Shrimp or Crab or Lobster will initiate a sick reaction in me. I can't go to restaurants that serve any of that, which limits me to Burger joints pretty much. Clam Chowder is okay, and Smoked Salmon.


I don't care for crab... got addicted to lobster tails cooked on the grill and served in butter while in Vietnam... discovered I couldn't afford lobster when I got back home... unless maybe in Maine... lobster might be a good excuse for eating butter... LOL! ... Hard enough to afford butter... 
Got a family party tonight to watch delayed 4th fireworks... may take about 3 cocktail shrimp rings w/ sauce for the potluck... it goes surprisingly fast to my landlubber farmer relatives... maybe because my Dad made sure they all got some lake, boating, swimming, tubing, water skiing experiences in their lives...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> But back to my oyster question, why eat them raw w/o chewing?


Not a question to me... don't like the taste of oysters... maybe they are quickly swallowed whole to avoid the taste...


----------



## Snoonyb

HandyOne said:


> To change the subjects.   A photo taken with my phone last evening.
> 
> View attachment 28109



Red skies in the morning,
Sailors take warning,
Red skies at night,
Sailors delite.


----------



## Snoonyb

havasu said:


> I love slurping oysters.



Any seafood, fresh, raw or prepped.

COSTCO, in ALISO, used to have AHIA TUNA in 4 different heat formulations.
I was a regular.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I don't care for crab... got addicted to lobster tails cooked on the grill and served in butter while in Vietnam... discovered I couldn't afford lobster when I got back home... unless maybe in Maine... lobster might be a good excuse for eating butter... LOL! ... Hard enough to afford butter...
> Got a family party tonight to watch delayed 4th fireworks... may take about 3 cocktail shrimp rings w/ sauce for the potluck... it goes surprisingly fast to my landlubber farmer relatives... maybe because my Dad made sure they all got some lake, boating, swimming, tubing, water skiing experiences in their lives...



I had Crab / Lobster at Fort Lewis that was bad and knocked out 7 or so of us for 3 days while we were hurling our guts out. The way I look at it, it saved me a bunch of future money because it tasted good.


----------



## havasu

BBQ baked oysters on the half shell, topped with horseradish, lemon and cocktail sauce, is my favorite.


----------



## zannej

I've never been a huge fan of seafood. I like it less than I did when I was younger. I used to like clam chowder. I used to like crab OK. Never liked oyster. I liked some fried shrimp and I'll eat it once in a blue moon, but I've had some bad seafood that put me off it. My mother likes shrimp scampi. I like the sauce it comes with, but not the shrimp. Coconut shrimp is ok in small amounts. Chicken is my favorite protein.

Today I picked up oil & filters and my brother's RX. Put engine cleaner in the tank before refueling my truck. My brother has a job interview tomorrow night but we won't be able to get the inspection sticker on the CR-V until Monday or Tuesday.


----------



## Hamberg

Eddie_T said:


> …What am I missing here? I have eaten raw oysters but I chewed them thoroughly.



Dang, been doing it wrong for 40yrs. I always chew.


----------



## zannej

So, I talked to the lady who wants to adopt the dogs. She gave me her life story and got way off topic of the dogs. She offered to pay for the dogs to get spayed and neutered. It costs $1500 at her vet but I know a place that can do it for around $100 I think. I will have to get back to her once I talk to the clinic. She also wants them checked for heartworms and offered to pay. She's got some things going on and can't take them right away. Wants to meet up and have her dogs be introduced to them to see how they get along. She seems nice and she fell in love with them from the photos. She loves that they climb on the bed and doesn't care that they chew stuff. Her husband apparently wants them too after seeing pics.

I'm relaxing today and might see about helping my brother clean out the CR-V if it doesn't get too hot like it did yesterday. Still need to get its inspection sticker.

Brother has a job interview tonight and my friend has a dental appointments Monday and Thursday. I'm going to play chauffeur for all 3 trips.

I watched the season finale of Star Trek:Strange New Worlds and decided to watch some of the original series episodes that were referenced. I found myself yelling at my TV watching the "Balance of Terror" episode when the Romulans fired some plasma ball at Enterprise and they were running away from it in a straight line instead of just moving out of the way. It's like trying to run from a train straight down the tracks instead of jumping off. LOL.


----------



## Spicoli43

How about she adopts them and then takes them to the vet like a normal person?


----------



## zannej

Her vet charges $1500 to neuter a dog. and she needs to prepare for new dogs in the home and make sure her dogs get along with them. But she said even if she can't adopt them she will pay for the spaying and neutering. It's a little odd, but if they take the dogs off my hands eventually (maybe next week or the week after) then I will be happy.

I just cleaned out the back seat of the truck as much as I could. I was going to do more but heat index is 106 and I feel like I'm in a hot swamp. Actually feeling a little lightheaded right now. But its cleared and I leave at 2:15 to head out to meet a neutral place.


----------



## Eddie_T

I sent the application in for the Carolina Dog (100 miles distant) but never heard back. I explained my situation that I need to do approval and pickup in one trip. I also pointed out that I did not want to have a three year old house/kennel dog neutered. I have never had an altered dog and have never experienced a problem situation. I didn't expect to hear from them unless they don't get other prospects.

My son got a St. Bernard/Border Collie mix with no fee other than paying for rabies shot. He was looking for that particular dog (which had lived in his neighborhood) and knew it would eventually be in the pound. They were just categorizing him as aggressive and for put-down. My son said Jack, aggressive, no way! Jack heard his name, recognized my son and became all waggles. The shelter let him go w/o even checking in.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I sent the application in for the Carolina Dog (100 miles distant) but never heard back. I explained my situation that I need to do approval and pickup in one trip. I also pointed out that I did not want to have a three year old house/kennel dog neutered. I have never had an altered dog and have never experienced a problem situation. I didn't expect to hear from them unless they don't get other prospects.
> 
> My son got a St. Bernard/Border Collie mix with no fee other than paying for rabies shot. He was looking for that particular dog (which had lived in his neighborhood) and knew it would eventually be in the pound. They were just categorizing him as aggressive and for put-down. My son said Jack, aggressive, no way! Jack heard his name, recognized my son and became all waggles. The shelter let him go w/o even checking in.



Carolina leopard dog (Catahoula)?

I had one of those, they need constant play or they will wreck your house. After that Girl, I will get literally any other Dog breed.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Carolina leopard dog (Catahoula)?
> 
> I had one of those, they need constant play or they will wreck your house. After that Girl, I will get literally any other Dog breed.


No a Carolina Dog is a native American wild dog breed found in the Savannah River Project (nuclear fuel generation site). It's also called Yaller Dog, American Dingo or Dixie Dingo.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I used to like clam chowder.
> 
> Today I picked up oil & filters and my brother's RX.


I like canned New England style clam chowder over egg noodles... can't stand Manhattan style clam chowder... 
My car seemed to be using a lot of oil... then dripping oil... then oil pouring out of it... I suspected a rusted out oil filter... when I checked, the oil filter wasn't even very tight... so I changed the oil and filter... seems to have solved that problem...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Her vet charges $1500 to neuter a dog.


Be careful you don't get scammed in some tricky way...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I found myself yelling at my TV watching the "Balance of Terror" episode when the Romulans fired some plasma ball at Enterprise and they were running away from it in a straight line instead of just moving out of the way.


Maybe by then plasma balls are capable of tracking a target when it turns... like our current rockets can... first by heat seeking... now by radar/remote control...


----------



## Spicoli43

Been watching a cool series called "Mysteries Of The Outdoors"... Lots of stuff you didn't think was possible, and you might just write it all off as BS. On the other hand, you might think about it. Some real weird stuff happens in National Parks...


----------



## Flyover

Mowed and weed wacked yesterday, overdue by about a week. I wanted to let the clover flowers stay for as long as possible so the bees could have at it. Then later I took my eldest to the pool. I was supposed to swim 10 laps and swam 10.5. I guess the extra length was a consolation prize for not getting to lift weights. 

It was a hot sunny Saturday afternoon but the pool was practically empty. Maybe everyone stayed in their houses to look at screens.

We suspended our search for a dog until we don't have to change diapers anymore.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover, do you let the grass stay long, like 4"? I'm trying that this year as I have heard that's the way to go because it won't let weeds invade. 

As far as Dog adoption, a great site is 









						► Rescue Me!
					

Adopt Dogs, Cats, Horses, Birds




					www.rescueme.org


----------



## zannej

I had a catahoula dog before. She was a sweetheart.

I don't like Manhattan clam chowder either. I stopped eating it bc I kept getting grains of sand or shell in mine and every time I hit that texture it would trigger a gag reflex. Not sure why.

I met with the people who want the dog and they met the dogs. The husband wanted to take them home right then but the wife freaked out because they have fleas and there was no place open on the weekend that would give flea baths and she was afraid of infesting her other dogs with fleas. I can understand. Her husband was getting annoyed with her and said she was being unreasonable with me and what she expected from me and he apologized to me but we both said we didn't want to give her anxiety. She's a bit neurotic I think. She wants me to get them tested for heartworms and she'll pay for it. She gave me $40 for gas for coming out. Husband was disappointed that the pups didn't go home with them but said he can wait until she feels more secure about it. She said even if she doesn't ultimately adopt them she wants to help pay for stuff for them. They both loved the dogs. The husband cuddled with them through the window and they were very sweet and liked him and his wife. Jelly threw up on the way there and they both threw up on the way back. Bumpy roads and all.

I really do hope they will take the dogs even if we end up paying for treatment stuff It will be worth it to get them rehomed.

After getting back from meeting them I had to take my brother to a job interview. I spent the entirety of his interview trying to find a place to park. Finally found a faraway spot, parked, and walked in just as he was finishing and coming out. Got home and nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Mom wanted food and I tagged him in to get it for her before I went and just about passed out. He reported that she had a mini tantrum because I wasn't cooking for her but once he gave her the food she got quiet and ate. She complained to me later that he didn't cut up her chicken for her. He told me he asked her if she wanted him to and she said "no". Of course, she also told him that she told me not to wake him up the other day when she was the one who sent me to wake him up. LOL.

I'm just waking up now and I want to do something productive but my body doesn't want to move.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I wanted to let the clover flowers stay for as long as possible so the bees could have at it. Then later I took my eldest to the pool. I was supposed to swim 10 laps and swam 10.5.
> We suspended our search for a dog until we don't have to change diapers anymore.


I have a patch of clover about 5 feet square where the driveway meets the road so I just left it unmowed for now since the blooms looked like a flower bed. (Spell Check doesn't like that word "unmowed") 
I consider the water a fun place so just splash around, horse play, dive, swim, water ski, tube, surf board, go underwater, etc... don't count anything... 
I'd like to have another dog or cat, but as a single person now don't want to be tied down to taking care of them/paying for their extended care...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> the wife freaked out because they have fleas


If the dogs have fleas, I suspect you and the other pets and the house have fleas... may be contributing to some of the health problems you keep mentioning... 
I can tell when I'm around fleas because they find me delicious... I'll have bites all over my ankles and lower legs...


----------



## Eddie_T

Ridding a house of fleas is no easy task. All three stages would be present; eggs, larva and fleas. The fleas jump off the host to lay eggs, the eggs hatch into larva which squirm around in the dust bedding and etc. When the larva turn into fleas they find a host and complete the circle. I guess that would be a circle of thirds rather than fifths (for the musicians out there).


----------



## Spicoli43

Some websites claim there are fleas here, but I have never seen one on any animal. I don't know anybody that has seen them, and the Vet's office doesn't even talk about it. Most of the people I know have lived in other states like me and know what a flea infestation looks like. I'm curious about other Northern states East of N. Dakota, as there is nothing living through their winters either.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Some websites claim there are fleas here, but I have never seen one on any animal. I don't know anybody that has seen them, and the Vet's office doesn't even talk about it. Most of the people I know have lived in other states like me and know what a flea infestation looks like. I'm curious about other Northern states East of N. Dakota, as there is nothing living through their winters either.


Fleas are here in N.W. Ohio... Fleas are tough... get one between your fingers and squeeze hard as you can, you can't kill it... have to smear your fingers together while pressing... they can jump about 3 feet... they claim flee eggs can live in an abandoned house for 30 years... then when someone walks through the house the eggs sense the vibration and hatch... had about $85 in flea bombs and they didn't do anything... complained to the company and they sent my money back... said certain bombs work with certain kinds of fleas... tried one application of Black Flag bombs and that killed them off... that was about 40 years ago...


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, you could probably draw a straight line and slice Wyoming in half. The upper part of WY rarely gets below zero, and the bottom half doesn't. I'm just basing the "No Flea" theory on the real cold winters here because that's the only variable that makes sense. It has nothing to do with Heat. When I was a kid in WA, my parents did a bug bomb once a year or so, and every Dog had fleas that I can remember.


----------



## BuzzLOL

If an area doesn't seem to have fleas, it's probably because most people keep them killed off... and don't mention them before getting them killed off again... have flea collars on dogs and cats... it gets as low as -20 F. around here... although not much lately...


----------



## Spicoli43

I would have to see them. I don't remember those flea collars ever working.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I would have to see them. I don't remember those flea collars ever working.











						HARTZ UltraGuard Flea & Tick Collar for Cats, 1 Collar (7-mos. supply) - Chewy.com
					

Buy Hartz UltraGuard Flea & Tick Collar for Cats, 1 Collar (7-mos. supply) at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




					www.chewy.com


----------



## Eddie_T

My. wolf-dog never had fleas. We had a cat that would get fleas but my wife would bathe her to get rid of them so we missed having an infestation.

I have never had a flea collar that worked but they may have improved them in recent years.


----------



## zannej

My vet told me it is impossible to get rid of fleas in my area because I'm in the woods and the fleas are outside as well as inside. I have 30 acres that are partially wooded and a forest around on 3 sides. The deer, possums, squirrels, rabbits, mice, rats, etc all carry fleas. The moisture makes it the perfect environment. They are in the house, in the vehicles, and all over. I have tried flea collars, flea pills, flea drops, diatomaceous earth, flea powder, spray, etc and nothing has worked. The monthly flea pills for the dogs don't even work for a week. We give our older dogs flea pills and they have flea collars.
Once the puppies are gone, I will lock all pets out of the front room and put some flea powder in the carpet and vacuum. I'll make sure its not Hartz brand though. That stuff kills pets but not fleas.
The lady who wants the pups promised she will take them but is not sure if she can afford to pay for some of the treatments/etc for them. Quite frankly, if it gets them off my hands, I'm willing to pay for the spaying/neutering and heartworm shots just so I won't have to deal with them anymore. My brother is about ready to shoot them. He's started kicking them whenever they get in front of him. 
I'm trying to get myself to go to sleep since I have to be up early but my brain keeps reminding me that I have to think about getting up early. Taking my friend for a dental consultation and then I'm staining a door he put up.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I guess that would be a circle of thirds rather than fifths


Major thirds gets you a repetition of the same 3 notes, minor thirds gets you the same 4, so I guess a 3-stage lifecycle means a circle of major thirds. The "happy" interval...not so much when you're scratching flea bites!

When our cat had fleas years ago I used to catch them; smudging between thumb and forefinger didn't kill them either, I had to pinch them between my nails.


----------



## Eddie_T

When we lived in Florida fleas were common. We had a Doberman and a Poodle and just washed them often and used kennel flea/tick spray concentrate. I looked at ingredients finding that it was the same as in the small bottles for dip but considerably less per ounce. Fleas can't stand sun and heat. I have been sitting in the sun with the Dobe and saw fleas moving for the shady side of the dog (time for a spritz and wipe down). Don't believe the naysayers it just takes persistence.

Getting rid of fleas | CDC


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> When we lived in Florida fleas were common. We had a Doberman and a Poodle and just washed them often and used kennel flea/tick spray concentrate. I looked at ingredients finding that it was the same as in the small bottles for dip but considerably less per ounce. Fleas can't stand sun and heat. I have been sitting in the sun with the Dobe and saw fleas moving for the shady side of the dog (time for a spritz and wipe down). Don't believe the naysayers it just takes persistence.
> 
> Getting rid of fleas | CDC



The problem with the recommendations of the CDC and the Veterinarians is it's all chemical poisoning. The chemicals absorb through the animal's skin (and humans) and affect every organ. Then the sickness that results from that is treated with more chemicals.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> The problem with the recommendations of the CDC and the Veterinarians is it's all chemical poisoning. The chemicals absorb through the animal's skin (and humans) and affect every organ. Then the sickness that results from that is treated with more chemicals.


That is a concern but unfortunately one has to choose an option live with flea infestation or use chemicals.

I mixed some 1% povidone-iodine for my nasal spritzer and used it last evening and today since I went out for supper.


----------



## Spicoli43

Nah, there is tons of plant based options.





__





						herbs that fleas hate at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Nah, there is tons of plant based options.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> herbs that fleas hate at DuckDuckGo
> 
> 
> DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> duckduckgo.com


They may repel (or not) but home infestation is a whole 'nother story.


----------



## Flyover

If the plant-based options aren't also chemicals (probably derived from the plants' own poisons used for self-defense), what are they?


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> If the plant-based options aren't also chemicals (probably derived from the plants' own poisons used for self-defense), what are they?


Good point! Digitalis is made from foxglove and can prove quite poisonous.


----------



## Flyover

I was really just being pedantic though. I know what Spicoli meant and was giving him a hard time. He means manufactured chemicals, not found in nature, that are likely to harm our bodies or otherwise lead to health problems if absorbed or applied topically. And I agree, it's a good idea to avoid those if you can.

I still haven't installed the new faucet, and other DIY tasks are adding up. Work has been unusually busy the last few months!

I got my son off training wheels a couple days ago (much, much easier and faster than I expected; he basically got the hang of it immediately), and then yesterday his baby sister came along and somehow managed to pop the inner tube on his front tire by pulling on the valve, so I have been hearing nonstop requests from him to put the new tube in. If I get a chance I hope to do it tomorrow.


----------



## Eddie_T

Agreed.

There is a solution to the problem but it is difficult and time consuming. Bathe all the animals and place them in uninfested containment. Do the best to clear the house and property then introduce one clean animal that is easily bathed. Bathe it daily as it becomes a host and reduce the frequency of bathing as the flea count with bathing diminishes. I have forgotten how long this must continue to break the cycle.

I did it once but I was the host and I would walk a pattern every morning with bared lower legs and a small jar of water with a strong detergent solution. I would wet my finger and when a flea jumped on my ankle I would touch it and deposit it in the water. My wife, dog and cat were at her mom's so I was the only one in the house. After 20 minutes or so there would be no more captures and I would carefully spray (avoiding over spray) the path with a strong insecticide. I repeated this daily until I got no more hits. When wife and  animals returned returned we kept close watch on them and bathed often. Fortunately the dog was a toy poodle and the cat was a Maine Coon that loved a bath. My wife used a comb to remove addled fleas and place them in a strong detergent solution.

I knew a lady that lived in Amite that had cats and no fleas but she didn't let them go outdoors.


----------



## zannej

Bathing 15 cats, 4 dogs, and 2 cows daily is not happening. LOL. I've lived with fleas around almost my whole life so its not a big deal to me. I will do what I can to reduce their numbers though.

Didn't get to stain the door for my friend because he wants to move it over first. I need to drop a charger off at his house tomorrow bc he lost his for his cordless drill. Also need to get inspection sticker for CR-V and put new registration sticker on it. It sat for over a year so it will need other maintenance. My brother has to go to the casino and get drug tested and show them his birth certificate. Requiring bc is asinine in a place where a lot of people have lost their homes and personal documents. I still remember when a friend of mine needed to get an ID (he can't drive for medical reasons) and his mother refused to give him his ss card and birth certificate. He couldn't get one without the other. I eventually found the right forms for him to fill out if he'd lost both and he works as a technician at an eye doctor now.


----------



## Eddie_T

You are a first for me. I have never heard of anyone before that could tolerate living with fleas or letting their animals suffer. After our experience we would go into DEFCON 3 if we saw just one flea or even flea scat on an animal.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, I'm going to do my best to reduce the numbers but I'm being realistic about not being able to kill all the fleas-- particularly when they are all around in the woods and I have 30 acres. My vet told me straight up that it is impossible to get rid of all of the fleas- especially the ones outside. Its not that I want to let my animals suffer, but I can't get rid of the fleas entirely.

Just got bad news from the woman who wanted to adopt the dog- she said they can't take the dogs and not to contact her again. I guess she and her husband were fighting about it. So, I will have to find someone else to take them or find a shelter to drop them at. I guess she didn't want further contact because she was afraid I'd make her feel guilty about them going to a shelter or being separated. But I sent one last message thanking her for info she provided to help my friend with his dental and that was it. I may have to post them on FB marketplace or ask the school busdriver (who shares a property line with me) if he knows someone who can take them.

Got inspection sticker and registration sticker on the CR-V so it is running. My brother drives it terribly but it has good insurance and he's on it. I don't know how someone can fishtail in a vehicle like that, but he does. And he almost went through 2 red lights bc he wasn't paying attention. Might have been tired. Tried to go through the car wash but it was broken.


----------



## Eddie_T

A vet isn't necessarily a smart person when it comes to pest control (IOW that's not medicine). I have five acres of woods and critters so I know there are fleas and ticks out there. My kennel is in the edge of the woods but it was never infested with fleas. Fleas cannot exist without a host. If they are in the grass there is a host (or hosts) that is supporting them (fleas don't eat grass). 

A lawn area can be sprayed to break the cycle and create a buffer zone and certainly the house can be treated. Keep the lawn mowed close as fleas can't stand heat and it makes it easier to spray.You have entirely too many animals. You should have only the number you can easily manage and give proper attention to. As long as you seek and accept excuses (such as quoting your vet) you will make no progress.


----------



## HandyOne

BuzzLOL said:


> One year a friend talked me into adding oysters to the Thanksgiving stuffing. Nobody would eat it because it smelled and tasted like it was rotten/spoiled... Rather than waste it, I ate most of it myself, trying to hide the taste under lots of turkey gravy, but wasn't enjoying it like usual.



When Mom made stuffing and now the times I make it, oysters are squished into the bread crumbs.


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## Eddie_T

I used to like oyster stew but not clam chowder so much. Clams are too chewy to suit me. I quit eating oysters when I realized that their purpose (as with other bottom feeders) in the grand scheme of things is to filter water.


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## zannej

You have a point. I really need to get an exterminator out Also need to get the showers fixed so I can at least try to wash some of them. I wish there was good flea treatment for cows. The younger cow is skittish and barely lets me touch her most of the time. I can try more diatomaceous earth.
We've always had fleas out here so its something we got used to over the years. But we're also used to living in messy house. 
Was petting one of my cats when suddenly he spazzed and went full shark mode the other day. Chomped my arm. I think I touched a spot that irritated him or something or he `was mad about another cat being near.


I know its not the healthiest lifestyle but I love my kitties. Still working on rehoming the pups. The lady who wanted them sent another message apologizing giving her list of problems in life and said she'd text me again. Said she still wants to help with heartworm treatment and such. I told her not to stress over it. She apparently had some sort of panic attack. Her husband still wants the dogs but she said it would take a lot of work to prepare the house for it. Again, I told her not to worry and to take care of her health.
Bro is going to be late for his job thing bc he thought it was 2:30 but I reminded him it was 2 so he's rushing out the door now.


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## Spicoli43

I still have a product called "Flee Flea" that I can't find online other than in New Zealand. I used it where there were fleas and it worked. The Dogs that had a few fleas no longer had them. Here's a supplement I haven't heard of, and there's Thousands of others...









						100Tablets Flea Tick Medication Medicine Pills Mosquito Repellent for Dogs& Cats  | eBay
					

No more bites: The difference from alternate flea repellents is with Flea Away, fleas are naturally diverted from your pet before biting your pet. sourced and manufactured in the USA for year round use.



					www.ebay.com
				




Here's natural repellants...






						natural repellents to fleas at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com
				




For every chemical poison created by publicly traded companies that DON'T test them, there are MANY natural alternatives.


----------



## zannej

I know I'm never using a Hartz brand product every again. Not sure on the other stuff but what we have tried hasn't worked. 
Chewy has something called Natural Chemistry Natural Flea Spray but I think I'd want a gallon of it. LOL. Says to keep out of reach of children though. Hmm.. Supposedly safe for cats but I can't read the whole warning label part from the online pics.
I'd get 5 gallons of it if it worked and didn't harm the pets.
Picking up my friend's dentures today but waiting for the right time for it. Sleepy as hell right now. I tried to order something from HomeDepot but it wanted to text me a code to confirm login-- to my landline. And I can't change my phone number in the system without it texting a code. I really hate modern tech sometimes and the insistence that everyone *has* to have a cellphone and get texts.


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## Eddie_T

I find the natural stuff to be overpriced just because they can get away with it. They are not scrupulous just because they use natural ingredients which may (or may not work). I look at the the ingredients and decide whether (or not) to try my own concoction. In the case of the chewy spray the ingredients are cinnamon, cedar and clove oils in a low percentage along with a lot of water and some surfactant. I have tried aromatic cedar chip dog beds with little (if any) results.

Sadly essential oil sprays outdoors do not linger and are repellents rather than sudden death killers, That's why one generally has to use insecticides. I would suspect the naturals would work better (if at all) on animals if applied every day as well which becomes a hassle if you have more than a couple of animals.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I know I'm never using a Hartz brand product every again. Not sure on the other stuff but what we have tried hasn't worked.
> Chewy has something called Natural Chemistry Natural Flea Spray but I think I'd want a gallon of it. LOL. Says to keep out of reach of children though. Hmm.. Supposedly safe for cats but I can't read the whole warning label part from the online pics.


Sodium Lauryl Sulfate isn't good for any living thing, but that's the only bad ingredient.


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## Flyover

We had fleas in our lawn last year, courtesy of a neighbor's dog. The solution was to mow it short and keep it short, and a guy came out and sprayed a chemical on it once or twice, just around the periphery of the house. We checked and made sure that chemical would not harm the bees and other pollinators.


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## mabloodhound

HandyOne said:


> When Mom made stuffing and now the times I make it, oysters are squished into the bread crumbs.


You have to use oysters from the USA, not those canned ones from Vietnam, etc.


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## zannej

I found some stuff that contains natural ingredients- clove, and other strong-smelling stuff. Some of it supposedly kills fleas without being harmful to cats and dogs. I'm going to get some and try to eliminate fleas inside, put some diatomaceous earth around the perimeter in the house, and find something pet-safe to spray around the immediate yard. Strangely, even though the pet carpet powder didn't advertise itself as killing or deterring fleas, the flea population reduced after I spread it around the front room.

Brother called on me to leave early to take him places because he needed my $ to pay for some things. He lost the court documents I told him to keep in a safe place. On the way out the door the door wouldn't shut. Bottom hinge came off the door and screws were bent and it wouldn't go back on. Left with the door closed as much as it would go (kept hitting the wall) bc we didn't have time. Entire car trip to the post office (where my brother needed a money order) he was trying to look something up online. He yelled at me when I told him to just call the courthouse and ask about the replacement documents. We got to the post office, I googled the phone number, called the courthouse and found out the info in 2 minutes. He was insisting they *had* to give him the paperwork for free. I told him "This courthouse won't do ANYTHING for free". $10 to get copies of the minutes. But they take cash and not money order and I had $10. Drove him all the way down to the courthouse and he got the documents. Then to the casino to drop off some paperwork but his handwriting was illegible so he has to refill some of the forms and drop it off later. I waited in the car 40min. About 30min in I called him to ask what was going on and he yelled at me. I seriously considered leaving him and driving off.

There was a funny bit where I stopped to drop him off and had to back up to find parking. I stopped, put it in park to unlock doors and let him out. He gets out and starts to walk. I put it in reverse and doors auto lock. He grabs the door and tries to open it and starts to get mad. I put it in park (easier to do that than hit unlock button) and he grabs something. I put it in reverse and he grabs door again and gets irritated. I put it in park and he reaches in and gets something else he forgot. I put it in reverse again and yet again he grabs the door. Back in park and he reaches in and snaps at me about why I keep locking the doors instantly. I told him "They lock automatically, dumbazz!" Forty minutes later he called me to tell me he forgot the money order. My legs weren't cooperating so I limped my way there and brought it to him but by then they were about to close and he needed to fill out more stuff. He wanted to sit there and fill it out but I told him I needed to pick something up and we were running out of time.

As an aside, ever see the Jack Links "messin with sasquatch" commercial where the guy says "Hey buddy, want a ride?" and then keeps moving the car every time he tried to get in? I was tempted to do that to my brother. He really should have just driven his own fat butt over there but I thought he just had to drop stuff off and not wait to meet with someone.

He continued to kvetch at me and I told him that if I didn't have somewhere else to go I wouldn't have minded staying but I was now running late bc of his crap. About an hour later friend calls in a panic that the denture place said I hadn't picked them up yet. I was 7 minutes away. I told him to call them and let them know I was almost there. Got in 3 minutes before closing and grabbed the dentures.

I did have to stop for gas on the way so that slowed us down a little. Grabbed some Wendy's grilled chicken sammich and headed to my friend's house. Dropped off his dentures, picked him up, took him to the house so he could fix the door (I can't bend that well). I had a bucket of screws nearby so he was able to pull old screws out, put new screws in, then pulled short screws out of the middle hinge and replaced them with long screws. Door shuts now. Took him back to his house and then rushed home to eat my Wendy's. I asked my brother to cook for Mom while I was going out the door. That way I could eat in peace when I got back.

I have to get up before 6am tomorrow to take him to get his teeth pulled.


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## zannej

Got up at 5:30am. Stumbled over pets and made it to the door. Dodged logging trucks on the road. Picked up my friend, took him to the appointment and waited. Less than an hour later they were done. Took him to the pharmacy and had to wait until 9 for them to open so he could fill his RX. Then had to wait for it to get filled. Got him ice packs and stuff to clean his dentures. They put him under instead of numbing him and he was in pain. Took him back home, went to the nearest store to get salt (he's supposed to soak his mouth in warm saltwater tomorrow). The pain was really bad. He was rocking back and forth and hugging a pillow. I stayed with him until his mother showed up. She went and grabbed something from the store for him and I headed home since he's got someone to check on him. I'm certain she's going to hit him up for $. She was talking out loud about how she wanted to steal some of his tools.

The husband of the woman I've been talking to about adopting the dogs called and said he wants me to get them heartworm tested & such asap and to bring them out to our previous meeting place on Saturday or he can come out here and pick them up. He desperately wants them. His wife's parents are dying right now-- looks like the father is going first-- and she's not handling it well. She wanted me to get them flea baths but hubby said not to worry about that. He doesn't want me to jump through hoops to have them adopt. He said he will pay for the vet treatments and worry about spaying/neutering.

Waiting for my brother to get up so we can take the dogs to the vet. Won't be until afternoon though. I can't manage both dogs at the office so I need help. If my friend hadn't just had dental surgery I'd ask him.


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## zannej

After I got home my brother asked me to take him to the casino to turn in some paperwork "real quick". His eyes were blurry & he didn't trust himself driving. I drove him over and he filled out paperwork he messed up the first time (he refused to do it at home). He messed it up again. I sat there for 2 hours waiting this time. At least there were some nice people around and I saw a friend who works in the uniform section (as in, they distribute the clothes). Got back home and tripped over the pups on the way in. Finally got my brother to stop dawdling and help me with dogs but they were missing. Hopped in the truck and drove down the road. Almost stopped at the fork but kept going and saw them coming out of neighbor's yard. Got out and had to chase them around a bit. Caught Peanutbutter first and put her in, then went for Jelly. But she kept jumping out. She knocked a toy out before I shut her in. Jelly grabbed the toy and had me chasing him in circles. I had to grab him and shove him in the front seat. Did I mention they played in the mud?
Drove back and got my brother to come along. Put collars on them and got to vet's office. Jelly fought the leash at first but then cooperated. Peanutbutter fought the entire way. Negative on heartworm test so they got the shot. Also got digestive tract deworming. The guy who wants them called the office and gave his payment info and said what he wanted them to have. Picked up flea pills for them. Meeting Saturday so they can take them home. I just hope they don't try to run off again. They didn't trust me after all the needles and I had to carry them both inside. I did give them treats once they calmed down.


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## Flyover

I fixed a flat on my son's bike. That's about it DIY-wise. Work has been busy, plus lack of childcare has made it difficult to get anything done around the house (not that nothing has gotten done). I'm sitting here procrastinating on doing the dishes, but I'm getting up now to go do them.


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## zannej

I've been procrastinating on a lot of things. I think Friday will be a day of rest for me. I'm hoping anyway. Might need to take friend back to the dentist if his bleeding doesn't stop. I think the pain meds are working for him at least. He was really in a lot of pain. I came close to slapping his mother bc she was taking pictures of him holding a bag of frozen fruit to his face and she was laughing about it. She has a pic of him with the frozen fruit bag flipping her off. I suppose laughing is her way of coping but I don't think she has much empathy for him or anyone else.
I'm going to take some magnesium in the morning and hope it helps with the body aches I'm having. Bending and lifting the dogs multiple times did not help my back.

We still need to fix the flat on my brother's truck... Or at least just put air in it.


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## Eddie_T

Zannej, I have heard that tea bags will help stop bleeding.


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## Flyover

Today I did 60 chinups in 10 minutes.


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## zannej

Eddie, you're right. When I had a tooth pulled it bled for more than 24hrs so I grabbed the 1st teabag I could find-- English breakfast tea or something. Fortunately, it tasted good. LOL. I kept that in for a few hours and bleeding stopped. I've been offering to bring my friend some teabags. My brother has been joking that he's going to teabag him. Haven't heard back from him.

People adopting the dogs are running late due to weather & traffic. Bumped meeting time back an hour. Gives me time to take Pepto again. Guts don't like me today.

I'm going to miss the pups but I am so glad they are going.


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## zannej

Pups have officially been adopted now. They were excited when they saw the guy. They were wagging their tails and looking at him lovingly. They remembered him. I got them new leashes to make it easier to control them. They didn't want to go back into a vehicle, but we got them loaded up in the car. I said goodbye, and he left. I went into the store to grab some stuff after.

Got home and some delivery service left my neighbor's package on the back of my truck. Not sure which service as I had to run inside and go to the bathroom while my brother went and looked. Having a digestive tract issue today.

I'm going to miss cuddling the pups but I'm not going to miss cleaning up after them, hiding my cookware if they are out while I'm cooking, nearly getting knocked over, having to put my shoes in a plastic bin, and struggling to get through the front room. Now I can organize more and when the flea spray arrives I can use it liberally in that room first and then in other rooms around the house.


----------



## Flyover

What a day. We decided to delay our family trip to the zoo to the afternoon because it was raining all morning. So I tried to take advantage of the freed up morning to install the new faucet.

Three obstacles presented themselves immediately. First, very poor access. So I had to remove the face of the cabinet and both the drawers. Second, the plastic nuts securing the old faucet to the vanity top were installed upside down so I had no way to get a purchase on them. I had to use a combination of blow dryer, destructive methods, and lots of bitter cursing to get them off. 

But it was the third problem that I'm still living with. Whichever idiot installed the fixtures didn't put shut off valves in the cabinet. In fact they are nowhere to be seen. 

So to swap out the faucet I had to shut off water to the whole house, and until the new faucet is properly installed I can't turn it back on.

Well, it turns out the cold water supply connection, which has a plastic cuff, cannot be reinstalled on the new faucet without leaking a heavy sprayof water everywhere. Which I can't detect quickly because to turn the water on and off I have to go down three flights of steps to the basement and then back up to check.

And when it does leak like this, the water drips through the floor and pours into the room below, so I get to run around with towels and buckets and my plumbers sponge. I've cleaned over a gallon off the floor by now. Fun.

So after a whole morning of that, plus another hour after we got back from the zoo, I said uncle and called a plumber.


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## zannej

Flyover that really sucks. I never liked the idea of having drawers under sinks. Reminds me of a joke:
Why are cabinets off the floor and hard to get into? Because the cabinetmaker caught the plumber with his wife.

Not sure why you can't get the old one connected without leaks-- maybe not the right fitting? Or maybe it broke/stripped?  I hope the plumber will install some shutoffs.

I'm still having stomach issues to the point it is causing minor bleeding. Ugh. I've been lying in bed for hours trying not to move much, but I know I'm going to have to get up and make dinner after going to the bathroom again and am not looking forward to going to the bathroom again. I feel slightly nauseous.

My cat Itsy is making cute noises at me and grabbing my face with her paws because she wants me to get up.


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## Flyover

After three outgoing phone calls to the plumber dispatch, each call ending with them giving me a promise to call me back with an eta, I never heard from the plumber. So for tonight and tomorrow morning at least we have no running water. (But we do have five sweaty people who spent a day at the zoo.)

I'll be calling a different plumber and you can bet I'll ask him or her to install shutoffs! Until then I'm thinking about the spare supply lines I've got in my garage and how hard it might be to swap one in first thing in the morning...


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> After three outgoing phone calls to the plumber dispatch, each call ending with them giving me a promise to call me back with an eta, I never heard from the plumber. So for tonight and tomorrow morning at least we have no running water. (But we do have five sweaty people who spent a day at the zoo.)
> 
> I'll be calling a different plumber and you can bet I'll ask him or her to install shutoffs! Until then I'm thinking about the spare supply lines I've got in my garage and how hard it might be to swap one in first thing in the morning...


Is it Pex?


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Is it Pex?


No, it is not. My house was built in the late 70s, it's all copper, supply lines to fixtures are the braided metal stuff except for this one which is the white cris-crossed flexible plastic stuff. Looks like this:


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## zannej

If its copper you may at least temporarily be able to get sharkbite pushfit to mip shutoffs and then connect those lines to it. SharkBite 1/2 in. Push-to-Connect x 1/2 in. MIP Chrome-Plated Brass Quarter-Turn Straight Stop Valve 24947


Should probably be 1/2" size. It should slip right on to the copper. 

Lady who got the doggies called me and was telling me how much she loves them. Started sobbing because she's so happy. Dogs came over to comfort her. She's going to keep me updated on them. Wants to send me money. She feels bad that I might miss them. She's more attached to them than I ever was. I'll miss them a bit. They already get along with the other dogs & they are super cuddly already. They don't want treats, they just want cuddles.

Stomach is still being crappy so I'm going to bed now.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> If its copper you may at least temporarily be able to get sharkbite pushfit to mip shutoffs and then connect those lines to it. SharkBite 1/2 in. Push-to-Connect x 1/2 in. MIP Chrome-Plated Brass Quarter-Turn Straight Stop Valve 24947
> View attachment 28122
> 
> Should probably be 1/2" size. It should slip right on to the copper.
> 
> Lady who got the doggies called me and was telling me how much she loves them. Started sobbing because she's so happy. Dogs came over to comfort her. She's going to keep me updated on them. Wants to send me money. She feels bad that I might miss them. She's more attached to them than I ever was. I'll miss them a bit. They already get along with the other dogs & they are super cuddly already. They don't want treats, they just want cuddles.
> 
> Stomach is still being crappy so I'm going to bed now.


Yeah, Sharkbite is the way to go. I replaced several standard sink valves with SB, and will probably do the rest this Summer.


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## ekrig

Personally, plumbing is not a DIY task I enjoy doing but calling a plumber for a small repair is also quite expensive. I always keep several sets of pipe caps on my plumbing box (2-3 sharkbite end caps, 2-3 copper cap fittings (for soldering), and 2 screw-on). Also a good idea to have a sharkbite bypass in the event a pipe sprungs a leak. In that case, just the affected part off and add the bypass. Maybe not a permanent solution but enough to get things going while one can get proper supplies from the store.

My main water shut-off valve is leaky and still lets some water pass when closed, so being able to close an end and get to business is paramount. Replacing the main shut-off valve and gas pipes-related work is where I draw the line. Will need to get a plumber to replace that main water valve at some point...


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## ekrig

Yesterday, my wife and I went for our usual walk. It seems that wild raspberries are starting to become ripe so we got a nice bunch.


One must watch out for poison ivy though because it is everywhere this year and I already got a major reaction earlier in spring.


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## BuzzLOL

Had a tooth pulled Friday... they put some gauze on it and gave me extra gauze... it stopped bleeding in a few minutes and never used the extra... offered me a Rx for Motrin pain reliever, but I turned it down... prolly should have asked for an Rx for some antibiotic, though, to quell infection in the tooth roots area...


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## Flyover

The plumber got here at 8 this morning, installed 1/4 turn shutoffs and working supply lines. Life is back to normal. It was expensive but I console myself with the fact that I now have shutoffs to that sink and he got it all done in a little over an hour where it probably would have taken me all morning if not longer ("A happy wife..." and all that). So it stings but not too bad.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover, if in your situation, I would map out every part of your entire plumbing grid and replace it all with Pex. Once you buy the cutter, crimper, and rings, you will probably never have to call a plumber again.


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Flyover, if in your situation, I would map out every part of your entire plumbing grid and replace it all with Pex. Once you buy the cutter, crimper, and rings, you will probably never have to call a plumber again.


I like that idea, but I don't think it's a worthwhile thing for me to do. I don't plan to live in this house forever, and aside from this weird feature of my two upstairs bathroom sinks I haven't encountered, and don't expect to encounter, any other serious issues with the plumbing.

I do have a strong sense that my next house is going to be one I build from the ground up, so when that time comes I will take this advice into consideration!


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## Spicoli43

Fair enough, and most people probably wouldn't even know to check if the lines were Pex. That being said, if I were shopping for a house, any location without Pex gets put at the bottom unless it has at least an acre, a shop with a lift etc... Yes, the odds of that are slim, but it would make me forget about the expense of the Pex run I have to do.


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## BuzzLOL

I'm perfectly happy with the old plastic hot/cold lines and copper I put in 40 years ago... a lot of these newer systems fail quickly...


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## zannej

I was doing fine with my PVC (as a note, PVC is no longer allowed for cold water lines) and CPVC lines for decades but we had that really bad winter storm both PVC & CPVC get brittle over the years. Some of the PVC and ALL of the CPVC under the house ruptured. It had never gotten cold enough to rupture them before but that winter storm did it. Had to replace it all with PEX. Now, PEX can get chewed by critters so that is something to keep in mind. 

My guts still hate me and I'm still nauseous today. I forgot about a package delivered for my neighbor that was put on the back of my brother's truck. I'm not going over there feeling like this and the only phone number I could find for her is disconnected. Will have to get my brother to find out which carrier it was and call them to come get it and deliver it to her properly. I'm not their delivery service. I wonder how many of our packages they kept or threw out. They used to deliberately intercept them & Fedex would let them. I had to complain over 20x about them giving my packages to thieves before they finally stopped. I had to explain that they used intercepting my packages as an excuse to trespass bc they were not allowed over here & they would look for stuff to steal as they had stolen many things in the past & that I was having to run them off all the time when I caught them trying to steal stuff.

Flyover, I'm glad you got the plumbing fixed.


----------



## Flyover

I installed a bidet attachment yesterday. It went without any issue, but I hope I won't have to do any more plumbing for a while!


----------



## zannej

Flyover, Nice! The bidets are so useful. If you turn them on to just a trickle they can help with rinsing the bowl when cleaning the toilet. Mine has been helpful with my current digestive predicament.

Talked to my friend and he's already gone back to work but feeling a bit weak. However, he's super excited about his dentures and is already feeling more confident. I hope he'll feel confident enough to kick his abusive gf to the curb.

Stomach is a little bit better. I cooked for Mom earlier, ate some fruit, and am currently cooking yellow rice (per mom's request).

The package that was left on the back of my brother's truck is gone. Either it fell or neighbors came and got it.


----------



## Jeff Handy

No, we were just throwing them back. 
We had no control over wild eagles eating them after we threw them back. 
No illegal small fish for a game warden to find in our cooler. 


BuzzLOL said:


> That sounds like it would be just as illegal as keeping undersized fish... same net effect.


----------



## Spicoli43

Detoxing the Blood this week with Red Clover Tea, Turmeric, Celery and Beet Juice Powder... My brand is Organic and half the price of the powder on the non stop commercials, which isn't Organic. 

I have never been a fan of Beets, but they taste good and I'm seeing kind of a Nitric Oxide bonus to my workouts. It seems like I can do more reps, but it might all be in my head. Either way, I will drink it all week and see what I see..


----------



## Eddie_T

I tried a cup of Black Walnut leaf tea yesterday. I was afraid it would have a horrible taste but I have tasted worse herbal teas. I was afraid it might give me a surprise cleanse but all is well. I think I'll try another cup with just a touch of local (next door) honey.


----------



## zannej

The meds I got worked. Still feeling a bit tired. I had a good day of rest. My brother actually took the trash out. He also cleaned up in the kitchen (first time in a decade) and in the hallway (first time ever). It was a half-assed cleaning but better than nothing. I encouraged him rather than complain. He reacts better to positive reinforcement. I'm hoping he'll help me clean more tomorrow.

The guy who adopted the dogs called yesterday to ask about their eating habits. Apparently the dogs are already sleeping in the bed with them & are very happy. They play with his dogs and are having a great time. Meanwhile, I can walk through the house without them jumping on me and I don't have to worry about them eating the cat food. New owner says they like to "counter surf" but they are trying to teach them not to. Good luck with that. LOL.


----------



## Eddie_T

ekrig said:


> Personally, plumbing is not a DIY task I enjoy doing but calling a plumber for a small repair is also quite expensive. I always keep several sets of pipe caps on my plumbing box (2-3 sharkbite end caps, 2-3 copper cap fittings (for soldering), and 2 screw-on). Also a good idea to have a sharkbite bypass in the event a pipe sprungs a leak. In that case, just the affected part off and add the bypass. Maybe not a permanent solution but enough to get things going while one can get proper supplies from the store.
> 
> My main water shut-off valve is leaky and still lets some water pass when closed, so being able to close an end and get to business is paramount. Replacing the main shut-off valve and gas pipes-related work is where I draw the line. Will need to get a plumber to replace that main water valve at some point...


In my case there is a sill cock within a few feet of my main cutoff. If the main fails to completely stop the flow I can crack the sill cock a little so I can work in other areas without the pesky drip.


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## zannej

Stomach is feeling bleh again, but not as bad as the other day. Went to the store and got some groceries. Got myself a salad for lunch.

Last night my cat, Yasuke was in the kitchen waiting to ambush Namir (who was in the hallway). I stepped into the kitchen- right foot first-and Yasuke attacked my shoe, then realized it wasn't Namir and jumped away before I could punt him across the room. I saw him watching Namir later on, just waiting to jump on him. I extended my middle finger and tapped him on the nose.

Not much else going on other than downloading custom content for Sims4.


----------



## Eddie_T

I saw a rabbit make a sudden jump and bound across my patio. Then I saw some movement which turned out to be the switching tail of a black cat.  I got up to scare the cat away and saw a doe deer in the back yard. I froze for a bit until the deer eased into the woods. I don't want to chase the cat away as the deer may still be close. I think the rabbit (or another) has a nest in a flower bed in front of the house. I just saw the disappointed cat cross the patio. The deer (or another) was watching the cat as it departed. The deer came onto the patio then suddenly jumped a flower bed and bounded off into the woods.


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## Spicoli43

"Downloading" something? Shouldn't Elon Internet be like snapping your fingers?

Do you still like it?


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## zannej

Cats love to hunt rabbits. When I had a pet rabbit in the front room, one of my cats would go outside, kill a rabbit, bring it in, set it in front of the door to the front room and then stare at my rabbit.

Spicoli, I had finished downloading- it goes fast, but I have been searching for things to download to add to my game. New appliances, better furniture, more wall colors, etc.

Connection has been a bit spotty for no reason so I may need to talk to their tech support. No obstructions reported. It could be my that wifi adapter sucks though.


----------



## Spicoli43

I used to find Rabbit carcasses on my property and just left them. They would be taken by some other critter so I wouldn't have to deal with it. I don't understand what critter would want a Rabbit carcass, but whatever.

I guess the local Rabbit clan was all taken out or something, as it's been a few years and there is at least 3 stray Cats that come around.


----------



## Eddie_T

Severely pruned an ornamental bush that was planted to hide the PTHP. I was only out for about an hour maybe another area after sundown.

Piddling with canes and walking sticks. A BIL was a tree trimmer and got me started, now I can't seem to quit. I am on the lookout for a proper stick for self defense but to others appears to be merely a walking stick. Here are pics of a lightweight cane in progress and a potential that I am going to ignore (it came out of the butterfly bush it's hanging on).


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> a proper stick for self defense but to others appears to be merely a walking stick


I now have an image of you in a top-hat and other Victorian garb, making your way down narrow cobblestone streets, when some young ruffian emerges from the fog and tries to pick your pocket, but you spring forth and cane him roundly about the ears, yelling "Begone, vagabond!"


----------



## zannej

Tummy is better today but I'm tired. Woke up sweating & it smells like I didn't take my thyroid meds but I know I did. I keep track and I know it went in my mouth bc it started disintegrating on my tongue. So, I might need a higher dose. For some reason, my sweat has a different distinct smell when I'm off thyroid meds or they aren't working.

Last night I went looking for one of my cats. I had no seen him all day and was worried. He did show up & I carried him inside to feed him, but before that I saw the cows acting upset around the water trough-- stomping around and I saw hose was disconnected & they were licking the spigot- which was barely on for some reason. I tested it to see that it worked but water wouldn't reach the empty trough. I couldn't find the hose (since it was dark & cows were in my way) so I went to bed. Got up early to mess with it. Got the back on and cranked water full blast-- nothing came out of the float filler. I checked the hose for kinks & realized it must be the filler. I didn't want to mess trying to clean it out so I waited for TSC to open and got a new one and a new hose (old one was stuck to the filler). My brother read the instructions and put in the cotter pins (I can't find my reading glasses & couldn't make out the writing or see the holes). I got the brackets on, dumped the rotting leaves and muck out of the trough, took off the old thingamabob and put the new filler on.

I also grabbed sweet feed to distract the cows but they got thirsty and came over as I was tightening the bolts. New thingy works and the cows started drinking right away, then went back to their feed. Kwai somehow had sweetfeed on her head.

It's thundering outside so I got stuff done in time. I'm still tired so I will probably take a nap. Thunder always makes me sleepy.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, I officially passed the 1 Month mark of being a full on no holds barred Veggietarian on Tuesday. I'm the extreme version that can't have any animal stuff like Eggs. I can't remember what that's called, but I know I hate it. That being said, I feel like I recover faster from workouts than when I was eating Eggs and Chicken etc... 

I have never gone more than a few days without meat besides the very early baby days, and knowing my Dad, I'm sure he was chopping up some Sirloin as soon as possible. The weird thing is, I haven't even thought about it since the start of my detox until now. In other times, I would have trouble doing things like making the wrong cuts on 2x4's etc. if I didn't have 4 eggs that morning. I kept track of that stuff. 

I still have 3 weeks left of my detox, but after that I'm chilling on the Lentils for a while. They do pack a serious protein punch and clean carbs, though. I won't be able to go back to Costco's frozen feedlot Chicken, but will incorporate Grass Fed Beef, Bison and Eggs... 

Lentils are obviously real easy to make, but they are absolute Hell on my Girlish figure. I'll have to figure out exactly how many crunches I need to do each abs day to offset that. (When I can see that I have abs)...


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, I'm happy for you that you're doing well on your diet. I believe the term is Vegan. Vegans aren't supposed to eat eggs, fish, honey (bc it comes from bees), or jello/gelatin (because it comes from ground up bones).

We don't have those sort of food options down here. I just remembered I'm out of pistachios. I'll have to get more when I go to samsclub. I've been snacking on them when I get the munchies. I need to start putting together some sort of meal plan. More broccoli & fewer carbs. Someone said eating fish 2x a week is supposed to be healthy but I don't like fish enough to stomach it even once a week. I don't think tunafish packets or tuna salad counts. 

I had a bit of a nap. Brother woke me up saying something about Namir. I think he wanted me to make sure Namir gets let out of his room. I went back to sleep and had weird dreams. Mom woke me up at a point in the dream where I wanted to see what happened next. I had to take a few minutes to clear my head enough to go cook for her. I'm still feeling tired so I'm resting. This type of weather always makes me sleepy.


----------



## HandyOne

I went to see a granddaughter in a play.  She's been in the local children's theatre playhouse program for the summer.   It was good.   It was Matilda, Jr.   There was a fellow that played Miss Trunchbol and he was so good as her.    My granddaughter was good too, but not a main part.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Spicoli, I'm happy for you that you're doing well on your diet. I believe the term is Vegan. Vegans aren't supposed to eat eggs, fish, honey (bc it comes from bees), or jello/gelatin (because it comes from ground up bones).
> 
> We don't have those sort of food options down here. I just remembered I'm out of pistachios. I'll have to get more when I go to samsclub. I've been snacking on them when I get the munchies. I need to start putting together some sort of meal plan. More broccoli & fewer carbs. Someone said eating fish 2x a week is supposed to be healthy but I don't like fish enough to stomach it even once a week. I don't think tunafish packets or tuna salad counts.
> 
> I had a bit of a nap. Brother woke me up saying something about Namir. I think he wanted me to make sure Namir gets let out of his room. I went back to sleep and had weird dreams. Mom woke me up at a point in the dream where I wanted to see what happened next. I had to take a few minutes to clear my head enough to go cook for her. I'm still feeling tired so I'm resting. This type of weather always makes me sleepy.


Oh, yes... Vegan... Ack!!! I'm going to repeat the detox in 6 months or so, but it will be Paleo with the Beef, Bison, Eggs and Milk / Protein shakes... All Organic or Grass Fed. I will, however notice right away in 3 weeks if my body has any reaction to the Eggs / Milk I bring back. 

You don't have what sort of food options? 

Packaged Tuna doesn't count for anything because of the huge sodium content. That just results in water retention. I have consumed 6 tins of Tuna a day when I was a young whippersnapper, but my belly won't let me do that now. 

Here's some Paleo plans that might work... There's about 18 Billion on the interwebben, one is bound to fit...









						Paleo Meal Plan | The Paleo Diet
					

If you're looking to get started on paleo, the best way to stick to your new diet is a paleo meal plan. Here's how to make your plan & stick to it.




					paleodiet.org


----------



## Eddie_T

Jello doesn't sound near as appetizing when one reads how the gelatin is made;
The primary ingredient in jello is gelatin. Gelatin is made from animal collagen — a protein that makes up connective tissues, such as *skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones.*

The hides and bones of certain animals — often cows *and pigs* — are boiled, dried, treated with a strong acid or base, and finally filtered until the collagen is extracted. The collagen is then dried, ground into a powder, and sifted to make gelatin.


----------



## Flyover

Ever see chicharrones get made? It's nightmarish. But still, I find those irresistible.


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## Eddie_T

They say two things you don't want to see in the making are sausage and politics. And yet I rebelled against 'pink slime' and HFCS.


----------



## Flyover

Swam 12 laps yesterday. Only had time for 30 pullups but did them in 5 minutes. This week should hopefully be the last really messed up one in terms of my schedule.


----------



## Eddie_T

Several preppers that store canned corned beef have offered egg recipes. No one suggested Eggs Benedict but I decided to try it. It was a bit squirrely to keep it together to fry as a slice but I muddled my way through. I buttered and toasted English muffin halves in the oven and  poached eggs in the microwave. I managed to get it assembled and topped with Hollandaise sauce. It was good but nothing to write home about. I won't be purchasing any more canned corned beef. I may try it with breakfast steak as I have 3/4 cup of Hollandaise sauce left over.


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## zannej

Spicoli, we don't have "grass fed" anything. No bison either. Walmart has been selling regular beef claiming its "angus" but its very clearly not. We also don't have a lot of the same spices that you might find in a larger place. 
I went to Samsclub on Saturday and got my pistachios and other groceries. My brother's shoulder is still bugging him so I've had to do more of the heavy lifting and my back doesn't like it. I picked up an online order from Lowes. Instead of me having to deal with people, it was put in a locker. I went in with the barcode on my phone, scanned it, locker opened, and I grabbed my order out. Monday I took my friend to his dental appointment. His dentures were rubbing a spot on his gums so they fixed it. Stopped by the Walmart up in that area that has a hair salon and my brother and I got our hair cut. I hadn't had a haircut since 2019 so it is nice to have shorter hair again. It's not getting wrapped around my neck or grabbing my skin tags anymore.
I'm about to get up and make dinner. I've been resting today-- although I did go pick up prescriptions and some other items.


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## Spicoli43

z... You might have to drive a bit, but your State isn't 700 miles across like mine.






						EatWild - Louisiana
					

Eat Wild - Getting Wild Nutrition from Modern Food.



					www.eatwild.com
				









						Search - LocalHarvest
					






					www.localharvest.org


----------



## Eddie_T

NC isn't the longest state in the US but it has the longest numbered US highway, US 64 which is 604 miles from the NC/TN border to the ocean at Nags head.


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## zannej

Spicoli, with the way the roads are routed here, it would be a lot farther and really not worth the effort to go that far. While something may seem closer as the crow flies, the way the roads twist and go all around & are substandard, it would be too much wear and tear on the vehicles & with idiot drivers, it would be more danger than its worth. I've nearly been in wrecks just going an hour away bc other drivers don't know how to drive properly. Speaking of wrecks, I witnessed one last time I was in Alexandria. Some idiot blew through a stop, hit the car that had the right of way, bounced back slightly and then kept giving it gas and trying to push her car out of his way but her car wouldn't move sideways so he was stuck. If there hadn't been a car behind the jerk, he probably would have tried to back up and flee the scene. It looked like a brand new car that got hit. Lady jumped out looking super angry (can't really blame her).

I cooked for Mom and she's happy, although her stomach is still sensitive. I'm feeling tired today so I will get some rest. Tomorrow I will probably go to the store to grab some stuff mom said she's out of.


----------



## tomtheelder2020

Eddie_T said:


> NC isn't the longest state in the US but it has the longest numbered US highway, US 64 which is 604 miles from the NC/TN border to the ocean at Nags head.


I haven't tried to verify but Wikipedia says US 101 is 1540 miles from Tumwater Washington to LA California. Within CA, US 101 is 808 miles.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was wrong, apparently the wording meant it's the longest numbered highway in the US (rather than the NC portion being longest). US 64 is 2,236 miles total.


> *U.S. Route 64* (*US 64*) is the longest numbered route in the U.S. state of North Carolina, running 604 miles (972 km) from the Tennessee state line to the Outer Banks. The route passes through the westernmost municipality in the state, Murphy, and one of the most easternmost municipalities, Manteo, making US 64 a symbolic representation of the phrase "from Murphy to Manteo" which is used to refer to the expanse of the state. The highway is a major east-west route through the central and eastern portion of the state.


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## tomtheelder2020

Eddie_T said:


> I knew that US 101 had the potential of being longer but it maybe due to it being chopped into segments rather than being continuous led Wikipedia to make the claim for US 64 in NC.


Interesting! I suspect this is an instance of no editor bothering to check - and perhaps there being no specific standard. The only places I can think of where 101 might be considered chopped into segments is the sections through downtown San Francisco  & Eureka. Those sections certainly have street names - but I have driven them many times and my memory is that the entire sections have signs indicating they are also Hwy 101. Just checked Google Maps and it labels 101 through downtown SF.  Do you know if there are sections of US 64 that have local street names or is it only called US 64?


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## zannej

Started hearing weird sort of crackling noises from over near my desktop pc. Started smelling electrical burning as well but didn't see anything. Went to the store, came back, and pc had rebooted. Tried using it and it worked a little but then stuff started shutting down. It froze up. I rebooted but it got stuck at a loading menu. Wouldn't turn off with buttons on the front. Had to flip the power switch off. Let it sit awhile, turned it back on, more crackling sounds and then I saw smoke coming from the APC (power backup). Not sure if my power supply from the PC is causing it or if its the APC. Or both. APC seems to be working for everything else.

So, now there is that strong electrical smell in my room and it sucks.


----------



## Eddie_T

tomtheelder2020 said:


> Interesting! I suspect this is an instance of no editor bothering to check - and perhaps there being no specific standard. The only places I can think of where 101 might be considered chopped into segments is the sections through downtown San Francisco  & Eureka. Those sections certainly have street names - but I have driven them many times and my memory is that the entire sections have signs indicating they are also Hwy 101. Just checked Google Maps and it labels 101 through downtown SF.  Do you know if there are sections of US 64 that have local street names or is it only called US 64?


I was wrong and apparently you were composing your reply as I was editing mine so look again at  my post #5,263 above.

US 101 does turn into interstate in a couple of places but US 64 may do that as well.


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## zannej

Using my laptop- Anyone know enough about computer electrical to know if its my desktop pc- maybe power supply causing some sort of short or having some sort of short or if it's my APC (power backup) or both that is causing the smoking from the APC and crackling sounds (I couldn't tell which thing they were coming from since they are directly next to one another). 

I found some baked beans with pork meat in them at Walmart. They are better than I expected. I might get more even though I'm sure they have a lot of salt. 

I wish I could contribute to discussion of the maps and routes but I absolutely suck with directions and maps. LOL. Google Maps with Street View is my friend. Whenever I have to go somewhere new, I use it to see what the location looks like so I know where to turn. Helps when there are good landmarks in the area. 

I remember taking some very loooong road trips as a kid. We moved from Virginia to California in a vehicle that didn't have air conditioning. There was a lot of "Are we there yet" and "he looked at me" "she breathed on me" "his hand is on my side!" & parents saying "I don't care if you kill each other, just do it quietly!!" Lots of singing of "This is the song that never ends" and other repetitive things.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Started hearing weird sort of crackling noises from over near my desktop pc. Started smelling electrical burning as well but didn't see anything. Went to the store, came back, and pc had rebooted. Tried using it and it worked a little but then stuff started shutting down. It froze up. I rebooted but it got stuck at a loading menu. Wouldn't turn off with buttons on the front. Had to flip the power switch off. Let it sit awhile, turned it back on, more crackling sounds and then I saw smoke coming from the APC (power backup). Not sure if my power supply from the PC is causing it or if its the APC. Or both. APC seems to be working for everything else.
> 
> So, now there is that strong electrical smell in my room and it sucks.


So, something could be about to erupt in flames, and you go to the store?


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## Eddie_T

zannej- Computers don't need an APC so take it out of the circuit and see if the problem goes away.


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## zannej

Spicoli, I thought maybe a bug had gotten zapped or something at first. Wasn't sure what it was, but I turned off other stuff. The smell and sound had stopped before I left.
Turns out the cats puked on the APC & it corroded the port the computer was plugged into.

Eddie, at my house I need one because we get frequent brownouts and power outages. It gives me time to shut my computer down properly if the power blinks out.

I unplugged it and saw the port was corroded. Moved it to a different port, didn't like the sounds it made. Got a new surge protector & plugged it in to a different port on the APC. No weird sounds. Tested it out and computer is running fine. I first tested the computer plugged into the surge protector separately & there was no issue. But some of the USB ports on the back of my computer no longer work. Probably got shorted out. My new power strip has USB ports so I can charge more stuff.

My friend messaged me that he was out of milk & food & tp. I forgot some stuff at the store last time (light bulbs, batteries, etc) so I picked him up and he helped me remember the stuff on my list. Got him some soup, milk, and tp. He helped me pick out the surge protector power strip thing and found lightbulbs for me. 

Thunderstorm had me sleeping until after 5pm. It's like a lullaby. LOL. 

Snugglebum came inside bc he didn't like the rain so he's happily sleeping on a blanket next to me.


----------



## zannej

I got up early because I was thinking about needing to clean stuff. I decided to go to areas of the house I don't normally go to & noticed a strong cat crap odor. I found a huge pile of cat crap under the sideboard. With my sinus/allergy issues I can't smell things very well. I filled 3/4 of a 13gallon trash bag. Yick. I'll have to find a way to get some carpet cleaner under there. There was a foaming can of carpet shampoo but it was rusted and covered in crap. I should have checked there sooner but with my back issues I hadn't been up to bending or getting down on the floor and trying to get back up. I had a hell of a time managing to get back up. I'm taking a break and then will resume more cleaning.


----------



## Eddie_T

I forget how finicky PCs can be with improper shutdown. Since I have little need for full PC capability I mostly use a Chromebook which is instant on/off.


----------



## shan2themax

zannej said:


> I got up early because I was thinking about needing to clean stuff. I decided to go to areas of the house I don't normally go to & noticed a strong cat crap odor. I found a huge pile of cat crap under the sideboard. With my sinus/allergy issues I can't smell things very well. I filled 3/4 of a 13gallon trash bag. Yick. I'll have to find a way to get some carpet cleaner under there. There was a foaming can of carpet shampoo but it was rusted and covered in crap. I should have checked there sooner but with my back issues I hadn't been up to bending or getting down on the floor and trying to get back up. I had a hell of a time managing to get back up. I'm taking a break and then will resume more cleaning.




This is on amazon and works pretty well
OdoBan Pet Solutions 32oz Spray... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CMM6JVF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


----------



## shan2themax

So, I know it's been a couple of weeks since I posted about my mom, unfortunately she is not getting better and is now receiving hospice services as of yesterday. 
This is not how I would have liked the end of her life to look like. I feel bad that she is in a nursing home with hospice instead of home with hospice, but i guess we don't always get what we want or get to choose how things go.

Of note, please talk to you loved ones about what you do and don't want at the end of your life. I know it is hard, but it is so very important.


----------



## zannej

Shan, Thanks for the link! I'm so very sorry. I know you can't talk about the legal issues, but I hope things are going well on hat front at least. Your mother is fortunate that she has you to check on her. I hope my mother never needs hospice care, but I know it might come to that someday. I've told my family that I'd rather be euthanized than have to go into a nursing home.

I did a little more light cleaning but I misplaced the flashlight I'd been using and now I'm irritated with myself because I really like that one and I have no idea where the hell I put it.

Had no internet most of the day after I posted. I found the modem unplugged. Mom must have accidentally kicked it out of the APC when scooting her chair back. I moved it to a different port where she can't kick it, but my wifi adapter didn't want to detect the modem when it came back on and now my desktop doesn't recognize my wifi adapter. Says "unknown usb device". Ugh. I can't make out what brand the stupid thing is. I may need to get a new one. I'd had an ASUS one but my friend borrowed it and lost it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Sorry to hear that, Shan... I know you did everything you possibly could to help her.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I forget how finicky PCs can be with improper shutdown. Since I have little need for full PC capability I mostly use a Chromebook which is instant on/off.


The newer computers from past 15 years don't seem to mind unusual shut downs... just boot right back up... ask if you want to restore whatever you had up at the time... I usually say no, don't want anything from previous session carrying over filling up memories...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> So, I know it's been a couple of weeks since I posted about my mom, unfortunately she is not getting better and is now receiving hospice services as of yesterday.


My Mom was able to stay in the house I built her in 1979 and that she loved so much all but the last 8 days of her life when she was in hospice in 2014... she passed at 94... I was still working then and not able to get out to her place and take care of her as much as I would have liked to...


----------



## HandyOne

shan2themax said:


> So, I know it's been a couple of weeks since I posted about my mom, unfortunately she is not getting better and is now receiving hospice services as of yesterday.
> This is not how I would have liked the end of her life to look like. I feel bad that she is in a nursing home with hospice instead of home with hospice, but i guess we don't always get what we want or get to choose how things go.
> 
> Of note, please talk to you loved ones about what you do and don't want at the end of your life. I know it is hard, but it is so very important.



Sorry that's happened.    I went through it end of 2018 and thru March 2019 when Dad was passing.   Hospice was good for him and helps the family also.  they even had counselors if needed afterwards.        It is very hard when they cannot be at home to ease out of this life.


----------



## Eddie_T

When I lost my wife two hospitals sent letters. One a letter informing me that I was the guarantor of her bills. The other a letter with the After Loss Credo.

The After Loss Credo​I need to talk about my loss.
I may often need to tell you what happened –
or to ask you why it happened.
Each time I discuss my loss, I am helping myself
face the reality of the death of my loved one.

I need to know that you care about me.
I need to feel your touch, your hugs.
I need you just to be “with” me.
(And I need to be with you.)
I need to know you believe in me and in my
ability to get through my grief in my own way.
(And in my own time.)

Please don’t judge me now –
or think that I’m behaving strangely.
Remember I’m grieving.
I may even be in shock.
I may feel afraid. I may feel deep rage.
I may even feel guilty. But above all, I hurt.
I’m experiencing a pain unlike any I’ve ever felt before.

Don’t worry if you think I’m getting better
and then suddenly I seem to slip backward.
Grief makes me behave this way at times.
And please don’t tell me you “know how I feel,”
or that it’s time for me to get on with my life.
(I am probably already saying this to myself.)
What I need now is time to grieve and to recover.

Most of all, thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for caring.
Thank you for helping, for understanding.
Thank you for praying for me.
And remember, in the days or years ahead,
when you may have a loss – when you need me
as I have needed you – I will understand.
And then I will come and be with you.

_– Barbara Hills LesStrang_​


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL. This computer still has Windows 7 and it doesn't have things saved if things shut down. Windows 10 will be able to restore some things, but not 7. I'm still trying to find a legal way to upgrade for free. I tried the method on the official microsoft website but the installation failed. I may have to see if I can buy the upgrade software though. A lot of things are no longer supporting windows 7. 

I changed all of the burned out lightbulbs I could find in the house. Unfortunately, after I put the ceiling fan globe back on, I thought it was secure, but 10min later it fell off and shattered. I spent a long time cleaning up shards of glass. That globe was from the 1980s. I wonder if they make them in plastic or something that won't shatter. Need to figure out the size so I can replace it. At least the bulbs work now.

So, after my brother's savings account got hacked & drained awhile back, the bank didn't do its due diligence to protect his account. They were supposed to close that account and open a new one with a different number, but they didn't. Even though they were alerted someone was trying to steal his identity & $ they still let it happen AGAIN. They hacked his account to change his mobile app info so it wouldn't alert him (changed phone number and settings). They transferred all of his savings to his checking account. Then they used a debit card he deactivated (which bank was not supposed to allow it to be used) to empty his checking account. Then they overdrafted with Zelle (an app he'd never even heard of before) by several hundred $. Mind you, he has overdrafting disabled so if a transaction will overdraft it is supposed to be denied. The names that received money from his account were clearly bogus. The lady at the bank said the bank screwed up majorly on this one. Said the fraud department should have caught this instantly but didn't. So, now he had to change his account #, secure his mobile app, and fill out paperwork to dispute the fraudulent transactions. Took over an hour in the bank.

We took my friend for his dental appointment, popped in to samsclub, and then ate at the chinese place. Friend can chew without pain for the first time since 2015.

My feet got swollen while I was waiting on my brother at the bank so I have them elevated and I'm about to take a nap.


----------



## HandyOne

@zannej   that's great that your friend can chew without pain now.   He will enjoy life so much more.   It would not be surprising if he puts on a few pounds.

And I'm glad you're taking some time to put your feet up and take care of  yourself.


----------



## zannej

Thanks, HandyOne. I needed that nap. Woke up to a very loud crack of thunder. It toasted the landline cable though. I've never seen a line explode like that before. I didn't see it happen, but found it later. The entire line from the jack to the phone blew apart. It killed the base phone so I have to get a new one and some sort of surge protector for the phone cable itself. I had one but Mom misplaced it somewhere.
It's still raining. One of my cats was outside in the rain so he came in and jumped on me to warm up and dry off. I have him under the covers with me & he's purring away.


----------



## Spicoli43

I did a preliminary experiment Monday and Tuesday to figure out if I wanted to do a thorough and detailed experiment, which I do.

I knew the temp would be about 100 on Monday and about 91 on Tuesday. I decided not to use the range or the crockpot at all on Monday. The range is only used for 30 minutes to cook rice and the crockpot for a few hours to cook lentils for my whack diet. 

I kept the 2 box fans on Medium all day, and did the required 2 loads of laundry. That was it for heat generating devices... My projector puts off an impressive amount of heat, but I didn't factor it in because it would be used both days. I did not use the AC all day. At 1700, the internal temp was 82 degrees. 

Tuesday, I had to do the required cooking that I described above, so heat was generated. Everything else stayed the same. Now, in a detailed experiment, other variables would be added like how many times I open the door to go outside / for the Dogs to go out etc... I didn't keep track of that for the 2 days. 

So, Tuesday, with the added cooking and the weather being a good 10 degrees off the Monday temp, the internal temp at 1700 was the same 82 degrees. 

That 30 minutes of range time and 2.5 or so hours of crockpot time seemingly made up for the change in outside temp... 

On my official experiment, I will try to find days that are equal in temp, or off by only a couple of degrees. There's no wiggle room when it's 10 degrees off... I am real curious if the range even has anything to do with it, since it's not constantly on. 

Yes, I was that bored.


----------



## zannej

I don't even remember what I did most of the day. Oh wait, my brother needed gas in the CR-V so we got in the truck and stared heading in (also needed to go to walmart). Halfway down the road I realize we're in the wrong vehicle. Had to get to the end of the road to turn around. Parked, grabbed a cooler bag from inside, hopped in the CRV and we headed in. Grabbed stuff at Walmart, stuffed it in the cooler bag, and then went to the gas station. Straight back home after that. My bro didn't get home until fairly late last night bc he stopped over at our friend's house to shower and watch a movie. He went into work later and was told they mistakenly had him on the schedule & he wasn't supposed to work but they were glad he was there because they needed him. He had to rebundle used tickets (not sure how). Took him almost 5 hours. Someone didn't order the new tickets or there's a delivery delay so they ran out.

I was going to cook for Mom but she insisted on having curry rice & I don't know how to make it. My brother had to make her some before he went to work. I watched him but didn't know what spices he was using and he wasn't measuring-- just eyeballing as he poured stuff out. Mom didn't complain. I'm still trying to get her to read my e-mails to pick a new phone and other stuff, but she keeps forgetting and making all sorts of excuses. She asked me why I didn't just order it and I said it was bc I wanted her to choose which option she wanted. I told her this at least 5x but she never listens. She has never been a good listener. Verbal communication is not her strong suit. 

Woke up first to the dog repeatedly kicking me in the back. Accidentally knocked Rupert off of my shoulder when I reached back to stop the dog from kicking. Went back to sleep and woke up to frantic scratching and Bethesda was trying to do chinups from my monitor mount. She was also trying to get on top of the monitor and was grabbing it but it was spinning. Her back feet were kicking like crazy as she scrambled to get up. I had to grab my monitor to hold it in place and then had to grab her by the scruff of the neck because she refused to let go. Ended up having to yank her off while she cried out in protest. Tossed her a few feet across the room (she landed on a soft blanket) to make it clear I did NOT want her repeating that behavior. I don't normally handle my cats that roughly but I do not need to lose another monitor & I had just woken up. I petted her a few minutes later to make sure she was ok. 

Still feeling run down but am now awake bc of the "excitement".


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I did a preliminary experiment Monday and Tuesday to figure out if I wanted to do a thorough and detailed experiment, which I do.


Avoiding running the expensive A/C as much as possible by opening windows at night and cooling the house and then closing them in morning when temp starts to rise to trap cooler air inside...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Avoiding running the expensive A/C as much as possible by opening windows at night and cooling the house and then closing them in morning when temp starts to rise to trap cooler air inside...


Yeah, that doesn't work in the Mountains of Montucky... The entire Country East of Nebraska is covered in Fire smoke besides the top of Wisconsin and Michigan and the bottom of Florida... You don't notice it unless you look up. I'm around 5000 feet in elevation, so it's right outside said windows. 

Of course, the Fire season doesn't start until AC is needed anyway. 






						Fire and Smoke Map
					






					fire.airnow.gov


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The entire Country East of Nebraska is covered in Fire smoke besides the top of Wisconsin and Michigan and the bottom of Florida...


Seems like this country should have the fire fighting spotters, satellites, and extinguishing resources to spot any fire quickly and put it out before it gets out of hand... I'm sure the insurance companies would like that...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Seems like this country should have the fire fighting spotters, satellites, and extinguishing resources to spot any fire quickly and put it out before it gets out of hand... I'm sure the insurance companies would like that...


Depends on the State. They backburn here constantly in the Spring and otherwise clean the forests under Republican Governorship. Under Democrat Governorship from 2005-2020, they didn't clean the forests and had incredible fires. One year it was so bad, I couldn't see the Mountains at all, and could see ash floating by the windows.

Cali never cleans their forests or implements one iota of common sense, so they burn every single year. I figured things would change a few years ago when the blaze took out a bunch of Celebrity houses in Malibu, but nope... 

As far as putting out fires quickly, they don't do that unless they directly threaten a community. If it's in the middle of nowhere, they let it burn for a few days before they even drop water or retardant. That's called lots of Federal money and job security. My only year as a Wildland Firefighter was exactly like that. Catered food every night when we got back to base camp because why not? 180 Million people paid for it. 

They also can't have a lot of surviving trees to flood the market and bring the lumber prices down... Same reason they pay farmers not to grow anything to keep Cereal and Bread prices artificially high.


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## zannej

They do "controlled burns" here all the time. Sometimes they get out of hand. I was going to post earlier but power went out AGAIN. The power kept blinking on and off over and over for several minutes. Then it stayed on for awhile, and then the on of on off again at least 7 times before it went out completely. 

Found out the AC adapter for the phone blew up so I need to replace it along with a phone. Saw a replacement base on ebay but it was missing the AC adapter. I either need to find the adapter separately or find one that has the adapter with it. 

It stays too hot at night here to be able to open windows. Plus most of the windows don't have decent screens anymore so it lets mosquitoes in. Some of the windows only have storm windows over them. Former tenants stole or broke most of our screens and storm windows and we never got them replaced. They are unusual size windows so its hard to find something the right size. 

Mewlatto saw me get my keyboard out so he had to lay across my lap. Rupert got jealous and is sitting on top of him. Mew doesn't like it.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> They are unusual size windows so its hard to find something the right size.


Hardware stores can usually make storm windows and screens any size needed. There are DIY kits to do that as well, but may not save much...


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Depends on the State. They backburn here constantly in the Spring and otherwise clean the forests


I was thinking of a federal effort... a fire springs up anywhere, bring overbearing effort from all the states to put it out in minutes to hours... not days, weeks, months, years... 
That fire map had a green dot over us but there is no fire here (other than you know who burning their houses/apartments down daily) and the skies are clear and air smells clean... especially after a rain...


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I was thinking of a federal effort... a fire springs up anywhere, bring overbearing effort from all the states to put it out in minutes to hours... not days, weeks, months, years...
> That fire map had a green dot over us but there is no fire here (other than you know who burning their houses/apartments down daily) and the skies are clear and air smells clean... especially after a rain...


They do Federal for every fire that I have ever tracked, we had a local fire yesterday that the local departments took down for the most part, and it was right by the lake so it was easy to get buckets etc. This morning the Feds took over the ops.

As far as bringing in Firefighters from other States or even other Countries, that happens on huge fires like 2 that I was on. We were in WA, but had crews from every surrounding or close State as well as Marines from Camp Pendleton and some Canadians and small crews from Europe, but they were already stateside for other fires as well. The camps were full of State / Country flags in front of their group of tents so newcomers could find where they belonged easier.


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## zannej

My mother nagged my father for years to make new screens but he didn't know how. As much as I like one of my local hardware stores, I don't think they would do a good job making screens either. I do have to look into it. Our screens are mostly broken now. When the power was out for a prolonged time and I had to open windows the cats tore a big hole in my screen so they could use my window as a door. I'm hoping to eventually get new windows but it will cost several thousand $. 

Thus far today I cleaned the toilet and took out the trash. Trash bag was stuck like a mofo in that can though. I had to sit down and put my feet on the can and pull on the bag to get it out. The kitties got to hear some interesting language from me. Some of the trash spilled out on the floor. I'l have to pick it up in a bit. My back didn't like me after all that effort so I needed a break. I hate having so little energy.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> My back didn't like me after all that effort so I needed a break. I hate having so little energy.


Who keeps harassing you about that while offering solutions?


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I'm hoping to eventually get new windows but it will cost several thousand $.


My windows are over a 100 years old and still work so I'm not going to replace them... don't know how they treated the wood to last so long, but they have... will just fix them and add new cords as needed...  my screens and storms look like bare wood but also lasted... maybe treated with boiled lindseed oil...
I know from building new houses that the new windows now start falling apart at 10 years old... when that happened to my Mom's windows she went over to the fancy window showroom and stayed there and raised a stink and drove customers away until they gave her everything needed to fix them... then I and my brothers installed the new stuff... then the showroom/warehouse closed down...


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## Eddie_T

Watching critters in my backyard.


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## Spicoli43

Deer are horrible. They scraped the tree protectors off 2 of my trees and then killed them. They don't show up in the day here, but my Sister has herds of them at her house 24/7.


----------



## ekrig

I asked HD for a quote on making one of the screens (~3x6ft) for my house a couple of years ago and they quoted me for more $200. Ouch! If you have or can borrow a mitter saw to cut the frame, making them is quite easy. I looked in the store and they even sell the plastic pieces that the corners snap into. In my case, I was able to reuse the frames, so it was a matter of replacing the screens. You can buy the tool, a roll of the screen material (for several windows), and the edge spline (e.g., Robot or human?) for ~$25.

Of all the repairs that one can do this ranks pretty high on the money saved per time/effort expended.


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## zannej

ekrig, I may have to make my own screens at some point.
BuzzLOL, my windows are metal. Most of them won't open or won't stay open (drop like guillotines). Several of them are broken and patched with duct tape. One of my bedroom windows had the glass replaced but it was too small and it has a 1" gap the entire pane. It had tape on it but the tape came off. I need to clean it and put new tape over it. 
I'd really like to get the eco type windows that keep heat out and have argon inside, but that's not gonna happen with the bigger windows. I'm thinking of getting the double pane kind with blinds inside though. That way cats can't tear the blinds down.

Today is my brother's day off from work so I'll see if he will go with me to get groceries. Makes things faster with loading/unloading-- although takes longer on the shopping part. He likes to stop and talk to people.


----------



## havasu

I build new screens often. As long as you have the spline tool, a flat surface, it takes me about 3 minutes to build one. I like experimenting on different shade cloths, especially to knock out the summer heat.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> BuzzLOL, my windows are metal. Most of them won't open or won't stay open (drop like guillotines).


Dropping windows usually need a new sash cord... 
I replace the rotten cotton sash cord with 3/16" or 1/4" braided nylon rope... polypropolene rope is cheaper but has little sunlight resistance and ages quickly...


----------



## BuzzLOL

I was walking down the sidewalk the other day and a doe deer came out of the brush and lumbered across the sidewalk right in front of me and then across the street... glad it wasn't an angry buck in full antlers...


----------



## Eddie_T

Scraping moss off my brick patio. I let it go for several years while I was caring for my wife. Then I decided to let the moss grow enough to be easier to scrape off. I plan to spray with bleach water to hinder regrowth. I am about 25% so far. Here's a pre-moss pic taken about 10y ago;


----------



## Spicoli43

And it starts... Automakers drastically raising prices for EV's... I didn't even need to read the dumb article...



			Ford raises price of electric F-150 Lightning by up to $8,500 due to 'significant' battery cost increases


----------



## Snoonyb

Interesting timing. The tax credit goes up, and the price rises,HHHHMMMMM!


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## Eddie_T

Snoonyb said:


> Interesting timing. The tax credit goes up, and the price rises,HHHHMMMMM!


Thinking of the future that is a scary thought!


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## zannej

The sad thing is, the corporations being taxed is a drop in the bucket to them. They are just so incredibly greedy. It's not right for a corporation that underpays employees so the employees have to be on public assistance to pay 0 in taxes. I was ranting to Spicoli about this before. There really is no perfect solution though. So long as corporations are run by greedy sociopaths who bribe all of Congress, they will continue to price gouge like mofos. 

Havasu, any other tips on screens? Finding a flat surface that doesn't have animals or clutter is going to be interesting. I had to put all of the cats out of the room to get a safe flat surface in the living room today.

Yesterday I did some mild cleaning. UPS driver arrived with our new TV. She struggles to get it out of the tv, starts to set it down fumbles and drops it. The look on her face was a mix of horror and "oh crap". She said "Did I just... Oh sh**!" I saw that it was a complete accident and she was trying her best to keep the tv upright but there were no handles where a single person could grab. I then said there were handles on the side that 2 people could use to carry. She punched the cardboard in so I could grab one end and we carefully got it up to the door. She apologized for dropping it and I said that if it was broken then amazon would replace it. Fortunately it landed on a corner covered in styrofoam and it was on soft sandy loam.

Got up at 2am and busted my butt cleaning to clear a path to take the old TV off the stand and bring in the new one. Mom hadn't told me her trash bag near her desk was full and she'd been throwing trash on the floor again. I cleaned it all up, filled up 2 contractor bags of trash (water bottles & one use food containers take up a lot of space). I also emptied her little trashcan and put in a new bag. Asked my brother to haul them outside (in the afternoon) because my back is no longer cooperating. He refused. 

After a nap I got up and met my friend around 10am to put gas in his car (he hasn't gotten his paycheck yet and needed gas to get to work). I went into Walmart and picked up Mom's rx, some roach traps, a salad for my breakfast, and some other stuff. Got mail, went home and set up the new phone. I had to watch Youtube to figure out how to relink the handsets to the new base. But the base apparently already had 3 handsets linked somehow so I had to just guess what code to put in to remove them. I got it on the 2nd guess. (#131 lets you unregister handsets and #130 lets you register them). Got the phonelines through a surge protector, got the phone itself in a surge protector. Intercom is now working so Mom is happy. At one point I needed to kneel on the bed while she was in it to reach over her. Me: "Hey Mom, can you move your boob out of the way so I don't put my knee on it?" She used to be a double D so there's a lot of extra flesh there to hang down. I hope the new setup works.

I did get my brother to help me carry the TV into the living room and set it down. He left immediately after and refused to help with anything else. I decided to set it up & Mom kept asking if she needed to page my brother to help. But I know he'd just gripe and get in the way and probably fumble something. I had to get a little step thingy that doubles as a laundry basket to be able to reach some stuff on the entertainment center. Unplugged the old TV, set it aside, got new tv out once I figured out how. Misplaced my flashlight, the screws, & several things a few times but found them eventually. I got the tv all set up without help. Sound bar won't fit in front without interfering with the receiver on the TV so I had to set it down lower. Sound on the tv is great.  It's a Hisense ULED (Ultra QLED) with Dolby Atmos. Remote response time is fast (unlike my friend's old Roku remote). First thing Mom did was start watching Youtube on it. One snag was getting the coaxial cable off the old tv. It was stuck on there. Even my brother, who begrudgingly came back in when Mom called, couldn't get it loose. I had to use pliers to get it loose. Getting it on the new one was a pain because its on the opposite side so the cord had to reach farther and I had to tug to get more slack and the thing didn't want to line up and kept cross-threading. Finally got it though. No damage to it that we can see. Mom is excited. I'll have to help her find her Youtube login info so she can set up a profile on the tv.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> And it starts... Automakers drastically raising prices for EV's...


Prices raised? Or the value of our money taking another quantum leap LOWER because of you know how?


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> It's not right for a corporation that underpays employees so the employees have to be on public assistance to pay 0 in taxes. So long as corporations are run by greedy sociopaths who bribe all of Congress, they will continue to price gouge like mofos.


Uh... no... autoworkers don't need to be on public assistance (unless wasting all their income on illegal drug abuse)...
Ignore the FAKE NEWS... corporations aren't price gouging, the recent 50-500% increase in prices is from our Govt currently being horridly run by you know who....
If a corporation is paying zero taxes, it's because they have high expenses deductions caused by you know who......


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## Flyover

I changed out my car's headlight bulbs today. Spent 40 minutes going back and forth on "do I REALLY need to take out my battery and fusebox just to access the back of my headlights??" and once I decided yes I did, the whole thing took 20 minutes. Funny how that works.

My battery terminals are nice and clean now too.


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Prices raised? Or the value of our money taking another quantum leap LOWER because of you know how?



Both.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I changed out my car's headlight bulbs today. Spent 40 minutes going back and forth on "do I REALLY need to take out my battery and fusebox just to access the back of my headlights??" and once I decided yes I did, the whole thing took 20 minutes. Funny how that works.
> 
> My battery terminals are nice and clean now too.


Sounds like you're becoming quite 'HANDY'...


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Both.


Unbelievable that only 1 1/2 years ago, 1/19/2021, was still The Good Old Days! 
$1.25 gasoline, low lumber prices, low food prices, low utilities prices, no wars...


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## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Sounds like you're becoming quite 'HANDY'...


I've been working on my own cars since I was 18 and bought my first piece of junk for $400. But I definitely learned more with each car I bought since then.


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## zannej

I was trying to figure out why my hands/fingers and arms hurt so much and then I remembered that Monday I went out with the electric hedge trimmer thingy and cut the weeds all along the sidewalk. My hands cramped (because I had to hold down two buttons to make it work) and I had to do a lot of bending and moving of stuff. Weeds were growing over the sidewalk and I didn't want them to get in the way of the deliveries. 

Today my entire body hates me. Just standing up and trying to walk sucks. But I'm out of milk and I need it for cooking something tonight so I'll have to go to the store even though I really don't want to. Maybe the heated seat in the truck will help my back a little. 

TV isn't working with the sound bar for some reason so my friend said he'll take a look when he comes to pick up the old TV. 

Flyover, I'm glad you're able to work on your vehicle. They make them so complex now. My brother was telling me about there was something in the Honda vehicles where US mechanics were having to pull the engine to access something and then a mechanic in Japan posted a video of him going underneath the vehicle, removing some bolts and then changing out the part. A bunch of mechanics were watching and saying "son-of-a....." because they'd been putting in way more effort than needed. 

It's only 11am here but it looks like it's already evening because the sky is getting dark again. I've taken naproxyn and magnesium. I need to find my potassium because I've been getting charlie horses at night. Will have to see if samsclub has ripe bananas.


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## Flyover

zannej said:


> Flyover, I'm glad you're able to work on your vehicle. They make them so complex now.


Yes, it is troubling. My current vehicle's an '06, and for my next one (to be purchased in 3-5 years from now) I'm eyeing a 2015 Honda Fit, which I'm pretty sure I can still do basic maintenance/repairs on myself. But the next vehicle after _that_ is likely to be one I can't work on at all -- unless I'm so fabulously wealthy by then I can buy both the 1980s Tercel wagon of my dreams (to be found somewhere in the SW where the desert will have preserved it in great condition) and hire a machinist to fabricate parts.


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## Eddie_T

Is 2015 the best year for the Fit or did you choose it for price point? The specs are attractive and MPG similar to my 1996 Geo Prizm. My Prizm only has 142K miles but a fender bender could total it and we have one roundabout, another almost completed and two more planned all within a half-mile radius.


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## Flyover

2015 has the best mpg so far as I can tell. Also it's available with a standard transmission...not sure if newer models are but it will also give me the price point of a 10 year old used car.


----------



## Spicoli43

That Tercel wagon is proof that we all have different dreams.


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## Flyover

When I was 6 years old I wanted a Lamborghini Countache. The black one with the big sail, which I still find breathtaking. (What 6 year old boy doesn't want one?) When I was 16 years old I wanted a DeLorean, modified only by adding a second pneumatic strut to each gullwing door. I still think those cars would be fun to rent for a day and a week, respectively.

Then when I was 21 I bought my first Japanese econobox, and I have been in love with those ever since. I think we already had the "if I won the lottery" discussion here, but I said then that people wouldn't know I'd won, and would probably think I'd gotten poorer, because that Tercel wagon would show up in my driveway and my '06 Toyota would be gone.


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> My brother was telling me about there was something in the Honda vehicles where US mechanics were having to pull the engine to access something and then a mechanic in Japan posted a video of him going underneath the vehicle, removing some bolts and then changing out the part. A bunch of mechanics were watching and saying "son-of-a....." because they'd been putting in way more effort than needed.


It sometimes helps when working on newer cars if you're 4'5" tall and 75 lbs...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> by then I can buy both the 1980s Tercel wagon of my dreams


My girlfriend Sally drove a new Tercel car in 1980... I pronounced it tercle... she said Ter SELL... LOL !!! 
Prior to that she was a 'Mustang Sally' driving her father's '65 Mustang...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> It sometimes helps when working on newer cars if you're 4'5" tall and 75 lbs...


Newer cars have gotten bigger and bigger. At least since the 60s.




__





						Loading…
					





					www.autotrader.com


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## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> That Tercel wagon is proof that we all have different dreams.


By the way Spicoli, my tastes are unconventional but I do have some conventional favorites. The 57 Bel Air, and the late 70s Corvette are two of the most beautiful cars imaginable in my opinion, and lots of people seem to agree. 59 Impala too. Gorgeous. Stunning. They don't make'em like that anymore. (Chevy, especially, is now the champion of ugliness. How far they've fallen!)

But I'd never want to _own_ any of these! That just sounds like a job.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Newer cars have gotten bigger and bigger. At least since the 60s.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Loading…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.autotrader.com


They've gotten especially heavier! Little 2 seater 1990's T-Bird up a 1,000 lbs. from 1955! Mustangs up 500 lbs. from 1965... 
And really full and cramped under the hood...


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> By the way Spicoli, my tastes are unconventional but I do have some conventional favorites. The 57 Bel Air


A look at 34:11 here will show why they sold as many '57 Chevy's as they could make... like 1.5 million:


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## Eddie_T

The Tercel wagon excelled w/respect to rear visibility, which is important to me.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> When I was 6 years old I wanted a Lamborghini Countache. The black one with the big sail, which I still find breathtaking. (What 6 year old boy doesn't want one?) When I was 16 years old I wanted a DeLorean, modified only by adding a second pneumatic strut to each gullwing door. I still think those cars would be fun to rent for a day and a week, respectively.
> 
> Then when I was 21 I bought my first Japanese econobox, and I have been in love with those ever since. I think we already had the "if I won the lottery" discussion here, but I said then that people wouldn't know I'd won, and would probably think I'd gotten poorer, because that Tercel wagon would show up in my driveway and my '06 Toyota would be gone.


If I won the lottery, I would have a new Dodge Charger Hellcat and an old school Charger complete with the Confederate Flag just to P people off, even though I would have been in the Union Army if I lived then.

I would live in a gated rich community though, and trips into town would be in a economy normal car so I didn't get any lookie loos following me home.


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> My brother was telling me about there was something in the Honda vehicles where US mechanics were having to pull the engine to access something and then a mechanic in Japan posted a video of him going underneath the vehicle, removing some bolts and then changing out the part. A bunch of mechanics were watching and saying "son-of-a....." because they'd been putting in way more effort than needed.


If you buy a McLaren because they are so fast that swamps don't matter, you have to ship them back to McLaren just for an Oil change.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> By the way Spicoli, my tastes are unconventional but I do have some conventional favorites. The 57 Bel Air, and the late 70s Corvette are two of the most beautiful cars imaginable in my opinion, and lots of people seem to agree. 59 Impala too. Gorgeous. Stunning. They don't make'em like that anymore. (Chevy, especially, is now the champion of ugliness. How far they've fallen!)
> 
> But I'd never want to _own_ any of these! That just sounds like a job.


Yeah, I'm into Impalas, don't remember the exact years because they go from oh yeah to God no...


----------



## Eddie_T

Amazingly the Hellcat can deliver about the same MPG as my 50 Mercury.


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## Flyover

Those muscle cars like the Charger look like jobs to me too. Either a job to maintain, or a second job you have to work to pay for the gas.

A Confederate flag just to piss people off...Yeah, I figure that must be why anyone has them north of the Mason Dixon. Even south of it, since the south _lost the friggin war_... But trying your best to make enemies everywhere you go seems like a really unnecessary way to take years off your life, either through violence or stress. Plus you might make friends you don't want, too!


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## Flyover

Ended up pulling out a stump today after dinner. Borrowed chains from a neighbor, then tried tugging with the riding mower but it just spun its wheels. So I switched to the SUV and it came out so easily I didn't feel it, I only knew because I saw my wife clapping. 

Stump pulling is fun, I see why people make weekend jobs out of doing this.


----------



## shan2themax

My mom passed today. I am so very thankful that I was off work and present when she died. When I got there this morning, I realized that today or tomorrow was likely the day. I have prayed for a peaceful passing. I'm sad, but also thankful she no longer suffers. 

I just realized that tomorrow will be the first full day since I was almost 17 (I am 50), that I won't wake up "feeling" responsible for another human being. Idk what that will look like.

I'm sure that I will need time alone, so maybe I will clean on the garage or put together my 2 person swing and think of how much she would have enjoyed swinging in it.


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## zannej

Oh shan, I'm so sorry. Sending hugs your way. I know you did your best to care for her. I hope that whatever action you take against the doctors and place that messed up will work out well for you, but I know it won't bring your mom back. I hope that you find some relief from the newfound freedom-- although I know it will feel very strange. As you said though, at least she's no longer suffering. 

I did some cleaning, convinced my brother to haul out some trash bags I filled, cooked for Mom, and played Medieval Dynasty. At one point while I was sitting up in my bed, Yasuke got on top of my headboard and puked directly on top of my head. I had a hood on (hooded cardigan) so my hair & scalp were spared. I currently have Aminatu clinging to my arm as if her life depends on it. 

I'm about to go get something to eat because my eating/sleeping schedule is all out of whack.


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## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> My mom passed today.
> 
> put together my 2 person swing and think of how much she would have enjoyed swinging in it.


Sorry for your loss, Shan...  it can be hard to accept that eventually happens... 
Was 3 or 4 years before I no longer walked through a store and would see something and think I needed to pick it up for my Mom... and then remember she no longer had any use for it... 
Have a 2 person swing laying up in my back attic for 30 years now for my front porch and still haven't gotten around to putting up... but did reinforce part of the new front porch roof's ceiling 10 years ago in anticipation of hanging the swing from it... LOL! ...  Not being able to walk for extended periods over the past 25 years has me behind in a lot of my projects...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> A Confederate flag just to piss people off...


Agreed... I conflate Confederates with NAZIs/Hitlerites... both killed Americans for evil purposes...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Ended up pulling out a stump today after dinner. Borrowed chains from a neighbor, then tried tugging with the riding mower but it just spun its wheels. So I switched to the SUV and it came out so easily I didn't feel it, I only knew because I saw my wife clapping.
> 
> Stump pulling is fun, I see why people make weekend jobs out of doing this.


I tried pulling a little shrub bush out with my truck... ended up bending the back heavy duty utility bumper instead... those little 2-3" diameter stumps/root systems are more strong than it seems possible... ended up just sawing it off level with the ground...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Those muscle cars like the Charger look like jobs to me too. Either a job to maintain, or a second job you have to work to pay for the gas.


Actually, they get better MPG than any early 1970's car! IF driven easily...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> When I was 6 years old I wanted a Lamborghini Countache. The black one with the big sail, which I still find breathtaking. (What 6 year old boy doesn't want one?) When I was 16 years old I wanted a DeLorean...
> I still think those cars would be fun to rent for a day and a week, respectively.


If you want the mid engine driving experience for cheap/free, rent or test drive a Fiero...


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Those muscle cars like the Charger look like jobs to me too. Either a job to maintain, or a second job you have to work to pay for the gas.
> 
> A Confederate flag just to piss people off...Yeah, I figure that must be why anyone has them north of the Mason Dixon. Even south of it, since the south _lost the friggin war_... But trying your best to make enemies everywhere you go seems like a really unnecessary way to take years off your life, either through violence or stress. Plus you might make friends you don't want, too!


Hello... Joke... I don't really think anybody is offended by the Flag. There's far more wokesters that are offended by the American Flag than anything. For the people that would be offended by the Confederate flag, they probably grew up watching Dukes of Hazzard and have no idea what the flag means because it doesn't really mean anything these days. 

It's like people that don't do any research. They would see a Nazi flag and appropriate it with what it is. But what about the Swastika without the White and Red background? Would they know it as an ancient symbol that goes back 5000 plus years? 

NO...


----------



## Spicoli43

Sorry for your loss, Shan... I know you did your best despite your strained relationship.


----------



## havasu

My condolences Shan.


----------



## Spicoli43

If someone is a meat eater, but they take a break for a while and eat VEGAN, when they open their freezer and the Chicken Sausage and Beef start talking to them, is that a side effect or are they considered "certifiable"??

Asking for a neighbor...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> It's like people that don't do any research. They would see a Nazi flag and appropriate it with what it is. But what about the Swastika without the White and Red background? Would they know it as an ancient symbol that goes back 5000 plus years?


Would people know that Catholic Religious Terrorist Hitler adopted the swastika because it was molded into the front wall of the Catholic elementary school he attended?


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 @BuzzLOL
You're saying people are only offended at the bars'n'stars/swastika because they don't understand the history of these symbols? 

That doesn't seem accurate. I think people are offended by them firstly because these days anyone using these symbols in public is communicating "F*** you" with a side order of "I condone violence against innocent people" (regardless whether that is the intended message), and secondly because the symbols themselves are now most closely associated with violent atrocities.

Those reasons seem to hold regardless whether the person who got offended understands the entire history of those symbols or not.

On the other hand, I think if you had a Charger with the Confederate flag printed on the roof (somehow I didn't realize this is what you meant before; I'd thought you meant on the front badge area or something), most people would associate it with "Dukes of Hazzard" and would think maybe you're a little weird for being a grown man who's so into a TV show, but they wouldn't be offended by the flag per se.

I've never met anyone in real life who's offended by the American flag. I think that's probably mainly a "small number of teenage activists running their mouths on the internet" thing. Certainly there are enough American flags pasted all over every building, manufactured object etc., and flying off the backs of trucks, that if anyone's actually offended by it one more flag probably isn't going to make a difference to them. (I look over at my guitar case which has a huge American flag printed on it...)


----------



## Spicoli43

No, they are offended by the Confederate Flag and the Swastika because they are Psychologically conditioned to be offended. In the case of the Confederate Flag, people think it has to do with racism when that was just a small fragment of the people. They wanted their own Country, which I will never complain about because the current "leaders" want to burn down the USA.

As far as the Swastika, it was hijacked by the Nazi's... I see past that, but if I displayed it, I wouldn't display the Nazi version of course. The Islamic faith was hijacked by Al-Qaeda and ISIS etc, but I don't blame ordinary Iraqi's or Iranians or Egyptians etc. 

People that are offended by the American Flag are all over the place. Have you missed the last 6 Years of Professional Sports? Unless you're literally under a rock, you know about it. You don't have to watch it to know about it. 






						school boards vote against the star spangled banner at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com
				









						mayors ban american flag at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com
				









						HOA bans American Flag at DuckDuckGo
					

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.




					duckduckgo.com


----------



## Flyover

I think you're right that "being offended" is a conditioned response. I guess I was conflating people who have that response with people who have a genuine fight-or-flight reaction to something they interpret as a "warning of increased risk of violence aimed at me or my loved ones". Both responses exist for sure though. 

A dispassionate study of the history of those symbols will definitely show that they mostly stood for benign things, you're right about that, but their association with violent atrocities inevitably becomes what's most salient to most people (including the people displaying those symbols, who do it to piss off others). Like I said, you might intend to communicate one thing, but what _ gets_ communicated depends on more than just your intent, because cultural salience plays into it.

As for being offended by the U.S. flag, I know people have boycotted it for activist reasons but that doesn't read to me like the flag itself offending them the way the confederate flag would. More like it's a consciously chosen symbol of protest. It's not like if they walked down the street and saw an American flag waving outside someone's house they'd feel threatened; instead they'd come up with some intellectual reason why they don't think the flag should fly (at least until some number of their political goals was met). So yeah, there's a difference between activism and cultural zeitgeist.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, the "warning of increased risk of violence" is conditioned in people as well. The Leftists make it known that the Gadsden Flag and the Betsy Ross Flag are associated with Far Right crazy people that want to overtake the Government. They (The Far Left FBI) do that because they know that enough people on the Left won't question such an idiotic statement. 

They do that, despite the fact that both Flags have been around as long as the USA, and the Betsy Ross is part of the swearing in of even Far Left Presidents like Obama... 

They protest against the USA Flag and the Star Spangled Banner because they attribute it to racism, when in fact there hasn't been a whole lot of racism in this country since the Civil War, sure there are pockets of racism in the deep South still and in Northern Idaho of all places, but it's not a crisis. It isn't widespread like the Leftist media and politicians keep saying it is. I have never even met a racist person. 

They say all this stuff because the asphalt you walk on is smarter than them. Every single thing they say backfires on them because people on my side know it's BS, and even people on the Left are waking up to it... 









						Leaked FBI doc labels 'extremist' Betsy Ross flag, 2nd Amendment, Gadsden Flag and more: report
					

A purported internal FBI document lists the Betsy Ross flag, Second Amendment and other imagery as symbols of "Militia Violent Extremists."




					americanmilitarynews.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I think those that oppose either flag are extremists trying to have their way. Also consider the PC movement to remove monuments and changing names of buildings, military bases and highways. They are trying to get in the face of normal people just as did flag burners and "take-a-knee" Kaepernick. What profit is there in rewriting history? I haven't been to Benin but I understand it uses its sordid history as a slave port to attract tourists as does Auschwitz.

George Washington was a slave owner do we change the name of Washington, DC and remove the monument? Where does the insanity end?


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, the "warning of increased risk of violence" is conditioned in people as well.


That's also true, and a fair point, though the conditioning isn't all from left wing activist lying. Plenty of it comes from actual violence that happens to people, not all of which you see in the national news. Unfortunately I have met violent racists, and not in the south. Probably they are everywhere because many people become this way in prison, and prisons are all over. (Thanks, Biden!)

And yeah I think protests are dumb in general; if I have strong opinions on something I'll either just talk about them in a friendly way or keep them to myself but you'll never catch me marching around in the street or making grand gestures on tv. But the people who do that stuff aren't equivalent to people whose hair involuntarily stands on end when they see the stars'n'bars.


----------



## Eddie_T

I just had cereal to chase my supplements and noted a "best by" date of July 24 as I rinsed the milk jug. I shake the jug with every use and I don't think this is a new record. I do always taste the milk before adding cereal.

I think the stars and bars are the prettiest flag I have seen. It was the battle flag and much prettier than the Confederate national flag (which looked too much like a surrender flag to carry into battle).


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> That's also true, and a fair point, though the conditioning isn't all from left wing activist lying. Plenty of it comes from actual violence that happens to people, not all of which you see in the national news. Unfortunately I have met violent racists, and not in the south. Probably they are everywhere because many people become this way in prison, and prisons are all over. (Thanks, Biden!)
> 
> And yeah I think protests are dumb in general; if I have strong opinions on something I'll either just talk about them in a friendly way or keep them to myself but you'll never catch me marching around in the street or making grand gestures on tv. But the people who do that stuff aren't equivalent to people whose hair involuntarily stands on end when they see the stars'n'bars.


Well, I'm sure I met Black people that hated me, whether they were racists or not. Lots of Native Americans hate Whites etc.... I meant I haven't ever met a White Supremacist and I know that for a fact because I guarantee they wouldn't shut up about it. Then again, I have lived in the North almost exclusively, and there are enough Non-Whites that would kick their Democrat mascot if they saw egregious displays of hate. 

I don't like the word hate, but I hate avowed racists like Al Sharpton and Oprah. They are wicked racists. 

Protesting is American, but I share your views on it. I don't understand it because the leaders of the World won't start being good people because of it.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> < "@Spicoli43 @BuzzLOL" >
> Somehow you've gotten it totally wrong conflating me with Spicoli!
> 
> As I said above:
> "I conflate Confederates with NAZIs/Hitlerites... both killed Americans for evil purposes..."
> Half the population of the USA should know that fact... the other half isn't smart enough to know... or slept through history classes... or relates more to the "evil" aspects... and/or is easily fooled...
> Usually there are slightly more good people in the world than evil people... but with the LameStreamMisleadia FAKE NEWS LIARS tipping recently totally to the dark evil side, I'm afraid there are more (mislead) evil people right now...
> 
> <You're saying people are only offended at the bars'n'stars/swastika because they don't understand the history of these symbols? >
> 
> Obviously I understand the evil of them...
> 
> <On the other hand, I think if you had a Charger with the Confederate flag printed on the roof - "Dukes of Hazzard" and would think maybe you're a little weird for being a grown man who's so into a TV show, but they wouldn't be offended by the flag per se. >


That TV show was meant to be a comedy about city hall corruption and the still current insensitivity of racist Democrats in the South... although it never depicted the slightest evil toward any minorities appearing on the show... they were always depicted as friends/equals/protected...

<I've never met anyone in real life who's offended by the American flag.>
The USA flag isn't particularly beautiful as flags go but its looks aren't what's important, it represents a water shed moment in history: the beginning of the end of evil religion-backed-royalty !!!  The end of kings who could order people killed just because they don' think they like them or of the wrong religion/belief system.
Fact is, all religions despise our USA! USA was first to make illegal a favorite hobby of religics: mass murderous religious terrorism killing of innocent people as ordered by the handbooks of all religions!
Religions also despise USA's Freedom of Speech! Which they call heresy/blasphemy...
The Religion Industry refers to our USA as: "The Democracy Experiment" (do a search) and prays for its quick failure!
It grinds in their craw that USA has lasted so long already!

<I think that's probably mainly a "small number of teenage activists running their mouths on the internet" thing. Certainly there are enough American flags pasted all over  >
3/4's of Americans are under orders to hate our USA... but they keep quiet about it... would do something about it under the right 'organizational' effort... another 'Hitler' demogogue, maybe...

The Pledge of Allegiance was ruined in 1954 after Catholic Hitlerite Drunken Sen. Joseph McCarthy got evil religion words added to it... thus it's totally UnConstitutional to expect anyone to recite it now!
Fortunately, someone finally had the balls to put evil McCarthy down to his face and then he finished drinking himself to death a couple years later by the tender age of 48...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Auschwitz.


Auschwitz was made a monument to REMIND people that the TOTAL EVIL of Catholic Religious Terrorist Hitler ACTUALLY HAPPENED !!! Never forget it! Ignore the Catholics who still deny it! 
Never forget 6+Million people slaughtered in Hitler's concentration camps gas chambers for not being the right religion! 65Million mostly good people killed in his WWII !!! With the help of the also extremist Shinto religion of Japan! 
Gen. Eisenhower filmed the evil so we would never forget! He marched the nearby German people through the concentration camps so they would see the evil and smell the mountains of dead bodies that required burial by giant bulldozers and never be able to deny it happened!:


----------



## zannej

I have never met anyone who was offended by the American flag but I have met plenty who are offended by the Confederate flag. Displaying the swastika in Germany or even jokingly doing the Hitler salute will get people arrested over there.



BuzzLOL said:


> I tried pulling a little shrub bush out with my truck... ended up bending the back heavy duty utility bumper instead... those little 2-3" diameter stumps/root systems are more strong than it seems possible... ended up just sawing it off level with the ground...


At least the bumper stayed on. My dad was trying to pull a stump out one time and was really laying on the accelerator while the truck didn't move. Finally it broke free and he gave a cheer until he got out and saw the stump still in place and the bumper on the ground.

Yesterday I had to get new windshield wipers on the truck because the rubber on one of them had broken off and was moving off to the side every time the wipers went on.

Today I had to go buy cleaning supplies and more trash bags. Mom didn't tell me she was out of metamucil bars so I had to get more. I also got a tack remover to remove broken hanger on the back of one of the eggshell paintings. Grabbed some cow feed at TSC. Got home, fed the cows, brought stuff in, replaced the hanger on the eggshell painting, put it back on the wall, and gave Mom her stuff.

Something is wrong with the APC that the tv is plugged into. It is letting out a long beep like it has no power. I traced back the plug and I can see it is not in the wall socket completely, but its under a some furniture and my arm is not long enough to reach to push it back in. It is plugged to an extension cord that goes across the room because the outlet nearby doesn't work anymore. I need to get things cleaned up majorly so my friend can take a look at the electrical.

Meant to get pics of the stuff outside yesterday but it was raining all day. Today its too hot after the trip, but if it doesn't start raining again I'll go try to get a picture (if I can figure out where I put my phone). I hate when I put stuff down and forget where. LOL. (Phone is in my fanny pack and I took it off somewhere while doing something).

It felt so hot out I started to get dizzy. 

Once I cool off I need to take the kitchen trash bag out of the trash can (brother won't do it even though it's his one chore). He worked until 2am but had to be back at work at noon. That sort of work schedule should be illegal. Swing shifts are not good for people's health. I saved some food for him so he'd have something to eat when he got home. I have more for him so he can eat when he gets home. He tends to cooperate more if I give him food. He's off until Friday after today so I'm hoping I can get him to help me clean.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I have never met anyone who was offended by the American flag
> 
> but I have met plenty who are offended by the Confederate flag. Displaying the swastika in Germany or even jokingly doing the Hitler salute will get people arrested over there.
> 
> Yesterday I had to get new windshield wipers on the truck because the rubber on one of them had broken off and was moving off to the side every time the wipers went on.
> 
> Once I cool off I need to take the kitchen trash bag out of the trash can (brother won't do it even though it's his one chore). He worked until 2am but had to be back at work at noon.


Lots of Americans don't like to see USA flag displayed ( as I explained in other comments above) 

Confederate and Hitler flags should be hated by every decent person... We still militarily occupy Germany, Italy, and Japan and that has prevented WWIII for 77 years so far... We LEARNED from WWII following WWI by a mere 20 years!

Have to watch rubber coming off wiper blades as the remaining bare metal can cut a groove in the glass of the windshield... don't ask how I know that... 

At least he had over 8 hours between shifts, so it's legal... sounds like WORKING is likely very psychologically and physically healthy for your brother... about time for him to grow up...


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I think those that oppose either flag are extremists trying to have their way. Also consider the PC movement to remove monuments and changing names of buildings, military bases and highways. They are trying to get in the face of normal people just as did flag burners and "take-a-knee" Kaepernick. What profit is there in rewriting history? I haven't been to Benin but I understand it uses its sordid history as a slave port to attract tourists as does Auschwitz.
> 
> George Washington was a slave owner do we change the name of Washington, DC and remove the monument? Where does the insanity end?


Yeah, removing statues is idiotic. Removing the Lincoln statue shows how idiotic some people are, not only because they have no bloody idea about History, but also because they are only chanting and rioting to appease their actual Slave master, Soros.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah, removing statues is idiotic.


Nopers... statues of Hitler, Hitlerites, George Floyd, and Confederates should be removed from positions of honor and placed into Museums of Evil !!!


----------



## Spicoli43

I swear 2 year old Female Cats are the equivalent to 13 or 14 year old Female Humans... I bought 2 giant sacs of Bird Seed to put in the planter right outside their room, and they loved watching the Birds. I am barely through the first bag, and they have no interest in Birds anymore. 

I just held one up to look out the window, put her down and she walked in the opposite direction. I bet she said something like "I am like SO SURE... Why don't you understand? We used to like Birds... That was like SO last month. Why don't you Adults ever understand ANYTHING? You won't open the window anyway, what are we supposed to say? "Ooohhh look at the birdies" like we are kids? OH EM GEE... Can you get out of my room now? Shut the door now!!!"

I don't have to raise the Human ones, my Brother does... WHEW!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I swear 2 year old Female Cats ... I bought 2 giant sacs of Bird Seed to put in the planter right outside their room, and they loved watching the Birds.


My cats used to love watching TV shows about birds... fascinated by how many different kinds of birds there are... but I suppose they eventually tire of "look... but you don't get to touch/eat"...
Like teenage boys eventually tire of simply just looking at girls...


----------



## zannej

LOL! Mine get to go outside and chase the birds. Although Namir and Temjin won't go out. They went outside once and hated it. 
Bro got home and I gave him food so he brought in the cat food bag. Tomorrow I'm hoping to do some major cleaning. since I have the gloves, trash bags, and cleaning supplies now. I just hope my back will cooperate with me.

I also need to find my plastic bins and start transferring stuff out of cardboard boxes and into plastic bins.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I also need to find my plastic bins and start transferring stuff out of cardboard boxes and into plastic bins.


I had to put my flour in glass storage containers as I noticed the maggots/bugs go right through the soft plastic of the recycled plastic margarine tubs I had been using...


----------



## zannej

I'm currently trying to find a better weedeater or bladed trimmer. The plastic wire/blades won't cut it (literally).  I want something battery operated that isn't too heavy that I can use to mow down weeds and saplings.

I was going to get my brother to help me clean today but he took Mom's car without permission to go hang out with our friend. She thought he was at work. He's only supposed to use the car to go to and from work but he's back to treating it like its his car again and not respecting the rules. Mom is ticked bc she didn't give him permission and she doesn't like when he adds miles to the car. He also doesn't pay for the gas.

I'm probably going to get up and start cooking in awhile though.

I got tired of my cats constantly knocking my subwoofer & speakers off my desk and knocking my keyboard cover askew. It was always sliding back. So I cleaned the desk, bottoms of speakers, bottoms of cover, etc with rubbing alcohol and put on some Velcro. Seems to be holding for now.


----------



## Flyover

Yesterday for the first time in memory I fueled up the mower without spilling gasoline all over my hands. Bewildered, dumbfounded, and incredulous, I cut all my grass in record time (30 minutes).

Today I must assemble a large piece of furniture, but I'm not certain my schedule will comply...


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Yesterday for the first time in memory I fueled up the mower without spilling gasoline all over my hands. Bewildered, dumbfounded, and incredulous, I cut all my grass in record time (30 minutes).
> 
> Today I must assemble a large piece of furniture, but I'm not certain my schedule will comply...


You don't have a gas jug with a handle at the top and one on the side that make it impossible to spill on your hands?


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I'm glad you managed to not spill any gas and that you got the mowing done. Any luck on assembling furniture?

Yesterday is now a blur to me. Today was another useless day. I just woke up a few minutes ago and am still tired.  I didn't even stay up late last night, I just racked out again. Chronic fatigue sucks. I'm trying to get myself moving to do something productive. My brother didn't come back until I'd already gone to sleep. When I woke up he told me about some redneck drama. He spent the day over at our friend's house. They were going to watch a movie when the gf said her sister-cousin announced that she and her husband and baby were almost there. They invited themselves over without asking. They showed up & wanted food and offered to cook but said it had to be my friend's food. Friend had some frozen chicken so it got taken out to defrost. While it was defrosting, for some reason the inbred chick stomped into his room (while he was playing video games) got up in his face and started screaming at him and demanding to know when the food would be ready. Her husband was telling her to calm down. My friend told her it would be ready when it was ready & she screamed at him some more so he told her to get the f out of his face. Then the toddler she brought (who is only a few days younger than the friend's gf's baby) started biting the other toddler very hard and wouldn't stop. He ran away from her but she chased him down. Does the asinine mother pick him up and protect him? No. She just kept screaming at her sister-cousin to grab grab the younger toddler and "beat her a**" but the sister-cousin just did nothing. Well, she got the remote to the TV, used my friend's Amazon Prime account, and created a profile for herself without asking. Then as it was getting darker and my friend told the uninvited guests they should go bc it was getting dark. They announced that they planned to spend the night. Friend said "No". They argued and insisted they needed to spend the night. Friend told them to get the f out of his house and told the gf to tell them not to ever come back. We'll see if he remembers. He keeps letting people come back after they use him or are nasty to him. I think he forgets bc of the brain injury. 

I discovered that the inside ladder got left outside when they were working on putting up the satellite dish so I have to go lug it in. Also found some stuff that was ruined bc it got left out. My bro and friend said they had cleaned everything up but I think they forgot. 

At least my speakers and tray have stayed in place thanks to the velcro.


----------



## Spicoli43

My 7 week Detox is OVER!!!! For the first time in said almost 2 months, I tasted my Homemade Chocolate with Dates / Raisins / Cashews / Walnuts and Hempseeds that I made for other people but couldn't taste myself. 

The Detox taught me a whole lot... 

1) The Gut pain I have had since at least 1999 is completely gone, was vanquished in Week 1. I don't feel my Hiatal Hernia, but that feeling has tapered off in recent years. Any bad bacteria / parasites are history. 

2) I have ZERO cravings for anything outside clean eating. I am thinking about Ice Cream and Pizza now, but there's no desire to go get them. 

3) I have ZERO cravings for Sugar anything, even the fruit in the Chocolate was just a few chunks. I don't have an intense desire to stuff my face.

4) I lost 3 inches from my Belly and 15 Lbs., which was not expected because I ate nothing but Basmati Rice and Lentils all 7 weeks (About 4 bowls a day) along with a Pear almost every day and various vegetables. The Detox doesn't have weight loss written on it with those massive carbs. I did work out, but no more or less than before. 

5) I did SWEAT A LOT... We all detox every second of every day, but when specialized herbs are used, it kicks it into overdrive, and that could have something to do with the weight loss. I'm going to do a similar Detox with the same Herbs, but shift the focus to a Paleo / Intermittent fasting program where the carbs will be massively cut down and see what the results will be. I will also do the program when it isn't 82 degrees in the house as a confirmation that I was sweating that much from the Detox. I don't usually sweat that much, so I think I'm right, one way to find out in the Winter / Spring. 

6) My Blood Pressure is the same, but I expected that because I used Himalayan salt to not only replenish the minerals I was sweating excessively, but also because Rice and lentils aren't exactly tasty. I will cut that down next time. 

7) Clean eating is a forever thing for me now, Not Vegan, but I'm not going to ever have Omaha Steaks or Costco or anything else from the Supermarket. It will all be Grass Fed / Grass Finished Beef, Organic Chicken, Organic Eggs etc... 

8) Eating nothing but Rice and Lentils for the most part saves a LOT of cash. 

9) I will always have said Week 1 in my plans because of my gut pain being vanquished, but also because it was excellent. I was allowed to mix Butter sauteed Onions and Ginger into my Rice and Lentils, so it tasted great. I also used an Herb combo called Trikatu, which is a mix of Ginger, Black Pepper and Long Pepper.

10) Probiotic supplements do NOT work at all, at least not for me. I had questioned if they even make it past the acidity of the stomach, but even Yogurt and Kombucha were only temporary bandaids. 

I'm just blown away... 22 or so years with sometimes ridiculous gut pain... Gone after the first week. I'm sold on Ayurvedic Medicine. 

PERIOD.


----------



## zannej

I'm so glad it worked out for you. I don't know if I have the willpower for the detox thing. And we don't have the grass fed stuff available in my area. I'm especially happy to hear that your gut pain is gone.

I just did some cleaning in the kitchen, I really need to do more thorough cleaning later but I was able to get a lot of stuff picked up. Need to do major scrubbing and disinfecting later. I need to declutter the area around the sink. 

Mewlatto just decided that my sole purpose for sitting here is to warm his butt so he just climbed on me. My brother is the one who rescued him, but I'm his favorite human.

I haven't gone outside yet to do the heavy lifting yet.

Oh, my brother said that my friend's bint of a gf did finally pick up her kid to get him away from his cousin after he started screaming in pain and was crying. But she immediately dumped him on my friend and said "I can't deal with him, Bruh" and ran to another room covering her ears. Instead of trying to comfort her kid when he cries she either screams at him or runs out of the room covering her ears. And she's having a 2nd kid. Ugh.


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks, Z... Can't really hit the thumbs up though when you mix in the Jerry Springer stuff!

The Grass Fed Meat is my thing. It has nothing to do with the Detox. You would clean the whole house if you did a Carb based Detox. I don't think you would have a choice with all the energy created by Mountains of Rice and Lentils. I forgot to mention how my energy was off the charts.

You (Based on talking to you for quite a while) would have no problem with the willpower to do a Detox. You are mind blocked from starting it or anything else. You're at the speed bump but refuse to press the gas. I have known many people with Chronic Fatigue / Fibro... You are all the same, it just comes down to whether people want to try reversing it or not.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> You don't have a gas jug with a handle at the top and one on the side that make it impossible to spill on your hands?


I have one of those red plastic gas jugs (two actually, one five-gallon and one two-gallon) and they both have one handle in the top corner and one spout in the other top corner. The spout is the kind where you have to turn a collar to a certain position to "unlock" it so the spout can sorta telescope inward and this allows the gas to flow out of it. And the collar has a spring action of some kind so if you let go of it it will go back to the "lock" position.

This means one hand always ends up having to be on the collar and near the spout, at least at the moment when the gas starts flowing. I've found those things are never leakproof and some gas always ends up seeping out around the collar, even if it's tightened down as much as it'll go. And that's when gas doesn't splash on me from the open end because while I was focused on lining up the collar and getting the spout to telescope in I didn't notice the tip of the spout is now resting against the inside of the tube that leads into the gas tank instead of pointed squarely down the middle...

So yesterday I must have had some combination of luck and a perfect storm of doing everything just right.



Spicoli43 said:


> Can't really hit the thumbs up though when you mix in the Jerry Springer stuff!


^Hilarious.

I haven't had time to assemble new furniture yet. I have to factor in time to disassemble and remove the old furniture!


----------



## zannej

I cooked but didn't get the heavy lifting done. Didn't want to go outside. I'll have to make myself do it tomorrow. I watched some stuff on DVR while I ate and then went back to bed. Mom was watching Youtube and feeling antisocial.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ok, I noticed a side effect of going off the Detox, whether it's good or bad... Apparently I am wickedly lactose intolerant now. I had 4 spoons of Yogurt to see if I would have a reaction. It's like an elimination diet, the whole purpose being to reintroduce foods you haven't had to see how your body reacts. 

Well, that was a mistake. While I was normally very tolerant to Milk products, this little experiment turned offensive in a couple of hours. My guts started cramping and it turned into a scenario more like "Hey Honey, we still have those bottles of Mexican Water we have been saving, why don't I chill those out while you heat up that tub of week old Burritos and Sour Cream? The kids are gone, we have both bathrooms to ourselves... Lets put on some Barry White and...."

To further my new allergy to Yogurt, I had a massive migraine around bed and woke up in the middle of the night with a headache, akin to a Whiskey Wakeup... "I will NEVER drink again... NEVER" kind of feeling. I also had a constant snot clearing episode, which did make my breathing better because it was all running at once... (I still have a snot river now, some 15 hours later)...

I'm hoping it's just Yogurt, and regular Milk doesn't affect me since my main source of workout shakes is Grass Fed Milk / Grass Fed Powder... I could make Coconut Milk as a sub. 

The problem to the reintroduction is I have to do it like that... I have to cook a pound of Beef or Bison alone just to see if I'm affected. Meat isn't normally an allergy food, but there's only one way to find out. I WILL NOT eat fake Soy "meat" garbage or Tofu ever, no matter what. There is long standing orders in the family to take me out to the back 40 with a Glock or a Mossberg if I ever become a Soy Boy Tofu Vegan. Not happening.

If I'm also allergic to Milk, the worst case scenario is I have to keep eating Lentils as my main source of Protein, which isn't that bad because they are loaded with protein, and the massive carb load apparently doesn't affect me like I thought since I lost inches and weight. 

I have to figure out a Beef / Bison dinner dish to go along with Lentils once I clear the meat through my "allowed" filter.

I know I'm not eating Pasta / Pizza / Bread again, Cheese is probably gone etc... 

All in all though, with the Gut pain gone for the first time this Century, I wouldn't go back for anything.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I have one of those red plastic gas jugs (two actually, one five-gallon and one two-gallon) and they both have one handle in the top corner and one spout in the other top corner. The spout is the kind where you have to turn a collar to a certain position to "unlock" it so the spout can sorta telescope inward and this allows the gas to flow out of it. And the collar has a spring action of some kind so if you let go of it it will go back to the "lock" position.
> 
> This means one hand always ends up having to be on the collar and near the spout, at least at the moment when the gas starts flowing. I've found those things are never leakproof and some gas always ends up seeping out around the collar, even if it's tightened down as much as it'll go. And that's when gas doesn't splash on me from the open end because while I was focused on lining up the collar and getting the spout to telescope in I didn't notice the tip of the spout is now resting against the inside of the tube that leads into the gas tank instead of pointed squarely down the middle...
> 
> So yesterday I must have had some combination of luck and a perfect storm of doing everything just right.


Ok, my 5 gallon has the turn spout that lets off pressure just when I twist and unlock it, then it leaks a bit no matter what when I reattach the spout. I have to use Nitrile gloves because I have to pop the Yellow stopper out, so will touch gas a little bit. The spout is inside the gas can when it's not used to pour. 

I'm not getting how you normally pour gas all over your hands. I have never seen a gas can unlike mine. It's universal as far as I know, going back to when I was a kid.


----------



## Flyover

The spout on my gas cans is just like this:






You see that green collar at the base of the spout? It has to be twisted to "unlock" which allows the spout to push in and the gas to flow out. The collar is spring-loaded, so it "locks" by default; you can't just leave it permanently "unlocked". This means you have to have your hand there to twist it each time, and some gas always leaks out at that joint.

Anyway, I'm surprised you had a reaction to yogurt of all things. I've been lactose intolerant most of my adult life but yogurt never gave me any problems. I wonder if maybe it was something else, or if it was bad yogurt.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ok, so some gas leaks out... You said it spills all over your hands... I don't think there is any cans made that are free of that problem. Here is what mine looks like... 

It was brand new Yogurt, nothing was different in my eating besides the Chocolate ingredients, but that was hours before. I'll test that also.


----------



## Flyover

Well it only takes about a tablespoon of any liquid to leak all over your hands! And gasoline is particularly noticeable.

I don't know exactly what effects you had from the yogurt, but speaking of, er, gas...lentils will do that to ya. Also, you already know this of course but your guts are a world unto themselves, and like a finely tuned instrument, when you rebalance in one direction, things in another direction will be thrown off, which means something like the pears or vegetables (which ones?) could give you problems for a little while until your gut readjusts. So maybe don't change anything and see if it clears up naturally?

Something happened to me around age 30 where for like 3-4 months I experienced something akin to IBS if I ate anything that wasn't salad. I don't know what caused it (a doctor said it was just aging, coming out of the last throes of young adulthood or something?) and it went away on its own.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't like safety gas cans. I have an old five gallon can that I bought motor oil in decades ago. I use it with a funnel and with any luck it will outlast me.

Some say proper diet and exercise has been shown to lead to 6-12 months life extension. However it surely makes it seem like a heck of a lot longer.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Well it only takes about a tablespoon of any liquid to leak all over your hands! And gasoline is particularly noticeable.
> 
> I don't know exactly what effects you had from the yogurt, but speaking of, er, gas...lentils will do that to ya. Also, you already know this of course but your guts are a world unto themselves, and like a finely tuned instrument, when you rebalance in one direction, things in another direction will be thrown off, which means something like the pears or vegetables (which ones?) could give you problems for a little while until your gut readjusts. So maybe don't change anything and see if it clears up naturally?
> 
> Something happened to me around age 30 where for like 3-4 months I experienced something akin to IBS if I ate anything that wasn't salad. I don't know what caused it (a doctor said it was just aging, coming out of the last throes of young adulthood or something?) and it went away on its own.


Well, this whole journey with Lentils didn't result in Gas because (I assume) I soaked them overnight and cooked them until they were real done. The Ayurvedic Doctor that was the instructor said that about Lentils, and their substitute Mung Beans.

The rebalancing you're talking about is exactly what an elimination diet is. I drank a big glass of Milk about a half hour ago, and will know soon if that creates problems. Protein shakes with water are horrible, so I hope I'm good.

Sounds like that Doctor had no idea what they were talking about, which is 95% of MD's because they aren't trained in Nutrition. "Sounds like it was just aging" is AKA "I have no idea what I'm talking about because Pfizer doesn't sell it."

If I can't eat Yogurt, that's no big deal because it wasn't the cure for my IBS or whatever I had anyway, I just thought it was a remedy. I can give the rest to my Dog.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> You don't have a gas jug with a handle at the top and one on the side that make it impossible to spill on your hands?


I was thinking more like using a funnel...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> The spout on my gas cans is just like this:


You can buy a simple spout for your gas can to replace the irritating spout... but it costs about as much as a whole new gas can...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> My 7 week Detox is OVER!!!! 1) The Gut pain I have had since at least 1999 is completely gone,


I had enlarging liver and ever increasing liver pain for years... that almost killed me... until I read it was our poison city tap water doing it... their water reports always claimed we had the best tap water in the country... switching to bottled water stopped the pain in a day or two and it hasn't ever came back... liver size is slow in receding, though...


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> I had enlarging liver and ever increasing liver pain for years... that almost killed me... until I read it was our poison city tap water doing it... their water reports always claimed we had the best tap water in the country... switching to bottled water stopped the pain in a day or two and it hasn't ever came back... liver size is slow in receding, though...


You think it was the chlorine in the water or maybe fluoride? What in the water do you attribute to your liver problem? I haven seen you state this many times but I don't recall you mentioning if you figured out what it was exactly? I live near you but I'm not on municipal water anymore, though I was for some time.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> What in the water do you attribute to your liver problem?


This problem was probably going on for 75 years but just being covered up: 








						Five Years Later: Lessons From the Toledo Water Crisis - Alliance for the Great Lakes
					

On August 2nd, 2014, residents of Toledo, Ohio awoke to urgent warnings not to drink or use their tap water. Half a million people were unable to drink their water, […]




					greatlakes.org


----------



## 68bucks

Yea there's a lot said about the algea blooms nowadays. The city systems were overrun in 2014, they never thought it would be that bad. They have since put a lot on money in upgrades to handle future blooms, they happen every year. If the system works correctly they cyanobacteria are killed alomg with any other bacteria. I didn't have any issues with that episode, we were on Toledo water then. Some people like you had big issues, sort of like covid in that regard I guess, some get a sore throat and some die. If I were you I wouldn't drink it either unless you use an RO system or something. 

Hopefully some of the things that are being done will reduce the problem going forward. I know a lot of the farmers around me are leaving fallow ground along creeks to reduce runoff. I assume we are paying them for that. Sounds like the bloom is less this year. I know when I've been out fishing on the lake it seems lighter. I remember 2014 and few other years. It's pretty gross to actually be out there in a bad patch. Putrid lime green muck. Makes a mess on your boat.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> If the system works correctly they cyanobacteria are killed alomg with any other bacteria.
> 
> It's pretty gross to actually be out there in a bad patch. Putrid lime green muck. Makes a mess on your boat.


Once the algae put the poisons in the water, it has to be filtered out... if they can do that... 
Early 1960's my father stopped taking us/boat out into Lake Erie because you couldn't even see the water, so much algae it looked like we were boating on a lawn... 
I have to look through our old 8MM movies, I think we have one of Edmund Fitzgerald going past us while we're fishing...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I had enlarging liver and ever increasing liver pain for years... that almost killed me... until I read it was our poison city tap water doing it... their water reports always claimed we had the best tap water in the country... switching to bottled water stopped the pain in a day or two and it hasn't ever came back... liver size is slow in receding, though...


I would do a consult with a Holistic / Ayurvedic practitioner. I'll link the Dr. that taught my course below. He can probably provide the answers you need for your liver. 

I once heard a PhD say that just by quitting drinking, one will have a brand new liver in 7 Months (Assuming you don't live in Shanghai and you don't have other severe problems). The liver is the only organ that regenerates itself like that.









						K.P. Khalsa • International Integrative Educational Institute
					

About Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Yogaraj (Ayurveda), A.D., D.N.-C, R.H. Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Yogaraj (Ayurveda), A.D., D.N.-C, R.H., has over 50 years of experience in holistic medicine, and is one of the foremost natural healing experts in North America. Khalsa is President Emeritus of the...




					internationalintegrative.com


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## Spicoli43

I had no problem with Milk, so I don't understand the Yogurt reaction, but was real excited that I drank a Grass Fed Protein shake this morning, about 2 hours before my workout. There's no point in doing that and it made me full and lazy, and it unlocked my sinus cavity and turned it into a River. I only did 4 exercises on my glorified coat hanger before swearing to myself that I would remember the shake only AFTER the workout... 

Only been doing this for about 30 Years, Numbnu..


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## zannej

Spicoli, it sucks that you had a bad reaction to yogurt. I hope you're feeling better now.

I took Mom to an eye appointment. Her eyes are doing great for her age. She wanted to go to Walmart after so we went & got some stuff. I had to keep reminding her that she got a frozen meal so she would hurry up but it didn't work. Got some yogurt as well. It usually helps my stomach when I have gas. Then we went to Samsclub because we were out of milk. She took her sweet time in there. I got more cat food but one of the bags had some sort of slimy substance on it. I didn't get that bag but whatever the stuff was made my hand start turning red and get irritated. Fortunately, they had a sink with soap near the frozen section (for the people who have to set up the sample stations). Washed my hands and the irritation subsided. I wonder what was on there though.

Grabbed Wendy's on the way home. Decided not to get fries. Just grilled chicken sandwiches with lettuce. Mom got a burger and said that she liked it better than the McDonalds burgers but later told my brother she "hates" food from Wendy's. I don't know if she forgot or what. LOL.

Unloaded groceries, fed the kitties, and took a 4 hour nap.

I'm hoping I'll have energy to do stuff tomorrow. Need to do more cleaning.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Grabbed Wendy's on the way home. Decided not to get fries. Just grilled chicken sandwiches with lettuce.


Went to Church's Chicken Tuesday for the Tuesday Special but they ran out of chicken and closed. They're also almost out of stores now, 4 stores down to 1 now here. Closed the 3 stores in areas of town where they get robbed daily. (what certain people call "under served communities" with no stores)
So went next door to McDonalds and got a chicken sandwich... couldn't believe it was $5.50 now instead of a dollar or two... Church's would have had 4 pieces of fried chicken for $5... real chicken with the bones in them... not chopped, formed, and glued back together chicken... that half tastes like glue... young people nowadays don't even know what chicken tastes like, they grew up on Chicken McNuggets...
A friend pronounces sandwich as 'sanddridge"... I used to tease her that a sand ridge sounded like some gritty eating...


----------



## HandyOne

@BuzzLOL   Your mentioning Churches Chicken shutting down reminds me of all the help wanted signs around where I live.      I remember going to a Krystals about 6 weeks ago and pulled up to the drive through.    The voice told me they had no food right now as she had to cook it and it would be at least 15 minutes.   She was there alone.     I told her I would come back another time.    But a "fast" food place with only one person?

They just cannot get enough workers.


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## zannej

There are no Church's chicken places in my area. I don't know if there ever were, but a lot of places have shut down. Your McDonalds only charges $5.50 for the chicken sandwiches? They are over $7 here (and not for the meal). And that is before the 10.45% sales tax. 

I see the "help wanted" signs all over but I know people who applied and are told "We aren't hiring right now" or "We already filled the positions". 

HandyOne, they probably sent everyone else home because it was "slow" and they didn't want to be "high on labor". They do that all the time. 

I had a good nap yesterday, slept through most of the night, & had a long nap today. Got up and cooked for myself and am about to go into a food coma.

Tried to install Windows 10 upgrade about 3x but it won't go through for some reason. I'm not sure why.

My brother went to work and I'm waiting for Mom to want food so we can play the game of her trying to decide what she wants to eat while getting distracted by her computer and completely ignoring all attempts to communicate for 10+ minutes then getting angry when I leave the room. Or her thinking in her head that she's hungry & not saying anything to me and then screaming at me that she told me she was hungry.


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## Spicoli43

Well, I have you all defeated. I have never heard of Church's Chicken. Always been KFC and I have seen one Popeye's on Fort Lewis. I can't eat those types of oils anymore, though. I bought a new oven with an Air Fryer specifically for Chicken. I'll try fries also, but there's only one food I can't have that I miss, and that's Fried Chicken.

A good sit down Burger Joint around here was around $12 for a Giant Burger, Giant Fries and a Soda pre Covid, and there's a few others that were along those prices. During Covid, I was curious what McDonald's would charge even though I will never eat it again. I called and they said their Quarter Pounders were $5. 

It's all those people that were screaming for $15 an hour... Live near a Big City? See all those homeless tents? They weren't there prior to $15 an hour. They weren't in Seattle, now it's festering with homeless druggies / drunks. They thought their landlords were magically going to keep the rent the same, and eating would cost the same. Their employers fired them or cut them down to part time because they can't afford $15. 

The only fast food joint in Seattle that can afford $15 or more is the McDonald's by the Ferry Dock that sees 8 Million people walk past a day. The only other places are Trains in Chicago, Airports etc... If they worked in the middle of the City and screamed for $15 without having a shred of education in how economics works, they have a tent now. 

OOPS.


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## BuzzLOL

HandyOne said:


> @BuzzLOL
> They just cannot get enough workers.


The 'workers', most of whom haven't learned how to really 'work' yet, got used to an extra $300/week on top of usual unemployment pay plus Vote Buying 'Stimulus Money' and demands for $15/hour minimum from businesses that can't sell products at that high a price, don't want to go back to a 'job lifestyle' at realistic wages...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Your McDonalds only charges $5.50 for the chicken sandwiches? They are over $7 here (and not for the meal). And that is before the 10.45% sales tax.


I won't be paying $7... or even $5.50 again for a little chopped, reformed, and glued back together 'chicken' sandwich which leaves me hungry and tastes half like glue... they're up and out of my everyday meal budget range now... let McDonald's close down...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I won't be paying $7... or even $5.50 again for a little chopped, reformed, and glued back together 'chicken' sandwich which leaves me hungry and tastes half like glue... they're up and out of my everyday meal budget range now... let McDonald's close down...


I wish McDonald's would tank. I wish all fast food would tank and they planted Millions of acres of Organic crops, which would plunge those prices. Fantasy world, I know... 

Fast food prices will tank a little bit when the people finally aren't paid to sit around and do nothing. It will also tank a little because they don't listen to their customers. If they did, the McRib would be around year long. People have a Cult like following for that fake glue meat like you talk about.

Big Business can fail with horrible leadership, as proven with Sears / Kmart. Their idiot CEO gave away the store with their rewards program, turned Craftsman into a garbage brand etc... Then there is Bed Bath and Fascist. They refused to sell My Pillow because the founder of My Pillow is a Trump fan... Well, who gives a S what he thinks? Their job is to sell stuff, THAT IS LITERALLY IT. They ticked off more than half the Country with that, then refused to listen to a 10% owner of the company, who said SEEYA and sold all 9 Million of his shares, tanking the stock yesterday. Their realistic value is lower than 320 Million, which is tiny.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I wish McDonald's would tank. I wish all fast food would tank and they planted Millions of acres of Organic crops, which would plunge those prices. Fantasy world, I know...
> 
> Fast food prices will tank a little bit when the people finally aren't paid to sit around and do nothing. It will also tank a little because they don't listen to their customers. If they did, the McRib would be around year long. People have a Cult like following for that fake glue meat like you talk about.
> 
> Big Business can fail with horrible leadership, as proven with Sears / Kmart. Their idiot CEO gave away the store with their rewards program, turned Craftsman into a garbage brand etc... Then there is Bed Bath and Fascist. They refused to sell My Pillow because the founder of My Pillow is a Trump fan... Well, who gives a S what he thinks? Their job is to sell stuff, THAT IS LITERALLY IT. They ticked off more than half the Country with that, then refused to listen to a 10% owner of the company, who said SEEYA and sold all 9 Million of his shares, tanking the stock yesterday. Their realistic value is lower than 320 Million, which is tiny.


Guess you didn't notice that whenever a food is marked "organic" the price is 50-100% higher... 

Fast food places will prolly all close except in areas where a lot of overpaid $Millionaire sports, entertainment, politics, and Pres./CEO/V.P. people live... 

Uh... stores don't carry $33 'My Pillows' because you can walk into Walmart and buy a pillow just as nice for $3... he expects people to pay $33 for political reasons... and he sells a few for that reason... 
However, I think closeouts store Ollies now has some and sells them off for less... 
Seeing the $33 price, an antigun Parkland murders Democrat kid also started selling high priced pillows... LOL! ... Expecting antigunners to pay anything for them...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, I have you all defeated. I have never heard of Church's Chicken. Always been KFC and I have seen one Popeye's on Fort Lewis.


KFC around here has prices 2-3 times what Church's charges and their chicken pieces are smaller. Most of the KFCs that were here have now closed. KFC went on a campaign a few years ago not wanting to look racist or real or something with that Col. Sanders white haired white guy and Kentucky and just wanted to be called only "KFC"... Like high prices BP doesn't want you to know it's British Petroleum forced to sell gasoline in USA for 1/4 of what they charge in UK. Shell doesn't want you to know it's Royal Dutch Petroleum.
I've tried to buy fried chicken at several other 'chicken' places around here but they all only have high priced sandwiches or nuggets of chopped, reformed, and glued back together 'chicken'...
Once I had a taste for mashed potatoes with real chicken gravy... but every 'chicken' place around here only has generic brown gravy... whatever that is...
.
http://www.Churchs.com (884 stores)
.


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## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Guess you didn't notice that whenever a food is marked "organic" the price is 50-100% higher...
> 
> Fast food places will prolly all close except in areas where a lot of overpaid $Millionaire sports, entertainment, politics, and Pres./CEO/V.P. people live...
> 
> Uh... stores don't carry $33 'My Pillows' because you can walk into Walmart and buy a pillow just as nice for $3... he expects people to pay $33 for political reasons... and he sells a few for that reason...
> However, I think closeouts store Ollies now has some and sells them off for less...
> Seeing the $33 price, an antigun Parkland murders Democrat kid also started selling high priced pillows... LOL! ... Expecting antigunners to pay anything for them...


Yeah, planting millions of acres of Organic crops will drop the prices massively. "Health Care", AKA Death Care costs are through the roof because of people sitting around eating the chemical "food" from FF joints and from Hamburger Helper and Potato Buds boxes. 

BUT... If there was nothing but affordable Organic foods, people wouldn't need Pharma poisons that their fake "Doctor" that went to Pharma University deals them, so Pharma would crash, and we can't have that, can we?

They don't carry Mypillows because they are Fascists. They carried them before the election. I have no idea if they are good pillows or not.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> BUT... If there was nothing but affordable Organic foods, people wouldn't need Pharma poisons that their fake "Doctor" that went to Pharma University deals them, so Pharma would crash, and we can't have that, can we?
> 
> They don't carry Mypillows because they are Fascists. They carried them before the election. I have no idea if they are good pillows or not.


Unstoppable problem now is Govt's are paying $$Trillions to shots makers for deadly nonworking fake 'vaccines' allowing the shots makers to 'donate' $Billions to TV doctors and politicians to lie to us... so much dark evil money is impossible to stop these days...

Stores that want to survive a plandemic don't rebuy and stock over priced items like My Pillows that don't sell... 

Didn't realize in early 1950's most people didn't know who Col. Sanders is... now young people prolly don't know again who he was... he was often brought up to illustrate 'it's never too late'... he started his business at age 55...


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## Spicoli43

Well, they have Billions whether Covid ever happened or not. They own almost all media, there is independent people that tell the truth that they aren't vaccines, but no big media because they can't bite the hand that feeds them. Then there is Blackrock, Vanguard and State Street that own every single company in the land that has a share price over a few bucks. 

There is no such thing as a "Soda War" between Coke and Pepsi... Said 3 Institutions own 764M shares of Coke and 280M shares of Pepsi. It's the same exact thing for Insurance, Oil, Telecom, etc... etc... etc... AND, as an added bonus, Blackrock is full on loving the CCP.

MyPillows sell Millions, the dude spends $5M at a time on ad buys. If they didn't sell, you wouldn't have heard about them. What doesn't sell is the whackjob Nazi fist raising kid that you brought up earlier. That pillow company never launched. I'm not buying a My Pillow, Serta is the best for me, had them for years and just donated my last one to the Dog. 

I see Colonel Sanders ads every now and then, they reinvented him with Norm Macdonald and then others playing the part. They closed the KFC here though, I think.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, they have Billions whether Covid ever happened or not.
> 
> They closed the KFC here though, I think.


But now Govt.s worldwide are paying $$Trillions for a deadly nonworking fake 'vaccine' and nobody well known and followed has the balls to come out and say: "the emperor has no clothes on"... 'it doesn't work' !!! And anybody who does gets banned from evil Facebook, Twitter, etc... 

Used to be a KFC across Dixie Hwy from me... it was hilarious... a kid who worked there was renting a spare bedroom from me... they fired him... then the equipment quit working... nobody left there knew how to get it going again... so they came over here and got him to get it going again... but otherwise he stayed fired... 
Across my front street is another restaurant that charges $8 for a hotdog, tiny 1 oz. bag of potato chips, and a small soda pop... cars are lined up at the drive thru window... I think I've gotten food there about 5 times in 42 years here... usually a soft serve ice cream cone...


----------



## Eddie_T

There are prolly some good My Pillow knock-offs by now. We tried a lot of different  pillows before trying My Pillow finding that it works as advertised and still going after about seven years.

A buddy of mine paid $12 for pancakes with apples at Cracker Barrel and said he wasn't going to eat out any more. I called him today and he had taken his niece out to lunch.


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## Flyover

My wife and I were at a friend's wedding this weekend. This is a friend of ours from high school, so there were a handful of other people there we'd known from high school as well but whom we hadn't seen in a long time, and a few of them we haven't seen since graduation 20 years ago. My wife and I are both in great shape (actually, I'm in better shape now than I've ever been, and my wife is in great shape despite having had three kids), still youthful looking, etc. (my wife looked incredible, easily outshining most of the other women there including much younger ones) and we remarked privately to each other about how poorly everyone else seemed to have aged. We've dealt with hard times, poverty, sickness, all that stuff. So how do other people let themselves go like that?


----------



## zannej

Flyover, sometimes its genetic. Some people seem to age faster just by genetics. I know people who started going gray in their 20s because that was how things went in their families. Different metabolisms are another factor. Undiagnosed insulin resistance is a huge problem. It can cause people to gain weight even when they diet and exercise properly. 

The only reason I heard of Church's Chicken was from a Carlos Mencia skit. We don't even have a KFC nearby. There's a Henry's Burger Inn that has great fried chicken. I don't like the breading on fried chicken so I always peel it off.

I like to air-fry chicken without the breading. I wish we could find the Hungarian Sweet Paprika again though. Mom grew up with that stuff and her grandmother taught her a few recipes using it. It's great on chicken.

When I visited my sister she took us to a Cracker Barrel. My brother-in-law said that only the breakfast there was good. It was lunchtime and we all ordered breakfast and the waitress said "Oh, you've been here before" as an acknowledgement that their lunch sucks. The biscuits there were actually pretty good-- which is odd since it was Albuquerque and the Cracker Barrel in West Monroe, Louisiana had the worst biscuits I've ever had in my life. Our late elderly friend, Jean, had invited us there. 

I'm still glad that Panda is open. I can get chicken sticks, long beans, beef with broccoli, and egg drop soup.

I found some "organic" milk at samsclub and it tastes so much better than the great value stuff. So we've been getting it instead of great value. Although, I might get the great value just for cooking.

I went to the store today and grabbed a few things. Got home and napped and then got up and cooked for Mom. She actually wanted veggies so I microwaved some frozen broccoli (Bird's Eye has it in steamer bags).


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, that just kicks the question back to: why would problems with metabolism, insulin, bad genes etc. be so common? Not even common but overwhelmingly dominant!

Some things she and I do that I'm coming to find out might be unusual:
- we don't eat like crap
- we exercise almost every day and when we're not exercising we still don't spend a lot of time just sitting around
- we aren't regular drug users except for coffee
- we practice very good hygiene


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I like to air-fry chicken without the breading. I wish we could find the Hungarian Sweet Paprika again though. Mom grew up with that stuff and her grandmother taught her a few recipes using it. It's great on chicken.


You mean find it local? It's all over the net..






						Frontier Co-op Hungarian Paprika, Ground 1 lb | Frontier Coop
					

Also known as sweet red pepper or pimento pepper, the paprika is larger and much milder than the chili pepper. Hungarian paprika is a bit hotter and slightly less sweet than Spanish paprika. Frontier® Hungarian Ground Paprika is used to add warm, natural color and mildly spicy, pungent flavor to...




					www.frontiercoop.com
				












						Szeged Hungarian Style Sweet Paprika
					

Imported from Hungary where it's a culinary staple, this authentic sweet paprika has an exquisite flavor. Packaged in a tin with convenient sifting and pouring tabs, this premium spice is a delicious addition to rubs and marinades, potatoes, classic chicken paprikash, traditional goulash and...




					www.worldmarket.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> (Hungarian Sweet Paprika) You mean find it local? It's all over the net..


Price isn't insane, either... about the same as ground black pepper...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Zannej, that just kicks the question back to: why would problems with metabolism, insulin, bad genes etc. be so common? Not even common but overwhelmingly dominant!


At 74, my classmates look older, as well... until I look in the mirror... LOL!
Met with some classmates last week, shocked to hear one had his polio come back... not sure if defective early polio vaccine gave it to him as a young child or not... we were in 1st and 2nd grade when polio vaccines first became widely available...
Polio was horrible and widespread before us... even Pres. FDR caught it and eventually died as a result of it... (ditto for small pox/monkey pox) 
Flyover, people die at every age from 1 second after conception to age 122... in fact, 1/2 of conceptions aren't compatible with born life and die before or during being born... everybody does better, average, or worse in the genes lottery... be thankful if you are nearer the winning end of the genes lottery... everyone has to manage to get by no matter where they scored in the genes lottery... or how much lifetime they have to work with...


----------



## zannej

Flyover, it could be the food they eat, it could be the environment they lived & worked in. Who knows. 

My father and his older siblings were all born before the polio vaccine came out and they all got it-- although, my father was an infant when he got it so his he didn't find out until he was much older. My aunt got it the worst. It nearly crippled her & she died at the age of 52. Combined with stress/pain from a broken tailbone, botched surgery to fix it, post-op infection, exposure to Agent Orange, illness from mercury fillings in his teeth (causing migraines), & malpractice from the cardiologist, my father only made it to 61. My uncle (the oldest of the 3) is in his early 80s and is still doing ok.

I got up and unloaded stuff from the truck. Sat down to have some beef with broccoli while watching Guy's Grocery Games. Meat didn't go down right, got stuck, and I choked. Everything came back up all over my legs, all over the poor cat (Rupert), all over the floor. Took me about 20minutes to purge it all. It came out my nose. I went to blow my nose and chunks of broccoli flew out. Went back to clean up the floor but the dogs beat me to it. I drank a lot of water and am about to take a nap.


----------



## Flyover

I got that furniture done today!

My car wants an oil change again, and I'm sick of every time having to lug out the jack and stands, and then the crouching and pumping and cussing at my jack because it is too short to get my car high up enough off the ground to fit the stands underneath, and all that just so I can get STARTED changing the oil, so I finally bought a set of ramps on eBay. I bought the oil and filter today at the store, so I'm all ready to go when the ramps get here in 10 days.


----------



## zannej

I hope the ramps work. Do you have a creeper to make it easier to slide under the vehicle?


----------



## Flyover

I don't have a creeper but I've never really needed one. I just lay a piece of cardboard under there and get down carefully.


----------



## Eddie_T

Just thinking as I waited for the TV to boot. At one time we had to wait on tubes to warm up, next came solid state and instant on, now we have computers on board and are back to waiting.


----------



## Spicoli43

Made some Grass Fed Beef Chili with Caramelized Onions, Jalapenos, 7 or 8 spices, Tomatoes and Sauce, and 3 kinds of Beans for maximum enjoyment. I used canned tomatoes and sauce because I wasn't going to buy fresh if I ended up being allergic. All good there, no allergies to anything. 

I did forget to buy sufficient Jalapenos though, thought 2 would do the trick but they were just flavoring. Round these parts, sometimes they just aren't Hot. I have eaten them off the plant in my backyard one year like a snack, then regretted that bigly the next year. I like to sweat a little while eating, without burning my face off. I'll have to add some Cayenne next time. 

So far post Detox, only allergic to Yogurt, so I'm fine with that.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, that chili sounds like it was probably good. Next time if you want you could skip the jalapenos altogether and go for habaneros. One or two ought to do it. If you dice them finely and add them early, 1/4 with the beef and the rest with the other ingredients, it gives the chili a nice velvety heat. Over the years I've found caramelizing a finely cubed sweet potato along with the onions is game-changing too.

(I had to edit that; if you add the habaneros to the onions it will turn the air in your kitchen into tear gas.)


----------



## zannej

I have never liked Jalapenos. The ones at school tasted like cardboard. I've been told habeneros are good but I can't eat them. My brother used to make a honey habenero sauce that friends really liked.

Thunderstorms and rain all day today. I did some cleaning, napped a long time, & then went to put gas in the CR-V & get more groceries. Still need to get oil change in CR-V. Due for oil change in the truck late next month. Friend's baby turned 2yrs old on the 20th. Still doesn't understand a damn thing anyone says to him and can't even say "mama" or "dada". He makes babbling sounds but doesn't seem to attach any meaning to it. My sister & I already knew our alphabet & were starting to read at that age. My sister could say "dioxyribonucleic acid" at that point. 

I'm thinking of getting shrub killer and tackling the chinaberry trees out back (when it isn't raining) and seeing if it works on the damn thing. Might have to use it more than once and see if it actually kills the stupid trees. They are still somewhat small. 

Bought some cleaning supplies from Amazon and they should arrive Thursday. I'm hoping these stupid storms pass soon & we'll have a few days without rain so I can work on killing those weeds.


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks for the tip, Flyover. Habanero is probably my upper limit. I'll never be one of those people that think they can eat a plate of Ghost Peppers. I have never heard of using Sweet Potato, but will try it. I used a TBSP of Cacao powder a couple years ago, but forgot the result.


----------



## shan2themax

The chili sounds delicious @Spicoli43. @zannej I Need to get rid of some myself. 


The Urn I chose for my mom came yesterday. It is absolutely beautiful in person. I wanted something timeless that I wouldn't mind seeing all the time and I think this is it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Wow, that's a nice Urn!


----------



## Flyover

Hah, Shan if you wanted something timeless why'd you put a clock on it?! (Seriously though it's beautiful. I'm sure it will serve its purpose perfectly.)

Spicoli, the habaneros mellow out quite a lot in the cooking. Basically, the less you cook them the more kick they deliver. And at low kick it's just that fine velvety heat. I've also found that overnight in the fridge, anything with cooked habaneros in it mellows out even more, sometimes to almost no heat. By day 2 I usually have to add hot sauce again. (Yucatan Sunshine habanero sauce is my favorite. If you get a Jamaican Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce that's usually pretty much the same thing.)

I used to regularly add a small bar of dark chocolate to my chili. I don't do it anymore because I think my tastes changed, but it works well. I believe it's more of a South American style with cocoa or chocolate in it, and I think they serve it over rice, which is how I grew up eating chili.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> The Urn I chose for my mom came yesterday. It is absolutely beautiful in person. I wanted something timeless that I wouldn't mind seeing all the time and I think this is it.


That clock urn looks like a good idea...


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks, I'll put Habanero's on the list for next week's Chili.

I just thought about adding Coffee to the Chili today, but don't remember ever hearing someone do that. Lo and behold, it's a thing...









						Why You Should Consider Adding Coffee Grounds To Your Chili - Tasting Table
					

What java aficionado would argue with adding coffee to, well, anything? But is chili taking a good thing too far?




					www.tastingtable.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Made some Grass Fed Beef Chili


Had a 1 1/2 lb. plastic packet of chili without beans... thought it would be like the canned chili without beans, basically a pound or so of flavored ground beef for 89c to use with spaghetti sauce to make spaghetti with beef... unfortunately the stuff in the plastic packet is just chili/beef flavored flour mush of some sort... yuck...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Had a 1 1/2 lb. plastic packet of chili without beans... thought it would be like the canned chili without beans, basically a pound or so of flavored ground beef for 89c to use with spaghetti sauce to make spaghetti with beef... unfortunately the stuff in the plastic packet is just chili/beef flavored flour mush of some sort... yuck...


OOF... Some kind of Hydrolyzed Soy Fakery probably... After being a VEGAN for 7 weeks, I don't understand it any further. The companies promote their "food" to consumers that don't want to eat meat, but they spend Millions in R&D trying to make their fakery *LOOK* like Meat... 

I know you're old enough to remember the "Where's The Beef" commercials...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> OOF... Some kind of Hydrolyzed Soy Fakery probably... After being a VEGAN for 7 weeks, I don't understand it any further. The companies promote their "food" to consumers that don't want to eat meat, but they spend Millions in R&D trying to make their fakery *LOOK* like Meat...
> 
> I know you're old enough to remember the "Where's The Beef" commercials...


Yes, I think that's what the ingredients said exactly! 

Wasn't "Where's the BEEF" applied to somebody's presidency?


----------



## Spicoli43

I don't remember any political reference, I was a kid that didn't pay any attention to that.


----------



## Eddie_T

Now there is a fake cereal (no grain or gluten). The flyer I received didn't say what the ingredients are. Magic Spoon was the name. I won't be trying it as I like grain.


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm still scraping moss off brick patio. My single wheel barrow failed on me. I need to either renew the wood or replace it. I am using a two wheeled barrow and it's a hassle. I can make it work by pulling it rather than pushing. Another option is to repair my garden cart. It has 26" wheels which go over obstacles easier. But that's for later the moss has to go now.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I just thought about adding Coffee to the Chili today, but don't remember ever hearing someone do that. Lo and behold, it's a thing...


Yup. "Red eye chili". Sorta like "red eye gravy".

I've never made it, but it might be fun if I make a batch to bring to a party.


----------



## havasu

When I was in the Cub Scouts at about 8 years, Colonel Sanders opened up a KFC in my town, and he made a guest appearance. I got my pic taken with him and my Troop # 620, and was published in our local  newspaper. Dang, I'm old.


----------



## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> View attachment 28246
> 
> The Urn I chose for my mom came yesterday. It is absolutely beautiful in person. I wanted something timeless that I wouldn't mind seeing all the time and I think this is it.


The urn is beautiful. A fitting tribute for a beautiful lady (I saw her picture).


----------



## Eddie_T

What most people (in my area) call chili doesn't taste like chili to me. I'm guessing they don't use the right spices. I will try the coffee even if it's canned or Wendy's chili.


----------



## Flyover

Oh man that regional chili thing is a doozie. I won't get into it, but I will say chili without beans is just meat sauce, and eating meat sauce by itself is weird.


----------



## Eddie_T

I suspect authentic chili wouldn't use ground beef because cowboys didn't grind their beef. I cut a roast into cubes when I make chili. I hate to say cubes because they real aren't and neither is my ice.


----------



## 68bucks

Cincinnati has a bunch of chili restaurants, it's a big thing there. Skyline and Goldstar are the most popular. The weird thing is their chili has cinnamon in it. It's good but certainly a different taste, and it's always over spaghetti. 

I was told in no uncertain terms by a native Texan that chili does not have beans. If it has beans its chili with beans. 

I also prefer beef chunks over ground beef. I have made chili with left over smoked brisket too. It's prett good.


----------



## shan2themax

She was beautiful. Did you know her @Eddie_T?


----------



## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> She was beautiful. Did you know her @Eddie_T?


No, I just saw her picture, she had classic beauty.


----------



## shan2themax

Oh, she lived in NC years ago, so I thought maybe you knew her.


----------



## zannej

Shan, that is a beautiful urn. 
I still need a proper urn or something for my dad's ashes. They are still in the box we got from the funeral home. At least I hope. Something like that is a very nice tribute. One day we might scatter his ashes over the ocean in Guam if we ever travel again. Or even over the ocean somewhere. He loved diving. 

I've heard if you remove the seeds, the peppers aren't as hot. My dad had a very high tolerance for peppers and spice. He barely reacted during the pepper spray training. He had a subordinate nicknamed "Boonie Pepper Bert" because she loved peppers. When they pepper sprayed her she licked the stuff that dripped to her mouth and asked them to hit her again because she liked the taste. LOL. 

Today was another rainy day. I watched Star Trek: Enterprise (I didn't watch it when it first aired so I'm binge-watching it). My brother kept refusing to bring the dog food in from the CR-V. I kept forgetting and I couldn't unload it when he was out at a friend's or at work. He kept making excuses & saying he'd do it "later". Over a week & a half passed. Asked him Monday to take it out and he refused. So today Mom paged him on the intercom and was arguing with him. I kept telling her it was absolutely pouring rain outside but she wouldn't listen. I finally got tired of it and went outside in the rain and walked the ~100ft to the CR-V to get it and walked back. Dropped the wet bag next to Mom. I didn't mention it to my brother so later when the rain stopped he went out to the CR-V and discovered it was gone. 

I cooked yellow rice & chicken for Mom. I get the 10oz packets that take 3 cups of water each. I use 2 packs and 6 cups. But I substitute one cup with chicken broth. 

Got some more mushrooms to saute. I'll do that later after I do some cleaning in the morning. I really need to get stuff put away too. Too much stuff is out on the counters and keeps getting knocked on the floor by cats.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> I've heard if you remove the seeds, the peppers aren't as hot.


This is true, and is what I would call "defeating the purpose"!


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Yup. "Red eye chili". Sorta like "red eye gravy".
> 
> I've never made it, but it might be fun if I make a batch to bring to a party.


I made it last night, with just enough room left for a can of Tom sauce or a Cup of Coffee, I poured in the Coffee. I didn't notice a difference, but the canned Tomatoes overpower everything. I need to get Fresh tomatoes to get my recipe back on track. Canned is good, it's just not GOOD.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I suspect authentic chili wouldn't use ground beef because cowboys didn't grind their beef. I cut a roast into cubes when I make chili. I hate to say cubes because they real aren't and neither is my ice.


Chili without Beans doesn't make sense to me, but my Brother lived in Texas for a while and he won't eat it with Beans... Something about being "From" Texas... I remind him that I drove THROUGH Texas once and it makes me less Texan than the bugs that live there. He's FROM Seattle, just lived everywhere. It gets into a thing, but I don't get it. 

As far as Chunks of meat, I don't know that either.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> canned Tomatoes overpower everything. I need to get Fresh tomatoes


Once I switched to _crushed_ tomatoes, instead of chopped or stewed or whatever, that did the trick. If I was gonna use fresh tomatoes I'd have to prepare them first and now we're talking serious work. For me the whole point of chili is it's easy. You can just throw something together and let it simmer while you go lasso calves or whatever.

When you say you didn't notice the difference with the coffee, do you mean flavor-wise or stimulant-wise? Or both?


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, that's what I have used is Crushed. Straight Outta Costco.

I usually do Crockpot-Go simple stuff, but I'll spend time on Chili. That being said, 1 TBSP of each spice is much different with Fresh Tomatoes than with canned, so it's a question of whether I want to spend the money to figure it out. I don't think I will try it unless I also use Fresh Beans that I soak overnight. 

As far as the Coffee, both. 1 Cup wasn't powerful enough, and anything short of Espresso isn't a stimulant for me much anyway. I can drink it at 8 PM, or in this case eat it in the Chili and sleep fine.


----------



## Eddie_T

I just read another one, add a bit of cocoa powder to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. Maybe I should try that for Italian there are some sauces I don't like. I sprinkle some frozen pizzas with a slight bit of sugar to tame the tomato taste. I don't think a cup of coffee will do it unless you purposely make it strong. I saw a recipe and it used instant which I never purchase.


----------



## 68bucks

Homegrown and home canned tomatoes for our chili or anything else that calls for canned tomatoes. Can't beat them. We are starting to can this year's tomatoes now. Along with jams, pickles, maybe some salsa or spaghetti sauce and pepper mustard. Makes great gifts too. People love to get homemade treats. If you return the jars you have a good chance for refills too.


----------



## Eddie_T

My wife always canned tomatoes and applesauce. We usually never had enough green beans to can. What a boring and time consuming task, stringing and breaking beans. A neighbor gave me what we call a "mess" of beans the other day. They were stringless (Blue Lake) so all I had to do was rinse and break them.


----------



## shan2themax

You guys are making me want to fix chili for dinner!

I worked on my garage for several hours yesterday. I was trying to organize it better, I put some shelves together, instead of trying to continue to build the shelves I had intended to. 
There is just too much stuff out there and it is impossible to organize too much stuff. I need someone that sees things differently than me to help me go through and organize things. 
I have lost my impact driver and drill. Not a clue as to where I put either one of them. 
I have so many things that I need to do around here and it is frustrating, it is going to take months to go through stuff and cost a small fortune to throw things away that can't be used or donated. 
I found all of my childhood photos in a plastic bucket in my moms car, however they are stuck together and covered in mold.  That makes me sad. The only picture I would have of my dad (never met him) should be in there also. 
my daughter and I both have gotten sick from going through stuff on the back porch (allergies-bronchitis). We have worked for maybe 5 or 6 hours, and there is just so much more to go through. I can't imagine having to go through an entire house, especially one with waaaayyyyyy to many items. 
I got an estimate for a 21 cubic yard dumpster for when the time comes I can rent one for 3 days for $510 or rent on Wednesday for 7 days for $510. I wish I had a truck to just make trips to the dump. My trash service will pick up extra bags for $2.50 per bag. 
I'm trying to remember that I don't have to get it all done right now, that I have lived this way for years and a little while longer is ok, but man am I ready to just have the house in order. 
My backyard is out of control, my riding lawnmower is down currently, I've called 2 lawncare companies and again.... noone shows up. 
One of my boys tried to weedeat some of it but that was pretty useless. 
Anyways...... trying to give myself grace with everything. 



And.... yes I am fixing chili for dinner lol


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Straight Outta Costco.


Other day I was thinking with shoplifting rampant around here and mostly no longer getting prosecuted, we may see an explosion of membership stores like Costco and Sam's Clubs where you don't get in unless they know exactly who you are!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I suspect authentic chili wouldn't use ground beef because cowboys didn't grind their beef. I cut a roast into cubes when I make chili.


Was just reading that a drought out west is creating a massive selloff of cattle to slaughterhouses, so we may see some relief from the current high price of beef... 
Meat grinders were invented in early-mid 1800s so some cowboys could have ground some beef... or especially seen it in low priced restaurants wanting to save time... of course, meat grinding wasn't just for chili but for making tough stringy beef/buffalo more easily chewed/eaten... as hamburgers, etc...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I will say chili without beans is just meat sauce,


Which is why I use it to make spaghetti... a generic brand can of about a pound of flavored already cooked ground beef for 89c is a super bargain... 
Sometimes I don't add spaghetti sauce, just make chili spaghetti with beans like Denny's offers... for a different taste...


----------



## Spicoli43

Yes, the Garage Blues, Shan... Yes, I know them... For the 8th Year in a row, I am "going to" sort through the garage this Winter when I can't mow the lawn... *THIS YEAR* I'm going to go through all the boxes and put everything in piles of keep, donate and sell. PERIOD!

I'm NOT keeping stuff... I'm going back in time to my first experience away from the nest when I could load all the garbage I owned in the trunk of my 79 Audi 4000... Any thief taking possession of said car would be instantly in debt more.

WHY DID I BUY so much garbage as an Adult?


----------



## Eddie_T

I have tried every brand of hot dog chili and have yet to find one that resembles hot dog stand chili. My buddy makes hot dog chili but it's just a meat sauce with no chili seasoning (I don't know why he calls it chili).


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Other day I was thinking with shoplifting rampant around here and mostly no longer getting prosecuted, we may see an explosion of membership stores like Costco and Sam's Clubs where you don't get in unless they know exactly who you are!


Well, that's one of the Socialist Obama admin's goals along with Soros and the others... Get rid of all the small Mom and Pops. That's one reason they release all the criminals to keep looting / burning / robbing / raping / murdering.


----------



## zannej

Ooh, chili sounds good. I can eat it with or without beans so long as it has cheese. I love cheese. Sometimes a little sour cream. 

Shan, I've been told you should always hold off 6 months after a major loss before doing anything drastic. I wish I was in your area because I would haul stuff in my truck for you. I hope you can find your missing tools. Mine go missing all the time and it is so frustrating. I'll see them when I don't need them but as soon as I need them they disappear.

I find it a bit annoying that Samsclub now makes people show their cards when they walk in. They didn't used to do it. I know why they do it, but it's annoying. Although, thankfully, some of the employees who recognize me will wave me on through as I'm fumbling for my card.

I did some brief cleaning, but not as much as I'd wanted. Knee isn't cooperating with me. Dog puked in my bed (but not in a spot where I sleep) so I had to clean that up. Waiting for some cleaning supplies (that are not available locally) to arrive from Amazon.

Went and connected the 3/8" part of the water supply lines under my sink. Couldn't muscle the old supply lines off the faucet though. Friend should be coming over to help with that. I'll have to get rid of the spiders in there before he comes over. He's afraid of them.

My mom needs to clean up her desk area because roaches are gathering on it. I got her some roach traps but apparently last night she saw a roach on the wall, pointed it out to my brother and said "I don't like it!" and the roach responded by flying toward her face. I heard my mother yell something like "Gyaaaah!" and my brother laughing hysterically while I was in the kitchen putting leftovers away.

I wonder if tomatoes in a jar are better than tomatoes in a can. But fresh is best if you can find them. I'm really missing the fresh tomatoes from my late friend's garden. I was spoiled from only eating fresh tomatoes instead of ones from the store. Store ones never tasted as good.


----------



## Spicoli43

Just finished reading an update for a company I'm invested in, Enzolytics, Inc. For those with a brokerage account, you might want to do some DD on this company. I would copy / print the news from the 22nd, as it's 12 pages or so. I'll give you the basic nitty gritty... 

The share price is about 5 cents now. The ticker is ENZC.

The CEO is a Patent Attorney of 50 years, a member of the Texas BAR, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Dallas BAR and an Aerospace Engineer.

The company is under several NDA's concerning their tech / discussions with Big Pharma companies.

The company is finishing their financial audit, with one lawsuit from a former partner about to be finished, the plaintiff claims he owns 71M shares, the company disputes this. 

The company holds several patents for their tech as well as individual members having their own patents, such as the COO, who invented an AI system for identifying target areas on viruses prior to production of Monoclonal Antibodies.

The company is partnered with Samsung Biologics for production of Monoclonal Antibodies. 

The company authored a white paper with Intel on AI...

It's my personal thought that Samsung wants to completely take over the company since they have had the full access to the tech for almost a year now. In an even better "Home Run" scenario, I hope the NDA's mean they are in discussions with several big name Pharma companies, I.E. a bidding war for the technology. 

I wouldn't be typing this for just any old stock. I feel this will be world changing, or at least threatening enough to Pharma to make an insane buyout offer... 





__





						Company News - Enzolytics
					

Enzolytics Inc. Announces Collaboration with Abveris to Discover Monoclonal Antibodies. COLLEGE STATION, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September -16, 2022/ Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC Markets "ENZC" or the "Company"). Enzolytics, Inc. announces a collaboration with Abveris, a division of Twist Bioscience...



					enzolytics.com
				












						Enzolytics Inc. and Samsung Biologics Announce Development and Manufacturing Agreement for Anti-HIV and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibody Therapies
					

· Enzolytics Inc. to leverage Samsung Biologics’ development and manufacturing expertise to advance both Anti-HIV and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibody Therapies to IND. · Samsung Biologics to offer a seamless, end-to-end CDMO service with support from its San Francisco R&D Center. College Sta




					samsungbiologics.com
				












						Optimizing Empathetic AI to Cure Deadly Diseases
					

AI to help cure disease - Intel, Enzolytics thought leadership to use tech to cure disease like HIV, AIDS, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Cancer.




					www.intel.com


----------



## zannej

I took out the trash (which my brother is supposed to do but he almost never does his one chore-- aside from washing his own laundry), put a new bag in, did some more mild cleaning in the kitchen, went outside and picked up some stuff in the yard so it wouldn't get ruined & brought the stepladder out from the back and put it on the porch. Doesn't sound all that hard but its heavy/bulky & kept getting tangled on weeds. I made pork chops for lunch. Also opened a new bag of cat food & put it in the feed bin.


----------



## shan2themax

My chili was delicious!

@zannej yes, major changes should wait. I just want to be able to use my backporch as a porch and to be able to get regular homeowners insurance instead of forceplaced (i also have to replace gutters/downspouts). Also, thank you for your thoughtfulness!

Someone stopped by asking about my moms car (doesnt run/mildew/mold) about 10 or so days ago. I told him he could have it if he could get rid of a bush in my front yard. So I went out today to throw out a hvac filter and he had pulled up and was eyeing the bush and his trailer. I don't have a full pic of before, but it looks so much better. The first picture was with 1/2 of it cut down. Its nice to know there are good people still out there.

There is a small mulberry tree, he told me if I cut it down and brought it around front he would pick it up and haul it off for me.


----------



## Spicoli43

Good trade for the bush being gone... 

You don't like Mulberries?









						White Mulberries
					

Our certified organic, sun-dried white mulberries have a sweet and delicate flavor and are an excellent source of nutrients with no added sugar. Beyond their deliciously sweet flavor, Mulberries are packed with body-healing benefits, from improving digestive health, circulation, and improving...




					www.terrasoul.com


----------



## shan2themax

Its only about 3 years old and up against the neighbors foundation . There is another one in my yard that I was going to let grow but my daughters puppies have destroyed the bark. So the both need to go.
Also.... idk that I have ever had mulberries


----------



## Eddie_T

Shan, maybe you could get the guy to haul trash for you as well?


----------



## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> Shan, maybe you could get the guy to haul trash for you as well?


I did think about it, but his trailer is small so he would have to make multiple trips..... I also thought about renting a smaller one, which would be more expensive in the long run, however I could work at a slower pace.


----------



## shan2themax

Also..... I need to get up the nerve to see if he would cut/weedeat my backyard for a fee because my riding lawn mower has 2 flat tires and stopped running the last day I used it.....


----------



## Flyover

Mulberries are great. Sweet juicy snackin' all June. We pick pint after pint of them. I've got a couple frozen pints still that I plan to make into a crumble.


----------



## 68bucks

Not a big mulberry fan. Don't think they have a lot of flavor and the birds eat them then crap purple bird poop everywhere. I have a bunch of mulberry trees around and they pop up everywhere. They are hard to get rid of too, cut them off and they'll grow right back from the root. I do keep a few around though as the Baltimore Orioles like them. I also saw this article today, ironic.








						Rep. Tom McClintock’s wife Lori died last year after ingesting herbal treatment: report
					

The wife of a California congressman died last year after taking herbal treatments meant to combat obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.




					nypost.com


----------



## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> Also..... I need to get up the nerve to see if he would cut/weedeat my backyard for a fee because my riding lawn mower has 2 flat tires and stopped running the last day I used it.....


I don't know what it is about lawn mower tires. With my Snapper rear engine rider I finally gave up and purchased new wheels with tires. It made it a couple of seasons but now I have to air up the right front tire before every use. I tried a sealer but it was a waste it didn't even make it one season. If I forget to air it up I have twist a rope around it to get the bead to re-seal. The last time I used Armor All on the bead to help it slip into place I haven't  checked it but it's about time to mow again.

I didn't have the problem with my first Snapper back when they had handlebars. Maybe the tires has tubes back then.


----------



## Spicoli43

Here we go again... Every time the Democrats give free money away like yesterday, corporations are going to get them some. Relieved of that $10,000 student loan? Get a Mustang EV! We are only hiking our price by $8100! You were in school long enough to know the difference in that! You can buy all kinds of groceries to go in your new car!









						Ford hiking electric Mustang Mach-E prices by up to $8,100
					

Ford is increasing prices for the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV by up to $8,100 due to increased materials and supply chain costs as the order books reopen.




					www.foxbusiness.com


----------



## Flyover

Wife and I were hanging out in the sun room last night around 9pm. Looking out the big sliding glass door, I saw movement halfway up the brick wall of the back of the garage. At first some part of my brain thought "We don't live where there are scorpions or other huge bugs that large" and then I realized it was a frog. In fact there were two of them, crawling along the wall. Every once in a while a leg would slip but they'd quickly correct for it. It was pretty hilarious.

One frog was halfway up the wall and the other was up near the top, just a foot or so under the eaves, both of them crawling along from left to right. When they reached the service door I didn't know what they'd do, but they jumped and landed right in the middle of the door like it was nothing. Amazing. (That brick wall faces west so I figured maybe they're just absorbing the heat from it, but there's a security light above that door and they were surely there hunting the bugs that are attracted to the light.) I've never seen frogs crawl on a vertical surface like that. I was totally entranced. Wallfrogs!


----------



## Eddie_T

When it rains I often have one or two tree frogs on my sliding glass door.


----------



## shan2themax

I cam home from errands this morning to this


And when I went.out this morning, my son had cut this down at like 6am


----------



## Flyover

Shan, I like that planter.

I know you probably don't have time/energy for it any time soon but are you thinking about landscaping ideas for your lawn makeover?


----------



## Eddie_T

True it's in need of some detailing but it makes me wonder why the pickup had to change to the monstrosities we see today.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, I think I already ranted to y'all about this but in the mid/late 50s Chevy made some of the most beautiful cars in the world. E.g. the 57 Bel Air, the 59 Impala. Now they make the ugliest pieces of crap we've ever seen.

Related: today I took my youngest to a playground and some other kid had left a few toys there by mistake. One of the toys was a matchbox car, specifically an 85 Honda City. One of my dream cars. I looked around, saw nobody was coming for it, and it is now on my coffee table.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I'm glad you're getting some help. Yard looks better. I need to work on mine some more. Wish I could teach my cats how to cut weeds down. LOL. Also wish I knew someone who had goats I could borrow to come eat weeds.

Got up early yesterday and went to the post office to get some packages. Had to make 2 trips to the truck to get them all (they were bulky). Later in the day Mom fell down- lost her balance and fell backwards. She landed on a memory foam mat for the dogs so she wasn't hurt, but she weighs more than me and is taller than me so I couldn't get her up by myself. My brother tried picking her up but she had her slippers on and started flailing her legs around and his knee collapsed so he dropped her and halfway fell on top of her. We got her to scoot over so he could get behind her and I had her put her feet up against mine while I braced myself against a wall somewhat and she held onto my hands and we both got her up on her feet. She says she can't roll on to her knees bc she gets knee pain too much, but she doesn't try. She's so wide that she really didn't have much room though. I wonder if they sell devices to help people get up when the fall. I can at least roll and grab on to things but I'm not nearly as wide as she is.

Today I'm supposed to go pick up an rx for her. For now I'm resting and snuggling with the kitties. Rupert is obsessing over me. Followed me into the living room last night, then had to sleep on me all night, followed me into the bathroom this morning, and is sitting on me now. The AC actually got fairly cold last night so he helped me stay warm.


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> Eddie, I think I already ranted to y'all about this but in the mid/late 50s Chevy made some of the most beautiful cars in the world. E.g. the 57 Bel Air, the 59 Impala. Now they make the ugliest pieces of crap we've ever seen.
> 
> Related: today I took my youngest to a playground and some other kid had left a few toys there by mistake. One of the toys was a matchbox car, specifically an 85 Honda City. One of my dream cars. I looked around, saw nobody was coming for it, and it is now on my coffee table.


I don't totally agree with your Chevrolet assessment. The C8 Corvette is beautiful looking a lot like some of the Ferraris and the Camaro is a really nice looking car with lots of cues from the early Camaros. Of course both drive and perform far better than their ancestors. I'd still love to own a C1 or a C2 Corvette. The last of the Impalas were not bad looking either. There has been talk they may bring that model back. Most of the rest of their stuff is trucks or SUVs. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> True it's in need of some detailing but it makes me wonder why the pickup had to change to the monstrosities we see today.
> 
> View attachment 28273


There's obviously a lot of extra metal on that old pickup covering the front wheels and more covering the engine when one hunk of metal does both on newer pickups...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> The C8 Corvette is beautiful looking


C8 is ugliest Corvette ever... giant holes/scoops in the body... I thought I was seeing a C8 a week ago at a cruise night but when I saw the emblems realized it was a just as ugly latest Ford GT...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I wonder if they sell devices to help people get up when the fall.


Nursing homes and hospitals have trolley lifts from ceilings and cranes to help small nurses move huge old people... probably pricey though... maybe a 1 ton HF foldable engine crane would be less expensive. Takes up little space when folded up. Used to go on sale for $99 before 1/19/2021. Now goes on sale for $230 :




__





						Loading…
					





					www.harborfreight.com


----------



## Flyover

68bucks said:


> I don't totally agree with your Chevrolet assessment. The C8 Corvette is beautiful looking a lot like some of the Ferraris and the Camaro is a really nice looking car with lots of cues from the early Camaros. Of course both drive and perform far better than their ancestors. I'd still love to own a C1 or a C2 Corvette. The last of the Impalas were not bad looking either. There has been talk they may bring that model back. Most of the rest of their stuff is trucks or SUVs. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder.



I guess if you like the "angry insect" fad cars have been on, look-wise, for the last ~5-10 years...I passed one of those C8 'Vettes today on the road. They don't look _bad_, they just don't look _beautiful_. There's something about it that, I dunno, tries too hard or something (same goes for the other muscle cars, including the Camaro, which was never as cool-looking as its closest competitor the Firebird anyway). Compare the 2022 to the 1970s gen Corvette (my favorite).


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> same goes for the other muscle cars, including the Camaro,


Problem with Camaro was it was about perfect looking when it first came out in 1967... hard to change it every year and make it look even better to make the previous year look obsolete... 


			https://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2008/06/28/19/46/1967_chevrolet_camaro-pic-21806-1600x1200.jpeg


----------



## Flyover

I like the 70s Camaro too, maybe more than the 1st gen. The 80s Camaro was...okay. I think the Camaro got really lame-looking in the 90s and has pretty much stayed that way since.

The 79 oil crisis was terrible for automotive design aesthetically, but it also produced one glorious, magnificent diamond: the Japanese econobox.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> a matchbox car, specifically an 85 Honda City.


City or Civic?


----------



## Eddie_T

The change concept crept into utility vehicles such as pickups and jeeps. Yet most pickups still have 1-2 people on board and only a bit of trash in the bed.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> The change concept crept into utility vehicles such as pickups and jeeps. Yet most pickups still have 1-2 people on board and only a bit of trash in the bed.


But newer pickups can prolly fit 3... even 4 smaller people on each seat...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> City or Civic?


City. (Actually wow, the exact Matchbox car was among the first few DDG results: https://hwcollectorsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/85-Honda-City-Turbo-II-g.jpg)



Eddie_T said:


> The change concept crept into utility vehicles such as pickups and jeeps. Yet most pickups still have 1-2 people on board and only a bit of trash in the bed.


It's ridiculous what people seem to just drive around town in, not hauling anything, not even carrying passengers. Like, do you really need a 6-wheel Ram 2500 crew cab to go to the grocery store by yourself?


----------



## Flyover

Speaking of Japanese econoboxes, I used my new vehicle ramps today for the first time. Changed the oil in my little Japanese econobox in about 30 minutes.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like the City w/o the wing



or maybe as an off-road pickup


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I like the 70s Camaro too, maybe more than the 1st gen. The 80s Camaro was...okay. I think the Camaro got really lame-looking in the 90s and has pretty much stayed that way since.
> 
> The 79 oil crisis was terrible for automotive design aesthetically, but it also produced one glorious, magnificent diamond: the Japanese econobox.


Except the late '70's Camaro/Firebird picked up an extra 1,000 pounds... shed some of it back off in '80's... Put even more back on now... up to 4,374 pounds I just saw... 
Here's one of my current 3 now 'orphaned' Pontiacs: 
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/6e/92/0a6e925d76ea7b8a50b40ef04eb7a4b5.jpg 

"Japanese econobox" was around much earlier in form of Honda Civic with motorcycle derived engine that puked out by 50-60K miles... Datsuns that had to change name to Nissan to survive... Subarus with boxer engines good for 14K miles... currently we have Korean econoboxes that puke out around 90K miles...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I like the City w/o the wing


Wasn't familiar with that model... kinda pushes into 1959 Mini design... although there's been lots of "city' cars around over the decades...
Ever seen the original Mini and new 'Mini' side by side? New one is twice as big:
https://external-preview.redd.it/Z4...bp&s=24690190287f0abb6df132233db1813d792a354b 

Of course, Honda Civics did the same thing...


----------



## Flyover

The Honda City was only released in Japan I think. Or at least it was not in the US. My matchbox version is right hand drive.

Yeah of course it looks better without the wing (only the Lamborghini Countache and Porsche 911 look good with a wing). It'd look better in gray or white and without the stupid decals or flashy rims, too.

Buzz, are you saying you own that car now? I'm a fan of that one. The bass player in my band in high school drove one of those. His was black too.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Buzz, are you saying you own that car now? I'm a fan of that one. The bass player in my band in high school drove one of those. His was black too.


Yep, the GTA except with gold mag wheels now, Fiero, and Formula wagon...


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> C8 is ugliest Corvette ever... giant holes/scoops in the body... I thought I was seeing a C8 a week ago at a cruise night but when I saw the emblems realized it was a just as ugly latest Ford GT...


Like I said, the eye of the beholder. I think the GT40 is one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Designed and built for racing, a thoroughbred. So if you like motorsports you probably more appreciate the design and performance of such cars. Though the GT40 and the Corvette anr worlds apart. The GT40 is a supercar starting at about $500K l, if you're lucky enough to get one. The top end Corvette is around $125K. Still hard to get but possible.


----------



## shan2themax

Flyover said:


> Shan, I like that planter.
> 
> I know you probably don't have time/energy for it any time soon but are you thinking about landscaping ideas for your lawn makeover?


Its called a greenstalk. They are pricey, but go on sale for $99 frequently.

I would like to do something, but not sure what. I would like to fence in the front yard, but not with a typical chain link.... I'd like 4x4s and cattle panels.... I doubt I do that though. I plan to burn they roots of that bush soon.

I'd love some landscaping of some sort, and I feel so much better pulling up to the house now.

I have way too many things that HAVE to be done, but I do want something nice.

My new garbage company is going to bring me either a 4 or 6 cubic yard (?) dumpster and I can keep it for a month and pay $75 each dump. So I don't have to rush as fast as I would to rent a larger one. I can also put TV, electronics and a dishwasher in it.

I called a structural engineer the other day and left a message.... no return call yet. I am going to call another one this week. I have put it off for way too long and need to just face the music.
I can see that my floor is rotting right by the sliding glass door. I definitely can't fix that until the sag is fixed.

I go back to work on Thursday, I haven't gotten my moms remains, or death certificates or anything and I had hoped to go do the probate stuff before I went back to work. I am giving the nursing home some of her medical equipment so that I don't have to deal with it and can just do it all in one trip.
Slowly things are turning around, but I still have sooo much to do with my own stuff while my daughter plods through my moms stuff. We will get there though.

I made a delicious dinner tonight, pork spare ribs, macaroni and cheese made with sharp cheddar and havarti along with crumbled Ritz crackers baked on top, and bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers. It took FOREVER, all my kids ate with me.

My daughters car is in the shop again, her tensioner pulley broke. Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had a 92 Accord hatchback that I put 250K on. That was before they started the enlargement. My son is scouting 112" WB pickups to see if he can find anything to put the 35 Ford shell on. The guy that owns it is restoring a 40 Ford instead. At one time I had a 40 Ford convertible with a 51 Mercury engine and a floor shift  tranny from a 35 Ford pickup.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have never been into anything that looks like a Ferrari or Lambo. The Ford's have a Ford badge, so that's all there is to it for me.

Neighbors had an escaped Rooster in my yard to track down this evening, brought a Chicken to try to lure him out so they could catch him. It got me thinking... If a Rooster and a Chicken go to the bar and have a few Rum and Cokes, does the Chicken go home to the Rooster's mansion, or does the Rooster go fight Peter Griffin?

If the Rooster and Chicken end up at the Rooster shack, after 3 months or so when the Eggs pop out, is each one of them a new Chicken, or is it just a few of the Eggs?


----------



## Flyover

Like I've said, for me there is a big difference between a car that I appreciate or find exciting and enjoy looking at, and one I'd actually want to own. The Japanese econoboxes are the only ones I'm interested in owning. When my kids are grown and if I live out in the cut somewhere I might buy a small pickup truck, if they make any with a manual transmission anymore, that are reliable and possible to do your own brakes and oil changes by then. But that's about 15 years away, so unless the car manufacturers make a big U-turn, the newest of such trucks I'd be willing to own (a Ranger or Tacoma from the early 2010s) would be over 25 years old and I doubt there'd be any used ones with much life left in them by then. But who knows.


----------



## 68bucks

I'm amazed that anyone thinks this



Is better looking than either of these




Like I said, the eye of the beholder. You would probably like one of my Dad's cars. Here is one, '32 Ford Cabriolet, all metal. 


He has a cool '50 Oldsmobile too but I don't have a picture of it.


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> C8 is ugliest Corvette ever... giant holes/scoops in the body... I thought I was seeing a C8 a week ago at a cruise night but when I saw the emblems realized it was a just as ugly latest Ford GT...


The scoops all have functions, either to help produce HP or cooling. They aren't faux on either of those cars unlike many past American sports cars. Thses cars are built for competition and there are people that do race them. They are not econo-sedans, grocery getters, or the family Truckster.


----------



## Eddie_T

Most people choose cars or trucks for an imagined world rather than the one they actually live in. We don't need more HP and speed. Of what use is a car that can achieve 211 mph? Or a 4 door truck that their parents can't climb in w/o assistance?


----------



## 68bucks

Call it a hobby or a passion. I personally love motor sports. I worked on cars when I was a kid, my dad had a drag racer when I was little, I attend several races a year typically. If you like to drive performance cars you lo E the feel of a car that can achieve 200 mph though you will probably never go that fast. How a car handles is the best of usually. Your car will probably top 100 mph, do you go that fast? I have a 3/4 ton 4 door truck. I haul stuff, pull trailers and a boat. Can do that with a Honda Civic. And yes my 80 year old mom get into it.its no really any harder than crawling into a little car. Getting out of those things is like crawling out a hole.


----------



## Eddie_T

Most who have all that stuff are not debt free.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Most people choose cars or trucks for an imagined world rather than the one they actually live in. We don't need more HP and speed. Of what use is a car that can achieve 211 mph? Or a 4 door truck that their parents can't climb in w/o assistance?


My sentiments exactly. If we're to be supposed to be impressed by sleek looks, at best the new stuff looks like it's trying hard to be a comically aggressive-looking revival of past greatness from the 1970s sports cars (e.g. Countache, 70s Corvette), with none of the glory of the 1950s classic era (e.g. 57 Bel Air, 59 Impala). At worst it looks like this:






Meanwhile if we're supposed to be impressed by competitive performance, then looks don't matter at all and we're talking engines and suspension systems and HP and stuff, and I'm just not enough of a car dork for that. It does nothing for me because I'm not into sitting around watching other people drive cars, nor have I ever come close to having the time or money to just drive them on private tracks for fun, nor have any of my family members. Don't get me wrong, it does seem fun! But between a career, lots of kids, a full house to maintain, woodworking, music, and the other stuff I like to do, I don't need an expensive, highly pollutive, time- and space-consuming hobby. (What kinds of sacrifices must such a hobby require, I wonder...?)

What I love about the late 80s/early 90s econoboxes is the simplicity, practicality, understatement, and efficiency--and the ones I like most were incredibly reliable as well, much more so than many modern cars. These were tools that really served an everyday function. They got you where you needed to go every day without otherwise drawing attention to themselves, so you could use them to live rather than have your life dominated by your car.

BTW @68bucks the "econobox" photo you shared is of a 5th generation Honda City, which isn't what I would call a true econobox because it lacks the "box". In fact, the Honda Fit is the American equivalent and it at least comes only in a hatchback! (Though not boxy enough for my tastes.) The econoboxes I dream about are vehicles like these:

Wagovan:





Tercel wagon:


----------



## Flyover

68bucks said:


> Call it a hobby or a passion. I personally love motor sports. I worked on cars when I was a kid, my dad had a drag racer when I was little, I attend several races a year typically. If you like to drive performance cars you lo E the feel of a car that can achieve 200 mph though you will probably never go that fast. How a car handles is the best of usually. Your car will probably top 100 mph, do you go that fast? I have a 3/4 ton 4 door truck. I haul stuff, pull trailers and a boat. Can do that with a Honda Civic. And yes my 80 year old mom get into it.its no really any harder than crawling into a little car. Getting out of those things is like crawling out a hole.


I drove my uncle's S2000 for a day. It was fun. If he were a stranger who charged people for that privilege, I'd be willing to pay as much as $10 (plus whatever fraction of gas and maintenance) to drive it for an hour, maybe once every few years, if it was convenient. Like I said, it was fun. Maybe the next time I go to Vegas I'll do that thing where you can drive a Lambo on a track, if it's not too expensive.

I sometimes rent trucks when I need to haul stuff. In the past 5 years I've probably spent $50 or $60 renting large trucks and vans, and that's mainly because I moved twice. They're not exactly a pleasure to drive, though my kids had a blast sitting up front in moving vans. I think what I paid for those experiences was plenty.

So yeah, it'd definitely have to be a passion to want to put more resources into either of those kinds of vehicles! 

Meanwhile my microwave gradually tied over the past week, and now no longer heats up food. It will be about $110 to have someone come out and fix it, possibly more if I need to replace it. Glad I have the money in the bank and not in a depreciating pile of metal under a tarp in my garage.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> I'm amazed that anyone thinks this
> View attachment 28291
> 
> 
> Is better looking than either of these
> View attachment 28294
> 
> View attachment 28292
> 
> Like I said, the eye of the beholder. You would probably like one of my Dad's cars. Here is one, '32 Ford Cabriolet, all metal.
> View attachment 28293
> 
> He has a cool '50 Oldsmobile too but I don't have a picture of it.


I like that 32 better than all the Ferraris, Lambos, McLarens, and every other car in this post combined, including that Soccer Mom SUV thing that's made just a little different by all 132 companies.


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> My sentiments exactly. If we're to be supposed to be impressed by sleek looks, at best the new stuff looks like it's trying hard to be a comically aggressive-looking revival of past greatness from the 1970s sports cars (e.g. Countache, 70s Corvette), with none of the glory of the 1950s classic era (e.g. 57 Bel Air, 59 Impala). At worst it looks like this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Meanwhile if we're supposed to be impressed by competitive performance, then looks don't matter at all and we're talking engines and suspension systems and HP and stuff, and I'm just not enough of a car dork for that. It does nothing for me because I'm not into sitting around watching other people drive cars, nor have I ever come close to having the time or money to just drive them on private tracks for fun, nor have any of my family members. Don't get me wrong, it does seem fun! But between a career, lots of kids, a full house to maintain, woodworking, music, and the other stuff I like to do, I don't need an expensive, highly pollutive, time- and space-consuming hobby. (What kinds of sacrifices must such a hobby require, I wonder...?)
> 
> What I love about the late 80s/early 90s econoboxes is the simplicity, practicality, understatement, and efficiency--and the ones I like most were incredibly reliable as well, much more so than many modern cars. These were tools that really served an everyday function. They got you where you needed to go every day without otherwise drawing attention to themselves, so you could use them to live rather than have your life dominated by your car.
> 
> BTW @68bucks the "econobox" photo you shared is of a 5th generation Honda City, which isn't what I would call a true econobox because it lacks the "box". In fact, the Honda Fit is the American equivalent and it at least comes only in a hatchback! (Though not boxy enough for my tastes.) The econoboxes I dream about are vehicles like these:
> 
> Wagovan:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tercel wagon:


I have a friend, a former mechanic I might add, that loves Tercels. My mom drives a Fit. She loves it. I went through the carrier, kids, sports, scouts, school, etc phase to so I get where you are. Drove a lot of bad cars at point. Geeze I remember an AMC Hornet wagon I had. Over heated all the time. But it was cheap. I've always been debt adverse so drive what I could. But I've reached the point now it's all about my wife and I. Can't take it with me they say.


----------



## Flyover

68bucks said:


> But it was cheap. I've always been debt adverse so drive what I could. But I've reached the point now it's all about my wife and I. Can't take it with me they say.


Something about this is missing the mark for me but I'm having trouble articulating it. (Here goes anyway...) Even though I'm no longer short on money, I still like econoboxes for being inexpensive to buy and maintain, enough that they are still the only type of car I'm interested in personally owning. And for me, while I enjoy the satisfaction and self-sufficiency of working on my own cars as much as I can, it's not a hobby and I don't seek to make it one. It would be an expensive hobby if it went that way anyway, and I like my hobbies cheap. My total lifetime investment in either music or woodworking/DIY is under $1000, and that's after ~30 years doing the former and ~10 years doing the latter.

But liking cheap hobbies isn't because I'm hoarding my money, either. I have seen my bank statements, there is definitely large outflow! I just can't fathom prioritizing it so that "hobbies" gets a very large chunk of that outflow. Assuming I maintain or gradually increase my earning potential through the end of my career, I think when our kids are grown my wife and I will travel a lot, and I'd like to design and (pay to have someone) build my own house or getaway cabin. And I'll probably be more willing to buy certain pieces of music and home DIY gear that I pass on now, maybe slightly higher quality gear, but for me the joy really comes from doing more with less. For example, I bought a $150 guitar from China and swapped out the hardware and upgraded the pickups (total additional costs ~$240) and now it sounds as good as (and looks even cooler than) a $3000 name-brand guitar. I could afford a $3000 guitar if I really wanted to, but it would feel like a waste.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Like I said, the eye of the beholder. I think the GT40 is one of the most beautiful cars ever built.


I didn't say GT 40... I said newest Ford GT... Ford doesn't even own the name "GT 40" and isn't allowed to use it...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> The scoops all have functions, either to help produce HP or cooling. They aren't faux on either of those cars unlike many past American sports cars. Thses cars are built for competition and there are people that do race them. They are not econo-sedans, grocery getters, or the family Truckster.


LOL! The C8 and Ford GT are grocery getters... that's what they are mainly used for... the Shelby GT 40 was an all out race car...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> I'm amazed that anyone thinks this


None of the 'angry insect look' cars can compare to what Enzo Ferrari said was most beautiful car in the world (and not even one of his) :


----------



## shan2themax

My 2 favorite cars of all time were my 91 Ford Festiva and my 96 Geo Metro. The festiva withstood a rollover on the interstate with me and my kids in it and I still drove it for a year after that (lots of plastic and ducttape).... then I gave it to a family of 6 and the drove it for a few months before trading it for a early 80s Oldsmobile that they all actually fit in. 
I accidentally rear-ended a small SUV in my Metro... drove it for a while in Nursing school but then bought a Hyundai Elantra.... the Elaborate was hands down the best car I have owned..... then I bought. Hyundai Tuscon Eco edition and it has been fantastic also.... I'd really like to have a truck but the gas mileage is just ridiculous and my Tuscon has been paid off for a couple of years and has a little over 65k miles.



The guy stopped back by today.... he picked up the tree my son cut down and also picked up a couple of things sitting in my driveway.... I got brave and asked about the yard.... we walked it and I told him I didn't want most of what was laying around, he is going to take it and also.... he is going to give me a price to cleanup the yard... weedeat, mow and such. 
He is supposed to call me in the new few days with a price. He will probably have to come 3 times to do it all, but I am excited for sure. 

I picked my moms remains up today, they put them into all the different containers/jewelry. 

I feel like I am making headway finally, it gives me some hope of all the things that need to be done. 

I am still waiting on death certificates so that I can do that stuff. 

I go back to work Thursday this week, I'm hoping my dumpster gets delivered next week so that I can keep momentum going.


As far as sports cars/classic cars go..... they are pretty to look at and fun to ride in, however.... I'd rather have my house/student loans paid off than drive a fancy car.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I'm glad you're getting some help but sorry to hear about the floor rotting. Might want to talk to folks at the sistersite flooringforum.com. Several people from here are over there as well. I hope you can get that fixed without too much trouble. 

I think my parents had a Metro at some point. For some reason I like the look of the Volvo Amazon vehicles. 

I did like the look of the PT Cruiser but I heard they are not good vehicles. My Honda Ridgeline is not the prettiest truck, but I like the ladder frame and the trunk in the pickup bed.

Sunday my friend came out and finished hooking up my water supply lines with no trouble. He was able to get the old ones off easily so either I'm a total wuss & have super weak hands, or I was trying to turn them the wrong way. LOL. Visited him briefly. His fluffy gray kitten was missing and he thinks the mailman took him (apparently the mailman picked the kitten up and cuddled him every time he came by) which may be a good thing bc the kitten needs a better home. The tortie kitty just had another litter. Calico, calico tabby, orange, and black kittens from the pic my friend sent. I think this is the poor cat's 5th or 6th litter. Only one of her kittens from previous litters is still alive as far as I know. I wish I could bring her home. She's a fluffy orange kitten who is supser sweet and cuddly. Monday I was dead to the world. No idea why I was so exhausted but I slept all day. Got up to cook for Mom and then went back to sleep. Tuesday I binge-watched The Crazy Framer's videos on building a house alone. https://www.youtube.com/c/Thecrazyframer
Other crews did the concrete foundation part and he does the framing. I'm on episode 29 of season 2 (2nd house he's working on). He's in Canada so his camera kept freezing, compressor wouldn't work, nail guns kept failing, etc. But the dude has amazing balance and I'm sure he would give safety people nightmares with the stuff he does-- climbing all over while carrying materials. He finally caved and got a rope tether for a gable job after people nagged him. It really is impressive what he does without help (for the most part). He did pay someone $50 to forklift up some of the heavier materials to higher floors and he got a crane to lift the gables and one-piece showertub units up to the top floor (said he had to put the baths in because he couldn't close up the walls until they were in because they were too big to fit through the doors). 

My left knee doesn't like me and hasn't been cooperating. Mom said her left knee is now sore after the fall. I joked that my knee is having sympathy pains. I cleaned up a lot of crap (literally) today. One of the cats decided she was mad at the area around the sink and left some signs of protest. Another cat decided to go full Amber Heard on Lady Sylvanas' bed. I have to gather up all of the cat beds and wash them.

My brother was supposed to help me with stuff on Friday. He swapped shifts with a co-worker & went in on that person's day but now the person has Covid and he has to cover the Friday shift as well. The person desperately wants hours & is quite upset about having to miss work.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Meanwhile my microwave gradually tied over the past week, and now no longer heats up food. It will be about $110 to have someone come out and fix it, possibly more if I need to replace it.


Was going to say I just bought the biggest most powerful microwave for only $140... Panasonic 2.2 cu.ft., 16 1/2" platter,  Inverter tech, 1300 watts, etc...
But... that was just before the plandemic... now more like $220 & up... $175-200 used/reconditioned...
.
That was an adventure in itself... because my 74 year old back and hips were hurting at the time, I didn't want to wrestle one from the store to my car, from my car to the house, from the front porch to the kitchen... so I opted for the convenience and lower price of ordering one online and getting it delivered... that didn't happen... got a note from the young female mail lady it was too big and heavy for her so I had to go to post office and complain about that... and... wrestle... wrestle... wrestle...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> At worst it looks like this:


Whenever I see someone driving around in one of those 3 wheeled half car/half motorcycle things I suspect they drive it for a 1/2 hour and then slap themselves on the forehead and wonder: "WHY did I drop $25K on this thing?"


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> Whenever I see someone driving around in one of those 3 wheeled half car/half motorcycle things I suspect they drive it for a 1/2 hour and then slap themselves on the forehead and wonder: "WHY did I drop $25K on this thing?"


Those things scare the heck out of me, looks like a death trap. I suppose it's no worse than a motorcycle.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Was going to say I just bought the biggest most powerful microwave for only $140... Panasonic 2.2 cu.ft., 16 1/2" platter,  Inverter tech, 1300 watts, etc...
> But... that was just before the plandemic... now more like $220 & up... $175-200 used/reconditioned...
> .
> That was an adventure in itself... because my 74 year old back and hips were hurting at the time, I didn't want to wrestle one from the store to my car, from my car to the house, from the front porch to the kitchen... so I opted for the convenience and lower price of ordering one online and getting it delivered... that didn't happen... got a note from the young female mail lady it was too big and heavy for her so I had to go to post office and complain about that... and... wrestle... wrestle... wrestle...


If women want to compete they should be up to the task.


----------



## Eddie_T

68bucks said:


> Those things scare the heck out of me, looks like a death trap. I suppose it's no worse than a motorcycle.


The fun (and danger) of riding a motorcycle is leaning into the turns. Those half and halfs are ridiculous. Get a MIata and at least have a top to raise if it rains.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Those things scare the heck out of me, looks like a death trap. I suppose it's no worse than a motorcycle.


Seen a couple of them drive around here at night with about 100 lights strung over them... guess they want to make sure they are seen sitting down low inside...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> If women want to compete they should be up to the task.


Whenever I've said that on a jobsite I get warned to shut up or I'll prolly get fired...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> The fun (and danger) of riding a motorcycle is leaning into the turns. Those half and halfs are ridiculous. Get a MIata and at least have a top to raise if it rains.


Yeah, I just ride my motorcycle around for a few miles... further than that I use the V8 MG Midget with the top down... still plenty of fresh air, but more comfortable...


----------



## zannej

I've never been on a motorcycle. I'm not good at balancing. LOL. 
Yesterday I racked out again and then got up to cook. Had the food ready just as Mom was coming out of her room. Did some minor cleaning.
Today I got up early, got my tools and supplies together and started measuring out the mixture for my floor leveling. The powder had chunks in it so I had to sieve it. Right in the middle, mom paged me so I went to see what she wanted. I don't remember what it was now. I got something for her and set my trowel down somewhere. Couldn't find it. Not sure why I carried it with me. After I got what she wanted she kept asking me questions and I kept telling her I was in the middle of something and needed to get back before I forgot where I was at. Too late. I forgot. And I somehow transposed the measurements and switched the water to powder ratio. Was supposed to be 5 cups powder 2 cups water. I screwed up and did 5 cups water and 2 cups powder. Wasn't mixing right and then I realized my mistake. Had to desperately sieve powder & measure it out and dump it into a dry container-- adding a little at a time to see if it would thicken up. Had to open a new bag of powder (which I wish I'd used from the get-go bc it was in better shape than the one I was using. At least 1/3 of the previous bag was nothing but clumps. Anyway, I got it poured out and had a backup trowel that sucked. It kept sticking to the mixture instead of spreading it smoothly. Back started giving out on me and I had to stop but I filled in some voids and got it smoother. I went back over an our later to smooth it a bit more but stepped in it and messed it up some. I *might* do another layer but am not sure. I'm out of additive. I splattered the stuff all over when it wasn't the right ratio. I'll have to sand the doors and cabinet. Had to practically sand my legs (I was wearing shorts) and arms. Forgot to wear a mask so powder got up my nose. It got on my shirt but it's a $4 shirt so I don't care. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

Riding a unicycle requires being good at balancing. Riding a bike or motorcycle does not, because gyroscopic motion keeps you upright. I suppose being good at balancing does help if your intent is to merely sit on a motorcycle or bike while it remains stationary, but that is not how most people use them.

My goal today is to repair the planks that have come loose from my compost bin...I have to do this while supervising a toddler. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## zannej

Good luck with that, Flyover.

I'm heating up some chicken marsala with taglione pasta that I found at Samsclub. Never had marsala sauce or taglione pasta before so hopefully it is good. Then I will check on the floor again and see if I can sand it.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I've never been on a motorcycle.


Did you ride a bicycle when younger?


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Did you ride a bicycle when younger?


Briefly, but I had training wheels & they broke and I had a very hard time staying balanced. I have a crooked spine and my pelvis is twisted so my weight doesn't distribute evenly. Then we moved to somewhere that I couldn't really ride a bike. No paved roads and the ground was not flat enough. I never really liked it. Tried riding one years later, kept tipping over and the pedals kept scraping up my legs.

I'm still waiting for the leveling mix stuff to dry more. The thicker spots are still very dark and damp so I'm letting them cure a bit more before I try to sand them. Debating whether I should wait til morning but it might be too solid by then.


----------



## zannej

Got up and cleaned the floor so I could fold the vinyl sheet back over. Supply line fit through the hole. I need to adjust the positioning and take everything in there out so it will be easier to move around. Then I need to find my tape to do perimeter taping (although I want to run a tack cloth on the floor before taping just in case the shopvac missed dust. It's not very strong. I might have to do some trimming. Need to get the sheet vinyl to lay nice and flat with no bubbles & then give it a good cleaning. Will take pics later.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Good luck with that, Flyover.
> 
> I'm heating up some chicken marsala with taglione pasta that I found at Samsclub. Never had marsala sauce or taglione pasta before so hopefully it is good. Then I will check on the floor again and see if I can sand it.


My favorite food besides Shawarma is anything Pasta, but 20 year old me could eat it all day long. 20 plus years later, belly laugh at me and say it isn't doing any work. Old me says if knees and back and lungs worked, I could make belly flat, but belly ignores that and still refuses to work. Belly on strike long time. I'm not giving extra benefits, I'm done negotiating.


----------



## zannej

The stuff was good. Mom didn't like it too much because it had a wine sauce and she doesn't like the taste of wine. She also said it was fettuccine noodles. I'm fine with that. I wouldn't mind getting it again but I'd have to split it with my brother.
My whole body aches right now. Thunderstorm kicking up outside making me want to sleep.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Was just looking at a video of 3D printed 'angry insect' looking cars... well... only one... at $2+Million prolly won't sell many...


----------



## Eddie_T

My wrist often feels a little strained after struggling with a stuck jar lid. I have a 6 ft piece of broken bull line pull tape (about 1/2" wide) that I found after a contractor replaced several hundred feet of underground HV feeder cable from my transformer to a power pole which should be good for making strap wrenches.
I am thinking of a small piece with a small handle for jar lid use and a bit larger one for an oil filter wrench. Then what's left for one large enough to expand the bead of those dratted Snapper rider tubeless front tires that love to go flat on me.


----------



## Flyover

I finally fixed the compost bin today. Did a few other things too. I was fairly productive.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Then what's left for one large enough to expand the bead of those dratted Snapper rider tubeless front tires that love to go flat on me.


Might try using RTV/silicon rubber sealant as a lubricant for permanently seating those tires on the rim...


----------



## zannej

If it is a metal jar lid I find its easier to open them if you use a bottle opener sharp end and pry it slightly to get air in. Otherwise I use this rubber mesh pad that we call "the rubber grippy". We sing "rubber grippy, you're the one, you make my caps come all undone" (to the tune of rubbery ducky).

Just cleared out stuff from some bins in the kitchen and rearranged some stuff but I realize I'm going to have to clean the pantry again so I can put stuff away. Also need to drill holes and put screws in the hinges of the pantry door. That thing is on with only 2 screws right now. And it has shelves on the backside of the door so it drags on the floor whenever I open it. Gonna have to take a scrap piece of wood to get the dummy knob secured. Lost the screws but I will use the bolts that were on the old knob and get some washers and locknuts for them.


----------



## RedneckGrump

G'day all...Got up, took a load to the dump, me and the pup... 15.5 years old... But he's still my pup... Then we went for our 1 out of 2 daily walks down on the St. Lawrence river...

Now that all the important things are done... Going to wash the shutters, and paint them up and the front door... Already did the garage doors...

We'll, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day...


----------



## zannej

What color are you painting the shutters, RedneckGrump?

I ate after organizing stuff and took a break for a bit. Then argued with myself and convinced myself to clean up the pantry. Discovered that when my brother "cleaned" up the trash awhile back he just shoved a ton of trash into the pantry and back hallway. I filled two 55gallon contractor bags. In fairness, there was expired stuff in the pantry that he hadn't put there. Bloated cans, Mt Dew that expired in 2014, stuff with labels missing bc of mice. Mice really did a number on it. Which is why my friend will be coming over next time he's free to put up some metal mesh for me and cram the holes with steel wool so mice can't get in anymore. I'm hoping I can get him to add more screws to the hinges bc there are only 2 screws holding that door up.

Spent a few hours cleaning and am taking a break now. Will probably nap.


----------



## Flyover

This morning I helped my wife dispose of the pumpkin vines after she harvested five pumpkins out of a patch about 10x5 feet. Then whippersnipped and cut down some junk trees/bushes my neighbor was trying to donate to me through his fence. Hung some pictures in the house. Otherwise not much on the house repair/maintenance/DIY front today.


----------



## Flyover

Flyover said:


> This morning I helped my wife dispose of the pumpkin vines after she harvested five pumpkins out of a patch about 10x5 feet. Then whippersnipped and cut down some junk trees/bushes my neighbor was trying to donate to me through his fence. Hung some pictures in the house. Otherwise not much on the house repair/maintenance/DIY front today.



Hah, yesterday when I wrote that I had this feeling in my brain like I was leaving out something else I did. Today I saw a little bit of white stuff caked on one of my fingernails up near the cuticle, and remembered: yesterday after I hung the picture I spackled a bunch of holes in my walls where there used to be pictures and curtains and stuff hanging. I washed my hands well afterward but I guess I missed a spot.

Do most people simply use their fingers for spackling like I do? My wife saw me doing this and was like "I'm pretty sure they make a tool for that," and that's when I wondered. I've always used my fingers, at least for the little holes left by nails and screws.


----------



## zannej

I use my fingers for smearing wood putty/filler, caulk, etc. I don't even wear gloves when using clorox wipes most of the time. Reminds me I need to get some wood filler. I also need to remember where I put my paint stirrer thingy. I got an attachment for my drill, but I need to slow down my drill's speed.
Woke up, sat up, burped up bile that came up my nose and started dripping out. I need to try to remember everything on my list. I think #8 32 locknuts & find some scrap wood. Put a dummy knob on a door that has a bore hole and it doesn't want to stay on.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Woke up, sat up, burped up bile that came up my nose and started dripping out.


Think you might have a hiatal hernia?


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Think you might have a hiatal hernia?


I will have to google what that is. Might be acid reflux. Some of the meds I take can cause that. It only happens every once in awhile. I drank a lot of water and some water came up with it.

My left knee is hating on me today. Gonna see if some naproxyn helps. I keep forgetting to take my vitamins and I think I need to add some glucosomine to the mix. Mom takes it and it helped her knees. 

I went in and tried to straighten the vinyl sheet up a bit more but stuff sitting on top of it is making it impossible to move it. Got some tool boxes, a shower seat, and other stuff I need to move off of it. Some I will probably have to temporarily set in my room in order to get stuff moved. Shower seat is supposed to go in Mom's bathroom eventually but right now there is no room. Still need to take some of the painter's tape off the vinyl sheet and clean with apple cider vinegar.

I need to move a piece of furniture out of my room so I can set it up for Mom. There is a big furniture piece in the front room that I eventually need to move to my room. If my knee cooperates with me today I might see if I can get it moved. I have a nice little end table I got from a flea market that has doors on it. I used it to set up a mini fridge I no longer have. 

I keep typing and forgetting to take medicine. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

Mowed the grass, and added a surface clamp to my shed deck box so it can stay closed that way instead of with a rock propped against the doors.

...then I made chili.


----------



## Spicoli43

Mowing was priority one this morning, then checking sprinkler function, replacing a couple sprinkler heads, and prepping a small area for tilling / planting new grass.

The Wildfire smoke said no to all that, so I cleaned inside, which lasted a whole 30 minutes. 

I made Chili also, got some Hot smelling Jalapenos this time... Hoping for a little face burn.

I LOVE the view of the Mountains right now!


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Think you might have a hiatal hernia?


I will have to google what that is. Might be acid reflux. Some of the meds I take can cause that. It only happens every once in awhile. I drank a lot of water and some water came up with it.

My left knee is hating on me today. Gonna see if some naproxyn helps. I keep forgetting to take my vitamins and I think I need to add some glucosomine to the mix. Mom takes it and it helped her knees.

I went in and tried to straighten the vinyl sheet up a bit more but stuff sitting on top of it is making it impossible to move it. Got some tool boxes, a shower seat, and other stuff I need to move off of it. Some I will probably have to temporarily set in my room in order to get stuff moved. Shower seat is supposed to go in Mom's bathroom eventually but right now there is no room. Still need to take some of the painter's tape off the vinyl sheet and clean with apple cider vinegar.

I need to move a piece of furniture out of my room so I can set it up for Mom. There is a big furniture piece in the front room that I eventually need to move to my room. If my knee cooperates with me today I might see if I can get it moved. I have a nice little end table I got from a flea market that has doors on it. I used it to set up a mini fridge I no longer have.

I keep typing and forgetting to take medicine. LOL.

Took my meds, took the trash bag out of the can and set it aside-- too heavy to carry out. Put a new trash bag in. Editing because my keyboard went wonky and wouldn't let me type. One of the keys was stuck. I took it apart and cleaned it but I had to reboot my computer to clear whatever error was going on.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Might be acid reflux.


That gives me a bad sore throat if I doubt rinse the acid back down really quickly...


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> That gives me a bad sore throat if I don't rinse the acid back down really quickly...


----------



## Eddie_T

Ordered a spin down sediment filter for my well water system. I found it for $34.16 w/tax and shipping on FB marketplace. I can follow it with a regular sediment filter.


----------



## zannej

Nice. I wouldn't even know where to connect a sediment filter in. Most of the lines are already so full of sediment, they'd have to be replaced for it to do any good. Water heater is a hot mess (no pun intended). 
The end table I mentioned isn't as little as I'd thought. I can't seem to lift it by myself. Might see if my friend can help if he can come over today. He's supposed to but he might be too tired. My brother is already at work so he can't help. 
Kitties and doggies are spread out napping in my room (and on me). Looks like i might rain again.

Friend hasn't read my messages yet so I might give lifting the end table another try.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a couple of little 3 wheelers similar to this that come in handy around the house. Just use 1 or 2 and pick up the other end a little to move. Useful or heavy boxes or bags as well.


----------



## zannej

I wish that would work on the heavy trash bags, but part of the problem is we have bottlenecks. Boxes in the way and stuff has to be lifted over and around. 
I organized my tools to make sure we had everything we needed. Picked up my friend and he opened up the box with the air compressor and nail guns (Porter Cable 5 gallon air compressor with 3 different types of nail guns). I also have a Surebond pneumatic staple gun. I had the sturdy wire mesh and some wire cutters. Had to dig out my aviator's snips because the wirecutters were too small. Friend stuffed steel wool in the mouse hole in the ceiling, stapled up the mesh over all of the holes big enough for mice to get through. Then he put screws in the hinges on the pantry door. Each hinge was only held to the wall with 1 screw. Apparently the door was lacking hinges as well. Used my brand new B&D Matrix drill/screwdriver that has an LED to illuminate the drilling/screwing area to make it easier. Moved some furniture around, hauled some trash bags out. I hauled out two and my friend got the heavy one.

Went to the store to get my friend some groceries until he gets his food stamps. Picked up my prescription, dropped him off and helped him bring groceries in. The toddler was happy to see me. He always wants a hug and then doesn't want to let go.

Got back home, got food for Mom, ate some salad, went and sat down and took my socks off. Cats climbed on me and then mom called wanting me to go all the way across the house to put something up in the fridge when she's literally like 6ft away.

Decided to get the end table in place and discovered she's been dumping trash all over again. Got a contractor bag and picked up the trash. Got the end table in place and now I'm going to rest. I still need to change out her trash bag but my back needs a break.

At the store it was pretty packed and only 3 lanes were open. One was 20 items or less. There had been 4 but one closed down as soon as we walked up. Friend went to go look at more stuff while I stood in line at self checkout. Saw a guy behind me with one item. Told him to go ahead. Girl behind him was holding two heavy cases of soda. Told her to go ahead. Then saw a girl with armfuls of ice cream so I told her to go ahead before her stuff melted. Then friend came back and waited with me. All of the people I let go ahead of me checked out quickly.

This is inside the pantry on the ceiling where my friend covered holes large enough for mice. Light in the pantry makes everything look yellow but its actually white.



Friend really liked the pneumatic staple gun.

I'm probably going to take a nap in a few minutes after I take some naproxyn.


----------



## Eddie_T

Made a Don Williams hatband for my 76 yr old fedora.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, that is cool!

I found the link to the stool/basket thingy I sat on while cleaning up trash. Very handy little thing. 





						Amazon.com: Safe-T-Stool the Safest, Most Versatile Stool in America (GLOSSY BLUE) : Office Products
					

Buy Safe-T-Stool the Safest, Most Versatile Stool in America (GLOSSY BLUE): Step Stools - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com


----------



## Eddie_T

The Carolina Dog (100 miles distant) showed up on Adopt a Pet again but I don't have a way to directly communicate with the foster home person. It has been in foster care for over a year. It has been neutered now and the adoption fee is the same $125 which is reasonable. If there were some way for me to have a discussion with the person I might be able to get somewhere but I am not going to jump through hoops to rescue a dog. They are more concerned about the dog than an old guy that needs a friend.


----------



## RedneckGrump

zannej said:


> What color are you painting the shutters, RedneckGrump?


Painted them a medium gray to go with red brick...  As soon as I figure out again how to get the pictures off my phone, I will post them...

Today, plan to go for our walk, Carl and I


Then check in with a hardware store where I bought 60 sheets of drywall for $2.00 a sheet... They are almost perfect but may have a very little bit of damage on them... But drywall here is normally $15 a sheet... It cost me $135 vs $900... I want to redo the walls in my shop and build a bathroom in the basement...


----------



## Flyover

He's clearly a good boy.

My only DIY project today is to get my house number spray painted on the flat surface of a large rock positioned under our mailbox. Yesterday I cut a stencil out of the cardboard from a case of beer. (Non-alcoholic Budweiser: I quit drinking about a year and a half ago, and now I drink more beer than I ever used to!)


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> The Carolina Dog (100 miles distant) showed up on Adopt a Pet again but I don't have a way to directly communicate with the foster home person. It has been in foster care for over a year. It has been neutered now and the adoption fee is the same $125 which is reasonable. If there were some way for me to have a discussion with the person I might be able to get somewhere but I am not going to jump through hoops to rescue a dog. They are more concerned about the dog than an old guy that needs a friend.



They don't list a phone number or email?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> They don't list a phone number or email?


No, applications have to be submitted through PetFinder or Adopt-a-Pet. No contact until approved. It's no wonder they have a surplus of animals.


----------



## Eddie_T

RedneckGrump said:


> Then check in with a hardware store where I bought 60 sheets of drywall for $2.00 a sheet... They are almost perfect but may have a very little bit of damage on them... But drywall here is normally $15 a sheet... It cost me $135 vs $900... I want to redo the walls in my shop and build a bathroom in the basement...


I recall an old FW magazine article where drywall was used to make wainscoting. Quarter round or cove molding is used inside the DW strips and chair rail molding on top.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I wish that would work on the heavy trash bags, but part of the problem is we have bottlenecks. Boxes in the way and stuff has to be lifted over and around.


Maybe you could do some stacking to clear at least a 3 foot wide path everywhere in the house. 
Label the boxes with magic marker so that don't have to get them back down to see what's in them. 
I picked up a couple of these things when they go on sale for $7.95 each. Strong enough to even put the tires of a small car/hot rod onto so can shove it into a corner of the garage out of the way. 








						18 In. x 12 In. 1000 lb. Capacity Hardwood Dolly
					

Amazing deals on this 18In X 12In 1000Lb Wood Dolly at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




					www.harborfreight.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I recall an old FW magazine article where drywall was used to make wainscoting. Quarter round or cove molding is used inside the DW strips and chair rail molding on top.


I thought the wood wainscoting was to protect the lower plaster/drywall of the walls from chairs, kicks, etc.? 
Need something to protect the drywall wainscoting, LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> No, applications have to be submitted through PetFinder or Adopt-a-Pet. No contact until approved. It's no wonder they have a surplus of animals.


These days prolly have to protect the dogs from being used as sacrificial animals for dog fighting practice... hundreds get killed that way... 








						Almost 15 Years Later, Here’s What Happened With Michael Vick’s Dogfighting Ring
					

Almost 15 years after NFL player Michael Vick was exposed for running a massive dogfighting ring, we're retelling the story of what happened.




					www.greenmatters.com


----------



## Eddie_T

As a result they prolly euthanize more than they protect from such a fate while leaving us cantankerous old guys dogless.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> As a result they prolly euthanize more than they protect from such a fate while leaving us cantankerous old guys dogless.


Yeah, PETA euthanizes almost all the animals they take in, which is of course the perfect model of Liberal Hypocrisy. 

If you aren't set on a Carolina, check out Rescue Me. They are just a website and you can donate to them if you want. You contact the owner and exchange info and that's that. I have used them to adopt a Dog, Cat, and adopt out a Dog.









						► Rescue Me!
					

Adopt Dogs, Cats, Horses, Birds




					www.rescueme.org


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> As a result they prolly euthanize more than they protect from such a fate while leaving us cantankerous old guys dogless.


What can I say... some people still making the world insane...


----------



## zannej

I think another reason they don't allow direct contact is to protect the people who post the dogs from stalking/harassment.



BuzzLOL said:


> Maybe you could do some stacking to clear at least a 3 foot wide path everywhere in the house.
> Label the boxes with magic marker so that don't have to get them back down to see what's in them.
> I picked up a couple of these things when they go on sale for $7.95 each. Strong enough to even put the tires of a small car/hot rod onto so can shove it into a corner of the garage out of the way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 18 In. x 12 In. 1000 lb. Capacity Hardwood Dolly
> 
> 
> Amazing deals on this 18In X 12In 1000Lb Wood Dolly at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.harborfreight.com


I have a few of those wheeled thingies but can't find them. They are currently buried. I really need to get stuff put up in bins. I have a bunch of stuff lying around loosely and some cardboard boxes busted apart so I need to transfer stuff that fell out.

I despise PETA. I can confirm the RescueMe site works though. That's how I found someone to adopt those destructive redbone coonhound pups. 

I got up and cleaned up in my bathroom some, cleared the floor so I could vacuum and adjust the vinyl sheet. Shopvac got clogged by a styrofoam bean thingy and I can't get it out so it won't work until I figure out how to get it out. I'd use a wire hanger if I still had some left. Last time the plumber was out he used my last wire hanger. I'll have to figure something out. I'm taking a break because I started overheating. Found a couple mouse-holes in the wall that will eventually get covered with baseboard but I want to stick some steel wool in there to keep the damn mice out before I put baseboard up. I had some baseboards I was going to put in but the puppies chewed them. Might have some pieces I can salvage though. Need to find my acrylic tape to do a perimeter taping of the vinyl to keep it in place. 

In awhile I'll go back in with a push-broom to flatten the vinyl out. Good thing I'm going to have baseboard and quarter round because the mice chewed some edges. Once I have the flooring secured I'll have to mop it.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Spicoli43 said:


> They don't list a phone number or email?


That is very strange, You would think they would go to all extremes to find their animal's homes...


Eddie_T said:


> I recall an old FW magazine article where drywall was used to make wainscoting. Quarter round or cove molding is used inside the DW strips and chair rail molding on top.
> 
> View attachment 28356


Have to check that out... Thanks for the idea...


----------



## Eddie_T

Rescue Me is a good website but they don't list Carolina Dog as a breed. I went through NC, SC, WV and AL listings but didn't see any. If they had any they would have misidentified them as some kind of mix. AL was farther than I thought a bit over 5 hrs my door to   ⋅   ⋅   ⋅ 
 A beautiful female Dobe was listed in Greenville, SC but I would need a larger shovel for yard cleanup.

I tried to contact adoptapet.com but saw a thank you for your comment after I clicked submit so I am not holding my breath.


----------



## zannej

Good luck with the dog search, Eddie!

I went back and did more sweeping in the bathroom. Flooring is almost completely flat but needs some edges trimmed. I'll have to break out my straight edge and the new boxcutter I got (couldn't find my old one). Went to TSC, local lumber store, and Walmart to get stuff. stopped and picked up mail. My windows 10 installation disk came in. I think I'm going to finish sweeping up in the bathroom and see if I can trim it up and lay stuff more flat before I perimeter tape. Need to remember to plug the mouse holes with steel wool. I'll eventually put tape over before I install baseboards just to make it harder for the buggers to get through.


----------



## Flyover

One reason pet adoption websites/companies might play hard to get (so I learned from my aborted search for a greyhound this past year) is there is a lot more demand for dogs than supply so long as the dog isn't a mutt or a "pit bull", so the adoption people can be very picky about who they adopt out to and make you jump through hoops even once you arrive at the front of the line.

Maybe I already did this rant, but I use the scare quotes around "pit bull" because any dog with a squarish head gets called a pit bull as soon as it causes any trouble for anyone. Average Joe off the street (or Average Cop writing up a report) doesn't know the difference between a pit bull, a boxer, and a bulldog. Heck I've seen yellow labs get called pit bulls. 

Every pit bull I've met has been sweet and loyal and gentle and playful. Some people I live with are scared by the "well if they DO bite then the bite can be very serious" rationale, but if that wasn't there I'd adopt one, maybe two of them, and I could bring them home tomorrow. No waiting list, no calling around.

I didn't get to the house numbers today, but I did make some actual tangible headway on my next "fun" woodworking project.

Remember that bathtub-sized pond I dug in the spring? This evening I sat and watched tadpoles swimming in it. We've been watching them the past few weeks. They have little legs and arms now. The second image below shows one coming up for air, near the middle-left of the frame.


----------



## Eddie_T

I meant to mention that in my four state Rescue Me search not a single greyhound appeared.

There are actually several breeds considered as pit bull breeds though only one called the APBT.


----------



## zannej

Cute pond and I love tadpoles. They sometimes hatch in the cows' waterer. I love watching them. I love it when I see the eggs before they hatch and watch them hatch. I once hatched a bunch of little snails and looked at them under a microscope. Their shells were still translucent so I could see their hearts beating. I've always been fascinated with stuff like that.

My sister and my friend have been encouraging on me making progress on the bathroom. I think my friend is happy he's not having to do it. LOL. But he knows how much I procrastinate and how hard it is for me to do stuff so he's happy. I need to take baby steps and pace myself so I don't feel overwhelmed. I think next step is filling mouse holes in the walls. I'm debating whether to use any sort of silicone with it or to just shove it in and cover it with baseboard later.

Ate a salad and cooked for Mom and am about to take a nap.


----------



## Eddie_T

I've never gotten back to my mobile kitchen island. A month or more ago I intended to cut drawer box material from scrap plywood pieces. That's when I found that I can't lift my portable RAS onto the table. I am considering other approaches to that task but other outside work is in the way. I have English ivy to pull up, some to spray and some on trees to cut and push small bottles of saltwater onto the stems. Plus I'm still in the process of scraping moss off the brick patio. I was saved from working again today by rain. The rain was torrential at times over the weekend. I am going to dump some wood ash on the bricks to see if it will kill the moss spores or whatever t grows from.


----------



## Flyover

Got the numbers done using my handmade cardboard stencil and black spraypaint. It looks okay, but I think I'd like to go in and clean up the edges with a thin light-colored outline, brushed on by hand. Just went in and brushed in a thin outline of light gray (the most durable-looking light-colored outdoor paint I had). Looks much better.

Meanwhile I'm thinking of buying a sliding door like this one. If I buy it I want to create a grate for the bottom half, to resist small humans pushing/leaning on the screen, but I don't know what's the best way to go about it. Should I use wire? Wood? Both? something else? What's the best way to attach it since the frame is metal? I'd be nervous about drilling holes in it.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Meanwhile I'm thinking of buying a sliding door like this one. If I buy it I want to create a grate for the bottom half, to resist small humans pushing/leaning on the screen, but I don't know what's the best way to go about it. Should I use wire? Wood? Both? something else? What's the best way to attach it since the frame is metal? I'd be nervous about drilling holes in it.


I really don't know but will share an experience. The frames are kinda flimsy, at least my Andersen 4' polymer frame is. I had a small human that didn't see the screen run right through it. The screen popped out of the channels and went out with him. There was no damage to either except a small chip out of the bottom of the frame. We just popped it back in good for another 25 years or so.


----------



## Eddie_T

Doing a slow cooked covered beef oven roast. I added some new potatoes and had a few pieces too many. I decided to try boiled potatoes in white sauce. My mom used to make it and I like it far better than mashed taters. Basically boil taters until tender, drain and add milk with a bit of flour mixed in. Return to heat until it thickens seasoned with salt and black pepper. The black pepper is what makes it good. I consumed it while I wait on the roast. The roast has been in the oven several hours @225*°*  I haven't tested it yet for tenderness.

edit:  Pull apart tender but a bit chewy. I removed taters and back to the oven for more hours @200*°.*


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## Eddie_T

A visitor today at the shop where my son works.


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## zannej

Flyover, I know they sell swinging storm doors that have screen at the top and are solid at the bottom but I don't know about sliding ones. Looks like it's a steel door so it might be magnetic. Maybe you could make a panel out of something not-too-heavy that could be secured with rare earth magnets or magnet strips? Or outdoor grade doublesided sticky tape. Lowes sells screen door inserts. https://www.lowes.com/pl/Screen-doo...serts-Exterior-doors-Windows-doors/4294644683

Eddie, that sounds delicious! Aww, cute bear.

I went to pick up Mom's RX (it was supposed to be ready yesterday) only to find it wasn't ready yet. I told them no worries, I'd come back another day. I saw there had been people losing their damn minds about stuff not being ready and having to wait. They are short-staffed again.
Friend unclogged the shopvac- I hope. He took it apart, made sure hose was clear, and changed the filter. 

Power went out for a couple of hours. I stuffed steel wool in the mouse-holes in my bathroom walls. Left the shopvac in my truck bc I had other stuff to bring in and was tired.

Cooked dinner and am about to nap.

In the morning I have to clean up broken glass. Cats knocked a plastic container on the floor. My brother saw it and rather than be an adult and pick it up, he kicked hard and it shattered the glass on the door. Didn't even bother to tell me. I saw it shattered, asked him about it and he said he kicked "the thing" and must have cracked it. I said "You shattered it!" Big shards of glass sticking up. Of course it didn't even occur to him that he should clean it up. I'm sure he doesn't think he should pay to replace it either.

Just updated my computer to Windows 10. I'm about to take a nap now.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> A visitor today at the shop where my son works.
> 
> View attachment 28370


Cool, A Pet!!!

We call them that round here... When they are Grizzlies and twice the size, we call them whatever they want to be called.


----------



## RedneckGrump

G'morning Folks... 
Yesterday, the wife and I cleaned up the garage, which is being converted to a continuation from the shop to be more shop...Garage and shop are not big enough to hold the truck... 

Had to clean it up... Cuz we bought 60 sheets of drywall... @ $2.00 each... Where at regular price it would have cost us $900...Well, now there's room to put it...

Today, take Carl for his walk...get some gas for tractor... And finish painting the front of the house shutters and doors, and probably cut the grass...

I hope  you all have a great day, thank you for your suggestions on the compressor's drain...


----------



## Flyover

Today I hung a new ~4'x3' mirror in the "freeweights" area of my home gym. (The mirror was new to me, anyway; I pulled it from the curb weeks, maybe months ago.) Then I reorganized that area of the gym, it's much better now.

After cleaning the mirror with alcohol spray and a rag, I got annoyed at the disarray of our rag storage under the cabinet, so I solved the problem forever by inventing the Grab-A-Rag 3000XJ™:







After using it a few times, I discovered (see last picture) that when refilling it, one needs to avoid orienting rags inside it side-by-side and go more for one-on-top-of-the-other, but fortunately it doesn't need to be done any more neatly than that.

(The XJ stands for "extra-genius")


----------



## zannej

RedneckGrump, $2/sheet is an amazing price for drywall. Even sodas (which I don't drink) just about cost more than that these days. Glad you have your garage fixed up.

Flyover, that's a great solution for rags! I'm trying to make out what sort of container that is. Did you cut the lid or was it cut like that already?

I went down to the workshop early this morning to look around for scrap wood pieces. Dug in the bin and couldn't find any round pieces or any chunks small enough to fit inside the door bore hole. Made sure I found the hinge pins for the door I painted so it can be put back on more easily. I really need to get measurements taken and get the hallway cleaned up so I can put in a proper header and take the old door frame out and put the new one in.

Sat back down and cats piled on me and their purring lulled me back to sleep. Just woke up from my nap. I rescued a lizard from the hallway and set it outside up high on a plant leaf in the sun (it was cold-- but it moved so I know it was alive). Hopefully it will warm up and move along. I might eat something before I go grab the shop vac. My balance is off today. And I still need to clean up the broken glass from the lower door window my brother broke.

Yesterday I got myself a bigger trashcan for my bathroom since it was on sale (the can, not my bathroom). I showed the lady at checkout that it was empty and had to show again that it was empty when I was leaving the store & they check the receipt, I made sure to scan it last so it would be easier to find on the receipt. The employees that recognize me never check my receipt but ones that don't usually check if I have something out of a bag. I still hold up the receipt to show the ones that recognize me just so they don't get in trouble. 

I'm thinking of being lazy today and resting unless I have to go up to samsclub for some reason. It's my brother's day off. Might see if I can get him to help me unload stuff that got left in the truck from our last trip. Will probably have to do it myself though. He's either sleeping or playing video games.


----------



## Flyover

The container was from dishwasher detergent nuggets. I cut the lid myself.


----------



## zannej

Oh nice! The lid looked like it was factory cut so you did a great job.
I went to post office and picked up prescriptions at walmart. Was almost out of my thyroid meds. They really have been helping lately. Didn't clean up the broken window yet because my back was bugging me too much. Just ate and will let my stomach settle before I star vacuuming. Tomorrow we'll go to Samsclub.


----------



## Spicoli43

Making Chili again... I tend to get in a rut and make 6 batches in a row of Crock Pot stuff like Chili and Clam Chowder and Beef Stew. I really ramp that up in the Winter when I'm stuck inside for 6 Months. 

This Fat is from 8 pounds of Grass Fed Beef. I'm going to ditch it soon, but am waiting for the dump run. I only saved it to just think back how my folks never drained anything. It was all added for flavor... I'm just of the complete opposite mindset, but they lived into their 80's, so as far as my lineage goes, Beef Fat doesn't affect us. I can't eat Pork very much at all. 

On a separate note, I keep a bottle of Evan Williams on hand because people tend to like it... Or they only show up when they know I have some... Or they can't stand me period, but love to drink...

Has anybody tried adding a Shot of Whiskey to a Chili cook?


----------



## Eddie_T

As I ate my gourmet burger this evening I arrived at a conclusion. The burgers I like best are the thin caramelized burgers cooked on a griddle topped with cheese after they are flipped. I think the reason I like them is less grease and a better ratio of beef to lettuce, tomato and mayo. And I guess to bun as well as it always mashes down. Another plus it's easier to chew and less messy.

As soon as I make a small (scrap wood) tabletop for my pedestal I can use my small George Foreman grill, my induction burner or my Benihana griddle on the deck or patio and only use my wood fired grill when I want a flame seared steak. I use a cast iron fajita plate when I want to sear or grill with the induction burner.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Has anybody tried adding a Shot of Whiskey to a Chili cook?


I'm guessing the main effect will be adding that "cooked alcohol" flavor (which I associate with dishes like Beef stroganoff). Usually alcohol is added while deglazing, I think, but maybe if you added it later during the Long Simmer some of the whiskey flavor would go into the chili? Depends how dark the whiskey is I guess. And maybe you'll need more than a shot.

But in general I would advise against. I think with whiskey flavored stuff people are going for the woody, smokey aspect of it, which you can get with other things. I think the alcohol wouldn't taste good in it.

Oh and why are you dumping the beef fat?? I save all my fat like your folks did, and for the same reason. Transfer it to a plastic tub with a lid (old yogurt containers work for this; I always keep the clear tubs I get when I order wonton soup from a take-out Chinese place) and then store it in your fridge. Then use it for sauteeing onions and other vegetables, or for cooking eggs. I also use bacon fat in stews and roasts, or let it soften and then add it to the ground beef mix when I'm making burgers. It's good in basically anything savory.


----------



## shan2themax

I took my weedeater apart today trying to find a replacement head that had more oomph to it.... I ended up putting zippers on it..... ohhhh mmmyyyyy gooooodddnnneeeesss..... its a.tad irritating because the break, but I am going to try something different tomorrow. I figured out why my rider wouldn't start ..... sometimes, I need to video the things I do so that I can go back and watch. Long store short a couple of months ago, I lost one of the nuts (its rectangular and goes inside the battery terminal)... so to start it, I ended up using a set of hemostats to clamp it down..... but I also forgot that I did that. So..... some where in my jungle of a back yard are hemostats. Now..... both of the back tires are flat, so I need to drag my air compressor out back and try to inflate them. Do they make no flat tires for riding lawn mowers? I need to look. 

I thought about hiring someone to help me get my moms stuff gone through and then my stuff gone through and organized.... I'm tired of always having to think about what I need to be doing, instead of relaxing. Its dumb. 

I have not found a rescue that will take my moms cats, so, Idk what to do about that. 
My dog had half a rabbit in his mouth this morning.... praying that it wasn't a poison bait. The rabbit was cooler than the temp outside and there was only back legs and mid section. He seems to be ok so far. 


I finally got my moms death certificates, so I need to try to do probate stuff tomorrow, and take care of some other things. 

I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow and am looking forward to that. 

I'm grumpy enough about all the "stuff" that I could consider getting rid of all my tools and stuff also..... I'm not going to, because I know that that is a silly response, but I just need some peace and quiet and empty brain space!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Meanwhile I'm thinking of buying a sliding door like this one. If I buy it I want to create a grate for the bottom


There are the traditional aluminum decorative screen door grilles like this one or could make a stronger one of steel strips: 


			https://www.amazon.com/Camco-43991-Aluminum-Screen-Deluxe/dp/B000EDUUH6


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I decided to try boiled potatoes in white sauce. My mom used to make it and I like it far better than mashed taters. Basically boil taters until tender, drain and add milk with a bit of flour mixed in.


Other than flour, looks like mashed potatoes... do you mash them or cook until mush?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I'm guessing the main effect will be adding that "cooked alcohol" flavor (which I associate with dishes like Beef stroganoff). Usually alcohol is added while deglazing, I think, but maybe if you added it later during the Long Simmer some of the whiskey flavor would go into the chili? Depends how dark the whiskey is I guess. And maybe you'll need more than a shot.
> 
> But in general I would advise against. I think with whiskey flavored stuff people are going for the woody, smokey aspect of it, which you can get with other things. I think the alcohol wouldn't taste good in it.
> 
> Oh and why are you dumping the beef fat?? I save all my fat like your folks did, and for the same reason. Transfer it to a plastic tub with a lid (old yogurt containers work for this; I always keep the clear tubs I get when I order wonton soup from a take-out Chinese place) and then store it in your fridge. Then use it for sauteeing onions and other vegetables, or for cooking eggs. I also use bacon fat in stews and roasts, or let it soften and then add it to the ground beef mix when I'm making burgers. It's good in basically anything savory.


Well, the alcohol would evaporate. 

Some people can get away with using Beef fat. I'm convinced I can't and opt for Butter / Olive / Coconut Oil.


----------



## Hamberg

Spicoli43 said:


> Cool, A Pet!!!
> 
> We call them that round here... When they are Grizzlies and twice the size, we call them whatever they want to be called.



Not sure what part of Montana you're in but is there any truth to what's portrayed in the Yellowstone series?


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Do they make no flat tires for riding lawn mowers? I need to look.


Flat or Punctured? You could try Fix A Flat...



shan2themax said:


> I have not found a rescue that will take my moms cats, so, Idk what to do about that.


Have you tried Rescue Me?









						► Rescue Me!
					

Adopt Dogs, Cats, Horses, Birds




					www.rescueme.org


----------



## Spicoli43

Hamberg said:


> Not sure what part of Montana you're in but is there any truth to what's portrayed in the Yellowstone series?



Around 120 miles away from the filming based on casting calls for extras. I have not seen it, but people in other states have asked me / told me I need to watch it. 

A "Western" is about as close to being watched as an NFL game in this house...


----------



## Spicoli43

I have always been intrigued by Rhode Island because it's so tiny... 

My County is 3 times as big, and 121 Rhode Islands would fit in MT, but RI had 13,000 more people last Census...

I don't understand how that many people can fit in such a tiny place.

Get Off My Lawn!!!


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Other than flour, looks like mashed potatoes... do you mash them or cook until mush?


They are fork tender boiled potatoes. I don't care for mashed (or creamed) potatoes as I prefer to do my own chewing. I used to have my wife take my potatoes out of the pot before mashing. Potatoes with white sauce are best with new potatoes or gravel potatoes but OK with cut potatoes. I mistakenly thought what my mom made was creamed potatoes until my buddy had creamed potatoes on his menu and they were just what we called mashed potatoes.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I don't understand how that many people can fit in such a tiny place.


In his stories, Kurt Vonnegut had a lot of fun with ideas about overcrowding.

I saw this infographic not long ago:





The caption indicated that the whole world's human population could theoretically fit into that blue box. (Spicoli, I don't know if they'd let you in. )


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, Good Morning Fellow House Repair Talk Folks... Sounds like everyone had a busy day...What colours does the Rag dispenser come in @Flyover 

We always had a bit of Forty Creek Whisky in our Chilli and ribs... Just gives it that extra snap... Sounds very good @Spicoli43 

Yeah... @zannej, Great price on drywall... Some sheets are nothing but garbage... And any with cracks, or missing a corner... Easy to patch.. and make usable... But It will be enough for me to rip down the panelling, Run some electrical wire... Some plugs every 4 - 5 feet... It's already insulated, so don't have to worry about the walls and then drywall... So yeah, that should work out great... Then thinking of putting up some french cleats... like that idea over peg board... My last shop, I did the peg board, and ran out of room all the time...Not sure if I have a picture of my last shop on the computer, I will have to have a look...









I didn't see any with the peg board...




That there is the garage which I am also converting into part of the shop, It's already drywalled...




 I will probably have to start another message about it... The last two pics are garage and new workshop


----------



## RedneckGrump

Few more pics of my old shop...


----------



## RedneckGrump

Guess, that is all I have so far... LOL... I'll take some pics today!


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> In his stories, Kurt Vonnegut had a lot of fun with ideas about overcrowding.
> 
> I saw this infographic not long ago:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The caption indicated that the whole world's human population could theoretically fit into that blue box. (Spicoli, I don't know if they'd let you in. )


HAHAHA... Not only wouldn't I go in the box, I wouldn't live in the Giant Sardine Can that surrounds it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Great job at Maximizing storage, Redneck... I love those swing doors!


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> HAHAHA... Not only wouldn't I go in the box, I wouldn't live in the Giant Sardine Can that surrounds it.


Sardine can is pretty close. I spent a couple days last weekend in NYC. There is a lot of interesting stuff to do and see but it is sooo busy. I could never live there.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Sorry Guys, Got off topic... Hate when my brain doesn't work, or work properly... Again I apologize for going way off topic...

Yesterday my wife and I finished painting the shutters and garage doors in the front of the house.  We just have the back of the house to paint the shutters. 

Also, we have to waterproof the cement porch I have put in, and also waterproof the wooden gazebo  Lorie and I put in over the summer, along with the deck it sits on...

Not 100 % sure what I am doing today... Been a very slow start... Also been looking up how to do the bodywork on my 2006 Ford F150...

Anyhow, Folks, I will have something to write about tomorrow...


----------



## Eddie_T

Oops! Poor inventory control, I ran out of BP supplement (hawthorn berry). I am drinking hibiscus tea as a substitute until resupply from Swanson arrives. Change is gradual rather than a cliff but it was a goof on my part.

Per the news more pets are in surrender but adoption is still restricted beyond common sense. If anything cropped up locally all the crap could be waived but so far nothing.


----------



## Flyover

I lived and worked in NYC for a couple summers when I was a teenager. Worked in Manhattan one of those summers, Queens during the other one. NYC didn't feel _crowded_ to me exactly, not like being in a small space with lots of people anyway, more just that any time I was outside I always felt like I had to be "on", ready for anything, always watching what was going on and where I was stepping, knowing I was visible to lots of people. It felt very "busy" more than anything, in a way a city like Los Angeles, for example, did not.

Back then as a scrappy young buck who felt invincible, I quickly adjusted to that pace of life, and it was invigorating and fun. (Oh, and for whatever reason there are always lots of very good looking women walking around.) But I returned briefly a couple times to visit family in more recent years and found the place annoying, exhausting, and uncomfortable. On top of smelly and loud and insanely expensive, which it always was.

Aaaanyway, today I finally got those climbing handholds out of the tree. Many came out just by tugging on them because either the wood was rotted or the screws sheared, or both. Thank goodness no kids got hurt. I'm thinking about how I can reuse the hardware to create a horizontal climbing wall in my basement...


----------



## zannej

Shan, sorry the tools have been giving you trouble and hope you get things working.
Nice job, Redneck!

My brain is not wanting to retain the messages from the previous page very well.

Listened to some sea shanty song to help myself wake up this morning. Went to Lowes to pickup an online order. They didn't have it at the front yet so I had to wait awhile. Went to Samsclub after that. While there my brother got a message that our friend's useless co-worker straight up quit bc he didn't want to have to actually do his job. He'd been no-call/noshowing, calling in, leaving early, clocking in then going outside to get high & coming back in and just sitting on his keester doing nothing. Barely did any work at all. Friend was coming in and finding all the work this jerk was supposed to do was not done. He would miss work to do another job (completely violating his contract-- aside from just not actually working). Friend had been trying to get him fired for months. Guy was giving BS sob stories to the boss to not get fired. Friend finally set the boss straight. They had a zoom meeting & the guy lied to the boss for an hour straight and boss said he was tired of excuses and laid out what the jerk's responsibilities were from that point forward. This morning around 9 the jerk called in and quit. My bro submitted his application via my friend & the boss said he's pretty much hired. Just need to finish up some paperwork and make sure they find a replacement for my brother at his current job (which is in the exact same place). So my bro gets a $4/hr raise and has an easier job where he can sit down when he wants to. 

Grabbed food from Wendy's then dropped stuff off at friend's house and went home. It's hot out and I have to get up and cook for mom now. Barely had time to cool off.


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Flat or Punctured? You could try Fix A Flat...


I'm really not sure. I had planned to look at it in more depth tomorrow, but it is supposed to rain the next 3 days.

4 55 gallon bags, 2 45 gallon bags, and 2 33 gallon bags of stuff removed from the back porch yesterday and today.  My back is killing me, and I actually got a massage today at 2pm.....
Its looking better, there is still so much to do out there. Waiting on my dumpster so it can be filled and dumped and filled again and again and again..... and maybe one more again.....

I found a ton of correlle ware today.  This is half of it. It would be great if I could find one person to take it all.  


I have a headache from being out there even though I had a mask on.
There is a picnic table behind this, but here is the pile so far.

To say that I am tired is an understatement and my son is the one carrying the heavier bags for me


----------



## Spicoli43

Good job, Shan... Cleaning up is always rewarding, when I get all my tools in their place in the garage to the point I could park a car there, I go look at the garage multiple times a night just to get a "satisfaction bump"... It's rare because I'm always pulling out the saws and now I have 7 bales of Hay, etc... 

You should list your dishes on Ebay, here's an example of sold stuff... People collect it... An ex of mine had a small kid's room full of dishes, don't know what they were, but she constantly bought more. 









						corelle ware: Search Result | eBay
					

Buy and sell electronics, cars, fashion apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, baby items, coupons, and everything else on eBay, the world's online marketplace



					www.ebay.com


----------



## shan2themax

Thank you @Spicoli43 , I will have to pull it all out and give it a gander for marking and such and get a count of what is there.... there are plates and bakeware both, as well as a small tea pot? Looking thing of some sort. Maybe I will do that tomorrow..... hmm.....


----------



## zannej

Man, I wish I was in your area because I would take all the Corelle stuff. I love Corelle stuff. That is a LOT of stuff and I'm glad you are getting things done and that you have help. I can empathize on the back thing and hope you let your body recover enough for it to stop hurting.

I never got my second nap in but I probably will in a few minutes-- if I can get my brain to settle.


----------



## zepper

bud16415 said:


> Fighting off a cold and working and it isn't fun... Zink Cold Therapy really works.



You zinc so?


----------



## RedneckGrump

shan2themax said:


> I'm really not sure. I had planned to look at it in more depth tomorrow, but it is supposed to rain the next 3 days.
> 
> 4 55 gallon bags, 2 45 gallon bags, and 2 33 gallon bags of stuff removed from the back porch yesterday and today.  My back is killing me, and I actually got a massage today at 2pm.....
> Its looking better, there is still so much to do out there. Waiting on my dumpster so it can be filled and dumped and filled again and again and again..... and maybe one more again.....
> 
> I found a ton of correlle ware today.  This is half of it. It would be great if I could find one person to take it all.  View attachment 28404
> 
> 
> I have a headache from being out there even though I had a mask on.
> There is a picnic table behind this, but here is the pile so far.
> 
> To say that I am tired is an understatement and my son is the one carrying the heavier bags for me


Hey Sha, great job... and I know it's a tough job... It's too bad, you can't set up a table at the end of the laneway, and sell some of that stuff... Find a kid to work it for you...

Anyways I wish you a GREAT job, and good luck at finishing it up!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I prefer to do my own chewing.


Mashed potatoes are just 1 of a 100 different ways to prepare potatoes, so an occasional treat.
Being part Irish, I love the taste of potatoes...
Some people like a few lumps left in their mashed potatoes so they know they aren't boxed instant potato glue...
My usual method now is clean and nuke the potatoes whole, mash them leaving skins on (depending on eaters), mix in some milk and maybe some butter if don't mind 'yellowing' them, top with homemade chicken gravy(rare... even at 'chicken restaurants')...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> The caption indicated that the whole world's human population could theoretically fit into that blue box. (Spicoli, I don't know if they'd let you in. )


Let's see... if average person takes up about 2 square feet of floor space... times world population of 8 billion... that's 16 billion square feet... a box 24 miles by 24 miles... (no stacking allowed)
I think we're going to need a bigger box... (with apologies to "JAWS" )


----------



## Eddie_T

In my house we always put a depression in the top of our mound of mashed potatoes for either  gravy or Lesueur baby green peas.

I knew growing old was inevitable but thought it would take a lot longer.


----------



## Spicoli43

Went to Lowe's to pickup a dirt roller that I'm going to use to flatten areas for new grass, and will probably use on the whole lawn. When they cleared the land, they didn't level it at all. I'm tired of mowing over a bunch of speed bumps. 

While there, I noticed a recall on my Dewalt Miter Saw, so I will have to get it fixed... They are cute in the recall, saying "posing a laceration hazard" instead of "you could saw your hand off". 

I thought it was cute.


----------



## 68bucks

My Delta sawn is on the recall also. I filled out the form online and they said they will ship parts. That's been a few weeks now and nothing yet. Of course they tell you to just stop using the saw....riiiiight.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> My Delta sawn is on the recall also. I filled out the form online and they said they will ship parts. That's been a few weeks now and nothing yet. Of course they tell you to just stop using the saw....riiiiight.


I got a new handle assembly for the saw from Dewalt in less than a week, so hopefully they are quick. I don't know why I care, with the lumber prices still insane, I don't plan on using it. 

I knew a guy that cut half his hand off with a Table Saw, so if they say no use, I no use.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Eddie_T said:


> Oops! Poor inventory control, I ran out of BP supplement (hawthorn berry). I am drinking hibiscus tea as a substitute until resupply from Swanson arrives. Change is gradual rather than a cliff but it was a goof on my part.
> 
> Per the news more pets are in surrender but adoption is still restricted beyond common sense. If anything cropped up locally all the crap could be waived but so far nothing.


Hey Buddy, that tea you drink, does it help our aging bodies? or is just good... I got onto some tea year ago, my sister introduced me to it, I forget the name, but it mushrooms from Dead birch trees, Man did it work... gave me tons of energy... I have to get started on it again... My problem is I have to make everything a habit, or I forget about it...

That's a shame about the adoption of animals... I think people who adopt animals are not going to abuse them... Unless they are checking for other things...

Well, I gotta go and watch YOUTUBE, to see who won the Federal Conservatives' election... 

So, I hope YOU have a GREAT evening... and oh, Yeah didn't do anything today, except take Carl for his walk...


----------



## zannej

My mom always preferred mashed potatoes with no lumps. Super creamy texture. She added milk and sometimes eggs to them (not sure why eggs) to make them creamier. So now when I make mashed potatoes for her I add a little splash of milk.

Glad you noticed the recall before getting any injuries, Spicoli. 

I just finished flattening, trimming, and taping the vinyl sheet in my bathroom. It's a total mess in there now bc of all the tape backings, cut off pieces, etc. I'll go clean it up after I cool off and my body stops protesting. I almost couldn't get back up off the floor. Thumbs hate me from using them to pry up the carpet band and shove the vinyl under. It didn't want to stay up and the vinyl didn't want to go under. Used a putty knife to shove it under. Also had to pry up bits of old carpet (the carpet from before we had new carpet in-- ugly beige crap that was in the bathrooms, closets, and all over. 

I'll be taking pics before and after cleanup. Not sure if my knees, hips, and back will cooperate with mopping the floor, but if they do, I'll get it all cleaned up nicely. Floor isn't perfect but it will be fine. One crease I couldn't get out of the vinyl in front of the vanity will be covered with a bath mat so I don't care.


----------



## shan2themax

When I make mashed potatoes for the family I use 10 potatoes (in the instant pot) usually peeled. I add about 1/2 cup of milk, an entire stick of butter and an 8 oz block of cream cheese. They are absolutely delicious. However, I don't make them very often anymore. 

I did absolutely nothing today, but took a nap. Doing a couple of loads of laundry now for my daughter so she has clean clothes for her work week. 

I think tomorrow I am going to work on the dining room, sweeping and mopping the floor and hoping to get rid of cat odor because the litter boxes have been in there for a couple of years. I will move my freezer into the.kitchen and out of the dining room. I will probably have to have help though because that thing is full.

Monday I am taking my son for an semi-emergency dental extraction. I was supposed to have an eye exam at noon but his appt is at 1045 so I will have to reschedule.


----------



## zannej

I hope your son's tooth extraction goes well. 

I cleaned up and mopped the floor in the bathroom to little effect. Got down on the floor and started scrubbing but my body noped out on me so I ended up calling it a day. I was losing light and the light in there sucks. It started flickering and I got really annoyed and it didn't provide enough light to see well. I misplaced the brand new bottle of flooring cleaner I got. No idea where the hell it went and its pissing me off. I looked all over for it and then tried some lysol but that didn't work. Might have to buy another bottle of the flooring cleaner. I hate to have to do that, but sometimes its necessary when stuff goes missing.


----------



## 68bucks

So we're all about the mashed potatoes here. What kind of potatoes? Russetts make a nice fluffy mashed but red or gold make a creamier mashed. I sort of favor a red or gold potato to mash. A blend is pretty good too. I do love mashed potatoes. Sometimes I'll order them with a burger vs a fry. Of course gray is implied.


----------



## zannej

I don't know what kind of potatoes. LOL. I never pay attention. I'll have to look at what type they are next time. I get Eddie's pre-made mashed potatoes usually. I also am trying to cut back on potatoes because of the carb factor. I'm thinking russet potatoes sound familiar.


----------



## Eddie_T

After making new potatoes in white sauce I will only be eating mashed potatoes as someone's guest from here on in. If no new (or small) potatoes I'll just quarter some russets.


----------



## 68bucks

We grill potatoes often. Sliced into 1/2" thick rounds in a bowl with a little oil and  vinegar and some seasoning. You can use Italian dressing too. Put them on the grill turn them a couple times and good. My wife tends to avoid potatoes due to the carbs. Never tried the white sauce thing though.


----------



## zannej

Ooh, grilled potatoes sound good. I shouldn't be hungry because I just stuffed my face and my belly is full. The cat is happy that my belly protrudes so much because it makes a great bed for him.

I just remembered that today is the 5th birthday of 3 of my cats.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, Good Morning Lady and Lads...
Well, feel better than I have the last 2 mornings, All I wanted to do was sleep the last couple of days.. But so far, been up an hour and a half, and feel pretty good... So it could be a good day to get some things done...

For potatoes... I love baked potatoes... with lots of butter, salt and pepper, and greek plain yogurt... I also love them done on the bbq in a pan with olive oil and salt and pepper... Also, love roasted potatoes in a nice beef roast... Like mash, but much rather have them the ways I mentioned... How the mash is done, I have no idea for the wife does 7/8's of the cooking around here...

Well everyone, have yourselves a GREAT Sunday... God Bless YOU all...


----------



## zannej

Good Morning, Redneck (and everyone else). Glad you're feeling better. I know that feeling of wanting to sleep and not having any energy. I've been struggling with chronic fatigue the last two decades. My thyroid meds seem to be working though so I have more energy than before and have managed to be a bit more productive. Although my back and knees aren't in agreement on some of the stuff. LOL. Just woke up because my bladder told me to. Cats saw me move and started gathering around. 

I found my floor cleaner bottle-- it had fallen over and was inside a bag. One of my cats helpfully shoved it into view for me. I was planning to do nothing today but if I have enough energy and ye olde body cooperates I'll clean the floor in the bathroom more thoroughly. I need to locate my tools to remove sharkbite push-on fittings because the toilet supply line is too long. The cutoff should be long enough to reach the tub spout from the shower valve though, so that is good news.

I was trying to wash off a spot of dirt on my arm and realized its a bruise. No idea how I got it and it doesn't feel sore. I'm still not fully awake so I'm going to take my vitamins and allergy meds and rest.


----------



## RedneckGrump

zannej said:


> Good Morning, Redneck (and everyone else). Glad you're feeling better. I know that feeling of wanting to sleep and not having any energy. I've been struggling with chronic fatigue the last two decades. My thyroid meds seem to be working though so I have more energy than before and have managed to be a bit more productive. Although my back and knees aren't in agreement on some of the stuff. LOL. Just woke up because my bladder told me to. Cats saw me move and started gathering around.
> 
> I found my floor cleaner bottle-- it had fallen over and was inside a bag. One of my cats helpfully shoved it into view for me. I was planning to do nothing today but if I have enough energy and ye olde body cooperates I'll clean the floor in the bathroom more thoroughly. I need to locate my tools to remove sharkbite push-on fittings because the toilet supply line is too long. The cutoff should be long enough to reach the tub spout from the shower valve though, so that is good news.
> 
> I was trying to wash off a spot of dirt on my arm and realized its a bruise. No idea how I got it and it doesn't feel sore. I'm still not fully awake so I'm going to take my vitamins and allergy meds and rest.


@zannej ya know I suffer from different things like many of us do... I suffer Chronic pain from a car accident many years ago that took me and the wife out of the workforce... and then I broke my leg in 5 spots 6 years ago, which left me with 2 rods and 20 screws... and a total of six surgeries because I kept getting an infection on the metal rods... At one point, we thought I was going to lose my leg...
But probably 30 or more years ago, I had 1/2 my thyroid n taken out because of cancer... They put me on medication for it, but I was a younger man in those days and knew everything, and all I worried about was women and beer... (LOL)... But I am starting to think maybe my thyroid is why I am gaining all the weight, and always sleepy...

I am going to have to check with my doctor next time I see him... Thanks for bringing that up Bro...
Have a GREAT day...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I found my floor cleaner bottle--


I was going to suggest using car wash soap if couldn't find it...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> My Delta saw is on the recall also. I filled out the form online and they said they will ship parts.


As often happens, when you see the parts they make the saw so inconvenient to use that you don't add them...


----------



## zannej

Redneck, ouch! That sounds very painful. I hope you stop getting the infections and that you find some relief from pain. Having thyroid levels checked can help. Cutting back on carbs/sugars can also help apparently. They can cause "crashes" of exhaustion. Carbs supposedly give temporary energy boost but I'm always sleepy right after eating. 
My lower back is being hateful today so I might get out the heating pad. 
Buzz, it would leave too much of film on the vinyl anyway. I got stuff specifically for vinyl floors. Hope it actually works. I'm gonna have breakfast first though.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> NYC didn't feel _crowded_ to me exactly,
> 
> Back then as a scrappy young buck who felt invincible, I quickly adjusted to that pace of life, and it was invigorating and fun. (Oh, and for whatever reason there are always lots of very good looking women walking around.)


When I was in NYC just before 9/11 happened (so glad it didn't happen while we were at top of WTC), driving there seemed about the same a driving here in downtown Toledo... difference is our downtown is about 6 or 8 blocks long, but NYC's goes on for 60 miles! 
I read that since young girls flock to NYC's glamour, there are 7 young single women for each single young man.... While there for my girlfriend's daughter's wedding at Trinity Church near WTC, I did notice the young single women there looked at me totally differently than around here. Here guys fight for girls, there the girls fight for men... And this all reminds me again of the horrible storyline pimped by the movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Buzz, it would leave too much of film on the vinyl anyway. I got stuff specifically for vinyl floors. Hope it actually works. I'm gonna have breakfast first though.


I don't recall car wash soap ever leaving any film on my car... are you thinking of car wax? 
I only suggested it because it seems to cut through road grease and grime better than most soaps...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> young girls flock to NYC's glamour


This part seems true.


BuzzLOL said:


> Here guys fight for girls, there the girls fight for men...


This part seems half true. I think both things happen both places. (Not Toledo, but I am from Cleveland, not too far away.) At my high school many of the fights were girls fighting, maybe not "for" men but definitely over stuff having to do with men. The boys fought mainly over money/gang stuff. (We had cafeteria-clearing brawls over gang stuff once or twice a week. High school was fun.)

I look back with amazement at myself for having not been in a fight since junior high, what with all the ways I used to run my mouth...I also never managed to inspire two girls to fight over me, though I did end up dumping one girl to date another one, who eventually became my wife!

Instead of fighting, the one I dumped sat at home and did drugs a lot...I worried about her from time to time. That was (holy cow!) something like 16 or 17 years ago. Earlier this year she got back in touch with me, and it turns out she eventually got a good career, met a good man, and has a cute little boy. Happy ending.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> At my high school many of the fights were girls fighting, maybe not "for" men but definitely over stuff having to do with men. The boys fought mainly over money/gang stuff. (We had cafeteria-clearing brawls over gang stuff once or twice a week. High school was fun.)


I was in school before drugs became common and caused all those problems... which are still getting worse... 75 murders daily now... in my day you stood at the side of the road gun in hand and the school bus stopped and picked you up and took you to school for monthly Gun Club Day...


----------



## Flyover

Drugs were always common, Buzz. Caffeine is arguably responsible for moving us into the modern era, and you probably already know about alcohol consumption among early American settlers. Look up the history of Coca Cola sometime.

Federal drug prohibition, which created unregulated markets for drugs that attracted criminal suppliers, started over 100 years ago but got ramped up a lot in the 1970s by people like Nixon and Joe Biden. Drug raids and gang violence were not always common!

It's making drugs illegal that caused the problems you're alluding to.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Drugs were always common, Buzz.
> 
> It's making drugs illegal that caused the problems you're alluding to.


Total bull shiiite... drug abuse used to be just among a few lowlifes... got common in late 1960's along with protests of EvilJFK's War on Vietnam... I didn't see drug abuse when I was in school but it got in there while my younger brother was in school... my older brother and I wailed on my younger brother a few times to get him away from drugs and his drugged friends... now he's doing well with a wife and 4 successful kids and a home and grandkids... but the druggies my brother was hanging around with are all dead long ago...  never did anything but get in trouble and O.D. ...
Alcohol is a natural substance in the body... illegal drugs aren't... and most people can't control them... the drugs control the people... 
Ignore the democrats' lies!


----------



## Flyover

The 'town alcoholic' was a common trope for centuries. I read about reports of drug abuse in 1700s India and 1800s China, though like reports of drug abuse in American cities today they always distort the numbers to make it look like it's more widespread than it is. Every year they do surveys of drug users (I think they do the reports separately for marijuana-, opium- and coca-derived drugs) and find that only a tiny minority are weekly or daily users, and only a tiny minority of those have their drug use interfere with their jobs/family/etc.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> The 'town alcoholic' was a common trope for centuries.
> 
> only a tiny minority of those have their drug use interfere with their jobs/family/etc.


Yes, one alcoholic per town... not 75% alcoholic/stoner like this city has now! 
. 
This city has 1 1/2 murders weekly now and hundreds of other daily crimes thanks to drug abuse! 
. 
My burglar alarm sign out front has a bullet hole in it... my next door neighbors' porch where their grandkids play has a bullet hole in the front and out the side... stuff like that was all but unheard of a few years ago! I will always fight against you evil drug abuse pimpers/protectors!


----------



## zannej

I'm glad you weren't on top of the WTC when the fiasco happened. 

I remember we had just come back to the mainland US a few days before 9-11. My father went to work and called and I answered the phone & he told me to turn on the news. He had to send all of his workers home in case someone attacked other federal buildings.

My body hates me today. Legs don't want to cooperate. Arms are a little sore but I had trouble managing to get up and sit down without my legs giving out. So, floor cleaning will wait until Monday morning.


----------



## Spicoli43

Drugs are everywhere, and now the real cool Fentanyl is everywhere thanks to the open border policy of the Obama admin. That's 100% fact. It doesn't hurt that the Left is 100% Commie CCP lovers either, since that's where Fentanyl is made. 

I have never seen Coke or Crack or Meth or Heroin because I don't go looking for it, and people that have it hang out with each other and don't look for people to share it with. 

Crime is different here though, since everybody is well armed. People won't generally shoot to protect their cars from getting jacked or anything like that, but criminals have to be Weapons Grade Stupid to break in houses, because that's probably the last thing they do.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> People won't generally shoot to protect their cars from getting jacked or anything like that


Hah, that's good since it'd be murder! You're allowed to shoot people in self defense, if you believe they represent a clear and imminent threat to your life or someone else's. Some states have castle laws that offer additional protections if you kill someone in the act of breaking into your house. Someone who steals your car while you're not in it is neither a threat to your life nor breaking into your house.

Of course if someone carjacks you--points a gun at you while you're in your car and says "get out and give me the keys"--that's a situation where you could probably kill in self defense.


----------



## shan2themax

Alcohol is definitely a gateway drug when drinking to excess.

I did not sleep well at all last night, my back was killing me all night. I didn't get much done today because of it, but my daughter helped me move shelves, empty the freezer, move it and repack the freezer as well as empty and move the small metal shelves that housed my moms canned goods.

I was hoping to get alot done today. I also swept and mopped the floor. I emptied out a pantry and put the contents on the 2nd shelving unit behind the curtain. I still need to put the shelves on the left side in the weird room in the garage, but I am not ready for that yet.

Anywho.... the first pic is before, the second pic is what I've done so far. I still need to paint the chest of drawers for my daughter and take that to her.

Clearly..... I still have several hours of work to do, idk that I will get it 100%  done before I have to go back to work on Thursday, but I am going to try.  My lower back has hurt all day. Hopefully it will go away when this weather front moves out.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Hah, that's good since it'd be murder! You're allowed to shoot people in self defense, if you believe they represent a clear and imminent threat to your life or someone else's. Some states have castle laws that offer additional protections if you kill someone in the act of breaking into your house. Someone who steals your car while you're not in it is neither a threat to your life nor breaking into your house.
> 
> Of course if someone carjacks you--points a gun at you while you're in your car and says "get out and give me the keys"--that's a situation where you could probably kill in self defense.


Yah, that's why I said "generally"... I wasn't talking about any laws, I was talking about how someone would feel if their car got jacked, and how they would feel if they were liquored up, which is a sport here. 

If someone carjacked me, I would spray them in the face with Bear Spray and handcuff them to the mirror and take them for a jog like Belushi.


----------



## Spicoli43

Looks much better than the metal cabinet, Shan.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  I don't have a pantry or very many cabinets so I use the metal shelves as a pantry. It works, and keeps me from doing something dumb in order to have a pantry. However, I would prefer a wall of cabinets so that it is neater. The curtains I had hung hid my moms stuff, so they can just stay and do the same thing for the pantry.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, the metal shelves work perfect. I have them in every room. The metal cabinet you replaced was a good idea in my eye.


----------



## zannej

Looks great, Shan.

I'm too exhausted to think right now. Had to go into town and meet up with my friend briefly and then got takeout food from Burger Inn. Mom got the catfish and I got the chicken.


----------



## Flyover

Shan, I notice you have square (!!) pots and pans. What's up with that??


----------



## Spicoli43

Watched a couple of episodes of "Expedition Unknown" last night about Egyptian Pyramids and Burial Tombs. but they aren't the famous ones (or any I have heard of)... They showed where they discover the Tombs of King Merenre and other Men to include Henu, Yaret and Pepi Nefhany. 

They also show what's claimed to be the Mummy of King Merenre on display, but question whether it's actually him. 

They talk about why any Pyramids aren't built like the ones at Giza... 

Some they show excavated with the Hieroglyphs, and some are excavated real time and we see the Tombs for the first time in 4000 Years...

In one excavation, they find the vessels that held the 7 sacred oils used to anoint the deceased and a 4000 Year old wooden figure that was a servant offering to a Pharaoh... 

Just trips me out... I could watch stuff like that constantly.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks... A new week...

Yesterday I got all the back shutters painted, except for the second coat on the workshop shutters before the rain.  Got the firepit cleaned out for the next fire... Sprinkled the ash around my trees... It's great for the growth except for veggies and fruit trees and bushes... I ..can't believe how far that gallon of paint went... did everything we wanted to paint, and did two coats on all of it... and there is about an inch of paint left in the can...

Today I have to go to Kingston which is about a 45-minute drive up the 401...  Going for an introduction to a new drug...



zannej said:


> My lower back is being hateful today so I might get out the heating pad.


Hey Buddy have you tried a thing called the tens machine... I and my wife used one through all our injuries through the car accident... and we still use it if, we ache... I also lent it to a Buddy, who'se back had him bent over and couldn't stand up straight... and once on the floor couldn't get up... Both times he put on the tens machine... and he was up within an hour and moving like there was nothing wrong with him...  You should look into one...

Well, everyone, I hope YOU all have a wonderful painless day... God Bless YOU all...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Of course if someone carjacks you--points a gun at you while you're in your car and says "get out and give me the keys"--that's a situation where you could probably kill in self defense.


But they're forcing you to work several years to buy another car... or the insurance company to pay for it from working people's premiums... should be legal again to shoot all thieves/criminals...


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## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> Alcohol is definitely a gateway drug when drinking to excess.


And religion addiction is a GateWay Addiction... if you can get someone addicted to religion you can get them addicted to about anything...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> But they're forcing you to work several years to buy another car... or the insurance company to pay for it from working people's premiums... should be legal again to shoot all thieves/criminals...


What did the constitution do to you, to make you hate it so?

I was supposed to mix kitty litter into some old paint cans so I can clean them and throw them out (our trash people won't take paint cans with paint in them) but I didn't get around to it. I have time tomorrow though.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I have never seen Coke or Crack or Meth or Heroin because I don't go looking for it, and people that have it hang out with each other and don't look for people to share it with.


When I was a sophomore in high school I had a girlfriend who was a senior. She graduated and went to college out west somewhere, then dropped out and moved back home. The winter after I graduated high school I crashed at her house for a few days.

I hadn't seen her since she'd graduated, and she had apparently picked up a coke habit. I hung out with her while she snorted the stuff through a rolled up $20 bill. She offered some to me but I declined. I remember thinking at the time, "Maybe this is how people pick up habits like this." I wonder if I'd spent another few weeks at her place would I get curious and try it. And then if I really liked it or found it fun, would I go looking for more on my own. I'd guess that's probably what happened to her.

Come to think of it, I had a similar experience with a friend who smoked meth, where I watched him smoke it while we were hanging out and playing music together. Only, he didn't offer me any, and I wasn't going to ask for it anyway.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> What did the constitution do to you, to make you hate it so?


Liar... there's nothing in the Constitution that says you can't shoot thieves..


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## shan2themax

You can choose to be absolutely anything in life, choose to be kind.



Onto other subjects.....

@flyovfor whatever reason, there for a while, copper pans came in just squares. The square ones are nifty to have when cooking bacon . I prefer non-stick my son likes to cook on high and it annoys me when he uses my nonstick, so I keep the copper around for him to use.

I got my info from my new student loan servicer today. The PSLF for working for a non profit is a mess. 14 years of service..... 2 years of payments counted. Hopefully they get payment counts caught up soon.  I'm sure that'll stir up conversation.
My special bolts came for my rider today... now if only it didn't have flat tires. I have some legal things to do tomorrow, so I may just stop and get no flat tires at tractor supply and then I will have spares.
Hope everyone is doing well!


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## Flyover

shan2themax said:


> The square ones are nifty to have when cooking bacon


Of course! That makes a ton of sense. Do the corners have trouble getting heated evenly?



BuzzLOL said:


> there's nothing in the Constitution that says you can't shoot thieves..


I know the 8th amendment doesn't have a lot of bumper stickers dedicated to it, but it still exists.

But also, just using your brain for half a second suppose it was legal to shoot thieves. How many murderers would simply tell the judge "Uhh, the guy was trying to steal something"?


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## Eddie_T

That reminds me of a joke; πr*² *
No, Pie are round.
Cornbread are square.

I am also reminded of the term "clinical" for some reason.
​


----------



## Flyover

Turns out I did something productive on the home/DIY front today, by going around and sawing off a bunch of small tree branches I was tired of getting smacked in the face by when mowing the grass.


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I know the 8th amendment doesn't have a lot of bumper stickers dedicated to it, but it still exists.
> 
> But also, just using your brain for half a second suppose it was legal to shoot thieves. How many murderers would simply tell the judge "Uhh, the guy was trying to steal something"?


Nothing "unusual" about shooting thieves/murders... been happening ever since slings and bows/arrows invented... 
. 
Thieves usually get salt in the butt the first time... buckshot the second time... solid lead the third time...


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## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> You can choose to be absolutely anything in life, choose to be kind.


Tell that to the drunks/addicts/junkies/thieves/murderers on their forum...


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## Spicoli43

Have a nice burning smell coming from the dishwasher during the heated dry portion... It didn't trip the breaker, but I unplugged it and aired out the kitchen. Nothing was near the heater element, so I'm drawing a blank. I'm going to call in the Warranty service... Just before my extended warranty ends in Dec... Just in time for me to remember to ALWAYS get the extended warranty for ALL appliances... (Can't buy appliances at Costco because they don't offer them).

So, back to the Caveman days for a while, washing by hand.

I started cooking some Ground Beef for Chili, and looked up to see my younger Cat looking down at the Beef from the cabinet above... She isn't supposed to be up there, and she knows it.

I looked at her and said "This is a Kitty Cat that didn't behave."... Her head retracted a little bit, she jumped on the fridge, long jumped to the recliner, and ran away into her room. 

There's nobody telling me Animals don't understand whatever language people speak. They understand it perfectly.


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## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Nothing "unusual" about shooting thieves/murders... been happening ever since slings and bows/arrows invented...


Yup, that's exactly why the Framers decided to write the constitution!


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## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Yup, that's exactly why the Framers decided to write the constitution!


And didn't include anything about not shooting thieves/murderers/Brits... those crafty modern framers/farmers... 
but did include guns for protection of property and family... from junkies-run-Govt...


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## shan2themax

BuzzLOL said:


> Tell that to the drunks/addicts/junkies/thieves/murderers on their forum...


I'm not afraid to discuss the hard stuff with drunks/addicts/junkies/thieves/murders/pedophiles/adulterers/gluttons/sloths...... whatever you want to call them. 
You have to meet people where they are and be the change you want to see in the world.


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## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> You have to meet people where they are and be the change you want to see in the world.


That's what I do... but I can't do it all myself... and the junkies are still at it with lots of help: 
. 








						Toledo sees violent weekend with three homicides
					

Violence swept over Toledo over the weekend, as three people were killed, two more were shot, and one was stabbed within 48 hours.  It began Friday ...




					www.toledoblade.com


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## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  I am glad you were home just in case it had actually caught fire or something. 

My rectangular bolts for the rider got here finally. Its sat there long enough to not be charged enough. 
Ironically... my charger isn't charged enough to charge the battery (say that quick 3 rimes). It says It can take up to 41 hours to charge it . I found a trickle charger for a decent price, so it will be here later in the week. I will use it to try to charge the battery in my son's truck also. If it doesn't work, I will just exchange the battery. I wish he would sell the thing so I didn't have to look at it. 

My other son had oral surgery earlier today, so.... I haven't gotten anything done. Might try here shortly to unload and load the dishwasher one more time.  I was planning to get some legal stuff done tomorrow, but I think that I am going to stay home and get some stuff around here done and make a list of all the things I need to take care of while at the courthouse.

Just relaxing for a bit watching YouTube before I call it a night.


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## shan2themax

@BuzzLOL  frustrating as those with addiction problems can be/are..... I'm forever grateful that I have not had to experience it first hand. Can you imagine what it must be like to be so out of control that you put yourself into the same situations over and over again and expect a different outcome? Thats the definition of insanity..... and then, your all one in the world with only other addicts that consistently communicate with you. I tell every subtype of the aforementioned people how proud I am of them, even if its only been 1 day since they used. To see that twinkle in their eyes or a small sparkle of hope is worth the time to really listen to them. I literally have nothing to offer but an ear and it makes a big difference. Is it tiring? Well of course it is..... but there are "normal" events in life that are equally as tiring and leave a much less positive seed of hope.


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## zannej

I am too tired to get into any in depth psychological or philosophical discussions. LOL.

Love the pi joke, Eddie.

I got up and mopped the bathroom floor. It wasn't cleaning well enough so I got down on a Kobalt kneeling mat and scrubbed every single damn square. Discovered there was a hard lump (turned out to be a screw) right in the middle of the vinyl stuck underneath it. I had to pull the vinyl up and get the screw out then try to get it to lay flat again. Wouldn't go as flat as I'd gotten it before but at this point I don't care. I mopped it as smooth as it would go, then continued cleaning. Screw did make a small puncture but you can't even see it. I then set down a thick paper I got for free from Samsclub (the associate who was responsible for getting rid of it overheard my brother saying I was tempted to take it and he said "Take it! Take them all! Please! You'll make my job easier!" so I took the whole stack (the papers had been on a pallet under some stuff that had been cleared out). Grabbed my toilet base and had my brother pull on the box so I could get it out. Set it on the foot of my bed and scrubbed it (cats had torn the cardboard and it had chunks of cardboard and cat vomit all over it). Got it all clean, set it on the paper, went and brought the tank in and set it down. Took a pencil to trace the base of the toilet (template for when I make a small platform). I had my wrench to remove the pex fitting, the pex cutters, better than wax seal, etc. 

Went to go pick up my friend but he was at a doctor's appointment. While I was waiting I had a 3-bag laundry hamper thingy made of plastic pipes that I assembled. He rolled up as I was pulling the last loop of a bag over the button on it. He put it in his laundry room and took a 5 minute break before I took him to the house.

Friend was surprised I had the toilet in the room and near where it needed to be set. He did a dry fit before putting the flange on and made sure the tank wouldn't hit the wall. No problems. I complained that the last time the toilet tank on mom's toilet wobbled so he made sure this one didn't. I turned off the water pump but water kept running. I had to go to the main shutoff in the well shed. That worked. Then friend said "Ok, where's the toilet supply line?" Derp. I knew I had it somewhere. Looked all over in my bins, under the sink, everywhere. Then I said "I'll have to go buy one". And he moved on to installing the new ball latch and dummy knob. While I was looking for a tool in my bag I found the supply line. LOL. I'd cleverly hidden it from myself. Friend finished getting the dummy knob on and then got the supply line on (I kept crossthreading it when I tried).

So, toilet is flushing well, no leaks. I got my new trash can put in there. I still need to cleanup the supplies, repair the toilet seat, and get rid of the cardboard boxes. The plug that was used for the closet flange was absolutely disgusting btw. Looks like sewage had backed up and coated it. Pipe looked pretty gross inside too. Hoping the water that went down cleared it out. But now we have a 2nd working toilet and I'm happy. At the very least, now my brother doesn't have to go outside to pee if someone else is in Mom's bathroom.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @Spicoli43  I am glad you were home just in case it had actually caught fire or something.
> 
> My rectangular bolts for the rider got here finally. Its sat there long enough to not be charged enough.
> Ironically... my charger isn't charged enough to charge the battery (say that quick 3 rimes). It says It can take up to 41 hours to charge it . I found a trickle charger for a decent price, so it will be here later in the week. I will use it to try to charge the battery in my son's truck also. If it doesn't work, I will just exchange the battery. I wish he would sell the thing so I didn't have to look at it.
> 
> My other son had oral surgery earlier today, so.... I haven't gotten anything done. Might try here shortly to unload and load the dishwasher one more time.  I was planning to get some legal stuff done tomorrow, but I think that I am going to stay home and get some stuff around here done and make a list of all the things I need to take care of while at the courthouse.
> 
> Just relaxing for a bit watching YouTube before I call it a night.



Yeah, I don't run any appliance or charge anything when I'm not home. A neighbor lost the top of their house when a Lithium battery sparked and caught the curtains on fire. Granted, charging a battery is different than running the Dishwasher, but I still don't do it. 

What brand of Electric Mower do you have?


----------



## shan2themax

Its not electric. Its the troybuilt 30b? I believe. The battery was only about 65% a couple of months ago when I thought I broke the rider. I took it to autozone and they are who said 65% . So, I wanted to trickle charge it before I decided to go buy another one.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Its not electric. Its the troybuilt 30b? I believe. The battery was only about 65% a couple of months ago when I thought I broke the rider. I took it to autozone and they are who said 65% . So, I wanted to trickle charge it before I decided to go buy another one.


Oh, Yes... Gas powered riding mowers, much like Gas powered riding cars, have batteries... 

HAHAHA WOW... I don't need Coffee or a Brain jolt or anything!


----------



## Eddie_T

I forgot to report back but my tea bag repair job (Apr 25th) on my right pointer finger nail was successful. The nail has grown out with no recurrence of the split. Should it recur repair is simple but so far so good.


----------



## Flyover

I mentioned how yesterday I sawed off some of the smaller tree branches that I was tired of getting slapped in the face with. Today my plan is to saw some medium-sized ones that have reached the house.

I do all this with a hand saw of course, so it takes just a few minutes to get each branch down, but then a lot longer to clean them up and cut them into sections. I'm looking forward to it anyway, and I'm looking forward to using it as firewood in a year and a half. (This is all maple.)


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> @BuzzLOL I literally have nothing to offer but an ear


You can also vote for the people who have run the junkies CRIME WAVE up to 75 MURDERS DAILY (50 a year and a half ago)... or vote for the people against that...


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, so much to write about... Our oldest son was addicted to meth... He went through some very hard times... It got to the point, I had to tell all family members not to give him any money... He was coming to us all for loans for food, and bills, but figured it was for more meth... One day after about 3 years of using, he went to his cousin, my wife's niece... and she sat with him for over 30 hours. He went through the shaking,  scratching, and sweats, he went through a complete hell. He had done this a few times prior to this, but it never lasted, and I hated myself having to say no to him. It drove me crazy, I never say NO to my kids or grandkids.

But this time, he made it, he beat it... and he's been off it now for 4 years, went to college, got his diploma in accounting. He is now in charge of 5 apartment buildings. He collects the rents and sets whatever needs to be repaired. and is doing very very well in life, and we are so very proud of him. He has paid back a lot of the money that he borrowed from family and family friends. He is doing excellent.

As I said in other threads, I have lived in rural areas all my life, and don't seem to see the crime everyone speaks of... Sounds very scary. There was a cop in Toronto, shot dead in the head. God Bless his family and friends, and his children. Now here in Canada, we have the young offenders act, and I am 100% for getting rid of that law. Most kids today getting conned, or joining gangs, know that if they do a crime, it will be gone when they turn 17. I believe, if they are old enough to shoot, stab, or beat someone, then they are old enough to go to jail for the time they deserve to do the crime. I think all the laws need to be changed for all young people.



Spicoli43 said:


> Have a nice burning smell coming from the dishwasher during the heated dry portion... It didn't trip the breaker, but I unplugged it and aired out the kitchen. Nothing was near the heater element, so I'm drawing a blank. I'm going to call in the Warranty service... Just before my extended warranty ends in Dec... Just in time for me to remember to ALWAYS get the extended warranty for ALL appliances... (Can't buy appliances at Costco because they don't offer them).
> 
> So, back to the Caveman days for a while, washing by hand.
> 
> I started cooking some Ground Beef for Chili, and looked up to see my younger Cat looking down at the Beef from the cabinet above... She isn't supposed to be up there, and she knows it.
> 
> I looked at her and said "This is a Kitty Cat that didn't behave."... Her head retracted a little bit, she jumped on the fridge, long jumped to the recliner, and ran away into her room.
> 
> There's nobody telling me Animals don't understand whatever language people speak. They understand it perfectly.


I understand going back to cave days. That is another thing I need to di, is install a dishwasher. Since we moved here a year ago, we have been doing dishes by hand... Not something I enjoy.. So hopefully by winter, we will put in a dishwasher. @Spicoli43 sounds like your heater is dying, and it's great you have an extended warranty on it.  I never believed in putting warranties on appliances, but they are all computerized now and know they don't last as they did in the days of our parents...
Good Luck with that... Not a hard job to do, but a pain... but you have a warranty...


shan2themax said:


> Its not electric. Its the troybuilt 30b? I believe. The battery was only about 65% a couple of months ago when I thought I broke the rider. I took it to autozone and they are who said 65% . So, I wanted to trickle charge it before I decided to go buy another one.


I have a John Deere, which I take the battery in every season, store it in my basement, and baby my tractor... I even wax it every year when I change the oil... But now I have to put a trickle charge on the battery after every use for the next use... They just don't make things like they used to... I'll have to buy a new battery for next year... and as you probably know, they are not very cheap in price...

Well yesterday, we went to Kingston to get introduced to the new drug... So got the 1st one yesterday, get 2 more in the next two months... and then a shot every 2 months... Took Carl for a walk in Kingston, and another one down on his river walk when we got back to Brockville... 

Not very happy, Carl has not been doing too well for the last few weeks,  he loves his walk, but he has had diarrhea for the last two weeks... We tried the chicken and rice, but he's not eating too much anymore... He's got a very bad smell to him... so we are heading to the vet this afternoon... I don't know what to expect... but upsets me, cuz he and his brother (littermate) were my best Buds over the years... we lost Lenny two years ago... and Carl is starting to be like Lenny now... he's 15.5 years old... But I don't want him to suffer in any way or form... So time will tell... I hope YOU all have a GREAT day... God Bless YOU all...
Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> I never say NO to my kids or grandkids.


Hope you realize that almost cost you a son... and your niece had to fix it... 
. 
A junkie I know got forced into 90 day rehab by his kids last Tuesday... that will prolly cost us taxpayers $100.000.00... because our Govt. does the wrong things but is generous with our hard earned money... to fix their same blunders over and over...


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Hope you realize that almost cost you a son... and your niece had to fix it...
> .
> A junkie I know got forced into 90 day rehab by his kids last Tuesday... that will prolly cost us taxpayers $100.000.00... because our Govt. does the wrong things but is generous with our hard earned money... to fix their same blunders over and over...


Very much so... We all tried and helped him over the years... and my niece didn't have to fix it... she tried the ways we have all tried... She has degrees in that stuff... But don't point fingers at me telling me I didn't try, and my niece had to do it... We all tried...


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks, Redneck... The Dishwasher heater sounds like it could be it. Extended warranties are absolutely needed these days, but not in the old days... Now there is no Lonely Maytag Repairman, dude is booked solid 24/7 repairing the pieces of... Maytag garbage. 

Congrats on your Son, that's an insane story. Good luck with your Dog.


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Very much so... We all tried and helped him over the years... and my niece didn't have to fix it... she tried the ways we have all tried... She has degrees in that stuff... But don't point fingers at me telling me I didn't try, and my niece had to do it... We all tried...


Your comment reminded me of the websites where you can only UPVOTE things... no matter how evil, stupid, wasteful, perverted, or murderous... there's not a 'thumbs down' option... which is why the world is getting weirder and weirder and more murderous as everything is only APPROVED... 
. 

Just read a NYTimes article on the war in Ukraine. It's upbeat and only mentions weapons and land. Deaths are ignored...


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Your comment reminded me of the websites where you can only UPVOTE things... no matter how evil, stupid, wasteful, perverted, or murderous... there's not a 'thumbs down' option... which is why the world is getting weirder and weirder and more murderous as everything is only APPROVED...
> .
> 
> Just read a NYTimes article on the war in Ukraine. It's upbeat and only mentions weapons and land. Deaths are ignored...


I agree with YOU 100 percent... Nowhere can you find a thumbs down... I hate praising things that don't need the thumbs up... That's why I use the sad face on these bulletin boards.. places like facebook need a thumbs down... This world is getting scarier and scarier... Where people went to war and fought for our rights... Here in Canada, they need to get rid of the young offender's act... old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time...

I find ever since the WEF said they need to dissolve 8 million people of the world, everything is out of control...  We must fight for the rights of hums again... and punish those that need to be punished... Build bigger pens...

I don't have the answers @BuzzLOL, But am willing to join forces and find a way to make the world safe again... It is a wonderful world, if all the Ukrainians, and Russians who are at war, put all their guns down.. and walked away, and let the leaders argue it out... It's not the countrymen of both countries' arguments...

Hope you have a GREAT day...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> e with YOU 100 percent... Nowhere can you find a thumbs down... I hate praising things that don't need the thumbs up... That's why I use the sad face on these bulletin boards.. places like facebook need a thumbs down... This world is getting scarier and scarier... Where people went to war and fought for our rights... Here in Canada, they need to get rid of the young offender's act... old enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time...
> 
> I find ever since the WEF said they need to dissolve 8 million people of the world, everything is out of control...  We must fight for the rights of hums again... and punish those that need to be punished... Build bigger pens...
> 
> I don't have the answers @BuzzLOL, But am willing to join forces and find a way to make the world safe again... It is a wonderful world, if all the Ukrainians, and Russians who are at war, put all their guns down.. and walked away, and let the leaders argue it out... It's not the countrymen of both countries' arguments...
> 
> Hope you have a GREAT day...


Thank you!

Don't know about Canada but here in USA we already have too many "pens", our main 'growth industry'! We need to stop the source, the addictions filling those pens! And need to stop protecting the criminals...  Stop fighting merely the symptoms... 
. 
Yeah, the public in Ukraine - Russia don't want to be killing each other, it's one guy at the top of each of these two countries waging a religion-fueled war... their two deaths would be vastly  better than the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent peons...


----------



## zannej

I decided to put together the laundry cart I bought on an impulse yesterday. It looked like it would be nice and sturdy because its metal. The metal isn't exactly weak, but it uses these crappy plastic clips that kept popping off, every 2 seconds & that wouldn't stay in place so I had to take it apart more than once while trying to get stuff put back in place and stuff just fell apart as I was trying to get the stupid clips back on. I had to resort to using packing tape to tape the stupid things shut so they would stay on, but some of them still slid afterward-- they made an audtible click when they hit the grooves so I know they are lined up properly but they are absolute garbage and I'm sure they will sip off on the bottom shelf if I put something too heavy on it. I'm tempted to drill small holes and put pop some screws in to some of the spots to keep them from slipping down.
I also discovered the brackets to attach my toilet seat are missing. I had them in a specific place but now they are gone so I had to buy a whole new hinge kit (it is a sturdier kit and better design) since they discontinued the old one.


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## RedneckGrump

Well, as I told you earlier, we took Carl to the vet this afternoon... I wasn't sure if he would be coming home with us or not... Well, he is sitting right beside me... He's got a clogged-up liver, so he's on 2 antibiotics... and on a fat-free diet for a bit... It is nothing too serious... His age has a lot to do with it, but my boy is still with us...huge relief... Everything else is still perfect with him...Thank the Lord for that...


----------



## havasu

Such a good dog.


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## Eddie_T

I still can't find a rescue dog. I think I am just too ornery to submit to being judged by some young whippersnapper that knows less about dogs than I do.


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## shan2themax

@RedneckGrump  I am so happy your son got clean. It doesn't matter who got him there. A good friend of mine last his son to an Overdose almost 6 weeks ago. My heart breaks for him.
Also... the contractor that screwed me over several years ago overdosed on purpose this past weekend. I hate it so much that he chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem. 

I didn't get a lot done today. It took forever to reorganize the one set of shelves, I got I done and had to redo some of it because I forgot to add my moms canned goods. Its done now though. I also loaded the dishwasher with some silverware, pots/pans that were heres also, so that I can pack them up clean. I may try to wash alot of the corelle this Sunday when I am off work.
I also Inflated my riders back tires with a bicycle pump.... we shall see if it hold overnight. I got the new nut put on, now I am just waiting on the trickle charger. My son weedwacked some of the backyard for me. Hopefully Sunday I can attempt to get it mowed down. 
Its been raining on and off so the guy hasn't been able to come for an estimate. 

Anyhow, here's what I got organized today


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## zannej

Shan, I'm so glad your dog made it and that it isn't too serious. The shelves are looking great. I watched a bunch of random videos-- pouring concrete, cleaning, buffing headlights, etc and I don't know where the time went.


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## RedneckGrump

shan2themax said:


> @RedneckGrump  I am so happy your son got clean. It doesn't matter who got him there. A good friend of mine last his son to an Overdose almost 6 weeks ago. My heart breaks for him.
> Also... the contractor that screwed me over several years ago overdosed on purpose this past weekend. I hate it so much that he chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
> 
> I didn't get a lot done today. It took forever to reorganize the one set of shelves, I got I done and had to redo some of it because I forgot to add my moms canned goods. Its done now though. I also loaded the dishwasher with some silverware, pots/pans that were heres also, so that I can pack them up clean. I may try to wash alot of the corelle this Sunday when I am off work.
> I also Inflated my riders back tires with a bicycle pump.... we shall see if it hold overnight. I got the new nut put on, now I am just waiting on the trickle charger. My son weedwacked some of the backyard for me. Hopefully Sunday I can attempt to get it mowed down.
> Its been raining on and off so the guy hasn't been able to come for an estimate.
> 
> Anyhow, here's what I got organized today
> View attachment 28481


Thank you @shan2themax, I am very proud he got cleaned, has changed his life, and is doing 100 percent better...

Shelve looks wonderful, GREAT job!!!


----------



## Flyover

I waited weeks for the repair of my broken microwave...finally, yesterday the service guy called me to confirm the appointment and inquire what the problem was. I told him, and he said it's probably a broken magnetron. The repair visit itself would be something like $120 and then another $300-400 to replace the broken magnetron. He then left a space in the conversation that seemed intended for me to fill with "Guess I should just buy a new microwave instead, huh." So I cancelled the appointment and now today I get to go drop $200-300 on a new OTR microwave, which I will have to install, which if memory serves is a giant PITA. But first I'm going to do a bunch of research to find out which microwave is least likely to break on me after a couple years.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I still can't find a rescue dog. I think I am just too ornery to submit to being judged by some young whippersnapper that knows less about dogs than I do.



You can't find the EXACT breed of rescue dog you want.


----------



## Spicoli43

Redneck... Good your boy is still with you... I would blend up some Organic Carrots and Beets and make him some Organic Burdock Root Tea. Ask your Vet about that, if they say no, Fire them. 

Burdock is an excellent Liver / Blood Cleanser for animals and humans. You can do research on that, and in lieu of Tea, you could sprinkle a TBSP of Burdock Root on his food. 

Also, research Dandelion Root as well... Good Luck!



			https://www.vitacost.com/frontier-natural-products-organic-burdock-root-cut-and-sifted
		




			https://www.vitacost.com/starwest-botanicals-dandelion-root-raw-cs-organic


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, if you're willing to get a short-haired dog with a squarish head, they are all labeled "pit bulls" and are overflowing the shelters. In my experience they are uniformly sweet and loyal. You could take home two or three today.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I waited weeks for the repair of my broken microwave...finally, yesterday the service guy called me to confirm the appointment and inquire what the problem was. I told him, and he said it's probably a broken magnetron. The repair visit itself would be something like $120 and then another $300-400 to replace the broken magnetron. He then left a space in the conversation that seemed intended for me to fill with "Guess I should just buy a new microwave instead, huh." So I cancelled the appointment and now today I get to go drop $200-300 on a new OTR microwave, which I will have to install, which if memory serves is a giant PITA. But first I'm going to do a bunch of research to find out which microwave is least likely to break on me after a couple years.



Extended Warranty on the new one!!! 

Yes, they are a PITA, you need someone holding the thing there for a while.

"Break on me after a couple years".... That is everything now. Nothing lasts in appliances.

Just looked at a Microwave on Lowe's and HD... HD has a 5 year extended warranty for $95... Lowe's is only 3 Years. Menards has 5 Years also.


----------



## shan2themax

Flyover said:


> Eddie, if you're willing to get a short-haired dog with a squarish head, they are all labeled "pit bulls" and are overflowing the shelters. In my experience they are uniformly sweet and loyal. You could take home two or three today.


My daughter has 2 pit mixes and they are the sweetest things, my oldest son has their brother.... he is psycho..... not really he is just super high energy. Other than there colorings, you would think they came from 2 different litters because of their size and shapes.
These are my daughters babies; Taro (boy, multi) and Indie (girl, tan)


And my sons: Atlas


----------



## RedneckGrump

Flyover said:


> I waited weeks for the repair of my broken microwave...finally, yesterday the service guy called me to confirm the appointment and inquire what the problem was. I told him, and he said it's probably a broken magnetron. The repair visit itself would be something like $120 and then another $300-400 to replace the broken magnetron. He then left a space in the conversation that seemed intended for me to fill with "Guess I should just buy a new microwave instead, huh." So I cancelled the appointment and now today I get to go drop $200-300 on a new OTR microwave, which I will have to install, which if memory serves is a giant PITA. But first I'm going to do a bunch of research to find out which microwave is least likely to break on me after a couple years.


That is one of the things I love to scrap @Flyover, There are 2 very nice magnets in microwaves, they are about 2 inches round, with a 1/2 inch hole in the center... I use the magnets for all kinds of things in my shop...


Spicoli43 said:


> Redneck... Good your boy is still with you... I would blend up some Organic Carrots and Beets and make him some Organic Burdock Root Tea. Ask your Vet about that, if they say no, Fire them.
> 
> Burdock is an excellent Liver / Blood Cleanser for animals and humans. You can do research on that, and in lieu of Tea, you could sprinkle a TBSP of Burdock Root on his food.
> 
> Also, research Dandelion Root as well... Good Luck!
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.vitacost.com/frontier-natural-products-organic-burdock-root-cut-and-sifted
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.vitacost.com/starwest-botanicals-dandelion-root-raw-cs-organic


Yeah, our vet told us to get that and milk thistle, It will help his liver very very much... But thank you for suggesting that @Spicoli43 

Well, today got some running around to do... a trip to the dump, look for those things for Carl...Blood test for the diabetic doctor...pick up a prescription... Take Carl for his walk down on the riverfront... And make supper or buy dinner tonight, cuz Lorie has some teeth to come out tomorrow...

Well, Lady and guys... I hope YOU all have a GREAT day... and God Bless YOU all...

Cheers, Mike


----------



## Flyover

RedneckGrump said:


> That is one of the things I love to scrap @Flyover, There are 2 very nice magnets in microwaves, they are about 2 inches round, with a 1/2 inch hole in the center... I use the magnets for all kinds of things in my shop...


Is there a safe/easy way to get those magnets out? I don't want to get fried.

If there are two nice magnets in there, they're each $100 magnets as far as I'm concerned so I'd rather not throw them out. Anything else I should try to scrap from my old microwave too?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Flyover said:


> Is there a safe/easy way to get those magnets out? I don't want to get fried.
> 
> If there are two nice magnets in there, they're each $100 magnets as far as I'm concerned so I'd rather not throw them out. Anything else I should try to scrap from my old microwave too?


Wear gloves, and be careful, I've scrapped over many many microwaves, and have never had a problem...But YES, they are GREAT magnets...

Well, I scrap just about everything in the microwave, but I have become anal about it all, the aluminum fins around the microwave I throw in my aluminum pile...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I waited weeks for the repair of my broken microwave... it's probably a broken magnetron. The repair visit itself would be something like $120 and then another $300-400 to replace the broken magnetron.
> a new OTR microwave,


Not sure if they inflated up but last time I looked online for a magnetron tube they were about $50. 
While I was thinking about the magnetron tube the timer also quit, so I gave up on that one. 
Repairman was prolly telling you a new microwave would be best choice. 
New is cheaper than repair for many electronics/TVs now. Service call prices alone have become killer. 
I got over 20 years out of a Sharp microwave, only 8 from the ultra powerful Panasonic.
I save the steel, especially stainless steel, cases from microwaves for my projects... 
Since wall cabinets are 12" deep, platters in over the range microwaves max at 12" diameter. 
I like to microwave turkey or 1/2 a turkey so prefer the 16 1/2" platter of the 2.2 cu. ft. 1350 watt counter top microwaves.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> the contractor that screwed me over several years ago overdosed on purpose this past weekend. I hate it so much that he chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.


31 year old that helped me with my roof a couple years ago O.D.ed. Apparently junkie lady next door that usually has nothing to do with them went over there and even she was shocked he had been lying dead on their living room floor for like 24 hours and his junky roommate hadn't done anything about it.
Addicts lose good judgement and make bad choices so that's not surprising. One of main reasons I avoid all addictions, I don't want to do something stupid that lands me in jail for 50 years... too late to change your mind about what you did...


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Yes, they are a PITA, you need someone holding the thing there for a while.


One idea I just had was, what if I use the jack stands from my garage...?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Is there a safe/easy way to get those magnets out? I don't want to get fried.
> too?


Make sure it's unplugged... push some of the control buttons then. There's usually a capacitor in there so may want to discharge it with the steel blade of a plastic handled screwdriver across its terminals...


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> One idea I just had was, what if I use the jack stands from my garage...?


You're installing it 18" off the ground?


----------



## Eddie_T

Ha! I just read this;


> “If you collect 100 black ants and 100 fire ants and put them in a glass jar, nothing will happen. But if you take the jar, shake it violently and leave it on the table, the ants will start killing each other.
> Red believes that black is the enemy, while black believes that red is the enemy when the real enemy is the person who shook the jar.
> The same is true in society. Men vs Women. Black vs White. Faith vs Science. Young vs Old. Etc…
> Before we fight each other, we must ask ourselves:
> Who shook the jar?”
> ~ _David Attenborough_ ~



​


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> You're installing it 18" off the ground?


I'm not in my kitchen this second but going off memory I think it's about 2 feet above my flat-glass range. I figured I could lay a bunch of cardboard over the stove and put the jack stands on that. I _think_ they can get up that high...


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I'm not in my kitchen this second but going off memory I think it's about 2 feet above my flat-glass range. I figured I could lay a bunch of cardboard over the stove and put the jack stands on that. I _think_ they can get up that high...


Mine is 17" above the range. If you use jack stands on a glass top range, you kill the glass top.

Are you okay?

Go get a neighbor, say "Here's a 6 pack, please hold this until I get this unbolted." There *should be* 2 big screws at the top front that hold it in. When those are removed, it will swing down because it's attached in the back by a bracket on each side.

PROBABLY...

When the screws are out, one or both of you pull it off the brackets, of course remembering to unplug it.

DO NOT remove the brackets, they might work for your new one.


----------



## Eddie_T

I felt a little light headed today so refrained from working on my patio moss removal project. It may be from being off my BP supplement since last Friday. A new supply arrived today so I am taking one extra with each dose today to reload my system.

I am may pull a little English ivy that I let get away from me.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, I know how to do the microwave uninstall/install, I uninstalled the one that was in the house when I moved in and installed the one I have now. (And yeah I reused the old cleat.) A neighbor helped with the install back then. I just didn't feel like bugging him this time; he's already helping me with a few other projects.

My idea with the jack stands was that I'd put something between them and the glass. I said cardboard before but actually even better would be a big piece of plywood or something that spans wider than the stove, so the pressure is distributed to the frame of the stove rather than across the cooktop.

17" doesn't seem like much clearance. I am in my kitchen now and it's definitely close to 2'.


----------



## zannej

Oops. it as Redneck who had the dog that was ill. I got two posts confused. LOL.

Woke up to one of my cats on top of me digging. Thought he was going to pee on me or something and then realized he already had. It smelled awful (different than usual cat pee smell) so I think he may have some kind of infection. I'll have to take him to the vet. I'm procrastinating on doing laundry. He got my knee pillow, favorite blanket, roll pillow, shirt, cardigan, sheet, and waterproof mattress pad. I'm about to put everything in the laundry basket and haul it over to the laundry room and hope I don't trip over all my brother's junk he has in the hallway. I'll probably toss some other shirts & pants and such in the wash along with the bedding.

Cats are lucky I love them so much.


----------



## shan2themax

I went to the courthouse today to file the summary  release from administration since my mom had no assets. Let me tell you what, I WAS doing ok since she passed, but the rudeness over my questions was ridiculous. Apparently in my county its a secret what forms you need.... some counties have links to forms needed.... mine doesn't. 
So.... then I called a couple of estate attorneys..... cheapest was $500 plus the $200 filing fee..... there is literally only about $1100 in her account. I am so irritated at how much greed is in this country. 
She literally had nothing of physical value in life. Why does this have to be so ridiculous. 
UGH!


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I still can't find a rescue dog.





Flyover said:


> Eddie, if you're willing to get a short-haired dog with a squarish head, they are all labeled "pit bulls" and are overflowing the shelters. In my experience they are uniformly sweet and loyal.


I have two dwarf Pitties that Ruby and I rescued from a local shelter because they were slated for euthanasia. We need to find permanent homes for them. They have been neutered and have all their shots. They are the most loving dogs you’d ever want.



They are brothers and are about a year old. We would be willing to drive them closer to NC


----------



## Eddie_T

Thanks but I'm really looking for a Carolina Dog. I just like their conformation and the mystery regarding their origin.


----------



## Flyover

shan2themax said:


> I went to the courthouse today to file the summary  release from administration since my mom had no assets. Let me tell you what, I WAS doing ok since she passed, but the rudeness over my questions was ridiculous. Apparently in my county its a secret what forms you need.... some counties have links to forms needed.... mine doesn't.
> So.... then I called a couple of estate attorneys..... cheapest was $500 plus the $200 filing fee..... there is literally only about $1100 in her account. I am so irritated at how much greed is in this country.
> She literally had nothing of physical value in life. Why does this have to be so ridiculous.
> UGH!


I think I recommended this to Zannej once: have you looked into legal clinics? OU isn't too far from you and they might have one. They might do this kind of work cheap or pro bono.


----------



## shan2themax

I probably make too much money for probono. The problem is that her estate is <5k.... so that's why I was doing the Summary release from Administration. Its $200 to file it, and if not filed correctly/with correct forms, its another $200 to refile. I called a few law offices, one gave a flat $500 fee, plus filing cost, one said split between $175/hr and $145/hr, dependent upon which person did what work.... and another offered to set up a "consultation" to answer questions for $246. There is barely $1k in an account, she has no other assets.  I did think about maybe seeing if the NH could find out for me. I had to go there today and they asked me if I wanted to come work with them, or just sit in the office and play psychologist (we were telling stories). By the time I got done at the courthouse, they were gone already. I may try to call in the morning before my work week starts up again.
There are some counties that list what you need on the website or pdf form..... my county just isn't one of them unfortunately.


----------



## Flyover

Shan, I was thinking maybe a legal clinic might agree to help based on how much is in your mom's account, not based on how much might be in yours.

But, I just did a quick search and although OU has a law school it doesn't look like they have a law clinic. Sorry. Ohio famously has a lot of universities so maybe there's another nearby? But yeah, not that one.


----------



## Eddie_T

Shan, I think Flyover nailed it. It's the value of the estate your personal assets should not be a factor or even exploited in the probate filing.

The AG of OH might be of some help in getting some advice on pertinent forms. If you do email the AG be sure to mention the approx value of the estate and that it would be rather ironic if its assets were exhausted trying to close the probate. 

I emailed the NC AG complaining that I didn't want to pay several hundred dollars for a POA. A nice lady sent me a link where I could download a template.


----------



## zannej

Got my laundry in the dryer. Cooked for Mom. Had some porkchops and deleted over 1k e-mails. Still have over 800 pages of e-mails left to delete. Most of it spam.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> deleted over 1k e-mails. Still have over 800 pages of e-mails left to delete. Most of it spam.


I get about 500 - 1500 spam emails daily... most of them from Russia... don't Russians have anything better to do?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Lady, Gentleman...

Well, it's Thursday already, not really sure where time is going these days, but sure like to slow it down a wee bit... or a lot... Just going by way too fast, man, we are already in the middle of September...

Well yesterday, Carl and I took a load over to the dump and stopped at the drugstore to pick up a prescription... Then picked up the wife, and we took Carl down to St. Lawerence for his walk. He walks with such proudness like it's his park... Quite funny...

Then we went and got a few groceries, cuz the wife is going to be out of commission for a few days as of 3:30 today, she is getting some teeth pulled out...

We came home, Did a Prime Rib on the BBQ, or as some of you call it, the Grill... Did some Yorkshire puddings... It was delicious...

That's about yesterday for me...



Spicoli43 said:


> Redneck... Good your boy is still with you... I would blend up some Organic Carrots and Beets and make him some Organic Burdock Root Tea. Ask your Vet about that, if they say no, Fire them.
> 
> Burdock is an excellent Liver / Blood Cleanser for animals and humans. You can do research on that, and in lieu of Tea, you could sprinkle a TBSP of Burdock Root on his food.
> 
> Also, research Dandelion Root as well... Good Luck!
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.vitacost.com/frontier-natural-products-organic-burdock-root-cut-and-sifted
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.vitacost.com/starwest-botanicals-dandelion-root-raw-cs-organic


Thanks, Buddy, spent some time on the web pages you sent me,  Looks very interesting on the Burdock Root. I sometimes drink (when I can remember) Something mushroom tea... Made from the mushrooms growing on dead birch trees...


Eddie_T said:


> I felt a little light headed today so refrained from working on my patio moss removal project. It may be from being off my BP supplement since last Friday. A new supply arrived today so I am taking one extra with each dose today to reload my system.
> 
> I am may pull a little English ivy that I let get away from me.


Hey @Eddie_T, Hope YOU are feeling better Buddy... You need to get back on your BP supplements...


zannej said:


> Oops. it as Redneck who had the dog that was ill. I got two posts confused. LOL.


Yeah, kinda figured that out Buddy, Thanks for your good wishes, and am sure Carl appreciates it also...


shan2themax said:


> I went to the courthouse today to file the summary  release from administration since my mom had no assets. Let me tell you what, I WAS doing ok since she passed, but the rudeness over my questions was ridiculous. Apparently in my county its a secret what forms you need.... some counties have links to forms needed.... mine doesn't.
> So.... then I called a couple of estate attorneys..... cheapest was $500 plus the $200 filing fee..... there is literally only about $1100 in her account. I am so irritated at how much greed is in this country.
> She literally had nothing of physical value in life. Why does this have to be so ridiculous.
> UGH!


Funeral Homes around here do a lot of that work for you, especially for the price they charge for funerals today... Or your lawyer should be doing it for you... Wish we lived closer, would be over in a heartbeat to help YOU out... I wish YOU good wishes for it all... I know it's a lot of work... My Mom had it all prepared for me to do when it came time after she passed...


Ron Van said:


> I have two dwarf Pitties that Ruby and I rescued from a local shelter because they were slated for euthanasia. We need to find permanent homes for them. They have been neutered and have all their shots. They are the most loving dogs you’d ever want.
> 
> View attachment 28487
> 
> They are brothers and are about a year old. We would be willing to drive them closer to NC


They are GORGEOUS @Ron Van, Great looking Pups!


shan2themax said:


> I probably make too much money for probono. The problem is that her estate is <5k.... so that's why I was doing the Summary release from Administration. Its $200 to file it, and if not filed correctly/with correct forms, its another $200 to refile. I called a few law offices, one gave a flat $500 fee, plus filing cost, one said split between $175/hr and $145/hr, dependent upon which person did what work.... and another offered to set up a "consultation" to answer questions for $246. There is barely $1k in an account, she has no other assets.  I did think about maybe seeing if the NH could find out for me. I had to go there today and they asked me if I wanted to come work with them, or just sit in the office and play psychologist (we were telling stories). By the time I got done at the courthouse, they were gone already. I may try to call in the morning before my work week starts up again.
> There are some counties that list what you need on the website or pdf form..... my county just isn't one of them unfortunately.


Hope I am not budding in here @shan2themax, But I think you should be able to get probono being it's your Mom's estate, not yours. I would think your income would have nothing to do with your Mom's stuff... I would be looking into that if I were you... Hope it gets easier @shan2themax ... Good luck, and God Bless...

Well, Kids... Not a lot planned today, except getting the wife into the BIG city of Ottawa later today, about an hour and a half drive for her dentist appointment... Probably end up back in bed for a couple of hours of sleep... Haven't been sleeping very well these days...

Hope YOU all have a GREAT day... Play safe... God Bless...
Cheers;
Mike


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Got my laundry in the dryer. Cooked for Mom. Had some porkchops and deleted over 1k e-mails. Still have over 800 pages of e-mails left to delete. Most of it spam.


You need a new email


----------



## Spicoli43

RedneckGrump said:


> Thanks, Buddy, spent some time on the web pages you sent me,  Looks very interesting on the Burdock Root. I sometimes drink (when I can remember) Something mushroom tea... Made from the mushrooms growing on dead birch trees...


Chaga is all I can think of for mushrooms and Birch trees. I have never tried that.

Burdock Root is really an amazing all organ cleanser since it cleanses the Blood. It actually tastes good also, there's no apprehension or need to add sweetener, but I will add Raw Honey sometimes.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Spicoli43 said:


> Chaga is all I can think of for mushrooms and Birch trees. I have never tried that.


That's it... Chaga... When I was drinking that all last fall and winter, I had lots of energy... did me wonders... And somehow, the habit got broken, and it was then forgotten... Great stuff for an energy booster... Gotta get me some more of that stuff, also great for the lungs...


----------



## Eddie_T

Hawthorn berry arrived yesterday. I Immediately took four capsules later it dawned on me that I should have taken my BP first. When I got around to taking BP it was 144/72. I took another four capsules at bedtime and this morning BP is 125/70 so today I will revert to my normal dosage of three capsules tid.


----------



## Eddie_T

I forgot to mention that to make it a double-blind study I shut both eyes as I swallowed the capsules.


----------



## zannej

Hope it helps, Eddie.

Spicoli, I hadn't cleared my e-mail out since 2019. I'm on e-mails from 2020 right now to delete. I have a lot from this forum and sister forums reminding me every time someone makes a post. Wish I could do a weekly thing instead of every single time. I haven't messed with the notification settings though.

Laundry had to be dried twice and it was dark when I finally got it out. folded it and plopped it on and around a basket and the foot of my bed (as I couldn't see to put stuff away). Cats are happy with fresh clean laundry to sit on. I put on freshly cleaned pajamas and they wanted to climb on me. I guess they like the smell of the detergent. LOL. I had the soothing music for cats going again last night and they gathered close to the speakers to listen and sleep. They woke me up when they were hungry so I fed them and went back to sleep with the music still playing so several finished eating quickly and came back to listen to it. I really should get to the store today when I wake up enough. Was up late working on the laundry so I didn't get enough sleep.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Hope it helps, Eddie.
> 
> Spicoli, I hadn't cleared my e-mail out since 2019. I'm on e-mails from 2020 right now to delete. I have a lot from this forum and sister forums


Most of the emails I get are somebody cutting and pasting info from medical writings. As many words as will fit into one email. Most times it's a coherent article, sometimes each sentence or two is drawn from different articles. I skim through the emails for something worthwhile and then delete the crap ones 160 at a time with one click. I'm sure I can do that lots faster than they can write them. I'll keep deleting them for a while and see if they eventually get tired of writing and sending them. If they don't, I'll have to start blocking some URLs from Russia. I just don't want to block any good Russians legitimately seeking psychological help or seeking honest general info about USA life and attitudes...


----------



## shan2themax

I'm going to make some calls to the NH and to some legal aid type places as several of you have suggested and see what they say. It can't hurt. 
I did not sleep well last night and I am struggling being awake at work today. I work until 11pm... so still have a few hours to go. 

We had a body found on the railroad tracks a week and a half ago, someone had killed her and burnt her body. Luckily he was found quickly.... but what on earth is wrong with people. Not much has been said about the perp, but apparently the lady struggled with addiction. I snooped around Facebook and found his mom, I am sure she is heartbroken. The deceased ladies daughter spoke up and said that her mom was the kindest individual she knew. I pray she can find some peace. 

Guess I should get back to work.....break time is about over.


Also...... I never did hear back from the structural engineer. Waiting on these people to return calls is tiring. More tiring than the year+ of procrastination on my part.


----------



## Flyover

I decided to wait to cut down the tree branches until the leaves have fallen off. I do need to mow tomorrow but once that's done I've got an exciting woodworking project to make progress on.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I decided to wait to cut down the tree branches until the leaves have fallen off. I do need to mow tomorrow but once that's done I've got an exciting woodworking project to make progress on.


Now you've got our attention.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I hope you can make it to the end of your shift and stay awake. I just saw my brother asleep in his computer chair with his World of Warcraft game open & his character dead while he's in a group with a bunch of other people. Woke him up and said "Did you fall asleep? Did your character die while you were asleep? Might want to let your group know". So he told them he fell asleep again.

Tragic about the poor murder victim. The railroad tracks thing made me think of a song about the villain threatening to tie a woman to the railroad tracks if she didn't give him the deed to her ranch. "And then along came John". 

Eddie, I am looking forward to seeing your next woodworking project. 

Who was it that had the teabag fix for the fingernail? Was that Eddie? Or Flyover? I can't remember. I'm trying to remember what the fix was so I can tell my mother to try it. Her nails keep splitting.

Went to the store, got some groceries, cooked, stuffed my face and am about to nap.


----------



## Eddie_T

Zann, Flyover is the one with a new woodworking project coming.

Here's the instructions for split nail repair;

Remove any nail polish and wash hands with an oil-free cleanser.
Cut a tea bag into a piece large enough to cover the tear or thinning area.
Apply a clear coat (which will act as your glue) and while wet place tea bag piece over tear.
Press down with finger or tweezers to make sure there are no air bubbles between the "gauze" and the nail.
Apply another coat of clear polish and allow it to dry.
Buff nail with a file to smooth out the texture.
Apply base coat and polish as usual!


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> Eddie, I am looking forward to seeing your next woodworking project.
> 
> Who was it that had the teabag fix for the fingernail? Was that Eddie? Or Flyover?


 I don't know whether you've been napping too much or not enough!


----------



## Spicoli43

Decided to do a 24 Hour batch of Chocolate. I have been doing batches of about 8 hours, but the people that are more experienced in making Chocolate say run the refiner for 24 Hours because it takes away more of the bitter flavor of the Raw Cacao... I like it fine at 8 Hours, so much to the point that I don't add Sugar, but I will see if I notice much of a difference.

I have made absolute Plain Cacao before and Salted it, which was great, but I normally add a trail mix with fruits that make people forget it doesn't have Cane Sugar. This batch is 70% Dark Milk Chocolate... (650 Grams Cacao, 300 Grams Coconut Milk Powder, 50 Grams Cacao Butter)... The mix is Dates, Raisins, Mulberries, Apricots, Cashews and Pumpkin Seeds. I salted it when it was placed in the pans, but I think I was too late. The mix dries incredibly fast.

This 1KG batch routinely makes around 5.5 lbs of finished product, dependent on the trail mix ingredients, of course... Typically 2 full Gallon Ziplocks.

The White powder is NOT as fun as you think it is.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Got my new bankcard and cute little one hand 4" blade chain saw delivered today... post office and Fed Ex... saw came a full week early... Surprised to see Fed Ex, thought it would be one of the new China Deliveries... Fed Ex just lost a bunch of money so maybe they gave them a new competitive low delivery price... 
I was signing up online for a streaming service to watch an Ohio State CFB game and while signing out didn't realize the crooks had slipped several other automatically renewing subscriptions in as well... it was a week free trial and card wasn't supposed to be charged until after the week was up, but they charged me instantly. Unsubscribe email says it doesn't work. Had to change card number so bank could refuse it all. 
. 
I then used FUBO which seemed to be OK... 
. 
Thought the $27 chain saw would use the same battery for my drill so didn't get the battery. Battery cost twice as much as the saw. But I think I can modify the saw to plug into the same battery. Saw 1/4" off bottom of saw using 10" table saw and bend the contacts to the proper spacing. Latch is the same. Prolly have to tape the battery on so it's secure enough.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I was signing up online for a streaming service to watch an Ohio State CFB game and while signing out didn't realize the crooks had slipped several other automatically renewing subscriptions in as well... it was a week free trial and card wasn't supposed to be charged until after the week was up, but they charged me instantly. Unsubscribe email says it doesn't work. Had to change card number so bank could refuse it all.


What streaming service conned you? I have to get Sling later this year for 1 game, only had problems with Sling and Fubo when they were brand new. Fubo was so bad with glitches that they game me repeat free months, total of 6 or so. I only subscribe to the service for a Month for the game and catch up on some good shows, but can't keep it permanent because there is too many commie channels. 

Bet the Fedex executives don't trim their salaries at all.


----------



## Flyover

I didn't end up able to do my woodworking project today.  Maybe next week.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was reading a novel and for whatever reason it awoke a series of thoughts from the past. First it was how some people are full of themselves, then it was that test pilots often wear scarves around their necks like women, then it was that Marty Stuart (not a test pilot) wears a scarf. Finally the path stopped at an old test pilot who ended up manager of a Boeing field operation (where I ws employed) but still wore a scarf. The manager was Alvin "Tex" Johnston who happened to perform a barrel roll with a Boeing 707. That thought train was called up by something seemingly unrelated other than some action at the back side of an airport.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I didn't end up able to do my woodworking project today.  Maybe next week.


Here we are waiting with baited breath... such clickbait... LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> The manager was Alvin "Tex" Johnston who happened to perform a barrel roll with a Boeing 707.


Wasn't that the roll Boeing wasn't happy about? But it did impress the buyers...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> What streaming service conned you? I have to get Sling later this year for 1 game, only had problems with Sling and Fubo when they were brand new. Fubo was so bad with glitches that they game me repeat free months


Don't recall the name of the off brand streaming service... one that offers to show game for free... click and they want free signup... then want card info before free trial... I prefer to use PayPal with companies I don't know... if no PayPal, I usually just say forget it... I think most of rest of games I want are on ABC or Fox regular TV... ... 
Signed up with FUBO for free trial before the game, watched the game, cancelled the service... they asked why I cancelled... one of choices was: Just wanted to watch one game... wish they offered like one game for a dollar... would like to see them get something... but don't want to pay $60 for a month of crap I don't have time to watch...


----------



## zannej

Oops. I think I didn't get enough sleep. LOL. It was Flyover with the woodworking project. I have a terrible memory. LOL.
Thanks, Eddie! I'll pass that on to my mother. She likes to buy clear nail polish a lot. She bit her nails until she was in her 60s and then started taking care of her nails. I learned the nail biting from her and still do it. I don't have any nail polish. Only time I ever used nail polish was to paint rocks. 

I went to the post office and picked up mail. Mom wanted McDonalds (it was fillet o' fish meal day). Long line but finally got the stuff and got home. 

Cleaned up trash in my bathroom, got the new hinge piece on my toilet seat (had to tape the bottom plate so it wouldn't keep falling into the toilet) and got the toilet seat installed. I like the bolt thingies I got- it has this long rubber sleeve with sort of bubbles. It acts as sort of a nut instead of putting metal nuts on, and it protects the porcelain from metal bolts.

Brother brought home pizza. Mushrooms and fire ants on it. I guess the fire ants got on it in the truck. LOL. 

I ate a couple of pieces and fed the crust to the dogs. Rupert is happily curled up on me right now. He followed me into the bathroom earlier and I wiped his face and fur down with a shea butter wipe so his fur is softer now. He had some dirt near his eyes and nose so I got that cleaned up for him.

I'm about to take my meds and go to sleep.


----------



## Eddie_T

Tomas the cat has some kind of sinus or nasal infection (right side only). he's been snorting and snoring for a couple of weeks. I finally decided to give him some Fish Mox (amoxicillin.) I opened a 500 mg capsule and divided it into quarters which is close to the proper doge for a 16 lb cat. I mixed it with a bit of Laxatone hairball remedy and put it on mouth, teeth wherever I could get it  to lodge. This is the second day and he is showing remarkable improvement. The Fish Mox has an expiry date of 2015 but had never been opened.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Ms's and Mr's...
Sorry, missed getting on yesterday... But since I was on last, which I believe was Thursday... Bought another truck, and took the wife to the dentist to have some teeth pulled, and yesterday ran around to get the insurance set up and pay for the truck...

Thursday around noon, I was sitting, watching TV..when my wife came to me and said she found a good truck... my reply to her, was I didn't know we were looking for another truck... We have a 2006 Ford F150 Lariat with over 350 km on it, which is around 217 miles... and still runs like the day I bought it, and runs like a new truck...

The one she pointed out to me is a 2008 Ford F150 Lariat with 140Km which is about 86 miles. It's like a new truck. My 2006 is a 4-door cab, this one is a super cab, which has the small doors on the back... It has a sunroof, electric windows, air, and leather. Like my other one..4x4 like the other truck. They are pretty much identical trucks, just different size cabs.  My 2006 has a 5'4" box pn the back with a hard tunnel box cover. This one has a 6' box, with a soft tunnel cover.

So,, they want $12,000 for it. So I call my brother because he lives close to where the truck is for sale. I call him and ask him to look under it, check out the engine, and make sure the air and heat work... check the engine... I ask him to take it for a test drive, and get back to me, while I sit in the dentist's parking lot waiting for my wife while she gets some teeth pulled out... He calls me about an hour and a half later and tells me the truck is solid, in mint condition... So I thank him.  I call the Lady who is selling the truck, I told her I will buy it, and that I will email her $2000 and would be up tomorrow to pay her (Friday)... 

Now here comes the fun stuff... We have one of those banks that have no building, they are up somewhere in the sky.  So I called them... telling them I need to take $12,000 out of my account.  So they tell me, ok, they can get a certified cheque ready, and have it couriered to my home for Monday... I said that is no good because the truck will be gone by the time I get the cheque... So... Here comes the fun part... I have a $3000 a day withdrawal on my bank card at an ATM... So he tells me to go to the bank machine for the bank I use, and take the money out of it, they will lift my limit for a one-time only to $12,000... So I say to him, ok so if the ATM runs out of money then what... He keeps telling me not to worry about this, and asked what time I would be back in my home town... and I reply in a couple of hours so he tells me I'll be able to do this till 8:00 that night...

So my wife has a mouth full of gauze, I can hardly understand a word she is saying to me...I go into the bank, put my card in the ATM and ask for 12,000 bucks... The machine says a lower amount, so I try $10,000, and then $5000, and then $2000... So out comes 40 Fifties... So I do it again... and I whip back out to the truck... and hand my wife the $4000 in fifties... So I go back to the machine... and I take the rest out, and now we look like we deal drugs, cuz my wife has the 240 Fifties in a bag, the pile of 50's is about 3 inches tall... So we go home... I get her cleaned up, and in her jammies so she can relax. I am in the kitchen counting the 50's in piles of 20 fifties for $1000 in each pile which I paper clip each of the 12 piles... I stick it into a plastic bag.  and my wife says bury it into the freezer... I call the Lady back, and told her, that I would not send her the $2000 down, and she thought I changed my mind. I said no... But I am bringing you 240 fifties... So now make the story little shorter, she asks me on my way up if I could stop at the garage and pick up the safety... I did... I got to her place, took the truck for a run, came back, tried my luck and said would you take $11,000 for the truck... She says no, she's firm on the 12... I said ok... So I hand her the bag of money... told her, I counted it 3 times, my wife counted it three times... and told her I was going to take my truck to go and get insurance on it, and the plates...

So, my other truck is sitting at my brother's today, it will drive it back to my place next week, and get his wife to follow him so he has a drive home. and the new truck is in the driveway...

I now understand why some people drive a backhoe into an ATM and take the whole machine, I honestly did not know that those machines have that kind of money in them...

So, that is why I did not check in yesterday... 

I hope YOU all have a wonderful day today... God Bless YOU all...
Cheers~
Mike



Still waiting for the wife


----------



## Flyover

Great story, Mr Grump.


----------



## Spicoli43

Cool, Redneck... I have a 2003 F150 that I only use to take trash to the dump, but it's solid other than there is no recirculating air. As far as your cash story, it's a good thing you aren't in the US. If so, the commies in the FBI would have seen that, raided your house and put you in Prison for 6 months while not charging you with anything so you wouldn't get a lawyer. Surprised it doesn't happen up there with your commie in charge.


----------



## Eddie_T

Mike, There must be something I am missing regarding the miles on  those trucks. My vehicles have thousands of miles on them.


----------



## zannej

Redneck, I hope the new truck runs well. The bank can be a total pain on stuff like that. I've heard stories of the bank demanding to know what people were planning to use their money on and refusing to release it unless they told them why. When I paid for my brother's truck (I loaned him the $ at 0% interest) I had to take it out in increments over several days. Told the dealer we were bringing cash. He was shocked when we had actual cash in hand. I said I didn't want to deal with any bs with the bank and cashier's checks and the like. We'd had issues with that in the past. It took him a couple of years but he paid me back in full and bought me some video games and a DVD set. I hope your wife is healing up well from the tooth-pulling.

Eddie, I think the mileage was abridged and he meant they had that amount in thousands? I could be mistaken. 

My friend was thinking of getting a Ford but the last Ford he bought had an engine blow right after he had it registered and insured-- and the insurance didn't cover that. And when I say "right after" I mean literally within 10 minutes of him getting it registered & insured. His great uncle Cleo loved vehicles and had a whole collection of them but he was a Chevy person and hated Fords. Salesman tried to push a Ford on him and he said "Uncle Cleo would haunt me!" (fortunately, the salesman knew who Cleo was).

I couldn't get to sleep when I wanted so I ended up going into the bathroom and moving stuff around. Got my vanity cleared off but my little laundry cart is now full of stuff. LOL. I threw out some things, put some stuff in the kitchen, admittedly stuffed some stuff on the windowsill (after vacuuming it) & lightly cleaned the counter and sink. Need something heavy duty to get stains out of that sink. Apparently some coins fell into it and there was a ruined wet shirt sitting on the coins which had corroded and left stains in the sink. I don't remember why that shirt was even in there. There was also a ruined comic book. I believe it had gotten something spilled on its protective cover and I took it in to rinse it off but never took it back out and the bag had ripped and the comic had gotten all wet. It was a Batman one and I couldn't make out which issue. 

Since I didn't sleep well last night I'm still wanting a nap.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> the FBI would have seen that, raided your house and put you in Prison for 6 months while not charging you with anything


More likely they (not the FBI but the cops) would have seized the cash, claimed it was drug money, but never charged him with selling drugs. Probably seize his vehicles, house, and anything else they could grab too, with the same justification. Thanks Joe Biden!


----------



## shan2themax

Anything I need to know in advance about using a trickle charger? I plan to hook it up tonight when I get home, in hopes maybe I can at least mow the front yard tomorrow...... however, I still have to recheck the tire inflation.... I meant to last night but forgot.


----------



## shan2themax

zannej said:


> There was also a ruined comic book. I believe it had gotten something spilled on its protective cover and I took it in to rinse it off but never took it back out and the bag had ripped and the comic had gotten all wet. It was a Batman one and I couldn't make out which issue.
> 
> Since I didn't sleep well last night I'm still wanting a nap.


I found 2 Archie comic books in my moms stuff. One for 74 and one from 77.


@RedneckGrump I (my middle son) have a 2002 For f150. Its the red one in the pic of the front yard. It was my exhusbands, the thing just sits there, I think it has 200k miles on it. I wish my son would either get rid of it, or fix it. It doesn't get driven because it doesn't keep a charge for long (and he wasn't working, because he was caring for my mom while I worked), I might try to trickle charge it also, see what happens.


I hope the dumpster comes this week... my back yard looks bad enough with the tall grass and now there are bags piled, and some wooden furniture pieces. 
One day, it'll all come together.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> More likely they (not the FBI but the cops) would have seized the cash, claimed it was drug money, but never charged him with selling drugs. Probably seize his vehicles, house, and anything else they could grab too, with the same justification. Thanks Joe Biden!



Well I can see somebody had some frosted sarcasm flakes for Breakfast! As much as I hate the Pedophile Hitler wannabe, I don't blame him for local asset forfeiture. If your scenario happened, said department would be disbanded after the City / County paid for the lawsuit.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Anything I need to know in advance about using a trickle charger? I plan to hook it up tonight when I get home, in hopes maybe I can at least mow the front yard tomorrow...... however, I still have to recheck the tire inflation.... I meant to last night but forgot.


Keep it away from Gas / Fumes / anything that can ignite? I'm not understanding exactly what you want to know.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Eddie_T said:


> Mike, There must be something I am missing regarding the miles on  those trucks. My vehicles have thousands of miles on them.


My 06 has 358,000Km and the one I just bought the 08 has 140,000 km...


shan2themax said:


> I found 2 Archie comic books in my moms stuff. One for 74 and one from 77.
> 
> 
> @RedneckGrump I (my middle son) have a 2002 For f150. Its the red one in the pic of the front yard. It was my exhusbands, the thing just sits there, I think it has 200k miles on it. I wish my son would either get rid of it, or fix it. It doesn't get driven because it doesn't keep a charge for long (and he wasn't working, because he was caring for my mom while I worked), I might try to trickle charge it also, see what happens.
> 
> 
> I hope the dumpster comes this week... my back yard looks bad enough with the tall grass and now there are bags piled, and some wooden furniture pieces.
> One day, it'll all come together.



Think you should put a sign on that stuff and say help yourself... it's free... Just because it's not for you, people love free stuff, and your pile may just dribble away...

For your trickle charge, attach the cables to their proper post on your battery... Plug the charger in, and make sure it's on a 2amp charge... It will take a bit of time but will give it a slow charge... When you go back to it... unplug it, and then disconnect the cords off the battery... Hope that helps @shan2themax 

So, just wanna say I love my Ford F150s... I have inlaws who own two Chrysler Dealers... But I do NOT like the Rams... I am the only one in the entire family who is not driving a Chrysler/Dodge vehicle... I just love the Ford F150s...

Well, II didn't do a hell of a lot today, Gave the new truck a good going over with ceramic wax... and took Carl for his normal walk... and now am thinking it might be time for some good drugs.. and head to bed... 

Will talk to YOU kids tomorrow... Have a good night All... and God Bless YOU all...
Cheers~
Mike


----------



## shan2themax

@RedneckGrump  I have been tossing most things, there has been mice through it. The "stuff" has been a point of contention for years, so I don't have a problem tossing it. I'm not patient when it comes to people picking things up that I give away. 
Thanks for answering the trickle charge question, that was what I needed. @Spicoli43 I have never used one so I wasn't sure about settings and such. I don't remember seeing any instructions in the box, but I will give it a gander again. 

Work day is almost over, last break of the day. Excited for a day off tomorrow!!


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, Shan... I can't stand people picking up stuff either. I'm 15 minutes early to everything, and everybody that picks stuff up is late or calls to see if the house is hard to find, or changes their mind or needs to reschedule etc...

As for the charger, it should have 2 Amp like Redneck says, and it might have 10 Amp and START also... That's how mine is, but the START is worthless. I would invest in a Stanley Fatmax to carry in your Trunk, as mine hasn't failed yet, needed it a few times. It instantly started my car that was dead, but I don't think it's for batteries that have sat for a long time. That's a "lets find out" situation.

If it says "Robot or Human", that's the Stanley Walmart link... Morons!



			Robot or human?


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 my other charger is a knockoff of that. It has sat for about 2.5 years without a charge and I tried charging it with an extension cord, but it doesn't do a thing..... MY BAD.

Workday is up in 5 minutes.. woot woot


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Well I can see somebody had some frosted sarcasm flakes for Breakfast! As much as I hate the Pedophile Hitler wannabe, I don't blame him for local asset forfeiture. If your scenario happened, said department would be disbanded after the City / County paid for the lawsuit.


Actually, yesterday I was watching videos from Lehto's Law and he was discussing just that scenario! 
Cash transactions of $10K or more get reported to the Feds. 
People didn't do anything wrong but authorities happened to noticed they had a lot of cash and grabbed it. They sued to get it back, but the local people said they turned the cash over to the Feds and didn't have it. Even though judge ordered them to give it back. So they had to start over and sue the Feds. Feds claim they can't be sued. Feds drag everything out forever. Cost to sue is more than the thousands of dollars in cash. Plus there's all sorts of weirdness involved: Feds have legal precedent to show they can not only sue people but also sue inanimate objects such as cash. Also, the locals turned the original cash into a check that went to the Feds, so nobody knows where the actual missing cash actually is that the people want back... and they can't sue for the check because they never had it... etc... etc... etc...


----------



## shan2themax

I can not be trusted to order things apparently . I got in a hurry to order a trickle charger and ordered the wrong one. It will still work, but I looked at how small the box was and then I took it out of the box and was like what in the world. Its a battery tender JR.... this might take forever. 

I'm going to bed before I'm tempted to order a different one.


----------



## RedneckGrump

shan2themax said:


> @RedneckGrump  I have been tossing most things, there has been mice through it. The "stuff" has been a point of contention for years, so I don't have a problem tossing it. I'm not patient when it comes to people picking things up that I give away.
> Thanks for answering the trickle charge question, that was what I needed. @Spicoli43 I have never used one so I wasn't sure about settings and such. I don't remember seeing any instructions in the box, but I will give it a gander again.
> 
> Work day is almost over, last break of the day. Excited for a day off tomorrow!!


Well, you very much deserve it @shan2themax, Hope it's a sunny day where you are, and you can just rest and soak up some vitamin D... Enjoy it...





BuzzLOL said:


> Actually, yesterday I was watching videos from Lehto's Law and he was discussing just that scenario!
> Cash transactions of $10K or more get reported to the Feds.
> People didn't do anything wrong but authorities happened to noticed they had a lot of cash and grabbed it. They sued to get it back, but the local people said they turned the cash over to the Feds and didn't have it. Even though judge ordered them to give it back. So they had to start over and sue the Feds. Feds claim they can't be sued. Feds drag everything out forever. Cost to sue is more than the thousands of dollars in cash. Plus there's all sorts of weirdness involved: Feds have legal precedent to show they can not only sue people but also sue inanimate objects such as cash. Also, the locals turned the original cash into a check that went to the Feds, so nobody knows where the actual missing cash actually is that the people want back... and they can't sue for the check because they never had it... etc... etc... etc...




So, I guess I really missed a headache... Got the money without an issue, paid for the truck, and got the truck... Maybe I am on someone's watch list now... Who know's??


----------



## RedneckGrump

@shan2themax, It's ok... Need one like this...


----------



## Flyover

Buzz, Lehto's law is an excellent YouTube channel in my opinion, and yeah he talks about civil forfeiture a lot. Spicoli, unfortunately abuses happen all the time without law enforcement (local or otherwise) getting sued, as I pointed out to Havasu once on here. Successful suits happen so rarely they make the news, and that's when Lehto talks about them in his videos. He doesn't get into how it can all be traced to Joe Biden, and I can't blame him because that would inadvertently politicize his channel, plus he usually doesn't get into the history of the law, but it is a connection I think many people would be shocked to learn. Our country would be in better shape if people were aware of civil forfeiture and the way it misaligns incentives, turns communities and law enforcement against each other, etc. Okay, stepping off my soap box now...

Taking my 5yo to his first baseball practice today, then hoping to cook ribs (also a first, for me).


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @Spicoli43 my other charger is a knockoff of that. It has sat for about 2.5 years without a charge and I tried charging it with an extension cord, but it doesn't do a thing..... MY BAD.
> 
> Workday is up in 5 minutes.. woot woot



How long did you charge it? Does it have indicator lights that tell you when it's charged? Stanley Fat Max is a pretty inexpensive peace of mind, especially with Winter closing in.


----------



## Spicoli43

I would sue the Government without a lawyer... I would include in the suit a few Million as a penalty and interest. Just need to win the Jury.


----------



## shan2themax

@Flyover I will have to check that channel out.
@RedneckGrump This is what I ordered Battery Tender JR High Efficiency 800mA Battery Charger. Robot or human?

@Spicoli43  it was plugged in for 4 days. My son has apparently moved it somewhere because its not sitting where I had it. 

Gotta head to Sam's for a couple of things this morning, then I am gonna make beef stew in the crockpot and hopefully be a little lazy today. I mean I'm kinda lazy every day, just trying to actually PLAN for lazy today because I work the next 3 days.

Hope everyone has a Great Sunday!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well good morning Ladies, Gentlemen...
Well, we are supposed to be going to an old friend from work... we stayed in touch after our accident... You know when you are at work, and you meet lots of people, and some of those people you go out for a beer or two together... and always talk to... But then one of you leaves because of retirement, sick leave, or disability... and you will never hear from again... That is a work acquaintance... Never was a friend... Well, I learned that the hard way... But a lot of people from work, we have turned out to be true friends... We visit one another, drop in and have a coffee with one another. or a beer... talk about the old days of work, etc... Well we are supposed to be going to a Buddy from work's place, he wants to have Lorie and me over for the BBQ, and meet the rest of his family... So if we don't both go because of Lorie's dental surgery... I might go on my own... Time will tell in a few hours...

Well, I hope YOU all have a great Sunday, rest those who can... Enjoy the day the best YOU can...

Cheers~ God Bless YOU all
Mike


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> So, I guess I really missed a headache... Got the money without an issue, paid for the truck, and got the truck... Maybe I am on someone's watch list now... Who know's??


Don't know if that USA $10K law is in Canada where you are... 
In USA, you can also be prosecuted if caught for taking out less than $10K a couple times to avoid being reported above $10K... 
Lehto is in Michigan where they do something they don't do in Ohio... in Michigan, if a cop gives you a traffic ticket, he asks how much money you have on you.... if it's a lot, he may grab it... if it's as much as or almost as much as the ticket, he takes it and you go free to go to court or pay the rest... if you don't have much money he takes you to jail and someone has to come and bail you out... 
The first time a Michigan cop asked me how much money I had on me, I felt like I was in an old Grade 'B' movie or TV show... or 1930's Germany...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Cheers~ God Bless YOU all
> Mike


Hope you realize religions are evil foreign psychotic mass murderous mental illness...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I would sue the Government without a lawyer... I would include in the suit a few Million as a penalty and interest. Just need to win the Jury.


The Feds would simply appeal to SCOTUS and evil SCOTUS recently passed a rule that regular people can't bring cases before SCOTUS any more...


----------



## Spicoli43

I got an email from Chewy the other day saying they missed me and here's some great offers or whatever, same dried dead garbage Dog food that I used to buy, which got me thinking about the food I make for the Dog in the crock pot... I make enough for 4 days, two of these glass storage containers plus what's left in the crock. Refrigerating it makes the fat easy to remove...

This is Human grade all Organic vegetables with the Beef being Grass Fed / Finished... I could eat it, but I think my Dog would give me a real weird look. I do wonder if it would taste good though after a night in the fridge? I guess it's like any other leftovers, just weird sounding to me for some reason. 

I only add one Supplement to his food, Artemisinin... He HAD a Baseball sized tumor on each side by his Armpit, which was Lung Cancer. I don't know about the Cancer, but the tumors are gone now. I'll have to take him to the vet for an X-Ray. I will take Artemisinin myself if I have any hint of problems...









						Artemisinin as an anticancer drug: Recent advances in target profiling and mechanisms of action - PubMed
					

Artemisinin and its derivatives (collectively termed as artemisinins) are among the most important and effective antimalarial drugs, with proven safety and efficacy in clinical use. Beyond their antimalarial effects, artemisinins have also been shown to possess selective anticancer properties...




					pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Hope you realize religions are evil foreign psychotic mass murderous mental illness...


That took quite a while. He has over 100 posts.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I only add one Supplement to his food, Artemisinin... He HAD a Baseball sized tumor on each side by his Armpit, which was Lung Cancer. I don't know about the Cancer, but the tumors are gone now. I'll have to take him to the vet for an X-Ray. I will take Artemisinin myself if I have any hint of problems...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Artemisinin as an anticancer drug: Recent advances in target profiling and mechanisms of action - PubMed
> 
> 
> Artemisinin and its derivatives (collectively termed as artemisinins) are among the most important and effective antimalarial drugs, with proven safety and efficacy in clinical use. Beyond their antimalarial effects, artemisinins have also been shown to possess selective anticancer properties...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


I'll have to add artemisinin to my topical mix for skin cancer and actinic keratosis treatment.


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Don't know if that USA $10K law is in Canada where you are...
> In USA, you can also be prosecuted if caught for taking out less than $10K a couple times to avoid being reported above $10K...
> Lehto is in Michigan where they do something they don't do in Ohio... in Michigan, if a cop gives you a traffic ticket, he asks how much money you have on you.... if it's a lot, he may grab it... if it's as much as or almost as much as the ticket, he takes it and you go free to go to court or pay the rest... if you don't have much money he takes you to jail and someone has to come and bail you out...
> The first time a Michigan cop asked me how much money I had on me, I felt like I was in an old Grade 'B' movie or TV show... or 1930's Germany...


Well, not sure why they can arrest you when it's your money... Your savings...  That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense...


Spicoli43 said:


> That took quite a while. He has over 100 posts.


And if you guys don't want me here... Just say the word...


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Hope you realize religions are evil foreign psychotic mass murderous mental illness...


And as I just mentioned to @Spicoli43 ... You don't want me here or don't like my posts... Just say the word...


----------



## Spicoli43

You found the resident Atheist, just took him a long time.


----------



## havasu

Personally, I'm loving the activity in here recently. Nobody is going anywhere.....I hope!


----------



## shan2themax

@RedneckGrump  you're fine right where you are.... buzz just likes to try to ruffle feathers about religion. Just ignore him on that aspect. To each their own with opinions. I personally enjoy the topic, but respect others who don't..... even if the have to point it out all the time. Thats OK also.


I just plugged my tiny battery up to the equally tiny charger. I'm gonna go put dinner in the crockpot and then come back out to check on it. I don't really know how long it needs to charge, probably several hours minimally. I'm not going to leave it plugged in and unattended though. I don't need any new problems.


I also got a good deal in lowes today. I will share it later when I have less going on.


----------



## Flyover

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, not sure why they can arrest you when it's your money... Your savings... That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense..


The roots of the law probably go back to the anti-racketeering efforts from Prohibition, which might explain why laws like that, at least, don't plague Canada. For us it was a way to put mobsters in jail without having to do the hard work of catching them committing actual crimes. But it was still pretty limited regulation and then they re-legalized alcohol. Then in the 1970s right as everyone was panicking about junkies returning from Vietnam there was this senator from New Jersey who wanted to look tough on crime and he found a bill that was meant to attach to this old anti-racketeering law. He picked it up, dusted it off, and powered it through Congress. He didn't mind that it caused a lot of problems for society's lowest rungs and he didn't mind that it gave the government a reason to never terminate one of our worst policies since slavery, because at least he got to say he was tough on crime. He did a similar thing in the 90s too, in response to all the additional crime his bill created since the 70s. It makes perfect sense, really, once you know the history.

Baseball got cancelled but I am making the ribs.


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> The roots of the law probably go back to the anti-racketeering efforts from Prohibition, which might explain why laws like that, at least, don't plague Canada. For us it was a way to put mobsters in jail without having to do the hard work of catching them committing actual crimes. But it was still pretty limited regulation and then they re-legalized alcohol. Then in the 1970s right as everyone was panicking about junkies returning from Vietnam there was this senator from New Jersey who wanted to look tough on crime and he found a bill that was meant to attach to this old anti-racketeering law. He picked it up, dusted it off, and powered it through Congress. He didn't mind that it caused a lot of problems for society's lowest rungs and he didn't mind that it gave the government a reason to never terminate one of our worst policies since slavery, because at least he got to say he was tough on crime. He did a similar thing in the 90s too, in response to all the additional crime his bill created since the 70s. It makes perfect sense, really, once you know the history.
> 
> Baseball got cancelled but I am making the ribs.


I was reading into the Civil asset forfeiture laws and they date back to to 1600's actually. From my reading the real problems in modern times started with the passing of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. That law allowed local law enforcement to share in the assets sized setting up a big reason to look for any asset to sieze. It was all done in the name of the "War on Drugs." Some states have passed some modicum of reform but it's still a major problem and IMO a violation of our constitutional rights. There are no laws that say you can only carry so much cash but if you have a lot of cash on you and have a brush with the law they can seize it because they say they suspect it was from or for illegal activity and just keep it. You don't need to be even charged with a crime. I still can't figure out how that is even close to legal but it happens all the time.


----------



## shan2themax

So.... I returned a commode seat at Lowes this morning. I am apparently unable to tell the difference between a round toilet and elongated toilet . Anyways, took it back, bought different bolts instead of the entire seat because I wasn't paying crazy prices for a toilet seat (the one I had bought was on clearance for $15)...... anywho, they always put clearance stuff down the aisle between appliances and bathroom vanities and I saw a stainless steel range hood marked down from $129 to $40. (Mine has been turning the light off by itself for a little bit and it is also almond colored from when all my appliances were almond)

It is also nonducted, which is what I already have. There is ductwork there but it just empties into the attic area, so I bought ductless when the original quit working and I had to buy a new one.
This one was bent. I got it unbent 95%. I think once I get it installed it won't be super obvious. Not going to do that today though. Maybe Thursday or Friday. I need to cut a piece of wood to attatch to the left side of the cabinet above the range hood. I removed a cabinet in order to pull my refrigerator out .

I will post a pic after I get it installed also.

Its hard to tell but I straightened out the top side so that there was angle to both sides again.


----------



## Spicoli43

Cool, Shan... Probably an employee drunk on the forklift again...


----------



## shan2themax

My riding mower started!!!!  one tire maintained all the air I hand pumped in it, one didn't. Im HOPEFUL to get this blasted yard mowed this week during my days off. I'll have to take before and after pics to show the jungle.


----------



## Spicoli43

Cool, Shan! Looking forward to those pics, as the other ones made me want to clear brush away.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, Youtube just showed me this video, I thought you'd probably like it:



I pretty much don't eat mushrooms, mainly because I don't like the way most of them taste. In this country anyway you're pretty much only ever exposed to shiitakes and portobellos, sometimes to straw mushrooms in Chinese food, and that's it. And lately truffle oil, at least as a flavor. But this video made me curious what others are out there that I might like, or at least might not dislike more than I like whatever benefits I get from them if they're healthy.

Speaking of food, my ribs came out really good for a first time, I thought, but next time I'll probably either try to make a sweeter more "Kansas" style sauce, or else just buy one. And there'll be a next time for sure because I have a second rack in the freezer.


----------



## IamAllThumbs

Today I played disc golf and made 13 over par. Since it's my 5th time out and I made part on 3 holes, I call it a success (I actually birdied twice since I started playing). It's pretty addictive, it's free and a good way to spend a couple hours outdoors without it being too strenuous. I like it! and while my wife can't throw a frisbee to save her life, she enjoys walking the course with me, make fun of me and even occasionally carry my disc bag.

Oh and I made great progress in silencing my squeaky basement stairs. Always nice when the wife goes from "you have no clue what you're doing do you?" to "wow the stairs are so quiet now!"

It would have been a perfect day if band practice hadn't been cancelled because our singer had a medical emergency in the family.


----------



## Flyover

@IamAllThumbs I like disc golf too for many of those same reasons. The only downside is that the best part of playing frisbee is running and catching them, and there's none of that, but I look at it as a nice excuse for a little hike through a park.

Sometimes when I'm playing disc golf I see people with bags, sometimes even these huge things on wheels, and can't figure out why they have them. I make do with a "driver", a "midrange", and a "putter" disc (and usually not even the midrange) and it's easy to just carry these in one hand. Are people carrying around a lot more discs than that? A bunch of spares, or is it other even more specialized ones? What'cha got in that bag??

A case of beer is my only reasonable guess...

What kind of music does your band play?


----------



## IamAllThumbs

I purchased a starter pack that came with 5 discs:
Putter (2-speed)
2 Mid Range (5 and 7 speed)
Fairway Driver (9-speed)
Distance Driver (12 speed)

I don't have technique to throw the 12-speed so I usually stick with the putter, the 5 and the 9 speed only, so yeah, my bag is a glorified grocery bag and I usually have a water bottle. To justify the 6-pack I need to find buddies to play with (I have 2 friends that have been playing for a couple do years and introduced me to the game last month, but haven't been able to find time to play together).

I have seen people struggling with their 20+ disc wheeled cart through the rough between holes.


----------



## zannej

Buzz isn't the only resident atheist here. I'm not going to tell other people what to think or believe. I will let people decide for themselves. I've had my medical records thrown in the trash by clerks at doctor's office for putting that I was an atheist on my forms. I've also been treated like absolute garbage over it so I don't want to treat anyone the way I was treated. 

As for civil asset forfeiture, it has been going on for decades (as others have pointed out). I've seen programs where they talked about the laws and how people who are merely "suspected" of committing crimes have their $ and property seized and never returned and when they tried to sue, they were told the laws said they didn't have to be guilty or even charged to have their stuff taken so they were out. One guy had $15k cash on his way to buy a new vehicle. They also stole his camera equipment that he used for work. He was never charged with anything, not even issued a ticket for anything, but they kept his stuff. When he tried to file paperwork to get it back, they told him he was s.o.l. Local cops tried to pull that with my friend's gf's phone. They refused to give it back but she went to the DA and had him sign a paper ordering them to give it back. But in this guy's case the DA wouldn't sign off.

Representing yourself without a lawyer doesn't usually go over well. Judges tend to already be prejudiced against people who don't have lawyers. There is  phrase, "Only a fool represents himself". Even lawyers hire other lawyers to represent them.

I knew about Civil Asset Forfeiture because of my father's job. He was able to seize people's houses, property, and vehicles for INS if they were used to house or transport illegal immigrants. He seized several boats and small ships that were used by Snakeheads (Chinese smugglers). He also once almost seized a US Navy submarine. Captain went to Saipan and invited a bunch of tourists on to the sub without checking any sort of ID (so they could have been spies or criminals for all he knew) and took them to Guam. He then released them on the naval base (a double violation of protocol) and they showed up at the airport without any form of paperwork wanting to get back to Saipan. He took over 50 of them. Who knows what sort of sensitive info they could have gathered while in the sub. This guy was a complete moron. Anyway, the captain got called in and said it wasn't a big deal. He was read the riot act and told it constituted smuggling. Admiral came in and backed the captain. Neither would apologize or admit it was wrong or promise not to do it again. So my father explained the laws to him and said that he was going to file for asset forfeiture of that sub because it was used to smuggle aliens. They would then lose it and be held personally accountable to the navy for the loss of their vessel. So they apologized, promised to never do it again, and were ordered to pay for the cost of processing the people that were brought over and sent back to Saipan. Idiot captain didn't even know how many people he took on. He didn't keep count and he was the one who personally invited them on. 

I got in some good napping today and did some cooking. I need to go to Samsclub tomorrow and do more cleaning. I stayed up too late and I think eating pizza was not good for me. Made me sick to my stomach afterward and then I felt more tired. No more pizza for me.


----------



## havasu

As a retired police officer, I call BS on 99% of these asset forfeiture stories. Of course, you have the smell of cocaine on your hands, and can't explain how you "found" a million $ in the suitcase next to you, well that is a different story. We stopped folks with $50k in their briefcases, with directions to a car dealership next to you, you're good to go.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had a BIL that was always the victim. Later I found out that I heard an embellished side of the story. After that I listened but wondered what the rest of the story might be.


----------



## zannej

Well, the press reached out to the cops and they admitted they took the $ and the guy's camera equipment and he had court documents proving he went to court and that the verdict from the judge said they could keep his $ as it was suspicion of a crime but they were supposed to return his camera equipment. Months after the judgment they still had not returned his equipment so he went to the press and they were demanding to know why he hadn't gotten his stuff back and they were full of excuses. Press got on them enough that they finally returned it. But he was still out $. I think it depends on the area. Cops in my area are very corrupt & do illegal things all the time. Some areas may have more oversight and not be as bad.


----------



## Flyover

@IamAllThumbs: I still want to hear about your band! What kind of music, what instrument do you play, originals or covers, etc.

Yesterday I switched out the lock on the garage "service door", so it's keyed the same as our other locks. (It was the last hold-out.) I had to also fabricate a doorknob for reasons I'm too lazy to type about at the moment, so I made one out of an old piece of banister railing. No home repair/DIY plans for today, though it looks like I'm never going to find a handyman to install the duct from my bathroom exhaust through the roof to a box vent, so I should probably just do it while work is slow and it's not cold or rainy. I think I remember trying before and didn't think I could get into the space easily, thinking "Ugh, I'll just pay someone to do this." Turns out nobody knows a handyman who'll do just that one little job.

@havasu: Even in a best-case civil asset forfeiture story where you smell cocaine on the guy's hands etc., there's still the Bill of Rights, which is supposed to guarantee everyone due process--even criminals caught in the act. Forfeiture deprives people of that, no question: you take someone's stuff because you suspect something, you don't have to charge them, and you make them sue to get the stuff back. The Framers, and anyone else accustomed to us having an inviolable Constitution, are spinning in their graves.


----------



## RedneckGrump

shan2themax said:


> My riding mower started!!!!  one tire maintained all the air I hand pumped in it, one didn't. Im HOPEFUL to get this blasted yard mowed this week during my days off. I'll have to take before and after pics to show the jungle.


I would and am, after every use, keep my tractor on a trickle charge for the next time I need it, too late in the season for me to buy a new battery... So I will keep this one going for this year..

Today I played disc golf and made 13 over par. Since it's my 5th time out and I made part on 3 holes, I call it a success (I actually birdied twice since I started playing). It's pretty addictive, it's free and a good way to spend a couple of hours outdoors without it being too strenuous. I like it! and while my wife can't throw a frisbee to save her life, she enjoys walking the course with me, making fun of me and even occasionally carrying my disc bag.

Yeah, I notice that is a BIG sport here in our new neighbourhood... That is something I am going to try next year.... Looks like a lot of fun... I do enjoy golfing, so I will probably enjoy this also... I was actually surprised there is even a pro league...


IamAllThumbs said:


> Oh and I made great progress in silencing my squeaky basement stairs. Always nice when the wife goes from "you have no clue what you're doing do you?" to "wow the stairs are so quiet now!"
> 
> It would have been a perfect day if band practice hadn't been cancelled because our singer had a medical emergency in the family.


Sounds like a lot of fun... Music is a HUGE way to relax... What instrument do you play @IamAllThumbs??




zannej said:


> I got in some good napping today and did some cooking. I need to go to Samsclub tomorrow and do more cleaning. I stayed up too late and I think eating pizza was not good for me. Made me sick to my stomach afterward and then I felt more tired. No more pizza for me.


Hope YOU are feeling much better now, and it wasn't anything long-lasting...

Well, Carl and I went to my Buddy's place yesterday... Carl is in love with his pup Nala... Had a great time... Weather wasn't the best... but it was a great day for a BBQ... Met his family... They too were great people... After that went up a few more miles and visited another friend from work... He fought cancer for a good portion of his life... it was leukemia.. a type where they couldn't do anything till it was a certain percentage... Then he went through chemo, beat it... and then got prostate cancer... Had that removed... He was doing 100 percent better in the last year or two... Well, he told me his leukemia has resurfaced... Phuck!  But this time he's talking about a pill he takes for the rest of his life, that will keep cancer at bay...

Well, not a lot else new... so I hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> As a retired police officer, I call BS on 99% of these asset forfeiture stories. Of course, you have the smell of cocaine on your hands, and can't explain how you "found" a million $ in the suitcase next to you, well that is a different story. We stopped folks with $50k in their briefcases, with directions to a car dealership next to you, you're good to go.


So, if you have a briefcase with 50 Large in it and no directions to a car dealership because you live in that city, you're guilty forever because you are never getting the cash back?

Everything depends on locale. I have lived where the "school zone" was wherever they wanted it to be, forget the signs that say 15 MPH, it's well before that. Large Ticket, quota needs to be filled EOM.

I have lived where the cops will follow you until they can pull you over. Bored cops in a tiny town that would buy a Boat with the 50 Large.

I have lived where cops sit in their driveways and radar people driving by. 

I have lived where you have to be absolutely dead to rights doing something idiotic to get pulled over, 15 plus over the limit or DUI etc, no quota rule.


----------



## IamAllThumbs

Hey thanks for asking, I play bass in one band and electric guitar in another, although that one sort of fell apart during COVID, people couldn't get to practice, let alone play out and may never recover.

We play Blues, Classic Rock and whatever strikes out fancy and we think will be a crowd pleaser. From Robert Johnson to AC/DC by way of the Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Free, Lynyrd Skynyrd...






						The Basement Blues Project - The Basement Blues Project
					






					thebasementbluesproject.com
				




 Building electric guitars (and basses) is another hobby of mine and another way to make sawdust besides home improvement.


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, not sure why they can arrest you when it's your money... Your savings...  That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense...


Govt. thugs always looking for ways to grab money these days... Govt. forgot they're our servants and now think they are our royal rulers... all the 'mandates' lately demonstrate that... Govt. has regressed to pre-1776... 
BTW, with an election close, those mandates are quietly being withdrawn... no public admission they were all wrong in the first place... they just want to calm some of the anger down...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> And as I just mentioned to @Spicoli43 ... You don't want me here or don't like my posts... Just say the word...


Nobody said anything about you leaving, just offering enlightment... just because evil has been with us for a long time doesn't mean we have to keep it... founding the USA got rid of a lot of ancient evil...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> You found the resident Atheist, just took him a long time.


I'm a Normal Person, not an atheist...
.
Atheist- no religion addiction mental illness but may have other addictions/mental illnesses...
.
Normal Person - no addictions and no mental illnesses...
.
Working up a Normal Person Organization and own the websites... getting rid of addictions gets rid of the unneeded wars/mass murdering/murdering/hurting/hating they keep fueling...


----------



## Eddie_T

Bored cops on patrol run a lot of tag numbers just hoping to get lucky. A former dispatcher told me some like to work my highway so I am careful. If one has a concealed weapons permit the info comes up when they run the tag number. That's just one of the reasons I don't get a CWP.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Hey @IamAllThumbs, Great web page... Thanks for sharing...


----------



## Flyover

Sounds fun, @IamAllThumbs. I'm getting some projects off my plate so I can get back to recording.

Do you build the guitars from kits, or more from scratch?


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm a Normal Person, not an atheist...
> .
> Atheist- no religion addiction mental illness but may have other addictions/mental illnesses...
> .
> Normal Person - no addictions and no mental illnesses...
> .
> Working up a Normal Person Organization and own the websites... getting rid of addictions gets rid of the unneeded wars/mass murdering/murdering/hurting/hating they keep fueling...


I am a believer but do not use these forums to evangelize. I don't think you should use it as a soap box for atheism either. Let's be adults and give it a rest.  Just saying  ⋅   ⋅   ⋅


----------



## Flyover

Today when I lifted weights I did almost all the exercises while standing on a balance board. It's very difficult and I rarely manage to keep my balance for more than a few reps in a row (probably could keep it longer if I reduced the weight a lot) but it engages everything, not just the muscle group I'm focused on, so I try to do this once in a while.

At some point I need to swap in a pickup on one of my guitars because the old one was defective and EMG was nice enough to send me a new one. I'm new to this; gonna figure out how to neatly lift the Floyd Rose bridge out without unstringing.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> In this country anyway you're pretty much only ever exposed to shiitakes and portobellos, sometimes to straw mushrooms in Chinese food, and that's it. And lately truffle oil, at least as a flavor.


Around here about May we look in the fields and woods for morel/sponge mushrooms... lately also been finding them next to my driveway... it's the only mushrooms most of us personally know that are safe... and free... fry them up on some beef steak... 




__





						Loading…
					





					media.istockphoto.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Buzz isn't the only resident atheist here. I'm not going to tell other people what to think or believe. I will let people decide for themselves.
> .
> Representing yourself without a lawyer doesn't usually go over well. Judges tend to already be prejudiced against people who don't have lawyers. There is  phrase, "Only a fool represents himself". Even lawyers hire other lawyers to represent them.
> .
> and were ordered to pay for the cost of processing the people that were brought over and sent back to Saipan.


I've also been the victim of various levels of religious terrorism. When I see people advertise evil by pictures or words, I try to counteract it...  As Shan always says, "Be the change you want to see in the world"... 
. 
There's another old saying: Judges were likely lawyers earlier and like to see their fellow lawyers make money. Judges also tend to favor lawyers like they were: prosecutors or defense... male or female... same race... 
. 
Sub Captain lucky he wasn't made to pay for the fuel to transport those people by sub... and fuel for plane to fly them back... OUCH !!!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I am a believer but do not use these forums to evangelize. I don't think you should use it as a soap box for atheism ether. Let's be adults and give it a rest.  Just saying  ⋅   ⋅   ⋅


No such thing as "atheism"... it's just what's left of life when addictions are gone... 
When I see people advertise evil by pictures or words, I try to counteract it... As Shan always says, "Be the change you want to see in the world"...


----------



## Eddie_T

Chanterelles are the only thing that grow on my property that I have eaten (sauteed in butter).


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Cops in my area are very corrupt & do illegal things all the time. Some areas may have more oversight and not be as bad.


Cops were horrible around here a few years ago. This city had grown to 350,000 people and a 1,000 cops. By now it had been predicted to be at 500,000+... But because of mismanagement by you know which party/allowing drug abuse/ 1 1/2 murders weekly/scared fleeing residents, it has shrunk to 200,000 and can only afford 500 cops... 
Well, cops aren't stupid... who was going to be the 500 cops let go? A few took early retirement. They knew any cop not getting his (unwritten) quota of tickets was going to be at the top of the list. So they were on every street corner trying to write plenty of tickets. Not able to find enough lawbreakers, they would just pull motorists over and write them a fistfull of tickets... prosecutors would go along with it and offer to tear up all the tickets except 1 or 2 if you would plead and pay for them. Eventually word got around to the point that if you told the judge they were "phony tickets", some of the judges would toss them. Nothing happened to the cops other than being let go. Judges felt sorry for them. Economy wasn't great at that time and few were hiring.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> As a retired police officer, I call BS on 99% of these asset forfeiture stories.


Why don't you tell that to attorney Steve Lehto that is putting out lots of these instances... he says he is easy to find... seems easy to talk to... very sensible...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Chanterelles are the only thing that grow on my property that I have eaten (sauteed in butter).


Hadn't heard of those... do you have a book on mushrooms... edible mushrooms?
https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/two-yellow-chantarelles-picture-id133823186


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> I've also been the victim of various levels of religious terrorism.


I almost was: remember the liquid explosives plot of 2006? 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot - Wikipedia 
I was on one of those flights, leaving London. We sat on the tarmac for 5 hours. I ended up missing a concert I was supposed to see back in the US that evening, but that was better than dying in a fireball over the Atlantic in my early 20s.

Doesn't change my thoughts about religion though. I was a non-believer since birth, but sometime between about age 13 and age 17 I went from seeing religion with negative aggression, as you do Buzz, to seeing it as a neutral or positive thing that's simply "not on my menu", but still has a lot of interesting history and features. Therefore the kinds of negative messages you write about religion really remind me of stuff I said in junior high and early high school. 

If you have a coherent argument to make I guess have at it, but the one-liners with random capitalized words do get really old, as does injecting it into every conversation, and I imagine it would be offputting to many forum newcomers. Glad to see we still are joined by friendly people doing cool projects (hi @RedneckGrump and @IamAllThumbs!) in spite of it.

Anyway Buzz, your question about mushrooms might have been answered by that "9 myths" video I posted earlier.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm a Normal Person, not an atheist...
> .
> Atheist- no religion addiction mental illness but may have other addictions/mental illnesses...
> .
> Normal Person - no addictions and no mental illnesses...
> .
> Working up a Normal Person Organization and own the websites... getting rid of addictions gets rid of the unneeded wars/mass murdering/murdering/hurting/hating they keep fueling...


Ok, neither Iraq War was about religion. It was about the Bush Cabal / New World Order... Putin didn't attack the Ukraine because of Religion. He attacked because he's a Demon as far as I'm concerned. He's definitely not Religious. There's no Leftist politicians here that are Religious, they all bow down to Satan.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Hadn't heard of those... do you have a book on mushrooms... edible mushrooms?
> https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/two-yellow-chantarelles-picture-id133823186


Someone told me years ago that chanterelles and a pink gilled white mushroom were safe with little chance of confusion. I once tossed a bunch of the white ones onto my lawn in hopes some spores would take hold but nothing happened. The chanterelles grow in my woods, but there's only a few in a cluster.

Just for kicks I googled "normal person".

A person whom has become, or has the natural disposition to be, adept at blending in with their surroundings by falling under social normalities.​No example can be given for a "Normal Person" because they lack the ability to be interesting and thus pertain no place in the memory.​


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> No such thing as "atheism"... it's just what's left of life when addictions are gone...
> When I see people advertise evil by pictures or words, I try to counteract it... As Shan always says, "Be the change you want to see in the world"...


So you believe in God? 

There's a difference in believing in God and Jesus and picking the Catholics that cherry picked the religion to accommodate their beliefs, but have no problem with the molestation of Children, and the Mormons who base their entire foundation on a dude that "Saw" God... He was probably on an equivalent of LSD. 

Etc...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I almost was: remember the liquid explosives plot of 2006? 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot - Wikipedia
> I was on one of those flights, leaving London.
> 
> Doesn't change my thoughts about religion though. I was a non-believer since birth, but sometime between about age 13 and age 17 I went from seeing religion with negative aggression, as you do Buzz, to seeing it as a neutral or positive thing that's simply "not on my menu", but still has a lot of interesting history and features. Therefore the kinds of negative messages you write about religion really remind me of stuff I said in junior high and early high school.
> 
> If you have a coherent argument to make I guess have at it, but the one-liners with random capitalized words do get really old, as does injecting it into every conversation,


Oh yeah, the reason it's hard to even take a sample size tube of toothpaste on an airliner nowadays... and they have atomic sensors that can detect explosive chemicals... I learned in chemistry class how to make explosives like PicRic Acid and TNT (TriNitroTouluene). Maybe if you had had part of your body blown off in an airliner explosion you still wouldn't feel so soft on addictions evil... 
. 
I was forced into religion-fueled war, as was my brother, my father and uncles, grandfathers, great grandfathers, great great grandfathers, etc... I think it's time we put an end to them... and the wounding... and deaths... collateral damage... and misery... and destruction... we currently still have one going on in Ukraine(the other guy would have prevented that)... and other places... 
. 
I have hundreds of pages of info on religions but try to keep it short, CLEAR, and simple in here for the people who fall for addictions... Also have websites... When I see evil pimped in pictures and words I counteract it... as Shan always says: "Be the change you want to see in the world"... I've always been like that...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> No example can be given for a "Normal Person" because they lack the ability to be interesting and thus pertain no place in the memory.


I think I saw that hate before in a joke definition of normal...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> So you believe in God?


There's about 10,000 Gods on this planet that religics worship and mass murder innocent people for... NONE of them is real...


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> No example can be given for a "Normal Person" because they lack the ability to be interesting and thus pertain no place in the memory.


Haha, reminds me of Frank Zappa's song "Pojama People":


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Ok, neither Iraq War was about religion. It was about the Bush Cabal / New World Order... Putin didn't attack the Ukraine because of Religion. He attacked because he's a Demon as far as I'm concerned. He's definitely not Religious. There's no Leftist politicians here that are Religious, they all bow down to Satan.


Oh c'mon! Iraq and Afghanistan wars are Christians/Jews vs Muslims... and some other personal differences between the Bush's and Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden... 
Ukraine and Balkans Wars are Eastern Orthodox Catholic Putin vs Jews/Roman Catholics of Ukraine... that one been going on since the divide in 1054: 
East–West Schism - Wikipedia 
All religics are demons by written orders from their handbooks... OK... just joking... no such things as demons...


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> Cops were horrible around here a few years ago. This city had grown to 350,000 people and a 1,000 cops. By now it had been predicted to be at 500,000+... But because of mismanagement by you know which party/allowing drug abuse/ 1 1/2 murders weekly/scared fleeing residents, it has shrunk to 200,000 and can only afford 500 cops...
> Well, cops aren't stupid... who was going to be the 500 cops let go? A few took early retirement. They knew any cop not getting his (unwritten) quota of tickets was going to be at the top of the list. So they were on every street corner trying to write plenty of tickets. Not able to find enough lawbreakers, they would just pull motorists over and write them a fistfull of tickets... prosecutors would go along with it and offer to tear up all the tickets except 1 or 2 if you would plead and pay for them. Eventually word got around to the point that if you told the judge they were "phony tickets", some of the judges would toss them. Nothing happened to the cops other than being let go. Judges felt sorry for them. Economy wasn't great at that time and few were hiring.


When did Toledo lay off/get rid of 500 cops? I have lived in and around Toledo my entire life and I don't recall that. My dad is a retired Toledo cop and my uncle was a Toledo cop a long time too. I know the last 5 or more years they have had a hard time even getting new cops into the academy so they are perpetually short. I know as the population has dwindled they have allowed attrition to reduce the size of the force. I did find a story about the city laying off 75 cops in 2009 when the economy was in the toilet and the city was strapped for money. That would have been well after my dad retired.  Toledo's population started falling in the 80's when you know which party helped  US companies ship so many manufacturing jobs overseas so they could make more money.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Oh c'mon! Iraq and Afghanistan wars are Christians/Jews vs Muslims... and some other personal differences between the Bush's and Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden...
> Ukraine and Balkans Wars are Eastern Orthodox Catholic Putin vs Jews/Roman Catholics of Ukraine... that one been going on since the divide in 1054:
> East–West Schism - Wikipedia
> All religics are demons by written orders from their handbooks... OK... just joking... no such things as demons...



No... Iraq was so Bush and Cheney and their buddies could become Billionaires or close to it. They would have attacked the UAE for all their riches, but they wouldn't be able to point the finger at a bad guy like Saddam.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I've also been the victim of various levels of religious terrorism. When I see people advertise evil by pictures or words, I try to counteract it...  As Shan always says, "Be the change you want to see in the world"...
> .


Have you made any change in these forums worthy of note?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Have you made any change in these forums worthy of note?


I'm making changes everywhere on the planet! Everyone is becoming more aware of the problem...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> I know the last 5 or more years they have had a hard time even getting new cops into the academy so they are perpetually short.





68bucks said:


> Toledo's population started falling in the 80's when you know which party helped  US companies ship so many manufacturing jobs overseas so they could make more money.


I don't know why anyone would want to be a cop after seeing the horrible thing that happened to good cop Officer Derek Chauvin... 
. 
Dundee just north of Toledo is exploding with new manufacturing businesses and jobs... while the same flee Toledo...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm making changes everywhere on the planet! Everyone is becoming more aware of the problem...


I hadn't noticed that you had gathered a following.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I hadn't noticed that you had gathered a following.


I noticed even you are more aware...


----------



## Flyover

Buzz, you could open with "Excuse me, sir, but have you heard the good news?" If you want to make people more aware you could put on a suit and go door to door with a copy of "The God Delusion" tucked under your arm.

There are huge divisions in Islam between different sects. It makes Catholic vs. Protestant look like a tea party. As I understand it, to say the Iraq wars were "Christians/Jews vs. Muslims" is like saying "the American Civil War was France vs. the USA".


----------



## Eddie_T

Buzz, I am more aware  ·  ·  ·   of your paranoia.


----------



## Eddie_T

I worked a bit more on scraping moss off my brick patio. I also pulled up quite a bit of English Ivy in my woods and added it to my brush pile.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Buzz, you could open with "Excuse me, sir, but have you heard the good news?" If you want to make people more aware you could put on a suit and go door to door with a copy of "The God Delusion" tucked under your arm.
> 
> There are huge divisions in Islam between different sects. It makes Catholic vs. Protestant look like a tea party. As I understand it, to say the Iraq wars were "Christians/Jews vs. Muslims" is like saying "the American Civil War was France vs. the USA".


Yes, Islam is insanely complicated. The Sunnis (Saddam) hate the Shias and they fight and kill everybody over disagreements about the prophet Muhammad, but to Americans it's like Yankees vs. Red Sox. I know they feel different and they both would want to kill me for making it that simple, which truthfully, I don't care about because I don't care to research their pity party. 

So, ALL Sunnis hated us in Baghdad, especially the lazy do nothing Sunnis that had BMW's and Mercedes and nicer houses. The cars didn't run because neither did Saddam's Baath Party that gave them the gas. Then there were the oppressed Shias that loved us for taking Saddam out of power... Then there were the Shias that hated us under Muqtada Al-Sadr's Madhi Army. They were the main enemy in our sector the whole time. 

So do you understand? Neither do I, but that is an example of a "Religion War", but it's entirely Islam along with Hijacked Islam, and nothing to do with Christianity, which wasn't part of the War.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Buzz, you could open with "Excuse me, sir, but have you heard the good news?" If you want to make people more aware you could put on a suit and go door to door with a copy of "The God Delusion" tucked under your arm.
> 
> There are huge divisions in Islam between different sects. It makes Catholic vs. Protestant look like a tea party. As I understand it, to say the Iraq wars were "Christians/Jews vs. Muslims" is like saying "the American Civil War was France vs. the USA".


Unfortunately, much of the news is still bad... religions wars still occurring... but we can't give up... Jefferson and Madison didn't... got the USA written up and going forward... despite tons of religious opposition...
.
Yes, I realize the Sunni and Shiite Muslims love to mass murder each other... and both against the Kurdish Muslims... and the Protestant and Catholic Christians love to mass murder each other... still have big celebrations of that in UK... Orange walk - Wikipedia
Jews/Christians managed to get Iraq and Iran into a 10 year war with each other... like two battleships side by side for 10 years... pounding each other and loving it! Allies selling weapons to both sides...
.
There's an old saying: "Politics makes for strange bedfellows"... Jews and Christians manage to combine against the Muslims despite having their own differences... "enemy of my enemy is my (temporary) friend"... 
.
9/11 was Muslims destroying Jew owned buildings in NYC... then expanding to Christian run Pentagon and White House(failed there)...
.
Civil War: France vs USA ??? Man you gotta pass around whatever you're smoking! Gotta be some potent stuff!


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> Unfortunately, much of the news is still bad... religions wars still occurring... but we can't give up... Jefferson and Madison didn't... got the USA written up and going forward... despite tons of religious opposition...
> .
> Yes, I realize the Sunni and Shiite Muslims love to mass murder each other... and both against the Kurdish Muslims... and the Protestant and Catholic Christians love to mass murder each other... still have big celebrations of that in UK... Orange walk - Wikipedia
> Jews/Christians managed to get Iraq and Iran into a 10 year war with each other... like two battleships side by side for 10 years... pounding each other and loving it! Allies selling weapons to both sides...
> .
> There's an old saying: "Politics makes for strange bedfellows"... Jews and Christians manage to combine against the Muslims despite having their own differences... "enemy of my enemy is my (temporary) friend"...
> .
> 9/11 was Muslims destroying Jew owned buildings in NYC... then expanding to Christian run Pentagon and White House(failed there)...
> .
> Civil War: France vs USA ??? Man you gotta pass around whatever you're smoking! Gotta be some potent stuff!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Buzz, I am more aware  ·  ·  ·   of your paranoia.


You learned that FAKE NEWS gaslighting from the Democrats, didn't you? 
. 
And pretend there is no war going on in Ukraine... nobody getting killed... just another religious festival...


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm making changes everywhere on the planet! Everyone is becoming more aware of the problem...


Oops... guess I should have said everywhere in the Universe... 
If advanced aliens will be visiting the earth someday, we need to clean up our act so we don't look so stupid in comparison! 


			Normal People Universe – Preparing the Earth to Join the Universe


----------



## Flyover

Installed an accessory on my wife's car. Glad that's off my plate!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Flyover said:


> Haha, reminds me of Frank Zappa's song "Pojama People":





@Flyover thank you for that, it's been a million years since I heard Frank...


----------



## havasu

BuzzLOL said:


> Why don't you tell that to attorney Steve Lehto that is putting out lots of these instances... he says he is easy to find... seems easy to talk to... very sensible...



Sleaze ball attorneys drumming up business.

Just like other YouTube videos. Crap.


----------



## havasu

How about enough cop hating, God hating, Devil loving stuff?

What did I do today?
Not much!


----------



## shan2themax

@havasu I didn't do much today myself.... worked my 12 hours today, and practiced my " being the change I wish to see in the world"  
Looked at the weather forecast.... its supposed to rain Thursday... ugh!! This grass situation is annoying to say the least.... maybe it will hold off for a day or so. 
I should be asleep already for work tomorrow.... yet here I am. 
Ok... goodnight all, quit all the fussing.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Yesterday didn't do an h3ll  of a lot... Took Carl to get his nails trimmed,  went for a walk down at the water... saw a boat from Auckland, New Zealand... I think that's the furthest away boat I have seen this year...

Today, I have to take the newest truck in for its oil and lube... Not sure when the oil was changed last,,,
time... and hate not snowing if it's synthetic.. or normal... But I think there is a filter if it's synthetic... Guess time will tell...

Suppose it rains most of the day, so I think I will work on my taxes, and get them sent in... So, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

A buddy usually makes dinner once  week for his brother and me. I go early we have a beer, maybe smoke a cigar and I may fix some small problem for him. He made us a delicious one cup peach cobbler. Ingredients are;

1 cup milk
1 cup SR flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 can peaches
1 stick butter

Butter is melted in a 9" x 9" baking dish while mixing milk, flour, sugar and vanilla. The batter is poured over the butter and un-drained peaches (or other fruit) is placed on top . Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until crust is browned.

edited to add *sugar* (very important


----------



## RedneckGrump

Eddie_T said:


> A buddy usually makes dinner once  week for his brother and me. I go early we have a beer, maybe smoke a cigar and I may fix some small problem for him. He made us a delicious one cup peach cobbler. Ingredients are;
> 
> 1 cup milk
> 1 cup SR flour
> 1 tsp vanilla
> 1 can peaches
> 1 stick butter
> 
> Butter is melted in a 9" x 9" baking dish while mixing milk, flour and vanilla. The batter is poured over the butter and un-drained peaches (or other fruit) is placed on top . Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until crust is browned.


Sounds delicious... Very good...

Well, I took the new truck to us for an oil change... and the owner of the shop who I trust more than I can tell you, I've dealt with him for many years... and he would tell me if a vehicle is not worth fixing or it is... For example, I had a 2004 Chevy Trail Blazer, with 602 km on it, the body was starting to fall off,  It needed a new tranny... He told me the truck is not worth it... Most places would just put in a new tranny... Anyways, back to my day... So took the new truck in for a 10 o'clock appointment for an oil change, cuz I was unsure of the last oil change... and The owner Mike comes to me, to tell me I need a wheel bearing... So, I am going to go to the garage that did the safety... and see how we can settle this...

So at home waiting for the owner Mike to call me, come and get me, and pick up the truck... Then probably take Carl for his walk down to the Riverfront... and that will probably be the day...

So, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day!
And Smile, it confuses people... They wonder what YOU are up to...

Cheers~
Mike


----------



## Eddie_T

I edited the recipe, I had forgotten the cup of sugar.


----------



## havasu

Eddie_T said:


> A buddy usually makes dinner once  week for his brother and me. I go early we have a beer, maybe smoke a cigar and I may fix some small problem for him. He made us a delicious one cup peach cobbler. Ingredients are;
> 
> 1 cup milk
> 1 cup SR flour
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 tsp vanilla
> 1 can peaches
> 1 stick butter
> 
> Butter is melted in a 9" x 9" baking dish while mixing milk, flour and vanilla. The batter is poured over the butter and un-drained peaches (or other fruit) is placed on top . Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until crust is browned.
> 
> edited to add *sugar* (very important


SR? Self rising?
Butter? How much?


----------



## havasu

Well, that recipe sounded good, so I tossed in the ingrediants and made it. I had no idea how much butter, so I cut a stick in half and melted it on the stove before adding the flour mixture. It is now in the oven and I have 36 minutes before it is done. We will see how it turns out.....


----------



## Spicoli43

Last ingredient in the recipe....


----------



## havasu

Thanks, I must be blind. 12:48 minutes left. I'll post pics


----------



## Eddie_T

Yes flour is self rising. I think my buddy used 1/2 stick butter instead of 1 stick. I have some frozen blueberries I am going to try. My wife used to make in-a-minute cobbler. Prolly same thing only she made it in a glass loaf pan. So a deep dish cobbler.


----------



## havasu

Well, here it is. We'll find out how it tastes tonight.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have oven heating now for a blueberry version.


----------



## Flyover

This guy came and installed my OTR microwave in like 10 minutes. By himself. That includes removing the old one. I'm awestruck. I was busy working but regret not watching to see what kind of evil sorcery he used.

Anyway, I already like the new one more: you can turn the beeping off!


----------



## Eddie_T

Blueberry one-cup-cobbler. I feel guilty this was just too easy.


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> went for a walk down at the water... saw a boat from Auckland, New Zealand...
> 
> Today, I have to take the newest truck in for its oil and lube... Not sure when the oil was changed last,,,
> time... and hate not snowing if it's synthetic.. or normal... But I think there is a filter if it's synthetic... Guess time will tell...


Not sure if still there but used to be a wooden personal boat like older 36 foot cabin cruiser docked at a house in the wealthy Colony estates neighborhood across the river that the transom said Monte Carlo for location under the name... doubt it cruised across the Atlantic, likely shipped over...
.
I always thought New Zealand was north of Australia but noticed a few years ago it's south east of Australia... getting down near Antartica... BRRRRRRrrrrrrrr...
.
Was surprised to notice a couple years ago that at Walmart 5 quarts jug of regular motor oil was $12.99... and jug of full synthetic was only $13.99... of course, that's now more like $17.99 and $21.99... Would expect to have an oil filter no matter what type of oil? 
. 
Also, those jugs of oil all have electronic security devices on them now...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> A buddy usually makes dinner once  week for his brother and me. I go early we have a beer, maybe smoke a cigar and I may fix some small problem for him. He made us a delicious one cup peach cobbler.


Used to make beer bread... as I recall, ingredients are can of beer, SR flour, and sugar... 
Also used the beer bread as crust when making pizza...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> The batter is poured over the butter and un-drained peaches (or other fruit) is placed on top .


The batter rises up through the fruit and ends up on top?


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Thanks, I must be blind. 12:48 minutes left. I'll post pics



That's cured by Coffee for me at 0500, but only lasts about 30 minutes.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I always thought New Zealand was north of Australia but noticed a few years ago it's south east of Australia... getting down near Antartica... BRRRRRRrrrrrrrr...


Actually, better weather than everywhere in this country in my opinion..










						New Zealand climate and weather | 100% Pure New Zealand
					

New Zealand weather varies widely between the North and South Island. Find out what to expect and when the best time is to visit.




					www.newzealand.com


----------



## Spicoli43

I was thinking of the best way to become a Billionaire, even though I would give most of it away... Anybody on here would have a better chance of figuring it out than others since we are more hands on and technical than the average person...

All you have to do is figure out how to invent a FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF *&%^&%$&^$%^%$^%$^%$^%&

Hold on...


FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF c%[email protected]%$#%^$^%$&^$$&&%*&%*&%*&%&^%


Almost there...



FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF ^#%[email protected]#%%$%#%$#%$



Shoelace that doesn't knot.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> The batter rises up through the fruit and ends up on top?


Yes. I thought I had goofed  as I substituted XXX sugar for granulated. My batter looked kinda thin. I baked it around 55 minutes until it browned. I think it would be hard to make it inedible.


----------



## zannej

I swept my bathroom floor and went to Walmart to grab some stuff I forgot the other day. Some stuff was added to my list later. Felt a little dizzy after grabbing some feed from TSC and got stuck in traffic because there was a wreck at Walmart. Not sure if it was at the turn-in or in the actual parking lot, but the cops were out stopping traffic and a tow truck was hauling off 2 vehicles & one had its front end completely smashed in. Grabbed some salads for later. Got some cups for my bathroom (the paper ones were in bad shape). Grabbed an HDMI cable for Mom's laptop because her screen stopped working. Friend looked at it and it works with a tv or monitor via HDMI but the computer is not detecting its own screen for some reason. Mom was using it and suddenly it blinked out for no reason. Techs said we'd have to send it back in for repair. It's still under warranty.

The cobblers look good. I wonder if those can be cooked in an air fryer in smaller sizes.


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> .
> Was surprised to notice a couple years ago that at Walmart 5 quarts jug of regular motor oil was $12.99... and jug of full synthetic was only $13.99... of course, that's now more like $17.99 and $21.99... Would expect to have an oil filter no matter what type of oil?
> .
> Also, those jugs of oil all have electronic security devices on them now...


I wish Oil was that cheap here... I buy the biggest container, so it's probably 4liters... and that would cost me anywhere from $30 - $55

So my oil change cost me $743 because I also needed a wheel bearing... So I am going to see the garage that did the safety... Seems they missed the bearing...

Anyways, that is my day...Have a good one...
Cheers~ 
Mike


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> I wish Oil was that cheap here... I buy the biggest container, so it's probably 4liters... and that would cost me anywhere from $30 - $55
> 
> So my oil change cost me $743 because I also needed a wheel bearing... So I am going to see the garage that did the safety... Seems they missed the bearing...


Why was the wheel bearing so much? 4WD? Did they give you the old bearing?
.
Here's the oil I use, only in 5W-20 (Imperial Gallon):


			Robot or human?
		

(Don't know why the weird name popped up)


----------



## havasu

havasu said:


> Well, here it is. We'll find out how it tastes tonight.


Well, to be honest, I took one bite, then tossed the rest. I think if some sugar was sprinkled on top, was allowed to cook for 20 more minutes, and adding some nutmeg and cinnamon would certainly have helped. I also think the peach juice should have been added to the batter before cooking. All this would have made this edible, instead of throwing it all in the trash.


----------



## Eddie_T

havasu said:


> Well, to be honest, I took one bite, then tossed the rest. I think if some sugar was sprinkled on top, was allowed to cook for 20 more minutes, and adding some nutmeg and cinnamon would certainly have helped. I also think the peach juice should have been added to the batter before cooking. All this would have made this edible, instead of throwing it all in the trash.



Sorry, mine turned out great. I almost ate it all last night but considered that would be the intake of a full cup of sugar in one evening. I forgot the vanilla but it didn't seem to make any difference. I put a couple of scoops of vanilla  ice cream on my portion while still warm.

I Made something that didn't turn out as expected a while back and I just poured some pancake syrup over it and ate it as a fritter.


----------



## Flyover

I think people mean different things by "cobbler". I always took it to mean a gooey fruity mixture down below and a crumbly sugary mixture up top, but I have seen things get called "cobbler" that are really more like "wet fruity cake you could eat with a spoon". For those I'd say serving it hot and _a la mode_ is a requirement, maybe over a large fresh (or freshly microwaved) oatmeal cookie, but I'm just describing my own tastes at that point.

Today I swapped out a defective pickup on my guitar for a replacement that was kindly sent to me by the manufacturer. What a difference that makes! Loving that satisfaction of being able to successfully do it myself.


----------



## Spicoli43

Got a letter from the power company saying my bill has dropped to $96 from $128. That's because I was a sweaty mess all Summer instead of using the AC a lot. That's great that they have to do that because they owe me a couple hundred, but if it's -40 for a Month, I'll end up owing them and they will raise it back up in a few months. 

I wish they would just leave it and it wouldn't mess up my budget and they could give me a check if I move while they owe me. Keep it Simple, Stupid.


----------



## havasu

My electric bill is $528


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> My electric bill is $528


????????????

What are you powering, a Costco?


----------



## zannej

Sorry to hear the cobbler didn't turn out. I'm not exactly sure what a cobbler is. I just know there were things called cobbler and for some reason I keep thinking of a tree called catobler tree. Had these weird grubs that box turtles loved. They were good for fishing too.

Havasu, I've had bills that high back when the wires on the top of the pole came loose and it was drawing too much power just to use the lights. Had to get it fixed. Old AC used to use so much power that when we got a new AC they sent someone out to check our meter to figure out why the usage dropped so much. LOL. 

My friend's bills have been much lower since his gf's mooching family moved out, but the mooching family have consistently had bills around $900 per month. They run AC even when its cold and leave the door open. Leave all the lights on, and are very wasteful. But they can't fathom why they have a high bill. They never contributed to a single power bill when they stayed with my friend and he got hit with some $1200 electric bills while they were there.

I slept until 5pm. Just feeling exhausted. Had some back and forth with CyberpowerPC about sending Mom's laptop back to get the screen replaced/fixed. It's just dead for no apparent reason. They are not organized at all about warranty stuff. Said we have to pay to send it to them. No RMA number, no code or anything to put on it to indicate that we are sending it in for repair... I had to explain to the guy that I want some sort of system where I know we're getting the computer back & not just sending it blindly. He still hasn't given me the address to send it to or which department to address it to. It's like they don't know how to handle returns for warranty repairs. I wish I could have my friend fix it but the replacement part is sold out right now.


----------



## Spicoli43

Z, you're dealing with a garbage company, I wish you luck...









						CyberPowerPC is rated "Poor" with 2.4 / 5 on Trustpilot
					

Do you agree with CyberPowerPC's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 1,151 customers have already said.




					www.trustpilot.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Got a letter from the power company saying my bill has dropped to $96 from $128. That's because I was a sweaty mess all Summer instead of using the AC a lot. \


My electric isn't on level payment, varies from about $45 - $95/month... plus gas for heat in winter... kept this big old barn of a house cooler this summer... 75 max instead of usual 77 max degrees... open windows late on cool nights to cool the house down... close them in the morning before it warms up... my electric bill due 2 days ago was $73.49... we have a high electric rate here...
I like my bills on uneven payments because when they get high I scream and do something about them...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Havasu, I've had bills that high back when the wires on the top of the pole came loose and it was drawing too much power just to use the lights. Had to get it fixed. Old AC used to use so much power that when we got a new AC they sent someone out to check our meter to figure out why the usage dropped so much. LOL.
> 
> My friend's bills have been much lower since his gf's mooching family moved out, but the mooching family have consistently had bills around $900 per month. They run AC even when its cold and leave the door open. Leave all the lights on, and are very wasteful. But they can't fathom why they have a high bill. They never contributed to a single power bill when they stayed with my friend and he got hit with some $1200 electric bills while they were there.


When I switched to high efficiency gas furnace the gas company kept wondering why I wasn't using much gas any more... why the meter readings were so low... 
. 
The things you folks tolerate in YOUR homes I would never allow...


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Why was the wheel bearing so much? 4WD? Did they give you the old bearing?
> .
> Here's the oil I use, only in 5W-20 (Imperial Gallon):
> 
> 
> Robot or human?
> 
> 
> (Don't know why the weird name popped up)


I have been dealing with this mechanic for years, he's not one to rip me off... The wheel bearing was around $451, and the labour on it was $155 around... Don't remember the exact numbers... And yes it's 4X4...

My mechanic offered me the bearing, and I said, no thanks, you have never ripped me off before... So yesterday on the way up to my brothers to get our other truck... I stopped at the garage that did the safety... He told me he was going to call the owner, and that he would have my money on Friday... So that was simple...



Spicoli43 said:


> I wish they would just leave it and it wouldn't mess up my budget and they could give me a check if I move while they owe me. Keep it Simple, Stupid.


Could NOT agree with YOU more... They have finally left my build-up of money there, and if there's a credit, attach to the money I have built up... I pay $120 a month every month... and now have roughly $900 saved up on the account... I want to get it so I don't have to pay for a year... Time will tell, think it's the same on the gas bill and internet... Rather be ahead of the game, than behind the game...

 So as I said above, we drove in the new truck to us up to my brothers to retrieve the other truck... So they are both in the laneway now... The sun is shining for the first time this week, so going to try and start cleaning up the property for winter...

One of my customers for scrap just called telling me they got lots more for me, So will probably get it next week... 

Had a huge thunderstorm here during the night... quite a few very big boomers... Woke the whole house up... Ah well, we all survived...

Hope YOU all have a GREAT day, Take care of yourselves...
Cheers ~
Mike


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> The wheel bearing was around $451


Wheel bearings usually run $3 - 25 so wondering why so high?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Really not here in Canada, they are $200 plus, depending on what you are driving, it was a wheel bearing hub for 4x4...


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, when we first started buying from CyberpowerPC they were a good company. They were highly rated but I guess they declined over the years (like many companies). I've never had a problem like this from one of their builds before and never had to return something so I don't know what the deal is. But they really need to work on their customer service.

Stomach & digestive tract are not feeling great today. Got post-nasal drip mucking things up and slight sinus headache. Feeling run down. Probably a cold or something but blech. I'm going to force myself to get up and clean later but I want to nap a little first.

I just checked the prices of wheel-bearings on Autozone site and they range from around $90 to $760 depending on the type.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Spicoli, when we first started buying from CyberpowerPC they were a good company. They were highly rated but I guess they declined over the years (like many companies). I've never had a problem like this from one of their builds before and never had to return something so I don't know what the deal is. But they really need to work on their customer service.


Yeah, companies are dying. The former BOD member of Home Depot, Marvin Ellison went on to become the CEO of JC Penney and burned it down, and now is the CEO of Lowe's, burning it down. He's probably still paid by HD of course... 

Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond, HEB, Kohl's and Wayfair exposed themselves as Fascists among other retailers...

Target, Disney, Netflix and State Farm exposed themselves as Pedophiles etc...


----------



## Spicoli43

Just thinking about "Name brand" stuff and why it sells. I actually want to know why certain brands sell, and I'll make it as simple as the 30 oz. Coffee Tumblers I use, the Ozark Trail...



			Robot or human?
		


I just got an email from ACE that has the Yeti version... IT'S THE SAME THING for $29 more... It's probably made in the same factory.






						YETI Rambler 30 oz Black BPA Free Tumbler with MagSlider Lid - Ace Hardware
					

The Rambler 30 oz. is the tumbler that gets you through the day. Your morning brew stays hot, and your iced coffee will stay cold - so take your time. Kitchen-grade stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation will protect your drink at all costs. Like the entire Rambler Family, the 30 oz...




					www.acehardware.com
				




By the way, I fully endorse the Ozark Trail tumbler, drinking out of one now that's more than 8 years old. I have a brand new spare that's collecting dust because this one isn't finished. 

The same can be applied to everything...


----------



## Spicoli43

Tesla... $120,000... Perfect...

New battery in 8 Years... $45,000... Excellent...

Waiting 24 Hours in public to charge it... PRICELESS!


----------



## Flyover

My old microwave is sitting on its back in my garage. @RedneckGrump you said you harvest batteries out of these. Can you recommend a tutorial somewhere?


----------



## zannej

I wish I could refurbish my old 3cubic ft convection microwave. It's ugly as sin with the fake wood look, but that thing was great for cooking larger stuff. Lasted 22 years. Power surges finally killed it.

I cleaned up the hallway and started cleaning in the kitchen but felt awful and decided to sit down. Went into the bathroom and made a mix of baking soda and vinegar. Got to watch it fizz when I added the baking soda. Made a paste and tried to slather it all over the inside of the sink. I think I need less liquid and more powder next time to see if it will stay. Letting it sit for an hour and then will go scrub it off. If it works on the spots where it actually stuck I'll try to find a way to get it to stick to other spots as well. Didn't need the lemon juice as the smell from the white vinegar wasn't so strong.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> My old microwave is sitting on its back in my garage. @RedneckGrump you said you harvest batteries out of these. Can you recommend a tutorial somewhere?


It's the two donut magnets that you harvest. Also I think there are plans available to make some kind of welder using the transformer. The only caution would be to discharge the capacitor.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> It's the two donut magnets that you harvest.


Yes, that's what I remember RedneckGrump saying. Where are these magnets, typically?



Eddie_T said:


> The only caution would be to discharge the capacitor.


What does a capacitor look like, where is it located, and how do I safely discharge it?


----------



## havasu

Spicoli43 said:


> ????????????
> 
> What are you powering, a Costco?


In California, with one energy provider (So Cal Edison), they charge what they want. They also were sued for power lines falling in a wind event, so this lawsuit was tacked on to our bill. Finally, the Public Utilities Commission, elected by our governor, are in bed with our governor, so what Edison wants, Edison gets. Combine this with 14 days of 100 degree heat, the electric cars our governor is pushing, the constant threat of "Brown Outs", and most bills run between $500 - $1000 a month.


----------



## Eddie_T

This may be a good tutorial, if not just try another.


----------



## Eddie_T

Fish Mox cleared Tomas' respiratory ailment. I have stopped dosing his food as he is getting 2 loose.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Flyover said:


> My old microwave is sitting on its back in my garage. @RedneckGrump you said you harvest batteries out of these. Can you recommend a tutorial somewhere?


No batteries Buddy, Magnets...


Eddie_T said:


> It's the two donut magnets that you harvest. Also I think there are plans available to make some kind of welder using the transformer. The only caution would be to discharge the capacitor.


Yeah, One of these days I am going to build a welder, have quite a few BIG transformers... But also great copper in them... But have kept the bigger ones for a welder I am going to make one of these days...


Eddie_T said:


> This may be a good tutorial, if not just try another.



Great video, shows you everything you need to do Flyover... Great magnets in microwaves... also copper spools, aluminum fins... There is quite a bit to scrap out of a microwave...

Didn't do a lot today... took Carl for his walk...Went and got some round batter board, wanna put it in the gaps of my doors in the shop, and then spray some foam to fill up the gaps...

That's about all I did today... Tomorrow going to drive to the city of Ottawa to go to a cement distributor, and see if I can find something close to my brick, and a cement sill... But have to wait and see how the wife feels...

Well, that's everything for today... sitting here, sipping on my Forty Creek whisky over some ice...

Will check in tomorrow... Hope YOU all have a GREAT night...

Cheers~
Mike


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  if we lived closer, I'd help you clean so you can have some piece. Buy a shed for 2 of you and turn them into individual homes.... ... you'd get some peace and quiet.

Also... those are called catalpa trees. They sphinx moth larvae are what you are talking about. My ex husband and I used to drive around a couple of neighborhoods that had them and check the larvae to go fishing with. 

My electric bill is on level payments, its between 220 and 250 a month. I keep it 70 to 72 in the summer and 66 to 68 in the winter. I also let it get colder at night in the winter and set it to start warming up about an hour before I think I will get up.


I am going to attempt to do the courthouse stuff tomorrow. Hopeful that I have figured out all the right forms. 

Its funny. I am first generation college graduate (not counting my other half of DNA because I have never met him and don't know if he finished or not). I do not know one person who has had a parent pass and own nothing, that can help me figure out how to file the Summary for release from administration. I find it difficult to believe that noone I know, knows how to do that, or has gone through it..... yet here I am. 

I went to my massage therapist today, it was a great massage. I'm hopeful to not be super stiff and sore tomorrow.  She found super tight knots in my hips and worked them out.... ended up "adjusting" my back trying to loosen up the muscles. She tells me she doesn't see how I get out of bed some morning with how tight my muscle/ligaments/fascia are..... I told her I didn't realize I had a choice lol. I just do what I do when I can do. When I can't.... I complain about it till I do it anyway. I didn't get to cut grass today it rained. I haven't looked at forecast for tomorrow since I have things I have to do.... but maybe I will get lucky and be able to later in the day.... or at least maybe wewdeat..... although if I weedeat aRound the perimeter of the back yard, I will definitely get poison oak/ivy/sumac.
I will try to remember to take pics in the morning because I forgot to today.

Hope ya'll have a blessed night's sleep.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Hey @shan2themax, hope that back pain disappears for you... I know pain oh so very much... Have you ever heard of a thing called the TENS machine... does miracles on pain, especially the back, shoulders, and glutes...  Should look into getting one



They suggested we get one after our car accident... and we use it to this day... Helps a lot...


----------



## RedneckGrump

I don't know how that happened, edit it twice, and it only shows one v ideo, but when I post it, I get the same video posted... Go figure...


----------



## shan2themax

Red, I have used one in the past. However I can't reach the part of my back that acts up the most. However...... my back has gotten tremendously better. I had to go part time for a year. I worked 2 days a week, 12 hour shifts. I just can't do the lifting, tugging, pulling on patients anymore. It just is too hard on my back. I have fibromyalgia () also, so when I feel good, I try to cram a whole lot into that day.  I'm gonna be miserable the next day with much physical activity anyways, so I try to get 1 or 2 packed days into my 7 days off so that I can have time to recoup. It bites me in the butt anyways sometimes, but I give it a go anyways......
I drank entirely too much of my international delight mocha/caramel macchiato iced coffee this morning..... WhY aM I AWakE lol

I Almost forgot to mention I made a meatloaf with mashed potatoes and greens beans for dinner, tossed some crescent rolls in the oven too. It was a good meal!


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Shan. I hope your back gets feeling better. 
I had ramen noodles in chicken broth for dinner.

Havasu, sounds like my friend's power company. A truck hit a power pole and damaged it. Cleco passed the repair bill on to the customers who were affected by the outage. They also keep sending my friend disconnect notices claiming he owes for a previous month when he's up-to-date & they send him these notices before he even gets the bill or on the same day he gets the bill. If he doesn't pay almost immediately they cut his power off, charge him a reconnect fee plus a $300 deposit fee. And they have cut his power off more than 5x in the past year even when he actually paid on time and there was only $2 owed because of some BS fees they tacked on. I'm not even sure what they are doing is legal.

I didn't have coffee but I'm awake. I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about how my sink needed to be cleaned. It still needs more cleaning, but it looks better.

I'm going to try to get some sleep now though. Power outage yesterday threw me off.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> In California, with one energy provider (So Cal Edison), they charge what they want. They also were sued for power lines falling in a wind event, so this lawsuit was tacked on to our bill. Finally, the Public Utilities Commission, elected by our governor, are in bed with our governor, so what Edison wants, Edison gets. Combine this with 14 days of 100 degree heat, the electric cars our governor is pushing, the constant threat of "Brown Outs", and most bills run between $500 - $1000 a month.



There's one provider here, but there's no Communism. We got rid of our Commie Governor after he mandated masks. I remember PG&E turning off the power to "prevent" fires... I'm an outsider, so I don't understand why people keep voting for the Commies in CA... I do know I can't drive to the store without seeing CA, OR or WA plates. 

Newsom will probably be picked as VP by "President" Kamala soon... Then Kamala will resign and Newsom is "President" It will happen before November because it has to happen before then. We are all Kommiefornia soon.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I just checked the prices of wheel-bearings on Autozone site and they range from around $90 to $760 depending on the type.


I checked the prices of "wheel bearings" on RockAuto.com and they ranged from about $3 - 25... now if you're talking the whole "hub" plus bearings that's more money...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Just thinking about "Name brand" stuff and why it sells.


Because advertising works on a lot of people... some products, the price may be 3/4's toward advertising and a 1/4 or less for making and supplying the product...


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Z, you're dealing with a garbage company, I wish you luck...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CyberPowerPC is rated "Poor" with 2.4 / 5 on Trustpilot
> 
> 
> Do you agree with CyberPowerPC's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 1,151 customers have already said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.trustpilot.com


The last 2 PCs that I bought were from Cyberpower. I'm close to needing a new one. Never had any problems with them at all but never had to deal with any warranty issues with them. I bet I bought the first one from them 15 or 16 years ago maybe more. Good luck.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Tesla... $120,000... Perfect...
> 
> New battery in 8 Years... $45,000... Excellent...
> 
> Waiting 24 Hours in public to charge it... PRICELESS!


And here I am thinking the gasoline cars they make these days with a million sensors and other doodads that keep going bad make horrible 'used cars'... 
The Govt/taxpayers subsidized the batteries for $10K when the cars were sold new and now the Govt will prolly subsidize the batteries another $40-60K for replacement for used car buyers... 
These EVs should be made to stand on their own like gasoline cars are instead of subsidizing them before the technology, quick change universal batteries, power station generating capability, and charging infrastructure are ready for mass usage... 
Spend those $Trillions on reducing the Democrats' beloved junkies CRIME WAVE of 75 MURDERS DAILY and MILLIONS of OTHER DAILY CRIMES !!! 
Ditto for the $Trillions more and massive energy amounts they want to waste on impractical space travel! Use that to solve current out of control earth problems!


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> I don't know how that happened, edit it twice, and it only shows one v ideo, but when I post it, I get the same video posted... Go figure...


I occasionally have the same weirdness happen on this site... sometimes copying what you want and then deleting all the extra windows/duplicated text that pops up and then pasting only what you want back in works...


----------



## HandyOne

havasu said:


> In California, with one energy provider (So Cal Edison), they charge what they want. They also were sued for power lines falling in a wind event, so this lawsuit was tacked on to our bill. Finally, the Public Utilities Commission, elected by our governor, are in bed with our governor, so what Edison wants, Edison gets. Combine this with 14 days of 100 degree heat, the electric cars our governor is pushing, the constant threat of "Brown Outs", and most bills run between $500 - $1000 a month.



I see "no common sense" abounds out there.    I still think demanding more EV cars before the back up structure is in place (and affordable) is stupid.


----------



## 68bucks

I get to meet my Grand niece today. My niece and her husband are coming in from Germany for a few weeks. They came last year at this time and directly all got Covid. They were laid up for over a week. They didn't have the baby at that point. 

I looked at my electric bill and I'm paying $0.063/KwH. My bill runs about $120 give or take. 

I have heard Newsome's name mentioned if Biden doesn't run in 2024. That would be a train wreck, can't imagine him getting elected or the current VP for that matter. Based on the names that have been bantieed about by both parties I'll probably be voting 3rd party again, but we'll see how it shakes out in a couple years.


----------



## havasu

To vote 3rd party is just throwing your vote away. You may as well just save the ink in your pen.


----------



## shan2themax

So.... I went out picked up prescriptions, went to Walmart, got me a new "Toy"   HART Stack System, Mobile Tool Box for Storage and Organization, Fits Modular Storage System Robot or human?
I'm still debating on what all I will put in it, but I'd like to make it so that I am not stringing this between the garage and the inside of the house. Once the back porch is entirely cleaned off, thats where I would like to house it. Bought a tire inflator...... and again I didnt pay attention to what I was getting, bought a 12v..... thats ok. I need to be able to put air in my car tires also and I can just fill the riders tires out front. 

Also..... front and back yard is MOWED. It took an entire gallon of gas and 2 hours for my .25 acre lot. I had to cut it at max height (5) go over it twice and then come back with a 3. Still needs weed-eated and all that but it looks much better. (However, it still looks snappy because it was a little damp)

I remembered that I needed another piece of paperwork to go to the courthouse, so that will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday.

Washing my blankets today and I think I am gonna make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.


----------



## shan2themax

I forgot to add the yard pics . 
Thats the back yard. I forgot to take a pic of the front yard .
All that stuff piled up is stuff I'm throwing away. It stacked around my picnic table.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> I have heard Newsome's name mentioned if Biden doesn't run in 2024. That would be a train wreck, can't imagine him getting elected or the current VP for that matter. Based on the names that have been bantieed about by both parties I'll probably be voting 3rd party again, but we'll see how it shakes out in a couple years.



Well, the scenario is that Newsom or someone like him will be picked as Kamala's VP... That will never work if the Republicans take the Senate though.

Joe is done. There's no other way to put it. He either resigns before January, or he will be impeached. IF he isn't impeached, the Republicans might as well resign themselves. 

I don't know if they can Impeach Kamala at the same time, but lets say they can't... She picks her VP that doesn't pass, so there is no VP and she sits there for a few months before she's impeached. Since there is no VP, the Speaker of the House... Hopefully Jim Jordan becomes President until 2024.

President Trump has been mentioned as a potential Speaker of the House, but I would only want that if he doesn't run for President.


----------



## shan2themax

Front yard..... I see an area I forgot to go back over. 


Before



After



I can't tell a huge difference in the pics, but it certainly looks better.

Tomorrow my daughter is coming over to help me (so she can earn has money since she just started a new job and I have closed the bank of Mom). I think I am going to put tarps down between the houses..... to serve 2 purposes. 1, to kill the grass off faster and eliminate me needing to drive the lawn mower over there because there are 2 holes, and for 2... to move all those bags of stuff Round closer to that gate so that when the dumpster arrives, it will be closer to carry to dumpster. 

This way, I can take the chair/loveseat (not sure which it is yet) that's on the back porch and put it outback and burn it. Its too big to put in the dumpster believe. If I don't burn it, it can at least sit on the tarps after everything else is gone until community clean up next spring.

I still have a storage unit and a metal 8x10ish building to go through. I feel like this is going to take forever and ever. 

I did consider having a hitch installed and renting a trailer, but idk that I want to be bothered with all of that. 

I did not install the over thar range hood yet. Idk if I will this stretch off or not at this point. I hate having to get in the car and go places every day or even every other day when I am off and there are several days I have to.


I do think that I have decided on what I am going to put in my mobile tool box, so I might work on that some while I am off. 
Id like to do it tonight, but I am worn out from what little I did do today, and my daughter will be bringing her dogs over tomorrow with her, so they will be wild and so happy to be able to run and play, so no resting there .

I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner..... it was ok. I got the meatballs at Sam's, baked them per directions and them simmered in pasta sauce..... it was just ok. 

Hope everyone has had a good day!


----------



## RedneckGrump

shan2themax said:


> I Almost forgot to mention I made a meatloaf with mashed potatoes and greens beans for dinner, tossed some crescent rolls in the oven too. It was a good meal!


Sounds delish... Love meatloaf @shan2themax...

Well, today went pretty much as planned, Went to the dump... Then to the garage where the safety was done on the truck... and we agreed on half on the cost of the bearing and taxes... So that was kewl... Then took Carl down for his walk down on the river walk... Was a little chilly today... We got home, and the wife mentioned she would like to go over to her sister's for a visit... So we spent the afternoon there and got home at about 5... Had supper, and now relaxing, and telling you all about my day


----------



## zannej

I can see the difference, Shan. It looks a lot better.
 After watching videos on Youtube (mostly on cleaning) I washed some dishes, sauteed some mushrooms, cooked some yellow rice, went to the store to get some stuff (we were out of butter spray and low on some other stuff). Heated up shrimp scampi for Mom and put rice in it, and scrubbed at the stains in my sink with pumice stones from the nail care section. Lightly scrubbed the sink (which I'd left a paper towel soaked in vinegar in) and got more of the stains out. I want to scrub more when the drain is removed so I can get the area that shows around the drain. Left a paper towel soaked in vinegar on the vinyl floor where there's a red stain to see if it would help remove it. No luck. I may try again later. For now I'm going to take a nap.


----------



## RedneckGrump

zannej said:


> I can see the difference, Shan. It looks a lot better.
> After watching videos on Youtube (mostly on cleaning) I washed some dishes, sauteed some mushrooms, cooked some yellow rice, went to the store to get some stuff (we were out of butter spray and low on some other stuff). Heated up shrimp scampi for Mom and put rice in it, and scrubbed at the stains in my sink with pumice stones from the nail care section. Lightly scrubbed the sink (which I'd left a paper towel soaked in vinegar in) and got more of the stains out. I want to scrub more when the drain is removed so I can get the area that shows around the drain. Left a paper towel soaked in vinegar on the vinyl floor where there's a red stain to see if it would help remove it. No luck. I may try again later. For now I'm going to take a nap.


Hey there @zannej, I know it's hard to believe, but in everything I have seen is by adding baking soda... think it might help with the stain on the floor...??


----------



## zannej

Redneckgrump, that is my next step. Add baking soda over the stain, soak a rag in vinegar and put it over the stain and see if it does anything. Mom accidentally unplugged the phoneline. I need to get a longer cord so it doesn't happen again. Need something around 15' but shortest Walmart has is 25ft and that is too much.


----------



## 68bucks

havasu said:


> To vote 3rd party is just throwing your vote away. You may as well just save the ink in your pen.


IMO voting for "the lesser of evils"  is throwing your vote away. I have done that in the past and I'm not doing it anymore. I hear that all the time and if everyone keeps doing that you get what we got. I will no longer follow the herd. Also Trump will never be Speaker of the House. His outsized ego would never allow him to do that. I'm hoping one of the major parties can come up with someone worth voting for but I'm not optimistic. Trump will probably continue to derail the Republicans and the Democrats will probably stick with the incumbent, either Biden or Harris. I highly doubt anyone will be successfully impeached. If a president can incite a crowd to break into the capital of the US and not be successfully impeached I don't know what it takes.


----------



## Eddie_T

My woods are full of small birds. They are flitting about too fast to get a positive ID. I am thinking they may be migratory goldfinches (in winter color) stopping in for a snack.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> If a president can incite a crowd to break into the capital of the US and not be successfully impeached I don't know what it takes.


Ok. Please post the video in which he incited people, especially considering the attack happened before he was finished speaking.

Then, Please provide proof that his supporters were the attackers, considering that every single other speech in the History of President / Candidate Trump had and has no violence.

Then, Please discuss why his supporters would rather be attacking than at his speech, perhaps the only time they could see him live.

Then, Please discuss the role of Antifa and their leader John Sullivan, who dressed up as a Trump supporter that day.

Then, Please discuss the undercover FBI agents that led the riot.

I'll wait.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> To vote 3rd party is just throwing your vote away. You may as well just save the ink in your pen.


So true! That's how we end up with Democrats' beloved junkies CRIME WAvE of 75 MURDERS DAILY and MILLIONS of OTHER DAILY CRIMES !!!


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> If a president can incite a crowd to break into the capital of the US and not be successfully impeached I don't know what it takes.


The police opened the doors and let them in. They didn't set that Federal Building on fire like Democrats were doing every day for a year. It's not illegal for any good American to be in The People's House.


----------



## havasu

California Governor Newsom is doing alot of posturing lately, and I believe he will be the front runner for the Democratic Party. We attempted to recall him twice for his "do as I say, not do what I do" attitude, but the Democratic counters dismissed 3/4 of the signatures because their pens hit the outside of the signature box.


----------



## Spicoli43

If Gavin isn't installed as "President" after Joe is ousted, I hope he is the one and only for the Dems in 24 because the dude obviously can't manage your State, much less the Country. Anybody like Trump or Desantis would eviscerate him. They wouldn't even be able to cheat.

I think they will run Hillary though, she will say so and they will do it because she has dirt on everyone.


----------



## havasu

I think Killary is done. I don't think she is even interested these days?


----------



## Spicoli43

She still hasn't gotten over 2016. I think she's still on her 2089 reasons I didn't win book tour.


----------



## Flyover

If you believe "voting third party is throwing your vote away" it means you should also believe that if the candidate you voted for gets elected, then you are partly responsible for everything he or she does while in office (because without your vote none of it would have been possible).

You'd think this would make people who insist on voting for mainstream candidates a lot more picky about who they will give their all-important vote to, but instead it seems to have the opposite effect.

So when people say "voting third party is throwing your vote away" what I hear is "you should vote for a scoundrel who doesn't share your values so you can take the blame for the mess he will make if he's elected." Maybe that's persuasive to somebody out there, but not to me. If someone's going to insist that I vote (and someone does) then I'm voting for the person I think would do the job least worst, even if I have to write that person's name in letter by letter.



I made the initial cuts on my newest woodworking project today. This involved using for the first time a bandsaw, a scroll saw, and an edge/belt spindle sander. I took pictures but my phone died before I could get them onto this computer.


----------



## havasu

I agree the system is really flawed. But honestly, has a third party ever even come close to making any difference?


----------



## zannej

So long as we are stuck with a 2 party system where 3rd party people can't even make it on the ballot in every state, we will never have a 3rd party president. 
and the DNC and RNC choose who their candidates will be and block anyone they don't like so we end up with crappy candidates. I wish we could have a 3rd party person win, but so long as we have the current system, it won't happen and that is sad. But, I also believe in voting for who you think best fits your views and who you want to have as president. My vote always gets nullified by the EC anyway so its a throwaway regardless so voting 3rd party changes nothing for me.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> has a third party ever even come close to making any difference?


I would turn the question around: given the long history of disasters the mainstream parties/candidates are unquestionably responsible for, why would anyone want to associate with them? 

Either you believe your vote makes a difference, in which case you're responsible for those disasters too, or you believe your vote doesn't make a difference either way, in which case why not vote for someone who actually represents your views?


----------



## 68bucks

Ross Perot came close back when as a 3rd party candidate. There is still hope for a 3rd party. I voted for Jo Jorgensen last election. I believe she was on the ballot in every state for the Libertarian party. There is usually a Green party candidate on all the ballots too. There is a new party on the horizon, the Forward party. Maybe they can offer something to the people, like me, that think the 2 main patries have been co-opted by the extreme elements of their parties. 

Forward Party


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, Good Morning Foks... A lot of talk about politics here, maybe we should have a politics thread and a general talk thread...

Thought this was for what you did today, and maybe yesterday if you didn't get on here...

Yesterday, was the first day in a while that didn't rain... So we were able to take Carl for his walk down on the river walk... and got to see a couple of ships go by... Love watching the ships, and am amazed by something that big, 435 feet long, and probably 25" from water to the railing of the ship can stay afloat...

Came home, cut the front of our house and my neighbour, always thinks it looks better if you are to drive by...

Then cut the back acre and Lorie pulled the veggie garden out since it was hit by frost the other day... and all the green peppers we didn't get cut off turned black, so yeah frost hit it. She also cut all our hostas down in the back... and a few other perennials.. After cutting the grass, I had a gin and tonic... Then I built a leaf composter with the skids I collected over the year. It's 12' long, 5' wide, and 4' deep... So the wife put all the hostas and garden cuttings in there... I have 4 huge maples on our property, that drop a lot of leaves

Now it's supposed to rain for the next three days, so I guess it's indoor jobs... So I guess, I will be working in the basement, and the workshops...

So, that's what's going on in Brockville, Canada the remaining part of the weekend... I hope YOU all have a wonderful day and an even better week...
Cheers~
Mike


----------



## 68bucks

Your right about the politics, we get side tracked from time to time. I've been nursing a back strain for several days, lots of pain. Did it washing the windows outside last week, just turned and tweaked it. Man it's tough getting old, but I say it's better than not getting old. Supposed to go up to Lake St. Clair starting Tuesday for a fishing trip but not sure I can take it in the boat all day for 5 or 6 days. 6 other guys going and everyone is sort of waiting for me to decide if I can do it since I have 1 of the boats. Don't want to let everyone down so I'm trying to heal faster.

I love to watch the freighters too Grump. My wife went on a trip on a freighter about 4 years ago. Went with a 4 other women one of which won the trip in a raffle for the Great Lakes Ship Museum. They were on the Paul R. Tegurtha, a 1000 footer. I believe it's the largest on the lakes. The left East China, MI and went to Monroe, MI and unloaded coal. Then went to Duluth, MI and picked up iron ore. Then went to East Chicago, IN. Took about 10 days I believe. I was very jealous.


----------



## RedneckGrump

68bucks said:


> Your right about the politics, we get side tracked from time to time. I've been nursing a back strain for several days, lots of pain. Did it washing the windows outside last week, just turned and tweaked it. Man it's tough getting old, but I say it's better than not getting old. Supposed to go up to Lake St. Clair starting Tuesday for a fishing trip but not sure I can take it in the boat all day for 5 or 6 days. 6 other guys going and everyone is sort of waiting for me to decide if I can do it since I have 1 of the boats. Don't want to let everyone down so I'm trying to heal faster.
> 
> I love to watch the freighters too Grump. My wife went on a trip on a freighter about 4 years ago. Went with a 4 other women one of which won the trip in a raffle for the Great Lakes Ship Museum. They were on the Paul R. Tegurtha, a 1000 footer. I believe it's the largest on the lakes. The left East China, MI and went to Monroe, MI and unloaded coal. Then went to Duluth, MI and picked up iron ore. Then went to East Chicago, IN. Took about 10 days I believe. I was very jealous.


Hope YOU feel better @68bucks Hope the back begins to feel better... My Buddy suffers from a bad back... Lay on the floor several times today, and put your legs up the wall... It will hurt to get there, but once you get there it will feel much better, stay in that position for 15 - 20 minutes...

Yeah, I love watching the ships... they say 10 years ago St. Lawerence looked like a highway with these ships... That would have been awesome to see... It'll be ending in a few weeks to spring again...

Well Buddy, Hope your back feels better...
Cheers
Mike


----------



## shan2themax

So..... my daughter came over yesterday to "work" for gas money, because the Bank of Mom has officially been shut down due to loan payments not starting on time related to her job change ( ). I layed the tarp down up against the fence with hate that will be closer to dumpster when it arrives. She piled all the bags we already had, and then she put probably 8 more out there. We put the empty foot lockers close to my broken  barrel, made a pile of electronics, put a extra wide "chair" (almost love seat size) out there as well as extra couch cushions, and an ottaman. Over.... I'm pretty sure the yard is a bigger mess because of the piles, but...... for the first time since I can ever remember since 2007, I can look out the sliding glass door and into the backyard. I'm sure I could see out it in 2008, I just don't remember it. Then I did a load of laundry. I watched TV for a bit and then decided it was time for bed... so I folded the dry laundry and tossed towels in the washer. Started looking at the washer because it hasn't been level for more time than I care to admit. So I pushed the dryer partially in the doorway (very small laundry room) and attempted to lower the feet on the right hand side and they wouldn't budge in either direction. I tried to use some chennel locks but that didn't work. So...... I scooted the washer part way behind the dryer and tilted it, reached for the feet and they were gross.... so then I had to yell for help, so that I could get a rag and the broom and dustpan.... got the mess cleaned up and the feet cleaned up and turned them a few times each. Put the washer and dryer back and stood by and admired my work with no level (it was in the garage). Looked pretty even. Took the towels out earlier and they felt more dry. Hopefully they dry better. Another project off the to-do list. Now, earlier in the week, I changed out the dryer end cap thingy to a new one, shortened the hose because it was way too long, emptied out the hose and such..... fast forward, I noticed condensation inside the dryer and now I am annoyed because I had just cleaned out the dryer hose and changed the outside portion of the dryer vent. So.... I was going outside to take the riders battery off and close my window and decided to check the outside vent. I knew condensation meant a blockage somewhere and I wasn't looking forward to dragging the dryer out of the laundry area so that I could see if it was blocked inside, so I reach down and pulled the bottom piece (cage) off the dryer vent and it was way beyond FULL. I was shocked since I had just cleaned the dryer vent tubing out and the end of the dryer like 2 or 3 days before that. There was a solid 1/2" of damp lint on there. I have been checking it daily since then and there hasnt been hardly any on there. I am an avid, pull the filter out before and after every load (incase I have forgotten) person. I do have a long brush that I put down the vent fairly often, so maybe I shouldn't do that as often. I may get my endoscope out and shove it down the back of the dryer one day before I go back to work.....

See what I do to myself? I decide to go to bed, and then I get overly involved in something because I had the energy to work on it.

My pieced together bookcase in my bedroom closet fell apart yesterday. I have a new bookcase in the garage to replace the one that broke.... so I may do that this evening... we shall see what the day brings.

Although, today is supposed to be the one day a week that I only read, do a Bible study, or just lay around. I didn't wake up till 1045 this morning and only because my daughter called me. I never sleep that late!

Hope you all have a good day today!


----------



## Spicoli43

The Preschool Apprentice... HAHAHAHA


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, does the Dryer have a warning / error code that the ducting is blocked? How far from the outside is the Dryer?

Most places I have lived, the Dryer is right up against the outside wall, so the duct is about a foot long if that, but here it's about 40 feet and I have to take it apart twice a year to vacuum it out, but it goes down through the crawl space.


----------



## shan2themax

Its about 2 to 3 feet max. No error codes and I just did another load, no moisture this time, just dry towels thank goodness.

I am going to keep an eye on it for sure though!

I took some pics of my piles earlier and the back porch, so I could see the progress. I will post them later.


Currently putting that book shelf together since mine broke, and my leg went numb so I had to get up off the floor for a few.

So much for ready today right? Lol.   I can't seem to help myself.


----------



## zannej

RedneckGrump, that's a nice view! My father and his brother sometimes used to take us fishing down near some barges. I think a separate thread for politics would be a good idea. I've seen people leave forums over political discussions in general threads. People have strong opinions on it.

68bucks, sorry about your back. I've been there so I know how it is. Found a Conair vibrating heating pad at Walmart that has actually helped. Stays on a long time and you can adjust it up and down on your back to hit the right spot. It came with velcro straps you can use to secure it. 

Shan, I'm glad you're making progress and I hope your daughter's "work" helped. Glad you can see out the sliding glass door now. Those leveling feet on machines can be a total pain to adjust. Especially the back corner ones. Dryer duct thing sounds like a pain, but I'm glad you got that sorted as well. My dryer duct isn't even connected anymore. An opossum got in and shredded it while trying to escape from the dogs. My brother rarely cleans the lint filter. I went to clean it after he did his laundry (I always have to check before doing mine) and discovered pretty much a whole cat worth of fur/hair/lint. I need to find my brush thingy and clear it out and get a vacuum with a small enough attachment up in there for anything that gets missed. I know I can take part of the panel off if need be. Also need to clean inside my washing machine's rubber gasket.

I cooked, picked stuff up, tried to remove a stain from my vinyl sheet to no avail, and then pretty much rested today.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> you should also believe that if the candidate you voted for gets elected, then you are partly responsible for everything he or she does while in office


True and I'm responsible for him making USA great again, gasoline down to $1.25/gallon, ISIS destroyed, wars ended, no more US Troops dying in Afghanistan, Putin blocked from attacking or taking any countries, also read the riot act to Putin and Kim in person, scared the shiiite out of China, didn't hide in his basement, had lots of press conferences,  created the Best Economy and most jobs the USA had ever seen, low food and other prices, store shelves full, etc...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Ross Perot came close back when as a 3rd party candidate.


Ross Perot did a good job at pointing out what was wrong, but, the other 1/2, when he said what he would do instead, he scared the hell out of everyone! For instance, as a $Billionaire, he didn't see any problem with doubling the price of gasoline... etc...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Love watching the ships, and am amazed by something that big, 435 feet long, and probably 25" from water to the railing of the ship can stay afloat...


Drove down the Henry Hudson Parkway in NYCity past the Air Craft Carrier USS Intrepid in the Hudson River, "The Fighting I " of 4 wars, and was surprised there isn't much to see... just hull... the deck is about 100 feet above the water/roadway and up on there is where everything is... 
Modern carriers are twice as long...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> I love to watch the freighters too Grump.


I think we have old 8mm movies of the ill fated freighter Edmund Fitzgerald passing right near us while fishing in the Toledo Channel on Lake Erie... I need to dig them out... back in the day I had a small Japanese projector but it bends the films too much and would destroy old films, I need to pick up a used full size Bell & Howell or Tower brand projector to work with.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I just did another load, no moisture this time, just dry towels thank goodness.


If it's a rainy day and 100% humidity, it can take longer to get clothes dry and also to dry your body and hair after a shower... my hair was still a little damp when I got to the dentist Wednesday... I even drove with the windows down and the wind blowing through it... went into rest room in dentist's office and combed it best I could...


----------



## Spicoli43

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, Good Morning Foks... A lot of talk about politics here, maybe we should have a politics thread and a general talk thread...


I tried to start those twice, both threads were locked by Liberal moderators.


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> I think we have old 8mm movies of the ill fated freighter Edmund Fitzgerald passing right near us while fishing in the Toledo Channel on Lake Erie... I need to dig them out... back in the day I had a small Japanese projector but it bends the films too much and would destroy old films, I need to pick up a used full size Bell & Howell or Tower brand projector to work with.


You should get the old film put on DVD to preserve the images. My mom did that with some old film of my dad racing. There is also some old footage from the Indy 500 back in the mid 60's. It pretty cool to look at how the track looked back then and there were both front and rear engine cars. I don't think it was too expensive.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks...

Didn't do a lot yesterday, woke up rather in a lazy mood... played on my phone most of the morning... Then we decided to take Carl for his walk down at the riverwalk...  Then we went to a flea market, which we go to every couple of months... Then to Wendy's to get Carl his double stack... Just the hamburger and cheese part... That was about it for yesterday...

Today, I checked in where I was doing surveys... and noticed I had 17,800 points... So just cashed them in, and gave me $150.00 for Amazon... So may look on there later, and see if there is anything I really really want... Isn't there a song that goes like, really really want... LOL...

Well, today, I have to go pick up my meds, and I want to look for a good body shop... and see how much it would cost to do a couple of rust areas on my 2006 Ford... If it's cheap enough, probably get them to do it... if not, I will do it myself as I have in the past...

Well, Folks, that's about all I have today... Hope everyone has a GREAT day...
Cheers~
Me


----------



## Spicoli43

My Cats jumped into my Range box because they are Cats, and decided instead of just jumping back out, they would punch a hole in the side to get out... Why not, right? 

I love them, they are my little furry Terrorists... I'll never get another one, I'll never even let another one in my House. 

Should have gotten a couple Mogwai... Oh well. I'm responsible, wouldn't feed them after Midnight.


----------



## havasu

Spicoli43 said:


> I tried to start those twice, both threads were locked by Liberal moderators.


Our moderators are not liberal. What we REALLY dislike is the personal attacking that generally accompanies a political discussion. As long as the topic is peaceful, people do not attack, and not use a yelling voice (all caps), then we try to keep an open mind to any discussion, provided it doesn't disrupt the  main reason for the forum. The other attempts because so ugly, with posts spewing hatred, and the members were warned multiple times to calm it down or the thread was going to be locked.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Our moderators are not liberal.


Actually, the mods seem to be all over the political spectrum... as would be expected... although since this place is for people who actually do constructive stuff, was expecting mods to be conservative leaning...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> You should get the old film put on DVD to preserve the images. My mom did that with some old film of my dad racing. There is also some old footage from the Indy 500 back in the mid 60's. It pretty cool to look at how the track looked back then and there were both front and rear engine cars. I don't think it was too expensive.


DVD format prolly about obsolete already... the formats seem to change so quickly these days... I've seen 78 RPM records, 45s, 331/3 long play, stereo, 16 RPMs, ReelToReel, 8 tracks, cassettes, 4 channel,  BetaMax, VHS, SuperVHS, 5.1, DigitalVHS(don't recall that one but it's on my last VCR), CDs, DVDs, BluRays, hosting, Cloud... I'm a little nervous about cloud, we don't control it, can't touch it or throw it in the closet, and if it disappears, nothing to do about it... 
During the plandemic our last big Family Video store was torn down and replaced with a giant Circle K gas station... for a while there was a video rentals store about every other block... 
Went to some Indy 500 Races in '60's - '80's... streaking going on... have some Polaroid instant pictures... earlier think it was Mickey Thompson used the Olds/Buick aluminum V8 and Chevy V8 in Indy cars... did OK until transmission failed...


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Our moderators are not liberal. What we REALLY dislike is the personal attacking that generally accompanies a political discussion. As long as the topic is peaceful, people do not attack, and not use a yelling voice (all caps), then we try to keep an open mind to any discussion, provided it doesn't disrupt the  main reason for the forum. The other attempts because so ugly, with posts spewing hatred, and the members were warned multiple times to calm it down or the thread was going to be locked.


That's why I started the Politics threads. If there is a fight there, so be it. If you can name a time in our History that politics hasn't been a fight, please do so. They don't even fist fight anymore, much less shoot each other!

I don't attack people here, I eviscerate their politicians that have destroyed this Country since day 1 of Obama's 3rd term. You of all people should know that, you're in the Mothership.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> They don't even fist fight anymore, much less shoot each other!


They still fist fight in UK, Japan, Taiwan, China, S. Korea, Israel, and other countries... unarmed Republicans have been recently shot in D.C.... on Jan. 6th, 2021... and on 6/14/2017...




__





						Five people shot, including Republican congressman, at baseball practice
					

On June 14, 2017, a gunman walked onto a baseball field at Eugene Simpson Park in Alexandria, Virginia, opening fire on politicians and wounding House GOP Whip




					www.history.com


----------



## Spicoli43

Burr / Hamilton.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Burr / Hamilton.


Forgot about that one... must have been before I was born...


----------



## BuzzLOL

"A NASA space probe is scheduled to crash into a small (600' wide) asteroid TODAY, the first-ever test of a potential planetary defense strategy that would alter the trajectory of space rocks before they make an impact with Earth. -1440 News 
. 
"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency over the weekend, preparing for the looming landfall of Tropical Storm "Ian" WEDNESDAY. As of early this morning, "Ian" was on the verge of becoming a Category 1 hurricane." -1440 News


----------



## zannej

Spicoli, adorable little face peeking through the box. Today I scrounged for boxes and packed up Mom's laptop. They said not to send the AC adapter. I put sticky notes on it with the temporary password as well as the RMA code on the laptop. Put a sticky note with the RMA code on the retail box. Put RMA code and name on the brown sleeve box. Put RMA code twice on the outer box-- used a toto toilet tank box bc I couldn't find anything else the right size. $96 to ship it (including insurance). While I was bending down to stuff bubble wrap into it I pulled my back. Had to stop and put ice packs. Can't bend at all. Currently have heat on it while ice pack is re-freezing. My friend commented "All that work you did and you got your a** kicked by a box". LOL. 

So, I won't be cleaning today.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> $96 to ship it (including insurance).


Companies can usually do return shipping under warranty via a label for vastly less than we can...


----------



## havasu

BuzzLOL said:


> They still fist fight in UK, Japan, Taiwan, China, S. Korea, Israel, and other countries... unarmed Republicans have been recently shot in D.C.... on Jan. 6th, 2021... and on 6/14/2017...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Five people shot, including Republican congressman, at baseball practice
> 
> 
> On June 14, 2017, a gunman walked onto a baseball field at Eugene Simpson Park in Alexandria, Virginia, opening fire on politicians and wounding House GOP Whip
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.history.com


I still laugh when those Far East countries go toe to toe with their flip flops. Good times!


----------



## havasu

I had the opportunity to  get a few thousand more rounds of 9mm ammo. We shoot at steel targets quite a bit.

When is enough really enough? I'll never know!


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> I still laugh when those Far East countries go toe to toe with their flip flops. Good times!


Those societies are vastly older than the USA... yet somehow still behind in civility...


----------



## Eddie_T

I have people on another forum shaking their milk to see how far they can push it beyond the date. I am not running a test but do notice the date every time I use milk. My current jug has a date of 9/7. I make certain to taste it before adding cereal.


----------



## Flyover

I am not comfortable painting entire societies with a broad brush, especially when some of them have *over a billion people* in them. Though I have heard, from many people from those countries, that conformity is more of a prized thing in that part of the world (if it were true then maybe a broader brush could cover more people), but when I look at the endless range of what those places produce in terms of culture, it makes this notion about conformity seem meaningless. It's like saying "Americans prize independence": well okay, maybe there's some way you can say that after giving people a survey or recording how many times the idea comes up in our books or something, but I look around me and see 9 out of 10 people here who do not seem to prize independence at all, either in their ideas or their choices.

I can't tell if I am legitimately sick or if I'm just having the worst, longest-running side-effects of a vaccine I've ever experienced. I was going to have my first-ever guitar lesson today but I think I will postpone it a week.

I also decided to wait on sawing down branches until the leaves are off.

Maybe I'll mow...we'll see how I feel.

@havasu: That's a lot of ammo. Do you work for the IRS?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Another morning... Good Morning Folks...
Well didn't sleep really well last night, must be the rain, damp weather, and pain. heavy duty drugs... and here we are... Might try back to bed in a bit, if the drugs kick in... That's why, not a huge fan of winter anymore, pain = Lots of drugs... Anyhow... Still green side up...

Well, cashed in another site I do surveys for, and made a total of $50 there, so now have a $200 credit at Amazon...

What did I do yesterday, not a hell of a lot... Grin...



zannej said:


> Spicoli, adorable little face peeking through the box. Today I scrounged for boxes and packed up Mom's laptop. They said not to send the AC adapter. I put sticky notes on it with the temporary password as well as the RMA code on the laptop. Put a sticky note with the RMA code on the retail box. Put RMA code and name on the brown sleeve box. Put RMA code twice on the outer box-- used a toto toilet tank box bc I couldn't find anything else the right size. $96 to ship it (including insurance). While I was bending down to stuff bubble wrap into it I pulled my back. Had to stop and put ice packs. Can't bend at all. Currently have heat on it while ice pack is re-freezing. My friend commented "All that work you did and you got your a** kicked by a box". LOL.
> 
> So, I won't be cleaning today.


Hope YOU begin to feel better @zannej

Hope YOU feel much better to @Flyover 

Hope YOU all have a wonderful day...
Cheers~
Me...


----------



## Flyover

I am actually feeling better already, so I'm going to keep my guitar lesson. After playing for 23 years it feels odd to get a lesson now but I'm excited to see what I'll learn, or unlearn.

And I do think I will mow.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Though I have heard, from many people from those countries, that conformity is more of a prized thing in that part of the world
> It's like saying "Americans prize independence": well okay, maybe there's some way you can say that after giving people a survey or recording how many times the idea comes up in our books or something, but I look around me and see 9 out of 10 people here who do not seem to prize independence at all, either in their ideas or their choices.
> 
> I can't tell if I am legitimately sick or if I'm just having the worst, longest-running side-effects of a vaccine I've ever experienced.
> 
> I also decided to wait on sawing down branches until the leaves are off.


Conformity is a hallmark of dictatorships... conform or die is the rule for 99% of the people... and then the top 1% have extreme freedom... if the girlfriend of a 1% elite 'prince' gets pregnant and he doesn't like it, he just kills her or has her killed... and nothing is done about it... as I recall, recently a prince of the UK was running naked through Las Vegas here in USA... and in China, Iraq, Iran, etc. it's a lot worse... and don't get me started on Hunter Bribery... 
. 
You must be blind if can't see independence in Americans! I've had many foreign people tell me can spot an 'American' in their country just by the confident way they walk compared to other people. Americans expect to be able to walk anywhere they want and do anything they want with nobody hassling them! Do Americans go to only one type of restaurant? No, there's 100 kinds of restaurants/foods choices! Do Americans houses all look the same? No, 1,000 styles of houses choices. Do Americans all live in houses? No, many in apartments, condos, villas, underground houses, basements, etc. choices.. Also, Americans like to stay independent of other countries after seeing entangling alliances devolve into two world wars... only still militarily occupying Germany, Italy, and Japan to this day has prevented WWIII for 77 years so far... after WWII followed WWI by only 20 years... 
. 
If you're using the word "vaccine" for Covid shots... well... they're not... they don't prevent getting flu, spreading flu, or having flu tip you through death's door if already at it... 
. 
If cutting limbs that might fall on house or garage roof, might do it while leaves still on to slow and soften the blow and prevent roof damage...


----------



## shan2themax

@Flyover I have always wanted to be able to sing..... its a joyful noise, and thats it lol. I told myself I would take singing lessons when my kids were grown.. well they are grown. Hoping to find a place to do that in the future. Maybe I will search YouTube for lessons 

@redneck I totally understand that, I hate it to..... I live on ibuprofen jist to have some mobility.


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Today, I checked in where I was doing surveys... and noticed I had 17,800 points... So just cashed them in, and gave me $150.00 for Amazon... So may look on there later, and see if there is anything I really really want... Isn't there a song that goes like, really really want... LOL...


Didn't know anyone ever got anything from those surveys... gotten emails that promise me something for a 5 minute survey, but after a half hour of endless answering surveys they never ended and I got nothing except wasted time...


----------



## Flyover

@Buzz, Yes sometimes conformity is enforced by a dictator. I don't know how conformist N. Korea would be without theirs, but my money is on "less". And no, I don't see much independence in most Americans. There's variation in taste, as you mention, but that's not the same thing. America used to be even more conformist too (e.g. look at candid public photos from 100 years ago). The point was, I don't think you can make broad characterizations of whole societies.

I got both a Covid and a flu shot, one in each arm. They told me to watch for side-effects, and this is what they described, plus I'm starting to feel better so I'm guessing that's what it was.

The limbs aren't over my house, but some of them are close enough to allow squirrels easy roof access.

You can make money from surveys but it's never much (I think I got $10 once) and usually to get more you have to participate in more intensive ways like phone interviews or receiving and sending back some kind of device. You never get to this from spam websites, you get to it from places like Researchmatch.com that are legit recruiting sites for academic studies. (At least in my experience; RedneckGrump's may be different.) I figure if I have 15 minutes free to take a survey and get a $5 Amazon card, that's a better way to spend 15 minutes than, I dunno, writing about what I did today on a forum! 

Shan, join a choir. That's the cheapest and funnest way to learn how to sing.


----------



## havasu

Regarding spoiled milk, since a half gallon of milk will usually spoil before complete use (I occasionally like a bowl of cereal or added to my mashed potatoes) ,we have changed to the lactate free milk. Not  for the lactate, but the exparation date is at least a month long, rather than the 10 day max with regular milk. I find no difference in the taste, but it  sure lasts alot longer.


----------



## Eddie_T

If you have a 10 day max you're either not shaking it or need to check the temp of your box.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, just so you know, lactate is what a woman does when she's breastfeeding her baby. You're thinking of lactose-free milk. It gets that way by adding lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. I still get lactase/lactose/lactic acid confused when I'm speaking, but in writing they stand out to me.

I think lactose-free milk is usually ultra-homogenized. I'm not sure what that means (they boil it hotter? longer?), but that's why it lasts so long. You can buy ultra-homogenized regular milk too.

My son claims lactose-free and regular milk taste different even when of the same brand, purchased from the same store at the same time. He is a connoisseur I guess.

It started raining on me but I finished mowing anyway.


----------



## havasu

Thank you flyover. I failed biology!


----------



## havasu

We keep our fridge at 40 degrees, and freezer at -2 degrees.


----------



## shan2themax

I'm sitting on my screened in porch for the first time in 15 years and just taking it all in, listening to klove.  I realized today that I still haven't put my 2 person swing from Aldi together.... and now...I CAN ENJOY IT ON THE SCREENED IN PORCH!
SO.... here i am picking up where my daughter left off the other day.  My dogs are enjoying being outside with someone instead of just each other.
Its too bad that I never got to enjoy this with my mom.
I called my garbage company today to see how close I am to getting the dumpster (since my piles are getting big lol). There had been 9 in front of me and now there are just 2!!! We are almost there. It will have to be dumped a few times, but that's ok. She told me to go ahead and put the extra wide chair, cushions and ottoman out tonight for pickup in the morning, so I rolled it end over end from back yard to front yard. She also said I could put 2 extra bags a week out with no charge (extra) while I wait.


Also.... update to washer leveling.... I put a level on it and this is how it turned out. Turned out pretty good to be eyeballed. (I don't think I posted this yet???)



Tomorrow is a packed day... eye exam, massage, courthouse. Then my work week begins. I'm gonna try to make a list so that I can get specific things done, instead of what pops into my noggin. I feel like this is a never ending process most of the time. 

Ok, well I just found some things we hadn't gotten to on the top shelves, I vacuumed out here.... so now I need a new vacuum cleaner, cause thats gross. 

Hope all is well and everyone is gearing up for a good weekend!


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Redneckgrump. 

Shan, great jobf! Hope everything is going well.

I'm having trouble sitting up. Back is screaming at me for it. Spent the rest of yesterday, last night, and today lying down to try to not aggravate my back. Need to get something to eat though.

My vision is blurry so I'm having trouble reading stuff on my screen. Woke up with my left eye all fuzzy. It's not as fuzzy as it was before but still pretty fuzzy.
And it looks like my brother left the door open to my bathroom and all the cats are running in so I have to go chase them out. Ugh. I just looked over and noticed it.


----------



## shan2themax

Well, I didn't get to get into that stuff. The dogs were barking like crazy so I went back in to see what was going on Nd the guy that cut the bush down was here. He just got back from vacation. So, he gave me a price $225 to get rid of all of the honeysuckle. That small tree,  that huge bush, most of the stuff that I sat outback that wasn't in bags, and weedeat and cut everything off of my fence line, as well as take all the stuff sitting in the driveway that I don't want. So... he is saving me a couple of dumpster dumps. I am so excited. He took a load with him tonight and will be back on Sunday.


ETA: He is also taking all the stuff to the left of the storage building also, and spraying some brush killer along the fence line.


----------



## havasu

I claybarred, then waxed my truck today. Fortunately, I have a covered carport, since it was 104 degrees.


----------



## shan2themax

@havasu it wS only 66 where I am today. It was a tad chilly.

@zannej  I hope your back starts feeling better. Back pain is hard to deal with for sure.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> Thank you flyover. I failed biology!


And I apparently failed reading. Either you or Spicoli should get a different avatar, I'm getting you guys confused. Didn't you have the Dragnet guy or something?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, hello again Folks... Well after I was on this morning, went back to bed, and got up at 1 this afternoon... and am getting tired already, must be the drugs...

Got really p1ssed off with TSN tonight... Last year I could get all the games on NHL.com for $19.99 a month, some games I have to put the VPN on, and make it look like I was living in the city the sens were playing... But nope, not this year, we have passed it on to Sportsnet... and they don't televise all the Sens games, they share that with TSN...(should add, we don't have cable or Sat. TV) we stream everything on the Firestick 4k. So, Sportsnet charged me $159 for the season... and then got on TSN... So I thought ok, we ll I can pirate the game and watch it on NHL.66, but it's not always the best resolution... So tonight, I said, Ok, I will pay the $199... Well, phuck!  They tell me to do this, and do that, and download it from here... So I did all that and I get what looks like on a cell phone screen,, and looked like sh1t on my 83" tv... So my wife says watch it on the laptop... So after a while of doing this and doing that, it tells me the video isn't working properly...  I feel sorry to whom ever gets my email tomorrow, cuz I was phucking p1ssed... It's ok. reading your messages help me settle down a bit, so Thank you for that folks...


shan2themax said:


> @redneck I totally understand that, I hate it to..... I live on ibuprofen jist to have some mobility.


@shan2themax I wish ibuprofen would settle my pain... I take 40mg of morphine with a couple of shots of Forty Creek Rye... and I wear an Opoid patch, that gives me a 10mmg every hour for a week... and if I don't wear the patch, I don't get out of bed...


BuzzLOL said:


> Didn't know anyone ever got anything from those surveys... gotten emails that promise me something for a 5 minute survey, but after a half hour of endless answering surveys they never ended and I got nothing except wasted time...


I've been doing surveys since the car accident took us out of the workforce... Probably made about $800 over 14 years...which isn't really a lot... I usually do them the nights I cannot sleep... After I visited all the forums I belong to... But YOU are right, it's a lot of surveys and BULLSH1T...

Anyways Folks, Hope YOU all have a good one...
Cheers~
me


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## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Spicoli, adorable little face peeking through the box.


Yeah, that's how they get you... Never again... She has been a fighter since day 1... 



zannej said:


> $96 to ship it (including insurance). While I was bending down to stuff bubble wrap into it I pulled my back. Had to stop and put ice packs. Can't bend at all. Currently have heat on it while ice pack is re-freezing. My friend commented "All that work you did and you got your a** kicked by a box". LOL.
> 
> So, I won't be cleaning today.



That's an INSANE shipping charge... Hope your back gets better soon!


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> And I apparently failed reading. Either you or Spicoli should get a different avatar, I'm getting you guys confused. Didn't you have the Dragnet guy or something?



Yeah, he tried to copy me, but his is just a drawing and mine is REAL WOOD!

Neener
Neener
Neener.

I use Organic Whole Grass Fed Milk, and it usually has a good date on it, the newest half gallon says Nov. 23


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## shan2themax

@RedneckGrump  I hate that your back is that bad. Have you had surgery or anything? I am hoping I don't have to go that route. Ibuprofen doesn't help my back much, but it makes me less stiff. I have chronic achilles tendinitis in one foot and peroneal tendinitis in the other. I have struggles with joint/tendon pain since I was 15, but being overweight at this stage of life isn't helping me out any, but that's a whole other story. 
Getting ready for my eye appt, then back/hip massage to limber me up for the work week and then I am going to go to the courthouse and turn this stuff in and hope for the best.  Its stressful when it shouldn't be. Idk what I will get into when I get back.... maybe the upper parts of the shelves, or maybe I will take the bookcases apart if they are in bad shape at the bottom.... if they are not, I am going to sanitize them, and take them to my daughter when she gets off work.

I PROBABLY should relax the rest of the evening and finish my laundry.

Maybe thats what I will do is drag the dryer out and make sure that there is nothing building up inside of it..... hmmmm, decisions decisions.


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## zannej

Redneck, which surveys actually work? I've tried them and after doing a survey for 15min it demanded I buy something or subscribe (for a fee) to a service to finish the survey so I was never able to complete them. Can't ever find ones that aren't scams. I miss the days when Amazon paid me to have ads on my website--and when my website still existed. Yahoo bought Geocities and then took down all the geocities sites. Sorry your back is so bad.

Shan, that price the guy quoted sounds reasonable for that amount of work. Dude we hired to cut my weeds charged way more than that, didn't even do most of the work, helped himself to a bunch of our tools and lawn care supplies, walked off & demanded more money to come back and finish while still owing over $800 worth of work (and only bc Mom credited him $300 for coming and cutting a tree off the road when we were stranded). That's probably the main reason she hasn't sued him.

I'm trying to find some glue-up walls for my bathroom. Old ones are falling down. Need to put something behind them that is sturdy. Thinking Hardieboard with Hydrodefense. Pricey but might be worth it to keep the walls from falling down. Purple drywall is another option and cheaper. There is a fiberbond or something like that water resistant self-adhesive drywall tape that can be put over the seams and screws. I was looking stuff up on Lowes when it stopped loading. Tried different browsers to no avail. Either its the site or my ISP. Anyone ever installed cementboard?

Most of the boards will be hidden behind the glue-up walls (If I can find some good walls). Trying to find everything I need to purchase-- the boards, the tape, the screws, and some sort of sealant. I was trying to look up flex seal options when Lowes page stopped working. I think they sell it locally though. Trying to decide if Drylock paint is worth it for the seams or if flex seal would be better. It's going to be painted over in white anyway though. Either satin or semi-gloss. 

I currently have my toilet seat sitting over the sink covered in a glaze of vinegar and baking soda in the hopes the stains will come out or at least lighten up. It's closed cell foam so it absorbed all the skin oil and sediment from water splashes and cleanings.

Man, I had so many things I wanted to do today but all of them involve bending and bending is not happening. I'm having to lie down right now to type because sitting up hurts. I'm such a wuss. LOL.


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## Flyover

Zannej: As a researcher, you don't want study subjects coming to you saying "Can I take your survey?" because that will cause selection bias and invalidate your results. For that reason, it's hard to find paid surveys that aren't scams just by going out and looking for them. But like I told Buzz, there are legit websites, basically they serve as recruiting services for academics conducting research, where you can indicate your willingness to be contacted by researchers, some of whom pay participants. 

The way it works is, you go to a website like Researchmatch.com, sign up, and then you'll periodically get an email saying "Researchers out of such-and-such University are seeking participants who [fit some criteria] to participate in a study [usually a survey but sometimes it's other stuff like phone interviews]. In exchange for participating you will get [whatever the incentive is; often there isn't one]. Are you interested?" and you can click yes or no. Then if you click yes the researchers will follow up by email.

Usually there is no money offered. When money is offered, it's most often a raffle type thing, where what you have a chance to win is usually between $15-100, though sometimes you can flat-out just get a $5 or $10 Amazon card at the end of a half-hour survey. Once in a while they ask you to involve other people (like if the study is looking at parent/child relationships they'll ask you to have your child answer part of the survey, or I've seen ones where it's boss/employee, etc.) and usually for those there is more money because they know they are asking for more effort. 

I do not recommend this as a way to make money, only as a way to spend free time you would otherwise waste.


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## zannej

Thanks, Flyover. I miss the days back in Guam when I got paid to have a program on my computer that would track my internet usage (the kind of thing they have automatically now) but I could shut if off when I wanted privacy. It also paid me to view ads. Now you have to pay to NOT see ads. I made something like $30 off the little program up until they said they weren't able to send checks to Guam (even though it was via military address).

I've got time on my hands while waiting for my back to settle down. Wish I could find a good online job that didn't require using the phone. I HATE talking on the phone.


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## Flyover

There are tons of online jobs that don't require using a phone. Writing and software development just to name two off the top of my head. If you're okay with gigs instead of a steady paycheck then go to Fiverr, you can probably do tons of the stuff people on there are asking for.


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## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Regarding spoiled milk, since a half gallon of milk will usually spoil before complete use (I occasionally like a bowl of cereal or added to my mashed potatoes)


My gallon of milk is still about 1/4 full and the expiration date is tomorrow, so I'll be hitting it hard... I have a packet of instant potatoes but it only mentions water, maybe I'll add 1/2 milk... Some brands of milk go bad day before expiration date, some on the date, some the day after... I try to have it all gone by the end of the date day...
I usually shake things before opening but not after opening as liquid is poured out, room air goes in and room air has bacteria etc. in it so I would prefer it stay above the liquid...


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## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I've got time on my hands while waiting for my back to settle down. Wish I could find a good online job that didn't require using the phone. I HATE talking on the phone.


Zannej, are you in the path of Hurricane Ian?
.
I used to get mail with a $20 bill in it and a week long notebook to mail back in... I was supposed to write down what radio stations I listened to or TV stations I watched and the times of it... I think it was from Nielson Ratings...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> My gallon of milk is still about 1/4 full and the expiration date is tomorrow, so I'll be hitting it hard... I have a packet of instant potatoes but it only mentions water, maybe I'll add 1/2 milk... Some brands of milk go bad day before expiration date, some on the date, some the day after... I try to have it all gone by the end of the date day...
> I usually shake things before opening but not after opening as liquid is poured out, room air goes in and room air has bacteria etc. in it so I would prefer it stay above the liquid...


I had cereal this morning and the date on my jug is 09/04/22 so shaking works well for me. I breathe room air and some gather the yeast from room air to make sourdough starter. 

edit: I think the bacteria and yeast culture is on the surface and shaking breaks up and slows colonization.


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## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> Zannej, are you in the path of Hurricane Ian?


Hurricane Ian was expected to hit the west Florida panhandle but has apparently become Cat 5 and curved north eastward now lashing Tampa/Ft. Meyers area...
Reports of 1/2 million Floridians without power... cars and boats floating down streets... 
Some people fled to Miami for safety but don't think I would want to be trapped in southern Florida while top 1/2 of Florida cut off from rest of USA... no telling what weirdness may happen...


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Flyover. I'll look into Fiverr. I may have to try to remember my accounting classes/bookkeeping classes, but I do prefer data entry/spreadsheets etc. I can also tech support over chat. My programming knowledge from college isn't very helpful because its outdated. We learned COBOL, RPGII, & BASIC. I do have a degree in office systems technology (data entry, spreadsheets, etc). 

I don't think I'm in the path of Ian. I'm in Louisiana in sort of the western center. 

Buzz, when I make potato soup I often substitute milk for water and add a little bit of cream. In an 8 cup mix I do 4 cups water, 1 cup cream, and 3 cups water. I usually boil the water first. Use it to rinse the measuring cup. And I use butter instead of oil. I find that sometimes the milk for walmart will go bad a week before expiration date. But the milk from Samsclub gets consumed long before it can go bad. Use it in cooking quite a bit.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  Idk if I have ever shared this but I used to live in New Orleans.... Forest Isle Apartments, Metairie area I think.... goodness that was 31 years ago.... 

I had my massage today, it absolutely kicked my but, I am so very tired lol. I have been waiting for 10pm for what seems like 12 weeks and its only been about 3 hours since I started wanting to go to sleep lol.

I made naked fried chicken with rotisserie seasoning and then halved baby potatoes with carrots and onion roasted in the oven for dinner..... it was ok, I was just too tired to cook. 
Did not go to courthouse today.... just felt uneasy about it.... Google some more info, so maybe Thursday before my massage. I sat on the back porch today and just took it all in..... I also went and looked in that building to see how much time I thought that would take. Good news is, there theoretically shouldnt be anything in there to need to go through.... and hopefully no snakes, racoons or opossums are hanging out in there.

Here's a couple of not great pictures. I think the building is about 6 feet tall, so its pretty full in there.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, good evening everyone... Well, it's been a good drug and whiskey day today... My body is hurting so much, and we are coming into damp weather for the next 6 months, I can hardly wait... It's not so much my back, it's my neck, fractured my vertebrae C5 I think... My head was turned sideways talking to Lorie when we were hit from behind... My left shoulder was phucked... It took several years after the accident when they finally believed I had torn my rotor cuff... and my left hip is all messed up... I kinda lean to the left now... Lorie has had several jaw surgeries, she knocked her jaw out of her joint... and finally, after 3 surgeries, they did a bone graph and made a new socket for her jaw to hinge on... Her hips got all messed up to... If we weren't driving the Charger, they said there would be a good chance I would never have met you guys... I also have a lot of cognitive problems now... If we had been driving Lorie's escort, we would probably had not have made it...The lock on the trunk was resting on the rear headrest... But today I live on GREAT drugs...

So, I didn't do anything today except pop pills and drank my 40 Creek Whiskey...



shan2themax said:


> @RedneckGrump  I hate that your back is that bad. Have you had surgery or anything? I am hoping I don't have to go that route. Ibuprofen doesn't help my back much, but it makes me less stiff. I have chronic achilles tendinitis in one foot and peroneal tendinitis in the other. I have struggles with joint/tendon pain since I was 15, but being overweight at this stage of life isn't helping me out any, but that's a whole other story.
> Getting ready for my eye appt, then back/hip massage to limber me up for the work week and then I


Think what you could use is your feet being massaged with hot oil every night... Glad the massage went well.. and eases your pain some... Maybe you need some morphine and a couple of shots of whiskey with me... LOL


zannej said:


> Redneck, which surveys actually work? I've tried them and after doing a survey for 15min it demanded I buy something or subscribe (for a fee) to a service to finish the survey so I was never able to complete them. Can't ever find ones that aren't scams. I miss the days when Amazon paid me to have ads on my website--and when my website still existed. Yahoo bought Geocities and then took down all the geocities sites. Sorry your back is so bad.



Well, I put them here and then sent and tested them, and my password was with them, so I will send them again...


zannej said:


> Man, I had so many things I wanted to do today but all of them involve bending and bending is not happening. I'm having to lie down right now to type because sitting up hurts. I'm such a wuss. LOL.


Maybe you need some morphine and whiskey with me too.. and a massage...

Anyways everyone... Merry Christmas...
Chow~
me


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## RedneckGrump

One survey place is this...

This is the second place I goto for surveys

And this is my main one... Good Luck...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> And I apparently failed reading. Either you or Spicoli should get a different avatar, I'm getting you guys confused. Didn't you have the Dragnet guy or something?


Havasu has Broderick Crawford in 1950's Highway Patrol TV show... Spicoli has Thin Blue Line of Police American Flag... I usually just go by names, don't pay much attention to avatars unless they're advertising evil... plus on big websites many people may have the same avatar... 
(Broderick Crawford used to the bad guy in old westerns before becoming a modern cop... ditto for William Conrad/detective Cannon)
. 
Yesterday, I used the milk to make up those instant mashed potatoes... they weren't too bad... added Campbell's canned chicken gravy... that was so so, as usual... but I occasionally get a taste for chicken gravy... unfortunately, stores around here tend to stock only turkey and 'brown' gravy any more... sometimes beef and mushroom... I forgot that I was going to start mixing cans of chicken gravy and mushroom gravy for more flavor... unfortunately, canned gravy has jumped from $1 to $2 now... getting kinda pricey... mixing 2 cans ends up at $4 now... way above my usual budget for a whole meal at home...


----------



## Eddie_T

I immediately thought of Shan when I saw this one;


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Now you have to pay to NOT see ads.


The Brave Browser is free and blocks ads... even in youtube videos... don't know how much longer that will be allowed...


----------



## Spicoli43

Hurricane headed to the Carolinas, unless it is snuffed out... Of course, the Liberal talking puppets blame Governor Desantis for it, because there hasn't been Huge Hurricanes since the planet existed or anything... Truly evil despicable lifeless people... 









						earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions
					

See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.




					earth.nullschool.net


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I miss the days when Amazon paid me to have ads on my website--and when my website still existed. Yahoo bought Geocities and then took down all the geocities sites.


It doesn't cost that much to have your own domain name and website at like GoDaddy...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> The Brave Browser is free and blocks ads... even in youtube videos... don't know how much longer that will be allowed...


Yeah, have used Brave for a while...


----------



## Spicoli43

I bought 2 website logos from Fiverr, was real impressed. Maybe I will get Photoshop or whatever and see if I'm any good at that... 6 Months of Winter about to kick in, might as well make some gig cash...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> The Brave Browser is free and blocks ads... even in youtube videos... don't know how much longer that will be allowed...


I use the Ublock Origin extension to block ads, and use Firefox with all the DuckDuckGo recommended add-ons.


----------



## shan2themax

@Eddie_T  i have seen that before, thought it was pretty cool. I would LOVE to have a couple of raised beds for a garden (think enclosed to keep critters out, including my own).  
Feeling much better today, the evening after a massage is often rough. 
@RedneckGrump I have not ever had a foot massage.... I have had cupping to my achilles tendon and peroneal tendon, that is quite interesting.... 
I have gotten a massage most weeks for a year, trying to resolve back issues, the sure do help. My fascia is so tight that I stay pretty stiff. She got me good raking across my back with a couple of different pieces of equipment. Good news though, my back had a small pop this morning.... which never happens. 
I brought a bunch of silverware to work today for my coworker, she was happy... hers keeps disappearing. 
I have already started the countdown until days off.... I am quite ridiculous.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Hurricane headed to the Carolinas, unless it is snuffed out... Of course, the Liberal talking puppets blame Governor Desantis for it, because there hasn't been Huge Hurricanes since the planet existed or anything... Truly evil despicable lifeless people...


2022 was predicted to have busiest hurricane season on record... instead, so far, it's one of latest and slowest...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> 2022 was predicted to have busiest hurricane season on record... instead, so far, it's one of latest and slowest...


Yeah, 4 Months late.


----------



## Spicoli43

Making Chunky Thick Clam Chowder... Every time I see a cooking show and the Chef is chopping up something small enough to drink through a straw, I just know I could never do that. It doesn't make any sense to me. I want big Chunks!...

"Here's a stalk of Celery, Chef... I want 1 Million pieces... Your time begins now... Not 779,000 pieces... 1 Million.... Choppy Choppy Dice Dice"!!!


----------



## havasu

I work for the American Red Cross. Hurricane season generally starts September 1st, and ends mid November. I was asked to pre-stage in Orlando with 200 others, but bowed out due to hip issues. I may go out in the next wave in 2 weeks, since our deployments last 14 days. Here is a pic of my niece's house. She lives 40 minutes north of Orlando, between Daytona and Ocala. The pics were after the water dropped a foot. All 3 cars were under water, and their house has floating furniture.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Here is a pic of my niece's house. She lives 40 minutes north of Orlando, between Daytona and Ocala. The pics were after the water dropped a foot. All 3 cars were under water, and their house has floating furniture


Guess nobody will be bragging about living in Florida for a while... I emailed by buddy in Ft. Meyers before and after it hit but haven't heard from him...


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning folks... Well up pretty early this morning, have to leave at 6 to be in Ottawa for my lung test and see the specialist starting at 8 this morning... So I am up... going to have some breakfast, check here, and another forum... Have a round of golf on my cell,, and out the door, we go... Got a few things to do in the big city today... want to go to a cement supplier,  The wife wants to go to the outlet mall... and then drop in mother in law... and be on our way home at about 2 this afternoon... So, a pretty busy day...

Yesterday, got some things done, but no way near as much as I wanted to do... Got the styrofoam around the shop door which is 10' x 9'... and then I was going to spray foam... But we decided to move all the wood,, and spray from the inside... won't look as bad... But first I gotta find what died, and where it is... phuck does it stink... it's a disgusting smell...

Well, I hope YOU all have a GREAT Friday...
Cheers~
me


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> Guess nobody will be bragging about living in Florida for a while... I emailed by buddy in Ft. Meyers before and after it hit but haven't heard from him...


Tried calling him... no answer on his cell phone... landline number for his Michigan apartment is disconnected now...


----------



## Eddie_T

Caught, I goofed and posted on the wrong thread!

Made another cobbler. I had a 15 oz can of fried apples and a handful of blueberries so I cut recipe in half and baked in a glass loaf pan. It turned out well but could have been better. I was using XXX sugar because I have too much on hand. Turns out that XXX sugar has calcium carbonate added to prevent caking. The calcium carbonate was reacting with the SR flour before I poured the batter into the pan. Next time I will use granulated per the recipe but will continue to half the recipe so I can use a loaf pan.


----------



## Spicoli43

I'll have to try these cobbler recipes when I hook up my new oven...


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, it turns out that my Clam Chowder recipe with big Chunks of Potatoes ended up being big Chunks of barely cooked Potatoes... My Mueller pressure cooker is about to go to the scrap heap, but I'm wondering if people have had a pressure cooker that lasted more than 2 years like the Instant Pot?

I didn't buy the Instant Pot to begin with because they over promote it, but maybe somebody can validate it works?

I might have killed my Mueller with 7 Weeks worth of Lentils for that Detox I did...


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Evening folks...
Just watching the Toronto Vrs Ottawa game... Sens are losing 4 - 2... But it's only a pregame... Trying out mostly the young players out...There's 8:20 left... Also got very high sugar on the go, which is trying to put me to sleep... 12.8

So after seeing the specialist in Ottawa today, decided to go and see a distributor for cement products... So I bought 40 bricks that are pretty close to the colour of the house, and the black powder to match the mortar on the house... and a bag or mortar... Was pretty cheap... Cost me $98 with tax in... So Sunday, going to be doing some brick word...

So, that s the day for today... the newer truck to us is great on a major highway... Took it for the run today... Tomorrow is scrap day, got some to pick up tomorrow, so that will take the majority of the day...

So, that's about everything... for today...
Hope YOU all have a GREAT evening...
Cheers~
Me


----------



## havasu

Another peach cobbler recipe:
3 cans of peaches and juice at the bottom of a baking dish. Add a box of yellow cake mix, the one that has everything except the water. Toss in the powder over the peaches. Add 6 pats of butter on top, then bake at 350 for 40 minutes until slightly brown. Suppose to be excellent.


----------



## havasu

Went to Ronald Reagan Library today...


----------



## Eddie_T

@Spicoli43, I've never gone for the automatic stuff. I hardly ever use it but a stovetop Mirro Matic has been our go to forever.


----------



## Flyover

I forgot to mention, last weekend my wife made a cobbler from the mulberries I picked off my mulberry tree this summer. The mulberries were badly freezerburned, but I covered that up with vanilla ice cream. Aside from the freezerburn the taste/texture was amazing. Next year I'll make sure the cobbler gets made sooner, or else that I put the berries in a vacuum-sealed bag and then double or triple-wrap that.

Tonight I made a fire in our fire pit and sat there watching it, an extraordinarily beautiful sunset, and my two younger kids running around in the back yard. It was a magical evening.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Flyover said:


> I forgot to mention, last weekend my wife made a cobbler from the mulberries I picked off my mulberry tree this summer. The mulberries were badly freezerburned, but I covered that up with vanilla ice cream. Aside from the freezerburn the taste/texture was amazing. Next year I'll make sure the cobbler gets made sooner, or else that I put the berries in a vacuum-sealed bag and then double or triple-wrap that.
> 
> Tonight I made a fire in our fire pit and sat there watching it, an extraordinarily beautiful sunset, and my two younger kids running around in the back yard. It was a magical evening.


Does sound like a wonderful time there Flyover, I always love it when the kids and grandkids come over, it's always a magical time...


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> @Spicoli43, I've never gone for the automatic stuff. I hardly ever use it but a stovetop Mirro Matic has been our go to forever.



Oh, that's my bad... I don't use it as a pressure cooker, I use it for it's crockpot functions, and for Yogurt. I have a couple of regular pressure cookers, but I can't think of anything I would use them for... Maybe Bone Broth, but the botulism risk keeps me away from that.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Still haven't gotten a response from my high school buddy in Ft. Myers, Florida... maybe no power for his computer or to charge his phone... since he's dependent on a cell phone down there, he should have a car charger... maybe no local cell towers working... hope he's not in a shelter or trapped in a traffic jam... much of Ft. Myers looks like it was hit by an atomic bomb... 
Even SuperBirds weren't spared: 
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Ian-600x504.jpg 
. 
Had a taste for some real beef... not chopped, formed, glued back together or ground stuff... picked up a beef butt roast and fast and slow cooked it wrapped in foil and BBQ sauce in oven... it's delicious and tender... didn't realize just how much I was craving some... 
. 
Went to cruise night across the Maumee River in Perrysburg Ohio last night... about 250 cars there... cool in 60's but OK with flannel shirt on... expecting 68... maybe 70 today... 
. 
Currently watching Fox Big Noon College Football KickOff Saturday from Iowa (vs TTUN)... 
My Ohio State Buckeyes at home play Rutgers at 3:30...


----------



## Flyover

I took the kids to the library, then performed an overdue cleaning of the inside of my car. Tonight I'm grilling that second rack of ribs.


----------



## Flyover

Ribs turned out amazing. As good as any I've ever had, better than most I've ever had. Here's the basic recipe:

Start with a full rack of ribs. I used baby back but St. Louis style are probably even better (more meat). Instead of removing the membrane, poke a lot of tiny little holes in it, and slash it diagonally a bunch, both directions.

Rub your spice mixture onto both sides of the ribs. Then wrap in foil and roast at 250˚ for 3-4 hours.

Drain fat (I saved all of mine for other uses) and refrigerate.

Once cool, cut ribs apart evenly, coat in BBQ sauce. I used a store-bought "Carolina" (i.e. sweet & tangy) sauce.

Grill over coals, turning every 4-5 minutes. Apply a coat of sauce with each turn. Continue this until the ribs are charred to taste (I like the edges charred and maybe a whole facet of some of them).


----------



## Spicoli43

I watched my Football game, then looked down under the table and realized my weekly cleaning of all the cords that hang down on the floor and get covered in Animal hair needed to be done. Then I figured I wouldn't be doing that again, so took a Hole Saw to the 2x4 on my table and created a way to hang my Power strip on the other side as well as my Powerline adapter that controls the Roku / Internet. 

I used J hooks to suspend the Roku at a good location to hook the cables in and more J hooks for routing the cords. I need to clean it up and get some double sided tape or something to attach to the Power strip, but I'll take it. 

The extension cord going in the other side looks as hokey as you think it looks, but again, no cleaning the cords again for the most part.


----------



## havasu

Have you seen the trick where you staple a zip tip to the wood, place the cord in it, then secure the zip tie, then cut the excess off. It is a really clean hack!


----------



## Flyover

Corrugated tubing with a slit down the length of it, secured to whatever out-of-sight surface by a few screws, is also a good trick. Just feed the cables into that.

That said, the J-hooks probably work fine. Nice job.


----------



## Spicoli43

Well yeah, but with both of those, the cords would be semi-permanent. I still need to pull them off to move the table to clean. I need bigger J hooks though.


----------



## Flyover

Today we went apple-picking in the morning. The only part that makes it worthwhile is the apples are of a much higher quality than what we can get in stores. And I guess it's fun for the kids. The baby picked her first apple, and it was hilarious because she had to find one that was real low, pull back really hard with all her weight, and when it finally came free she fell on her butt.

Then in the afternoon the baby and I picked up sticks around the yard and also some logs from the firewood rack and used them to restock the "spiderbox" (the box I made, with internal sections and a handle, to hold firewood).


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Still haven't gotten a response from my high school buddy in Ft. Myers, Florida... maybe no power for his computer or to charge his phone... since he's dependent on a cell phone down there, he should have a car charger... maybe no local cell towers working... hope he's not in a shelter or trapped in a traffic jam... much of Ft. Myers looks like it was hit by an atomic bomb...
> Even SuperBirds weren't spared:
> https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Ian-600x504.jpg



Please keep trying to get a hold of your buddy... It was very much a hard storm through out there...


BuzzLOL said:


> .
> Had a taste for some real beef... not chopped, formed, glued back together or ground stuff... picked up a beef butt roast and fast and slow cooked it wrapped in foil and BBQ sauce in oven... it's delicious and tender... didn't realize just how much I was craving some...
> .
> Went to cruise night across the Maumee River in Perrysburg Ohio last night... about 250 cars there... cool in 60's but OK with flannel shirt on... expecting 68... maybe 70 today...
> .
> Currently watching Fox Big Noon College Football KickOff Saturday from Iowa (vs TTUN)...
> My Ohio State Buckeyes at home play Rutgers at 3:30...


I also love a good roast, love a good prime rib or a rib eye done on the BBQ (grill) The recipe my wife does is spices and melted butter over it... Seared on a high temp for 15 minutes or so, then turned off and let it cook just with the heat... can cut it with a form whether it was done on the grill or in the oven...Mmmmm good!!


Flyover said:


> I took the kids to the library, then performed an overdue cleaning of the inside of my car. Tonight I'm grilling that second rack of ribs.


Ribs are my second favourite... Mmmm good!

Well Saturday, went up and got a truck full of scrap, some brass, copper, and aluminum.. which I am taking to the scrap yard tomorrow...

Today we went to the flea market, and then dropped into Lorie's sister's and my brother-in-law's... had a coffee, and here we are at home... So the weekend came and went...

I am not sure where @shan2themax and @zannej live, but hope they are ok... haven't seen them since the latter of last week...

Anyways, I hope YOU all have a great week!


----------



## zannej

Been tired and taking it easy. Sewer gas smell is coming from my tub but I can't move the stuff (until my back is doing better) to pour water down the drain. There's stuff that will get ruined if I pour it now. Will probably make myself do it later tonight.
Elder Scrolls Online has some sort of event ingame that I've been participating in. Cleaned up the hallway and reorganized some things in my bathroom without having to bend. Got on the floor and took some measurements of the situation where the flooring nears the tub. If the damn mice hadn't chewed the one spot I could slap up some baseboard and be done but nooo. Stupid mice chewed more than 1/2" spot away.

Shan, the people who adopted the redbone dogs from me live in Metaire. I've only been to New Orleans a couple of times and wasn't particularly impressed. It's currently the murder capital of the US. 

Redneck, I hope your pain isn't so bad now. Thank you for the links!

I'm struggling to remember what people have been saying in their posts.



Spicoli43 said:


> Well, it turns out that my Clam Chowder recipe with big Chunks of Potatoes ended up being big Chunks of barely cooked Potatoes... My Mueller pressure cooker is about to go to the scrap heap, but I'm wondering if people have had a pressure cooker that lasted more than 2 years like the Instant Pot?
> 
> I didn't buy the Instant Pot to begin with because they over promote it, but maybe somebody can validate it works?
> 
> I might have killed my Mueller with 7 Weeks worth of Lentils for that Detox I did...


Farberware 7-in-1 pressure cookers. There's an 8-quart and a 6-quart. We do red beans & meat stuff in the 8-quart and rice in the 6-quart. I make the potato soup in the 6-quart. Pour the stuff in, stir with a whisk, & put it on Soup setting. Robot or human?


			Robot or human?
		


I'm not sure if the inner pot is lined with teflon or not but it is black inside. If you put it on a counter under wall cabinets, turn it so the steam doesn't hit them when it releases pressure or it can ruin the cabinets. It's damaged mine already. I have to sand and refinish them.

We've had the Farberware ones for a few years now I think. Baked cakes and brownies in them. Never tried InstantPot.

I'm still trying to plan the details on further repairs/improvements to my bathroom. Also delaying going to clean Mom's toilet bc nobody else will do it and she said its disgusting. She was griping at me about how the linoleum tore and is sticking up. She wants me to put down those slippery glue-down tiles but I've explained they won't stick to that floor the way it is and it has uneven wood so they won't lay flat properly. She insisted that the floor needed to be scraped with a plastic scraper. She said she would do it herself if I provided the scrapers. I gave her 4 scrapers and will see if she actually does it. I suspect the toilet is leaking though.

Meanwhile, trailer trash-style drama ensued in my friend's neighborhood yesterday. Short version is his gf's brother got drunk & sexted her (his own sister) really gross stuff, went over to fight my friend when my friend told him to stop, shoved his own daughter, attacked my friend, got his butt kicked (but was unharmed bc his son begged my friend not to hurt him), went home & attacked his common-law wife violently & then tore up the house breaking all the dishes, tvs, & wifi router. Sadly, no one called the cops but they should have. Dude needs to stop drinking. He's the type that I think will be very apologetic when he sobers up, but who knows. He is mentally ill & on disability because of it.


----------



## shan2themax

I'm ok, I live in Southern Ohio. ZANNEJ  LOVES IN Louisiana though.

Thanks for the kind thoughts @RedneckGrump .

I made pork spare ribs, homemade mac-n-cheese and corn for dinner. It was good. However I wasn't really in the mood and I didn't want to have to repackage it to freeze it. 

I don't feel good today, don't feel terrible.... just blah.

3 more work days and then my days off will be here. I am excited for those, as always lol

I am considering doing something crazy that most people would say absolutely don't do it. I'm thinking about either taking out a loan against my 403b, or taking out the post tax portion and paying HALF of my house off..... now don't get too excited. I do live in a kinda crappy house in a nice neighborhood, and I only owe about 43.5k on the house. 
I was reading a post about student loan forgiveness the other day and it was saying that if you owed more than 60k, the 20 year rule may be changed to 30 years. That would make me 81 before they were paid off; I have to consolidate them by the end of the month in order to fulfill the potential for public service student loan forgiveness, which is BS, because I have worked for a non-profit that qualifies for 14 years. So.... it is what it is, but I won't be able to afford $400+ student loan payments in my 60s, and 70s, even without taking the money out.... because I don't have much in there.
I am a 1st generation college GRADUATE and I sometimes feel like I was better off when I was poor. I know I wasnt, but man was life more simple. 
Anyways, hope everyone had a good weekend!


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  It was the murder capital back then too.... spooky stuff for a 19 year old with a kid from an are with 60k population at the time.... 
The grocery stores had actual police and not just security guards in the stores, it was weird to me.


----------



## Flyover

Well, it's official: we have a boxelder bug infestation. The bugs haven't gotten in the house yet but they're all over the deck, and at the base of our nearby boxelder tree they sometimes swarm so thick they look like red lichen from a distance. Short term we will spray around the perimeter of the house and try to keep them away from the other maples; long term I think I'm going to cut down that tree. I never liked it anyway, and it's in a spot where I think a white pine or two would look nice, or maybe some more fruit trees, or a second garden...


----------



## zannej

I remember the first time I ever went to New Orleans was also my first Mardi Gras. It was cold, people were rude. Some biyatch in a wheelchair grabbed my sister's hand really hard and bent her fingers backwards (on purpose) to pry some plastic beads from her hand. Once my sister's fingers were bent back to almost breaking, the biyatch ripped them out of her hand and in the process they whipped me in the face. My sister was crying & I was about to punch this hag but my dad stepped in between and chewed her out. The lady's son apologized on her behalf and wheeled her away while she screamed at him & us. Said kids didn't belong at Mardi Gras. My dad said it was the closest he ever came to punching a woman. Then two idiots shot each other over some dabloons & the people who brought us there didn't want to stay any longer so we had to leave. It was miserable and I have not liked Mardi Gras or New Orleans since then. 

Shan, I hope you can get the loan forgiveness. 

Flyover, I have no idea what boxelder bugs are, but I hope you can get rid of them quickly. 

I stopped at HD the other day to grab some herbicide to see if I can kill those chinaberry trees that keep growing back every time we cut them down. Been cut down like 5x now and keep coming back stronger.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I'm not sure if the inner pot is lined with teflon or not but it is black inside.


Thanks, but yeah they are nonstick chemical coated. All the brands claim they are "free" of the PFOA / PTFE etc., but they use some other endocrine disrupting chemical at the very least. Just like "BPA Free" means they use BPS, which is worse...


----------



## Eddie_T

I hate the infomercial type ads where the price is never revealed. I got an email from Glenn Beck saying the business world was mad at him for selling Green Lobster CBD gummies so cheap. I have wasted 15 minutes trying to find what the price is after the free bottle.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I hate the infomercial type ads where the price is never revealed. I got an email from Glenn Beck saying the business world was mad at him for selling Green Lobster CBD gummies so cheap. I have wasted 15 minutes trying to find what the price is after the free bottle.



All infomercials are garbage... Here's the Green Lobster one... It's hilarious how it says "HURRY... Only 10 minutes left" and counts down... I waited and reloaded the page, and it's back to 10 minutes...

Then there's 2 Fake Doctors on the page... Doctors have no idea about the Endocannabinoid system because that's the exact opposite of what Pharma wants them to know... I also love the fake testimonials. 

If you want CBD and it's legal in your State, go to the local State run or State licensed place and talk to real people, skip the pitchman crap. 






						Naturesboostcbd
					

Natures Boost CBD




					www.naturesboostcbd.com


----------



## zannej

Funny thing on the laws of marijuana. Using marijuana in my state has been legal since the 70s, but possessing it is illegal. So, if you've used it, they will say it is proof of possession. I think it is now approved for medical use but only cancer patients can get prescriptions. 
Last night I got tired of the sewer gas smells coming out of my bathtub. The stopper plug had been dislodged and was letting gases come in. At first I didnt' see the stopper so I started pouring water down the drain (slowly) but it wouldn't stay in the trap. Then I saw the stopper and plugged the drain again and put the plunger on top to hold it down. No more sewer gas smell but I inhaled enough last night that made me sick and I slept until 5pm today.

I'm about to go to the store to get more cat food and groceries.

I woke up to the cats having a bad fight. Yasuke ran to me for safety but I was asleep. So he jumped on me and Snugglebum jumped on him and I woke up with claws in my arm, somehow contorted so they clawed the crap out of my leg. They ran out of the room and I had to get up and follow to break them up. I pointed to my room and ordered Snugglebum to go back into my room and leave Yasuke alone. He obeyed and then he followed me to the bathroom while I was cleaning up the scratches. Yasuke sometimes picks the fights but I know that I can get Snugglebum to behave if I get them separated.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Morning everyone, Just checking in... Hope YOU all have a GREAT Tuesday...
Cheers~


----------



## zannej

Morning, Redneck. I think the lentils in the veggie pasta that I ate last night didn't agree with my guts. Tasted good, but I may have to find a different veggie pasta option. I filled another mouse-hole (next to my tub) with steel wool. Still planning trim options and so forth. Cats are behaving today. Five of them are in here. Three are asleep and two are grooming themselves. If my guts start cooperating I'm planning to do some cleaning in the kitchen.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I have wasted 15 minutes trying to find what the price is after the free bottle.


These days, once you click on it, even the 'free bottle' disappears... 
And the price of the 'free' stuff is buried in the $89.95 shipping and handling...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I remember the first time I ever went to New Orleans was also my first Mardi Gras.


I've been considering going to Mardi Gras for 50 years but usually I forget until it's passed by... or something else is going on at that time...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Funny thing on the laws of marijuana.


Wish they would keep marijuana and all other illegal drugs as illegal... and enforce it... tired of dealing with people with murderous drug personalities... and 75 murders daily in this country... 
10 Valentines Day Massacres DAILY !


----------



## shan2themax

I cleaned this side of the sliding glass door off really well, inside and out, several times.  It looks so much better. It is very scratched and the outside of it is nicotine stained.

I ordered some RMR-141 so that I can soak the backporch once it is cleaned off and feel better about it being disinfected.  I need to find some primer that will cover all the nicotine, and repaint the ceiling of the porch... it is pretty gross currently. I just filled the dishwasher with a bunch of glassware, I am going to take it to Habitat for Humanity I believe. I picked out a couple of things that I liked to keep, but the rest is going to give at someone else's house. I keep procrastinating taking it because it was gross dirty, so I decided that I would wash it, and the pack it up and take it  while I am off starting Thursday. 
I'm getting very irritable because I am at the point of not knowing what to do with what is left, so I am trying to be proactive. I still have an 8x10 storage unit to go through also. I will probably just toss everything in the metal building.  Anyways..... here's the shiny sliding glass door. Its looking a lot emptier out there.
The piece of trim under the door handle just happens to being it to perfect height to close all the way.


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Wish they would keep marijuana and all other illegal drugs as illegal... and enforce it... tired of dealing with people with murderous drug personalities... and 75 murders daily in this country...
> 10 Valentines Day Massacres DAILY !


Yeah we should re-prohibit alcohol so we can get some murderous liquor personalities too. Don't ya just miss that sweetheart Al Capone?


----------



## 68bucks

Went fishing for a few days on Lake St Clair and the St Clair River. Great time, weather was good, fishing was OK. Went with 6 good friends. 5 of them guys I worked with 30 years or longer. Saw lots of freighters too.


----------



## Eddie_T

Tried a small London Broil roast on my rocket stove grill. It looked like a thick steak charred on both sides and medium rare. Of course it was a bit tough so I sliced as thin as I could with a sharp fillet knife and ate as half sandwiches on buttered loaf bread. The flavor was super and I ate about half of a 2.56 lb roast. Maybe some steak biscuits tomorrow.


----------



## zannej

Shan, don't be hard on yourself. You only recently lost your mother and she left you with this huge mess. I was a complete mess when my dad died and didn't get anything done for over a year. I think Killz will cover the nicotine stains. What you've done thus far looks good!

68bucks, that is beautiful scenery. 

Eddie, that sounds delicious. 

I'm about to try to get to sleep for the night. Woke up sneezing and needed allergy meds.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Yes, @shan2themax, YOU are doing the best YOU can, and so far have done a wonderful job...Love watching those ships on the St. Lawerence @68bucks, I think they are finished flowing down here now till the spring... I cannot remember if they stop the beginning of October or the ending... I think if you cook it slower, @Eddie_T it would have been tender but does sound [email protected] I hope YOU begin to feel much better soon...

Have a GREAT day everyone...
cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

@RedneckGrump, Every time I have tried slow cooking I have ended up with welldone and less flavor that's why I tried the rocket grill experiment.


----------



## shan2themax

Good Morning everyone!
Thanks for the encouragement @zannej  and @RedneckGrump  and others. 
So, I can't go to work today because I have to be retested because I still have symptoms.... I guess I should be happy that I have gotten extra days off..... but I'm not lol. 
I woke up this morning with a thought... it might be delusional  lol.
So..... in an effort to not worry about this sliding glass door.... if I took the screws out of the left hand side (and bottom) and put a brace up with the door open and pound some 2x4s into each side of the wood i hose to brace the top with, could I leverage that up a little to fix the rotten spot underneath it? I was thinking putting a piece of 2x6 running under the slider and that should give me enough width to be able to screw new subfloor down, if I can get wood wedged under the bottom...... 
Idk, I come up with crazy thoughts sometimes..... but if that would work.... I could just quit thinking about the door until spring or something. 

I have to go be retested this afternoon, won't have results for 24 hours.

I think I will clean the back of my car out and take the few things in my moms storage unit  that are my oldest sons and put them in the car, and then take them to him this evening and drop them off in front of his garage.
If I wait for him to do it, it will never happen.... so, I will do it instead. 
I'm patiently impatient, does that even make sense?

@zannej  have you ever tried Flonase (fluticasone) nasal spray? It may help you with all the allergy problems.

I soaked that white plastic tall divided bin thingy, that was in front of the slider in the pic I posted on my sliding door post. I am going to spray paint it to cover the stains that the bleach water and dawn didn't get off after soaking for 10ish hours and then me scrubbing it. I'm going to spray paint it Navy I believe, then the drawer fronts I think I will put contact paper on the fronts. Once that is finished, I will be able to use it in my Office (once it is put together after the cats are gone).
I ****might**** try to mow again today, we shall see about that. I would kind of like to start emptying stuff out of the metal building, I might do that for a little bit also.

Anyways, hope everyone has a great day!


----------



## HandyOne

Met with cousins and brought Aunt to them also.   So we had a picnic down near a river in a park.
Here was the lunchroom today.   I was standing beside a picnic table.


----------



## shan2themax

I cleaned the back of my SUV out, loaded his stuff up and took it to my sons, he unloaded it and put everything in his 2nd garage. I also spray painted *most* of that tall plastic organizer..... I have 2 more pieces and maybe some touch ups, but I ran out of paint and the other 2 cans were a different color. Sooooo, I will finish that tomorrow after my groceries (and another can of spray paint) are delivered.  I am supposed to get a massage tomorrow, however.... idk if I will have my test results back in time before the appt, so I may need to reschedule that. 
I got some more things cleaned and  packed up to take to habitat for humanity restore, I'm not sure when I will do that. I'd like to make as few trips as possible, but I am sure there are more glassware items in the storage unit. 
I made some calls about my moms cats today, and that got me nowhere, just frustrated and upset. 

If I get results in time for massage, I plan to go to the courthouse (same direction), if not.... I will probably just work around the house tomorrow. 

Hope everyone has had a good day!


----------



## shan2themax

I have been awake for 3 hours already.... made breakfast, fried sweet potatoes, bacon and eggs...... now I'm sleepy..... hoping my b-complex kicks in as well as my girly coffeee.
Grocery delivery around 10.....nap in my future lol


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning one and all...
Not a lot happening these days... HYope YOU all have a wonderful day...
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Morning, Redneck. I think the lentils in the veggie pasta that I ate last night didn't agree with my guts. Tasted good, but I may have to find a different veggie pasta option. I filled another mouse-hole (next to my tub) with steel wool. Still planning trim options and so forth. Cats are behaving today. Five of them are in here. Three are asleep and two are grooming themselves. If my guts start cooperating I'm planning to do some cleaning in the kitchen.



Lentils play a part in detoxing your guts. That's why I ate them for 7 weeks in a row.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am experiencing a bit of morning nasal congestion. I think it's time to rejuvenate my pillows with a high heat dryer cycle. Rejuvenates and eliminates dust mites.

My well water is murky again. If I let it sit in  jug for a couple of hours it clears. I have purchased a spin down filter and a sediment filter to hopefully get installed over the weekend.


----------



## shan2themax

So.... let's start with the good stuff....

Its installed. It actually wasn't hard to install came with some brackets for ease on installation.... one of the least annoying installations ever..... however:




When I took down the old one, I nearly pooped my pants/cried/threw a fit..... none of that was going to fix the PROBLEM:





What are those 2 holes you may be asking yourself..... well you see, the old range hood was ventless also.... so I assume that mice came through the opening in the attic, and ATE MY FLIPPING DRYWALL..... A.T.E. I.T. A.L.L.!

SO THEN, I had to figure out what in the world I was going to do..... I looked around the house, trying to find a solution..... how can I cover this stupid hole, because I AM NOT going up in the attic today.... thinking thinking, pick up an aluminum paint tray..... hmmm..... tins snips.... hmmmm.... cut a big square out of it to cover the ventilation and used the left over to cover the holes..... as well as some ducting tape..... I



I AM LIVID!!!

Paint tray for effect.
I screw some metal screws in a few places and filled the paint tray with big gap filler in a circle prior to screwing it together.


Now, I am going to worry about the effects of doing that. The fan works on the vent hood, but I forgot to buy an appliance bulb, so idk if the light works or not... although it is getting electricity.

Its not a perfect fit since it was so banged up, but I did only pay $40 for it instead of $130, so I am ok with it.




I took me 3 hours, which was unnecessary, but I did have a bunch of obstacles.  I was going to change the outlet to the left of the stove, but whoever wired it punched the wires through the back and I couldn't get them undone, so I just left it for a different day. I was planning to try to install a ceiling fan in the dining room today, but I used up all my energy messing with fixing that cluster of a mess!


The moral of the story is..... don't own too much stuff! And.... don't try to fix someone's elses life problems but letting your property be taken over with there stuff.... I am so very sick of mice, mice poop and the thoughts of it all.



I also pulled the linoleum up to get a better look at the floor in front of the slider. I filled that in with gap filler for now to keep mice out of there also. That linoleum looks muddy.... lol, I promise it isnt.






My kitchen is an absolute mess now, so I am going to run to Wendy's (for dinner) and kroger (for an appliance bulb).


I'm relaxing for the rest of the evening I think. I did get some HUGE holes filled under the sink (plumber made a huge hole) and behind the stove, so hopefully that will help keep mice out, especially with so much stuff gone. I did put some bait under my sink and behind my stove.... I pray that my dogs don't try to catch a rogue mouse after it has dinner there.

Hope everyone has a blessed evening, as aggravated as I am... I have had a blessed day!


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Redneck. I'm feeling a bit better. Still run down.
Shan, that is a hot mess & I would be aggravated about that too. If you don't have cats, Mice supposedly hate peppermint oil. I've been told that steel wool will keep them out of places too. They sell special spray foam that is supposed to repel bugs & mice. 

I got up and did some cleaning in the kitchen (nothing major), went to the store for groceries, picked up cow feed, fed the cows, put away groceries, sauteed some mushrooms, cooked some rice, cleaned in my bathroom. Found some stains I hadn't noticed before. Trying a new approach with vinegar and less baking soda. Put saran wrap over it to seal it in. I'll give it at least 24hrs. 

The toilet flanges I ordered from E-bay arrived today. That was fast. Got an e-mail from Cyberpowerpc saying they received the laptop. They've had it since the 29th of Sept but just logged it in to their system. 

I was going to say something but got distracted because the forum was down.

I've tried the Flonase stuff but it doesn't help. 

I'm about to take a nap.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ford is raising the price of their Electric F-150 again.

Remember when they raised it last time... er.... last month?

Maybe they just want to reignite the conversation about how EV's will never work... Unless they create Rivers all over the place, Build Dams, and find a bunch of Water out of thin air...

Side note... I didn't know AOL still existed...









						Ford raises price of F-150 electric truck as inflation bites
					

The price of the new model has been set at $51,974 compared to $46,974 earlier, due to "ongoing supply chain constraints, rising material costs and other market factors," the spokesperson said.  U.S. automakers including EV giant Tesla Inc and Rivian Automotive Inc have also raised prices for...




					www.aol.com


----------



## Spicoli43

Good job, Shan... Just wondering though, is there a reason you didn't put a Microwave there and take advantage of the vent?


----------



## Flyover

Shan, that's crazy, but nice job doing an emergency patch. Very resourceful. Hope you get your kitchen back to normal soon.

I wish I had a proper vent in my kitchen, for either a hood or just the microwave. I never understood the point of just sucking up smoke and blowing it back into the kitchen. Oh well. It's what I've always had to do. I try not to let things get smoky in the first place, though sometimes it's impossible to avoid, like when pan-searing.

Today I made a rather elaborate middle-eastern style meal: hummus from scratch, tabouli from scratch, beef kofte kebab, and chicken shishtawook. (If I'm going to grill one thing, I usually come up with at least one other thing to grill too.) It was extraordinarily delicious, to where I was still groaning about how tasty it was hours later. The tabouli stole the show, it was probably the best I've ever made. My wife said the hummus was the best I ever made, though I'm not sure. I didn't serve the hummus with pita because my wife's watching carbs but we just dolloped it onto our plates and mixed everything together. Very tasty.


----------



## Spicoli43

And more fun for EV's... Imagining the US map, I guess this means no EV's for the East Coast or Gulf Coast because of Hurricanes; California, Texas and New York are out because they don't have the capacity for them, and the entire Fist sized middle chunk of the Country prefers Gas... 









						Electric vehicles are exploding from water damage after Hurricane Ian, top Florida official warns
					

Florida's chief fire marshal warned Thursday that Hurricane Ian waterlogged a number of EVs and their sensitive batteries, creating a serious widespread danger of fires.




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## Flyover

I think we're probably just in the growing pains of EVs. It's an old technology in absolute terms (electric cars have been around for...what, at least 150 years? way more?), but its popularity is recent thanks to some recent revolutions in battery tech, maybe combined with gas prices that don't look like they're going to go back down ever. But a lot of kinks are still being worked out. The people buying Teslas and Lightnings and Rivians and so forth are basically subsidizing R&D, which needs economies of scale, and in a few years/decades I expect EVs will emerge dominant.

So, no hate either to people who've lined up to be guinea pigs, but also none to people who aren't excited about it. I'm personally in the latter category. I like being able to work on my car, and I like a manual transmission.


----------



## Eddie_T

There's just something about 3,620 AA or AAA lithium batteries that suggest many single points of failure to me.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> There's just something about 3,620 AA or AAA lithium batteries that suggest many single points of failure to me.


I think they are 18650's, but yeah... If one goes, then what?

All battery packs are AA or 18650's or something like that, and until they can design the big batteries with the same tech as our regular car batteries, it won't work.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Yeah we should re-prohibit alcohol so we can get some murderous liquor personalities too. Don't ya just miss that sweetheart Al Capone?


Alcohol is a natural substance in the body... your body makes about a pint of it daily in its normal chemical reactions... all the other crap doesn't belong in your body... 
Capone was just a typical Democrat criminal...


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> Alcohol is a natural substance in the body... your body makes about a pint of it daily in its normal chemical reactions... all the other crap doesn't belong in your body...
> Capone was just a typical Democrat criminal... likely even a cocainehead...


----------



## 68bucks

My research says the body makes up to an ounce of alcohol daily but usually less. All done in the gut. But what does that have to do with consuming alcohol? Your body producess carbon dioxide too but too much of that and you're dead. You have to have oxygen to live but too much can kill you too. Same with water. Alcohol as an intoxicant is no different than Marijuana or many other drugs, responsible use you're fine, abusive use and you have problems. Alcohol is after all THE gateway drug. I know several people that have had drug abuse problems including death by overdose. My first cousin died a couple weeks ago, didn't OD but was a junkie so long it destroyed his health. I know at least twice as many people that have destroyed their lives from alcohol abuse. Every drug addict I have ever known started with a drink. Don't you think we should bring back alcohol prohibition?


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Alcohol as an intoxicant is no different than Marijuana or many other drugs
> 
> Alcohol is after all THE gateway drug.


Nope... alcohol is natural in the body... the other stuff isn't... and using the other stuff is meant to give you bad judgement... 
THE Gateway Addiction is Religion Addiction... if you can get someone addicted to something that stupid, you can get them addicted to ANYTHING !!!


----------



## Flyover

"Gateway drug" is a stupid non-idea, a brain disease really. "This guy's on crack now, but what did he start with?" "Well, two years ago he had his first sip of whiskey." "Ah but the year before that he smoked a cigarette!" "Yes, but prior to that he tasted Cheetos for the first time!" "Go back earlier and he was a big fan of baby food!" "Maybe so, but it was the breast-milk that led to that." "I'm pretty sure he was gulping some amniotic fluid long before he ever tasted breast-milk."

Everywhere "gateway drug theory" has been scientifically tested it has been shown to be fraudulent, barely distinguishable from noise, etc.

Aaaanyway...

Today I emptied out my eldest's broken dresser, hauled it out of her bedroom, and started assembling the new one that will replace it. Got most of the way done but have a work meeting coming up in a few minutes. Just need to build the drawers; I'll do that later tonight.


----------



## Spicoli43

"Gateway drug" is a made up fabrication that was tailored to Marijuana and Marijuana only because Marijuana is the only substance that threatens Big Pharma's profit. There were never commercials saying "Coke is a Gateway drug to Meth" or "Bud Light is a Gateway drug to Jack Daniels"...

It's as fake as a $3 Bill.

"Gateway person" is the truthful term, because Tom might crave Coke after smoking a joint, but I never knew anybody that smoked that craved anything else. People that I knew didn't really even drink. MJ was it, and they didn't crave it either. Every single one of them was employed and after the bills were paid, they bought some. They didn't need it, though. I knew one guy that lost his job and there went his "habit" of smoking MJ... No big deal.

People are different, AKA you might know someone that can't live without MJ, but I never have, and I worked in Restaurants, AKA the easiest place to find a hookup for MJ.


----------



## Flyover

Drug warring is a RELIGION! Drug prohibition and all the arguments for it are a set of FANTASIES and MYTHS sold to gullible FEARFUL people to advance the agenda of a set of powerful centralized interests! Those who continue to support drug prohibition in spite of all the evidence are ADDICTS! The drug war was invented, and always supported, by EVIL CATHOLIC DEMOCRATS! Think about it Buzz.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 the biggest reason, and why I have installed ventless rangehoods twice, is that the vent goes to the attic and then in the air, it doesn't lead outside anywhere. The reason I haven't put a microwave in, is because the kitchen needs renovated and I don't want to spend that kind of money on a microwave yet..... also, I may move the stove when I get around to doing the kitchen. The floor has to be ripped up, and as you can tell I need to redrywall. One wall has had mold damage years ago, which is why the floors need ripped up. There was a leak that noone told me about when I didn't live here.

The guy is here now, chopping down a bush and loading it up. I am soo excited to be getting this all taken care of.



I went to the courthouse today, got a supervisor this time. She told me I had everything I needed, however..... I have to send the medicaid estate recovery stuff in first before I can file the summary release from administration. So... gonna work on that this weekend. See if I can just email the paperwork instead of mail it, or fax it.
But at least I know that I found everything I needed.

Hope everyone is having a great day!


----------



## havasu

Flyover said:


> "Go back earlier and he was a big fan of baby food!" "Maybe so, but it was the breast-milk that led to that." "I'm pretty sure


I knew it was the bewbs that started my addictions!


----------



## Eddie_T

I saw this on another forum and thought it was a neat way to extend a sewing machine platform.


----------



## zannej

I know they sell extenders and they have things where you can lower the sewing machine so that it is level with the top & have a drop-in sleeve type thing that goes around it.
Yesterday was my birthday. My mother eventually remembered in the late afternoon. She then told my brother. My sister actually remembered and called later in the evening. I wasn't feeling well so I was sleeping. Stomach was in knots for some reason. 
I cleaned my bathroom floor and keep trying to remove some of the stains to no avail. I'll just have to cover them up.


----------



## havasu

Happy belated b-day!


----------



## Spicoli43

Happy Birthday, Z


----------



## Flyover

Today I got to make more progress on the woodworking project I'm so excited about. Rough pieces are now glued up.


----------



## Spicoli43

I just figured out I have to eat Bananas for years. I don't like Bananas. I don't like Bananas whole, I don't like Bananas on Toast, I don't like Bananas sliced on Cereal, I don't like them at all, Sam I am.

A Banana peel is the only thing I have found that the Cats won't go near. Their little eyes squint, their noses wrinkle, their heads retract as much as possible, and they back up to get away...

So, where I place a Banana peel, they won't go, like my Island that I prepare food on.

At least my Dog likes them so I can give him some.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good afternoon KIds or I guess it's good evening... 
How are we all doing this Saturday evening... I am really not sure where the day has gone... Haven't really slept in the last 48 hours... Exhausted, and hope to sleep tonight... Well, the kids and the grandkids just left, they came here for Thanksgiving dinner tonight and will be going to their inlaws tomorrow... Tomorrow we have my sister and brother-in-law, with their 2-year-old Grand Daughter...

By tomorrow night, I will have had enough turkey and ham till Christmas... Not a BIG fan of them both... But will be ok... I have to remember to put the new water filter in the fridge tomorrow... not in the right frame to do it tonight... It's not hard, but don't have a lot of patience right now... Just getting ready to stream the hockey game tonight...



Eddie_T said:


> @RedneckGrump, Every time I have tried slow cooking I have ended up with welldone and less flavor that's why I tried the rocket grill experiment.


The way we do it in the oven or on the grill (BBQ) and it turns out perfect every time... We coat the roast in butter, and with all our favourite spices... We preheat the oven to 500, or the grill to 500... Put it in for .5 hours, just enough time to snere it, and lock the juices into the roast... and then we turn off the heat, and let it cook... Keep checking it to see how the insides look... We love our roasts medium rare... The butter and spices should soak into your roast... and every time we do that, we can cut it with a fork,, and it melts in your mouth...


zannej said:


> Yesterday was my birthday.






I hope it was a GREAT day @zannej and that YOU are feeling much better...

Hope everyone that the remaining of Saturday is good to YOU, and that the remaining of the weekend is GREAT!!!

Cheers~


----------



## havasu

I had leg cramps for years after my bilateral knee replacements. My doc prescribed one banana a day with my pain pills, and since, have not had a leg cramp. I'm beginning to hate them, but I consider it my daily medicine.


----------



## RedneckGrump

havasu said:


> I had leg cramps for years after my bilateral knee replacements. My doc prescribed one banana a day with my pain pills, and since, have not had a leg cramp. I'm beginning to hate them, but I consider it my daily medicine.


They say a glass of Tonic Water will do the same thing...


----------



## shan2themax

Happy Birthday Z!!!! I hope your belly gave you some reprieve!



So.... my day started with being being woken up by the smell of something burning. So I yell at my son asking him if he was cooking, he was already up and searching for source. There was no smoke or flame anywhere, nothing was even warm right above the vent hood.... idk what to think........ I flipped the breaker off for the range hood. It was the only thing that had changed, and the previous one had been problematic. The smell went away as quickly as it came. I have left the breaker off all day and the rangehood is disconnected.

Not how I envisioned my day, but thankful it woke..me.up
I asked the volunteer FD if they would come over and check out the attic. They didn't find anything or see any obvious burnt areas. 
One.of them gave me a number for an electrician that is also a volunteer there. I called but I couldn't leave a message.


Whats the best way to choose an electrician? I don't feel comfortable turning that breaker back on until one comes and looks at it. 

I worked on my moms room today, took all kinds of empty boxes out. Found several c-pap supplies all packaged up neatly and not opened, so I will need to find someone to give them too. 
I had to remove multiple items from garage so that they could climb up to the attic, between that and my moms room, I am completely drained and in a flair from fibromyalgia. I am super stiff  and very exhausted....
I'm too tired to do anything with the kitchen. I straightened it up some last night, but had to move it again to take the range hood off. I am very very sleepy, but afraid to go asleep.


----------



## zannej

Thanks for the birthday wishes. Stomach eventually settled down. Feeling better today but still tired. Been having leg and ankle cramps/soreness. 
I love bananas. I love them by themselves & in cereal. Its hard to find them ripe and not covered in flies though. I need to get some next time I go to samsclub. They have better bananas than walmart. I might go Monday since my brother is off work and can help with the lifting.

I cleaned off the formerly sticky sides of the velcro pads wit alcohol and put heavy duty doublesided tape on to reattach my subwoofer, speaker, and desk tray. The peel-off backing stuff did not want to come off so I had to use tweezers and had a lot of frustration but I finally got it. Hopefully everything will stay in place this time.

Shan, do you have Angieslist or HomeAdvisor for your area? They might be able to list people. I think yahoo sometimes has reviews of services in the area.

Reminds me I saw one of the local plumbers & couldn't help but comment to myself about what a hack he is. He did a terrible job at my friend's grandfather's house. Even if he would actually come out to my house (which he won't) I wouldn't hire him.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  Its hard to find honest people around here. I'm sure this is true of everywhere. We just had a 2 more contractors be arrested for not completing jobs and skipping town with money. Its really a big headache. I put a post on Facebook to see if anyone had used someone, no responses yet. I have 3 friends with rental property, so I will see if they have someone they trust also. 
I worked on my moms room some today, I hadn't worked on it since I moved everything around in June when she first went in the hospital. I think I emptied 8 boxes of varying sizes, and through 3 33 gallon bags of stuff away. I found some brand new cpap/bipap/avaps masks/hoses, so I will try to find a home for those. I need to go work on her room some more before I go to bed for the night. 
I gave my bike rack to the neighbors across the street for his kids bikes for the winter, it was 4 feet wide and It just took up too much space in my garage. I plan to give my bike away, so I didn't need to keep it. My sons bike is a fancy mountain bike that the back tire comes off, so it doesn't take up as much room as 2 bikes did.
I am absolutely exhausted again from working in my moms room, dismantling the range hood again, and pulling stuff out of my garage and moving shelving so that the VFD could get up into the attic. I would love to pay someone to widen the opening and install attic steps for me. I would also like to put some plywood or something up there in a few places so that you had something to stand on.

I need to either hire someone to go up there and remove all the old insulation and vacuum up the mouse poop and install insulation.... or me get my big butt up there and do it. 

Honestly, I am at the point with the house, that I wish I could just get a bunch of people over and get it all done at once, lay osb, rip out kitchen, fix sag, FIND HOMES FOR THESE CATS, blah blah blah

Ok ok, enough of my whining. I need to go get busy for a little bit.

Oh.... I have left the breaker off, and I moved the TV to a different wall. The breaker for the wall where the rangehood is, is also the breaker for the ceiling fan and one wall in the living room.
I still have the stove breaker off also. I don't think it was the stove, and it may not have been the rangehood..... but since the one I took out was turning the light off by itself, I feel like that is the most likely culprit. I wish I felt safe getting in the attic to look at the wiring for myself, but..... I don't.

Hoping everyone has a good evening Nd rest of their weekend, I'm off to get busy for a bit.


----------



## Eddie_T

@RedneckGrump, Belated Happy Thanksgiving to you. I had forgotten about Canadian Thanksgiving being in October. Sounds like you had a blessed day.


----------



## Spicoli43

Good luck with smell, Shan... Could it have been something outside drifting by, like a neighbor's burning smell?

Happy Thanksgiving, Redneck... I'm not a fan of Ham or Turkey... Ham because it's a Sodium Bomb and Turkey because it's dry... My Sister said to cook the Turkey in a roaster on the counter and cook it upside down and it will be juicy throughout. 

Contractors here are mostly good, some want half the money upfront, some just want all the money at the project end. That's how my concrete guy was for my shop floor... "Please just have a cashiers check when I return to remove the forms." 

The contractor for my Brother's shop couldn't figure out where to put the studs, as in the studs were 15" or 14 1/2... I forget the exact details, but when we were wiring outlets and putting up the OSB panels, he was griping about them being "in the business" but having no idea what they were doing. "They aren't Lawyers or Accountants 5 days a week then they go play Carpentry, this IS THEIR JOB."... 

The shop frame LOOKED okay, but then put up the 8 foot panels and when they don't work, insert swear words.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 I really don't know. I didn't have any windows open, it was 815 in the morning. I have an electrician coming Tuesday and I do have several things that I could hire him for dependent upon what he finds. So we shall see. I have left the breaker off, so no new smells. I am making a list of things to get a price for and writing it on my upright freezer door lol

I have done some laundry today, worked on my moms room last night. Rearranged part of the living room so that I could watch TV while that breaker is off..... I need to go get busy making dinner.... Philly cheesesteaks with pepperjack cheese.... although... I just realized the rolls are frozen, better go get them out to thaw.
I watched 2 episodes on a Bible study about Revelations earlier, that was interesting. She mentioned Corrie Ten Boom and that reminded me of one of the books Corrie Ten Boom had written that I read. Although, I can't remember the name of it. 
Trying to relax today, I lifted and carried entirely too much the past few days and have felt horrible in the evenings with temps 99.5-99.9. It happens When I overdue it. Which is close to impossible for me to not do.  

I'm hoping that maybe this electrician knows a structural engineer. I am going to try to find some different ones to call tomorrow.
Also, tomorrow, I need to call medicaid to see if I can email the forms I filled out.


Hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend!


----------



## Spicoli43

Ok, Good Luck Shan... You should get a circuit tester like this one and check every outlet to start...



			https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fluke-Fluke-ST120-Socket-Tester-with-GFCI-test/1003196402
		


I just got done watching this documentary, real good...

*








						Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery. (TV Series 2015– ) - IMDb
					

Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery.: With Adam Bond, Mark Goodacre, Mehdi Aissaoui, Candida R. Moss. The world's foremost scholars, historians and scientists examine six ancient relics thought to be connected to Jesus of Nazareth.




					www.imdb.com
				



*


----------



## Spicoli43

I decided to make Clam Chowder with chunks of Potato that didn't work too well last time. Instead of putting the raw Potatoes in the crock, I pan fried them with Olive Oil and some No Salt seasoning from Costco and then put everything in the crock... It has about a half hour, but I tested the Potato and it's Magnifique!!! 

Yesterday, I made some Coconut Milk out of 1 Cup of flakes and 1 1/2 Cups of water and blended in some Protein Powder... Then I said "This is real crunchy"... 

Yeah, supposed to strain the Milk through a Coffee Filter, Genius!!!

Homer DOH!!!


----------



## shan2themax

I do have something similar, it plugs into the outlets, I also have one shaped like a pen that tells you if its live and an ohmeter also. I haven't checked every single outlet, still haven't turned the breaker back on. I'm not going to.
Larry, (the guy that cut down the bush and is helping me out with all this stuff and going to today up all the weeds and such), came by this evening and we got the building cleaned out. To me a longish story short, a mouse jumped out of a box at me and I screamed! Lol. Idk why I screamed. But then about 15 minutes later I was moving stuff out of the building a teenage opossum came peeking around a box..... I slowly backed out of the building. We got him out of the building and hopefully he leaves. He wasn't sml but he was skinny and lanky... thats why I think it was young. 
We got rid of a bunch of stuff though, he is going to come back tomorrow. 
I have been helping, because I can't stand to see someone work and I am not working... but idk that I will feel like it. We shall see. 

I made a sort of Philly cheesesteak for dinner. I used the shaved beef (ribeye) that Walmart sells and cooked frozen onions and peppers with it and put pepperjack cheese on it with some mayonnaise and I put it on Hawaiian Rolls. It was pretty good.
I think tomorrow will be bucket steak in the crockpot with cream of mushroom soup and mashed potatoes and peas or green beans. 

Hope everyone has a good night!


----------



## Flyover

I think I mentioned I have a neighbor who mills his own wood. He does a lot of de-barking of slabs for customers who want a live edge, and my wife picked up from somewhere the idea that this discarded bark makes good mulch, so I've been carting over buckets of the stuff. I think it's from red oak but I'm not positive. Last week I laid some of it around my mailbox and today I helped her put more around our lamppost. I like how it looks. What's leftover is great in fires too.

Today I made lentil soup. I didn't have as many green lentils as I thought, so I supplemented it with red lentils, which disintegrate into nothing but at least added substance. I also included finely chopped peppered beef jerky (this is one of my standard ingredients in lentil soup), onions, and carrots, and seasoned it with my usual mix of Middle-Eastern spices. It turned out very nicely.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, you should check every outlet besides the ones that are off. Every bit of info the Electrician has when they get there is a step ahead... 

Flyover, you know the Fire risk with wood Mulch, right?


----------



## Spicoli43

I'm going to take this webinar on Hormones... After my 7 week Detox from the same group that is sponsoring this Free webinar, I figure why not? No longer am I running around Bulletproof like when I was in my 20's... 






						Free Hormone Secrets Webinar with Dr. Afrouz Demeri –  The Sacred Science
					






					hormonesecrets.thesacredscience.com


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Girls and Boys...
Well, yesterday's Thanksgiving was good... Really nice having younger kids around... Love when my Grandkids come for a visit... and poor Lucy by near the end of the visit, is teething, and just by looking at her, you knew she wasn't feeling too good... But you can tell Daycare is really helping her out... I remember when my kids were growing up, there was no such thing as Daycare... Daycare was up to us... I find kids are coming a lot faster, and know so much more today... Especially on the Tech side... The only problem is they aren't taught things like telling the time, or even printing so much anymore... Sad, but very true...

But the day was wonderful... I forgot to mention, on Saturday when Carll and I went for our usual walk... we were approached by a guy that was homeless pushing his shopping cart with all his belongings... He stopped me, and asked if he could pet Carl, I said of course... We get talking, he lost his family a couple of years back, his Mom & Dad, and brother and sisters in a bad car accident... Seemed like a really nice guy... He told me he was in jail for stealing and told me he smokes. but not into the really bad drugs... He seemed really sincere about who got burnt in his life... I told him my wife and I were talking about taking in a homeless person for the winter and trying to help them get back on his feet... So he took my number, and is supposed to call me this afternoon... and Lorie and I will meet him down near the riverwalk, and Lorie can check him out, and see if his story is the same as he told me... I trust everyone till you screw me, and then you don't get another chance ever... Just the way I am... So, we'll see if he calls this afternoon, and I will either take him a turkey plate or stop at Wendy's and grab him a meal...



shan2themax said:


> Whats the best way to choose an electrician? I don't feel comfortable turning that breaker back on until one comes and looks at it.


I would go to a home depot, and other electrical supplying stores and asked if they would suggest an Electrician... I would take someone who has their name on their truck... and the way I pay a tradesperson is 1/4 of the bill when he starts... 1/2 way through, I would pay another 1/4, and at the end of the job, and after I had it inspected, I would pay the other 1/2... And if the word money came out of the conversation right away, I personally would stay away from him... After looking at the job... I would say something like "How much do you think it might be" and at the end of the meeting, I would ask him to deliver you an estimate... and I would have two other companies do the same, and YOU don't always go for the cheapest, but the one that treated YOU like a customer, and the one who suggested ways of doing the job... But also one who wrote his estimate properly in detail, because YOU don't want any surprises when done with the job... That sounds like a lot... But that way you are protecting yourself, your home, and the job to be done properly...


Spicoli43 said:


> Happy Thanksgiving, Redneck... I'm not a fan of Ham or Turkey... Ham because it's a Sodium Bomb and Turkey because it's dry... My Sister said to cook the Turkey in a roaster on the counter and cook it upside down and it will be juicy throughout.


Thank you, Buddy, the two days were great... Also, love spending time with my Grandkids, and my niece... all the holidays need kids in them, that is what makes the days special I think, seeing the magic and love in their eyes...

I too am not a big fan of Ham, and turkey, I am an all-beef kinda guy... (LOL) The ham was mostly for my brother in law...  He loves the ham with a bone in it... and Lorie and my Sister in Law love turkey... But Lorie's Turkey is always moist... The turkey I prefer after the holiday, I do love turkey sandwiches with mayo and salt and pepper... But thanks for the Happy Thanksgiving...

Wel, Boys and Girls... I hope YOU all have a GREAT week... and Z I hope your pain goes away and YOU have a better week... and that YOU had a nice Birthday...
Cheers~


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Flyover, you know the Fire risk with wood Mulch, right?


Aside from the fact that it's wood and wood is flammable? Hey if I could exclusively mulch with volcanic rocks I would, but that stuff is like $10 a yard.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Aside from the fact that it's wood and wood is flammable? Hey if I could exclusively mulch with volcanic rocks I would, but that stuff is like $10 a yard.


No, it can spontaneously combust, even when it's not blazing hot. 

That reminds me about Volcanic rock, I want to do that next year... Thanks.


----------



## Flyover

I was not aware that wood mulch can spontaneously combust even when it's not blazing hot. Everywhere I've owned a house, I have seen people mulch with wood. I've always mulched with wood (again, only because of the price of the pumice alternative). I have never seen this incendiary phenomenon, but I believe you when you say it is possible. I suppose it's the risk we all take for leaving cooled magma on the garden center shelf and money in our debit accounts. (The irony of drizzling bits of volcano around my house to reduce the possibility of my house erupting in flames is not lost on me.)


----------



## Spicoli43

Mulch Fire warning... 









						Brave Search
					

Search the web privately ...




					search.brave.com


----------



## Flyover

Thanks Spicoli. It looks like the recommendations on how to prevent these fires include things I already do, such as not smoking, using hardwood and bark mulch (in my case, hardwood bark!), and not mulching deeper than 3 inches.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I would include not near the House. And, if your kids put a piece around the tree and another beside it like a puzzle, that won't be a problem. I also don't like Wood Mulch because it loses it's look and fades quickly... 

I'm going to get a price on Volcanic rock soon... That raises property value also... I highly doubt Wood does.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like the appearance of bark mulch. I suspect the fire risk from spontaneous combustion is close to negligible. I used to grind leaves and use as mulch but now just blow them into the woods. I do burn a few piles just to get the deja vu of autumns of my youth. A friend (lives near Savannah, GA) makes sculpted tree islands on his property by placing leaves around groups of trees. He got the idea from golf courses.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Mulch Fire warning...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Brave Search
> 
> 
> Search the web privately ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> search.brave.com


I thought mulch was treated to prevent termites and fire...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Happy Thanksgiving, Redneck... I'm not a fan of Ham or Turkey... Ham because it's a Sodium Bomb and Turkey because it's dry... My Sister said to cook the Turkey in a roaster on the counter and cook it upside down and it will be juicy throughout.


I sometimes cook a half turkey or whole turkey in the microwave and everyone seems to like it because it is moist... and that's another reason I get the biggest microwave with the 16" platter... 
I'll put Bar-B-Q sauce or something all over the turkey wrap that in paper towels and then wrap it with microwavable clear plastic wrap and then nuke it... 
Nuking ears of sweet corn in the husk is another use for the big platter... big enough to still spin with big things on it...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The contractor for my Brother's shop couldn't figure out where to put the studs, as in the studs were 15" or 14 1/2... I forget the exact details, but when we were wiring outlets and putting up the OSB panels, he was griping about them being "in the business" but having no idea what they were doing. "They aren't Lawyers or Accountants 5 days a week then they go play Carpentry, this IS THEIR JOB."...
> 
> The shop frame LOOKED okay, but then put up the 8 foot panels and when they don't work, insert swear words.


They go 16" or 24" apart... and you don't measure that distance one at a time... you stretch a tape measure the entire distance of the wall and then mark off the appropriate spots...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> A friend (lives near Savannah, GA) makes sculpted tree islands on his property by placing leaves around groups of trees. He got the idea from golf courses.


I'd be concerned the leaves would cause the rain water to run off instead of soaking down into the tree roots... of course it rains about every night in Georgia so plenty of water there...


----------



## shan2themax

I worked on the back porch today for 5 hours, took a few breaks while out there. I got rid of a bookcase, took a bunch of kitchen stuff out there, put about 30 empty boxes out there, a chest of drawers, TONS of plastic tubs/organizers, an electric fireplace, a lamp and some miscellaneous metal kitchen wall hanging and stuff. I broke a collectable Cracker Barrell stackable 4 compartment thing.... dropped one piece thinking it was only 3 pieces. It apparently sells for like $60.... not anymore . Then I searched this mid century metal canister type thing.



Its kind of neat, idk that I think its neat enough to keep. I have another bookcase to take off the porch and the microwave stand that this thing is sitting on.  Then I have a wicker sort of bookcase to get rid of. There's an entertainment center out there that my daughter wants to put in her room. I think her tv will fit in it and then it has 2 big drawers she can put things in. It will have to be scrubbed.... then there are 2 4 drawer metal filing cabinets that I need to go through and an 10ish square foot area to go back through again. Then, I will need to pull the carpet layers up roll them up and tape them to put in the dumpster when it comes.  Larry is going to come back tomorrow and cut the rest of the bush outback down and then start on the fence lines.

I **should** be cleaning because the electrician will be here tomorrow evening, maybe in a little bit... maybe in the morning. I work better under pressure and I am sooooooo sick of cleaning currently. I am basically down to the storage unit of my moms stuff, which is still a lot of stuff, however; I woke up with a renewed sense of hope that my house doesn't have to be this way much longer (even if It takes a year). I am tired of being embarrassed of it. I just want to come home, relax and be able to feel some pride in having been a teenage parent who dropped out of high-school, had a baby, got a GED, Drivers license at 25, went to college at 32 and graduated @34 and again @48 and am a first generation college GRADUATE. I deserve to own all the hard work I have put in and stop living like a pauper.


Ok. Enough of that.....

I made bucket steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and peas for dinner. (Cube steak cooked in cream of mushroom soup undiluted in crockpot). It was pretty good.

I'm kind of excited for the electrician to come tomorrow. Maybe I shouldn't be lol, but it still feels like hopeful change!

I hope you all have had a wonderful day!


----------



## shan2themax

Inforgot to post a pic of the mess I made today, tossing more things off the back porch. There was a little more added, but you get the jist of it.


----------



## Flyover

Made ribs again, this time St. Louis style.

I seasoned them, wrapped in foil, and baked at 250F for about 3 hours, then turned off the oven and took them out after another three hours. Then after draining the fat I cut them individually and grilled them, brushing with BBQ sauce and turning over and over.

Easily among the best ribs I've ever had. The meat almost fell off the bone, almost melted in my mouth, but held on and had just enough meaty texture to be satisfying.


----------



## zannej

Shan, you're not whining. It's understandable. You were left with a lot to deal with. I wonder if the burning smell could have been the burning in phase of the new vent fan. Sometime there is an odor to new electronics. I had it with some new appliances. Something about a coating burning off. But if it wasn't on that might not be it. I hope the electrician figures out what it was. I totally understand not being able to find someone reliable.

Around here, even if their name is on their truck it doesn't mean they are reliable. One of the plumbers in town has his name on the truck and is absolutely terrible.

Redneck, I'm glad you got to see your grandkids and had a good time.

Spicoli, the food sounds good.

I'm fighting allergies and feeling tired but my back is doing better. I went to Samsclub today & my brother couldn't do much lifting bc his deltoid and rotator cuff are not cooperating. I went through that awhile back so I understand. An old frail looking man in a riding cart rolled up to us in the parking lot and asked my brother if he could please help. He had a bunch of cases of water. I told him my brother had injured his shoulder and that I would help. My brother explained it was his rotator cuff and the old man said it was best if he didn't take any chances on making it worse so I loaded the cases into his truck for him and he thanked me. Also stopped at the Chinese place and discussed traveling and language with the owner. He was saying how they speak Cantonese in Hong Kong and Hokkien in Taiwan. He speaks Mandarin. He talked about going to Singapore 40 years ago and how he liked the Kway teow (not sure on the spelling-- it's a noodle dish). 

I was feeling a bit lightheaded so I wasn't up to cooking when I got home. Allergies are getting to me. I need to find my nasal spray.

Flyover, what is st louis style? Those ribs sound delicious. We used to get some ribs from Kroger that my elderly friend would cook on a wood-burning stove. They would fall off the bone. I miss those.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> Flyover, what is st louis style?


As I understand it, you can buy two kinds of pork ribs at the store, typically: baby back, and St. Louis style. Baby back has shorter bones of a more consistent length, and each bone has a round cross section. St. Louis style has bones that range from quite long to very short, with a flatter profile, and the cartilage is softer and easier to chew. The claim I've heard is there is usually more meat on the St Louis style, though in my experience so far I haven't seen much difference. But the St. Louis style bones are a bit straighter, which I've found makes them easier to grill, and I like being able to easily eat that cartilage.

Edit: I just looked it up. Wikipedia has better info. Pork ribs - Wikipedia


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan... Were you holding on to that mountain of stuff because your Mom refused to let it go? 

Buzz... Did you make up that microwave Turkey story? That qualifies for a Cousin Eddie award!

Flyover... Have you tried Ribs in a crockpot? I would skip all cooking with foil, while "they" say it's safe to use, I say it leads to Alzheimers, plus it makes food taste metallic... 



			https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=crockpot+ribs


----------



## Eddie_T

I have eaten crockpot pork shoulder. Though it is good it is missing that char that BBQ fans love so much. I did see that the guy in the video charred the ribs later in the oven which might work out OK. I don't eat pork nowadays so can't try it.


----------



## Flyover

I guess I could do ribs in the crock pot (I'd still finish them on the grill), but it seems messier and I'd have to cut them up to fit inside.

That reminds me, one of our Black Friday gifts to ourselves this year is going to be a bigger crock pot and food processor. Right now both are rather small, and I want to be able to make a week's worth of hummus instead of a day's worth. I've been told my hummus is so good I could sell it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ribs in a Crockpot are INSANE... I have also done plenty of Pork Shoulder for Pulled Pork sammiches... Yummm...

Hummus reminds me of Tofu, no thanks.

If you are in the market for a Crock / Food Processor, watch for deals on Brickseek, especially the time of year we are in..



			https://brickseek.com/


----------



## Eddie_T

I like hummus but have never made it from scratch I just use canned chickpeas for the base so no cooking. I also occasionally toss some canned chickpeas in salads.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43, why on earth would hummus remind you of tofu?? I hate tofu; everyone says "it just takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with" nah that's a lie, I've tried it every which way and it always tastes like TOFU. 

Hummus on the other hand tastes delicious. If you make it right it should be salty and lemony and tahini-y, with a little puddle of olive oil in the middle, sprinkled ever so slightly with paprika. I make it from scratch, starting with dried garbanzos, water, salt, and a dash of baking soda in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours.

Brickseek looks interesting, I'll check it out. Thanks for the link!

What's the big difference with ribs in a crock pot? And, are you talking about just the first step, to be finished on the grill, or do you do them entirely in the crock pot?


----------



## Spicoli43

Mushed up Vegetable thing. 

I probably had Hummus in Iraq, but only remember 18 Metric tons of Rice. Maybe I'll try it this Winter when I'm bored.

Entirely in the crock pot... I don't do Ribs on the BBQ, nothing charred for me... Just cut a slab in half, put it in with a little water or ACV, spices and Sauce... Those 14000 videos will probably say the same thing.

Brickseek can be great, I got several things over the years, like 75 reams of printer paper for 25 cents each... I have no idea what I was thinking, and I now have 73 reams of printer paper left.

If you see something at Walmart for $49.99 discounted on the site to $4.99, write down the UPC / description / Item number etc. and go find it. It will probably be $49.99 in the store, take it to the computer department register or whatever and have them price check it.


----------



## BuzzLOL

I got up this morning, looked out the window, and realized the Democrat junkies would murder another 75 Americans today... men, women, children, toddlers, babies... 
Am I the only person bothered by that?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Buzz... Did you make up that microwave Turkey story? That qualifies for a Cousin Eddie award!
> 
> Flyover... Have you tried Ribs in a crockpot? I would skip all cooking with foil, while "they" say it's safe to use, I say it leads to Alzheimers, plus it makes food taste metallic...


I can give you my brother's phone number and you can ask him... he liked it so well he asked me how I cooked it... and he's a hunter who eats all kinds of critters... 
. 
I cook with aluminum foil, but then discard it... don't store food in foil because after a while hold the foil up to light and it looks like the stars in the sky with all the holes in it from the aluminum dissolving out and falling onto your food. And, yes, the only place aluminum is found in the human body is in the nodule lumps in the brains of Alzheimer's victims... And have to wonder if MONEY is coloring the results of studies of this...  








						Controversial Claims About the Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
					

Is exposure to aluminum a risk factor for Alzheimer's? Is a virus the culprit? WebMD explores theories about the causes of Alzheimer's disease.




					www.webmd.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I did see that the guy in the video charred the ribs later in the oven which might work out OK.


I take it easy on charring since a lot of it is as bad as smoking...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I take it easy on charring since a lot of it is as bad as smoking...


I've heard that but don't know of anyone getting cancer from charbroiling. However that may only be because prices force moderation.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Mushed up Vegetable thing.
> 
> I probably had Hummus in Iraq, but only remember 18 Metric tons of Rice. Maybe I'll try it this Winter when I'm bored.
> 
> Entirely in the crock pot... I don't do Ribs on the BBQ, nothing charred for me... Just cut a slab in half, put it in with a little water or ACV, spices and Sauce... Those 14000 videos will probably say the same thing.
> 
> Brickseek can be great, I got several things over the years, like 75 reams of printer paper for 25 cents each... I have no idea what I was thinking, and I now have 73 reams of printer paper left.
> 
> If you see something at Walmart for $49.99 discounted on the site to $4.99, write down the UPC / description / Item number etc. and go find it. It will probably be $49.99 in the store, take it to the computer department register or whatever and have them price check it.


Tofu is soy beans mushed and formed into bricks. I don't know what else they add to it to make it stay in bricks, but it doesn't taste good. 

Hummus is not like that. It has a chickpea flavor, but also the other very flavorful ingredients I mentioned. (Some people also add cumin; I do not.) It is hard to find good hummus in the US unless you go into an Arab- or Israeli-owned deli/restaurant, or make it yourself. The "Sabra" brand stuff you find in the supermarket, that people dip carrots into (heresy!), isn't an objectionable food I guess, but it shouldn't be confused with real hummus.

I like char on my ribs, a little "bark" on the edges, etc. I might do them in the crock pot the way you describe if the goal was to pull out the bones and make pulled pork, but I don't really like pulled pork. (Buzz, I've heard that eating too much char can be carcinogenic, but I'm pretty sure a little isn't. Humans have been eating charred food since we tamed fire, and maybe long before that!)

If I can find an item for $4.99 on Brickseek that's 10x as much at Walmart, why should I step into a Walmart? I must have missed your point, Spicoli.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I just got done watching this documentary, real good...
> 
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery. (TV Series 2015– ) - IMDb
> 
> 
> Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery.: With Adam Bond, Mark Goodacre, Mehdi Aissaoui, Candida R. Moss. The world's foremost scholars, historians and scientists examine six ancient relics thought to be connected to Jesus of Nazareth.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.imdb.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *


Did it eventually tell the truth?: Jesus never existed, just an evil murderous storybook character that was invented around year 100-150 c.e. ...


----------



## Eddie_T

@Flyover How do you store hummus? Or maybe yours is consumed so fast there's no need to. One thing about my small batches is that if I goof it's a small mistake.

Ruh-roh while I was posting Buzz has started another attack on Jesus. I guess he's on another "making people aware" mission. Too bad it spoils the forum for others (who might otherwise actually like him).


----------



## Flyover

@Eddie_T I store my hummus in tupperware-type containers. (I have a large glass one with a tight-fitting lid that I typically use for hummus.) But yeah it's usually gone in a few days. I can't imagine it lasting longer than a week. But honestly, give me a bag of decent pita and I will have no trouble getting rid of a gallon of it in that amount of time just by myself.

The historicity of Jesus is actually an interesting topic. Unfortunately it often generates more heat than light when people approach it with their convictions pushed along in front of them.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Ruh-roh while I was posting Buzz has started another attack on Jesus.


If the TRUTH is an "attack" to you... then you might be a Democrat... (with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy)


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> (Buzz, I've heard that eating too much char can be carcinogenic, but I'm pretty sure a little isn't. Humans have been eating charred food since we tamed fire, and maybe long before that!)
> 
> If I can find an item for $4.99 on Brickseek that's 10x as much at Walmart, why should I step into a Walmart? I must have missed your point, Spicoli.


And humans have been getting cancer just as long... although not as often as today... since with modern medicine many more people live long enough to get cancer...
.
I've ordered stuff off Facebook claiming to be Walmart and Lowes closeouts at great prices... but the products never arrived... they just take you money... fortunately, I paid via PayPal and got my money back easily... for some reason, PayPal won't admit those sellers are scam artists though... I suppose a certain percentage of people don't ask for their money back, so the scammers get to keep that money... so they're happy... and PayPal got their cut...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I've heard that but don't know of anyone getting cancer from charbroiling. However that may only be because prices force moderation.


Speaking of prices, the beef short ribs I got the other day and slow cooked in foil were $8.50/lb... and basically half bone... but still a delicious occasional taste treat... didn't have to worry about storing them in foil, they were all grabbed and eaten the instant I unwrapped them...


----------



## Eddie_T

I went to brickseek and checked on one item just for kicks. It says it's available at 39% of Walmart stores. I tried to check inventory at my store and the radio button didn't work (maybe only with prime). I wasn't going to drive 28 miles RT to find out. Maybe I'll  pick an tiem the next time I go to Walmart just for a reliability check.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Was just reading in NYTimes about retirees leaving Florida and this caught my eye:
"They had no homeowner’s insurance; their policy was canceled in June because of the age of their mobile home, a 1978 model." So they got nothing... just a shoebox of saved momentos left... car destroyed... moved north to their daughters home...
.
Article said mostly older people were killed by the hurricane...
.
Still haven't been able to contact my 74 year old high school buddy around Ft. Myers area... I assume still alive, but no power, no cell phone service towers working... don't know if his condo still standing... part of a golf course residential complex... I assume built after hurricane building standards began...


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 believe it or not..... I am STILL going through things on the screened in back porch. Most of what I put out there i had already gone through, I just hadn't made a pile of items out back. I have plastics, woods, electronics, cardboard. My daughter has several things of jewelry to go through and I need to go through just a few others as mentioned.

I have set a few things aside to let set dor a few days. If I still want them in a few days, I will keep them.... but so far I haven't kept much. Maybe 25 items all together out of either her room or the stuff on the porch. I posted pics a long time ago of the contents. Its a 10x20 and 8 foot ceilings, and was packed with just a walkway open. 
I cleaned the inside a lot today... motivated to get rid of tons of stuff (mine).
Larry is out there working now. I am waiting on the electrician person. Hopefully he doesn't forget. Although if he does, I can relax a bit.

My puppy over vomited earlier, he seems to be feeling ok now though. 

@zannej  the rangehood had been installed for 3 days i think, (maybe only 2) the light was on on it, the fan was off. It is ventless though. Idk, I would like to turn the breaker back on though. You don't realize how much air a ceiling fan moves until you can't use it.

I am very tired today. I cleaned on the house for 7 hours today, thats just dumb. I need to have my canister vacuum looked out, the power head doesn't seem to want to work consistently... maybe I will youtube a couple of videos about it. See what I find. 

How many towels would you say you guys own? I have 1.2 million it seems for 2 people (most of the time). I probably have 15ish? I'll have to count. 
I feel like it's ridiculous, yet I use them for lots of things other than traditional usage... spills on the floor, bath mat, dry off dogs when they come in from being outside when it is raining. 

Anyways, I hope you all have a very blessed evening.... even those of you who don't want to, lol.


----------



## Flyover

Shan, the perennially correct answer to your towel question is "when it's time to do laundry, I seem to own nothing but towels. But when I need a towel, I can't find a single one in the goddamn house."


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> we were approached by a guy that was homeless pushing his shopping cart with all his belongings... We get talking, he lost his family a couple of years back, his Mom & Dad, and brother and sisters in a bad car accident... Seemed like a really nice guy... He told me he was in jail for stealing and told me he smokes. but not into the really bad drugs... I told him my wife and I were talking about taking in a homeless person for the winter and trying to help them get back on his feet...


You have to be careful, these junkies can seem nice in the daytime... and be very deceptive... but when they run out of drugs in the middle of the night they turn from Jekyll to Hyde and can rob you blind or murder you and take over your home...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I can give you my brother's phone number and you can ask him... he liked it so well he asked me how I cooked it... and he's a hunter who eats all kinds of critters...
> .
> I cook with aluminum foil, but then discard it... don't store food in foil because after a while hold the foil up to light and it looks like the stars in the sky with all the holes in it from the aluminum dissolving out and falling onto your food. And, yes, the only place aluminum is found in the human body is in the nodule lumps in the brains of Alzheimer's victims... And have to wonder if MONEY is coloring the results of studies of this...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Controversial Claims About the Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
> 
> 
> Is exposure to aluminum a risk factor for Alzheimer's? Is a virus the culprit? WebMD explores theories about the causes of Alzheimer's disease.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.webmd.com


Then why cook with it?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Tofu is soy beans mushed and formed into bricks. I don't know what else they add to it to make it stay in bricks, but it doesn't taste good.
> 
> Hummus is not like that. It has a chickpea flavor, but also the other very flavorful ingredients I mentioned. (Some people also add cumin; I do not.) It is hard to find good hummus in the US unless you go into an Arab- or Israeli-owned deli/restaurant, or make it yourself. The "Sabra" brand stuff you find in the supermarket, that people dip carrots into (heresy!), isn't an objectionable food I guess, but it shouldn't be confused with real hummus.
> 
> I like char on my ribs, a little "bark" on the edges, etc. I might do them in the crock pot the way you describe if the goal was to pull out the bones and make pulled pork, but I don't really like pulled pork. (Buzz, I've heard that eating too much char can be carcinogenic, but I'm pretty sure a little isn't. Humans have been eating charred food since we tamed fire, and maybe long before that!)
> 
> If I can find an item for $4.99 on Brickseek that's 10x as much at Walmart, why should I step into a Walmart? I must have missed your point, Spicoli.



Tofu is like Spam to me... Not to be used for anything besides launching out of a cannon. I use a little Cumin in Chili, but it can kill a recipe real quick.

Thanks for the info on Sabra, I didn't know if it was legit or not. 

If the Brickseek page says it's $4.99, and Walmart in store has it at $49.99, have somebody do a price check to make sure it's $4.99


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I went to brickseek and checked on one item just for kicks. It says it's available at 39% of Walmart stores. I tried to check inventory at my store and the radio button didn't work (maybe only with prime). I wasn't going to drive 28 miles RT to find out. Maybe I'll  pick an tiem the next time I go to Walmart just for a reliability check.


That's what I'm doing today... Going to Walmart to check an Instant Pot that's supposed to be $49 and Canned Tomatoes that are supposed to be 25 cents. Both say they don't know if they are in stock, but that the store carries them.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, it's good you're getting organized and cleaning. Don't do 7 hours and then be zonked for 3 days though.. Try just a couple of hours a day and keep doing that, or even an hour. 

I have 10-12 towels, there MUST be towels for other people, MY TOWELS are like my Toothbrush... NO TOUCHIE!


----------



## 68bucks

The main issue with aluminum foil, and the same with aluminum cookware, is to not cook reactive foods in it. Stuff with tomatos like pasta sauce or BQ sauce, stuff with lemon or vinigar, anything that lowers the pH. Aluminum is very reactive the lower the pH goes. Boil potatoes in an aluminum pan, no issue. But meats simply seasoned and cooked wrapped in foil should not introduce anything into the food from foil.

As for chard foods, yea they're not supposed to be good for you. Just frying food isn't good, it's the browning that's the problem. There are chemical called acrylamides that are formed when food browns, the darker it gets the more is formed. They are considered carcinogenic. We did a bunch of testing in a snack food plant for work to reduce acrylamide formation in tortilla chips and corn chips by manipulating the pH. It was mildly successful but was not adopted. They were preparing for pending regulation on acrylamide levels. Big surprise it was California leading the way on the regulations. I happen to like the dark chips you find in a bag. There is a regional company here that makes a bag of chips that are all dark. They are great but I suspect you could never sell them in California.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, I must not have paid careful attention when I clicked on Brickseek. So it's not a website you can buy things off of directly? It just alerts you to when stores have lowered prices on items, so you can rush over there and purchase them from the stores? That would be much less valuable to me.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, I must not have paid careful attention when I clicked on Brickseek. So it's not a website you can buy things off of directly? It just alerts you to when stores have lowered prices on items, so you can rush over there and purchase them from the stores? That would be much less valuable to me.


No alerts that I know of, you have to manually search. As far as buying from them, no... 

They are a discount listing site that is also an affiliate. There are In store only and Online only deals, and a combo of both depending on the product... 

Up top right is "Products" search... Searching for whatever will show you some items, maybe discounted, maybe not. 

The same search has a dropdown for "Deals" that will show you discounted items.

If it's online at blank retailer, it should be the same discounted price, and you buy it like any other online purchase.

If it's in store, it probably has the non discounted price when you get there, so you have to have an employee price check it before you go pay.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Then why cook with it?


Because it fits around and seals the juices into oddly shaped hunks of meat while cooking... but corrodes in the refrigerator...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> If the Brickseek page says it's $4.99, and Walmart in store has it at $49.99, have somebody do a price check to make sure it's $4.99


Couple years ago a friend told me Big Lots was having a 75% off sale and $85 Little Giant fibreglas 6 foot step ladders were included, so I got one for $21 and he decided to get a 2nd one, as well...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Couple years ago a friend told me Big Lots was having a 75% off sale and $85 Little Giant fibreglas 6 foot step ladders were included, so I got one for $21 and he decided to get a 2nd one, as well...


I get Big Lots 20% off coupons every day in email. The only thing I want is their furniture, but can't get it with my Terrorist Cats. They do have good Glass food storage, they have lasted a few years with no problems.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was invited to a Sukkot meal with three generations of a Norge family. The host prepared a superb bread pudding for dessert. Turns out they had a surplus of frozen buttered croissants which were used rather than leftover bread. Her hubby works in recycling and apparently a local bakery  freezes leftover croissants and gives them to the recycle center employees. Win-win.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I get Big Lots 20% off coupons every day in email. The only thing I want is their furniture, but can't get it with my Terrorist Cats. They do have good Glass food storage, they have lasted a few years with no problems.


I used to be in Big Lots a couple times a week... but they went down the Kmart road and no longer sell most of the things I used to buy... such as guns, ammo, bows/arrows, SCUBA diving equipment, tools, ladders, natural gas ventless heaters, woodburning stoves, boating supplies, etc...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> I used to be in Big Lots a couple times a week... but they went down the Kmart road and no longer sell most of the things I used to buy... such as guns, ammo, bows/arrows, SCUBA diving equipment, tools, ladders, natural gas ventless heaters, woodburning stoves, boating supplies, etc...


But since the stuff you buy has changed (and you no longer apparently live in a lakefront cabin in the mountains), maybe it's now re-aligned with what Big Lots sells!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> But since the stuff you buy has changed (and you no longer apparently live in a lakefront cabin in the mountains), maybe it's now re-aligned with what Big Lots sells!


LOL! I've re-aligned my buying to other stores and online now... just like I and lots of people did from now defunct Kmart...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Big Lots ... The only thing I want is their furniture, but can't get it with my Terrorist Cats.


Local Stormin' Norman flea market guy took over the manufacturing from now defunct local Banner Mattress and Furniture Co., so been buying from him... just got a good deal on a great new soft queen size mattress to replace the collapsing broken spring stabbing ancient piece of junk I had been using... checked Big Lots but they were $100-200 more for similar quality... other stores even higher...


----------



## Spicoli43

Stormin' Norman... NOT a Woke General!


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> I told him my wife and I were talking about taking in a homeless person for the winter and trying to help them get back on his feet...


Oh boy... this news article just popped up in my emails... homeowner found in his freezer: 








						Woman arrested after her Chicago landlord found dismembered in freezer
					

On Monday, Chicago police discovered the body of a missing landlord stuffed inside a freezer located at the home. A tenant, who rented a room in the landlord’s house, was believed to be connected to the grisly murder and taken into custody.Frances Walker, the landlord, resided in her home for...




					www.theblaze.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Stormin' Norman... NOT a Woke General!


No, not the famous fully shotted woke general who died with Covid flu... and maybe from the shots...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> No, not the famous fully shotted woke general who died with Covid flu... and maybe from the shots...


I wouldn't say Powell was woke, just a Yes Man Bushite that was deep state.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I wouldn't say Powell was woke, just a Yes Man Bushite that was deep state.


But he switched parties and supported Obummer for racial reasons... doing things because you're a racist is 'woke'...


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, technically that was before Woke was a saying. He couldn't choose Romney or McCain either, that was the downfall of the GOP with the selection of those idiots.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, technically that was before Woke was a saying. He couldn't choose Romney or McCain either, that was the downfall of the GOP with the selection of those idiots.


Whoa boy... Just saw more insanity: 
"Smart (electric) meter companies were caught secretly handing over data to law enforcement" 
.​"PayPal is still threatening to fine users $2,500 for promoting "intolerance that is discriminatory" " (based on woke craziness of what is intolerable... such as telling the truth...)​


----------



## zannej

Shan, I hope you get the electrical sorted out and figure out what was causing the smell. 
Tofu is disgusting!
Thanks for the explanation on the ribs!
I eat pork chops but I cook them in the air fryer. I put butter & garlic salt on them. My brother likes to cover his in panko. 

I miss Big Lots. We used to have one an hour away but it shut down.

I've been watching videos on wiring and how to trace things back to the correct breaker. Looking at the diagrams my father drew in the 80s it looks like we have a lot of things on single breakers. Got lots of breakers and only two are 15A. Rest are 20A and above. Found out from watching one of the videos that I have SquareD QO type of breakers. I discussed it with my friend, showed him the diagrams and marked which outlets/lights aren't working. So, he thinks he knows where the break might be. A switch or outlet somewhere in the front room. Possibly the closet with the bifold doors that we can't get open. And the knob came off the other door that we could use to reach over and push on the bifold doors.

I got up & cleaned the hallway (dogs have been crapping in the hallway instead of using puppy pads or going outside). Also cleaned up in the living room. My brother injured his rotator cuff and deltoid so he won't be taking out trash or helping with it at all for who knows how long. Not that he was taking stuff out before the injury, but he was at least helping a little. 

I need to get up and get some more water but I'm tired.


----------



## Flyover

I made ribs again. Baby back this time, because that's what they had. Spice rub, oven at 250 for three hours, only this time I didn't cut them apart. Sauced'em and grilled. (Also grilled chipotle chicken and chicken shishtawook. I always grill more than one thing at a time if I can!) They fell apart in two places when I flipped them. We didn't eat them tonight (ate the chipotle chicken in quesadillas) but I did get a taste here and there, recovering bits of meat that fell off. Extremely tasty.


----------



## 68bucks

I do ribs a lot. I do them different ways. My basic method is remove the membrane, rub with mustard, apply rub, (I usually make my own in batches) then wrap in foil. In the oven 275 F for 3 to 3-1/2 hours then brown up and sauce (my wife makes her own) on the grill. I leave them  as a slab rather than cut them up. I like the idea of cutting them up though, more browning, have to try that flyover. My favorite way is 2 hours on the green egg to smoke then wrap in peach paper and back in the egg for a 2 or 3 hours, 250 F. I still put them on the grill to brown and sauce. Usually 30 minutes or so. Sometimes we'll do the whole process in the oven. Just remove from the foil or peach paper and suace them up on the sheet pan and crank the heat up. 
I prefer baby back but sometimes do a spare or St. Louis. BTW a St Louis cut is a spare rib with the bottom cut of to square up the rack a bit. Makes it cook a little more evenly. The baby backs are the first cut off the spine and the spare rib is the cut off the bottom of the baby back.


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> You have to be careful, these junkies can seem nice in the daytime... and be very deceptive... but when they run out of drugs in the middle of the night they turn from Jekyll to Hyde and can rob you blind or murder you and take over your home...





BuzzLOL said:


> Oh boy... this news article just popped up in my emails... homeowner found in his freezer:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Woman arrested after her Chicago landlord found dismembered in freezer
> 
> 
> On Monday, Chicago police discovered the body of a missing landlord stuffed inside a freezer located at the home. A tenant, who rented a room in the landlord’s house, was believed to be connected to the grisly murder and taken into custody.Frances Walker, the landlord, resided in her home for...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theblaze.com


Well, the guy never called, nor never saw him at the park since... But did get a weird text on my phone on Sunday afternoon... Started what's up Bro, and I replied "who is this?" then they replied 69, and I replied "Huh" they then texted they were the black guy I met, and they wanted to buy the Oxys... I played stupid and typed "Huh" and then they typed they think they got the wrong #, and that was it... Never heard back from them... Very strange, cuz the guy I met that day was white... So I dunno...

Today after seeing my chronic pain doctor in Ottawa, I went and picked up my 2 cement window sills, so now have the brick next week I am going to that brick job where they took that bay window out...

Also, very happy Hockey is back... My team the Sens starts the season tomorrow against Buffalo... and Saturday against Toronto... Go SENS Go!!!

@zannej I really hope YOU begin to feel better soon...

Ok Ladies and Gents...
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Redneck, sounds like your number got passed around and the White guy told the Black guy you have the hookup because he was all jacked up when you met him, and now you have to change your phone number or get calls in the middle of the night. 

It sucks, but a majority of people that "need" help are just looking to score these days. I gave 2 small propane tanks to a guy outside Walmart one year in the dead of Winter, that's what he wanted, reasonable request. I watched him walk into Walmart and walk out with nothing, so he returned them without a receipt, which gets him half the value... Do that 10 times, get Drugs...

Then I gave $20 to a guy and went to park, searching for a spot, and watched him walk to a Lexus... Oh, this will be interesting, he's going to try to jack it... Nope, presses the remote button, gets in and drives off... A Freaking Lexus...

From then on, no money, no goods... If they really look like they need help, I'll offer to get them food. Most people look like they could work Construction all day, so they don't get anything.


----------



## shan2themax

Good Morning! My work week starts in a bit, thought I would hop on see what everyone has been up to. 


Surprise, surprise..... the electrician never showed up. Instartwd to call him yesterday, but do inreally want to deal with someone who can't keep there qord? NOPE, I absolutely DO NOT!

I rearranged stuff in the backyard yesterday so that my neighbors didn't have to look at all the plastic stuff in the backyard. 
Larry worked on the weeds and such yesterday, it is starting to shape up nicely. We talked about the dumpster yesterday and he said that he was proposing that instead of a dumpster, he would haul it off. So, that would ben great!  It would help me out and he could make some extra money also. Plus.... he's dependable.

I may try to take some pictures of the back yard before I leave and post them. 

@Spicoli43  I probably shouldn't work for hours and hours on end. I am just always afraid that the next day I will not feel well enough to get things done. I am hoping to be able to slow down in the next couple of months, because I am tired. I just need my house to be in better order and less like a pauper lives here.... Hopefully THEN, I can slow down.

I will say that it has been a little weird to walk into rooms the past 2 days and they are clean. Mind you, not perfect, but not cluttered and nonsensical.

Anyways, Hopefully everyone has a good day!


----------



## Flyover

Remember that piece of furniture I assembled a week ago? The old broken unit has been sitting in a corner of my living room, but today I get to haul it up the stairs and out the door for trash pickup tomorrow. I might need the dolly for that one.

@68bucks: That all sounds great. EXCEPT: Why you remove the membrane man?? Just stab it and slice it up a bunch, it'll be like it was never there but you get to keep the flavor it imparts. Plus it's easier/less work, and most importantly, less waste.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, did you call another electrician? I get what you are saying about wanting to get everything done now, just take it easy.


----------



## Spicoli43

Unlike Elections...


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Unlike Elections...


That reminds me of a secret plan I have embarked on. We are a family of sorts here and I assume pray for each other when needed. Now we know we have at least three non believers in our midst so let's secretly pray for a recognizable God experience in their lives every time we see their name on a post.


----------



## Eddie_T

@shan2themax There should be enough expertise on the forum to guide you through this. Start a thread in Electrical & Wiring and see where it goes.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Unlike Elections...


I can guarantee you there is no judgement day... we have to fix the problems ourselves... just like in 1776, 1812, 1861, 1912, 1945...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> That reminds me of a secret plan I have embarked on. We are a family of sorts here and I assume pray for each other when needed. Now we know we have at least three non believers in our midst so let's secretly pray for a recognizable God experience in their lives every time we see their name on a post.


WHY would you want to force evil foreign psychotic mental illness on normal people who don't want it? Don't want to be under written orders from your handbooks to hate, hurt, and mass murder everyone on the planet? Don't want to be part of a Middle Eastern evil that fuels all the wars? 
The guy stinking up our White House is one of you evil ones! He mandates/forces deadly nonworking fake 'vaccines' shots on people who don't want them and if they resist he has been firing them from their jobs by the thousands! He also allowed a war in Ukraine where tens of thousands of innocent people are getting murdered now!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> A switch or outlet somewhere in the front room.


Sometimes an outlet or half of an outlet is put on a switch so that a table or floor lamp can be conveniently switched on or off when entering or exiting a room...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Lately I just put 10 pounds/5 racks of ribs in the turkey roaster and slow cook them over night until so tender you can eat the meat, membranes, gristle, and even the bones... so no need to buy chondroutin sulfate... or whatever it's called... just feel like a cannibal... LOL!


----------



## Spicoli43

And the guy in the White House isn't a Man of God... There's that.


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> @68bucks: That all sounds great. EXCEPT: Why you remove the membrane man?? Just stab it and slice it up a bunch, it'll be like it was never there but you get to keep the flavor it imparts. Plus it's easier/less work, and most importantly, less waste.


I have done it both ways I just prefer without the membrane. I think it's a bit more tender. I have never noticed a real difference in flavor. I do sometimes like the little bit of crunch or snap the membrane adds if it's cooked properly. Sort of like a casing frank vs a skinless hotdog. I very much prefer a casing frank.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> And the guy in the White House isn't a Man of God... There's that.


Of course the evil stinker is a religic! He checks off all the boxes of being an evil religic: 
He's totally evil... 
He's a total liar...  
He forces evil on others that don't want it... 
He has his troops murdering people of other religions such as Muslims... 
He allows and finances unneeded wars murdering thousands of innocent people... 
He lies that imaginary evil Gods are real... 
He belongs to and financially supports an evil foreign Middle Eastern religion... 
He does all kinds of corruption... 
He wastes taxpayers' money on programs that are psychologically wrong... 
He lies that addictions violence is actually gun violence... 
A million other evil etcs...


----------



## Flyover

Ugh, a skinless hot dog...gross.

@Eddie_T I'm not a believer, though I was for a couple short periods in my life and don't have anything against believers. I had a powerful spiritual experience once, which although I don't think anything bigger than my own mind was involved in I do think was interesting and transformative. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. Anyway, pray for me if you like, I appreciate the kind sentiment.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Ugh, a skinless hot dog...gross.


I suspect most people don't realize the natural skin on hot dogs/sausages is intestines...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> I suspect most people don't realize the natural skin on hot dogs/sausages is intestines...


Really? What do they think it is, paper??


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Really? What do they think it is, paper??


Probably not far off, maybe something artificial like margarine and food glue together... ask some local kids and see...


----------



## Spicoli43

I don't know how you were wronged so badly, Buzz... Everything you said is Demonic, not Godly. Why don't you go talk to a Pastor (NOT a Catholic)?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I don't know how you were wronged so badly, Buzz... Everything you said is Demonic, not Godly. Why don't you go talk to a Pastor (NOT a Catholic)?


Waste of time... besides, they're all afraid of me/the truth... and I explained above about being forced into religion fueled wars... ALL religions are evil foreign psychotic mass murderous mental illness and an ADDICTION to being LIED TO, an ENFORCED PSYCHOSIS, and written orders from their handbooks for their customers to automatically instantly HATE, HURT, and MASS MURDER everyone on the planet not of the exact same religion addiction...
Besides, I live in a former rectory... and there's a rectory across the street full of priests... used to be a Catholic school across the street as well but the parents pulled all the kids out after THE LETTER went around apologizing for the priests sexually molesting the kids... they used to keep that a secret but with a cost of $1/2Million per kid in hush money to kids' parents this diocese and most others were going bankrupt! 





						Settlements and bankruptcies in Catholic sex abuse cases - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Spicoli43

I don't know where you get your ideas, but so be it, not everybody accepts Jesus.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I don't know where you get your ideas, but so be it, not everybody accepts Jesus.


True... 90% of people on planet don't believe that evil hogwash or worship that evil storybook character that blinded and murdered people by age 12 per the stories plus numerous other crimes... at least the stories have a just ending... he was arrested, tried, found guilty, and hung for his numerous crimes... too bad the gullible still worship criminals like him and George Floyd...


----------



## Spicoli43

I have never heard of Jesus murdering and blinding people. 

Ok, so please name all the religions started by God.


----------



## shan2themax

Here's some pics I took this morning.... 4 more hours to go @ work....


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I have never heard of Jesus murdering and blinding people.
> 
> Ok, so please name all the religions started by God.


Guess you haven't read all 500 gospels about imaginary evil Jesus... 
.
How did you even get that backwards? All Gods/religions were invented by evil people... 
"Religion" = thinking some evil imaginary God(s) is real and mass murdering innocent people for it...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Guess you haven't read all 500 gospels about imaginary evil Jesus...
> .
> How did you even get that backwards? All Gods/religions were invented by evil people...
> "Religion" = thinking some evil imaginary God(s) is real and mass murdering innocent people for it...


You're completely lost, you hate Man but blame it on God.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> You're completely lost, you hate Man but blame it on God.


That can't be true because no Gods have ever existed... I like people but hate mental illnesses/addictions that turn some people evil... 
Religions say babies are born evil and need evil religion addiction to get better... which, of course, can't happen... GIGO... Garbage In, Garbage Out... 
I say babies are born good and normal but soon some are forced into, brainwashed into, succumb to evil addictions such as religion addiction, etc... and then some like me never fall prey to any evil addictions...


----------



## Spicoli43

How about go to my new topic, the mods can delete all this and keep it on topic?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> How about go to my new topic, the mods can delete all this and keep it on topic?


What we've been doing today is clearing up confusion... so leave it all...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> What we've been doing today is clearing up confusion... so leave it all...


Go to my new topic... There is no confusion there.


----------



## havasu

Um, yeah. How about them Dodgers?


----------



## shan2themax

@Eddie_T  i have considered that. The problem is that I can't get up into the attic to see what is happening up there, if I turn the breaker back on. Other than that, idk what else to do. I do need to print a map of the house off and then check all the outlets, switches, and lights, and then turn breakers off and mark which breakers turn what room/outlets/lights/fans off and write those down in permanent marker on my breaker box. It would make it much easier than what I currently do. 

Heading home for the night, hope everyone sleeps well.....

Also, I like your idea @Eddie_T


----------



## Flyover

Those ribs I made yesterday? We ate'em today for dinner. They were great. Still have almost half the rack in the fridge, which will probably become my lunch tomorrow.

I didn't do much relevant to home repair/DIY today other than haul that old broken piece of furniture up the stairs and out to the curb. It was probably in the neighborhood of 60-80 pounds of awkward hard-to-grip-ness, and kept slipping off my dolly. Then I had the good sense to remove the legs, which were those nice tapered mid-century style ones with angled brackets you can buy in a 4-pack at the hardware store for like $30.

I just gave the legs to my neighbor, who has already given me lots of stuff in the past. That felt good. He's also the one who's helped me a ton with some of my more involved woodworking projects, including the current one. I hate always being the guy who's borrowing other people's stuff or receiving their freebies. I like having something to lend or give away some of the time, or being asked for help. I'll bet that's pretty common.


----------



## Spicoli43

And the Fascist mods strike again, deleting my new topic for the third time. I wanted to clean up this, but that's okay...


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> And the Fascist mods strike again, deleting my new topic for the third time. I wanted to clean up this, but that's okay...


Maybe it was more of beating a dead horse. Buzz is obviously angry about the issue, so why not just let it die off. 

Of course, I am ASSUMING that the thread was a religious topic thread. I do appreciate your efforts to keep the topics more relatable. I just don't interact with those posts because its just the same thing over and over. 

Woke up nauseous this morning, gotta get ready for the work day. Larry was coming over Sunday to finish up the fence line and if he can get his sons larger trailer, he is going to load up all the junk  and take it with him Sunday, and then take it to a dump in Kentucky Monday..... however, its supposed to rain Sunday. So we shall see. Its nice to have a plan nonetheless.


I hope everyone has a blessed and peaceful day!


----------



## Eddie_T

OK cat lovers I am growing weary of hairballs. I wonder why they're called balls they look more like slugs. I see that Laxatone has petrolatum as its prime ingredient so am considering a DIY hack such as a petrolatum and tuna mix. My question is do such treatments eliminate the problem or just make it easier for the cat to cough them up?

My former cat a Maine Coon seldom had the problem and when she did it was dry rather than messy. My 11 yr old Russian Blue has started neurotic excessive grooming and delivering hairballs and bile.


----------



## Flyover

I've always found it amusing that for 30-60 seconds while cats are producing hairballs (i.e. puking), they look like bags of frosting being squeezed by an invisible baker. And they even produce the puke in a line, as if frosting the edge of a cake.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> Maybe it was more of beating a dead horse. Buzz is obviously angry about the issue, so why not just let it die off.
> 
> Of course, I am ASSUMING that the thread was a religious topic thread. I do appreciate your efforts to keep the topics more relatable. I just don't interact with those posts because its just the same thing over and over.


No, the mods (or mod) is a Leftist Fascist, wouldn't let me have a Jesus thread because most on that extreme don't believe. The Leftist part is proven when my 2 threads about Politics were deleted, they knew I would eviscerate the Left, simply based on how they have dragged the once proud USA into the gutter... They can't take that, so they eliminate the conversation. Fascist 101.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I've always found it amusing that for 30-60 seconds while cats are producing hairballs (i.e. puking), they look like bags of frosting being squeezed by an invisible baker. And they even produce the puke in a line, as if frosting the edge of a cake.


Thanks for ruining cake forever!

I have never liked cake anyway, doesn't make sense to me that people could eat something so dry.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am skeptical as to the benefit of clear fiber but find that the cat will drink water that has it added.

Most cakes are too dry and the frosting too greasy. My Mom scalded milk and spooned some over the layers to moisten them before frosting. She also used a fudge recipe to make chocolate frosting. If I am gifted a cake I eat it with ice cream.


----------



## Flyover

Frosting is gross, but I discovered a terrible secret at my kids' most recent birthday party.

The big cake we ordered (custom order from the supermarket's bakery section; yellow cake with rainbow- or some other ridiculous-colored frosting) sat out for a day because the kids had eaten their meager fill and I was not interested in the rest of it (never have been a fan of cake) but out of curiosity, on the second day, I cut a piece from the middle, turned it upside down, and scooped out the cake part.

Oh my God. It was incredible.

Moist, not too sweet, not too firm not too crumbly...I immediately removed the frosting and the thin layer of cake that had been touching either the frosting or the air, and put what remained in a well-sealed tupperware on top of the fridge, and clandestinely ate from it every chance I got over the next few days. It was amazing. Oh man, with coffee...mmm.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Um, yeah. How about them Dodgers?


How about them Ohio State Buckeyes college footballers! Off this weekend, but back next Saturday... aiming to be National Champions...
Plus my more local Toledo CFB team... best of the MAC Conference...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> And the Fascist mods strike again, deleting my new topic for the third time. I wanted to clean up this, but that's okay...


Actually, since this is a website about actually DOING THINGS, the mods and most everyone else here tend toward the conservative side...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> No, the mods (or mod) is a Leftist Fascist, wouldn't let me have a Jesus thread because most on that extreme don't believe. The Leftist part is proven when my 2 threads about Politics were deleted, they knew I would eviscerate the Left, simply based on how they have dragged the once proud USA into the gutter... They can't take that, so they eliminate the conversation. Fascist 101.


Actually the religion industry invented fascism... which is rule by a few unelected people tightly bound together by a common belief... from the Greek/Latin word 'fascia' for a bundle of sticks tightly bound together by a rope/cord/leather strap...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> My 11 yr old Russian Blue has started neurotic excessive grooming and delivering hairballs and bile.


You may have the answer in "neurotic"... does that cat have other activities to distract it? Remember "idle minds breed 'idle thoughts' "...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Most cakes are too dry and the frosting too greasy. My Mom scalded milk and spooned some over the layers to moisten them before frosting. She also used a fudge recipe to make chocolate frosting. If I am gifted a cake I eat it with ice cream.


Wedding cakes usually seem to be moist and delicious... but I suspect they are fresh and not made from a box cake mix but from scratch... I used to have an aunt that was called on to make good wedding cakes, but I never asked or paid attention to how they were made...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> (never have been a fan of cake)


You just reminded me of Colonel O'Neil/(Richard Dean Anderson) character on the StarGate TV show... whenever he hears there's going to some kind of gathering of people, he always asks: " will there be cake? "


----------



## 68bucks

Oh I love cake. If it's right a cake won't be dry but many are. And I'm a frosting guy, especially moose frosting. Cake is mearly a vessel to deliver the frosting, haha. Sorry my sweet tooth is showing. Too each his own.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Cake is mearly a vessel to deliver the frosting, haha. =


Kinda like lobster is a good excuse to eat butter... 
. 








						Fluffy Chocolate Mousse Frosting
					

This smooth, fluffy frosting is a real treat for cake lovers. You can also use it as a dip for fresh fruit.—Kim Marie Van Rheenen, Mendota, Illinois




					www.tasteofhome.com


----------



## Eddie_T

My favorite frostings are chocolate fudge and caramel fudge. My wife would spoon a bit over the layers before the fudge was finished cooking. I also like cream cheese frosting and fruit dip. I haven't looked for a recipe yet to make my own.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> cream cheese frosting


Speaking of cream cheese frosting... on carrot cake, most people are surprised how good carrot cake tastes compared to what the name carrot cake sounds like...


----------



## zannej

I discovered that the Walmart in Alexandria sells the same ribs for half the price the local Walmart sells them. $8 something here and $4 something up there. I took Mom to Samsclub and Walmart up there. She found some frozen meals we couldn't find down here. Found the rice cakes she likes as well. Prices up there are lower than here and the sales tax there is lower-- but its an hour away. Samsclub was still out of a lot of stuff. 

I slept most of yesterday from sheer exhaustion. My brother's arm/shoulder is bugging him more so he's not doing anything at all to help. Usually he helps with groceries, but he's been refusing. I had the same shoulder issues earlier so I understand.

I would not try to make a hairball remedy from scratch without consulting a vet first. They do sell hairball treats though. I used to give them to Captain Fluffy (when Itsy didn't find them, rip the bag open, and eat them all). Bethesda apparently ate the absorbent paper they put in with meat and she puked it up all over the top of my computer. As an aside, Itsy will open cabinet doors and get into everything so we have to put any sort of treats, packets of tuna, etc in plastic bins. She can open the Temptations 30z treat containers that have the flip lid. She once ate the entire contents of a brand new container and then had massive diarrhea afterward. I have to transfer them to twist cap containers. I don't even know how she could fit that much in her stomach because she's as mall cat.

I'm trying to motivate myself to get up and go to the store before the pharmacy closes.


----------



## Eddie_T

I found a tube of Laxatone on the premises. IIRC the first two ingredients were petrolatum and mineral oil so no worries on DIY remedy after the Laxatone is used up. With about a half tsp of Laxatone and an equal amount of canned salmon plus around 1/8 tsp of clear fiber in water I am two days with no hairball. I hope that's a good sign. He also has a better appetite.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I discovered that the Walmart in Alexandria sells the same ribs for half the price the local Walmart sells them. $8 something here and $4 something up there. I took Mom to Samsclub and Walmart up there.


I usually buy ribs when the 10 lb. box goes on sale for 99c - $1.19/lb... prefer the USA ones over the Danish ones... 
Buy T-bone steak when at $3.99 lb... 
Buy chicken leg quarters when at 39-59c/lb...


----------



## Flyover

@RedneckGrump 

I still haven't scrapped my microwave but I'll probably be getting around to it soon. But it's got me thinking...as I walk around the day before trash day I often see stuff like ceiling fans, old sink disposals, etc. out at the curb, and I wonder whether there's other useful stuff I could be easily scrapping out of them. I don't plan to sell bulk metal or anything but if there are handy parts like magnets or small motors in common household items that could be repurposed or sold on Craigslist I'd like to know. 

Did you say you do a lot of scrapping in general, or was that only microwaves?


----------



## Eddie_T

Hairball day so remedy is a moot point now. I've heard of a shot that's effective but it turned out to be .22 caliber.


----------



## Eddie_T

I tried to fry a green tomato but it wasn't green enough and got soft in the process. I remember as a kid eating a plate of fried green tomatoes and okra and it was nice and crunchy on the exterior. It was at a friend's house, my mom made fried okra but never mixed with green tomatoes. If I try tomatoes again I think I will chunk the tomatoes along with zucchini squash and fry in a seasoned cornmeal batter so it holds together in clumps or patties,


----------



## Spicoli43

In my mission to save money in this hyper inflated time, I was trying to find Non-Organic Onions and Sweet Potatoes since they are "clean" according to the EWG's Clean 15 list... It turns out the Organic Onions I buy are probably less than Conventional, and the Organic Sweet Potatoes at Costco are ONE CENT more per lb. than Conventional.

Now, at full cost, Organic Russet Potatoes are a buck cheaper than Organic Sweet Potatoes per lb., but when fried up in Olive Oil, they take at least twice the amount of oil that Sweet Potatoes do, so based on the much better taste of Sweet Potatoes, I think I'll go with them from now on topped with 4 Sunny Side Eggs... 









						Clean Fifteen™ Conventional Produce with the Least Pesticides
					

Check out EWG's Clean Fifteen list to help decide when you can save money by buying conventional fruits and vegetables – part of our annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™




					www.ewg.org


----------



## Eddie_T

I formulated a couple of 0.5 oz bottles of NAC eye drops and made baked French toast. Te result was somewhere between bread pudding and French toast. The goal was for ease of preparation and less cleanup but it wasn't as good as regular French toast.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> this hyper inflated time


Sorry, I need to get better at not nitpicking, but I'd call this "above average" inflation, not hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is like Germany after WWI, or Zimbabwe under Mugabe, where you need millions of dollars in a wheelbarrow to buy a loaf of bread.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Sorry, I need to get better at not nitpicking, but I'd call this "above average" inflation, not hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is like Germany after WWI, or Zimbabwe under Mugabe, where you need millions of dollars in a wheelbarrow to buy a loaf of bread.


C'mon Man! Inflation now is almost 6 Times what it was in 2020...

SIX... 

You can't bring other countries into the conversation, they all run their own game. There's countries that have never known anything but poverty, where the Socialist Leftists in this Country want us to be. 









						US Inflation Rate by Year: 1929-2023
					

The U.S. inflation rate by year is the percentage of change in prices from one year to the next. It responds to business cycle phases and interest rates.




					www.thebalancemoney.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I'd call this "above average" inflation, not hyperinflation.


The eggs I buy at Walmart were 40c/dozen on my birthday  Jan.19, 2021... now $4.00/dozen thanks to above average inflation...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> based on the much better taste of Sweet Potatoes, I think I'll go with them from now on t


I prefer the taste of Russet potatoes... but will buy sweet potatoes/yams occasionally for variety... around here, Russets are about 1/5 the price...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> The eggs I buy at Walmart were 40c/dozen on my birthday  Jan.19, 2021... now $4.00/dozen thanks to above average inflation...


You might be able to find Organic eggs for that price at a Natural food store


----------



## BuzzLOL

Got up this morning,  looked out the window at a squirrel searching for food in the front yard... realized the Democrat junkies will murder 75 more people today... turned up the heat... made and ate breakfast... deleted another 500 spam emails from Russia... read the news emails... going to the New AP Poll Message Board to brag up Ohio State football... typical day so far... may rake some leaves... check fluid levels in vehicles... start cutting down a tree... try to remember to call a cousin in Washington that I haven't seen in 55 years, but talked to about every 25 years... she probably looks different by now... still haven't been able to contact my high school buddy in Ft. Myers... his cell phone mailbox says it's full... cool/cold snap starting today...


----------



## zannej

A friend of mine is creating a homebrew Dungeons & Dragons world and has been sending me stuff to review. I noticed he had descriptions of icons for some characters and I decided to try to draw some. I was having such a hard time finding good references to use in Paint that I finally just made something from scratch in Sketchup and watched some tutorials. The description was a sword wrapped in a chain. So I found similar things with chains and eventually found out he liked the idea of chain being wrapped around twice like a caduceus symbol. Also specified a falchion with a wide blade & an S-guard. After drawing some of the pieces I got more feedback-- somewhat loose chains, medallion pommel, then aquamarine on the pommel, gold needed to be toned down & not so bright. I added a fuller and worked on blade details and handle details in Paint. Popped it in to GIMP to adjust the color of the aquamarine and then back to paint to put it on the pommel. Then back to GIMP to adjust tone of the gold & try to fix the details on the ends of the guard-- looked too phallic. I've since adjusted that in paint a bit more. Some of the plugins from the tutorials didn't work so I had to improvise a bit and manually place some of the chain links. 
One of the earlier ones before the aquamarine and goldtone change were requested and I saw how much I hated the ends of the guard. LOL.: Looks like a bellend


These are the options I sent him thus far (waiting for him to say if he likes one more than the other).



I watched Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Most heartwrenching moment was Chewie's reaction to Leia's death. The only good thing to come out of the previous movie was they had some cutting room floor footage of Carrie Fisher they were able to use for the last film. 
I was going to work on the weeds outside today but its starting to rain. Cats are all inside because they don't like the outside weather.


----------



## 68bucks

Looking around I find the long term US inflation rate since the government start tracking it in 1913 is 3.10%. I would not call 8-9% hyperinflation. US Inflation data


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> Got up this morning,  looked out the window at a squirrel searching for food in the front yard... realized the Democrat junkies will murder 75 more people today... turned up the heat... made and ate breakfast... deleted another 500 spam emails from Russia... read the news emails... going to the New AP Poll Message Board to brag up Ohio State football... typical day so far... may rake some leaves... check fluid levels in vehicles... start cutting down a tree... try to remember to call a cousin in Washington that I haven't seen in 55 years, but talked to about every 25 years... she probably looks different by now... still haven't been able to contact my high school buddy in Ft. Myers... his cell phone mailbox says it's full... cool/cold snap starting today...


You live near me I believe, you won't have to rake leaves today. They will all be in your neighbor's yard the way the wind is howling. Or maybe all his will be in your yard! Go Bucks!


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> You live near me I believe, you won't have to rake leaves today. They will all be in your neighbor's yard the way the wind is howling. Or maybe all his will be in your yard! Go Bucks!


My neighbors are junkies and hate trees and bushes... so have no leaves... I have about 30 trees and 100 bushes... there were 4 city owned red maples in front of my house, across the street, and down the street each way... junkie next door let his dogs pee on them every day and now all 4 are dead... 3 gone, one left with no leaves...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Looking around I find the long term US inflation rate since the government start tracking it in 1913 is 3.10%. I would not call 8-9% hyperinflation. US Inflation data


Too me anything over 1% is hyperinflation... plus, most stuff I actually buy everyday is up 50-1000%...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Too me anything over 1% is hyperinflation.


That's exactly the kind of Humpty-Dumpty-talk I was addressing, yes. Thanks for just stating it plainly.

I find it interesting how inflation doesn't affect things evenly. One type of thing will go up 25%, another will double, another will triple, another thing's price will multiply 10x, all in the same time period. Maybe it has to do with relative costs of raw materials/production/supply chain/etc. and how many steps are in between. Not to mention demand for some things ebbs and flows while demand for other things remain relatively constant.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> That's exactly the kind of Humpty-Dumpty-talk I was addressing, yes. Thanks for just stating it plainly.
> 
> Maybe it has to do with relative costs of raw materials/production/supply chain/etc. and how many steps are in between.


Even 3% inflation causes the prices of everything to double like every 15 years which is insane... let's have some stability... 
. 
Obviously lately the problem has been a plandemic needlessly shutting most businesses down for 1 1/2 years plus horrible economic policies... and more horrible policies in the works... plus a CRIME WAVE of 75 MURDERS DAILY and MILLIONS of OTHER DAILY CRIMES destroying businesses and attitudes...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> the prices of everything


Well, no. This is exactly what I find interesting, as noted in my last comment. Prices of different things seem to inflate at different rates, and I suspect the reason is because of the different number of multipliers (design, material extraction/refinement/transportation, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, storage, retail) between the creation of those things and the final product.

I realized in my late 20s that designing policy is harder in real life than from one's armchair. I can probably point to lots of bad policies, but I don't think I'm such a genius that I have a better idea for most of them. (I said _most_ of them; I can name two or three policies I'm quite I could improve on.)

Buzz, how many murders daily was that? I don't think you told us.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Buzz, how many murders daily was that? I don't think you told us.


You like to joke about murders...


----------



## zannej

Speaking of murders, it seems the younger of my cousin's two daughters may have been murdered last night. Aunt called and relayed the message to Mom (who is not the best listener). She apparently was really choked up and having a hard time speaking. What details she managed to get was that the boyfriend beat her up so badly she had a brain bleed and was in the hospital. Then something about getting drunk and breaking her ankle afterward. She went to stay with her dad for a few weeks but he wouldn't let her have alcohol. She went back to her boyfriend who beat her again. Now she's dead and he's in jail. He's apparently killed before. Still waiting on more details. Last time I saw her was when she was a toddler in the late 90s, but I saw her social media posts. My other cousins were all closer to her and are all devastated. She was a sweet girl and nobody should die like that.


----------



## Flyover

Buzz, I didn't joke about murder. I joked about you saying the same specific thing over and over again like we didn't get it the first ten times.

Zannej, can you explain again what happened but maybe assign each person a different one-letter name or something? What happened sounds nuts anyway, and I send you my condolences for that awful tragedy. (Not really a tragedy, sounds like more of a brutal injustice...but I'll wait until I can make sense of what happened.)

Here's what I understand:

Aunt called and relayed the message to Mom (who is not the best listener). She [AUNT] apparently was really choked up and having a hard time speaking. What details she [MOM] managed to get was that the boyfriend [of COUSIN'S DAUGHTER] beat her [COUSIN'S DAUGHTER] up so badly she had a brain bleed and was in the hospital. Then something about getting drunk and breaking her ankle afterward. [NOT SURE WHO GOT DRUNK AND BROKE THEIR ANKLE...THE COUSIN'S DAUGHTER?] She [COUSIN'S DAUGHTER] went to stay with her dad [COUSIN'S HUSBAND OR EX-HUSBAND?] for a few weeks but he wouldn't let her have alcohol. She went back to her boyfriend who beat her again. Now she's dead and he[THE BOYFRIEND]'s in jail. He's apparently killed before.

Is that right?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks, the first day I have felt life since last Thursday afternoon... I took a new medication they had me on, and everything changed... My sugars went sky high, my pain meds made me feel like I was going through withdrawals... and this went on till about 7 last night...although when I got up my sugar was 6.7 which is very good compared to where I have been... and just check it again, and phuck, I am up at 15.6. I can hardly wait to retake this medicine on November 12th, and then every 2 months after this... But other than high sugar, I feel alive right at the moment...



Flyover said:


> @RedneckGrump
> 
> I still haven't scrapped my microwave but I'll probably be getting around to it soon. But it's got me thinking...as I walk around the day before trash day I often see stuff like ceiling fans, old sink disposals, etc. out at the curb, and I wonder whether there's other useful stuff I could be easily scrapping out of them. I don't plan to sell bulk metal or anything but if there are handy parts like magnets or small motors in common household items that could be repurposed or sold on Craigslist I'd like to know.
> 
> Did you say you do a lot of scrapping in general, or was that only microwaves?


Yeah, @Flyover I used to scrap everything but had the property to do so now... Now I just collect aluminum, stainless, copper, brass all the smaller stuff... I cut cords of everything I see 
I have a huge bucket with probably 90 cords of copper to strip... Watch out on sinks, that's where you need the magnet, what will make you money is a true stainless steel sink... So the magnet doesn't attach itself, it's worth something...

Before we moved, I used to drive around with the truck, and trailer, pick up all washing machines, BBQs, stoves, and fridges, and strip it all down... But just don't have a the room now...But there's more money in brass, aluminum, copper, rads from cars, air conditioners...
Hope that gives you an idea buddy...

Well, Kids, I lost a few days from what got me down, and have mega work to do around here, like pick up leaves...

Have yourself a GREAT day...
Cheers


----------



## Spicoli43

Welcome back Redneck! Have you ever discussed Keto with your Doctor? I have seen tons of examples of Keto curing all sugar / diabetes issues. I would search this link for a Functional Medicine Practitioner... Most "Doctors" here are 100% Pharma, no questions, that's all that works, which is patently false. I don't take any of their poisons, that's just me. To each their own, but I would rather let thy body heal itself... 

Good Luck!






						Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
					

Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!




					www.ifm.org


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Speaking of murders, it seems the younger of my cousin's two daughters may have been murdered last night.


Sorry to hear about that murder and what it is doing to your extended family... 
I found your description of it totally coherent. Sounds like she died from addictions, hers and boyfriend's and court's... 
. 
Some people may have trouble understanding/accepting the truth. Need you to tell it '10 times over and over'... 
Sad that junkies/Democrats/religics will find your woeful tale hilarious... say it's "not really a tragedy"...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Good Morning Folks, the first day I have felt life since last Thursday afternoon... I took a new medication they had me on, and everything changed...


Glad you're feeling better... hope they can keep you stabilized from now on... Spicoli's suggestions may also help...


----------



## Eddie_T

I modified the hairball treatment slightly. I administer the dab of petrolatum and fish first thing in the morning and give it a chance to mix with any hair ingested during the night before feeding dry food.


----------



## Eddie_T

Chilly today so I added a bit of supplemental radiant heat . The pictures show the amount of constant glow that felt comfy to me and the voltage controller that made it possible. If kids were in the house I would have to find a better option for the controller. For two seasons it was on the floor but I decided if the cat laid down on it it might get a surprise. I guess it's reliable enough that I might consider an enclosure for the controller (or not).


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Chilly today so I added a bit of supplemental radiant heat . The pictures show the amount of constant glow that felt comfy to me and the voltage controller that made it possible. If kids were in the house I would have to find a better option for the controller. For two seasons it was on the floor but I decided if the cat laid down on it it might get a surprise. I guess it's reliable enough that I might consider an enclosure for the controller (or not).
> 
> View attachment 28758
> View attachment 28759


Why is that controller outside the unit? Looks dangerous, especially with Animals that don't pay attention.


----------



## Spicoli43

Don't have Hairballs from my two Terrorists lately... Been a couple of months, but I haven't sprayed them with the water bottle lately because they have been *good*... Every once in a while they puke, but that's from too many treats because one is too lazy to go get them so the other doubles down..

Different topic, got my voting ballot in the mail, don't know why they mail it because I have to hand deliver it... Shows my name, address and requires a signature on the outside of the envelope... Identity theft, anyone?  Bunch of Morons... Gubment for you.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Why is that controller outside the unit? Looks dangerous, especially with Animals that don't pay attention.


The controller might get too hot if enclosed in the heater shell plus it was an experiment. It's not dangerous as the only exposed voltage is at the recessed screw terminals if both hot and neutral were touched at the same time.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> The controller might get too hot if enclosed in the heater shell plus it was an experiment. It's not dangerous as the only exposed voltage is at the recessed screw terminals if both hot and neutral were touched at the same time.


Ok....


----------



## RedneckGrump

Spicoli43 said:


> Welcome back Redneck! Have you ever discussed Keto with your Doctor? I have seen tons of examples of Keto curing all sugar / diabetes issues. I would search this link for a Functional Medicine Practitioner... Most "Doctors" here are 100% Pharma, no questions, that's all that works, which is patently false. I don't take any of their poisons, that's just me. To each their own, but I would rather let thy body heal itself...
> 
> Good Luck!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
> 
> 
> Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.ifm.org




Yeah, Thanks @Spicoli43 going to check it out, and see if there is anything for Canada...

And am dead against mailing ballots, too much scamming and miscounts and etc... Not a huge fan of that... The clowns we have running Canada right now, trying to become a dictator, do NOT trust him at all...


----------



## RedneckGrump

@zannej Very very sorry for what happened to your family members. the whole entire world is going NUTS!!! Thinking of YOU and your Family and sending warm thoughts...


----------



## Spicoli43

Yes, Trudeau is on par with the US in their way of thinking, but the common citizens have had it and are fighting back. The Truckers up there is a perfect example of the fight against the Commies...


----------



## Eddie_T

Had just a light supper. Hamburger steak and potatoes in white sauce. My white sauce was a bit thick by the time the burger was done but I didn't take time to add more milk to thin it. Ths was only my second time for potatoes this way so I'll do better next time.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Morning Everyone, Ladies, and Gents... Late start this morning, Checking in but will write more in a bit, at the end of the day... Hope it is good to one and all...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> And am dead against mailing ballots, too much scamming and miscounts and etc... Not a huge fan of that... The clowns we have running Canada right now, trying to become a dictator, do NOT trust him at all...


Mailing ballots IN isn't a problem, it's randomly incorrectly mailing OUT ballots that is screwed up... women get ballots in all their single and married names... as do homo men... and people who have moved the ballots go to the wrong person... and junkies sell their ballots for drug money... in the USA, Democrats have been busted for paying $200 per ballot... and junkies gladly sell them for $5...


----------



## zannej

oops, I used "she" a lot. To clarify: Aunt Daffy (nickname we've called her since we were little-- real name is Kathy- cousin was named after her) called to tell us that cousin Kathy's daughter Kayleigh was in an abusive relationship. Kayleigh got beat up by her boyfriend and had a brain bleed. She was in the hospital for over a week. When she got out of the hospital she started drinking heavily and while drunk fell and broke her ankle. She went to stay with her father, Jerkface (he was abusive to Kathy). Jerkface wouldn't let Kayleigh have any alcohol while there so she left. Kayleigh went back to her boyfriend and got beat up again and then she died. Not clear of the cause of death. But the boyfriend had murdered someone in the past and is currently in jail- possibly for killing Kayleigh but it's unclear. I'll have to speak to my aunt to get the real story since Mom is terrible at listening and relating things. My aunt Mary- Kathy's mother & Kayleigh's grandmother was too upset to call.

From what I understand, Kayleigh was not a heavy drinker before landing in the hospital. I suspect TBI and perhaps a way of coping with the trauma. 

Thank you for the condolences. My cousin Kathy has been through a lot and she only had 2 kids. She still has 1 left but that doesn't make it hurt any less for her and the rest of the family. 

Last night we had a freeze warning but I don't know how cold it got. It was in the 50s before the sun went down. It was so cold that the cats AND dogs piled on me. Before I went to bed I called Rupert and he came running over and jumped into my arms. He slept under the covers with me and I pulled some sheets over other kitties and doggies. They were piled on so much I couldn't move when I woke up.

Fedex delivery people are going to be unhappy tomorrow because I ordered this for my friend (when it was 50% off) Robot or human?
It's in Dallas right now but hopefully will arrive tomorrow. Friend said he'll have "dwarfie" (his gf) keep an eye out for it. I need to find the battery for my auger so we can dig for the posts. Friend has a large empty backyard so a playset will be nice. No parks nearby for the kids to play at. Friend's daughter will love it.

My dad built us a playset in the yard in California that was awesome. He used pressure treated lumber (rounded stuff used for telephone poles) to make a seesaw, play house with trap door, swingset with monkey bars and a trapeze swing.


----------



## Flyover

Thanks for clarifying, Zannej. It sounds like my attempt was accurate enough. That's still really crazy and sad.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> She went to stay with her father, Jerkface (he was abusive to Kathy). Jerkface wouldn't let Kayleigh have any alcohol while there so she left. Kayleigh went back to her boyfriend and got beat up again and then she died.


Sounds like her father tried to save her but she was suicidally addicted... like George Floyd...


----------



## zannej

Her father is probably the reason she was with an abusive guy in the first place. He was abusive to her mother and I suspect he was abusive to Kayleigh and her sister as well. People who grow up in abusive families are more likely to end up in abusive relationships. The cats saw me heading to my room and gave chase. The could not wait to pile on me when I got into bed. LOL. Got down to 28° the night before. Down to 36°. It rarely gets below 40 here and never this early in the year.


----------



## Flyover

I am expecting a great year for maple syrup.


----------



## Eddie_T

My maple syrup was a failure in spite if my big sugar maple. Turns out I am too far south the for the pumping action of frigid nights and warming days.

My small garden area failed to produce due to lack of sun. I am converting it to lawn with maybe some border flowers such as Monarda, Cardinal flower and Resurrection Lily. I am building it to level with compost over time adding spent cat litter, small prunings, veggy waste, leaves, vacuum cleaner dust and whatever comes to hand (and mind.)


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> People who grow up in abusive families are more likely to end up in abusive relationships.
> .
> The cats saw me heading to my room and gave chase. The could not wait to pile on me when I got into bed.


Abusive people are usually created by addictions...
.
Is your heat working OK in your home? Colder down there than up here in N.W. Ohio... I forget what you heat with...
.
"They All Lied About the (Covid fake) 'Vaccine' and We Have Them on Tape"
[URL]https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-292-they-all-lied-about-the-vaccine-and-we/id1585243541[/URL] 
(truth likely blocked, have to manually cut & paste the URL)


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> My small garden area failed to produce due to lack of sun.


Is that from trees, buildings, weather? 
. 


			https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-27ii8yhrra/images/stencil/500x500/attribute_rule_images/354714_source_1657041387.jpg


----------



## Eddie_T

Trees


----------



## BuzzLOL

Russians must be getting tired or lazy about sending me spam emails, only 188 to delete this morning... and some weren't full of copy/paste to the max, just two or three sentences lately...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Russians must be getting tired or lazy about sending me spam emails, only 188 to delete this morning... and some weren't full of copy/paste to the max, just two or three sentences lately...



Why not get a new email?


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Trees
> View attachment 28771


Nice piece of land!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Why not get a new email?


They're to one of my websites: NormalPeopleUniverse.org...


----------



## Spicoli43

Semi-Annual furnace filter Vacuum and Wash out time, last day in the 60's before the 40's and 30's to wrap up the weekend... This thing has never been CLOSE to this bad in the 8 years I have owned it, but it clearly does it's job, there's zero notice of polluted air coming out of the registers. I vacuum the registers as well, but obviously not often enough. That's on the weekly list from now on. Holy Schnikies!


----------



## zannej

We have central AC and heat but my room and my brother's room don't heat or cool efficiently. Not sure why, but I think there are blockages in our vents. AC guy refused to look or clean the vents out though. I also still need to fix my broken window which lets a lot of cold air in and hot air out. The heater takes awhile to kick on for some reason. But just being cold outside is enough of a reason for my kitties to want to come to my room. It's the only room with an open door (which probably contributes to the heating/cooling issues). But the door is broken so I can't shut it. The edge trim is coming out from inside the hollow core and I can see the cardboard inside.

I met with my friend to put gas in his car earlier. Due to some bs with his ex he's broke again and will be getting less money this pay period bc he had to leave work to go get his daughter bc his ex bunked and left town without warning while her bf was at work and no one was home to let the kid in when she got out of school. The ex previously left her son locked out in the rain for 2+ hours after school. My friend had to get his daughter a phone so she could call him in cases like this. She'd left the kids alone while she went out of state for a week. Didn't arrange any childcare-- just left them alone together-- and the boy is abusive to the girl. My friend should have reported her to CPS for that one. 

Looks like the playset was delivered to my friend's house but he's at work. I still haven't found my auger battery. Worst case I can look for my post-hole digger. Hoping the guy who was supposed to do the yardwork didn't steal it along with all the edge trimmers and other stuff he stole.


----------



## Spicoli43

The Real Anthony Fauci Movie... Free for 6 days, just enter your email.









						Trailer: The Real Anthony Fauci
					

Everyone deserves to know the truth.




					www.therealanthonyfaucimovie.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The Real Anthony Fauci Movie... Free for 6 days, just enter your email.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Trailer: The Real Anthony Fauci
> 
> 
> Everyone deserves to know the truth.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.therealanthonyfaucimovie.com


Anyone capable/willing to understand the real Fauci probably already knows him... 
. 
Biggest, most blatant LIE in history at 00:18 in this video... followed by more lies from everify... 
LIE


----------



## zannej

Picked up RX, grabbed cow feed, helped my friend finish assembling the playset, plugged some knot-holes with wood putty, grabbed Mcdonalds on the way home. About to take a nap bc I'm exhausted.


----------



## Eddie_T

Is it a coincidence that we experiencing yet another respiratory system pandemic (RSV)?


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Anyone capable/willing to understand the real Fauci probably already knows him...
> .
> Biggest, most blatant LIE in history at 00:18 in this video... followed by more lies from everify...
> LIE


Yeah, they aren't vaccines and they tested them on 8 mice. The lead scientist testified to that... 









						Bivalent Vaccines Approved After Testing on 8 Mice and 0 Humans
					

Regulatory agencies have neglected to inform the public that no human studies were done before the approval of the bivalent vaccines and that the clinical study referenced included only eight mice. This is unprecedented and reckless.




					worldcouncilforhealth.org


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Is it a coincidence that we experiencing yet another respiratory system pandemic (RSV)?


A little over 2 weeks to midterms? Surprised they haven't removed Joe, put Kamala in, had Kamala pick Newsom as VP, have Kamala resign and promote Newsom to "President".

Can't impeach Newsom strictly for being an idiot in Commiefornia. 

They can't do any of that next year because the Republicans will take the House, that's pretty much guaranteed... Senate maybe as well.


----------



## Eddie_T

Winter meets fall at Grandfather Mountain, NC.


----------



## Flyover

Not as spectacular a photo as Eddie's but the light filtering into my bedroom window through one of the sugar maples this morning was pretty great.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Is it a coincidence that we experiencing yet another respiratory system pandemic (RSV)?


Not surprising that as Democrats approach another election they are expected to fail at that they would invent still another PLANDEMIC to use to CONTROL everyone again... except that at this time, of course, they don't want to totally collapse the economy again for THEIR guy... like they did starting in mid 2019...
.
Is this RSV another weaponized flu created by Fauci/CDC? Where did it come from? Is it natural?
.
Can't believe most people still lying the word "vaccine" for something (all flu/Covid shots) that isn't and has never been a 'vaccine', just a weak after the fact 'treatment'... 
. 
Meanwhile, Democrat junkies will murder another 80 Americans today... (they murder more in warmer weather and fewer in winter weather to average out to 75 daily)


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> We have central AC and heat but my room and my brother's room don't heat or cool efficiently. Not sure why, but I think there are blockages in our vents.


Are you heating with oil? Assume no natural gas out where you are. To balance the heat throughout the house need to adjust valves in heat ducts at furnace and/or in vent openings to make sure heat gets out evenly to the house.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have talked about appliance extended warranties in the past and how they are absolutely needed since my Samsung Double Oven never worked correctly in the first place... DO NOT get a Double Oven thinking it will work like that for cooking, the top is for keeping the Green Beans and Stuffing warm while the Turkey cooks in the lower oven. The top Oven is NOT for cooking a Pizza, which took almost an hour for me... The warranty tech told me that, which made the extra oven useless except for the Holidays blah blah blah...

The Oven failed, won't seal, the display is whacked where it's either a 1 or a 7, and the ignitors sometimes work on the range... I had a 5 Year warranty on it, and Lowe's didn't feel like repairing it, so they refunded my entire purchase. Now, they are sending me emails to buy a new warranty for the thing, which is an oversight in their system, but I like the idea that I could extend the warranty for a few more years if it was operational. 

I wonder if Home Depot will do that for the new Oven I bought in 6 years when the warranty I bought is almost up... Lowe's no longer has 5 Year extended, only 3... I'll probably be replacing my Maytag / Whirlpool Dishwasher and Laundry set that are worthless garbage next year, but will have to go to HD for their 5 year warranties...

People in the family go to Costco... NO, YOU CAN'T do that! They have a 2 year max warranty!... Never listen to me because I'm the youngest (And smartest!)


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Is this RSV another weaponized flu created by Fauci/CDC? Where did it come from? Is it natural?


It's hard to justify giving a controversial vaccine to children as a requirement to enter school (like they are proposing at the Federal level) since covid doesn't really affect most children. But this new RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) does seem to affect children so, there you go...A reason to vaccinate children now exists. 

Read Here

Pediatric Hospitals Overwhelmed By Rising Number Of RSV Cases In Children | iHeart


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie... Your BP numbers are good while using Hawthorne Berry, correct? I'm thinking about adding them to my regimen.

Do you get the whole berries and make them as a Tea like the instructions for these?



			https://www.vitacost.com/starwest-botanicals-organic-hawthorn-berries-whole


----------



## havasu

Question for the braintrust...I just came out of a 3 week coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. I tested 4 times and was negative for Covid. Does that kid coughing illness stay just with kids, or are adults susceptible?


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> Question for the braintrust...I just came out of a 3 week coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. I tested 4 times and was negative for Covid. Does that kid coughing illness stay just with kids, or are adults susceptible?


Two of my kids had what sounds like the same thing (younger one was taken to the hospital and treated for croup, twice), and then I quickly contracted it and am only now getting over it.

For each of us it lasted about 5-8 days though, not 3 weeks. At 10 days I would have scheduled a doctor's visit for myself.


----------



## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> Is it a coincidence that we experiencing yet another respiratory system pandemic (RSV)?


RSV is nothing new..... my daughter had it when she was 8 weeks old (now 25), I have cared for multiple patients every year the entire 16 years I have been a nurse......



havasu said:


> Question for the braintrust...I just came out of a 3 week coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. I tested 4 times and was negative for Covid. Does that kid coughing illness stay just with kids, or are adults susceptible?


Yes.... adults get RSV also, elderly struggle as much as infants with it.




So..... I am attempting to cut this top layer of carpet up from the back porch..... let's just go ahead and add this to the list of things to never do again. I have to cut it in sections no wider than 4 feet (in case Larry doesn't take it and I have to use my refuse service). I bought a new knife to cut it with and I have only cut 1 3.6 x 6 foot section and I am over this and not wanting to continue.  I have to move all this stuff to the area where I have already cut carpet up, so that I can cut up the rest. This blade seems to be dulled already with just one piece.... ugh!!!!


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Question for the braintrust...I just came out of a 3 week coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. I tested 4 times and was negative for Covid. Does that kid coughing illness stay just with kids, or are adults susceptible?


Long Covid probably. All you can do is boost your Immune system, which of course means no Alcohol, Sugar or anything in the Bread group to start. I would also look into an Autoimmune diet, such as AIP Paleo. I would think about going even further with Keto, but that really should be done with a qualified Functional Medicine MD because it can get nasty with existing conditions.


----------



## 68bucks

I have read in a couple of places that this high rate of RSV problems may be due to many young kids have not been exposed to many viruses that we build immunities to because many have not been in groups such as daycare before because of the covid situation. Many closed and many parents worked at home for some time. Now as things continue to return to normal there is a surge. Makes sense to me, all my young grandkids have had it in the last couple months. Little kids are like Petri dishes, they drag home a lot of stuff. That's why back when my oldest grandson started preschool, 11 or 12 years ago, I started getting an annual flu shot since he was with us a lot. BTW in my mind the flu shot and the covid shot are basically they same sort of thing. Not super effective but helps a lot. Depends on the variant I suppose. Those classes of viruses are highly mutable so it's a lot harder to make a highly effective vaccine that would last for years, unlike say polio or measles. 

The colors are just about peak at my place, beautiful day today. This is off the front porch today. Gotta get the raft of the pond soon.


----------



## Spicoli43

Gotta use a Razor knife, Shan.


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Gotta use a Razor knife, Shan.


I got it done! Woot woot.

There is actually about 8 to 10 square feet left, but I gotta move 2 things off there and I just dont have it in me..... 





I'm sure.you can see the corningware/ corelle in that pic... but here is a better one. From what I can tell at least 2 pieces are from the late 50s. I had thought about using it (I currently use plastic $1 plates from Walmart), but from what I am reading it seems to be a bad idea. Haven't been able to find solid answers on what is and is not safe.... so I will err on the side of is not.




Now don't get too excited about all that empty space, stuff is just at the opposite end. Idk if I will feel like working on it tomorrow, at least not till evening because cutting that carpet up, kicked my rear-end.


I'm off to bleach myself after.dealing with all that. I am unsure about the original carpet that is still down. It should probably come up also, but I am not ready to buy carpet and put it down out there, yet....


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Eddie... Your BP numbers are good while using Hawthorne Berry, correct? I'm thinking about adding them to my regimen.
> 
> Do you get the whole berries and make them as a Tea like the instructions for these?
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.vitacost.com/starwest-botanicals-organic-hawthorn-berries-whole


Yes, my BP is good while take Hawthorn but got squirrely when I ran out.

No but that might be better than what I am taking which is Swanson 3 caps tid.

Swanson Premium Hawthorn Berry 565 mg 250 Caps - Swanson®


----------



## Eddie_T

Since kids under six don't get out much anyway my theory is that COVID jabs compromised the immune systems of adults by making them overactive for specific COVID antibody production. The adults then became asymptomatic carriers of RSV and brought it home to babes in arms.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Yes, my BP is good while take Hawthorn but got squirrely when I ran out.
> 
> No but that might be better than what I am taking which is Swanson 3 caps tid.
> 
> Swanson Premium Hawthorn Berry 565 mg 250 Caps - Swanson®


The Swanson isn't Organic, but if it works for you... I wouldn't take it because it has Magnesium Stearate, which is known to suppress the body's T Cells. 









						Molecular basis for the immunosuppressive action of stearic acid on T cells.
					

Studies were performed to determine the mechanism by which stearic acid (18:0) selectively inhibits T-dependent immune responses in vitro. Incubation of mitogen-activated B and T cells with 18:0 resulted in dissimilar patterns of incorporation of the ...




					www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


----------



## dsteinhorn

RSV is a ubiquitous virus that used to be primarily seen with peaks in winter and now is happening throughout more of the year.      Individuals do not build enduring immunity as they can to chickenpox or measles, so one can get it multiple times (even in one season).  There is no effective vaccine for RSV, but there is an immune globulin available for vulnerable infants (premature infants and infants with cardiac disease).  Having cared for hundreds of infants with RSV in the ICU over the last 35 years, most of whom survive and a small number who die, I can affirm that those of you who turn this into a political statement are barking up the wrong tree.


----------



## dsteinhorn

Eddie_T said:


> Since kids under six don't get out much anyway my theory is that COVID jabs compromised the immune systems of adults by making them overactive for specific COVID antibody production. The adults then became asymptomatic carriers of RSV and brought it home to babes in arms.


Adults have encountered RSV as a minor respiratory viral infection for decades, if not longer.  Kids were not in school as much over the last two years and were not exposed to common respiratory illnesses as frequently, so their individual immunity to common viruses was not reinforced.  Infants get it from older siblings and adults who bring it home to them as in all sorts of other respiratory viruses, such as human metapneumovirus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, etc.


----------



## Eddie_T

Sure RSV been around for years but we now have to determine why the sudden pandemic. It's not political it's common sense. If it was political we would just believe it was due to  to the shutdown but people gave up on the shutdown a year ago. I am not saying my theory is right but the off-the-cuff answers don't explain it and people blindly accept them. Doctors are not famous for thinking outside the box and those that do are ridiculed and ostracized..


----------



## Ron Van

dsteinhorn said:


> RSV is a ubiquitous virus, I can affirm that those of you who turn this into a political statement are barking up the wrong tree.


That's funny! Everything between now and Nov 8 is political. When you realize this, things make more sense.


dsteinhorn said:


> Adults have encountered RSV as a minor respiratory viral infection for decades, if not longer.


Democrats can't win when the narrative is Economics, Crime or Border protection so the focus has to shift . . .and fast! The polls indicate that people trust the Democrats more for Covid response so why not change the narrative to something that scare people enough to vote for the democrats, (even though RSV is not the same as Covid)?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> The Swanson isn't Organic, but if it works for you... I wouldn't take it because it has Magnesium Stearate, which is known to suppress the body's T Cells.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Molecular basis for the immunosuppressive action of stearic acid on T cells.
> 
> 
> Studies were performed to determine the mechanism by which stearic acid (18:0) selectively inhibits T-dependent immune responses in vitro. Incubation of mitogen-activated B and T cells with 18:0 resulted in dissimilar patterns of incorporation of the ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Magnesium stearate is so hard to avoid that I don't bother trying. I take so many supplements that I may be taking on too much stearic acid but since I don't get sick it may mean that it's not a problem (at least for me) in the overall scheme of things.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Magnesium stearate is so hard to avoid that I don't bother trying. I take so many supplements that I may be taking on too much stearic acid but since I don't get sick it may mean that it's not a problem (at least for me) in the overall scheme of things.



Well, do you get CBC blood tests to show your T-Cell count? 

You can avoid Magnesium Stearate, but not with Swanson / China Pharma type supplements, nothing from Centrum, nothing in the Pharmacy etc... Plant based real Supplements probably don't have it.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> That's funny! Everything between now and Nov 8 is political. When you realize this, things make more sense.
> 
> Democrats can't win when the narrative is Economics, Crime or Border protection so the focus has to shift . . .and fast! The polls indicate that people trust the Democrats more for Covid response so why not change the narrative to something that scare people enough to vote for the democrats, (even though RSV is not the same as Covid)?


Very true... plus the Medical/Shots Makers Community has to think up another Plandemic to keep the $$Trillions coming in from Govts...  and the Govt needs a CONTROL issue...


----------



## BuzzLOL

dsteinhorn said:


> RSV is a ubiquitous virus that used to be primarily seen with peaks in winter and now is happening throughout more of the year.      Individuals do not build enduring immunity as they can to chickenpox or measles, so one can get it multiple times (even in one season).  There is no effective vaccine for RSV


I've noticed more thick mucus in my throat the last week or two, but no cough... figured it for seasonal allergies...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Two of my kids had what sounds like the same thing (younger one was taken to the hospital and treated for croup, twice), and then I quickly contracted it and am only now getting over it.
> 
> For each of us it lasted about 5-8 days though, not 3 weeks. At 10 days I would have scheduled a doctor's visit for myself.


I assume you guys are fully Covid/boosted shotted?


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> Russians must be getting tired or lazy about sending me spam emails, only 188 to delete this morning... and some weren't full of copy/paste to the max, just two or three sentences lately...


Russians must have been working overtime on Saturday, almost a 1,000 spam emails to delete Sunday morning... why can't they just watch college football on Saturdays?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Magnesium stearate is so hard to avoid that I don't bother trying. I take so many supplements that I may be taking on too much stearic acid but since I don't get sick it may mean that it's not a problem (at least for me) in the overall scheme of things.



Here's a much better deal on Hawthorne... 



			https://www.vitacost.com/frontier-natural-products-organic-whole-hawthorn-berries


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, do you get CBC blood tests to show your T-Cell count?


No I don't even have a doctor since I don't get sick.

Aspirin, acetaminophen, prescription meds  and prolly even M&Ms contain stearic acid or salts.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> No I don't even have a doctor since I don't get sick.
> 
> Aspirin, acetaminophen, prescription meds  and prolly even M&Ms contain stearic acid or salts.



You should get a lab test for everything anyway, complete CBC / CMP... I'm not saying the Acid is a problem, but when you do get sick, you must have a healthy level of T cells.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Decades of addiction(woke lunacy?): In a new memoir, the “Friends” actor Matthew Perry estimated he has spent $9 million trying to get sober.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Decades of addiction(woke lunacy?): In a new memoir, the “Friends” actor Matthew Perry estimated he has spent $9 million trying to get sober.


Sounds like "Look at me" attention syndrome.


----------



## Flyover

Addiction has been poorly understood for centuries. In the 1800s heroin was marketed as a way to cure your opium addiction. Scientists today are still not in agreement over addiction's exact mechanism, why some people seem to get addicted more readily than others, and why some people have an easier or harder time breaking addictions. (The famous "Rat Park" experiment seemed to show that addiction could be explained by lack of social ties, but then a major confound was discovered in the genes of the rats, I believe.) I'm not sure if scientists know the answer to this one, but basically nobody gets addicted to psychedelics like psilocybin. Meanwhile people get addicted to gambling, showing similar symptoms including intrusive thoughts and physical withdrawal if access to gambling opportunities are cut off.

There are definitely large industries that take advantage of this lack of knowledge. I don't know that someone always necessarily is getting rich behind them (e.g. I don't think anyone is getting rich behind AA) but certainly there is at least as much wasted effort as successful effort. I read once that 12-step programs had something like a 5% success rate.

What is certainly true is that the substance/behavior itself is never the whole equation. There is no "drug that is addictive" because it is always the case that most people who use it will not become addicted. Addiction arises from a complex combination of chemistry, psychology, usage pattern, and situation.

Observe the long lines outside of every Starbucks and recall that Starbucks adds extra caffeine to their coffee (I've heard 4x more than it would normally have), then masks the coffee flavor under mountains of sugar (another substance people are known to get addicted to).


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Sounds like "Look at me" attention syndrome.


He puts a whole new spin on: " more money than sense"... but the usual expecting 'someone else' to fix him...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> He puts a whole new spin on: " more money than sense"... but the usual expecting 'someone else' to fix him...


That's why they call it Hollyweird..


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> He puts a whole new spin on: " more money than sense"... but the usual expecting 'someone else' to fix him...



Well, rehab programs do work some of the time. I have known people who were helped by them a lot. If you have a lot of money and also have a big problem and you are willing to spend money to fix the problem then that is likely what you are going to do.

Writing about it in a memoir is also a way to _make_ money. Whether it's purely vanity in this case I don't know, since I don't know Matthew Perry. Sometimes a memoir gets written after enough people say "Your story is really wild, you should write it down". Many non-famous people have been told this too.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yes, Flyover... I don't believe there is any addicting properties to anything. There IS a "Need" for blank thing that is purely in people's heads, there is no requirement for the body to have it, and that includes adrenaline from gambling. It can be said that there's an "addiction to surfing or skydiving... No there isn't, it's a liking of both because they are fun. 

People that are bad "Alcoholics", the stigma, a made up out of thin air term, can get clean real quick IF THEY WANT TO... I have seen people so bad they were shaking from withdrawals... If they drank a 6 pack that night, then a 5 pack the next night on and on until they were down to 1 Beer, the next day they were done. There was no guilty conscience conference listening to people say they were "an alcoholic" that was sober for 20 years... No they aren't, they are a non drinker of 20 years.

If AA works for people, so be it, I'm not slamming the idea of getting together with like minded people, but there's no massive out of control addiction to anything. There's no such thing as a "gateway drug", Marijuana doesn't make people go smoke Crack. I have been around weed since I was in Junior High, and nobody I ever know did anything stronger. If anything, Marijuana is a gateway to Ho Hos and Pizza.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Addiction has been poorly understood for centuries.
> .
> (e.g. I don't think anyone is getting rich behind AA) but certainly there is at least as much wasted effort as successful effort. I read once that 12-step programs had something like a 5% success rate.
> .
> What is certainly true is that the substance/behavior itself is never the whole equation. There is no "drug that is addictive" because it is always the case that most people who use it will not become addicted. Addiction arises from a complex combination of chemistry, psychology, and situation.
> .
> Observe the long lines outside of every Starbucks and recall that Starbucks adds extra caffeine to their coffee (I've heard 4x more than it would normally have), then masks the coffee flavor under mountains of sugar (another substance people are known to get addicted to).


Addictions are actually rather simple... but the people profiting from them try to keep the issue cloudy...
.
The evil religion industry gets richer off the religious 12 Step Programs / AA... one of the Steps is religion addiction mental illness... which is the Gateway Addiction that gets most people addicted to other things, anyway...
.
Of course there's lots of addictive drugs... best practice is still stay as far from them as possible and then you don't have to fight your way back off them before they kill you... those drugs eventually create the irresistible craving for them that you didn't have before... that includes nicotine, caffeine, and marijuana... an irritating craving you may never be able to get out of your system... " just say NO " is good advice...
.
The appeal of Starbucks is proving you've made it by being able to afford to overpay for a cup of coffee and leisurely drink it... and for some, abusing the wait staff is also appealing...


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> He puts a whole new spin on: " more money than sense"... but the usual expecting 'someone else' to fix him...


Isn't seeking help for a problem in effect helping yourself? If I can't figure out why the light no longer comes on when I flip the switch and I post on here for input am I just asking "someone else" to fix it for me?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Yes, Flyover... I don't believe there is any addicting properties to anything. There IS a "Need" for blank thing that is purely in people's heads, there is no requirement for the body to have it, and that includes adrenaline from gambling. It can be said that there's an "addiction to surfing or skydiving... No there isn't, it's a liking of both because they are fun.
> 
> People that are bad "Alcoholics", the stigma, a made up out of thin air term, can get clean real quick IF THEY WANT TO... I have seen people so bad they were shaking from withdrawals... If they drank a 6 pack that night, then a 5 pack the next night on and on until they were down to 1 Beer, the next day they were done. There was no guilty conscience conference listening to people say they were "an alcoholic" that was sober for 20 years... No they aren't, they are a non drinker of 20 years.
> 
> If AA works for people, so be it, I'm not slamming the idea of getting together with like minded people, but there's no massive out of control addiction to anything. There's no such thing as a "gateway drug", Marijuana doesn't make people go smoke Crack. I have been around weed since I was in Junior High, and nobody I ever know did anything stronger. If anything, Marijuana is a gateway to Ho Hos and Pizza.


Wrong, those drugs make chemical changes in peoples' bodies and even change 'brain wiring'... and also kill people...
.
Doctors and junkies call that uncontrollable shaking The DT's... Delirium Tremens... and the quick cure is another drink... or, sure, a 6 pack... then it takes a 7 pack... then an 8 pack... and on and on... 
.
I despise these anti-Stigma ads all over the place now! Stigma is a GOOD THING!  It causes people to want to change the mental illness... without stigma they imbibe until they're dead...
.
I discussed AA, etc. above... plus, of course, religion addiction also fuels all the hate, hurting, mass murdering, religious terrorism, and unneeded wars...


----------



## Eddie_T

I was fortunate I could easily start/stop smoking so I finally just stopped due to a combination of price and inconvenience. I never drank enough for it to become problem and have never tried weed or stronger.


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Isn't seeking help for a problem in effect helping yourself? If I can't figure out why the light no longer comes on when I flip the switch and I post on here for input am I just asking "someone else" to fix it for me?


No, you're just seeking free info on how to fix something... and you didn't take a lamp into a spa for 6 months and expect them to fix it for you while you partied...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I was fortunate I could easily start/stop smoking so I finally just stopped due to a combination of price and inconvenience. I never drank enough for it to become problem and have never tried weed or stronger.


And you deserve to be congratulated on your life long self control and constructive living, Eddie... 
Cigarettes in machine at local casino were $10/pack before the Plandemic and $15 now... $300 a carton!


----------



## Flyover

Today I am making two chilis at once. One is without any hot peppers in it, for everyone else in my family. The other has habaneros and some kind of skinny red peppers that I guess are about equivalent to cayenne, and is just for me. (I was going to make it for a cookoff, using kangaroo meat, but I was too sick both to drive 2 hours to buy the meat earlier last week and to attend the cookoff on Saturday.) Got'em both on the stove simmering now, need to go stir every 15 minutes or so.

Meanwhile the kids are carving pumpkins outside.

Update: I just tried some of "my" chili. It was _nice-n-hot_! I was involuntarily going "wooooo!" real loud over and over again, so I know it's about the right level of spiciness.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Finally finished making Sunday morning breakfast... fried onions, sliced potatoes, smoked sausage, eggs, and, this time, Swiss cheese... only about 33 hours late... 
Later chicken and noodles with mushrooms...


----------



## zannej

It's not oil heating-- its electric heating. Got a Trane system. I don't know if it was something Mom did or if the thermostat is not giving commands properly or if the coolant ran out or if a capacitor blew again, but it's hotter inside than outside. The heat only continued to go up. I put it on cool only but it just got hotter. It's now 87° in the cooler part of the house. I'm sitting here with two fans blowing on me and wish my ceiling fan would work. I think the power to it stopped working.

I finally just got up and turned the AC unit off because the fan wouldn't shut off when I told it to shut off and the only way to make it stop was to turn the whole unit off. I had to answer the door-- UPS had Mom's laptop. Temp dropped to 86° in the hallway but its still hot in the rest of the house. I've got my window open.

Was too hot last night to get a restful sleep. Felt cruddy when my brother woke me up wanting to go to Samsclub. We were out of a bunch of stuff. I still need to go to Walmart later for more stuff that Sams didn't have.

On the respiratory viruses, I got them quite a bit as a kid. The croup damaged my lungs. I was constantly sick with respiratory ailments in Guam. Didn't help we were being exposed to high levels of radon-- the radon detector was broken when we moved in and we'd never lived anywhere with one before and didn't know it existed. We'd been there about 4 years before a maintenance person came in and told us "Don't drink the water, don't cook with the water-- its contaminated and the navy is lying about it being safe" and fixed the radon detector which had high levels. He told us to open all the windows to let the radon out. I hear they now sell some sort of subfloor stuff that reduces radon in concrete slab homes.

Anyway, I'm sitting here trying to cool off and hoping the AC being off will cool things down.

I forgot to comment to Shan. Good job on the carpet tear up. That stuff looked nasty. They actually sell knives specifically for cutting carpet. I don't know if it would be any easier. I hope you get enough rest before you have to do more. Are you donating the Corningware/Corelle stuff to any places? I know a lot of people would still love to get those things.


----------



## shan2themax

I made apple butter today. It is currently cooling off so that I can put it in jars. 
I have been pretty lazy today. Enjoyed the day, napped, watched tv (came across a YouTube channel Soft Under Belly, they have several videos up about an inbred family; the Whitakers.... it was fascinating and incredibly sad at the same time)
I think tomorrow, I am going to get my table and chairs from the storage unit and put that together. I guess I can put my shelving with pantry items, back into the weird room off of my garage for now. I need to put a sheet of OSB down as there are weak places but then I have to the the door off the hinges and cut 1/2" off and I don't really want to be bothered by that. I did toy with the idea of making it open out INTO the garage for now, so idk...

@zannej  idk what I will do with the dishes, I am almost 100% positive that they are ALL old enough to contain lead. So I wouldn't want someone to eat off of them. I guess I really don't have control over that though.

I'm thinking about putting all my soap making supplies on the porch for now also.... I would like to have the dining room, be a dining room for the holidays. It hasn't been used as a dining room for probably 12 years that any of us can remember.

Well, I need to get busy and at least be a little productive today.

Need to make a post in the electrical forum first


Hope everyone has a wonderful blessed evening!


----------



## zannej

From what I read, the old pyrex, corningware, and corelle may contain lead on the outside but not inside. 

How do you make apple butter? I've heard of it but have no idea what it is. Is it a form of jam?

Reminds me I need to get some butter from the store.

If there is any moisture in the area, I wouldn't recommend OSB. It's also not terribly rigid or strong and has more spring to it. I know plywood is more expensive, but its a better option for strengthening the floor. But then, I hate OSB and MDF. 

My friend is going to come over tomorrow after work to see if he can troubleshoot the problem with the AC. I went to pull the cover off, but apparently the whole damn thing comes off and just leaves a plate with some wires on the wall. I'll post pics in another thread bc I'm going to ask for advice in the AC forums. 

I haven't been productive since I got home. It went back up to 87 and I think the thermostat is borked or something.


----------



## Eddie_T

Sunday evening I went to church and heard a friend speak about her three months in the hospital with COVID (much of it in ICU). She had so many blood transfusions (around 100) that she joked that she may no longer be Norwegian. She was in so long that the staff became like family and her room became a spiritual haven when they could spare some moments away from their duties. She was upbeat and positive about the whole experience. I think she plans to write a booklet about it. If she does a friend will publish it.


----------



## Ron Van

Cleaned out the gutters yesterday since there is a chance of rain tonight


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Sunday evening I went to church and heard a friend speak about her three months in the hospital with COVID (much of it in ICU). She had so many blood transfusions (around 100) that she joked that she may no longer be Norwegian. She was in so long that the staff became like family and her room became a spiritual haven when they could spare some moments away from their duties. She was upbeat and positive about the whole experience. I think she plans to write a booklet about it. If she does a friend will publish it.


Yes, Covid is a bad deal. It makes me mad that they are playing around with more deadly strands in Boston. They say it’s technically not “Gain of Function” because it’s no stronger than the original Covid but it’s  on a more transmissible Spike Protein vehicle. They say their research is to help combat the next pandemic but researchers have been studying Covid for a couple decades now and it certainly didn’t help with the last pandemic. It’s seems as if they knew next to nothing about it when Covid-19 broke out.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Doctors and junkies call that uncontrollable shaking The DT's... Delirium Tremens... and the quick cure is another drink... or, sure, a 6 pack... then it takes a 7 pack... then an 8 pack... and on and on...


No, that doesn't exist for Alcohol. People can walk their way down from a 6 pack to a 5 to a 4 until they are done. The first day, they are cured by the 6 pack and then they gently wean themselves off it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I was fortunate I could easily start/stop smoking so I finally just stopped due to a combination of price and inconvenience. I never drank enough for it to become problem and have never tried weed or stronger.


Yeah, I smoked for a few years, quit with 4 minutes left in 1999, gave my last cig to someone else because I wouldn't be able to finish it before 2000. I quit chewing cold turkey also, and quit drinking whenever I wanted to. Weed was always if I had money and the bills were paid, but it was never a thing. I never felt the need to buy it myself, just paid others for half of theirs.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah, I smoked for a few years, quit with 4 minutes left in 1999, gave my last cig to someone else because I wouldn't be able to finish it before 2000. I quit chewing cold turkey also, and quit drinking whenever I wanted to.


I quit drinking in 1995 when I realized that if I continue, I'd end up living in a van down by the river. Now my sobriety is old enough to drink.


----------



## Ron Van

It looks like our approaching storm is starting to peter out. I'm still glad I cleaned out the gutters though.


----------



## Eddie_T

I usually take flack for this tip but here goes nothing. Sunday evening I scraped my right arm just above the wrist bone while tucking my shirt in. I think the zipper did it. To keep it from bleeding on my shirt I put turmeric on it to stop bleeding and covered it with a bandaid. Today I took the bandaid off and it hadn't healed so I blotted it and sprayed with hairspray (poor man's NewSkin) to dry it up.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Sunday evening I went to church and heard a friend speak about her three months in the hospital with COVID (much of it in ICU). She had so many blood transfusions (around 100) that she joked that she may no longer be Norwegian.


I assume your friend had other health problems as well that made it harder for her to deal with the flu. 
And as one hospital admitted, once they put "Covid" on the chart, that's an extra $35,000.00 for the hospital...


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I usually take flack for this tip but here goes nothing. Sunday evening I scraped my right arm just above the wrist bone while tucking my shirt in. I think the zipper did it. To keep it from bleeding on my shirt I put turmeric on it to stop bleeding and covered it with a bandaid. Today I took the bandaid off and it hadn't healed so I blotted it and sprayed with hairspray (poor man's NewSkin) to dry it up.


Use Cayenne the next time. I was luckily wearing sunglasses one day when a home brew beer bottle exploded in my hand, the glass went everywhere, part of it hit my eye that was protected, and it gashed me below the eye and on the nose. I put a towel to it, but it was gushing... I closed my eye and put a good amount of Cayenne on it, covered it with a rag and drove to the VA. 

They cleaned it up, blood had stopped by the time I got there, about 10 minutes... The Doc asked if I wanted stitches, and I said no because I knew I didn't need them... Which leads to a previous story...

I cut my finger real deep on a shard of glass that was glued to a Sobe bottle. I had heard about Cayenne's powers before that, and did the same thing. I covered it with a rag and sat down to watch TV. It took about an Hour for the adrenaline to wear off and I started feeling the pain. I washed it out and could peel the wound apart to see it was real deep.

More Cayenne on, covered with a band aid... This time there was no burn because it had sealed itself. The next day I replaced the bandage with no Cayenne, the next day I took it off and the wound was just a thin White line... The next day it was rapidly fading away.

Now, I have no idea which finger it was, and you would have to be uncomfortably close to me to see the cut that was under my eye.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> From what I read, the old pyrex, corningware, and corelle may contain lead on the outside but not inside.
> 
> How do you make apple butter? I've heard of it but have no idea what it is. Is it a form of jam?
> 
> If there is any moisture in the area, I wouldn't recommend OSB. It's also not terribly rigid or strong and has more spring to it. I know plywood is more expensive, but its a better option for strengthening the floor. But then, I hate OSB and MDF.
> 
> My friend is going to come over tomorrow after work to see if he can troubleshoot the problem with the AC.


I have one old Corelle plate that is kinda my favorite to use for everything, guess I'll have to check into that possibility of lead... I thought it was just some mixture of glass and plastic... 
. 
A town around here has an Apple Butter Festival. Kind of a cooked down apples jam. 
 
. 
Yeah, I prefer plywood... once the glue layer gets old it's still 'wood'... the other stuff just swells up or falls apart once the glue disintegrates... 
. 
I read that the new A/C capacitors from Asia only last a year or two... not like the old USA ones...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I usually take flack for this tip but here goes nothing. Sunday evening I scraped my right arm just above the wrist bone while tucking my shirt in. I think the zipper did it. To keep it from bleeding on my shirt I put turmeric on it to stop bleeding and covered it with a bandaid. Today I took the bandaid off and it hadn't healed so I blotted it and sprayed with hairspray (poor man's NewSkin) to dry it up.


Since we can't get mercurochrome or merthiolate any more, I got a big bottle of Johnson&Johnson First Aid liquid (about $3.50 at Walmart) and it seems to work good as a replacement. It's clear and doesn't stain things. Kills germs and eliminates pain/itch, speeds up healing. I use it for all kinds of things. Sometimes put it on and just put some kind of tape over it. For bites, soak a pad of toilet paper or something and cover it with tape so it doesn't dry out. Or soak the pad on a band aid.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, you should get a Giant roll of bubble wrap from ebay and a bunch of free Priority Mail boxes from the PO and list the dishes on Ebay... 









						bubble wrap: Search Result | eBay
					

Buy and sell electronics, cars, fashion apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, baby items, coupons, and everything else on eBay, the world's online marketplace



					www.ebay.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I guess apple butter doesn't have enough pectin to make jam no matter how long it is cooked. I love apple butter and home baked biscuits. You can simulate apple butter by adding sugar and spices and re-cooking it but (although delicious) it's not quite the same.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I usually take flack for this tip but here goes nothing. Sunday evening I scraped my right arm just above the wrist bone while tucking my shirt in.


Yeah, what?! Why would you tuck in your shirt??


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Yeah, what?! Why would you tuck in your shirt??


I always tuck for neatness when going out. I only go for the homeless look while on the property.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> People can walk their way down from a 6 pack to a 5 to a 4 until they are done. The first day, they are cured by the 6 pack and then they gently wean themselves off it.


First they have to really WANT TO QUIT THEIR ADDICTION... Most pretend to want to quit only after being busted for a crime... they go through an expensive program paid for by the Govt./taxpayers to please a court and avoid jail... after that, they pick the addiction right back up again... and the vicious cycle starts over again... 
. 
In the old days before welfare/S.S., the 'town drunk' usually wasn't that stoned 24/7/365... unless he had a private 'enablor' or was royalty... he had to still maintain a job to support himself for most of the day/week...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Shan, you should get a Giant roll of bubble wrap from ebay and a bunch of free Priority Mail boxes from the PO and list the dishes on Ebay...


While the boxes may be free, doesn't it cost at least $10 to mail them? Actually, I thought you had to buy the boxes. 
. 
Facebook Market Place used to be a good place to sell stuff quickly and locally and for free. Can often times sell stuff to a local person in a couple hours.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Got an email from my missing friend in Florida but it doesn't look real, looks to be an advertisement for the airport being back open, like they commandeered his email account... 
I responded to it to see if I got something that looks personal back.


----------



## havasu

Spicoli43 said:


> Marijuana is a gateway to Ho Hos and Pizza.


I need to use this as my signature line!


----------



## Eddie_T

My post regarding my skin scrape was misunderstood. I guess TMI on my part. My tip was that for scrapes where skin is removed hair spray is a good New Skin substitute to dry it up.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> I need to use this as my signature line!


You must have heard that 5000 times... "Dude, there is like something in the White Chocolate that is speaking to me... Totally Righteous dude"...


----------



## Flyover

I remember in high school I never got how my friends who smoked weed suddenly craved junk food. My experience was it enhanced my senses, sometimes making me appreciate good food (e.g. good Indian food) even more, or else making me horrified by something about it I might not have noticed otherwise (e.g. pizza always became borderline inedible), but as far as my appetite went, unless I was already really hungry starting out, getting stoned meant the last thing I wanted to do was eat. Instead I usually got the urge to go on a walk in the woods or play sports or music or something.


----------



## Flyover

Yesterday was the first day in about a week where I felt good enough to work out again. Did dumbell press and a couple long walks. Today I did about 50 pullups, followed by bench row. Going a bit easy because I still have a cough.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't know in what region or age group it originated but spendy is an informal or slang term that I don't use. We have become accustomed to pricey but if something is too pricey I ain't gunna spend. So how can spendy become trendy?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> My post regarding my skin scrape was misunderstood. I guess TMI on my part. My tip was that for scrapes where skin is removed hair spray is a good New Skin substitute to dry it up.


I'm a little leery about putting all those chemicals on an open wound entry point into my body... don't even use it on my hair...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I don't know in what region or age group it originated but spendy is an informal or slang term that I don't use. We have become accustomed to pricey but if something is too pricey I ain't gunna spend. So how can spendy become trendy?


After Matthew Perry spent $9M on something he could do for free, he looks "spendy" to me...


----------



## Eddie_T

Back on post #333 I left out the word applesauce for the re-cooking.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm a little leery about putting all those chemicals on an open wound entry point into my body... don't even use it on my hair...


I figure that it doesn't harm the ladies' eyes a little bit won't hurt me. I do the opposite of the medical profession. If I have a wound I want it dried up right now before harmful bacteria have a chance to colonize. I must be doing something right as I am healthier than most people that have family doctors.

I come close to crying just thinking that I never considered hairspray when my wife was being treated by a Comprehensive Wound Care Center. I guess I was physically and mentally too run down to think that far out of the box.


----------



## zannej

Thanks for the clarification Eddie. I was confused about what was recooked. I'll have to google apple butter. I've never had it.
I've never tried marijuana (never had an interest). But I was exposed to some 2ndhand from a friend and all it did was give me a headache. Not sure why. I have weird reactions to things though. 

Carport looks great. I love how it looks like the trash can behind the ladder is just floating. Very Halloween-ish. LOL. That is a very nice carport. Nice view too-- is that a lake?

It's still over 80 in here but I have my window open right behind me and two vornado fans going. I'm sure it is still super hot in my brother's room. I'm going to shut off the breakers for awhile. My AC unit is on two double breakers. AC is on the bottom right double breaker. Heat is on the double breaker above that one. I'm going to have my friend check the capacitors on the compressor. Only got them a few months ago so they should still be good. 

Was looking for where I put my Dritz mini iron earlier and couldn't find it, but found some stuff I forgot I had. LOL. A desk lamp with qi wireless charging, some charging cables with magnets, a short scope thingy with light on the end that can't hook to my phone without adapter bc it requires USB C, some random cables, some computer parts, some doorknobs, my travel bag from when I went to visit my sister, a diverter for a bidet sprayer, and other random stuff. I'll have to check the big bin later. I need to go through the box under it to see what is in it. I think it's old clothes I can't wear anymore. I also found a chisel set, drill bit set, router bit set, and some other tools. I put some of them in a plastic bin. I need to get more bins. I have a laundry basket at the end of my bed that had most of these things in it mixed with new socks & other stuff. Need to organize things better. My lightsaber is sticking out from a broken bin underneath the laundry basket. I have at least 3 or 4 laundry baskets in here all full of random stuff. LOL. Too bad hypnosis doesn't work to make people more organized.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  The very best advice I can give you is this....... you absolutely cannot organize too much stuff.....
All the bins/baskets in the world will not help with too much stuff. I promise. When you do that, you're setting.yourself up for failure because you end up buying more things because you "could have sworn" you put it in xyz bin/box but can't find it.
I say this from a loving place, I have spent 5-12 hours daily on nearly every single day off since August 12, trying to pilfer through, organized like things with like so I could figure out what to do with it all..... and that was just a 10x20 porch, 10x10 room, and an 8x10 building. I still have an 8x10 storage unit to get too, and I am sooooooo over it. 
Hoarding has genetic tendencies, especially if you grew up in squalor. I did not, nor did my mom. However, trauma begets a LOT of ugly effects.... drug addiction, alcoholism, promiscuity, and hoarding. Those are the most often seen problems. I have complained about my moms stuff for years, but the past 2.5 months have made me take a hard look T myself and some of the reasons I tell myself that I am keeping something. 
I am trying to remain cognizant of the fact that I have too many tools, too many towels, too many books, too many kitchen items, etc, its a battle.... even though I feel like it isnt.... with each new item I see of my moms, all I can think is please do not let my life come to this.... grant me peace and contentment with just what I need, not necessarily what I want.

Anyways, I hope I didn't offend you, because that is most certainly not my intent at all. I want you to be happy and healthy, I can tell from your posts and how you talk about your friends/family that you are a wonderful person.


Now... about the correlle/corning ware. I. Ould.post it, I could sell it... however, I don't want to bother with it. In all honesty.... I don't want one cent of profit from "stuff" that i allowed to put such a wedge between my mom and I. There are a couple of pieces that are worth $20ish dollars for just one piece.... but I really just don't care. Larry stopped by today, worked on the back yard for an hour. I gave him money for what he has done up to this point. I asked him if he wanted the dishes, told him they may contain lead. He said he would take them if I didn't want them, asked if I care if he put them in a yard sale. I told him that I didn't. Its not her things that I wanted. It was her love and acceptance that I needed, I don't care about the things... what I would have wanted has been ruined, and is gone. I'm seriously considering giving him all the clothes and blankets that I washed and letting him do whatever with it. Although.... I may take some of it to the shelter or to the dress for success clothing pantry. Idk, we shall see. 
@zannej  Sending you a virtual hug and really hoping I didn't hurt your feelings or make you mad. You seem to be pretty open about it, or I would not have commented.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have been adding sites to my mail fiter. Someone on another forum suggested a couple of conservative news sites. I tried and cancelled them but one or more of them must have sold my email address as my inbox has been flooded and I have to copy them into my fiter one at a time.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I really appreciate the advice and I am not the least bit offended. I am not easily offended and I know that you are trying to help. You are right. I do need to get rid of a lot of stuff. I do still want to organize things I plan to keep (like tools and stuff) in bins and label each bin and make up an inventory of what is in each bin. I'll make a point to put stuff back in the specific bin so I will no longer play the "which bin is it in" game. I have a lot of stuff that is for the remodeling that will be used once we get things fixed. But, I also have a lot of old stuff that needs to be washed and donated-- like old clothes. I have a friend who is setting up a sewing room and I might see if she wants any of the old clothes for scraps for practicing sewing stuff on or small projects.

I picked up my friend and brought him out to the house to look at things. He checked the capacitors and they don't appear to be bad. No singed wires or bloating. He messed with the thermostat and made sure wires were tight. Said we should try a new thermostat. Took him to the grocery store and grabbed him some food while I got some other supplies and food. Grabbed cat food for his kitties bc they were out. The fluffy gray cat was trying to tear the bag open and kept getting in the way of my friend cutting it open. He was ravenous.

I drove up to Lowes and got the thermostat there bc I get military discount. Tax almost cancelled it out-- would have been something like $198 with tax but came out to $178 with military discount plus tax. Pricey but it's a nice one. Picked my friend up on the way home and he installed the new thermostat. Compressor still won't kick on, but it might be too cold out for it to do that. Temp already dropped lower but I'm not sure if its bc of the thermostat or bc windows are open and its colder outside. Drove friend back home and dropped him off, then back here. Cooked for Mom while he was working on the thermostat and I ate a salad. I'm about to take meds and then have to wait 30min to eat. 

Friend said that if this fix doesn't work he'll try other troubleshooting or we'll call the HVAC people.


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Since we can't get mercurochrome or merthiolate any more, I got a big bottle of Johnson&Johnson First Aid liquid (about $3.50 at Walmart) and it seems to work good as a replacement. It's clear and doesn't stain things. Kills germs and eliminates pain/itch, speeds up healing.



Staples is the way to go! I got into a knife fight 3 weeks ago yesterday. I got 8 staples in my stomach and it’s almost completely healed. Didn’t use anything on it. 




The guy I got into the knife fight with had a scalpel and and bunch of assistants. I was completely unconscious. . .not really a fair fight. He also stole 5” of my colon.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Carport looks great. I love how it looks like the trash can behind the ladder is just floating. Very Halloween-ish. LOL. That is a very nice carport. Nice view too-- is that a lake?


The neat carport is Ron's. He has a very nice place on a lake. He should post a drone photo to show an overall view of his property and it's amenities. Then for OPSEC reasons maybe not.

BTW the hairspray worked out well for my scrape.


----------



## Flyover

Gang-related knife violence is out of control in hospitals. I hear they've also used other weapons like lasers, and even chemical weapons too. One friend of mine got attacked with a long cable that had a camera at the end. The gangs slip you drugs that knock you unconscious, then they commit assault, and then they take your money.


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron, I hope you didn't lose your ileocecal valve in the process.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Staples is the way to go! I got into a knife fight 3 weeks ago yesterday. I got 8 staples in my stomach and it’s almost completely healed. Didn’t use anything on it.


I'm sure the doctor put something on it... that hole at the left end doesn't look too good... did they give you some antibiotics pills?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Just discovered that my Ford Crown Victoria can be converted into a Dodge Charger General Lee!
.
https://images.holley.com/x/11-crown-vic-general-lee-jump-car.jpg
.


----------



## BuzzLOL

BuzzLOL said:


> Got an email from my missing friend in Florida but it doesn't look real, looks to be an advertisement for the airport being back open, like they commandeered his email account...
> I responded to it to see if I got something that looks personal back.


Haven't heard back from the response I made... this is looking really strange... how does an airport send emails out in my friend's name and looking just like from him?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I have been adding sites to my mail fiter. Someone on another forum suggested a couple of conservative news sites. I tried and cancelled them but one or more of them must have sold my email address as my inbox has been flooded and I have to copy them into my fiter one at a time.


Every time I unsubscribe from something it seems to subscribe me to two new things...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Every time I unsubscribe from something it seems to subscribe me to two new things...


Me too so I quit unsubscribing. Something weird has been happening with the filter. Often say when I send a xxxx.com to spam it will show up a day or so later as a xxxx.net. Can the sender tell that we don't open emails?


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Haven't heard back from the response I made... this is looking really strange... how does an airport send emails out in my friend's name and looking just like from him?


You might try calling the sheriff's office sometimes a nice guy will check on someone. Also in Florida I can sometimes get a phone number and relatives via a google search. I found a friend's air force buddy from the Korean war that way through finding his daughter.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Carport looks great.


Thanks zannej! There a a big storage area above the carport with three different ways to get up there. On the left side there is a stairway that leads to a door.



Then there is a pull down ladder, Which is the way I prefer because it's much faster.


The third way was a lift I installed soon after we moved in to this house. We literally hauled tons of stuff up those stairs to the storage area up there.


I had to go down 6 steps and then back up 25 at least 100 times. I said, There is no way I'm ever doing this again. I'm going to install a lift. Of course, everyone thought I was talkin' crazy ...but I did it!






It has a 500LBS capacity.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Ron, I hope you didn't lose your ileocecal valve in the process.


No, I was very blessed that it was a very successful operation with little long lasting side effects. Doc said I'm good for 100,000miles. I'm not sure how many years that equates to but I do know that the slower you go, the longer it takes to go 100,000 miles!



BuzzLOL said:


> I'm sure the doctor put something on it... that hole at the left end doesn't look too good... did they give you some antibiotics pills?


That's funny because my wife said the same thing last night. I had some antibiotics while I was in the hospital but they are gone now. My wife put some Neosporin on it last night and a bandaid. This morning I took off the bandaid and a scab with a bunch of puss stuck to it came off and left a little hole that looked pretty clean. I'll monitor it and see if it needs further attention. I don't usually have problems with infections.


----------



## Eddie_T

I tried the spoon method of peeling boiled eggs finding that it works pretty well.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> I had some antibiotics while I was in the hospital but they are gone now. My wife put some Neosporin on it last night and a bandaid.


I've always preferred the Merthiolate or now the J&J stuff because it kills everything where the Neosporin targets certain germs...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> You might try calling the sheriff's office sometimes a nice guy will check on someone. Also in Florida I can sometimes get a phone number and relatives via a google search. I found a friend's air force buddy from the Korean war that way through finding his daughter.


Got another email from my buddy, he said it was really him, the airport stuff was just kinda a joke, with the $100Billion in damage around there he has limited communications capability at the moment, that was about it.


----------



## shan2themax

While searching for an electrician... I came across this guy.... he seems pretty serious... however, to me, it seems a whole lot one sided. However, I realize that I he been taken advantage of and I just don't trust people to do what they say.


I took a screenshot, so noone had to download the pdf


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I tried the spoon method of peeling boiled eggs finding that it works pretty well.


Is that how they peel eggs perfectly for deviled eggs?


----------



## shan2themax

@Eddie_T  that is the easiest way! A little baking soda helps also


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> While searching for an electrician... I came across this guy.... he seems pretty serious... however, to me, it seems a whole lot one sided. However, I realize that I he been taken advantage of and I just don't trust people to do what they say.
> I took a screenshot, so noone had to download the pdf


Will the job take as long as reading the contract?


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> While searching for an electrician... I came across this guy.... he seems pretty serious... however, to me, it seems a whole lot one sided.



That's quite a contract! I'm a little leary of this statement:




So, if he shows up and starts doing goofy stuff, You basically can't fire him without paying full estimate cost? I understand some costs will be incurred on day one but not labor that hasn't been done yet.


----------



## Eddie_T

Just say no, that's too scary.


----------



## Ron Van

Happy Halloween!


----------



## shan2themax

I haven't even talked to him, nor do I plan too.... T.O.T.A.L.L.Y reminds me of the con-artist I hired several years ago. That dude even provided a "lifetime warranty"..... 
I had a headache after reading ALL 8 PAGES of that stuff...
I just need to go to trade school a couple of times.... actually, I just need to be an apprentice on my days off for a while lol.


----------



## Eddie_T

Keep at it. It may be something simple or even a non-problem.


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm still feeding the email spam filter "conditions". The conservative news sites are so devious I'm almost ready to become a libtard. I am now trying to see if I can use one key word that appears in all in their ever morphing addresses to scrap them.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I'm still feeding the email spam filter "conditions". The conservative news sites are so devious I'm almost ready to become a libtard. I am now trying to see if I can use one key word that appears in all in their ever morphing addresses to scrap them.


If 'conservative' news sites say 'gun violence', Jan. 6th 'insurrection' or 'riot', or say George Floyd was 'murdered' then I don't trust them at all...


----------



## Flyover

Shan, are there specific parts of the contract that spooked you? Wish I could send you my electrician, he's great! But it'd probably be a 4-5 hour drive for him 

I don't know why anyone would trust any news site, conservative or otherwise. It's just entertainment, it doesn't belong on a pedestal. (Rather cruddy form of entertainment too. Basically rubbernecking in other people's business.)

Today I did a normal leg workout, so I guess that means I'm feeling back to 100%, though I still cough from time to time.

Made enchiladas for dinner, they turned out well. Maybe it's cheating but I don't make my own enchilada sauce, I buy La Preferida. They make the best sauce, and sometimes I feel like I could put less effort into the enchiladas but if they've got that sauce they'll still be good.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Happy Halloween!


Do you use that carport for dances or parties?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Got this email today from Blue Cross/Blue Shield: 
A vaccine takes seconds. The flu takes days.​Can't believe anyone is still pretending the deadly nonworking fake 'vaccine' shots will prevent this upcoming winter's next new flu...


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> I haven't even talked to him, nor do I plan too.... T.O.T.A.L.L.Y reminds me of the con-artist I hired several years ago. That dude even provided a "lifetime warranty".....
> I had a headache after reading ALL 8 PAGES of that stuff...
> I just need to go to trade school a couple of times.... actually, I just need to be an apprentice on my days off for a while lol.


That contract is insane.


----------



## ekrig

Contracts where everything is spelled out can be very helpful. I'd had several problems when working with contractors, so I think that it makes it easier to work out problems later... like someone doing goofy work. That said, if you don't like some things, you absolutely should negotiate them. The point is to think like a lawyer in these circumstances and try to anticipate at least the most often encountered problems.

For example, I would use a payment schedule (e.g., 30/40/30%) determined by achieving specific milestones with a clause that stopping work due to unsatisfactory work, failure to complete within a given timeline (e.g., 1 month from start for a bathroom remodel, maybe with a option of an additional 1 month for non-functional items (e.g., baseboards or trim)), or performing work outside code. If the person complains about the unsatisfactory work part, maybe give a 5-10% charge for that kind of stopping.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I don't know why anyone would trust any news site, conservative or otherwise. It's just entertainment, it doesn't belong on a pedestal. (Rather cruddy form of entertainment too. Basically rubbernecking in other people's business.)



Let's face it news borders strongly on voyeurism. I just like enough to know about local issues such as roads, businesses and weather. National news has some stuff I need to know regarding wars and such. I mostly read while the news is on and just perk up if they goof and actually feature something of value. I thought a conservative news website might be a place where I could select a  topic w/o a rant. I only tried a couple that were recommended but apparently one of them sold me out or had a click-bait popup on their site that got me.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Let's face it news borders strongly on voyeurism. I just like enough to know about local issues such as roads, businesses and weather. National news has some stuff I need to know regarding wars and such. I mostly read while the news is on and just perk up if they goof and actually feature something of value. I thought a conservative news website might be a place where I could select a  topic w/o a rant. I only tried a couple that were recommended but apparently one of them sold me out or had a click-bait popup on their site that got me.


Try this






__





						Just The News
					

Washington based JusttheNews.com covers events in the capital and is dedicated to Web and video journalism, podcasting and long-form nonfiction book publishing.




					justthenews.com


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, news doesn't border on voyeurism, it's built on it! Without voyeurism there is no appetite for news, either consuming or producing it. (Spicoli's link is no better.)

Now you mention a few things that are more practical (roads, businesses (presumably ones you might want to patronize), and weather) -- those are all types of information you could get elsewhere, and better quality. Your municipality no doubt makes a lot of effort to communicate about road conditions, so you could get that directly from the source. Businesses you will find out about when you go into town, or navigating to their websites, or whatever else; you don't need the journalist middle-man. And weather, well you could look outside or go to https://www.darksky.com. Then you also mention needing to know about wars and stuff like that...do you really need to know about it? Are you active duty military? If so, then you'll hear everything you need to know about the war from your CO. Are you an arms manufacturer? Then you probably work with business intelligence people who will tell you what you need to know. Do you have family in Ukraine or Russia or something? Just contact them directly to see how they're doing.

People really don't need the news for anything. The reason people consume it is it's entertainment, that's all. And unfortunately, news websites know most of the people clicking there are older and less internet savvy, and so they use dark patterns like popups to capture their data. They don't care if they end up getting spammed or even scammed as a result.


----------



## Spicoli43

So, when families have to choose between heating their houses in the Upper part of the Country like NY / Maine etc. because the prices for heating oil have skyrocketed since the Obama admin won't release the stockpiles, or buying food that has skyrocketed, I guess as long as they only pay attention to the local road department and weather, they will be informed enough?

They won't know that Obama controls whether they can even get the heating oil at ANY price, but no worries since they can all huddle around a space heater in 1 room while eating Top Ramen because they can't afford anything else? 

Why are the globalists burning down all the food factories? Don't you think that's important to know?


----------



## Eddie_T

I have found that it's easier to just go to the website of the closest network TV outlet to get weather and road closures. I have  missed important info by skipping the news. Sometimes it's easier just to turn it on rather than trying to search for info (or forgetting to). I'm rather isolated so no grapevine and if there were they would be getting the news from the news mongers. Hearing and believing are two different things.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, does knowing this stuff about Obama make the heating bill lower? Maybe you think being mad at Obama warms people up internally because when you're angry you feel hot? 

I never heard about globalists burning down factories, yet I have been able to navigate the problems in my life effectively, so apparently "No": it is not important to know.


----------



## shan2themax

@ekrig  i agree that contracts can be very helpful. This one however, is ridiculous.... especially when you get to the part that if I cancel for xyz.... you expect payment for the entire estimate. So basically, he is saying..... I have the freedom to do something really dumb, you fire me, but I get paid anyways.... no thanks.... he spells out well what he will/won't accept from the consumer, however he leaves nearly no direction of his responsibilities in the contract. Thats how this area thrives, I'm going to take you so you can't take me. He has decent reviews on his pages..... but so did Rick and the other contractor. 

8 pages? That is absurd. 

I wonder if I cam up with an 8 page contract if he would be agreeable to that? You know, to protect myself and my investment? Lol that could be fun to orchestrate.

I'm not opposed to a contract, they are a great idea.... this one is just crazy.

Also, I had a contract with Rick.... didn't do me any good.


----------



## Eddie_T

An electrician shouldn't need a contact for a single wire problem. LIke a plumber he should either charge by the call and per hour or just quote a price. I had an electrician look at my damaged electrical panel and quote me a price of $600 to replace it ( parts and labor). He wired it hot so no re-inspection and did the job in three or four hours. I knew where he lived and one of his cousins.


----------



## RedneckGrump

G'day Ladies, Gents
How are we all doing today... Thursday already, where did the week go... Well, still working on the leaves here, gave up raking, and am just mulching now... Mulching the leaves up says it's better for the grass, and if done for 3 years consecutive, it will cut back the dandelions, and crabgrass... So will have to wait and see...

Lorie and I and Carl are going out for a drive as soon as the medication that did me in for the last weeks get here. Waiting to hear from the doctor if I am supposed to try it again next month...

Other than that, not a lot to report... After reading all the threads I hope everyone is doing better and feeling ok...

Talk soon, Friends...
Adios... Cheers!
me


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, does knowing this stuff about Obama make the heating bill lower? Maybe you think being mad at Obama warms people up internally because when you're angry you feel hot?
> 
> I never heard about globalists burning down factories, yet I have been able to navigate the problems in my life effectively, so apparently "No": it is not important to know.


It's just evidence that voting for the swamp monsters in both parties has consequences. Obama is killing the country on purpose with the help of his brainless puppet... The problem for them is MILLIONS of Democrat voters have woke up, and Obama's global control agenda with Soros and Klaus Schwab etc. is about to fail...

So, as long as you can walk around the neighborhood and get a free 2x4, you have no concern at all that Natural Gas is probably 5 times higher since President Trump, Gas is double, and every single thing at the Supermarket is more expensive?

How about Lumber? What if you need to pay for a 2x4 that is now at the lowest cost since Trump, but is still double the price? I don't even want to discuss 3/4 Plywood. I'm scared to even look it up.

No concern that you're locked into your Home loan and can't sell because the Mortgage Interest rates have soared from around 37.6% during Trump to greater than 110% today?

Based on our past discussions, I figured you for a fighter, but it seems you just wave your White Flag these days.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have to admit that with my lifestyle the news is of some value to me. I pick up on things I would have to spend time digging for otherwise. Fortunately I don't have to concentrate on every word to get that benefit. I guess I treat it kinda like speed reading.

For world news I occasionally use the Jerusalem Post where I can pick and choose. I may check some ROKU apps they can't capture my email address.


----------



## Spicoli43

90 Minute Heart Health Masterclass that you can watch... I always watch seminars like this because I always learn things. This seminar is with a Cardiologist, so a subject matter expert...

This runs now through Saturday, you pick the time.









						Healthy Heart Masterclass – Watch FREE
					

Learn the four most dangerous heart health myths, plus TEN recent breakthroughs that can SLASH your risk of heart disease! Join renowned holistic cardiologist Dr. Mimi Guarneri and Food Revolution Network CEO Ocean Robbins for this completely FREE masterclass.




					heart.foodrevolution.org


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't choose to watch sports. I don't care who wins and think watching someone overpaid to play a game is akin to paying mourners for a funeral. However I seem to be a minority and I don't care what others do for entertainment.


----------



## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> An electrician shouldn't need a contact for a single wire problem. LIke a plumber he should either charge by the call and per hour or just quote a price.


He is a retired electrician, who is now a handyman.... according to his website/FB page. Maybe he is legit, maybe he has been taken advantage of. Idk. Just seems excessive "terms"






						Log in or sign up to view
					

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.




					www.facebook.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I ran out of bread so rather than driving 5 miles to purchase overpriced bread I am going to bake a loaf.

While the dough is doing the first rise I decided to descale my Bonavita coffee maker. The reservoir had sediment from before my water filters were installed. I cleaned it with a paper towel and vinegar then ran vinegar water through a cycle. I think I will let the white vinegar water cool and run it through the coffee maker again. It has only a slight tinge.


----------



## BuzzLOL

If I want weather I just type in wea and it offers weather which I click on and it gives 8 days of weather plus temperatures, precipitation, winds for next 24 hours...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> If I want weather I just type in wea and it offers weather which I click on and it gives 8 days of weather plus temperatures, precipitation, winds for next 24 hours...


Weather.com has radar...









						National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com
					

The Weather Channel and weather.com provide a national and local weather forecast for cities, as well as weather radar, report and hurricane coverage




					weather.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I live in an upslope weather area and the local meteorologist puts his spin on it. I also paid a bit more attention to the news finding that it did have a few things worth putting up with the political crap to get. One thing was trying to get Verizon to explain degraded service in some areas. My MVNO uses Verizon towers.

Homemade bread is just to good. I ate a good third of the loaf with butter while still warm.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> It's just evidence that voting for the swamp monsters in both parties has consequences. Obama is killing the country on purpose with the help of his brainless puppet... The problem for them is MILLIONS of Democrat voters have woke up, and Obama's global control agenda with Soros and Klaus Schwab etc. is about to fail...
> 
> So, as long as you can walk around the neighborhood and get a free 2x4, you have no concern at all that Natural Gas is probably 5 times higher since President Trump, Gas is double, and every single thing at the Supermarket is more expensive?
> 
> How about Lumber? What if you need to pay for a 2x4 that is now at the lowest cost since Trump, but is still double the price? I don't even want to discuss 3/4 Plywood. I'm scared to even look it up.
> 
> No concern that you're locked into your Home loan and can't sell because the Mortgage Interest rates have soared from around 37.6% during Trump to greater than 110% today?
> 
> Based on our past discussions, I figured you for a fighter, but it seems you just wave your White Flag these days.


Fighting is one thing, but do you count reading the news and getting angry at what you read as "fighting"? Let's say I can actually blame lumber prices on some politician. Knowing that doesn't bring the lumber prices back down!


----------



## Spicoli43

Steel Belted White Flag.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, I don't understand even your whole framing this as "fight vs. surrender". Fight vs. surrender makes sense in a context where you are facing an adversary and you can either do something to try to win, or else give up and let your adversary win.

In the case of rising prices, it's not really like that. You can't march into the grocery store and demand they let you buy your jar of jalapenos for half the price they're asking. You can't show up at your utility company's headquarters and threaten them with a shotgun until they charge you less per kilowatt hour. You can't storm the customer service desk at Home Depot and tell them you're only going to pay $1.09 for a 2x4 "and if you disagree we can settle it in the parking lot."

What you can do, though, is collect free scrap out of the dumpsters outside every new home construction in the neighborhoods adjacent to yours whenever you need wood--which I do. You can also teach your kids not to leave lights or gadgets on--which I do. And you can shop for groceries at the cheap places where you bag your own and return your cart to get your quarter back--which I do. None of this is difficult or uncomfortable either, by the way.

And there's no advantage to walking around resentful and angry about it while I do this. You were in the military, so presumably you know that when you're in combat, it's best not to do unnecessary things that gain you nothing or put you at a disadvantage, and it's best also to keep a clear mind. I think they've known that for thousands of years--it's in "The Art of War" by Sun Tsu.

I think if anyone's waving a white flag it's people who cave to their emotions and base instincts instead of standing up straight and sorting out what's really important from what isn't.


----------



## zannej

I had a lazy day of trying to watch How-to videos. Couldn't stay awake and couldn't seem to get enough oxygen for some reason. I slept a lot and need to go to the store tomorrow.
Ron, did the doctor say you can clean that incision with hydrogen peroxide? I've done that on some of the cuts I've had that got pus-filled. Used it a lot on my pets' wounds. Triple antibiotic is also a good idea. 
My brain did not want to engage today. Zombie mode. I'm still having problems with it. I'm hoping it will be working tomorrow.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't listen to rants from either side thus all my work on my spam filter to keep them out of my inbox. Today they were all blocked so hopefully the problem is under control. Ranters think they are making us aware but they are in reality just turning us off. Anger destroys the person carrying it not the target of their anger. One can write a six page rant to a politician but reality is the aid just tosses it into a "for" or "against" round file and sends out a form letter.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli, you can tell me what you think I should care about and be paying attention to and do, and if you present a coherent argument I might even listen. You haven't done that. You've just told me I'm waving a white flag, you haven't explained why the things I do are equivalent to waving a white flag, and you haven't specified what NOT waving a white flag looks like to you. All you've said is I should watch the news, which is a habit as nasty and unhealthy as any drug addiction. That makes no sense.

I draw a line at "I feel sorry for your kids" type arguments. It's a deeply disrespectful, aggressive, and information-less thing to say to someone, and would be even coming from someone with parenting experience, which you don't have.


----------



## 68bucks

Far as I'm concerned it's about time interest rates rise to a reasonable level. The fed has kept the interest rate ridiculously low for more than a decade. The rates have been so low that it was impossible to invest in safe assets such as bonds and treasuries and even keep pace with inflation. So responsible people that actually saved money for retirement had no safe place to put their money. They were forced instead to invest in much riskier assets such as the stock market and woe be to you when an event like 2008 comes along and wipes out half your nest egg. And now inflation is at a 40 year high but look back at interest rates during that period and you'll see the prime rate was 12, 14, 18% but everyone is freaking out because it 6.25%. That's a lot closer to the historic average than 2%.

Personally I think the inflation rate is easy to understand. 2020 the world economy nearly stops due to the pandemic. Few goods are moving or being produced and people start hoarding all sorts of stuff. So what does the government do? The dump $2+ trillion into the economy. Give money to just about everyone whether they needed it or not. So now you have people continuing to buy stuff while none is being produced or shipped. Of course the law of supply and demand kicks in and prices go through the roof, wow what a shock. Add to that once things start to move again employers can't get enough people to work so they have to pay those that will work substantially more (more of that supply and demand stuff) and that compounds the problem. Then of course the current administration, not to be out done by the previous one, pours and couple more trillion $ into the economy. Gee I wonder why prices keep going up? It's called capitalism folks, that's how it works. 

One last observation I have is the gripes about gas prices. The common statement is wow gas was only $1.50 a gallon a year and a half ago. Well oil was only about $50 a barrel at the end of 2020 and far below that through most of 2020. The US oil industry need about $45-50 a barrel to break even so if your buying gas for $1 a gallon the US oil industry would shut down, they can't compete at that price.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Don't look it up, because it's fake. Not happening, definitely not happening anywhere.


Alex Jones broadcast the Sandy Hook School murders didn't happen... a court just ruled a $Billion judgement against him for that... guess he should have looked it up... and if still didn't believe it, should have investigated it closer himself...


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Far as I'm concerned it's about time interest rates rise to a reasonable level. ..everyone is freaking out because it 6.25%. That's a lot closer to the historic average than 2%.
> 
> Personally I think the inflation rate is easy to understand. 2020 the world economy nearly stops due to the pandemic.
> 
> One last observation I have is the gripes about gas prices. The common statement is wow gas was only $1.50 a gallon a year and a half ago. Well oil was only about $50 a barrel at the end of 2020 and far below that through most of 2020. The US oil industry need about $45-50 a barrel to break even so if your buying gas for $1 a gallon the US oil industry would shut down, they can't compete at that price.


Home mortgages should never be above 3-4% interest, that's plenty for working people to have to pay... Credit cards not above 7%... 
. 
I think you meant "plandemic"... an ordinary flu blown up onto a plandemic to destroy Trump's Best in History Economy and hurt his election chances... 
. 
So, yes, gasoline was working fine at $1.25 - 1.75 (pick your station and price) 1 1/2 years ago... we didn't need $4-6...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> the local meteorologist puts his spin on it.


Seems like I can read his weather radar map better than he can...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> People really don't need the news for anything.


If it wasn't for the news, I wouldn't know we've only had two Catholic presidents and both of them quickly brought us to the brink of Nuclear World War Three with Russia !!! They're INSANE !!! 
. 
And glad when we capitalize words that you catch them better!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, does knowing this stuff about Obama make the heating bill lower?


We know that voting for Obama/clones, heating and all bills will soar up vastly higher and new wars will start... voting for the other guy brought everything down and ended all the wars... of course, if you ignore the news, you don't know that... and, of course, even seeing the news, you have to realize what is believable and what isn't... just like everything else in life...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Seems like I can read his weather radar map better than he can...


You prolly don't experience the vagaries of up slope weather.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I have repeatedly stated the problems with the Obama admin and their decisions. YOU refuse to debate any of that because I eviscerated you long long ago about politics. I said a lot of that now, you won't say anything about it. I also said what NOT waving the White Flag looks like. You ignore it.
> 
> Since you don't pay any attention to anything


You "eviscerated" me about "politics"?   I barely have politics, and the few issues I do have a strong opinion about (e.g. guns and drug policy), you and I seem to basically agree on! So would that mean you eviscerated yourself too? Seppuku? What are you even talking about man.

No, I know. That's how they write clickbait headlines: "so and so EVISCERATES so and so". @Ron Van was smart enough to pay a professional for that service, but otherwise this "evisceration" stuff is just nonsense internet talk. My guts are right where they're supposed to be.

I don't pay any attention to things that are foolish to pay attention to. Or at least I try not to. I'm still talking to you about this, so I guess I need to work on it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> You "eviscerated" me about "politics"?   I barely have politics, and the few issues I do have a strong opinion about (e.g. guns and drug policy), you and I seem to basically agree on! So would that mean you eviscerated yourself too? Seppuku? What are you even talking about man.
> 
> No, I know. That's how they write clickbait headlines: "so and so EVISCERATES so and so". @Ron Van was smart enough to pay a professional for that service, but otherwise this "evisceration" stuff is just nonsense internet talk. My guts are right where they're supposed to be.
> 
> I don't pay any attention to things that are foolish to pay attention to. Or at least I try not to. I'm still talking to you about this, so I guess I need to work on it.


I eviscerated you way back in the day, and the proof is you posting the action cartoon things. If I didn't, you would simply say I didn't, no need for the cartoons. 

I do have to apologize about the kid thing though. To me, there's a big difference between "Feel sorry for" and "Feel bad for", but what I think doesn't matter, it's the person on the receiving end that matters. I have to realize that although I don't get offended by the words of others, some might and I need to think about that before posting.

As far as not paying attention, did you know there's only 25 days left of Diesel in this country due to Obama's War on Fossil Fuels?


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> Far as I'm concerned it's about time interest rates rise to a reasonable level. The fed has kept the interest rate ridiculously low for more than a decade. The rates have been so low that it was impossible to invest in safe assets such as bonds and treasuries and even keep pace with inflation. So responsible people that actually saved money for retirement had no safe place to put their money. They were forced instead to invest in much riskier assets such as the stock market and woe be to you when an event like 2008 comes along and wipes out half your nest egg. And now inflation is at a 40 year high but look back at interest rates during that period and you'll see the prime rate was 12, 14, 18% but everyone is freaking out because it 6.25%. That's a lot closer to the historic average than 2%.
> 
> Personally I think the inflation rate is easy to understand. 2020 the world economy nearly stops due to the pandemic. Few goods are moving or being produced and people start hoarding all sorts of stuff. So what does the government do? The dump $2+ trillion into the economy. Give money to just about everyone whether they needed it or not. So now you have people continuing to buy stuff while none is being produced or shipped. Of course the law of supply and demand kicks in and prices go through the roof, wow what a shock. Add to that once things start to move again employers can't get enough people to work so they have to pay those that will work substantially more (more of that supply and demand stuff) and that compounds the problem. Then of course the current administration, not to be out done by the previous one, pours and couple more trillion $ into the economy. Gee I wonder why prices keep going up? It's called capitalism folks, that's how it works.
> 
> One last observation I have is the gripes about gas prices. The common statement is wow gas was only $1.50 a gallon a year and a half ago. Well oil was only about $50 a barrel at the end of 2020 and far below that through most of 2020. The US oil industry need about $45-50 a barrel to break even so if your buying gas for $1 a gallon the US oil industry would shut down, they can't compete at that price.


How is 133% on a Mortgage a "reasonable interest rate"???

How does an event like 2008 wipe out your stock market portfolio?

Your oil example isn't correct, at least in shutting down. From 16 February of 2020 for the next 11 Months it was below $53.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> I eviscerated you way back in the day


I don't know what you're talking about. My politics haven't changed much to my knowledge since I started interacting with you on this forum, so if you "eviscerated" me, I missed it and it's all in your head. Like I said, the few issues I actually have opinions about are ones where you and I basically seem to agree. What you're saying sounds very quixotic to me.

Yeah I thought "feel sorry for" and "feel bad for" were basically the same thing but if you actually have a clear distinction in mind, great. Apology accepted and appreciated.



Spicoli43 said:


> did you know there's only 25 days left of Diesel in this country due to Obama's War on Fossil Fuels?


Using this as a working example, what would you consider "fighting" this instead of "waving the white flag" at it?


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Using this as a working example, what would you consider "fighting" this instead of "waving the white flag" at it?


Fighting is making sure everybody in the neighborhood knows about it... posting on message boards... Calling the local reps, no matter whether they are R or D... Calling your Federal Rep and Senators, especially if they are Republican and voicing your concern that there is only 25 days left of Diesel.

You know what stops when there's no Diesel, right?

Everything..... Everything runs on Diesel in this Infrastructure, and EVEN IF something that naturally comes from the Earth were harming the Earth, it doesn't matter if the USA has a stringent policy against using it when 3/4 of the World disagrees and uses it anyway with no intention of going Electric, which pollutes more anyway.

As far as other issues, I have made it clear to my Republican Rep and Senator that if they vote for the Deep State CCP supporting Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy for the leasers of the Senate and House, I will give them a nice Billboard or two reminding voters about how they are for the Deep State Establishment. I will raise funds to do it and tie it to my LLC.

I go on message boards to communicate that with other people. Tons of people on GETTR have the same thoughts on those worthless "Leaders"... 

THAT is Grassroots... THAT is how you get things done. 

If we didn't fight back in this country, if we didn't have a history of fighting back, we would be speaking the UK version of their whack English, or Italian, Japanese or German. Yes, those are extreme examples, but they happened and we are still the USA. Owned by China, but USA.


----------



## Eddie_T

Interest rates are commonly expressed as a yearly rate. Sure if one adds up the total outlay for 25 yrs it's a high number. However anytime one can pay extra on a mortgage the extra goes directly to reducing the principal. Saying the interest rate is 144% is just confusing those who have mortgages. Paul Ramsey would have them paying it off early. People who finance cars are hit even harder because many trade before paying off the current car so they pay interest all their life ⋅   ⋅   ⋅   then there's credit cards.

BTW the grassroots opposition has been operating for years and unfortunately the public is not moved. Nothing will be changed in 25 days if all these years have changed nothing. I hate to be a defeatist but peeing into the wind is just that. I had hopes for the tea party but it quickly fizzled. Capital letters and yard signs don't get results.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Interest rates are commonly expressed as a yearly rate. Sure if one adds up the total outlay for 25 yrs it's a high number. However anytime one can pay extra on a mortgage the extra goes directly to reducing the principal. Saying the interest rate is 144% is just confusing those who have mortgages. Paul Ramsey would have them paying it off early. People who finance cars are hit even harder because many trade before paying off the current car so they pay interest all their life ⋅   ⋅   ⋅   then there's credit cards.
> 
> BTW the grassroots opposition has been operating for years and unfortunately the public is not moved. Nothing will be changed in 25 days if all these years have changed nothing. I hate to be a defeatist but peeing into the wind is just that. I had hopes for the tea party but it quickly fizzled. Capital letters and yard signs don't get results.



If people can pay it off early, sure... The middle class can't buy at the current rates, much less pay more each month.

The interest rate being set at 6.75% is so people think that's what they are paying, it has nothing to do with actual interest because 99% of people aren't paying it off in a Year. If they have that kind of cash, they aren't financing it.

On a 10 Year fixed loan at 6.75%, the Interest rate is 37%

On a 30 Year fixed loan at 6.75%, the Interest rate is 133%

How is Grassroots not working? The Democrat Governor of Virginia was booted, the Democrat Governor of New Jersey was real close to losing, which is unheard of in that Commie stronghold, the Governor of New York was Fired, the replacement Governor of New York just might lose, the Election results in Arizona have been found to be false, a Democrat whistleblower in Florida just exposed the ballot pickup scam they ran there, Project Veritas constantly busts people for corruption, Tons of regular people, both R and D have fought back against the tyranny and defund the Police movements etc etc etc... 

None of that happens if people just accept the ruling class and don't fight back.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Fighting is making sure everybody in the neighborhood knows about it... posting on message boards... Calling the local reps, no matter whether they are R or D... Calling your Federal Rep and Senators, especially if they are Republican and voicing your concern that there is only 25 days left of Diesel.
> 
> You know what stops when there's no Diesel, right?
> 
> Everything..... Everything runs on Diesel in this Infrastructure, and EVEN IF something that naturally comes from the Earth were harming the Earth, it doesn't matter if the USA has a stringent policy against using it when 3/4 of the World disagrees and uses it anyway with no intention of going Electric, which pollutes more anyway.
> 
> As far as other issues, I have made it clear to my Republican Rep and Senator that if they vote for the Deep State CCP supporting Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy for the leasers of the Senate and House, I will give them a nice Billboard or two reminding voters about how they are for the Deep State Establishment. I will raise funds to do it and tie it to my LLC.
> 
> I go on message boards to communicate that with other people. Tons of people on GETTR have the same thoughts on those worthless "Leaders"...
> 
> THAT is Grassroots... THAT is how you get things done.
> 
> If we didn't fight back in this country, if we didn't have a history of fighting back, we would be speaking the UK version of their whack English, or Italian, Japanese or German. Yes, those are extreme examples, but they happened and we are still the USA. Owned by China, but USA.


In terms of energy expenditure:results, how has that worked out? To me that looks like a lot of work for (most likely) no positive return and (most likely) annoying a lot of people around me. If we're going to run out of diesel either way, I'd rather be on good terms with my friends and neighbors when it happens. Also, to post on message boards I'd have to invest a lot of energy learning about the issue. It'd have to become like a new hobby. Sorry, but compared to the hobbies I've already got that one looks pretty lame, so even if I had time for a 5th or 6th hobby it wouldn't be that one.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have been debt free for over 50yrs but as far as I know I have influenced only one person, a pastor of about 25yrs ago. He says he has even used me as an example in sermons about the debtor being enslaved to the lender.

The crazy interest rate calculation is wrong. The conventional method indicates the interest cost for the amount of money borrowed for one year. The borrower has the choice of determining how many years he pays. Some are still paying on original appliances long since replaced.


----------



## Spicoli43

Look at my post above this one to see a very limited example of how it works out. What are your neighbors and friends going to do if you promote candidates for office that support America first policies? Are they going to burn your Flag if you have one? 

Pretty lame hobby when literally everything that happens has to do with politics? I wish it didn't, but it does.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I have been debt free for over 50yrs but as far as I know I have influenced only one person, a pastor of about 25yrs ago. He says he has even used me as an example in sermons about the debtor being enslaved to the lender.
> 
> The crazy interest rate calculation is wrong. The conventional method indicates the interest cost for the amount of money borrowed for one year. The borrower has the choice of determining how many years he pays. Some are still paying on original appliances long since replaced.


My interest rate examples are from an Amortization calculator. They are correct.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> My interest rate examples are from an Amortization calculator. They are correct.


Yes but when shopping for a mortgage that's not the way they are listed. No one is trying to be subversive here. Have you ever financed a vehicle? I financed a couple when I was young but never again. Some people are hooked on credit cards and pay interest every month of their life. You can't cure stupid.

I have only convinced about four people that I know of to save money on milk by shaking the jug to deter spoilage. I watched a friend's daughter pour his milk out because it had passed the date. I didn't rise up and call her stupid her as she has been known to bake us a good blueberry pie and lemon pound cake.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Just heard about a 14 year old girl on Tucker Carlson that was suspended for complaining about a "trans" boy that was in her school locker room. The ACTUAL girl would be let out of her suspension if she wrote an apology letter.
> 
> So weird how none of those Leftist Feminist groups say anything about stuff like that.


Twitter demands the same thing... instead of removing any truths I write, they want to force me to remove the truth myself to get unbanned... nope... rather stay banned... if Civil War II starts, then take other measures with them...

Another school has a 'better' solution... the fake girl with its dingdong hanging out gets to use the locker room and showers first... then when it's done, the real girls can use them...


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Yes but when shopping for a mortgage that's not the way they are listed. No one is trying to be subversive here. Have you ever financed a vehicle? I financed a couple when I was young but never again. Some people are hooked on credit cards and pay interest every month of their life. You can't cure stupid.
> 
> I have only convinced about four people that I know of to save money on milk by shaking the jug to deter spoilage. I watched a friend's daughter pour his milk out because it had passed the date. I didn't rise up and call her stupid her as she has been known to bake us a good blueberry pie and lemon pound cake.


I know it's not listed like that. People hate banks as it is, with good reason. If they said the actual rates up front, people would constantly be calling their members of Congress, who are owned by the banks. 

I have financed several vehicles but paid all off early. I have credit card debt, but that's from doing a lot of House repair stuff all in one year, which I wouldn't have done if I knew the rates would spike. It was to make the House look better for sale. Most of the debt is on a 6.99% card, but I will pay it off having only paid a couple Hundred in interest. Paying the minimum makes no sense. 

Paying monthly interest on a CC is the same thing as paying monthly on a mortgage, only the mortgage interest is more than the value of the Home right now. When I don't have CC debt, I will place that in the Stock Market on a REIT stock and watch it go up faster when the housing market recovers than if I use the money to pay down the mortgage.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Twitter demands the same thing... instead of removing any truths I write, they want to force me to remove the truth myself to get unbanned... nope... rather stay banned... if Civil War II starts, then take other measures with them...
> 
> Another school has a 'better' solution... the fake girl with its dingdong hanging out gets to use the locker room and showers first... then when she's done, the real girls can use them...


I wonder if Twitter will change...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> annoying a lot of people around me.


Trust us... the "annoyance" may have only just begun...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I wonder if Twitter will change...


I got unbanned from Twitter last time by mentioning Elon Musk's name... but then he realized he was being cheated and 20% of Twitter 'members' were just bots... so they banned me again... 
Apparently Musk decided he doesn't care if he's getting a bad deal, as the Richest Person on the Planet, he can afford it and he's going to buy Twitter and fix it... let Trump and me back on... 
Also, formerly known as Kanye West, now Ye, is going to buy Parler and fix it...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I got unbanned from Twitter last time by mentioning Elon Musk's name... but then he realized he was being cheated and 20% of Twitter 'members' were just bots... so they banned me again...
> Apparently Musk decided he doesn't care if he's getting a bad deal, as the Richest Person on the Planet, he can afford it and he's going to buy Twitter and fix it... let Trump and me back on...
> Also, formerly known as Kanye West, now Ye, is going to buy Parler and fix it...


I think I'm going to join Twitter next year and say "There's only 2 Genders since the beginning of time, and I can't have a Baby because I'm a guy... There's no such thing as a Trans Man because nobody is chopping off their equipment." 

If my account gets deleted, I will know exactly how much control Elon actually has. Being that the Left has a Supreme Court Justice that doesn't know what a Woman is, I wouldn't be able to post that now. Being that a lot of the left thinks Men can have Babies is also why I haven't been able to join. 

Musk is using a lot of debt financing, so his partners might not be RA RA MAGA type people. 

I don't know anything about Parler, was going to join Truth Social, but I have no idea why I would join... I like GETTR for their variety of programs they show.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I know it's not listed like that. People hate banks as it is, with good reason.
> .
> I will place that in the Stock Market on a REIT stock and watch it go up faster when the housing market recovers than if I use the money to pay down the mortgage.


C'mon, would YOU be willing to make 30 year loans at 3% interest like banks do? 
. 
In the early 2000's the REITS were pumped full of EvilBushJr.'s Toxic Mortgages to hide the fact the payments weren't being paid on them and when the whole Ponzi scheme collapsed Sept. 2008, it BANKRUPTED the entire USA requiring BAILOUT LOANS from China for this country to move forward! We also lost Mercury Motor Car company, Pontiac Motor Car Company, Saturn Motor Car Company and thousands of other businesses! Plus much of Europe was dragged under... Entire new subdivisions in USA had all their homeowners(mortgagees) evicted... (Flyover doesn't know any of that since he doesn't look at the news) 
. 








						This Day in Crisis History: Sept. 15-16, 2008
					

Uncle Sam didn't take long to change his mind. One day after watching the market fallout from its decision to let Lehman fail, the government saved the insurance giant AIG, which, it was deemed, truly was too big to fail.




					www.wsj.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I think I'm going to join Twitter next year and say "There's only 2 Genders since the beginning of time, and I can't have a Baby because I'm a guy... There's no such thing as a Trans Man because nobody is chopping off their equipment."
> 
> If my account gets deleted, I will know exactly how much control Elon actually has. Being that the Left has a Supreme Court Justice that doesn't know what a Woman is, I wouldn't be able to post that now. Being that a lot of the left thinks Men can have Babies is also why I haven't been able to join.
> 
> Musk is using a lot of debt financing, so his partners might not be RA RA MAGA type people.
> 
> I don't know anything about Parler, was going to join Truth Social, but I have no idea why I would join... I like GETTR for their variety of programs they show.


Actually, 99% of people are fortunate enough to be born male or female but there's about 1% born with no genitalia, or both genitalia sets or some combo in between and they should get special consideration to get through life but the nutcases must be stopped... there should be no sex surgeries/chemicals before age 25 or so... let the kids have a chance to get out from under the insanity influence of nutcase parents before allowing anything...
.
Apparently Musk closed the deal as of today and expects to fire up to 3/4's of Twitter employees after he evaluates their sanity/politics/competence... however he has to phrase it to make it legal... However, I don't like the format of Twitter, so don't miss it... 
. 








						Elon Musk in Control of Twitter OUSTS Top Execs – Patriot Alerts
					

Two people familiar with the deal say that Elon Musk is in control of Twitter and has ousted the CEO, chief financial officer, and the company’s chief lawyer. Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company’s top lawyer, two people familiar with...




					patriotalerts.com
				



.
Protestant Trump isn't as smart as he thinks, he added 3 more Catholc Hitlerites to SCOTUS and then wondered why the courts all sided with Catholic Hitlerite Jokementia Bribery... there's like 7 or 8 Hitlerites on there now and they are making other horrible decisions as well!
.
Most people with Big Money are conservatives... we tend to hear about the few ones like Hitlerite Soros that aren't...  and Musk decided he can't stomach Dims any more...
.
I've tried to join TruthSocial but they insist on having my cell phone number which I won't give them... don't want crap on my cell phone... gave them my landline number and they can talk to my answering machine and/or show up on my Caller I. D... We've been emailing back and forth... I told them I want to simply click on the website and get the info from Trump... nothing else will work... no joining anything... last email I told them I'm voting Democrat if they don't fix it... haven't heard back yet from that one... LOL !!!


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> C'mon, would YOU be willing to make 30 year loans at 3% interest like banks do?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This Day in Crisis History: Sept. 15-16, 2008
> 
> 
> Uncle Sam didn't take long to change his mind. One day after watching the market fallout from its decision to let Lehman fail, the government saved the insurance giant AIG, which, it was deemed, truly was too big to fail.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.wsj.com


They have never written loans at 3% for 30 Years.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> They have never written loans at 3% for 30 Years.


Recent loans (before Jokementia Bribery) have been in the 3's%...
30 years ago around 9-11%...
21% in early 1980's... I was a Realtor on the side then...


----------



## BuzzLOL

OH (EXPLETIVES DELETED !!! )
.
It was 4:30 and just remembered I was supposed to take the traditional Friday frozen Supreme rising crust pizza out of the oven at 3:03 PM...
Expected it to be burnt black... again... but it came out looking perfect... and still warm to eat... been having trouble with oven thermostat lately so turned it 500 degrees for 7 minutes with pizza in and turned it off... then let it cook 13 more minutes... or that was the plan... (at first I was afraid I hadn't remembered to turn it off, since I hadn't put the reminder sign out, but I did)
So having pizza and Dr. Pepper ("the one fans deserve" ... LOL! )


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Recent loans (before Jokementia Bribery) have been in the 3's%...
> 30 years ago around 9-11%...
> 21% in early 1980's... I was a Realtor on the side then...


No, I mean 3% actual... My 30 Year is at 2.25%, which translates to 37.6% if I go all 30 years. They are betting on that happening more often than not, so they make bank like the crooks they are.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ok, Matrix time... I ordered a Double Burner hotplate to keep Chocolate liquid. It's basically a necessity for making individual chocolates / Liquor ganache filled Chocolates. Without the burners, there isn't enough room around the stove, and with no burners to keep the Chocolate liquid, it turns solid within a couple of minutes. I told you that for no other reason than to geek out on making some Whiskey Eggnog Chocolates hopefully this weekend.

I ordered it from Ebay, but it showed up on my doorstep in a Walmart delivery bag... No address, just my name. It was brought by their Doordash or whatever similar contractor.

How?


----------



## zannej

Is the page failing to display properly for anyone else? I'm getting it all weird and having the page coding displaying and its hard to read. It's this way on all of the sister sites as well.


----------



## Eddie_T

Just went through the twilight zone, seems OK now.

Someone that has problems with everything and everyone should look inside their own head the problem may be them.


----------



## zannej

Ok, now it seems to be fixed.
I have nothing to contribute to the financial / economic / political debate. Although, I saw something on the ballot that was rather alarming/disturbing & confusing.





						Louisiana Amendment 7, Remove Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for a Crime from Constitution Measure (2022)
					

Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics




					ballotpedia.org
				






So, slavery isn't allowed except when it is? The person who initially proposed the bill said it got morphed into something very confusing and he wants to re-propose it next year because this doesn't make sense.

I went and voted today, got gas at Walmart, picked up groceries, grabbed cow feed, fed the cows & got hooked in the side by the impatient cow. She caught the band on my fanny pack while jabbing me in the side, no bruising thus far. Good thing for those extra layers of fat. Cooked for Mom. Was cooking stuff in the air fryer the microwave, and pressure cooker at the same time.


----------



## havasu

Yeah, there was a issue with the servers after a security update. Sorry for the inconvenience!

What I did today? 
I just read the last 3 pages here and became nauseated. Can we please tone it down?

Really, does anyone really think they will change someone else's political views. 

Please take it elsewhere, and leave the kids out of the conversation!


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Do you use that carport for dances or parties?


No, we haven’t done that yet. We have a fairly large patio that faces the lake that would be better but so far we’ve just had BBQs


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> Lorie and I and Carl are going out for a drive as soon as the medication that did me in for the last weeks get here. Waiting to hear from the doctor if I am supposed to try it again next month...



I must of missed what happened?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Video: Do-it-yourselfer/richest man on the planet bursts into his new Twitter Headquarters carrying a sink to clean the place up with: 








						Elon Musk caught-on-camera the moment he burst into Twitter HQ and sent woke employees into full-blown panic - Unmuzzled News
					

Elon Musk has been flirting with buying Twitter for months. It looks as if the saga is now…




					unmuzzlednews.com


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Ron, did the doctor say you can clean that incision with hydrogen peroxide? I've done that on some of the cuts I've had that got pus-filled. Used it a lot on my pets' wounds. Triple antibiotic is also a good idea.


I went to the doctor today to get some antibiotics. It seems there is some infection going on. The doctor didn’t specifically mention hydrogen peroxide on it but I think it would be ok and I sounds like a good idea.


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> I went to the doctor today to get some antibiotics. It seems there is some infection going on. The doctor didn’t specifically mention hydrogen peroxide on it but I think it would be ok and I sounds like a good idea.


Some reports say peroxide shouldn't be used on wounds. Check online if you can't ask a medical professional. Apparently hydrogen peroxide or alcohol can actually slow healing.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Some reports say peroxide shouldn't be used on wounds. Check online if you can't ask a medical professional. Apparently hydrogen peroxide or alcohol can actually slow healing.


You're right. Most health organizations say Hydrogen Peroxide and alcohol kill germs but also kill healthy tissue. The Mayo Clinic says this:


*Apply an antibiotic.* Apply a thin layer of an antibiotic cream or ointment (Neosporin, Polysporin). For the first two days, rewash the area and reapply the antibiotic when you change the dressing.

Certain ingredients in some ointments can cause a mild rash in some people. If a rash appears, stop using the product and seek medical care.


----------



## Ron Van

Went shooting yesterday with my wife, Ruby, and her brother.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> View attachment 28839
> 
> 
> So, slavery isn't allowed except when it is? The person who initially proposed the bill said it got morphed into something very confusing and he wants to re-propose it next year because this doesn't make sense.


That's the most nonsensical proposal I've ever seen. How did that ever make it to the ballot?


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Yeah, there was a issue with the servers after a security update. Sorry for the inconvenience!
> 
> What I did today?
> I just read the last 3 pages here and became nauseated. Can we please tone it down?
> 
> Really, does anyone really think they will change someone else's political views.
> 
> Please take it elsewhere, and leave the kids out of the conversation!


I started 2 threads that are only Politics and they were locked.


----------



## Spicoli43

I like Glock, but my favorite is Springfield...


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> I like Glock, but my favorite is Springfield...


Let me guess….1911?


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Ok, now it seems to be fixed.


Were you affected by any of the weather that is going through New Orleans?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Just talked extensively to my high school buddy for the first time since Hurricane Ian hit his Ft. Myers, Florida... apparently he was bummed out his younger brother died in Ann Arbor and then watched his Nissan Pathfinder disappear under Ian's flood waters from his 3rd floor condo window and was drinking too much and health not that good and power and phone out and he then passed out and woke up later in a nursing home after being found and he's still in there... but, at least, he's still alive... has trouble with stairs and elevators out in his home building and others around there and probably won't be fixed for months... even when he can go back home... he was 2 miles from the ocean but water still got 9 feet deep around there...


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> Let me guess….1911?


No, never tried them, have had XD series...


----------



## havasu

XD is a great gun, but my favorite is my custom Ernest Langdon Elite LTT, 9MM. It started as a Beretta 92G.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> No, never tried them, have had XD series...


Very Glock like but they have some nice features like the “Loaded Chamber Indicator”.


----------



## Eddie_T

I would like to have MPT (plumbing) threads on a rifle barrel for obvious reasons.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Democrats beloved junkies CRIME WAVE of 75 MURDERS DAILY and MILLIONS of OTHER DAILY CRIMES have been ignored by the Democrats... until Elite Democrat Paul Pelosi is a crime victim... now suddenly it's all over the fake news... but just that ONE instance... and it's not even a death...


----------



## Eddie_T

I have made progress with my spam filter. I just had one deepstate entry appear in my inbox this morning. I have now adjusted to filter anything that contains "deepstate". Enough is enough, life is too short to spend it reading rants.


----------



## Spicoli43

I won't ever even pickup a Beretta again. They made us carry the 9, which is okay until you drop it and it comes in contact with 1 grain of sand.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Democrats beloved junkies CRIME WAVE of 75 MURDERS DAILY and MILLIONS of OTHER DAILY CRIMES have been ignored by the Democrats... until Elite Democrat Paul Pelosi is a crime victim... now suddenly it's all over the fake news... but just that ONE instance... and it's not even a death...


It's fake as a distraction to make people feel bad about the criminals and to vote for the Witch. It makes no sense because she somehow dominates her district. As far as Paul, the "assailant" was in his underwear, so it wasn't a violent attack, it was cordial.


----------



## havasu

Actually, from several police call logs stated, the "friend" was in his underwear and the broken glass was done by the police. Another stated the only person to ask "where's Nancy" was the watch Sergeant.









						The Awful Truth: Paul Pelosi Was Drunk Again, And In a Dispute With a Male Prostitute Early Friday Morning.
					

As SF's gay bars closed at 2 am, two gay men met in a bar and went home together. Happens every night in the City by the Bay. Except one of these two men, was married to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I might disappear for telling you the truth. If I do, you'll all know why. But here's what really...



					www.smobserved.com
				




Lastly, I demand to see the body worn cameras, as they always display when a black man is shot, with San Francisco's transparency demand.


----------



## Eddie_T




----------



## Ron Van

havasu said:


> Actually, from several police call logs stated, the "friend" was in his underwear.


Yeah, Something weird is going on with Pauli. Hilary and Bill can point at Nancy and Pauli P and say, "At least we're not as bad as them!"


----------



## Flyover

I worked on my woodworking project Friday and yesterday; nothing much got done today but in the next few days I have a bunch of projects around/outside the house to knock out before the weather really turns.


----------



## Ron Van

Our sun taken from a NASA satellite on Oct 26, 2022


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Yeah, Something weird is going on with Pauli. Hilary and Bill can point at Nancy and Pauli P and say, "At least we're not as bad as them!"


This started off sounding weird and missing info... and just gets weirder as more info surfaces...
At least now we know why Paul doesn't care if Nancy is in D.C. all the time... just a business partnership marriage... like Clinton and Clinton, (disbarred)Attorneys at Law... 
And also why these rich people are Democrats instead of Republicans...
.
Another good laugh:
Elon Musk gets hilarious 'actual, real email' from Twitter about 'mandatory course' he must finish in 30 days on 'what it means to be a good manager at Twitter'...​.
Obviously lessons on how to block the truth... 
.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I have made progress with my spam filter. I just had one deepstate entry appear in my inbox this morning. I have now adjusted to filter anything that contains "deepstate". Enough is enough, life is too short to spend it reading rants.


Actually, anything with " deep state " in it is likely anti-deep state... since the deep state itself doesn't admit what it is and its crimes... just profits from shots makers...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Our sun taken from a NASA satellite on Oct 26, 2022


LOL ! ... scary...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Actually, anything with " deep state " in it is likely anti-deep state... since the deep state itself doesn't admit what it is and its crimes... just profits from shots makers...


Right, I just dump it all because it's mostly rant. That's why I stay away from rallies they tend to just become emotional rants.


----------



## Spicoli43

I don't understand the Pelosi situation at all. 

Why doesn't he just say he's gay and be done with it? Nobody on the Right really cares about that, and the Left is the ferocious defenders of that lifestyle. They of course don't actually care about the LQVDSTDHIV+-*&% people, that's just for votes...

Now to votes... Will those on the Left that weren't going to vote for the Leftists change their mind about that? Doubtful. Nobody on the Right will vote for them because they feel sorry about Paul.

I don't think anything happened with a hammer, I don't think he was injured at all, no pics no proof... 

The bottom line is they thought they had an opportune time for a distraction from every reason not to vote for them, and they timed it wrong. People won't remember this next Tuesday. People don't remember Paul was driving drunk with A GUY from a couple of months ago.


----------



## Eddie_T

I hadn't given it any thought until I read it in a novel but there aren't as many bugs nowadays. Now I notice that  I almost never have to clean a bug off my windshield.


----------



## 68bucks

Eddie_T said:


> I hadn't given it any thought until I read it in a novel but there aren't as many bugs nowadays. Now I notice that  I almost never have to clean a bug off my windshield.


Boy you can sure have some of mine. I have to scrub bugs like crazy when I wash my vehicles. I have stink bugs this time of year like a dang plague. Bugs wiped out the kale in the garden and wreak havoc with the apples and pears. Ants, spiders, bees, wasps, and the damn mosquitoes, though it's been dry this year so they have been down a bit. I have no shortage of bugs here. Bugs are 1/2 the reason I love winter so much more than summer.


----------



## Flyover

There was a big to-do for a while that we were in the midst of an "insect extinction" until it turned out we weren't and they had to walk it back.

I was up on the roof today cleaning out the gutters. I was very careful, kept my center of mass low and spread out, because I kept thinking "man this would be a stupid way to go". But it's done, most of the leaves are off the trees, so hopefully I won't have to go back up there for a while.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I hadn't given it any thought until I read it in a novel but there aren't as many bugs nowadays. Now I notice that  I almost never have to clean a bug off my windshield.


Aren't we down about 50% on honey bees/pollinators?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I was up on the roof today cleaning out the gutters. I was very careful, kept my center of mass low and spread out, because I kept thinking "man this would be a stupid way to go". But it's done, most of the leaves are off the trees, so hopefully I won't have to go back up there for a while.


Those Leaf Filter commercials are a pet peeve of mine... they keep saying that going up on ladders is dangerous... then you do business with them and what's the first thing that happens? Bunch of guys going up on ladders... 
. 
Looks like only about 1/3 of leaves are down around here... there's a dirty mulberry tree I want to cut down while the leaves are still on to slow and cushion the fall of limbs... it has 3 phases where it drops stuff on vehicles/driveway... and, of course, the mulberry eating critters/birds poop acidic purple poop down on everything... it was never supposed to get that big but somebody borrowed my ladder and didn't bring it back (and now passed away) and I didn't keep it topped off... 
. 
With the price of fruit nowadays, I need to plant some apple, cherry, pear, and peach trees... but in better locations... plus, commercially they pick the fruit before it's ripe so it'll store and it's hard and less flavorful... my parents had fruit trees and a garden so I know what fruit/vegetables are supposed to taste like...


----------



## shan2themax

I just cannot give myself a break . Today is my birthday.... I was just gonna sit and do nothing.... I managed it for about 5 hours this morning, then decided to install this new light in the kitchen..... its all wired up, but I cannot for the life of me make the pretty screws things hold it in place.  It works.... looks nice, but I had to take a break and let it dangle from the ceiling for a little bit because my back and shoulders are angry for sure..... hopefully I can finish it up tonight and take a picture. It looks great but man is it a pain the the arse.... I used the combination connectors that came with it. Maybe I should use the wire nuts instead. Idk.... I am going to cut some length off the wires and see if that helps. It has 6 arms, so there are 6 white and 6 black.... ugh


----------



## havasu

Happy Birthday Shan!


----------



## Spicoli43

Happy Birthday, Shan!


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> +++++++++ Today is my birthday.... ++++++++





			https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a6/55/41/a65541374a8715a46ee7ecdc7ee05179.jpg


----------



## Spicoli43

Hey Shan, you might look into these links from real people... Sort of like a Birthday resolution to help yourself... 

Debilitating diseases / conditions *CAN BE* incredibly difficult as you know, or incredibly easy to solve... For instance, I once heard a Functional Medicine MD say that he had a patient with MS, but thought he would send her to a Dentist buddy. Long story short, the Dentist did a Cone Beam X-Ray, the lady had bacteria trapped below a bad Root Canal, the Dentist fixed that, and *Poof*... MS Gone, zero symptoms. 






						Search Earth Clinic
					

Search Earth Clinic




					www.earthclinic.com


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  I have actually told people not to get root canals! I have had 2, both are gone now, I had all my upper teeth pulled because of throwing up so much with the lap-band/gastroparesis. 
I do read the links and stuff you post. There is a LOT of good information. 
I am probably kidding myself. However.... I honestly feel like if I could just get this house in order, looking like a normal house, with things working correctly; I would have so much free brain space to breath and really delve into a lot of lifestyle changes, as well as reading that book "How the body keeps the score".

I am a pretty self aware person, I actually had a talk to myself over this light earlier. I was getting so frustrated with it that I actually had to emergently go to the bathroom.... (sorry, TMI).

I saw this on FB and it is resoundingly true..... I am just not good at the second half of that. I am always on edge for the next "problem". Very slowly..... I am getting better...... but it is super slow.


----------



## Spicoli43

Geesh... That's horrible. I don't understand the correlation in getting the teeth pulled...

I agree about Brain space. During the Winter is when I dig deep on all kinds of Health stuff because the entire outside is off limits, and the chores inside are done quickly. I'm going to try the Dr. Weston Price healing method for a cavity, AKA lots of Milk, Cod Oil and Greens.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43  the 2 teeth i had root canals on, have since been pulled. Idk if that is helpful in the bacteria realm of having had root canals in the past or not. I certainly hope that to some degree it is.

I ordered pizza for dinner and went and picked it up, as well as a treat of a frozen coke. Lol
Me and the kids are planning to do something Saturday for my birthday. Me and my BFF are getting together on Wednesday.

Trying to motivate myself to go do something with this light lol


----------



## Spicoli43

I would think that all bacteria are removed when the tooth is drilled by the wand suction thing, but I don't know. In the lady's case, I assume the bacteria weren't taken care of and they multiplied, ending up in her bloodstream and wreaking havoc. I will have to dig up that seminar, it's been a few years since I saw it...


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> I would think that all bacteria are removed when the tooth is drilled by the wand suction thing, but I don't know. In the lady's case, I assume the bacteria weren't taken care of and they multiplied, ending up in her bloodstream and wreaking havoc. I will have to dig up that seminar, it's been a few years since I saw it...


I know when I had mine done they used a solution to clean inside the drilled out area that actually tasted and smelled like bleach, and that was with a dental dam being used. It was gross


----------



## Flyover

Happy birthday Shan. October birthdays are the best 

My front lawn, one of my side lawns, and half my back lawn is covered in fallen leaves. Probably ~10,000 square feet of leaves. Tomorrow I have a lot of raking to do but I'm looking forward to it. I never put headphones on and listen to music while I do those kinds of chores but maybe this time I will.

Or if I'm lazy and pressed for time and it's not too wet out I'll just use the mower...


----------



## zannej

Happy Birthday Shan!


Ron Van said:


> That's the most nonsensical proposal I've ever seen. How did that ever make it to the ballot?


Yeah, I wondered the same thing but then I remembered this is Louisiana and it is ranked dead last in the state rankings. Crappy legislation is one of the things it gets dinged on. We have zero election security. Gerrymandering is pretty bad. Legislators pass some of the most asinine things. One of the legislators actually proposed a bill to make it so strippers could not be over something like 134lbs. It didn't even get voted on, but it still was presented. These people are all clowns. 


Ron Van said:


> Were you affected by any of the weather that is going through New Orleans?


We got a little bit of rain but I'm pretty far from New Orleans. I'm in central Louisiana but slightly off to the west by a tad. 

I took my mom in for early voting. She explained what happened to her mail-in-ballot (cats knocked it off her desk and peed on it) so they let her vote. Friend's gf was supposed to have a c-section but they decided to wait. Crotch goblin isn't due until late Nov early Dec and is breach but she lost her mucus plug and has been losing fluid so it can't stay in much longer. Wednesday is the current scheduled date. 

Got a mini iron for ironing small sewing projects and gave it to another friend as a gift. She's setting up a sewing room and said her regular iron keeps burning her projects. She said it will be good for bias cut strips. It was a late birthday present. 

I heated up a new type of frozen meal for Mom (that she picked out) but she didn't really like it much. I was too tired to cook but thankfully my brother made curry rice and got her some. We have some coconut water with chunks of coconut in it that she adds to it. I love the taste of curry but it gives me a headache and makes my nose run.

Other than that, I watched a bunch of stuff about Viking history on Youtube. I didn't know they kept polar bears as pets-- and used to sick them on people they didn't like. But since it was a bear killing someone else, the people who owned the bear only got off with a fine instead of execution for murder.


----------



## shan2themax

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes!!!!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> ..... hopefully I can finish it up tonight and take a picture. It looks great but man is it a pain the the arse....


How’s it look?


----------



## Eddie_T

I used the riding mower to clear leaves from the drive but with the rain part of the drive has been covered again. Here's a pic of one of my Japanese maples.


----------



## Spicoli43

Wish I could plant Maples. I would have 30 all around the perimeter.


----------



## havasu

That tree is beautiful. We don't get to have such scenery, but if you want a picture of graffiti and bums on every corner, tents with bums on the freeway, and 2 mile long food bank lines, give me a holler!


----------



## shan2themax

What did I do today..... hmmmm. Well I woke up at 4a.m. I should have known to just do nothing. But... No, I fell asleep about 8 and slept a couple of hours, went to lowes and walmart and to the pharmacy.... got home, started fiddling with that dag blasted light again........ now, I am beyond irritated, the light is sitting on my kitchen table, the wires are nutted off separately and taped up well so that I could turn the breaker back on for my freezer, and I am just pretty irritated and agitated at this point today. The ground wire up in the ceiling broke off some, the ceiling box is crooked, and that is why I couldn't get the light attached and I think that tomorrow I am just going to call every electrician in the yellow pages and see if one shows up. Someone needs to come and figure out if there is a problem with the electric anyway and I am just out of patience for the situation.

Turns out there is an electrician that lives a few doors up the street from me, however according to neighbors he only does industrial. They aren't home very much but if I see him this evening, I am going to ask him myself and see what he says.

I had hoped to put another ceiling medallion up in the living room to cover the missing drywall but I am too irritated for that. I was going to hang the new fan in the dining room too, but I'm not doing that either.
Lol, I guess I am just going to sit here and stew and pout for a little bit until I get over myself.


----------



## zannej

I went to bed earlier than I have been but ended up sleeping until after 6pm. Got up and started cooking dinner. All of a sudden I heard a pop and the microwave stopped and had no lights. The outlet its in has an outlet extender thingy that allows like 6 things to be plugged in but only 3 of the ports were working. I fiddled with the plugs to make sure they were in tight and the air fryer lights blinked on so there was some power but the microwave's plug was stuck. So stuck that the entire frickin' outlet moved when I tried to unplug it. I had to get a rubber glove and gripped the plug (trying not to pull on the cord) and pulled and pulled with all my weight. Wouldn't come out. I finally went and got a plastic putty knife and started using it to pry behind the plug and eventually got it so that one last tug using all my weight pulled the thing out. I managed to catch myself before I could fall down when it finally gave. But, I noticed when I was trying to remove the plug, the light in the kitchen kept blinking on and off. That final tug turned the light out. So, the wires must have detached inside the outlet. The back of the outlet box is inside the pantry. I haven't checked to see if the pantry light works but it probably doesn't. So, that's one more thing to fix.
I know I need to replace that entire outlet. I think instead of an outlet expander I might just get a power strip. and keep the unused ports filled with plastic port covers to protect them.
I feel tired again and might take another nap.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej please get that fixed soon!


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> That tree is beautiful. We don't get to have such scenery, but if you want a picture of graffiti and bums on every corner, tents with bums on the freeway, and 2 mile long food bank lines, give me a holler!


Funny how a demand for an unstable wage of $15 does that to people that have no idea how economics works.


----------



## Spicoli43

Z, do you know how to replace the outlet? I wouldn't use a power strip in the Kitchen, why not just plug one portable mixer or whatever in at a time? 

Sounds like you need an electrician also, but I know you don't have that option where you live.


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Sounds like you need an electrician also, but I know you don't have that option where you live.




You know, I am thinking that maybe the state of the outside of my house is a reason as to why noone ever shows up. I have a habit of apologizing upfront because it is embarrassing.... so I am going to try to quit doing that and see what happens. 

Z, I agree with spic.... no extention cords. And the air fryer and microwave shouldn't be used at the same time, on the same circuit. I hope you can get it changed out soon.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> All of a sudden I heard a pop and the microwave stopped and had no lights. The outlet its in has an outlet extender thingy that allows like 6 things to be plugged in but only 3 of the ports were working. The back of the outlet box is inside the pantry. I haven't checked to see if the pantry light works but it probably doesn't. So, that's one more thing to fix.
> I know I need to replace that entire outlet. I think instead of an outlet expander I might just get a power strip. and keep the unused ports filled with plastic port covers to protect them.


Something you can do that's fairly easy and is super helpful is to map your circuit breaker box and try to figure out your house wiring. Here's how I used a Excel spreadsheet to map my box.




The Blue breakers on the spreadsheet indicate 240v circuits with double breakers. The Green Breakers are ones that I would turn on when on generator power. 

In your case, you may have too many things on one circuit. You mentioned a microwave, an air fryer, lights (Kitchen?), and maybe lights in the pantry. 

If you can figure out what outlets are on which circuit, you may be able to put some of your appliances on separate circuits.

I had the opportunity to rewire our kitchen last year and I decided to put many things on their own circuit. For example, the refrigerator isn't required to be on it's own circuit but many electricians say it should be so that an appliance that pops a breaker won't shut down your refrigerator. 

My neighbor has a microwave and her garbage disposal on the same circuit. If she uses both, it pops the breaker. They should have dedicated circuits for both those things.

Maybe you can snap a pic of your outlet so we can see what you're dealing with.


----------



## Flyover

I like that idea  lot, Ron! Gonna put something like that on my list of projects. One of the previous owners wrote on the sticker what each circuit controls, but most of the things written are wrong.


----------



## Eddie_T

Now that the leaves are mostly down I can see houses in my neighborhood and mountains are appearing. No more streaking to the compost pile.

When I wired my house I put every room on a separate breaker. I compromised only on shared walls where it made more sense to have back to back outlets. I used 10 AWG in the garage, 12 AWG for all other receptacles and 14 AWG for overhead lighting.


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> got home, started fiddling with that dag blasted light again........  The ground wire up in the ceiling broke off some, the ceiling box is crooked, and that is why I couldn't get the light attached


Can you straighten the box or do you need to install a new "Old Work" box? They are pretty easy to install if your ceiling sheetrock is fairly intact around the hole.

Installing a box video

I used Old Work boxes for both these pendant lights hanging above the counter. Ceiling fans, on the other hand, are much heavier. I would want something a little more robust holding them up.


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> I like that idea  lot, Ron! Gonna put something like that on my list of projects. One of the previous owners wrote on the sticker what each circuit controls, but most of the things written are wrong.


That's exactly why I used a spreadsheet! My breakers have changed since I took that picture but it was easy to change the spreadsheet and print out a new one.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> When I wired my house I put every room on a separate breaker. I compromised only on shared walls where it made more sense to have back to back outlets. I used 10 AWG in the garage, 12 AWG for all other receptacles and 14 AWG for overhead lighting.


That's a great idea Eddie! 



shan2themax said:


> @zannej please get that fixed soon!



Just to clarify...The wire gauge used has to match the breaker that protects the circuit. A 12gauge wire is protected by a 20a circuit breaker. A 14gauge wire is protected by a 15amp Circuit breaker.

In California, our house that was built in 1989 had mostly 15a CB and they used 14 gauge wire. Here in Alabama, our house was built in 1970 and has mostly 20a CBs with 12gauge wire. 12 gauge wire is harder to work with because it is much stiffer but the point is, if you are replacing wiring, you wouldn't want to use a smaller gauge wire than what the CB will protect ie, don't use 14gauge wire on a 20a Circuit.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Now that the leaves are mostly down I can see houses in my neighborhood and mountains are appearing. No more streaking to the compost pile.


Your neighbors may enjoy the show!


----------



## Eddie_T

A typical cell tower has a 45 mile reach. My son had poor coverage because we live in mountains but he bought a repeater or some such device that gives him full bars on his property.


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Shan. I'm hoping to get it fixed soon. I already bought a new outlet. Says it can support up to 20A but has the ports for a 15A. I live out so far that people don't get to look at the house before deciding whether or not they want to come out. They just see how far out it is and find out the roads are not paved and say "no". Or they say they will show up and then don't. Once things settle down with my friend he's going to help with the electrical. I took electronics in high school and electronic engineering in college. I also have a book on home wiring. I keep notes on how to wire things. I've already talked to my friend about mapping out the wires. My father's sketches might help a little to figure what stuff is linked, but things have changed since his sketches. I like the spreadsheet idea. I saw a video where the guy wrote the breaker # on the box for the outlets/switches. I like that idea and intend to do it.

My wire is all at least 12awg. 

I got up super early and got ready to go meet my friend at the hospital to make sure he got the paternity test done. Then he said they bumped her back to 10am so I went back inside and waited a few hours. Went up there and grabbed him some food and then paid for the test (since he can't afford it). He said it was embarrassing for him not giving the baby a surname and having to wait on DNA. It will take a few days. And they charge a LOT more than they are supposed to, but its the only place in the region that will do paternity tests. Last I talked to him, they were ready to take the swabs. The bio dad for the baby accused my friend of not letting him see the birth-- but he didn't even try to show up and the mother didn't want him there. 

I grabbed food on the way home until we can get things sorted with the microwave. I'm about to take a nap.


----------



## Eddie_T

Did y'all know that you could drive a rod into the ground and run a hot wire to it w/o popping a standard breaker?


----------



## Spicoli43

Z... Maury Povich wasn't available?


----------



## Eddie_T

I had supper with a friend and he was telling me how he lost his spatula. He couldn't sleep because of it and got up and sorted his trash to see if it had fallen in the bag when it ws still open, He told me the story how someone had the kids selling them nd he bought it from his son 30 yrs ago for $65. It was nice the serrated edge sliced tomato neatly to go on our steak sandwiches  and of course the smooth edge spread the mayo.

When I got home I looked it up on Amazon. It was a Cutco and the current price is $132. It was neat but hard to believe that a spatula sells for $132.


----------



## Spicoli43

Got a annual recognizable tone from my dryer, knew it was a duct clogging error. Sure enough, it claimed the ducts were 90% clogged. I thought about throwing some Burdock Root in the dryer since that clears clogs from Human arteries, but didn't.

I pulled the ducts apart and figured out the dryer was lying, but there was of course no reason not to vacuum them out. They were clogged enough, but I think the error was from the outside vent cover, which is conveniently right behind the gas meter, and I am unable to replace it without specialty tools. I'm sure it doesn't work properly, but since the dryer isn't Gas, I keep putting that off. 

That's something I have to remind myself of when dryer shopping in the future... It has to have a warning error for the clogged arteries. Another dryer I have doesn't have that warning, which could cause a fire.


----------



## 68bucks

Eddie_T said:


> I had supper with a friend and he was telling me how he lost his spatula. He couldn't sleep because of it and got up and sorted his trash to see if it had fallen in the bag when it ws still open, He told me the story how someone had the kids selling them nd he bought it from his son 30 yrs ago for $65. It was nice the serrated edge sliced tomato neatly to go on our steak sandwiches  and of course the smooth edge spread the mayo.
> 
> When I got home I looked it up on Amazon. It was a Cutco and the current price is $132. It was neat but hard to believe that a spatula sells for $132.
> View attachment 28871


I have a few Cutco knives. Love them. Good quality and American made. And no they are not cheap but not much different than any other quality knife. I did a little work on a project with them at their plant in about 2005 or 2006.


----------



## Eddie_T

68bucks said:


> I have a few Cutco knives. Love them. Good quality and American made. And no they are not cheap but not much different than any other quality knife. I did a little work on a project with them at their plant in about 2005 or 2006.


I have a WÜSTHOF chef's knife that I really like. WÜSTHOF also makes a spatula similar to the Cutco for $25 but I am not sure that I need that much quality in a spatula. However I am a sucker for quality blades. My hunting knife is a Randall Model 5.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have a couple sets of Top Chef knives, that's as far as I will go because they work. When they said they were Stainless Steel, I covered them with water overnight, and they were perfectly fine.

If I have rich type cash someday, I'll buy all the top shelf brands and donate the ones I don't like, I'll do a complete geek out on quality and how they cut meats and onions etc...


----------



## Eddie_T

I planned my life well only to find that stuff is of little value after one's soul mate has passed. I don't mean I am on a sorrow binge it's just that stuff is not important.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, that spatula is called the "spatula spreader" and it's really intended more for stuff where you scoop and then spread (think PB&J), not as a spatula like you'd use to flip burgers or eggs or something. I sold those Cutco knives the summer after high school, 20 years ago. Well, I didn't _sell_ many of them, because I didn't actually know anyone who had $100 or even $25 to drop on a knife, but I got paid every time I told Cutco I'd booked a sales demonstration...  I remember smoking a lot of cheap cigars and shooting a lot of pool that summer...

But through that experience I did learn about knives, and I have a good sense now of what Cutco does and doesn't do well. I also have my own set of Cutco knives (wedding present). Their serrated knives are great. Their non-serrated knives...well, the steel is very good, but I am not a fan of the handles, at least on the chef's knife, because the proper way to hold a chef's knife is with your first two fingers actually on the sides of the blade, and the Cutco handle makes that grip very uncomfortable. That knife is really designed and balanced to be held completely by the handle, the same way you would a steak knife or a hammer. So I still use it but when I switch to my Chicago Cultery chef's knife, which I use only for cutting tomatoes, it feels so much better.

Aaanyway, today I used my mower to push all the leaves into their respective places, and cut most of the grass in the process. I also sawed up a branch I'd cut down yesterday. Might cut down another branch tomorrow.


----------



## Eddie_T

I have a flexible spatula SS spatula that works really well for cooking stuff on a griddle especially for flipping eggs w/o breaking the yolk. I thought it was expensive (maybe around $20) but it's really done the job for 15 years or more. I just checked and it's not branded.

The usefulness of the Cutco spatula at the table was that it sliced the tomato, dipped&spread the mayo and sliced the sandwich (if desired). But is all that necessary in a single tool?

I don't go for speed or show but I do hold/use a chef's knife properly except when slicing pizza.


----------



## shan2themax

I flip eggs with the pan and not a spatula.... sometimes the yoke will break in one of them but not all the time. Now watch, because I have said that I will begin to break every yolk when flipping lol


----------



## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> I flip eggs with the pan and not a spatula.... sometimes the yoke will break in one of them but not all the time. Now watch, because I have said that I will begin to break every yolk when flipping lol


I have a little pan for eggs and my wife could easily flip them. When I use it most of the time I cheat and slide the egg out into a saucer  then back into the pan. She used the spatula was when doing eggs, pancakes and bacon all at the same time on a griddle. I only cook for one so hardly ever use that spatula now though it is handy for some things..


----------



## Eddie_T

I just found another reason not to have cats. Clay based cat litter is not biodegradable or compostable. If it is placed in the landfill it's there forever. It also leaves an ugly hole in the ground wherever mined so it's a lose-lose situation. So the next time you meet an in-you-face tree-hugger that loves cats turn the table on them and send them whimpering home. However they may be smart enough to use a less efficient eco-friendly litter so tread lightly before attacking.


----------



## zannej

I wish I could teach my cats to use the toilet. I remember reading a reddit story where a guy said he kept finding the toilet unflushed with turds in it and kept thinking his wife forgot. Then one day he's walking by, bathroom door is open, and there's the cat using the toilet. He told his wife and admitted he thought it was her not flushing and she said "I thought it was YOU not flushing!" But neither one of them had cared enough to confront the other about it and it had been years. LOL.

I've always sucked at flipping eggs. My brother can have two pans and flip both at the same time. He can also crack eggs with one hand. I have to tap eggs on the edge of the counter. I'm tempted to make some eggs in awhile. Or maybe grilled cheese sandwich. Or maybe grilled cheese sandwich and eggs...

I got new litterboxes but haven't set them up yet. Walked in and the cats were sleeping in them. I need to move some stuff out of the way and set them up in different spots than the old boxes. I like the lightweight clumping litter. It all goes in my burn pile when I'm done. These are sifting litterboxes. I'll see how well they work.

It looks like its going to rain today so that might kill my plans for working on the weeds. But I just changed the lightbulb in my bathroom fan/vent/heat thingy. It's from the 70s and is a total pita to pry down. 


Shows how it is supposed to work, but mine was stuck and took a lot more force and then the metal thingies bent instead of going back up straight so it wouldn't go back on properly and dirt was falling down in my eyes from it so I said f* it and left it mis-aligned. At least the light works. I'll probably try to fix it later when I get some eye protection. Started sneezing and had to take my allergy meds.

My dryer vent is not even connected so the dryer just blows stuff out the back. Can't get behind it to fix it. I am debating whether or not to try to mess with the electrical outlet in the kitchen. I'll have to get pics. I want to buy some electrical tape and make sure I have wire nuts on hand. My electrical kit disappeared when we had those two stupid dogs. They knocked over the bin and stole the kit. No idea where they took it.

Found a video with 10 different reasons for why the AC might not be working and it had troubleshooting methods. I'm not comfortable with them so I'm hoping my friend will be available at some point. His gf is still in the hospital after her c-section. He said he got to watch and they were yanking her all over the table roughly while trying to pry the baby out. She apparently asked my friend "Did you see my spaghetti?" about her innards when she was cut open. He said it ruined spaghetti for him.

I'm waiting for my allergy meds to kick in and for my brain to decide what I want to do next on the cleaning/maintenance front. I'll probably haul some trash out. Once I get the electrical fixed in the pantry I can bring in the shopvac and vacuum stuff in the pantry.

Gravy Jones just came in and started sneezing. Now he's sitting in front of my screen.


----------



## Eddie_T

I use clay clumping litter but  I dispose of  it on my property. I layer it with composting material. After all sand and rock are also not biodegradable and neither is the red clay in my soil. I don't put it where there is foot traffic but where I need some fill. When my Troy Built chipper/grinder was still working I made mulch of leaves, sticks, limbs and even junk mail.

I'm trying to figure out how to match my coffee cup to my cup warmer. Somewhere on my property there was some pipe clay. I could mold some to the bottom of the cup but would then need to remove it and fire it after it dried. I suppose I could fire it in an open fire like Japanese roku pottery. Maybe a steel wool pad would conduct enough heat to work. I have a big roll of coarse steel wool.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> He said it ruined spaghetti for him.


Spaghetti is easy enough to live without. I'm glad it didn't ruin his girlfriend for him!


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> just changed the lightbulb in my bathroom fan/vent/heat thingy. It's from the 70s and is a total pita to pry down.
> 
> My dryer vent is not even connected so the dryer just blows stuff out the back. Can't get behind it to fix it.





zannej said:


> I am debating whether or not to try to mess with the electrical outlet in the kitchen. ...My electrical kit disappeared when we had those two stupid dogs.
> 
> Found a video with 10 different reasons for why the AC might not be working and it had troubleshooting methods. I'm not comfortable with them so I'm hoping my friend will be available at some point. I'll probably haul some trash out. Once I get the electrical fixed in the pantry I can bring in the shopvac and vacuum stuff in the pantry.



I wish I lived closer to you, I'd come over and knock some of these things out. How about your brother? Doesn't he live with you? 

Pick one of these jobs and focus on just the one. . .one at a time...get r done. 

I decided to change out my shower faucet today. I got up. . .already had my tools lined up. Hopefully, I have all the parts that I need, and just tore into it










I got the messy part done...Now the plumbing.

I used a hand grinder with a cutting blade on it to cut through tile and an inch of mud...It's really thick. It was very dusty and messy. Ruby is a jem for putting up with it. Luckily, I had a N95 (covid) mask to keep the dust particles out of my lungs but look at the inside of the mask!




And this is after I dusted it off. It was totally white before that.


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Spaghetti is easy enough to live without. I'm glad it didn't ruin his girlfriend for him!


I make some awesome spaghetti and meatballs!


----------



## shan2themax

Ya'll.... a miracle has happened in this house. (I am not being facetious either). So..... I decided to try one more time, since I was at my wits end with the kitchen lighting fixture. I got rid of the connectors that came with it and used wire nuts. I taped 3 together and twisted, then 3 more, then the piggy back and wired it together (all small stranded wire) for the neutral and hots, as well as the ground wire. Then the part I was having so much trouble with was next...... I was already kinda frazzled and borderline frustrated and I just prayed that the Good Lord well help me to make sure these were safe connections and that I could get this light taken care of today so that I could move on to other things and show that HE is with me with every single thing. It took a second, but the posts both came through the mounting plate and I was able to screw the beauty nut on and all is well with this light. God is good!

Now, noone has to believe me, I don't really care. However..... I was not going to miss a chance to praise HIM for rescuing me from this dumb light. 
Now, onto something else!

Once the other problem is fixed, I am going to readjust the arms but I wanted to aim a good bit of light towards the stove


----------



## Flyover

Gotta say Shan, that is one interesting-looking fixture. Reminds me of a brittle star. Brittle star - Wikipedia


----------



## shan2themax

It is similar... lol


----------



## Eddie_T

I made a little steel wool biscuit to fill the void under my coffee cup and the warmer till required a cover over the cup to keep the coffee hot. I suspect the 17 watts of the warmer is insufficient to overcome the heat loss from the surface of the coffee. If I ever replace the warmer I'll look for  higher wattage.


----------



## NineLevels

shan2themax said:


> Ya'll.... a miracle has happened in this house. (I am not being facetious either). So..... I decided to try one more time, since I was at my wits end with the kitchen lighting fixture. I got rid of the connectors that came with it and used wire nuts. I taped 3 together and twisted, then 3 more, then the piggy back and wired it together (all small stranded wire) for the neutral and hots, as well as the ground wire. Then the part I was having so much trouble with was next...... I was already kinda frazzled and borderline frustrated and I just prayed that the Good Lord well help me to make sure these were safe connections and that I could get this light taken care of today so that I could move on to other things and show that HE is with me with every single thing. It took a second, but the posts both came through the mounting plate and I was able to screw the beauty nut on and all is well with this light. God is good!
> 
> Now, noone has to believe me, I don't really care. However..... I was not going to miss a chance to praise HIM for rescuing me from this dumb light.
> Now, onto something else!
> 
> Once the other problem is fixed, I am going to readjust the arms but I wanted to aim a good bit of light towards the stoveView attachment 28883


I like that fixture. Very unique style!


----------



## shan2themax

Thanks, I really like it. Especially combined with the ceiling medallion


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> His gf is still in the hospital after her c-section. He said he got to watch and they were yanking her all over the table roughly while trying to pry the baby out. She apparently asked my friend "Did you see my spaghetti?" about her innards when she was cut open. He said it ruined spaghetti for him.


Be a pretty bad doctor if he got up into her intestines cavity... 
Your friend will prolly be able to eat spaghetti again in a week or two... 
I have a friend getting hernia surgery next week... he can't wait to get it fixed...


----------



## havasu

I have a free water conservation specialist come to my house the other day. He was able to analyze my grass water pattern, and gave me free bigger flow sprinkler heads, and checked out my sprinkler box. This is a free service to conserve water, and all I really wanted was a new sprinkler control box, so I could water my yard from my cell phone. He said I'd have to pay for this upgrade, and told me his price was $300 for the upgrade. The guy was nice and using his phone, he saw they were $200 at Sams Club, $200 at Amazon, but checking Costco, the wi-fi controlled sprinkler box was on sale for $150. this new box was delivered last night, so I will try my stuff installing it today.


----------



## zannej

Ron, my brother lives with me but he doesn't know jack squat about electrical, plumbing, or really any DIY stuff. When he broke the doorknob a few years back (it was a cheap crappy one) I had to replace it. He never helped out in the workshop or on any of the outside stuff when I was helping Dad. He has no interest in home repairs. He just likes to gripe about how awful the house is while he trips over trash that he left/threw on the floor. He can cook and do laundry, but that's about it. I fix what I'm able to fix and if I lack the confidence/knowledge or hand strength then I ask my friend for help. I appreciate the thought. If I lived near any of you and you needed painting I'd come help.

I'm interested in seeing how the shower turns out when you're done, Ron. I love to see renovations.

Good job on the light, Shan! It is neat looking.

I don't know who designed the light fixture on my vent/light/heater thing back in the 70s but I want to slap them for it. Changing out the lightbulb didn't need to be that difficult. The stupid metal bracket thingies which are nothing more than wires bend too easily and now I'm stuck with the cover mis-aligned and hanging down somewhat because they would not go back up and I am not putting wd40 up there to make them move more easily. I plan to replace it eventually. At least my eye no longer stings from the stuff falling it it when I was lowering it down. Next time I'll wear eye protection or a face shield.

I took pictures of the box for the light switch for the light that is no longer working (that's dirtt on top, nothing burned):


Back of the box for the outlet for the microwave (the plug is for charging a dustbuster). I think the really thick wire may be aluminum and it also goes to the water heater. It has some kind of paper wrap on it under the braided looking stuff.



And this is the outlet extender from the 80s (back when country blue was a color option)


It is under a cabinet and hard to see. The air fryer also blocks view of it-- I had to move it to get this pic. It very clearly hasn't been cleaned in awhile.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Be a pretty bad doctor if he got up into her intestines cavity...
> Your friend will prolly be able to eat spaghetti again in a week or two...
> I have a friend getting hernia surgery next week... he can't wait to get it fixed...


They might also lift the uterus partially out of the body while closing the uterine incision. In most c-sections, the bladder and intestines are moved aside so the ob-gyn can keep them safely out of the way while delivering the baby and repairing the uterine incision.


----------



## Flyover

Yep, I think that's what they do, Eddie. My wife told me they actually clean the uterus off first before putting it back in, which is nice I guess.


----------



## BuzzLOL

In the NYTimes TODAY: 

"Lives Lived: Hannah Pick-Goslar befriended Anne Frank in kindergarten in 1933 and appeared in her diary. They last spoke 12 years later through a barbed-wire fence at a concentration camp. Pick-Goslar died at 93."​
. 








						The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Ya'll.... a miracle has happened in this house. (I am not being facetious either). So..... I decided to try one more time, since I was at my wits end with the kitchen lighting fixture. …. I just prayed that the Good Lord well help … and show that HE is with me with every single thing. … God is good!
> 
> Now, noone has to believe me, I don't really care. However..... I was not going to miss a chance to praise HIM for rescuing me from this dumb light.


Good job Shan and yes…God is good!


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Ron, my brother lives with me but he doesn't know jack squat about electrical, plumbing, or really any DIY stuff. When he broke the doorknob a few years back (it was a cheap crappy one) I had to replace it. He never helped out in the workshop or on any of the outside stuff when I was helping Dad. He has no interest in home repairs. He just likes to gripe about how awful the house is while he trips over trash that he left/threw on the floor. He can cook and do laundry, but that's about it. I fix what I'm able to fix and if I lack the confidence/knowledge or hand strength then I ask my friend for help. I appreciate the thought. If I lived near any of you and you needed painting I'd come help.
> 
> I'm interested in seeing how the shower turns out when you're done, Ron. I love to see renovations.
> 
> Good job on the light, Shan! It is neat looking.
> 
> I don't know who designed the light fixture on my vent/light/heater thing back in the 70s but I want to slap them for it. Changing out the lightbulb didn't need to be that difficult. The stupid metal bracket thingies which are nothing more than wires bend too easily and now I'm stuck with the cover mis-aligned and hanging down somewhat because they would not go back up and I am not putting wd40 up there to make them move more easily. I plan to replace it eventually. At least my eye no longer stings from the stuff falling it it when I was lowering it down. Next time I'll wear eye protection or a face shield.
> 
> I took pictures of the box for the light switch for the light that is no longer working (that's dirtt on top, nothing burned):
> 
> Back of the box for the outlet for the microwave (the plug is for charging a dustbuster). I think the really thick wire may be aluminum and it also goes to the water heater. It has some kind of paper wrap on it under the braided looking stuff.
> 
> And this is the outlet extender from the 80s (back when country blue was a color option)
> 
> It is under a cabinet and hard to see. The air fryer also blocks view of it-- I had to move it to get this pic. It very clearly hasn't been cleaned in awhile.


You have easy access to all those wires. It will be easy to clean up the wiring. 

You could assign easy jobs to your brother (since he lives there) like clean up duty. Do the fun stuff like wiring yourself and give the stuff you don’t want to do to him. 

I have a pile of crushed rock in my side yard from when I hammered out a stone step. I’ve been putting a bucket or two a week into my trash can. Eventually it will be gone. 

My brother in law who is “temporary” living with us cleans the pool a couple times a week. Maybe I’ll let him do some of the yard work and rock pile removal too.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had a friend (Fredrick van Roessel) pass about a year ago who was Dutch. A lady invited the two of us for lunch. He had just purchased a new cordless vacuum cleaner. With a chuckle he said in Dutch it would be a stofzuiger which would literally translate back into English as dustsucker. IMO a better name for the beast. 

Fred had 17 patents regarding control of digital TV cameras. He said every time he got into a technical difficulty he would pray about it and the Lord would help him.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I had a friend (Fredrick van Roessel) pass about a year ago who was Dutch. A lady invited the two of us for lunch. He had just purchased a new cordless vacuum cleaner. With a chuckle he said in Dutch it would be a stofzuiger which would literally translate back into English as dustsucker. IMO a better name for the beast.
> 
> Fred had 17 patents regarding control of digital TV cameras. He said every time he got into a technical difficulty he would pray about it and the Lord would help him.


That's cool Eddy. My name is Dutch also. The Van means "From" so he's from Roessel. I can't find a town named Roessel but there are roads named Roessel. Also there is a meat market in the Netherlands named Van Roessel. 

My relative that came to this country in 1650 (as part of the Dutch colonization of New Amsterdam (now Manhattan IS) and up state New York was from a small town in Holland. So our family is forever known as "From (insert town name)." It's spelled slightly different now, I guess from being americanized.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> And this is the outlet extender from the 80s (back when country blue was a color option)
> View attachment 28892
> 
> It is under a cabinet and hard to see. The air fryer also blocks view of it-- I had to move it to get this pic. It very clearly hasn't been cleaned in awhile.


zannej, I'm sure you know this but I don't remember you saying it so I'll say it now. That blue "extender box" just plugs into a regular outlet. If you take that screw out, you can pull that blue multi outlet out and there is a regular outlet behind it. You can replace the multi outlet or leave it off.

There are some cooler ones on the market now with surge protectors and USB chargers


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> All of a sudden I heard a pop and the microwave stopped and had no lights. The outlet its in has an outlet extender thingy that allows like 6 things to be plugged in but only 3 of the ports were working.


it just dawned on me that your type outlet expander has two male plugs on the back to go into the original outlet. The top plug powers the top three outlets and the bottom plug powers the bottom three outlets. This could mean that one of the plugs in your original outlet is dead.


----------



## Ron Van




----------



## Ron Van

There are some that only require one outlet but you have to have the top outlet working


----------



## Eddie_T

I have never experienced anything like this thingy. Why does it has so many wires and what is its function? Also what are those wires sneaking out from under the receptacle cover


----------



## Ron Van

I was hoping to have my shower/bath valve in by today but I ran into problems but with the valve install and me. As BuzzLol noticed my knife wound was infected so I got some antibiotics from my doctor but as it turns out, I had a bad reaction to Bactrim. 

Thursday night when I was going to bed, I noticed my right foot itched like crazy. I put some lotion on it and went to bed. 

On Friday morning at 2am, I woke up and realized my tongue was swollen on the right side. I got up to go to the bathroom and before long I was having a hard time swallowing. Ruby took me to ER and by that time my entire tongue was fat and I couldn’t swallow at all. 

They installed an IV and pumped me full of numerous chemicals and they worked! Within 4 hours I was sent home. 

I started putting the shower valve in and I realized I need to order a different piece of plumbing to make it work properly. 

While I’m on a parts hold, I used the time to chalk and paint the tile around the old faucet holes. The tile was originally pink and someone along the line painted it white. It has held up remarkably well but under the old valves, it wasn’t painted. 






I have matte black faucet covers to go over the holes. They will match the new facet finish. I asked Ruby if she wanted me to paint the covers white to match the tile but she wants them matte black to match the fixtures. 

Next I will cut some sheet rock to repair the hole I cut to mount the shower arm because I had to run new plumbing up to it. 



By the time I finish that, I can put the top coat of paint on the tile around the faucet holes.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I made a little steel wool biscuit to fill the void under my coffee cup and the warmer till required a cover over the cup to keep the coffee hot. I suspect the 17 watts of the warmer is insufficient to overcome the heat loss from the surface of the coffee. If I ever replace the warmer I'll look for  higher wattage.


You could just get one of these Tumblers... I have had this exact one for probably 6 years, and it's still going strong. I pour Coffee in it at night and put it in the fridge and it's still lukewarm in the morning. 



			Robot or human?


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> You could just get one of these Tumblers... I have had this exact one for probably 6 years, and it's still going strong. I pour Coffee in it at night and put it in the fridge and it's still lukewarm in the morning.
> 
> 
> 
> Robot or human?


It's prolly all in my head but I enjoy my beer in a mug, wine in a wine glass, tea in a tea cup and coffee in a coffee mug.


----------



## Spicoli43

Do you have a Fork just for Salad also, Eddie? 

Do ya?

I drink Tea out of a Beer Stein, Milk out of a Coffee Cup and Beer out of a Dog Bowl.


----------



## Eddie_T

No forks don't bother me but wine is just not the same from a thick glass nor is tea from a mug. When I was driving 1000 miles per week I got a thermos with a pull up spout but it just wasn't the same as the old familiar mug. I can tolerate coffee from a fast food cup but not with the sippy cup lid.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Do you have a Fork just for Salad also, Eddie?
> 
> Do ya?
> 
> I drink Tea out of a Beer Stein, Milk out of a Coffee Cup and Beer out of a Dog Bowl.


I use the same fork for dinner and my salad but I do have a fork for desserts. I also use a spoon and a knife sometimes too.


----------



## Ron Van

Well...My top coat paint doesn't match as good as I was hoping. Of course I found this paint in my shop so expecting it to match is probably not realistic. It's funny that the primer matched pretty good but not the top coat. I told Ruby that I would go to Lowes after church tomorrow and buy some paint that matches better but she said, "why don't you paint that area black to match the fixtures?" 



IDK...what do you guys think about that?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> God is good!


Another website that leaves monstrous evil... but deletes the truth...


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, the paint won't ever match if you buy new at Lowes. I would just do whatever now and paint the whole room at once, or even when the entire interior needs paint.


----------



## shan2themax

I didn't do much if anything today. I watched "5 Days at Memorial" that was gut wrenching.... I may buy the kindle version of the book at some point.  I made Alfredo this evening.... I have a lovely migraine now, had one yesterday also.... the only thing in common was pasta, so.... now I know I need to let my gut rest. I think that its a combo of the food and the stress from that dumb light this week. 

I'm going to finish decluttering my kitchen stuff tomorrow if this migraine is gone. If it isnt gone, I will just try to at least work on it for a little bit. I've already done my laundry for this week, so I may go through some of my clothes this evening and pick things that aren't super comfortable. 

I have a ton of recipes in/on my binder that I can go through also. I can even sit at the dining room table to do that.

I have 2 sewing machines that were my moms that I want to clean up and see if they work. I would like to make my coworker a baby quilt for her first grandbaby.... Nd no, I don't know how to do that. I have made curtains before though and I have been watching YouTube videos, so I think I can do it, if the machines work.
I also have my own machine up high in the garage, but I don't think it is anywhere as fancy/nice but I'm not 100% sure. I actually bought it for my daughter when she was like 13 or 14 if I remember correctly. She used it for a little while and then stopped. So I have kept it. I have always wanted to make quilts. I taught myself to crochet when I had my 2nd rotator cuff repair.... thats not exactly the best time to learn that lol. I used to cross stitch with my mom when I was a kid. She was really good at it. She did a Norman Rockwell piece, but I had to throw it away, it was in her car and covered in mold/mildew/muck.
Anyhow, hoping @zannej is ok and has gotten the outlet fixed or at least that breaker off. 
Glad you got some antibiotics @Ron Van . I wouldn't Go with black paint personally, it will make the room feel smaller and be darker.

Have a good evening and enjoy the extra hour of sleep tonight!


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm prolly the wrong one to comment but with the price of paint I would probably just paint that panel only with the color on hand.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, the paint won't ever match if you buy new at Lowes. I would just do whatever now and paint the whole room at once, or even when the entire interior needs paint.


We’re going to gut this bathroom in the spring anyway. I’d do it now but Ruby doesn’t want the house torn up during the holidays again like last year. 

But, I’ll bet I can find a color that Lowes can mix that’s closer than this. Like I said, the primer I put on before matched pretty good. 

This was the primer


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Another website that leaves monstrous evil... but deletes the truth...


I’m not sure what you mean BuzzLol.


----------



## Flyover

Today I climbed up in a tree and sawed down a branch that was just grazing my house (gotta make those squirrels work for it if they really want to be running around on my roof!), then dragged the branch over near my woodpile to be sectioned probably tomorrow. That's two branches down, one more to go. 

A week or so ago I befriended the new neighbors who moved into one of the houses whose back yards abut mine. That new friendship is exciting, but as a little side bonus today I was able to take a lot of cardboard off their hands, as my wife needs large quantities of cardboard for grass removal; she's going to enlarge the garden for next year.


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Glad you got some antibiotics @Ron Van .


The antibiotics almost killed me, Shan. They are why I was in the ER.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I have never experienced anything like this thingy. Why does it has so many wires and what is its function? Also what are those wires sneaking out from under the receptacle cover
> 
> View attachment 28909


If this is the back of the Kitchen outlet that when wiggled caused the lights to flicker, It could be that the top outlet is powered by one circuit and the bottom by another. The only way to figure it out is to open it up and see. They may have used this outlet/box as a junction box.


----------



## Spicoli43

It was real windy here yesterday, probably 80 mph. Low 60's are usually the top, so I know it was more than that. I am usually gifted with a neighbors' trampoline, but that didn't happen. I did get the neighbors portable Basketball hoop, the kind you fill the base with sand or water. It was scraping down the road at a good pace before bottoming out in my driveway. His kids came and dragged it off quickly though.

I did lose a section of fence and 3 other sections were threatening to go. I will have to put a new 4x4 in concrete in June or so and that should do it. The rest looks okay. The roof is fine, a couple of shingles are curled up a little, but nothing major. 

Every time I want to move to Texas for my aching elderly bones, I get wind that is laughable compared to what they get.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, Good Morning Kids... Finally back on the greenside... Been a long time coming... Got out of the hospital yesterday... About a week ago, I thought my life was over... Couldn't get out of bed,  Took everything I had to get up, walk across the hall, go for a leak... and get back to bed...

The wife called an ambulance, not sure of the day or time, at that point... I didn't care anymore... I was ready to give up, and meet my maker...

They say, the medicine I was shooting in myself monthly was not agreeing with me, plus was fighting with the 3 vax's I have had for Covid (NO MORE)... I was right up there infected the way family members who are in perfect health have had heart probs and a gall bladder that is coming out Wednesday for my brother... all from the vaxxes...

So, I think the world is STUCK with me a little longer... I feel 100 percent better than I did a week ago, but think another day or 2, I should be up and doing things like I was a month or so ago...

Till then Kids... Good to be back... and look into joining conversations again...
Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> IDK...what do you guys think about that?


Those look like some pink plastic tiles I got rid of in a bathroom... 
Where the old faucet was, I probably would have removed the old holed tiles and put new whole tiles back in...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> So, I think the world is STUCK with me a little longer... I feel 100 percent better than I did a week ago, but think another day or 2, I should be up and doing things like I was a month or so ago...


Glad you got over it all... stay strong...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> On Friday morning at 2am, I woke up and realized my tongue was swollen on the right side. I got up to go to the bathroom and before long I was having a hard time swallowing. Ruby took me to ER and by that time my entire tongue was fat and I couldn’t swallow at all.


That's what we were trying to prevent with our comments... just glad you were able to get up at all and take care of it...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> That's cool Eddy. My name is Dutch also. The Van means "From" so he's from Roessel. I can't find a town named Roessel but there are roads named Roessel. Also there is a meat market in the Netherlands named Van Roessel.
> 
> My relative that came to this country in 1650 (as part of the Dutch colonization of New Amsterdam (now Manhattan IS) and up state New York was from a small town in Holland. So our family is forever known as "From (insert town name)." It's spelled slightly different now, I guess from being americanized.


My ancestors moved from England to Holland about year 1000 and then with Peter Stuyvesant to set up New Amsterdam about1624... dropped the Von off the beginning our last name...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> I’m not sure what you mean BuzzLol.


I've fought against the spread of evil drug addiction, religion addiction, homosexuality addiction and all other evil addictions all my life... but my comments get deleted...


----------



## Eddie_T

With time some just run it together as in Vanderbilt, from Der Bilt.


----------



## Spicoli43

Happy you're both with us, Ron and Redneck... Redneck, you gotta call a Functional Medicine MD in that link... They specialize in everything, and they are probably also trained in Covid Vaxx side effects. I get emails all the time about that stuff. 

As far as Antibiotics, I won't touch them... Nature provides the strongest Antibiotic known to Humans in Raw Honey... 

I propped up a section of my fence with 2x8's, drilled and screwed more on my side, neighbor did the same on his side. Now we wait until we can do concrete, but that will be June around here, guaranteed. It isn't even warm enough to plant stuff until Mothers Day. I did plant the idea of replacing the entire run of fence we share, probably 225 feet. We'll see what the prices are then. 

After that, made some Chili with fresh soaked Pinto Beans... I have tried Kidney Beans that way and liked them better than the canned version, but I like anything better than the canned version. I wish Tomatoes weren't so expensive, that has to be canned no matter what.


----------



## shan2themax

So... I went to Aldi, lowes, walmart and Sams club today. Got some good deals. I wanted to decorate. J have never been a decorator, don't have a clue what I am doing. However, I feel like I did a decent job with this 1 wall lol





I forgot to eat today until about 30 minutes ago. I do this a lot anymore since I am not cooking for my mom. However, you'd never know it to look at me because I am obese.
I had a turkey sandwich with Colby Jack cheese and hellmans. I don't eat sandwiches real often, but I think I am going to try to eat 1/2 sandwich by noon at least, or fix eggs or something. 

I am going to work on cleaning up my moms sewing machines, trying both out and seeing which one I want to keep. I think I mentioned my daughter has one, but I can't get to it to look at it. 

I bought some clearance material and quilt batting at walmart today. I am going to make some placemats I believe.  Dark grey on one side and a varied thickness of stripes on the other. Debated on a navy or red trim, but I can't decide so I just won't decide right now. 

My BFF and I are going to get Mexican food at a local restaurant on Tuesday, I am looking forward to that for sure.


I bought some outlet covers today, most of mine are missing from when I painted last year. I have soo many outlets that need changed out, but I just don't have it in me currently.








@RedneckGrump I am glad you are feeling better. It is hard to judge how someone will react to injections of any sort. 
I was wondering where you were, so glad you are back!
@Ron Van contrary to popular belief, antibiotic reactions often happen with repeat exposure versus first time exposure. I found that interesting. I am glad that you went to the ER, I am sure that was scary. 

I hope @zannej  is ok, havent seen her for a bit.

Hope everyone sleeps well!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> My BFF and I are going to get Mexican food at a local restaurant on Tuesday, I am looking forward to that for sure.


I love Mexican! I could eat it every day but it doesn’t agree with Ruby so we only have it once in a while. I really miss the Chile Verde plate that was common in California. It’s not popular here in Alabama at all.


shan2themax said:


> I bought some outlet covers today, most of mine are missing from when I painted last year. I have soo many outlets that need changed out, but I just don't have it in me currently.


Outlet covers make a huge difference! Baseboard too! Do you have a radial arm saw to cut angles?


shan2themax said:


> @RedneckGrump I am glad you are feeling better. It is hard to judge how someone will react to injections of any sort.
> I was wondering where you were, so glad you are back!


Yes, good to hear everyone is recovering.


shan2themax said:


> @Ron Van contrary to popular belief, antibiotic reactions often happen with repeat exposure versus first time exposure. I found that interesting. I am glad that you went to the ER, I am sure that was scary.


Thanks Shan. I’ve never had a reaction to drugs before but I never took Bactrim before either. Ruby thinks the evil Covid virus has messed us all up. Neither of us took the vaccine. Only time will tell if that was a mistake or not.


shan2themax said:


> I hope @zannej  is ok, havent seen her for a bit.


Your decorations look marvelous!


----------



## Spicoli43

Well, apparently Pinto Beans like to boil longer than 3 hours, they were crunchy. Soaked them overnight, and it still didn't work. I guess back to Kidney Beans.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Happy you're both with us, Ron and Redneck... Redneck,


Thanks Spicoli!


Spicoli43 said:


> As far as Antibiotics, I won't touch them... Nature provides the strongest Antibiotic known to Humans in Raw Honey...


I didn’t know this but I found an article. It’s from the NIH and WHO studies…and we know how spot-on they are, but anyhow. . .

Natural products and their derivatives (including antibiotics) represent more than 50% of all drugs in clinical use in the world. According to World Health Organization estimates, about 80 percent of people living in developing countries rely on harvested wild plants for some part of their primary health care [1]. There are several reports on the antimicrobial activity of different herbal extracts in different regions of the world [2, 3]. Due to the side effects and the resistance that pathogenic microorganisms have developed against antibiotics, recently much attention has been paid to extracts and biologically active compounds isolated from natural species used in herbal medicine.

The antibacterial activity of honey was first recognized in 1892, by Dustmann [4]. Honey has been used as a medicine in many cultures for a long time. However, it has a limited use in medicine due to lack of scientific support [5]. It has been rediscovered by the medical profession and it is gaining acceptance as an antibacterial treatment of topical infections resulting from burns and wounds [6]. It is well established that honey inhibits a broad spectrum of bacterial species. More recently, honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect to around 60 species of bacteria including aerobes and anaerobes









						Antibacterial Efficacy of Raw and Processed Honey
					

In vitro antibacterial activity of methanol, ethanol, and ethyl acetate extracts of raw and processed honey was tested against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Micrococcus ...




					www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
				



 I normally don’t have a problem with infections so this is something I will probably follow up on. It’s probably all I need.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, apparently Pinto Beans like to boil longer than 3 hours, they were crunchy. Soaked them overnight, and it still didn't work. I guess back to Kidney Beans.


I like kidney beans better anyway! Are you making enough for all of us?


----------



## Spicoli43

My new oven is going to learn how to make Mexican... I could eat Carne Asada Burritos everyday at the local joint, but my wallet can't. I wish that everything good like Mexican and Italian didn't expand my gut. 

I wish that Liver was the only thing that expanded my gut, ergo I have never eaten it, ergo, Instant 6 Pack! No crunchies!


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> My new oven is going to learn how to make Mexican... I could eat Carne Asada Burritos everyday at the local joint, but my wallet can't. I wish that everything good like Mexican and Italian didn't expand my gut.
> 
> I wish that Liver was the only thing that expanded my gut, ergo I have never eaten it, ergo, Instant 6 Pack! No crunchies!


My mother used to force me to eat liver as a kid . . . Disgusting! Chopped liver on crackers. . .not so bad.


----------



## Spicoli43

WOOF... I can't even look at it in the store.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like American process cheese. I have tried cheddar for grilled cheese or a cheeseburger and it just doesn't present that gooey melt I am looking for. Sometimes I go for Velveeta slices as they are thicker and gooier. American process cheese may begin as cheddar but has added milk, salt and emulsifiers to make it gooey. I may have just decided my supper. A smashburger topped with melted American process cheese.


----------



## RedneckGrump

I was never one for processed cheese, but I do love the oldest cheddar... love the ones that just crumble when you try to cut it... Back in the day, when I was a youngster, and a grasshopper height, my Mom used to make us an old cheddar cheese sandwich with Spanish onion, mayo, and salt and pepper... Was delicious...

Used to have peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches also, or jam on cheddar cheese sandwiches... Going to have to try them again and see if they are still all good from when I was a kid...

So wondering if anyone else is watching Yellowstone, 1883, or the series Billy the Kid...

Well today, took the truck to get under sprayed at Krowne...  So, it's good for another year...

Well, That's all my excitement for the day, worn out... hopefully, 100 percent tomorrow...
Cheers~


----------



## Flyover

I do my pintos in the slow cooker, without soaking them overnight. If I start them at 9am and put the slow cooker on high, they're usually done by 2pm but I usually let them go longer, like today where I'm going to turn them into refried beans to put on nachos.

My mom likes liver and onions, and used to make it when I was a kid. I thought it was okay, and became less willing to eat it as I got older. I don't think I'd order it at a restaurant or anything, but if it was served to me at someone's house and it was cooked well I think I'd probably eat it, out of curiosity if nothing else.

Today I tried to replace a broken sliding window lock but neither of the sizes I bought from Menards fit properly, so I'll have to return them and look online. After that I swapped a couple of the exterior door locks so the one we use less has the deadbolt and the one we use more has the handle, but they're all keyed the same.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had my burger for supper. I didn't have any American process cheese but found some provolone that melted well. For dessert I had a Benton's (Aldi store brand) chocolate fudge PNB cookie.Hard to stop with one.


----------



## Flyover

@Spicoli43 How do you do your pintos? If I'm cooking mine for basically anything Mexican or Tex-mex, by about 9am or 10am at the latest I pretty much always have them in the slow cooker with a tablespoon or so of chili powder, one or two whole dried California or chipotle chilis, a tablespoon or two of cumin, plenty of salt (probably a tablespoon or two), and a big ol' wad of bacon fat. Cover with about 2" of water and let it go all day, and it's always great by about 3pm. If I didn't have to worry about others I'd put other, spicier peppers in too. I'm curious what you did that you got bad results.

(I say "tablespoon" but I'm always eyeballing.)


----------



## shan2themax

I fixed pinto beans in the instant pot..... you don't have to soak them, just have to make sure the bean to water ratio is correct in about 70 to 90 minutes they are done.... now the caveat to that is that it varies how long it takes to come to pressure so the beans are only cooked for about an hour, the rest of the time is building pressure


----------



## Ron Van

Finished the shower valve install. Leak tested ok. Can’t shower with it until tomorrow so the caulk can cure 24 hrs. 

here’s the old faucets. 




And here’s the new pressure balance valve


----------



## Eddie_T

A lady that used to cook for American Legion meeting night cooked yellow eye beans. She used a smoked turkey wing for seasoning as her hubby didn't eat pork. If I complimented her on the beans she would give me a jar to take home. Sometimes they are hard to find. In one store they were called yellow eye peas but they are definitely shaped like beans and taste like beans. I'm adding them to my grocery list.

Ron,You did a beautiful job on that rework.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> @Spicoli43 How do you do your pintos? If I'm cooking mine for basically anything Mexican or Tex-mex, by about 9am or 10am at the latest I pretty much always have them in the slow cooker with a tablespoon or so of chili powder, one or two whole dried California or chipotle chilis, a tablespoon or two of cumin, plenty of salt (probably a tablespoon or two), and a big ol' wad of bacon fat. Cover with about 2" of water and let it go all day, and it's always great by about 3pm. If I didn't have to worry about others I'd put other, spicier peppers in too. I'm curious what you did that you got bad results.
> 
> (I say "tablespoon" but I'm always eyeballing.)


Soaked overnight and cooked with Chili for 3 Hours or a little less. I know I have pulled that off with Kidney Beans, so I will just use them next time. Of course I didn't pull a couple Beans out and test them before I dished it out.


----------



## Spicoli43

Great job, Ron! Got me thinking of doing something like that.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Do you have a radial arm saw to cut angles?


A manual or power mitre box saw would be much less expensive to buy, rent, or borrow... and much more easily transported...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I hope @zannej  is ok, havent seen her for a bit.


Is zannej female?


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> I was never one for processed cheese, but I do love the oldest cheddar...


Yeah, we've always used colby cheese... but when they put the common cheeses on sale, they tend to leave the colby out of the sale... and when the economy makes cheeses scarce, colby tends to disappear... must cost slightly more to make... although usually priced the same otherwise...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> My mother used to force me to eat liver as a kid . . . Disgusting! Chopped liver on crackers. . .not so bad.


Same here... but a tenant made chicken fried breaded liver and it wasn't too bad... 
Liver is the organ that collects the poisons in the body so some people avoid it for that reason...


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Is zannej female?


100%!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> 100%!


Didn't know that... maybe helps explain the relationship to the 'brother'...


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't like tapered jeans or khakis. Belk has Saddlebred jeans with bootcut legs for $21.99. It may be a store brand but I am not brand loyal. I may check them out if I get to town while they are still on sale.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, every day getting a little stronger, but not as close to 100% as I thought I would be... But getting there... Hoping to get the other truck cleaned out today and the for sale sign on it, park it on the lawn and get rid of it before the snow gets here... 

But first I have to go to the drug store... and then hit a barber... Usually, keep my head shaved But I didn't shave for a week and a half, and now it's too long for a razor... So gotta go to a barber for the first time in 30 years...

Not sure if I shared this with you, and if I did, I apologize... Hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I don't like tapered jeans or khakis. Belk has Saddlebred jeans with bootcut legs for $21.99. It may be a store brand but I am not brand loyal. I may check them out if I get to town while they are still on sale.


What color are they?


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> What color are they?


Dark stone and medium stone it must mean stone washed. This is dark stone which I would get. You can mail order $49 for free shipping. If I don't get to town 2 pr + a $14.99 flannel shirt gets me me free shipping.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Dark stone and medium stone it must mean stone washed.


I usually wear light to medium stone out publicly and dark stone or just blue denim for working around the house, garages, yard,,,


----------



## Eddie_T

I start with dark and  and let it fade on its own.


----------



## Eddie_T

I voted and explained to a democrat why I voted republican. I was he only voter in the building so my timing worked.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I voted and explained to a democrat why I voted republican. I was he only voter in the building so my timing worked.


We voted today as well. Our voting place was pretty busy but it went fast. In Alabama many of the offices had no Democratic challenger.


----------



## Ron Van

Simultaneous with the shower valve re-do, I had to replace a boat lift cable that broke. 




While replacing the cables, I decided to replace the pipe bearings (really they’re bushings) because the old ones had no zerk fittings to lube them. 








Now that I have figured out how to do this, I need to do the other lift next.


----------



## Ron Van

.


BuzzLOL said:


> Is zannej female?


Zannej hasn’t posted since Friday a little after 9am. I hope she’s ok.


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, every day getting a little stronger, but not as close to 100% as I thought I would be... But getting there... ... Hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
> Cheers~
> 
> View attachment 28933
> 
> 
> View attachment 28934


Beautiful trees!


----------



## shan2themax

Ron Van said:


> .
> 
> Zannej hasn’t posted since Friday a little after 9am. I hope she’s ok.


Yes! My thoughts exactly. Very unlike her..... if it weren't for the electrical issues, I might not be thinking much about it. I tried to be an internet sleuth, but just not enough info or I am losing my capabilities..... I even found my dad in the 80s with no internet and he lived in a different state. Then found him again with internet, he wasn't too keen on that... oh well his loss......
I certainly hope she is OK though


----------



## Ron Van

The toilet paper holder fell off while I was hammering the tile out on the access hole. The tile and mortar was 1” thick! Anyway, a little PL3 construction adhesive did the trick and it’s as good as new.


----------



## Spicoli43

I hope she's okay, sometimes she is just so tired that she can't move.

Looks like you got good new Senators in OH and AL that really care about America... Congrats on that!


----------



## Flyover

@RedneckGrump:


----------



## RedneckGrump

G'morning everyone... 
Yeah, getting very worried about @zannej ... We almost sounded like our symptoms were a lot alike... Especially the part about not being able to wake up... Hope she got in to see a doctor... Thinking of her, and sending hopeful vibes to her feeling better...

Thank you @Ron Van we love those trees too...  Great shade for the summer, and beautiful in the fall... But lots and lots of leaves to pick up...  We have a beautiful red maple in the front with two birches on the property.

Well, got the 06 Ford empty and up for sale on the front lawn... Asking $4000 as is... Had one guy stop last night to have a gander at her...

Well again, I am hoping and praying that @zannej is doing ok... and hope we hear from her soon...

Hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Looks like you got good new Senators in OH and AL that really care about America... Congrats on that!


Unfortunately, likely not enough to slow the rapidly exploding CRIME WAVE/MURDERS...
.
Our local Democrat Senator started lying like she's a 'conservative' for a month before the election and apparently that fooled enough voters to get re-elected...  now she'll continue to vote 100% Democrat crime/welfare/drug abuse increases in D.C...


----------



## Eddie_T

Running low on PNB. I had six 26 oz jars of Smuckers Natural scheduled for delivery today but tracking indicated the shipment was being returned to sender (Walmart) due to damage. I can only imagine the mess. I had to reorder as refund is already being processed. Reorder was the only action I had to take.


----------



## Flyover

For some reason I'd always been irked by the sight of my weighted vest lying on the gym floor, but I had nowhere better to put it.

Since then I thought it'd be cool to have one of those manequins that's just a torso and keep the vest on that--not the most space efficient solution, but it would take up no less room than the vest on the floor and I thought it'd look cool (nothing else in my gym does). But I didn't see any such manequins at auction or in thrift stores and gradually stopped looking for one.

Then more recently it started bugging me again and I decided I'd just build a stand for it, and decided to make it about 30" tall for stability and ergonomics.

This design popped into my head and I immediately knew exactly how to execute it using a scrap 30" 2x6 and a five foot scrap of 2x4. Best of all, it was only four cuts and six screws. Feels pretty sturdy. And so I don't put splinters into the vest, I actually sanded the top crossbar, which is a lot of effort for me!






At some point I might add a diagonal brace at the bottom connecting the "feet" and the "upright".


----------



## Flyover

I hope Zanne's okay. In fact I hope it's just that she's taking a break, becuase that's a good thing to do once in a while with things you enjoy. Next most likely would be power or internet issues, it sounds like. I hope it's one of those things. Wishing you good health, @zannej!


----------



## Eddie_T

Maybe Zanne is just having an internet problem.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I had to reorder


I hate it when they do that, wish they would just zip another item out over night at their expense...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Maybe Zanne is just having an internet problem.


We prolly should exchange phone numbers a bit so we can check on missing persons... I had a friend on the CFB AP Poll message boards named Crimson Sunami that disappeared... couldn't find him anywhere... not a trace, it's like he and his past disappeared off the entire internet... I assumed he passed away...
Was reading 'comedian' Kathy Griffin was permanently banned from Twitter for impersonating Trump on there... (earlier she had been pictured holding Trump's decapitated head)... now she's back on Twitter again pretending to be Trump's account using her deceased wino mother's account... what a sleezeball...


----------



## havasu

RedneckGrump said:


> G'morning everyone...
> Yeah, getting very worried about @zannej ... We almost sounded like our symptoms were a lot alike... Especially the part about not being able to wake up... Hope she got in to see a doctor... Thinking of her, and sending hopeful vibes to her feeling better...
> 
> Thank you @Ron Van we love those trees too...  Great shade for the summer, and beautiful in the fall... But lots and lots of leaves to pick up...  We have a beautiful red maple in the front with two birches on the property.
> 
> Well, got the 06 Ford empty and up for sale on the front lawn... Asking $4000 as is... Had one guy stop last night to have a gander at her...
> 
> Well again, I am hoping and praying that @zannej is doing ok... and hope we hear from her soon...
> 
> Hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
> Cheers~


Zanne has become dark on every forum we are both on. Yes, this is concerning.


----------



## zannej

Hi again. Sorry for worrying everyone. I lost track of time. As Spicoli mentioned, I sometimes get so tired I can't move. With the AC not working I get overheated and exhausted too easily. I racked the hell out and when I woke up I wasn't lucid enough to read and post. My fatigue can sometimes last for several days where I'm like a zombie.

Ron, I can't assign any tasks to my brother because he simply won't do anything. He won't even do the one chore he's supposed to do (which is to take out trash). He refuses to do *anything* but cook for himself and do his own laundry (but he won't clean the lint filter & sometimes leaves wet laundry in the machine). He trips over spilled trash and stuff he straight up threw on the floor because he was too lazy to put it in the trash can-- and then whines about how much he hates this house. He also accused me of not washing dishes. I got tired of washing HIS dishes since I'm having to do all the chores so I didn't wash his stuff. He was never made to do chores when we were younger so he seems to think a magical fairy does the cleaning or something. I mentioned to him about being asked if he could fix the outlet and his expression was priceless. He has no idea how. LOL. You are correct about the outlet extender. It has the two plugs that plug into the main outlet. Given that the kitchen light went out when I managed to dislodge the microwave plug, I KNOW it is the outlet that is the problem. Either the oulet itself is borked or the wires came loose. I bought a brand new outlet and the same type of extender. This will power the microwave, air fryer, and can opener. 
Yikes on the anaphalactic reaction to Bactim! I'm glad you woke up and made it to the ER in time. Someone did a very good job of painting that tile. I couldn't tell it was painted until you posted the pic showing the pink.
It looks good with the new trim in!

Eddie, I believe the big cable (8awg?) feeds the outlet which is pictured from the back. That's the gang box. One cable comes out to feed the outlet in the pantry that is used to charge the dustbuster. The other cable goes over to the light switch for the ceiling fan above the kitchen table. So there is one in and two out. 

Buzz, I'm not sure why you put 'brother' like that. He is my brother. We both live with our mother. I'm her caregiver and he just mooches. He's got Peter Pan syndrome. He was the golden child growing up- spoiled rotten. Didn't work out for him because he never learned to be self-sufficient. His lazy behind didn't even bother to vote. He gripes about the government/politics but he won't even do bare minimum civic duty. He decided that playing video games was more important. I'm pretty irritated with him over that.

Redneckgrump, I'm sorry you were so sick you had to be hospitalized but I'm glad to hear you're doing better now.

I kept meaning to do some work around the house but was too exhausted/overheated. I'm trying to get my friend to come help but he's being an idiot and letting his gf ruin his life again and she's alienating him from friends. Today I unloaded the truck (several cases of water as well as a bunch of other stuff), put stuff away, cleaned my toilet, took out most of the trash, and then was too overheated to move so I sat down in front of my fans to cool off. I still need to do more cleaning but I've learned if I push too hard I can't function later. I have to take it easy and do things in chunks. If I start to wheeze I know its time to sit down. The cats had to wake me up (by stepping on my head) for me to remember to take my meds. I've stopped taking statins to see if it makes me feel any better. They can cause some of the muscle weakness & pain I'd been having so I want to see if eliminating them helps. Thus far no real change but it's only been a couple of days.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> Eddie, I believe the big cable (8awg?) feeds the outlet which is pictured from the back. That's the gang box. One cable comes out to feed the outlet in the pantry that is used to charge the dustbuster. The other cable goes over to the light switch for the ceiling fan above the kitchen table. So there is one in and two out.


Zanne, thanks it makes sense now. Somehow I wasn't recognizing that I was looking at the back side of a receptacle box or that the one above it is sitting proud from the wall.


----------



## Eddie_T

Back to cheese, I used to wonder what made it yellow (almost orange for cheddar) then I found out that it's due to a bucket of food coloring poured into the mix.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej I am so happy that you are ok. I was really worried. Do you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome?  You kind of remind me of me..... something stressful happens and then your body is ticked off.

I bought a puzzle the other day and have been working on it and listening to audio books while I work on it. It is a nice experience. I think that this is about 6 hours of work



My days off are over today, I go back to work tomorrow.

I am seriously considering getting an fha rehabilitation refinance to get everything done. I am not sold on the idea, but.... I need some burdens lifted. If I could count on my student loans being forgiven (I have worked at a 503c for 15 years in Jan 23), it would make decision making do much easier to do.
Also..... I am acutely aware at how wishy washy I am with these things. I really HATE to pay stupid money to someone else for things that I feel like I "should" be able to do. I was sitting on the floor the other day in a half Indian style pose, leaning to the left.... and I have a very reproducable sensation/sound. It feels more like movement in my spine than a popping sensation... that helps explain part of my back problem.... not a good part either. At some point though, I have got to give myself permission to settle down and fork over $$$$$.

Ughhh, I think I will go work on my puzzle and listen to my book.


----------



## havasu

Dammit Z, you had us all worried. I hope you check in on the HCL site. Folks are asking about you!


----------



## 68bucks

Well I finally got the majority of the leaves picked up today. Got the tractor out and turned over all the compost piles. I have 3 that are about 6' tall and 10'wide of grass clippings and leaves. They'll get turned a few times between now and spring and shrink down to anot 1/2 that size of beautiful compost. Was nice to do something, been nursing a back issue the last 3 weeks, started out in the ER on the 19th. Been a nightmare really bad pain could hardly walk for stand up straight for at least a week. Hardly sleeping. Never had anything like it. Started as a little muscle pull back in late September while I was cleaning windows outside. Sucks because I have a list a mile long of stuff I wanted done before cold weather.


----------



## shan2themax

@68bucks  I totally understand that! It will be 3 years next month since my back was anywhere near normal.. The past few days i have been sitting at dining room table working on a puzzle, and I have been having trouble standing up straight all day... so, I gave up on the puzzle for a bit tonight. I tried to find a corkboard big enough for this puzzle.... which will be the 24x36 corkboard , however.... other than the back, I have really enjoyed the puzzle. 

I also understand about the pre-winter list.... mine isn't getting done either.

However, I guess if I look back over the past 3 months at all the things that have been done.... I shouldn't complain. I just want to live in a house that is more normal!

Have a great evening everyone!


----------



## zannej

I really hadn't even realized how many days had passed because I was stuck in my exhausted state. I cooked for mom and she mentioned her bathroom trashcan was full. I realized there were 2 more full bags (from her bathroom that my brother had left there) so I hauled them all out. My house has some bottlenecks so I had to squeeze through. There's still trash on the floor from trashcans getting knocked over and my brother just throwing stuff down. But all the bags of trash are now out. I was too overheated to do more. I actually fed Mom the food I was going to eat because I realized if I ate it she would pout.
I just saw the lights of headlights shining through my window so I think my brother is home. I must have been asleep when he left because I thought he was still home. No wonder Namir was sitting at his door sulking. He likes to stay in my brother's room.

I'm about to see what I can cook for myself because I'm hungry now. I had eggs and grilled cheese sandwich early this morning.

I would still like the cheese even if it didn't have the orange color. I like how it melts and how it tastes.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> I would still like the cheese even if it didn't have the orange color. I like how it melts and how it tastes.


I just had a block of white Swiss cheese... it was a pleasant change on my sandwiches from Colby cheese...


----------



## RedneckGrump

WoW @zannej, so glad YOU are ok Girl... We were all getting very worried about you... None of my business, but going to say it anyways... Time for your brother to learn real quickly... He should be helping YOU out BIG time with Mom... I know YOU know all that, and wish YOU could figure out a way to get him going... I would just stop doing things for him...  That guy needs to figure out life, learn to live on his own and learn to lend a hand when needed...

Not a lot going on here, getting stronger day by day... The sugars should settle out now, took the last of the steroids yesterday, and they drive the sugars up to 23.9... Take a shot of insulin every night... and that helps, but I don't want to become dependent on insulin... One of the last things I wanna depend on...

Well, Have had a couple of guys looking at the truck... She's not sold yet... But hopefully in the next couple of days... Noticed someone pushed a shopping cart and bounced off our new red truck... so going to see if I can buff out the marks today...

Also want to bring the Deere into the shop this winter, work on her, and give her a good tune-up for next spring... So that is something else I gotta do... they are calling for lots and lots of snow this winter... Yeehaw... NOT... Western Canada has already had major snow storms... 

Well, Kids, that's about all that's going on in this area of Canada... Hope YOU all have yourselves a wonderful day...

Glad you are back @zannej and doing ok...

Cheers~


----------



## shan2themax

Also, I didn't fully explain why I wanted the prefabricated corkboard. If I had that I could sit in my recliner with back support and work on puzzles.
I'm off to get ready for work, I hope you all have a great day!


----------



## Eddie_T

I didn't have American process cheese but wanted a grilled cheese sandwich. I tried a combination of provolone and cheddar and it came out pretty good. I first microwaved the sandwich for 18s then spread mayo on the bread rather than butter in the pan for browning.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, if I had that puzzle, it would be in 732 different locations if I looked away for an hour thanks to the Cats.


----------



## Ron Van

Yesterday I picked up leaves but I don't compost...they just go on the burn pile. We still have a LOT of leaves on the trees so I'll be picking up leaves again. Today I'm going to move a heavy vanity we bought for the future Bath project. It's in the carport now but I want to put it in the lawn shed for the winter. The way things are situated here, it will probably be easiest to hook up the trailer to my truck, put the vanity on the trailer and drive it over to the lawn shed. My brother in law said he would help with the heavy lifting. 

One of our cars got the rear window shattered so I need to put some plastic over it until it gets replaced Monday. We have some weather coming in as a result of Hurricane Nicole. Just rain and a little wind (20mph gust).


----------



## Spicoli43

How did the window get smashed in?

Looks like the Hurricane is done, I see the max winds around 47 MPH









						earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions
					

See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.




					earth.nullschool.net


----------



## BuzzLOL

My buddy in Ft. Myers is getting some light rain from the southern edge of Hurricane --> Tropical Storm Nicole... at least his condo building has a roof... he's on 3rd floor... condos on 1st floor got wiped out by the 9 foot flood waters... 
My other buddy saw the doctor this morning hoping to get surgery fixing his hernia this afternoon... but was told his cardiologist would have to approve... he's doing an unannounced walk in there hoping to get a quick approval so can have quick surgery... doesn't want another day of the hernia... 
Beautiful warm sunny 70's day here but rain and turning freezing tomorrow and onward for a week or so... gotta get back outside and get things done... 
Show truck needs leaking tire fixed and broken ball joint replaced...


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> How did the window get smashed in?


It was the JEWISATANICATHOLIC DEMOCRAT JUNKIE ADDICTS who are now up to 75 MURDERS DAILY because the prisons have been abolished!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> It was the JEWISATANICATHOLIC DEMOCRAT JUNKIE ADDICTS who are now up to 75 MURDERS DAILY because the prisons have been abolished!


Could be true... but put that joint down and walk away from it, anyway...


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> How did the window get smashed in?


It happened while parked in our carport. I'm guessing a rock off my lawn tractor.


----------



## Ron Van

I’m trying to move this new vanity into the lawn shed before the rain comes tonight. It’s 6’ long with a granite top so it weighs a lot. Come-alongs, levers, rollers and jacks involved here. 



Getting it down to the lawn shed is a little bit of a challenge. It’s pretty steep. 




Put it on the handy Harbor Freight dollies made it easy to move around now.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> It happened while parked in our carport. I'm guessing a rock off my lawn tractor.


Efforts are being made to get assault lawn tractors banned...


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Efforts are being made to get assault lawn tractors banned...


Especially the ones that run on gas . . .like mine!


----------



## zannej

It was windmills! They cause cancer and break windows! 

Thanks, Redneckgrump. I hope you continue to improve.

Ron, I'm still loving that carport. I think it technically counts as a carriage house. I was looking at building plans for something like that not too long ago. I am curious to see that vanity. Will it get installed soon?

My brother has started training with our friend & was in a better mood when he got home- although he said he had to deal with a "Karen" who wouldn't leave him alone to do his work and argued when he repeatedly told her that the holdup was the software and the software wasn't ready yet because the people making the software didn't expect the hardware to be ready until next week. She kept whining about how much she paid and how her kids wanted to play on games & he said none of that changed the facts. Anyway, he's feeling better and is starting to take an interest in electrical in the house because he's learning electrical for the machines at work. He wanted a flathead screwdriver last night to see if he could remove the outlet extender. I used a power sensor pen & found that power was going to the light switch after he tried to remove the screw (but the driver was too small to get a good grip). So, the light in the kitchen and pantry are back on, but an outlet tester (which made lights blink on and off when pressed in) said all the ports were dead. Later on I'm going to see if we can determine which breaker the thing is on by having someone stand by with the pen and have the other person flip breakers off and on.

I'm about to go cook for Mom.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> How did the window get smashed in?



Here’s a picture of the shattered window with a reflection of me in the background. 







I’m hoping it doesn’t fall out before Monday when it gets replaced. We won’t drive it.


----------



## Eddie_T

I saw this step to help when washing the roof of the new F-150s.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> I am curious to see that vanity. Will it get installed soon?


Ruby wants me to wait until after the holidays so the house won’t be torn up like it was last year. It’s going to be a big job for what I have planned. A lot of plumbing will need to be re-done. Right now, there is a fair amount of cast iron drain pipe under the house. I’m going to have to replace it all with either ABS or PVC and build a branch line for a new bathroom that doesn’t exist now. The water supply lines won’t be too bad because I’ll use Pex.



zannej said:


> My brother has started training with our friend & was in a better mood when he got home- . Anyway, he's feeling better and is starting to take an interest in electrical in the house because he's learning electrical for the machines at work. He wanted a flathead screwdriver last night to see if he could remove the outlet extender..


Let’s hope he gets motivated to help around the house!


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Could be true... but put that joint down and walk away from it, anyway...


Apparently someone made the joke already:


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks, Very early... Having trouble sleeping tonight, so thought I'd get on the computer, check things out, and maybe make the old eyes fall to sleep... time will tell...

Well, I and the wife went out for a dinner for the first time in 14 years... It was a date night... Had a GREAT dinner at the new Mexi's in town... We've e gone out for dinner other times, but usually, with other couples or family members, this was just me and me Lady... Had a GREAT time...Decided we are going to go out once a month from now on...

Was able to get one more coat of the ceramic wax on the truck yesterday, and got her all shiny... She looks good, was able to buff out most of the scuff marks of someone letting a shopping car bounce off the driver's door... Just love to catch them once... just once... Need to touch a few spots up with touch-up paint... But no sense, next spring's job, with talking freezing rain and snow in the next few days... But still November 11th, and she is 17C outside right now...But like I said, they are talking Freezing rain and snow this weekend... So winter is coming...

Well, that's about all I can think of right now... Hope YOU all have a GREAT Friday... and want to yell a BIG thank you to all our Veterans and the ones who are Fighting for our countries today... Thank you!!

Cheers~


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, I and the wife went out for a dinner for the first time in 14 years... It was a date night... Had a GREAT dinner at the new Mexi's in town...


Date night is important IMHO. Ruby and I need to do it more often... The mexican might explain your insomnia! 




RedneckGrump said:


> But still November 11th, and she is 17C outside right now...But like I said, they are talking Freezing rain and snow this weekend... So winter is coming...


So what's 17c? About 500 Fahrenheit? Let's see, ((17X 9) / 5) + 32 = 66.2 degrees F . . .Ahh, Not bad! Our high yesterday was 75F (24C) but the forecast is for 67F (19.4C) today but only a high of 48F (9C) tomorrow. The Ice Age is coming!


RedneckGrump said:


> l a BIG thank you to all our Veterans and the ones who are Fighting for our countries today... Thank you!!


----------



## zannej

So, I spoke too soon about the light in the kitchen and pantry. They went out again. So, something is just not connected properly.
I woke up with 9 and both dogs on my bed. The larger dog was kicking me in her sleep. I have my window open so its colder than usual. Got up and fed them, ran out in the bag I was feeding them with so had to go open a new one. They were impatient about it. Found a bunch of dishes on the floor and discovered one or more of them got into the cabinet, knocked stuff out, pulled up the shelf liner and used the shelves as litterboxes. So, I'll have to get up on a stepladder later on and clean all that out and get some doublesided tape to get the shelf liner back in place.
Trying to motivate myself to move.

Redneck, glad you and your wife got to go out on a date night.

Ron, it sucks that you have to get that replaced but I'm glad it didn't spray glass everywhere when it broke. Even with the special stuff to make it safer, it is a pita to clean up. I found that out from experience.

Hope everyone is having a good morning.

Oh, I chatted with my friend briefly and he confirmed the paternity results showed that the new baby is not his. We all knew that, but now he has the proof. Unfortunately, he's letting the cheating bint manipulate him by claiming she's afraid of the bio dad. She lies to him about people to turn him against them. She learned that tactic from her adopted mother. She was lying to the other guy bout my friend to make the other guy hate my friend and feel protective of her. Now she's pulling the same bs and lying about the guy to my friend. Yeah, he apparently does message her a LOT, but he wants to see his baby. He's also diagnosed with mental illness- which she knew before she purposely got pregnant from him. She did it bc she knew my friend would take her back in bc he feels he has to be everyone's savior/protector.  Even when people have wronged him, he has a hard time telling them "no".


----------



## Eddie_T

I may sound Taps for the neighborhood at the appointed time 11:11 AM.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> My brother has started training with our friend & was in a better mood when he got home- . Anyway, he's feeling better and is starting to take an interest in electrical in the house because he's learning electrical for the machines at work. He wanted a flathead screwdriver last night to see if he could remove the outlet extender.


Glad to see your brother may be growing up a little... don't know how you're fixed for tools, but that little kit I got for my car trunk can come in handy... HF is back to putting it on sale occasionally for $29.95 again... 








						Tool Set with Case, 130 Piece
					

Amazing deals on this 130Pc Tool Set With Case at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




					www.harborfreight.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Apparently someone made the joke already:


That's what the modern day people are referencing... and they aren't joking...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, I and the wife went out for a dinner for the first time in 14 years... It was a date night... Had a GREAT dinner at the new Mexi's in town... We've e gone out for dinner other times, but usually, with other couples or family members, this was just me and me Lady... Had a GREAT time...Decided we are going to go out once a month from now on...
> 
> Need to touch a few spots up with touch-up paint... But no sense, next spring's job,
> 
> and want to yell a BIG thank you to all our Veterans and the ones who are Fighting for our countries today... Thank you!!


A lady I talk to online but never met yet wanted me to meet her at a Mexican restaurant last night but i was too tired after getting life under control yesterday... I was going to help a buddy after his hernia surgery but that has been put off for prolly a month now... horrible... he can't do anything without pains... hernia surgeon says it has to be approved by his cardiologist who he wasn't able to slip in to see for a moment... 
. 
If any chips are to bare metal, put tape over them to protect from moisture/rust in the meantime... a gram of protection is worth a ton of cure... 
. 
And we war veterans appreciate the recognition... and hope you help remove the unneeded causes of wars...


----------



## zannej

We have a lot of tools, but we can never find them when we need them. They will be floating around when we don't need them and then when we go to use them they disappear.

That is a nice tool kit though.


----------



## Eddie_T

Eddie_T said:


> I may sound Taps for the neighborhood at the appointed time 11:11 AM.


I did it precisely at 11:11!

Lyrics for taps:
*Day is done, Gone the sun,
From the lakes, From the hills,
From the sky.
Rest in peace, Soldier brave,
God is nigh.*​


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> That is a nice tool kit though.


Yeah, for 30 bucks I figured I had to have one in the trunk of my car... for... whatever... 
. 
Maybe you could label a plastic tool bucket and whenever you spot a tool, toss it into it...


----------



## Flyover

Between sets today, I cleaned off the basement workbench as the clutter on it was getting out of hand.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> *                                                          Rest in peace, Soldier brave,*
> *God is nigh.*​


Too bad religions are still fueling the wars that murder the soldiers... 
Soldiers are PEOPLE, also... 
Despite the news pretending that only civilian deaths matter...


----------



## havasu

Forgot to post the new sprinkler controller on the wall.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning One and All...

My thought on war today is that it is Bullsh1t... I think all involved should sit down, buy one another a drink and let the rich leaders argue it out... Especially the war between Ukraine & Russia...

Well, as of 3 pm yesterday it's been raining, I guess it could turn to snow... Let's hope NOT... still not in the winter mood...

This morning, we'll take a load to the dump... and then the gardening store is having a pre-Christmas sale with treats and apple cider being served... So, we'll check that out, and then my Sens are playing at 1 this afternoon... Be back... Gotta let Carl out for his morning leak...

So... Not a lot else planned for today... Hope everyone has a GREAT Saturday, enjoy it...

Cheers~


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej I will see you in a few hours, with my moms 3 cats...... bahahahaha


----------



## Eddie_T

I'm careful with just one cat as they are known carriers of toxoplasmosis. I knew a lady that had it in her eyes.


----------



## Ron Van

Ruby started getting the decorations out yesterday. 












She’ll finish the inside today then we’ll start the outside. Hurricane Nicole brought some cold weather in behind her! It’s only 33F here this morning at 6:30am.


----------



## Eddie_T

@Ron Van, that neatly organized storage space is to be envied. What's the brand and source of the lift.


----------



## zannej

I wished even one single part of my house was that neatly organized. I'm terrible at organizing things. My dad was the one that was good at organizing, putting things in specific places and labeling everything.

It finally got nice and cool in the house. I woke up this morning to a burning smell-- sort of like crumbs burning in the toaster. Mom turned on the heat again. After awhile it went away. I turned the temp down so it wouldn't get so damn hot again so we're cruising at 65 in the hallway, warmer in her room, and cooler in mine. 

I'm to wake up to get some breakfast. I actually like bundling up at night to be warm and cozy and have the kitties pile on for warmth.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I wished even one single part of my house was that neatly organized. I'm terrible at organizing things. My dad was the one that was good at organizing, putting things in specific places and labeling everything.


Well, you did just say exactly how you fix it.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Ruby started getting the decorations out yesterday.
> .
> It's only 33F here this morning at 6:30 AM...


Xmas waits until after Thanksgiving for me... One holiday at a time... 
. 
Surprisingly, it snowed hard around here Saturday afternoon... looked like a blizzard... visibility about 300 feet max... but since it was 38 degrees F, snow only stuck to top of grass and other elevated objects... then melted...


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Evening One and All...
How's one and all doing... Not sure where the day went today... Got up a little later,, and then had to go over to my Sister and Brother-in-law's to help move furniture, and take the railing down, they are getting new floors on Tuesday... But we can't go tomorrow, cuz we have to return Fisher to his house, as they will be getting back late tonight...

A couple of Ticks fell off one of the pups... Carl and Fisher... But they were both dead... After today's cool weather, I am sure they will all die and go into hibernation... We used to have huge problems with tics on our old property... But the trick was to keep the grass short... and put down some wood mulch... Just before we decided to sell... we thought of getting some Guinea Hens... One bird eats 1000 ticks a month... My Buddy who owns Fisher... when they bought their property, everybody was getting ticks on them... they got 5 Guinea hens... and NOBODY got ticks on themselves this past summer or fall...

Well, that's about all we did today...  Didn't do a hell of a lot... So, I hope YOU have a GREAT evening...

Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

Was sorry to see that WWII Cobra fighter collide with B17 Flying Fortress bomber at a Texas airshow... all lives lost... and lots of volunteers had likely put thousands of hours into restoring those planes and keeping them flying for the memories... 
. 
Got an email from Russia today offering to sell stolen, cloned, forged credit cards, etc: 
. 
" Hi nation. We propose cloned cards with decent balance. Our cloned prepaid cards mastercard operate in all ATMs of the planet. You can obtain monies from ATMs without any problems. The parcel is 100% secure. Shipment of the cloned card in 2-6 days. Sale of cloned cards, hacked credit cards, prepaid cards, cheap Western Union transfers and prepaid PayPal accounts. Start a rich life! Thousands of our customers have already rated our service excellent. Our friendly team has been hacking for more than 90 years. Big discounts for wholesale buyers. Worldwide delivery in a few days. Cash withdrawal at any ATM. 100% safe!!!

Store and shop cloned cards Tor Buy Cloned cards

PayPal Transfers $500 – Price $ 49.00
PayPal Transfers $2000 – Price $ 149.00
1 Card Total Balance: $3 100 – Price $ 110.00
3 Cards Total Balance ? $9 600 – Price $ 180.00
Western Union Transfers $1000 – Price $ 99.00
Western Union Transfers $300 – Price $ 249.00 " 
. 
Wonder if I can pay with a cloned prepaid debit card?


----------



## RedneckGrump

BuzzLOL said:


> Xmas waits until after Thanksgiving for me... One holiday at a time...
> .
> Surprisingly, it snowed hard around here Saturday afternoon... looked like a blizzard... visibility about 300 feet max... but since it was 38 degrees F, snow only stuck to top of grass and other elevated objects... then melted...


Yup, my Lady is pushing to put up decorations... Always tell her not till after Remembrance Day... So I can see them going up any day... For supper, the wife is making homemade onion soup... Love it... especially since it's cool outside now...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> For supper, the wife is making homemade onion soup... Love it... especially since it's cool outside now...


Is that French onion with the cheese on top?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Ummmmm of course with homemade croutons... One of my favourite home made soups when it turns cold out...


----------



## shan2themax

So.... @zannej  Thats a yes to the cats than? LOL

I made creamy chicken noodle soup for dinner, it was ok I suppose. I wasn't really in the mood but didnt want to waste what I had planned.


@Ron Van that is gorgeous! I also love the organization you have, it looks awesome!





@BuzzLOL as I always say..... be the change you want to see in the world. 

Exude happiness




I haven't done much today. Trying to relax on my 1 day off between my 3 12s, off, 3 12s..... I napped earlier in my recliner.... which isn't exactly a pleasant experience lol. 

I'm hoping in a bit to force myself to clean the living room and put a third load of laundry in for the day.
Maybe even work on the puzzle for a little bit...


Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!


----------



## shan2themax

@RedneckGrump would your wife share her recipe? I love French onion soup!


----------



## RedneckGrump

shan2themax said:


> @RedneckGrump would your wife share her recipe? I love French onion soup!


Of course she will, I will ask her for it, and get it up here, or in the recipe section is the next few days... It's delicious... and your chicken soup looked delicious also...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I made creamy chicken noodle soup for dinner, it was ok I suppose. I wasn't really in the mood but didnt want to waste what I had planned.
> .
> @BuzzLOL as I always say..... be the change you want to see in the world.
> 
> Exude happiness


Looks delicious... I love egg noodles... would prolly make it with mushroom soup... 
Also, New England clam chowder over noodles... 
.
And stifle evil...


----------



## Spicoli43

GRRRR... Every time this year I decided to go full on Paleo, it has backfired. It's easy to screw up in Football Season, but that's almost over and I haven't had any Pizza this year, which is usually what I do this time of year. 

Apparently my Chili Diet continues... I have no recollection of the Beans and Chopped Tomatoes ending up in my Costco cart or even my truck, as I didn't see me buy them, but they are on the receipt, so I can't claim somebody gave them to me. 

That would be nice to be given Chili ingredients, or I would settle for Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese... Just a Huge wheel of it that never goes bad that I can chew on for 10 years or so... THAT I did see myself buying today. On purpose.

Knew it... JUST REMEMBERED... The nice lady at the grocery store always asks if I found everything I needed, and I always say "I will know when I get home."... Hahaha... Well shiver me freaking timbers, I'm home and I forgot the Jalapeno Peppers! Why even make Chili? What's the point???

GRRRRRRR


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> @Ron Van, that neatly organized storage space is to be envied. What's the brand and source of the lift.


It’s an Aladdin lift. It’s a DIY install. 

Click here


----------



## Ron Van

havasu said:


> Forgot to post the new sprinkler controller on the wall.


Those are both nice controllers. I suppose you have apps on your phone to program the sprinklers and your alarm?


----------



## shan2themax

Fiddling some this evening..... now my back is angry again


----------



## RedneckGrump

Ron Van said:


> It’s an Aladdin lift. It’s a DIY install.
> 
> Click here


That is so cool... going to look into that... thank you for sharing @Ron Van 

Well, up again, not able to sleep... Sugars are skyrocketing...  Not a lot has changed in my life since I was on last... So hope YOU all have a good one...

Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

The lift is cool, but not for the price. The platform is easy to create, one could weld Steel together instead of the Aluminum they use, and buy a couple of hoists from Harbor Freight or wherever. I could be wrong about buying everything and recreating it, but for $3299, it doesn't impress me.


----------



## Eddie_T

If neatness and non-quirky ease of use means anything then the price is not so bad.


----------



## Eddie_T

Speaking of microwave cornpoppers, I like mine better than any popper I have ever tried. I just wash it and hang it on the clothesline to dry. I hadn't thought of using the lid as a cover, good idea. I only use the card stock on small bowls for warm-up not for cooking.


----------



## Flyover

Speaking of microwaves, I scrapped mine today. Ended up with a big cardboard box of sheet metal, the microwave carcass, a plastic tub of electronic odds and ends, a small plastic tub of screws, and my two precious magnets, which are nowhere near as powerful as I was hoping. 

Now I have to figure out what to do with this stuff. I think the sheet metal and carcass will be given away for free on Craigslist to scrappers; the electronics gak I will try to gift to a friend. The magnets are stuck in the spot where I'd planned to put them, unable to hold the thing I was hoping they'd hold. I put them there as a reminder of my hubris.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover, I'm disappointed too. I thought the magnets would super powerful.

Talking about my cardboard stool reminded me that when I lived on St. Simon's Island, GA the condo I rented had cardboard furniture.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Speaking of microwave cornpoppers, I like mine better than any popper I have ever tried.


I'm not satisfied with mine for popping corn, either leaves kernels unpopped or burns the popcorn in the middle of the bowl... just sticking with a pan on the range with corn oil, popcorn into a bowl,  and then melting butter in the pan...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm not satisfied with mine for popping corn, either leaves kernels unpopped or burns the popcorn in the middle of the bowl... just sticking with a pan on the range with corn oil, popcorn into a bowl,  and then melting butter in the pan...


Mine is similar to this and has never been  problem.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Mine is similar to this and has never been  problem.


Looks about like mine... maybe my microwave is too powerful... or it's the Inverter... might try turning the power level down... but I'm satisfied with the taste results from a pan and oil...
Wondering where the lid went to in picture #4... fell off?


----------



## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> I'm not satisfied with mine for popping corn, either leaves kernels unpopped or burns the popcorn in the middle of the bowl... just sticking with a pan on the range with corn oil, popcorn into a bowl,  and then melting butter in the pan...


I'm a pan popper too. Just a little oil and the corn. No butter please but I like popcorn salt. I could never figure out why people buy microwave poppers or those air poppers. Hey isn't there thread for that!?


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> No butter please but I like popcorn salt. I could never figure out why people buy microwave poppers or those air poppers.


Well, everybody's taste is a little different... Viva Le Differance...


----------



## Eddie_T

I pop in butter or coconut oil, about 1 tsp, popcorn salt and 1/4 tsp sugar. Too much butter and it will burn, The best I have done is four old maids. When I use up the (unflavored) popcorn salt I will grind my own in an electric coffee grinder.


----------



## zannej

I wish I could take more cats.
Havasu, I also wish I could remember where I put stuff and remember to label things. My memory is like a sieve. I have several spots where I put things thinking I'll remember later but I forget. I really do need to get bins and organize things and label things. In my bathroom I have tried to keep things more organized. I have all the abrasive tools and things in a single drawer on my laundry cart. But I know I need to do better.

Speaking of microwaves, time to play Taps for mine. Got it in 2018 but it was killed by a power surge. Turns out there is no ground wire in the outlet. That will have to be remedied later. At least I know its on breaker 5 now. It was the 3rd breaker I flipped. I realized that DR was for my brother's room and skipped flipping that one since he was actively using his computer. I now realize the SR is probably for my room which I used to share with my sister. I'll have to confirm that later. The screw holding the old outlet extender on was so borked that not even a speed out drill thingy would take it off. We had to use a pry bar-- which made the wall panel start to crack and then friend started spinning the whole extender once it was out far enough. But chunks came off and then the back part broke off. The outlet itself broke in half and bent in. Dad didn't leave 6" of slack in the wires & there were no pigtails. Some wires were wrapped around screws and others stubbed into the back. Friend had a hard time getting the old outlet out and since we didn't have extra wires and its a small gang box he double wrapped wires on the screws. Not how I wanted it done, but something that can be rectified in the future. There's no wall plate so he got the extender on. Tested all the ports & its good. Unfortunately, microwave is toast. Air fryer still works. I covered the unused ports on the extender with plastic covers to protect them and pushed the air fryer as far back as it could go (it vents on the sides). My brother already used it so it is good.

Ordered a new microwave-- $400+ for the equivalent of the same model but got $200 off with cashback rewards. Got the 4 year protection plan this time.

Went to the store this morning to pickup an online order. The Grogu 40 action animatronic thingamajig that is normally $80 is on sale for $15 & Mom wanted it. She loves to collect Star Wars toys. We had the C3PO action figure case back in the early 80s. Met my friend at the store and we hung out with him a bit. He had his daughter there bc she's sick & she climbed on my brother's shoulders. I kept my distance. I forgot to get eggs, but got most of the stuff on the list. Gonna mail a Grogu to my sister bc she wanted one. Shipping will cost more than the toy, but it will make her happy.

Woke with 10 cats piled on. Only about 6 or 7 right now. I'm about to cook something in the air fryer.

Spicoli, I'm having the same problem sticking to the diet and cutting back on stuff I know I shouldn't eat. I make the mistake of shopping while hungry and buy stuff I want to eat right then. Shopped with my brother and got donuts and regretted it. I have been eating more salad though but I don't think it balances out.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> The lift is cool, but not for the price. The platform is easy to create, one could weld Steel together instead of the Aluminum they use, and buy a couple of hoists from Harbor Freight or wherever. I could be wrong about buying everything and recreating it, but for $3299, it doesn't impress me.


Well…like everything else, the price has gone up. Quite a bit actually, I paid significantly less in 2020.


----------



## Ron Van

Put out some more decorations today before the rain comes tonight. After the time change, it gets dark so early that the lights help cheer things up a bit…don’t you think?


----------



## Flyover

We do a wreath on the door, the fake tree in the living room, stockings over the fireplace, and that's it. Always after Thanksgiving. I don't get why people put their decorations up so early. Why wait until Halloween then? Why not put them up before labor day? How about you put them up in February.

Even with our understated decorations we somehow have two large tubs marked "Christmas decor" taking up space the rest of the year. If I could get it down to one (or zero) I'd be happier, but oh well. I can't imagine what kind of extra large storage units people must be renting to store their Chevy-Chase-in-Christmas-Vacation impersonating kit.


----------



## shan2themax

Reminds me of this guy I went to nursing school with. He was in my class originally, but graduated later. He is a flight nurse now I believe..

Its a recreation from National Lampoon Christmas Vacation









						VIDEO: Ky. man goes viral after he uses flamethrower to clear driveway of snow
					

The video recreates Cousin Eddie from the iconic holiday movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."




					www.wdrb.com
				






If this link doesn't work, let me know and I will find the fb link


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Everyone...
@shan2themax haven't forgotten your recipe... Just gotta time it right with the wife to sit down and get the recipe to post here for you... I will get it very soon for you...

Not a lot planned for today, probably relax, I know my pup Carl is sound asleep on the couch, now that we drove Fisher home yesterday... Stopped in to see the Brother-in-law after his gallbladder surgery... He's doing 100% better than I thought he would be doing... the Very first time in the hospital for surgery... he's doing GREAT...

Other than that, and driving 245km yesterday... I think today will be a relaxing mode... I have lots of little jobs I can work on today... We will see...

Anyhow, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
Cheers~


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> We do a wreath on the door, the fake tree in the living room, stockings over the fireplace, and that's it. Always after Thanksgiving. I don't get why people put their decorations up so early. Why wait until Halloween then?


two reasons we decorate early…

1. The lights counteract the lack of daylight due to the short days thereby reducing Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD as a type of depression in which “people experience feelings of sadness and low energy, especially around the winter months when the days are the shortest)

2. And most importantly, It makes Ruby happy. 

Those are two really good reasons to decorate right after the time change. Halloween has it’s own decorations … you don’t want Christmas up then.


----------



## Ron Van

Looks nice Shan!


shan2themax said:


> Fiddling some this evening..... now my back is angry again View attachment 28997
> View attachment 28998


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> two reasons we decorate early…
> 
> 1. The lights counteract the lack of daylight due to the short days thereby reducing Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD as a type of depression in which “people experience feelings of sadness and low energy, especially around the winter months when the days are the shortest)
> 
> 2. And most importantly, It makes Ruby happy.
> 
> Those are two really good reasons to decorate right after the time change. Halloween has it’s own decorations … you don’t want Christmas up then.


My wife and I used to drive around neighborhoods enjoying the view of  Christmas lights. However, 5 hrs 17 min is too far to drive so thanks for posting.


----------



## zannej

Vet was closed yesterday so we took Namir in this morning. He had gotten worse overnight. They said to leave him with them for about an hour while we ran some errands and to check back later. Got a call that he'd started having seizures, had swelling inside his head and there was nothing they could do for him. Shipped the Grogu to my sister, grabbed groceries, skipped breakfast and went in to pay them The $140 for the exam, euthanasia, and internment. My brother is devastated. That cat was his baby. He was hugging one of the other cats and sobbing into her fur when we got home. With this vet, even if we had taken him in sooner I think the result would have been the same. They weren't willing to try any treatment because he was biting while having seizures and they were worried he'd bite someone. I can understand that, but it still sucks. So we are down to 14 cats now. :-( I wish I'd known he was that bad bc I would have said goodbye before we left him there.


----------



## Flyover

I never heard of Christmas lights doing much for SAD. I thought you needed special high temperature lights to treat it.

I enjoyed seeing Christmas lights as a kid. Back then I also used to care about which baseball and hockey teams were winning, and which movies were coming out. I drank a lot of cola then too. Ha, I became less like an American the longer I lived here!


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> I don't get why people put their decorations up so early.


There are 2 reasons to put up decorations early, weather and whether. If you hit a decent window in the weather it's nice to put up (or take down) decorations when it's not stupid cold or crappy out. The second reason is, as Ron indicated, whether your wife will be happy you did. Simple. We only do a little bit of decorating. We're back in the woods so nobody can really see the lights but us and when people come over. Even if they are up early we don't turn them on until after Thanksgiving. We do have some lights in a couple trees by the pond that come on at night all year. My wife likes them soooo....


----------



## Eddie_T

I kinda miss going into the stores and malls around Christmas time. Young  Israelis would be working the kiosks and I would carry my shofar as a conversation starter. They would always ask if I knew the four calls. People would stop and watch as I sounded the calls. One Israeli asked if  knew the blessings. I said them in Hebrew and my wife said "He didn't get them right, did he?" The Israeli replied, "Yes, with a southern accent", and we all had a good laugh.

I wish one could get international street foods in the malls such as Ethiopian injera and wat. 

Kinda gloomy today so I popped some corn and am reading. I timed the popping  2:10. Another plus, the poppers is flexible and easy to tuck into my side so I just eat out of the popper.


----------



## Flyover

68bucks said:


> The second reason is, as Ron indicated, whether your wife will be happy you did.


This just kicks the question back to why your wife wants decorations up early.



Eddie_T said:


> I would carry my shofar as a conversation starter.


I have to admit, that would probably get me to start one with you too.



Eddie_T said:


> People would stop and watch as I sounded the calls. One Israeli asked if knew the blessings. I said them in Hebrew and my wife said "He didn't get them right, did he?" The Israeli replied, "Yes, with a southern accent", and we all had a good laugh.


Ha, that's great.


----------



## Eddie_T

A neglected can of sliced pineapple blew its pop top. I was looking for a can of broth on a base cabinet lazy susan in the utility room when I saw a can with the pop top fully opened. I picked the can up it looked empty but had dessicated pineapple slices in the bottom. No telling how long ago the event occured.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, I forgot to ask: where did you learn to blow a shofar and say the blessings in Hebrew?


----------



## Eddie_T

I was an honor guard bugler and somewhat of a trumpet player. The shofar was a bit more difficult but I heard the four calls when the Promise Keepers had their event at the Washington Mall in 1997. Nowadays you can find the shofar calls on youtube. The blessings came from a TV program called Jewish Jewels via a couple of friends.

I bet the shofar would sound good over Ron's lake.


----------



## RedneckGrump

zannej said:


> Vet was closed yesterday so we took Namir in this morning. He had gotten worse overnight. They said to leave him with them for about an hour while we ran some errands and to check back later. Got a call that he'd started having seizures, had swelling inside his head and there was nothing they could do for him. Shipped the Grogu to my sister, grabbed groceries, skipped breakfast and went in to pay them The $140 for the exam, euthanasia, and internment. My brother is devastated. That cat was his baby. He was hugging one of the other cats and sobbing into her fur when we got home. With this vet, even if we had taken him in sooner I think the result would have been the same. They weren't willing to try any treatment because he was biting while having seizures and they were worried he'd bite someone. I can understand that, but it still sucks. So we are down to 14 cats now. :-( I wish I'd known he was that bad bc I would have said goodbye before we left him there.


@zannej, I am so sorry for your loss... losing any pet can be heart-wrenching... Something I can't handle too much anymore... Thoughts are with YOU!!!

Not a lot was done yesterday... Starting to have some of those symptoms again... Another sleepless night...

Well, we got our first snowstorm today, suppose to get about 5 inches... Yahoo... NOT...
Going to the dump this morning... That's about all I have to do...

But first I am going to try and get some sleep... I feel exhausted... 

Have a GREAT day all...
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I think the sheet metal and carcass will be given away for free on Craigslist


Do you have a Steel recycling center locally that pays? You might be able to save it and take a truckload to get some cash. The local joint here takes everything metal based on the commodities market prices. I haven't done it because I haven't saved up enough to do it, but I think about it every time I have a bad worn out nail or screw in my hand...


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> This just kicks the question back to why your wife wants decorations up early.


I took me way too long to realize this but it is much easier and way more satisfying to do little things that make Ruby happy rather than question or "discuss" them. You could say that I have "given in," but I'd say, I want to have a happy life for me and Ruby. I've found that most of her ideas and desires are good ones. I like the result of the decorations too. Light is good.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> Spicoli, I'm having the same problem sticking to the diet and cutting back on stuff I know I shouldn't eat. I make the mistake of shopping while hungry and buy stuff I want to eat right then. Shopped with my brother and got donuts and regretted it. I have been eating more salad though but I don't think it balances out.


I have never heard anybody report that "Salad" worked in any way shape or form for dieting. For me, it's about the most boring thing I have ever eaten. I'm going to do a cavity healing diet soon, which includes a lot of greens, but I'm hoping to get away with only Broccoli, as I can eat that everyday... Kale, no bleeping way...


----------



## Spicoli43

My Cats and 10 minutes versus all of your decorations... It would be a Santa bloodbath!


----------



## Flyover

No argument against making your wife happy, Ron. I do what I can to make my wife happy and would encourage others to do the same. But if my wife wanted Christmas decorations to go up while Halloween was barely over, I would indeed ask why she has that preference because to my mind it is bizarre, and there's even something slightly pathological about it that I can't quite put my finger on.

Of course at the end of the day it's all opinions and taste; if someone wants to just keep their house decorated like Christmas year-round that's their right, and equally defensible. I do think about energy waste (not just electricity to light things up but also human calories lugging stuff around), but that's its own thing.


Spicoli43 said:


> Do you have a Steel recycling center locally that pays? You might be able to save it and take a truckload to get some cash. The local joint here takes everything metal based on the commodities market prices. I haven't done it because I haven't saved up enough to do it, but I think about it every time I have a bad worn out nail or screw in my hand...


I'm sure there's one in my metro region, but I have no idea how close it is and doubt it'd be worth the trip just for the contents of one microwave. I don't have dollar signs in my eyes...if the stuff isn't gone by recycling day I'll just put it on the curb.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Vet was closed yesterday so we took Namir in this morning. He had gotten worse overnight. They said to leave him with them for about an hour while we ran some errands and to check back later. Got a call that he'd started having seizures, had swelling inside his head and there was nothing they could do for him.


It's sad....Ruby had 8 outdoor cats 2 years ago. She feeds them out on the patio and they have beds there. Outdoor cats don't last long around here. The rational was that they keep the mice out of the house...which they do! Out of the 8, only 3 are left but it looks like maybe a black cat has adopted us. They were just kittens in this picture.



We also have two Pitties we are fostering until we can find them a forever home.



They are big love bugs! And of course, our 3 dogs...


----------



## shan2themax

All you fellas who want to make there wives happy, I APPLAUD YOU!

Now... could you formulate a list of men 45-55 who feel the same and send them my way? . (There are other requirements, but this is a start lol)


@zannej I am sorry for your loss :-(


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> But if my wife wanted Christmas decorations to go up while Halloween was barely over, I would indeed ask why she has that preference because to my mind it is bizarre, and there's even something slightly pathological about it that I can't quite put my finger on.


Putting up Christmas decorations less than two weeks before Thanksgiving is bizarre and pathological? You realize Thanksgiving is only a week from tomorrow? You may be too rigid on your timelines. Whoever made the rule that you can't put up decorations until Nov 25th is a fun sucking Grinch. There are a lot of things going on these days that is Bizarre and Pathological but putting up decorations doesn't cross the line for me.

As long as it's good and not evil, I say, go with the flow...especially when the flow brings happiness to others.

Last year, more than one neighbor told me they really liked the decorations in the yard. Especially when the sun sets at 16:37 tonight and doesn't come up until 06:48


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> I took me way too long to realize this but it is much easier and way more satisfying to do little things that make Ruby happy rather than question or "discuss" them. You could say that I have "given in," but I'd say, I want to have a happy life for me and Ruby. I've found that most of her ideas and desires are good ones. I like the result of the decorations too. Light is good.


Now that my wife has passed how I miss doing doing those little things that made her happy. My DIL likes to decorate and she can't wait for one holiday to end so she can prepare for another. True love is not paint by the numbers.

As for wasting calories my wife once asked me why I was making so many trips bringing groceries in. I said it ensures that I don't drop and break anything or fall plus it burns calories w/o going to the gym.

Prolly my best gift to my wife was that I didn't make her a football widow we spent our holidays together.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Now that my wife has passed how I miss doing doing those little things that made her happy. My DIL likes to decorate and she can't wait for one holiday to end so she can prepare for another. True love is not paint by the numbers.
> 
> Prolly my best gift to my wife was that I didn't make her a football widow we spent our holidays together.


Eddie, I'm sorry to hear about your wife...I can't even imagine that. It makes me want to put more decorations up!


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## havasu

Yeah, that is rough. I'm sorry to hear this Eddie. 

As I get older, I wonder what life would be  like if "she" wasn't in my life. 

Shan, 45-55? Dang girl, you going for the "young stuff" 

Can you say "cougar", or is it, as mine would describe as a "saber tooth tiger?"


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> As for wasting calories my wife once asked me why I was making so many trips bringing groceries in. I said it ensures that I don't drop and break anything or fall plus it burns calories w/o going to the gym.


As far as weight loss, I know everyone is different and some lose weight easier than other so my experience may not relate to anyone other than me, but... Here's the picture that caused me to get serious about weight loss. It was taken in 2014 or maybe 2015.



I am 6 feet tall but have a slim frame. 207 pounds doesn't look good on me. I bought a 6 pack of Slim Fast and it said this on the label.



A 500 cal meal plus two 180 cal meals plus three 100 cal snacks equal 1160 cals. A person actually needs more than that. I shot for 1600 - 1800/day. a woman would be less. I followed this plan using a calorie counter on my phone and lost 60 pounds in around a year. Ruby asked me to gain some weight back because she is borderline Bizarre and Pathological (just kidding) and I am still minus 35 pounds today. 

For me the secret was having a snack available and handy that is low cal like Orville Redenbacher's smart pop individual 120cal bags (It only takes 1 1/2 minutes to pop one of these in my micro).

Or a Fuji apple cut into slices (100cal). I think slicing it makes the snack more purposeful and enjoyable. 

Pickles and olives are very low cal. Sliced and put into a special small bowl as a snack.

I discovered through the process that I will never have the body that I want but I have the body God gave me. Losing weight makes everything easier.

BTW. when comparing exercise and diet....diet has way more effect on weight loss than exercise.


----------



## havasu

How do you like your roll bar boat?


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## Eddie_T

Some pickles burn more calories than they contain. Unfortunately my favorite pickle is sweet hots which are 33 cal per two chunks but maybe in moderation. Tony Packo's is too expensive but should be easy to DIY. I have been tossing other pickles into the jar with good result.


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## Eddie_T

havasu said:


> Shan, 45-55? Dang girl, you going for the "young stuff"
> 
> Can you say "cougar", or is it, as mine would describe as a "saber tooth tiger?"


Hold up there, are you implying that Shannon is old?


----------



## 68bucks

I have a neighbor who has had their Christmas tree up for about 3 or 4 years now. I asked her why once and she said it was too much work putting it away and getting it out so ahe decided to just leave it up. Whatever. 

Had an MRI on my back today so I hope they can figure something out. It is better though. Walked a couple of miles yesterday for the first time. Even jogged a little. I was running 8-10 miles a week until about 6 weeks ago. Had to pay for the MRI myself since the insurance company would not approve it. I have a high deductible policy so I was going to pay it either way but it would at least go towards my deductible. I'm sure the insurance company knows what I need more than my doctor does.


----------



## havasu

Eddie_T said:


> Hold up there, are you implying that Shannon is old?


Well, that is a good point. All I know is I am 67, and I ain't old yet.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Tony Packo's is too expensive but should be easy to DIY.


Tony Packo's is, of course, from here in Toledo and made kinda famous by Max Klinger/Jamie Farr in M*A*S*H TV show. My uncle who died in a car accident in 1954 was a friend of Tony. Haven't been in Tony Packos restaurants for a while but they are pricey. Years ago a Hungarian Hot Dog in a bun was $3.50 and the sausage link was sliced in half lengthwise and so you only got 1/2 of it for that price. Most local people don't even know the original Tony Packo's that Jamie Farr (Jameel Farrah) went to was in downtown Toledo and has been long gone for decades. Most think of the big Tony Packo's in the Hungarian neighborhood of East Toledo now where famous (Hungarian) singer Teresa Brewer (Breuer) grew up . They have also added about 4 smaller ones now including one back in downtown across street from Mud Hens Baseball Stadium (also mentioned on TV by Max Klinger). 
. 
BTW, it was proven long ago that any food that tastes good has more calories than it takes to eat them... celery was the usual example... 
. 
Salads work for dieting because they fill your stomach with roughage so that you know you ate 'something' and your stomach is 'satisfied' for a while... of course, you can add meats, cheeses, veggies, and salad dressing for a 'chef's salad' for more flavor... but you have to be careful not to add too many calories in the process... 
. 
Adding weight usually took a long time and losing it takes just as long... or longer... unless you go on a dangerous crash diet... 
. 
I figure the best way to keep weight down is to keep busy doing things... it takes your mind off food, gives exercise, burns calories, and GETS THINGS DONE! 
. 
We tend to snack watching TV or being on the 'puter...


----------



## Eddie_T

I think the Tony Packo's pickles run 8-12 dollars per jar. They were gifted to me so I don't know the price, but they were good.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> No.... could you formulate a list of men 45-55 who feel the same and send them my way? . (There are other requirements, but this is a start lol)


You could try the largest free dating site in the world, larger than all the pay ones combined, it's at PoF dot com... (I'm on there under the same name... but I'm 74)


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Well, that is a good point. All I know is I am 67, and I ain't old yet.


67 is still a kid and I'm still young at 74...


----------



## Eddie_T

My point is that Shannon ain't that old!


----------



## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> I have a neighbor who has had their Christmas tree up for about 3 or 4 years now.
> 
> Had an MRI on my back today so I hope they can figure something out. Had to pay for the MRI myself since the insurance company would not approve it. I'm sure the insurance company knows what I need more than my doctor does.


One year I left my Xmas tree up until September... just got used to seeing it and didn't take it down... can't remember now if I then took it down or just gave up and left it up for Xmas that year...  I now keep the tree fully decorated in large garbage bags, so it's quick to put up or take down... it has a string of popcorn on it that a tenant strung for it in about 1982... popcorn lasts an amazingly long time... There are year around Xmas shops here and there... one locally here... one of most famous in tourist town Frankenmuth, Michigan... 
. 
You may need a different health insurer, unless tied into one by a job... I'm fortunate to get MRI's, X-rays, and most other such free via VA... and my new Medicare provider pays for dental including tooth implants(which are wonderful. like real teeth)...


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## Ron Van

The little town I live in is putting holiday decorations!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Dude... Those have been handled by 500 people!!!


Remember back when we were afraid to touch our mail because all the post offices were full of white powder? What was it, anthrax?


----------



## 68bucks

Has there ever been a year in American history with zero murders? I highly doubt it.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> You may need a different health insurer, unless tied into one by a job... I'm fortunate to get MRI's, X-rays, and most other such free via VA... and my new Medicare provider pays for dental including tooth implants(which are wonderful. like real teeth)...


I'm going to try to get free tooth implants from the VA because the Army insisted on drilling 2 teeth that could have been healed. Long shot, but my Brother has 2 implants and he says he would replace all his teeth, which are all good, if he could afford it. He raves about the implants and how easy it is to floss etc...


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## Eddie_T

Someone we know must have missed this;

The "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Greek: Χριστός), which became Christ in English. The suffix -mas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass.


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## Flyover

I like being the youngest guy on the forum in my late 30s.


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> The little town I live in is putting holiday decorations!


Just remembering another small town in that general area. IIRC it was pronounced Ārab by locals. We had a town in NC flooded by Fontana Lake that was pronounced Jāpan.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Someone we know must have missed this; The "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Greek: Χριστός), which became Christ in English. The suffix -mas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass.


I knew all that long ago... I also speak Latin... but it still doesn't cause me to succumb to evil mass murdering addictions...


----------



## Ron Van

havasu said:


> How do you like your roll bar boat?


That boat is a 1987 American Skier. It was built at a time when Ski Nautique, Mastercraft and American Skier all looked alike. I bought this one in 1995 from a family that owned Colonial Doughnut in the Bay Area (San Francisco). They gave me an old round Parasail with it but showed me pictures of disastrous wipe outs while trying to launch the thing. Back then, they were launching from shore and hopping along the beach until they got airborne. These days they would use a wench and just crank out the rope as you catch the wind. Much safer. Anyway, by the time I got around to trying the parasail, Mice had eaten enough of it to make it garbage.

The Boat has a Ford 351 engine in it with a 4 barrel carb. It produces 260HP which means that engine isn't even breathing hard at full power.

I installed the tower mostly for my boys who wanted to wakeboard more than ski. They are grown and doing their own thing now but I keep the tower on there because while skiing, putting the rope higher makes it easier to get up. #Lazy_old_out_of_shape_guy. 

We've had a lot of fun in this old girl over the years.


----------



## Eddie_T

shan2themax said:


> All you fellas who want to make there wives happy, I APPLAUD YOU!
> 
> No.... could you formulate a list of men 45-55 who feel the same and send them my way? . (There are other requirements, but this is a start lol)


That reminds me of a comment my wife's internist made to me. I was explaining an argument I had with another doctor. My wife had a lump appear on her back in less that 24 hrs. I took her her to urgent care where the doctor diagnosed it as a lipoma, gave us a referral to a surgeon and said it did not appear overnight. I told the internist that it had in fact appeared overnight as I washed my wife's back every morning and one morning there it was.

The internist told me that she would never tell me that I didn't see what I saw and went on to say *she hoped she could find a husband that would wash her back every day.*

BTW the "so-called" lipoma disappeared almost as fast as it appeared and I tossed the referral in the round file.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend just sold one of the earlier Mastercraft low-wake ski boats. His had the Ford 351. My son worked at Mastercraft because as a former Yamaha tech rep he was familiar with the engine used in the Mastercraft WaveRunners. Mastercraft had switched to Chevy engines (Corvette class blocks) for the ski boats. He could borrow one anytime he wanted, sweet boats.

Interestingly the paved launching ramp appeared coming out of the water on the other side of that little neck of the lake Tellico.  It was a paved road before the lake flooded it.

I met Flo Shirley she told of Rob and her laying the fiberglass for his prototype low-wake ski boat.


----------



## Eddie_T

I didn't realize I had stepped into a running family argument. I was over for supper with the dad. The son was temporarily storing his boat in one bay of the detached garage. I knew it was there and had heard his dad fuss about the overpriced boat but didn't know it was a Mastercraft. He had the detached garage door open and I saw the Mastercraft and immediately asked the son which engine it had in it and we got into a discussion of the boats history. Then he turned to his dad and said see I told you that boat was special. I thought OOPS! and quickly changed the subject.


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Redneck. 
I always hated Christmas lights. The blinking pattern annoys me. I'm a curmudgeon. LOL.
Salads may not be the healthiest but I like certain types. I like the ranch dressing and the lettuce. 
I got up and fed the kitties early this morning and then went back to sleep until after 3pm. I needed the rest.
Still need to take the trash out and do more cleanup. I'm going to have to get more cleaning done before the new microwave arrives tomorrow. I should have a couple of packages tomorrow. My sister's package will arrive Friday.
Rupert is in super cuddle mode with me right now and is purring soothingly for me. I think my brother already left for work and Mom is still sleeping. She stayed up all night.


----------



## Eddie_T

Simmering thin spaghetti. The sauce (or gravy as the Italians call it) is ready but after 15 minutes of boiling the noodles are still chewy. I turned them down on low for a while to see what happens. No doubt the noodles have been on hand too long but I am committed now.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Thanks, Redneck.
> I always hated Christmas lights. The blinking pattern annoys me. I'm a curmudgeon. LOL.


You’re going to love this…I bought 12v fairy lights off Amazon and put them on two of our cars. 




They don’t blink though. 

The decorations are going up around town.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spaghetti not so good. I ate my fill anyway but see the possum grinning he knows what's coming tomorrow night. Too dark to put it out tonight.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Simmering thin spaghetti. The sauce (or gravy as the Italians call it) is ready but after 15 minutes of boiling the noodles are still chewy. I turned them down on low for a while to see what happens. No doubt the noodles have been on hand too long but I am committed now.


Yikes! 15minutes is a long time for pasta. I cook whole wheat spaghetti for 9 minutes. 

I make good meatballs. I use bread crumbs, worstershire, salt, pepper, and egg in the hamburger. They are almost meatloaf but really tasty.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> I like being the youngest guy on the forum in my late 30s.


I remember when I was in my late 30s. Was that yesterday   ·   ·   ·


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I remember when I was in my late 30s. Was that yesterday   ·   ·   ·


The good thing for flyover is that it just keeps getting better!


----------



## Ron Van

I put new cabinet pulls on today. 19 all together. 



Took off the gold and ivory ones and installed black.


----------



## Eddie_T

You did good, black looks best.


----------



## shan2themax

Ya'll are cracking me up! I am 51 years and 16 days old lol. Thats a narrow ago range I gave lol.

I have no desire to be on a dating site, I don't even know that I want to date. It seems kinda gross currently .
At this point, I would probably have way too many check boxes to mark off. I won't say I am totally opposed, because everything can change.
HOWEVER, its gonna take a miracle currently.

Now, @BuzzLOL, there was an incident in the city I work, where there was an argument outside a bar that lead to shots fired. These shots traveled across the street and into a business called DP Dough. There was a young man working there that was struck by a bullet in the head. He ended up dying. He was an organ donor and there were matches for nearly everything. He had only worked there for a week. I donated to his cremation expenses. I wanted to help his family, because I know it has to be heartbreaking for them. The dude was just trying to work.
Here's a link D.P. Dough employee struck by stray bullet dies

I am so incredibly blessed, my oldest had left DP Dough about 20 minutes prior to this incident, he was on lunch for work, working midnights. 

I'm heading to sleep, I'm pooped!
Have a great night!


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I have no desire to be on a dating site, I don't even know that I want to date. It seems kinda gross currently .
> 
> Now, @BuzzLOL, there was an incident in the city I work, where there was an argument outside a bar that lead to shots fired. These shots traveled across the street and into a business called DP Dough. There was a young man working there that was struck by a bullet in the head. He ended up dying.


You're the one who asked... we just suggest a fix... 
. 
Just another victim of the Democrats' beloved junkies CRIME WAVE... 75 MURDERS DAILY... I'm against it... but I'm just one person... and too many millions of people just re-voted FOR it...


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Ya'll are cracking me up! I am 51 years and 16 days old lol. Thats a narrow ago range I gave lol.


You are a very young looking 51!



shan2themax said:


> I have no desire to be on a dating site, I don't even know that I want to date. It seems kinda gross currently .
> At this point, I would probably have way too many check boxes to mark off. I won't say I am totally opposed, because everything can change.
> HOWEVER, its gonna take a miracle currently.



I met Ruby on a dating site. I didn't think I would ever do it either but a friend talked me into it. Turns out, Ruby had to be talked into it too. It worked well for us. I like being in a relationship but I don't particularly like what it takes to start a relationship...like asking for the first date. Very awkward. I mean, where do you find potential dates these days? I don't frequent bars and I just don't run into a lot of single women on a day to day basis. Even though Ruby and I lived pretty close to each other, I doubt I would have ever run into her without the dating site.

The online thing starts with email correspondence, followed by phone calls, followed by a meeting at a coffee shop or something like that. You both already know quite a bit about each other by then. Ruby's children knew my boys. She asked her kids what they thought of my two boys and they got a good review. One of our first dates was to take Ruby's daughter roller skating. Ruby was impressed that I was willing to put skates on and make a fool of myself. 



shan2themax said:


> I am so incredibly blessed, my oldest had left DP Dough about 20 minutes prior to this incident, he was on lunch for work, working midnights.


I'm glad he's okay! Take care!


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> Yikes! 15minutes is a long time for pasta. I cook whole wheat spaghetti for 9 minutes.
> 
> I make good meatballs. I use bread crumbs, worstershire, salt, pepper, and egg in the hamburger. They are almost meatloaf but really tasty.


I think I'll try meatballs with spiral pasta (easier to cook & easier to eat) and Alfredo sauce. I am not a real fan of tomato base sauces.


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Not that it matters, but my vote would have been for the gold/ivory... must be the 'Trump' in me...


Here again....Black makes Ruby happy! She does the decorations and I do the hammering.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Just remembering another small town in that general area. IIRC it was pronounced Ārab by locals. We had a town in NC flooded by Fontana Lake that was pronounced Jāpan.


We have towns in Ohio named Cuba, Texas, Florida, Lodi... even Toledo, like Toledo, Spain, famous for the best swords/steels in the old days...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Simmering thin spaghetti. The sauce (or gravy as the Italians call it) is ready but after 15 minutes of boiling the noodles are still chewy. I turned them down on low for a while to see what happens. No doubt the noodles have been on hand too long but I am committed now.


Some brands of spaghetti noodles and egg noodles aren't that good... I avoid the egg noodles at Save-a-Lot...


----------



## Eddie_T

We did all antique brass hardware, black didn't seem to be an option back then.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> You're the one who asked... we just suggest a fix...


She was joking.


----------



## Eddie_T

Canned chili is nasty stuff though I know a guy that won a chili cook-off using Hormel canned chili as his base. There is some spice in canned chili that tastes like wood ashes to me. Could it be cumin, I don't have cumin in my spice rack? I was going to pick up Wendy's chili a few nights ago but there was so many cars in drive through that I couldn't get in. I tried a can of Stagg Dynamite Hot but it had that ashes taste.


----------



## Ron Van

I'm thinking about changing out the shower valve cartridge in the shower my Mother-In-Law uses. It's not the same valve I just installed. Her shower is a single handle Pressure balance valve. As it turns out, her valve is the same Moen valve that I installed in Ruby's and my bathroom. It has a different trim is all. Apparently, Moen has used the same valve for a long time....I guess that's good. If it works, don't change it. 

The only thing holding me back is my motivation is super low. I had another setback on Tuesday at 2am. I woke up with bad chest pains. I waited to see if they would subside but they got worse so Ruby took me to ER. They recognized me there because of my frequent flyer miles with them. They immediately treated it as a possible heart attack and did an EKG and an Xray but it seems my heart is okay. I got a "GI Cocktail" and that seemed to help. End result was they think my Gall Bladder or Pancreas is not liking the meds that they have been giving me. 

I went home because the GI Cocktail really helped and then a few hours later my throat started to swell up again. I went to my regular doctor (because it was now later in the day). My doctor gave me more meds but wants me to do a stress test (for the heart) just to be sure.

So I'm sitting here with laryngitis, ringing in my ears, and a headache thinking about installing this valve. So to sum it up...I'm having a reaction from the meds that were to counteract a bad reaction to antibiotics that were a result of an infection from surgery that was ordered because of a colonoscopy that was a result of a positive cologuard test.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I was going to pick up Wendy's chili a few nights ago but there was so many cars in drive through that I couldn't get in.


Ruby loves Wendy's chili.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had a colonoscopy when I was young during the workday and went right back to work. Now that they have more modern smaller cameras they use anesthesia and won't do the procedure if you don't have a driver. I tried to tell them I would just hang out in the lobby and read a book but they said no, so I said no. Actually my wife wife had a colonoscopy which led to a long chain of events that may have finally led to her death so I wasn't too keen on the idea anyway.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, good morning Friends, yes, it's almost afternoon... but just got up about an hour ago... having my coffee... checking my emails, and then this place...

Well, I have gotta move the truck off the front lawn and put it at the end of the laneway close to the road... But we are expecting 3 feet of snow starting tonight... Haven't seen that kind of snowfall for about 20 years... Back in 2003 was coming home from work... when one of the principals asked me how was I getting home that evening... I said, drive like I always do... I was in union meetings all day, and it rained in Ottawa all day... She told me to go watch the news on her television in her office... They said Carleton Place, Perth, was buried in a snowstorm...
and that highway 7 was closed... I said, Oh, I'll figure it out... To shorten the story, when I took the main highway out of Ottawa and got to highway 7, the OPP was on the edge of the road with flashing lights... I pulled up to him, and asked if the highway was open, he said just, and if I hurry up, I can follow the plow into Carleton Place... When I finally caught up to the plow on highway 7... Yup, there he was on his side, in the ditch... What usually took me half an hour to drive into Carleton Place, took me just over 4 hours... at 10 - 15 km...

Anyways, that's the type of snow we are expecting starting tonight... The best thing, is I will be at home...



shan2themax said:


> All you fellas who want to make there wives happy, I APPLAUD YOU!
> 
> Now... could you formulate a list of men 45-55 who feel the same and send them my way? . (There are other requirements, but this is a start lol)
> 
> 
> @zannej I am sorry for your loss :-(



@shan2themax 
I could probably work it out, I could spend a few half days with YOU... LOL...

Well, Kids, should go and get some breakfast/lunch... and then go and move the truck... and make sure we are ready for that pile of snow... So I hope YOU all have a GREAT day... And remember to smile always... It confuses and worries people when they see you walking around and smiling...

Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Canned chili is nasty stuff though I know a guy that won a chili cook-off using Hormel canned chili as his base. There is some spice in canned chili that tastes like wood ashes to me. Could it be cumin, I don't have cumin in my spice rack? I was going to pick up Wendy's chili a few nights ago but there was so many cars in drive through that I couldn't get in. I tried a can of Stagg Dynamite Hot but it had that ashes taste.


In my recipes, the only times I have killed a dish is with too much Cumin or Onion powder... I don't remember the wood ash taste though. As far as canned Chili, I ate Hormel by the Gallon it seemed as a kid, but the only brand I remember buying for myself is Stagg.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron, good luck... I know what a Heart Attack feels like and the many imposters as well. I would suggest drinking Cayenne Tea once a week or more just for the fun of it, but it strengthens the Heart. You have to check for any interactions with the drugs though...









						Cayenne Pepper Medicinal Use and Health Benefits
					

If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper.  Many herbalists believe that Cayenne is the most useful and valuable herb in the herb kingdom,  not only for the entire digestive system, but also for the heart and circulatory system.




					www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com
				




I recommend everyone seek out alternative Functional MD's instead of the drug dealer Allopathic MD's because for one, I have never seen a healthy person that takes drugs, and for two, Functional MD's can reverse all disease by treating the root cause instead of using bandaids like drugs that do nothing but cover the symptoms while creating side effects that need more drugs. 






						Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
					

Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!




					www.ifm.org


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Ron, good luck... I know what a Heart Attack feels like and the many imposters as well. I would suggest drinking Cayenne Tea once a week or more just for the fun of it, but it strengthens the Heart. You have to check for any interactions with the drugs though...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cayenne Pepper Medicinal Use and Health Benefits
> 
> 
> If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper.  Many herbalists believe that Cayenne is the most useful and valuable herb in the herb kingdom,  not only for the entire digestive system, but also for the heart and circulatory system.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I recommend everyone seek out alternative Functional MD's instead of the drug dealer Allopathic MD's because for one, I have never seen a healthy person that takes drugs, and for two, Functional MD's can reverse all disease by treating the root cause instead of using bandaids like drugs that do nothing but cover the symptoms while creating side effects that need more drugs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Find A Practitioner | The Institute for Functional Medicine
> 
> 
> Looking for a functional medicine doctor or clinician? IFM has the largest referral network in functional medicine. Find a practitioner today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.ifm.org


Good Info! Thanks!


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I was going to pick up Wendy's chili a few nights ago but there was so many cars in drive through that I couldn't get in.


you got me thinking about Wendy’s chili….so I got some!


----------



## shan2themax

Just left the MD..... had a chest x-ray and labs done, got 2 new prescriptions . Hoping to make them temporary.  Heading to the store to make sure I have everything for Thanksgiving.... then headed to habitat for humanity and then home to put a small kitchen island together. Hopefully it won't be terrible, because some of the reviews said it was horrible to put together.... 

Then I will reply to these posts!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Just left the MD..... had a chest x-ray and labs done, got 2 new prescriptions . Hoping to make them temporary.  Heading to the store to make sure I have everything for Thanksgiving.... then headed to habitat for humanity and then home to put a small kitchen island together. Hopefully it won't be terrible, because some of the reviews said it was horrible to put together....
> 
> Then I will reply to these posts!


Good Luck!


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> you got me thinking about Wendy’s chili….so I got some!
> 
> View attachment 29033


Now you've got me thinking but it's a 10 mile RT for Wendy's. I wonder if my pea protein augmented Angus burgers would work in a pot of chili?


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, I have gotta move the truck off the front lawn and put it at the end of the laneway close to the road... But we are expecting 3 feet of snow starting tonight... Haven't seen that kind of snowfall for about 20 years... Back in 2003 was coming home from work...


1967 was going to GMI in Flint Michigan and staying at a fraternity house and we got 30" one night and 6" more in the daytime... the cars in the lot looked like bumps in the snow, here and there could see a side window... fortunately, they have the equipment around there to deal with that... couple days and the main roads were open... typical fraternity style we gathered around an Olds 442 and carried it out and parked it near the main road in case anybody had to get somewhere... once back in Toledo I was surprised to be able to see the grass through a thin coat of ice... Ann Arbor seems to be the 'snow line'... above that, snow is measured in feet, below that in inches...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> There is some spice in canned chili that tastes like wood ashes to me. Could it be cumin, I don't have cumin in my spice rack?


Is that the stuff that seems like flavored drywall compound? 
. 
Had some student tenants from India 40 years ago and got into cooking with some cumin... still like it, but got away from using it... 
. 
It amazes me how long some people will sit in a long drive through line... of course, with many indoors still closed, the outside line is all there is if you want their food... 
Even before the plandemic, I would go inside and get food and leave while others sat in the lines outside...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> She was joking.


About not wanting on a dating site?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> That boat is a 1987 American Skier. It was built at a time when Ski Nautique, Mastercraft and American Skier all looked alike.
> The Boat has a Ford 351 engine in it with a 4 barrel carb. It produces 260HP which means that engine isn't even breathing hard at full power.


I have a '77 19 1/2 foot Slickcraft deep V bowrider Mercruiser I/o Ford 351W 2 bbl. carb., supposed to be 233 HP but wasn't by time I got it and don't think it ever was. Ford added iron emissions bosses (not used in marine) that mostly blocked the exhaust ports but never lowered the HP rating. Plus horrible maintenance had been done on the engine... when bottoms rusted off the oil filter and fuel filter they were sealed back up with fibreglas cloth/resin... at that time an oil filter was about a dollar and fuel filter maybe $5... a piston had been replaced with a car one with a dish on top so deep it looked like an ashtray... cam was from an emissions slug 125 HP 302W car engine... going by boat speed, it prolly made about 150 HP... the outdrive has an unusual gear ratio so the wrong pitch propeller was on it... engine was lugging and not spinning the water pump fast enough to cool it, so it wanted to overheat... I had the engine out and apart a couple times fixing things and making improvements until it was up around 425 HP at 5750 RPMs... boat will jump up from a stop onto a plane in its own length now...
So Mercruiser then switched to Chevy engines... more stock HP... 
The boat seats 14 but that would be with some kids mixed in, all adults is more like 10-12 depending on their weight... we use it for skiiing, boarding, tubing, scuba diving, fishing, cruising... but no ski / radar arch... actually have two quickly swappable rear interiors, for all passengers, or for fishing, etc...


----------



## Ron Van

Well, I decided to change out my MIL's shower Cartridge. I was hoping there would be service stops on the valve or accessable shut off valves but Noooo. I had to shut off the water to the entire house. 










operation successful.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I knew it was there and had heard his dad fuss about the overpriced boat but didn't know it was a Mastercraft. He had the detached garage door open and I saw the Mastercraft and immediately asked the son which engine it had in it and we got into a discussion


Which engine did it have? 302, 351, 350, 454?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> I had another setback on Tuesday at 2am. I woke up with bad chest pains. I waited to see if they would subside but they got worse so Ruby took me to ER. They recognized me there because of my frequent flyer miles with them. They immediately treated it as a possible heart attack and did an EKG and an Xray but it seems my heart is okay.


Have you been imbibing food/drinks with a lot of caffeine lately? That can give tightness in chest and uncomfortable feelings in other areas...


----------



## havasu

We just had a long chat on the Moen 1222 cartridges on our sister forum. I thought they all had stop valves, but guess not.
Www.plumbingforums.com


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> a piston had been replaced with a car one with a dish on top so deep it looked like an ashtray... cam was from an emissions slug 125 HP 302W car engine...


I cracked a head sometime in the late 1990’s. It was shooting water out the side. It didn’t really affect performance though. Anyway, I started calling marine dealers and nobody even knew what a Ford with a Commander conversion was. Most boats these days use Indmar or Limor. Anyway, the marine parts people were coming in at $2200 (1990’s dollars). I asked what was different about the marine heads and nobody seemed to know. I went to an old head rebuilding place in town and asked the guy there. He said he didn’t know what the difference was but if I took the head off, there should be a number stamped on the mating face of the head. 

I got the number and he cross referenced it. It came back as a head from a 1978 Ford Futura. I asked if he had one of these heads. He said he had one reworked with new valves and springs and a gasket set. But… it was the only one he had and I’d have to pay a premium price for it. He wanted $200! I tried not to seem too giddy but bought it, put it on and it’s been running great ever since.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Which engine did it have? 302, 351, 350, 454?


351


----------



## Ron Van

havasu said:


> We just had a long chat on the Moen 1222 cartridges on our sister forum. I thought they all had stop valves, but guess not.
> Www.plumbingforums.com


Yeah, I wish mine had stops. I can't find a Moen valve with Male IPS and stops anywhere. That's what I have on two of our showers. I could have used the female threads. It probably would have eliminated 1 fitting but that's not what came in the shower valve kit.




I believe both these valves use the 1222 cartridge.


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Have you been imbibing food/drinks with a lot of caffeine lately? That can give tightness in chest and uncomfortable feelings in other areas...


I just have my normal two cups of coffee every morning. I don't use any other caffeine. Well...I guess that's not really true...I drink Unsweet Ice tea with dinner most nights. It's very un-South like to drink Un-Sweet!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Just left the MD..... had a chest x-ray and labs done, got 2 new prescriptions . Hoping to make them temporary.  Heading to the store to make sure I have everything for Thanksgiving.... then headed to habitat for humanity and then home to put a small kitchen island together. Hopefully it won't be terrible, because some of the reviews said it was horrible to put together....
> 
> Then I will reply to these posts!


So, why did you have chest Xrays?


----------



## Ron Van

Built this TP holder for Ruby today. It took like 20 seconds but Ruby is happy!


----------



## RedneckGrump

@shan2themax, Is everything ok? Worried about YOU up here in the North... Hope your cabinet didn't cause you any more stress...

Well, got the truck moved into the laneway... Just reprinted the for sale signs, and have dropped the price to $2500 from $4000... So, have to wait and see... I figured some young lad would have gotten his father to buy it by now... Anyhow, time will tell...

Hope YOU all have a GREAT evening...

Cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

Laying down on the job. Elbows are the new knees.


----------



## shan2themax

I got the cabinet together.... it said 2 people 70 minutes.... it took me about 2 hours, I got sidetracked by Dr Phil a couple of times lol.

It wasn't nearly as bad as reviews said, however..... idk that I would purchase the thing again though. It was a decent price and a nice height... so thats good. The Styrofoam though! O.M.G. lots of foam everywhere!





So....onto the Dr. Appt. My legs are swelling a good bit mostly on the days I work, but I also have been feeling short of breath with exertion. So.... we drew labs to check to see if I may be in an episode of congestive heart failure/kidney problems.
The labs so far that I can see are fine. The BNP won't show till tomorrow. I have no doubts that it will be fine also. However, I am going to take a water pill and potassium supplements temporarily.
On the flip side of that..... I had weight loss surgery years ago (lap-band) (2011?) And it has caused a lot of problems.... I need it out, I just haven't been able to reconcile having another weight loss surgery done since I failed at that one.
I am just going to have to suck it up and do it. The sleeve can potentially reverse my gastroparesis, which would be fabulous, and.... I just need defatted (lol). One med that I take to help me sleep makes that super difficult.

Also.... I gained 6 pounds since Aug 15 . Idk how though because I have not been eating often, or a lot because of my stomach.  Today for example....... I have had 10 chicken nuggets today.... and that is it.
I have a headache so I know I need to go eat something, however..... there's no room in the inn in my stomach.





Onto other things...... Monday Nov 21, someone is suppose to show up to inspect the house sag, cracks, etc formulate a plan/estimate or tell me that I do indeed need a structural engineer..... once that is done (and I have found something to do with /someone to take the cats) once they are gone and sag is fixed, I have decided to get carpet so that I can relax some, and not be so stressed. Also buy a new couch and recliner.

And I have got to read this blasted book that I bought over a year ago.






Also... thanks for thinking I look younger than my age...  you know how to make a girl feel good lol.

I don't put makeup on or fix my hair hardly ever..... so I don't look like that on the regular


----------



## havasu

Ron Van said:


> I cracked a head sometime in the late 1990’s. It was shooting water out the side. It didn’t really affect performance though. Anyway, I started calling marine dealers and nobody even knew what a Ford with a Commander conversion was. Most boats these days use Indmar or Limor. Anyway, the marine parts people were coming in at $2200 (1990’s dollars). I asked what was different about the marine heads and nobody seemed to know. I went to an old head rebuilding place in town and asked the guy there. He said he didn’t know what the difference was but if I took the head off, there should be a number stamped on the mating face of the head.
> 
> I got the number and he cross referenced it. It came back as a head from a 1978 Ford Futura. I asked if he had one of these heads. He said he had one reworked with new valves and springs and a gasket set. But… it was the only one he had and I’d have to pay a premium price for it. He wanted $200! I tried not to seem too giddy but bought it, put it on and it’s been running great ever since.
> View attachment 29039


BOAT
Break Out Another Thousand!


----------



## zannej

I like the gold handles, but that's my style preference. The handles I have for my bathroom are the chrome version of those handles. As soon as I heard about Moen I was thinking of the Posi-Temp valve. We got the Kingsley trim with the Moentrol valve for Mom's bathroom because it does both pressure and temperature separately.

My brother was lecturing me on being more active and calling me "lazy". Says the guy who refuses to clean up after himself, pick up trash, take trash out, etc. He came in and was whining about how roaches got into his new rice cooker (which he doesn't clean) & how much this house sucks and he hates it. Mom said that if he took the trash out regularly the roaches might not be so bad. He flipped her off and started yelling about how she always has to insult him. He's never been able to take any constructive criticism. If someone gives him any comments perceived as negative he takes it personally & claims its just an attempt to attack him or be mean to him. I still remember when he was little if someone so much as said the word "No" to him, he'd immediately burst into tears and cry like he'd been punched in the face. He certainly likes to tell other people they suck though. 

Today we went to the post office and Walmart. I picked up the microwave from the post office (that sucker was so heavy the lady who worked there couldn't lift it). I got it down the stairs and to the truck but my brother got in the way when I was trying to put it in. He took it and almost dropped it. I could have gotten it in easier but I guess he wanted to claim he did something useful. He bought a ton of junk food. I got a plastic drawer organizer to replace the shallow cardboard box that had been sitting on top of the old microwave. New organizer let me sort stuff better and is less likely to attract roaches. We have set out traps and today I spread some gel poison around on Mom's desk (which is really covered in roaches). 

My brother helped bring groceries in but then didn't help put anything away. He also didn't help with the microwave. I moved the old microwave out of the way, scrubbed the entire counter down & organized the coffee machine & its creamers & stuff. I then brought in the new microwave, unpacked it, got it in place, and put the organizers in place. I got another plastic thingy that I shoved behind the air fryer so it could bump forward enough that the handle doesn't hit the counter (when it opens) without cats being able to get behind it (they bump the plugs). 

I also emptied the kitchen trash can and put a new bag in. Still need to haul the old one out, but after lugging that heavy microwave around I was exhausted. 

I cooked for Mom & had to go back and forth getting stuff for her & trying to herd the cats. I'm about ready for a nap now.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I had a colonoscopy when I was young during the workday and went right back to work. Now that they have more modern smaller cameras they use anesthesia and won't do the procedure if you don't have a driver.


Are you saying you had a colonoscopy without the anesthesia? That would be brutal! I enjoy waking up and they say, You’re all done!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> I got the cabinet together.... it said 2 people 70 minutes.... it took me about 2 hours, I got sidetracked by Dr Phil a couple of times lol.


The cabinet looks real nice. All these little things you are doing will help make your place a nice haven for you to come home to after work. 


shan2themax said:


> ..... I had weight loss surgery years ago (lap-band) (2011?) And it has caused a lot of problems....


that surgery sounds brutal!


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> . As soon as I heard about Moen I was thinking of the Posi-Temp valve. We got the Kingsley trim with the Moentrol valve for Mom's bathroom because it does both pressure and temperature separately.


that’s a nice valve!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Morning Everyone...
Well, here it is, Friday morning, not really sure where this week went... The week just flew past us... We got a dusting of snow, but suppose to get the BIG snowstorm tomorrow... I can hardly wait... Nowhere do they call it a snowstorm anymore, they call it a snow squall... What is wrong with the older names... Like car accidents are now called car crashes... Anyways, guess, I am just getting older...

@shan2themax... Cabinet looks fantastic... Great job...

Not a lot to report, as I just got out of bed an hour ago... If anything exciting happens in the remainder of the day, I will let YOU all know... But don't hold your breath...  The only thing I have planned for the day is a trip to the dump as soon as I have breakfast...

Have a GREAT day all...

Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> We got a dusting of snow, but suppose to get the BIG snowstorm tomorrow... I can hardly wait...
> .
> 
> The only thing I have planned for the day is a trip to the dump


Noticed Buffalo Bills moved their Sunday NFL football game to Detroit because Buffalo, New York is expecting 3 - 4 FEET of (lake effect) snow! So be careful up their in CanuckVille... 
. 
I will prolly take a dump later................. 
.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I have had 10 chicken nuggets today.... and that is it.


You know better than that... eat basic foods... green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, basic meats... mostly avoid chopped, formed, sugar added. glued back together deep fried meats... most breakfast 'cereals' are 75-90% sugars... 
Are you doing a lot of shopping/spending money just to cheer yourself up?


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> BOAT
> Break Out Another Thousand!


And some say a financial 'hole in the water'... but good fun/exercise/fresh air/chicks in bikinis...


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> And some say a financial 'hole in the water'... but good fun/exercise/fresh air/chicks in bikinis...


Given a choice between snow skiing and water skiing, I'll always go for the bikinis!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> I started calling marine dealers and nobody even knew what a Ford with a Commander conversion was.
> I got the number and he cross referenced it. It came back as a head from a 1978 Ford Futura. He wanted $200!
> I tried not to seem too giddy but bought it,


Before 1971, marine conversions were basically replacing steel core/freeze plugs with non rusting bronze ones and a camshaft one step above a basic car cam... which is already a step above a basic truck cam... (mainly so cars can advertise bigger HP numbers, while giving up a little MPG)
After '71 to about '95, the emissions slug era engines were also given shallower piston dishes for higher compression ratio and specified for 89 octane marine gas... not street 'regular' 87 octane...
Cars cruise down the hiway with engines needing only producing about 25 HP, inboard boats cruise with engines producing 75 or more HP... and at higher cruising RPMs, so a bump up in engine spec.s needed...
Back when I was fighting my 351W, racing guy Bill Mitchell's World Products in Detroit (later moved to NY) brought out new Windsor Senior iron heads that were capable of using Chevy 'fuely' size valves, bumped up the compression ratio, and had bigger ports. Kaufman Ford Racing offered them for $639/pair brand new and they threw in the needed stainless steel valves setup for Ford hardware. So I added those heads, Crane performance cam, racing intake manifold, Keith Black pistons, big 4 bbl. marine carburetor...
When the 351W came out in 1969-70 for Mustangs, they were 290 HP, but after that compression ratio dropped, valves got smaller, ports got smaller, exhaust ports got blocked, cam timing was retarded, etc...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Given a choice between snow skiing and water skiing, I'll always go for the bikinis!


I love snow and water skiing, but just getting over 3 years of not being able/barely able to walk...


----------



## shan2themax

@BuzzLOL  I got up in a hurry and stopped and got them before my MD appt. I can't eat fresh veggies that aren't cooked to death because of the gastroparesis, however I don't normally eat chicken nuggets either. I was in a pinch, and hurry and definitely know better than to go to the store (after MD appt) even the slightest bit hungry.

Because of my moms cats and to some extent, her stuff, I have not decorated or bought anything nice since I moved back to this house 6 years ago. I don't have nice furniture, its stained and gross (cheap at habitat for humanity) and I bought a couch cover to make it look nice.
I very much live like someone who doesn't know anybetter, because I have gotten tired of replacing things because of cat pee and puke over the past 20 years. I won't blame her for ALL of it, because I had 2 cats when I bought the house. However, mine were fixed.... at one point she had 40. The caveat is that she chose to "live" on the back porch, while the cats were inside peeing/puking/pooping. NONE of hers were fixed.

So.... I said all that to say this, I have literally waited 2 decades to be able to have a decent place to live. Not all her fault.....after all I chose to let her live with me.... and I did scream and yell about the cats, and I did have to deal with authorities over them..... thats all another story for another time though.....
The point is.... I am now, nearly free, of the cats. I want a nice stress relieving home to ive in and I am trying to allow myself to do a few things.
I'm also a cheapskate.... so I only buy things used or on clearance. She always made me feel guilty for buying things, and so I always settled for less than I wanted. I still do often, however.... I am learning that I need to buy what I actually want...IF.... it will last for many years... and ONLY if that is true.
I have a video of what I was up against by moving back over here when I left husband #2 6 years ago today actually lol. That went quick! I will see if I can post it. Its sad and disgusting. However, the only way we heal is to share, acknowledge, learn and move on.

So..... the long and short answer to your question is: yes, but no..... yes, but not for the reasons you probably think....
Yes, because I am literally killing myself with stress and I need a relaxing environment!
Speaking of relaxing.... I am off to get a massage! My favorite thing I do for myself.

Have a great afternoon everyone. I am sure I'll be back later!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Yeah, I wish mine had stops. I can't find a Moen valve with Male IPS and stops anywhere. That's what I have on two of our showers. I could have used the female threads. It probably would have eliminated 1 fitting but that's not what came in the shower valve kit.
> 
> View attachment 29040
> 
> 
> I believe both these valves use the 1222 cartridge.


Learn something new every day... don't recall ever seeing shower valves with male threads...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> @BuzzLOL  I got up in a hurry and stopped and got them before my MD appt. I can't eat fresh veggies that aren't cooked to death because of the gastroparesis, however I don't normally eat chicken nuggets either. I was in a pinch, and hurry and definitely know better than to go to the store (after MD appt) even the slightest bit hungry.
> I am off to get a massage! My favorite thing I do for myself.


OK, we'll let it slide this time... LOL! 
. 
Exercising/jogging, etc. may be healthier... and cheaper...


----------



## havasu

Yes, I too have busted out a few thousands. 

It is all fine until I need to replace 17 batteries every few years.


----------



## Eddie_T

I always found it cheaper just to occasionally go out with friends on  boat. All we had to do is chip in for gas. Even that still made for an expensive outing as those suckers suck some gas.


----------



## Flyover

I thought about getting a boat. Instead I think I will invest in making friends with people who own boats. Pools too.

I inherited a canoe but I'm probably going to sell it. This isn't the right time and place for me to own a canoe.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, here's an adoption site for getting rid of those Terrorists...









						► Rescue Me!
					

Adopt Dogs, Cats, Horses, Birds




					www.rescueme.org


----------



## havasu

I went and met a friend for breakfast. Now, I'm relaxing while watching Gunsmoke!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Nice @havasu, Haven't seen gunsmoke for years... That was such a GREAT show... 

Didn't do a hell of a lot today... Went out and bought 2 new hoodies with a zipper... and a pair of winter boots... Was a fast $300...

Other than that, getting ready for the tail end of the storm hitting Buffalo... Suppose to start snowing anytime, and snow till Sunday... Yeehaw... Can hardly wait...

That's about all the excitement today...

Hope YOU are all having a GREAT Friday...
Cheers~


----------



## shan2themax

I got a massage today, it was wonderful. I am  sure I will have a bruised hip after that. But it sure does feel good currently. 
I am making meatloaf, thought I would try something different and use a seasoning pack. I usually only use , pepper, garlic and , and then I use eggs, whatever crackers I have (although I like to use the vegetable ritz), and ketchup. This had some diced onion, the seasoning pack, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of crackers and no ketchup on the inside, only on the outside on the top. It smells absolutely amazing in here. I can't wait for it to be done!

I have a link for the video of what the house looked like 6 years ago. I wish I had done the video before we started cleaning that day. The very last room is the room that my daughter (18 @ the time) and I and our 2 dogs moved into. We literally stayed in that room all the time when we weren't cleaning.

Its gross and you have been warned should you decide to look... I should do a new video sometime. Hmmmmm









						Gross House
					

New item added to shared album




					photos.app.goo.gl
				





Also, follow up from other thread.... I only had a small recliner, couch and TV prior to buying and assembling those 2 pieces of furniture.

I hope they show up Monday about looking at the sag and fixing it.... I will need to start saving/planning for new windows and doors after I get carpet. I already have enough saved for that I believe, although I could be wrong.

Anyway, the oven is beeping at me so... everyone have a good evening.

@RedneckGrump stay safe and warm!


----------



## havasu

It is funny how your complete post changed once I read message as massage!


----------



## Eddie_T

Had supper with a friend counting our blessings. I think we have better health when we live life on the sunny side.


----------



## 68bucks

Having a surprise 80th birthday party for my mom today. Should be fun and get to see a few relatives I haven't seen for quite a while.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Kids...
Well, it's been snowing here for a while... Welcome to winter they say... Yahooo... NOT...



shan2themax said:


> I got a massage today, it was wonderful. I am  sure I will have a bruised hip after that. But it sure does feel good currently.
> I am making meatloaf, thought I would try something different and use a seasoning pack. I usually only use , pepper, garlic and , and then I use eggs, whatever crackers I have (although I like to use the vegetable ritz), and ketchup. This had some diced onion, the seasoning pack, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of crackers and no ketchup on the inside, only on the outside on the top. It smells absolutely amazing in here. I can't wait for it to be done!
> 
> I have a link for the video of what the house looked like 6 years ago. I wish I had done the video before we started cleaning that day. The very last room is the room that my daughter (18 @ the time) and I and our 2 dogs moved into. We literally stayed in that room all the time when we weren't cleaning.
> 
> Its gross and you have been warned should you decide to look... I should do a new video sometime. Hmmmmm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gross House
> 
> 
> New item added to shared album
> 
> 
> 
> 
> photos.app.goo.gl
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also, follow up from other thread.... I only had a small recliner, couch and TV prior to buying and assembling those 2 pieces of furniture.
> 
> I hope they show up Monday about looking at the sag and fixing it.... I will need to start saving/planning for new windows and doors after I get carpet. I already have enough saved for that I believe, although I could be wrong.
> 
> Anyway, the oven is beeping at me so... everyone have a good evening.
> 
> @RedneckGrump stay safe and warm!


Mmmm meatloaf is one of my favourites for dinner... Hope it tastes as good as the aroma you said was throughout the [email protected] Yeah, the film was a little gross, but YOU have been working very hard on it, and look forward to seeing the next film on it...

And I will stay safe and warm as I can @shan2themax 


Eddie_T said:


> Had supper with a friend counting our blessings. I think we have better health when we live life on the sunny side.


Hope YOU had a GREAT time with your friend there Buddy, @Eddie_T 


68bucks said:


> Having a surprise 80th birthday party for my mom today. Should be fun and get to see a few relatives I haven't seen for quite a while.


Hey, @68bucks Say Happy Birthday for me to YOUR MOM...and hope YOU guys have a GREAT party...

Well, everyone, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day...Won't be going too far from the house today... Think there are a few craft shows Lorie wants to check out today and there right here in town... and the truck is 4x4...

Cheers~


----------



## bud16415

Looked out at new snow having morning coffee and getting ready to pop a turkey in the oven having the first of three thanksgivings this year. 

Great idea for a thread.


----------



## RedneckGrump

bud16415 said:


> Looked out at new snow having morning coffee and getting ready to pop a turkey in the oven having the first of three thanksgivings this year.
> 
> Great idea for a thread.


Is this the weekend for the American's Thanksgiving?


----------



## bud16415

RedneckGrump said:


> Is this the weekend for the American's Thanksgiving?


Next Thursday.


----------



## RedneckGrump

bud16415 said:


> Next Thursday.


Thanks Buddy @bud16415


----------



## havasu

W purchased an 18 pound Butterball Turkey, which is frozen. I saw on TV that you should start thawing the bird starting yesterday. Mama wants to thaw beginning on Sunday. I think that is too late to cook on Thursday. Can someone help me with the perfect day to start thawing it?


----------



## shan2themax

havasu said:


> W purchased an 18 pound Butterball Turkey, which is frozen. I saw on TV that you should start thawing the bird starting yesterday. Mama wants to thaw beginning on Sunday. I think that is too late to cook on Thursday. Can someone help me with the perfect day to start thawing it?


It needs to be started thawing in fridge today. It always takes longer than processing plant says it will


----------



## 68bucks

havasu said:


> W purchased an 18 pound Butterball Turkey, which is frozen. I saw on TV that you should start thawing the bird starting yesterday. Mama wants to thaw beginning on Sunday. I think that is too late to cook on Thursday. Can someone help me with the perfect day to start thawing it?


We have a 23# butterball frozen. I plan to put it in the fridge tomorrow. I'm going to brine it on Wednesday morning and I figure it well still be a bit frozen but that's fine. If I wasn't brining I would check it good on Wednesday morning and if it wasn't close I'd put it in cold water in the sink and monitor it till I was thawed and then back in the fridge overnight.


----------



## 68bucks

You're right, there's certainly no harm in thawing a little early it will be fine in the fridge.


----------



## Flyover

Wife and I had "date night" last night for the first time in way too long. We went to an alcohol-free bar. They serve mocktails and NA beer, though they also had a food menu. We ordered wings, which were really good. We ordered shots of non-alcoholic liquor (tequila for me, gin for her) which were undrinkable. (But hey, we got to try it.) Then we sent those back (the waitress was very understanding; she herself admitted they were pretty nasty) and ordered non-alcoholic beer instead, which of course was much better.


----------



## Flyover

I think the best thanksgiving meal is Chinese take-out. I am not a fan of eating lizards birds in general, and I find turkey doesn't even have the redeeming quality of being decent fried or in tikka masala. Unfortunately when I request an alternative to the big lizard, I'm usually offered ham which I like even less. The sides are good but don't really hold together without a meat as the centerpiece. Thanksgiving is not a gustatorially happy time for me. Hey at least there's nice weather--oh wait


----------



## zannej

Hmm.. Other thread got locked?
Shan, that house reminds me a lot of what we moved into when we came back from overseas. They eventually moved some of their boxes and stuff out. They even came back after their stuff was gone & we changed the locks so they could take some of our stuff. Kicked the door in. Every single surface in the house was covered in dust, mouse crap, grease, grime, etc. They didn't even bother cleaning at all. The carpets were ruined. And they left the yard filled with trash all over.
Flyover, I always find that turkey gets too dry. I prefer chicken.
I don't know if they still do it, but a few years back the local doctors were doing colonoscopies without anesthetic. 
Ran out of cat food. There was still food out but the cats could see the bottoms of their bowls and according to them the end times were nigh. They were fighting and losing their minds. I had to go to the store this morning. Walked in and saw my best friend talking to another mutual friend & someone I didn't know. So I crept up on him while pretending to be a T-Rex. He turned around and laughed. We talked very briefly and then saw each other around the store a few times. I got cat food, dog food, some frozen stuff Mom requested, and then headed to TSC to get cow feed. Looked around before unloading to make sure cows weren't around (horned one gets in the way). Went to get the bag out of the back and the horned cow seemingly materialized out of nowhere and came charging over. Ended up with the bag splitting and getting sweet feed all in the back of the truck. It fell with the open end face down so it took me a bit to dance around the cows and flip it over without getting hit with horns.. My entire upper left arm hates me now.

Mom just walked by and said she's hungry so I have to go play the game of figuring out what she wants.


----------



## Eddie_T

I liked snacking on turkey slices in yeast rolls and club sandwiches the next day better than the Thanksgiving meal but bacon isn't healthy and I haven't found a substitute.


----------



## Flyover

Part of the problem with bird meat is when it's "juicy" (wet). Gross. The drier you can get it the better. Or else fry it. Or put it in a sauce (chicken pot pie is nice if you can't make decent Indian food). Which reminds me, similar to your opinion Eddie, I like the hash my FIL makes on Friday morning out of turkey, Mac&cheese, green beans, and stuffing. That I could eat for weeks.


----------



## zannej

Turkey sandwiches with some cranberry sauce over them on the next day isn't bad. I do really like the stuffing. Once I get the pantry cleaned up better I need to get more stuffing to make.

I guess we have different tastes, Flyover. I like moist bird meat. But then I like softer textured foods. I have a weird thing where the in my lower jaw behind my teeth stick up way higher than normal and anything hard and brittle like crackers, chips, etc scrape & cut the skin over the bones.

To this day I still don't like green beans bc Mom used to make them from a can and I hated them.

I'm currently cooking yellow rice and just heated up a Stoufer's chicken enchilada for Mom. She seems to like it. She was born in Detroit but grew up in California so she misses Mexican food. We don't really have much of that around here.

My stupid shoulder is aching. I leaned on the doorframe while bending down for something and my shoulder can't handle any pressure like that. Can't reach behind my back or lift my arm too high. Just getting up from bed both of my shoulders were sounding like rice cereal.

I need to power through and get some cleaning done tomorrow though. Spicoli has been encouraging me to get stuff cleaned up and to eat better. I need to do both, but I'm going to try baby steps. I realize that when I look at the huge mess I feel overwhelmed so I'm going to try tackling small areas a little at a time. Getting the counter with the microwave cleaned up made me feel good. I just got a spray bottle and plan to do the warm water + vinegar to spritz on cabinets.

Speaking of the bottle, I grabbed it and went to check out and then realized there was no sticker or barcode anywhere on it. I do self checkout bc the other lanes are usually closed. The clerk who works in that section came over and I told her where I got the bottle from, she looked it up, found it, and then used the hand scanner from the self checkout to scan the barcode on her little handheld screen thingy. Usually I have to go back and grab another one so that was sweet of her. A lot of the clerks would have me go back and get one that has a label.

As an aside, once I get things cleaned up more, I have a project for my friend's kitchen. I saw this plan on Ana White's site: Rustic X Small Rolling Kitchen Island | Ana White and decided on some modifications. Full shelf, wider drawer with proper drawer glides, Painted to match the cabinets but the panels under the X pattern would be gloss black (I already have the paint for that). 
Here's the original from the plans


My general plans:



I'd still have the 12" deep drawer but would have a shelf behind it. I know, maybe a pipe dream, but I already have some of the lumber for it.
The planning part makes me happy-- especially when my body is not cooperating with actually doing stuff.


----------



## shan2themax

So..... today, I did several things... the first of which was a 4 hour nap. My daughter brought her laundry over for drop off service (lol) and her 2 dogs who are puppies still but horribly behaved when they are here ( she claims they listen at her house). I was pooped after them being inside for like 5 minutes, literally.
After I woke up, I started on her laundry. My lower back is killing me today, (from my massage yesterday I am sure). Hoping it will feel better tomorrow, usually does.
I moved that new kitchen cart to the kitchen today and put some things in it. Moved the chest of drawers out onto the backporch.... staying decide if I want to refinish it, and then sell it, or just sell it. (Although.... I just realized I could refinish it and give it to my coworkers daughter who is due in February...hmm.) I didn't like how little support there was for the drawer in the kitchen cart so, I took 2 paint paddles (hint.. project coming up, hence the extra paint paddles) and I put them along the bottom of the front edge and nailed them in place.





 In the buffet that I have in the dining room, the top drawer wouldn't close all the way, so while I was working on the cart, I was reminded of this. So I took that drawer out, squeezed some gorilla wood glue into the gap and then put a couple of nails along that edge. I also put a nail through each side of the plastic glide into the wood frame that glides for more support. It closes and feels much more sturdy. (It originally had a wooden lip, it was broken off, I assume that is why it was donated to Habitat restore.

Anywho...... here is the before and after, chest of drawers versus kitchen cart. Thankful to not have bedroom furniture in the kitchen anymore, lol

The third pic is the other side of my kitchen. Its a decent size but my goodness there is just no room for pantry storage.







Also, I pulled a cabinet out so that I could squeeze between stove and fridge and plug in an extension cord for this light above the stove, so inwasnt cooking Thanksgiving dinner in a poorly light kitchen






@Spicoli43  any good sites for beginner yoga? Stretches? When my massage therapist pushes the lateral side of my right hip towards my left hip, it relieves SO MUCH PRESSURE. I am literally pain free for a free minutes.


----------



## shan2themax

Found a post on fb about when to put the turkeys in the fridge to thaw


----------



## 68bucks

zannej said:


> Turkey sandwiches with some cranberry sauce over them on the next day isn't bad. I do really like the stuffing. Once I get the pantry cleaned up better I need to get more stuffing to make.
> 
> I guess we have different tastes, Flyover. I like moist bird meat. But then I like softer textured foods. I have a weird thing where the in my lower jaw behind my teeth stick up way higher than normal and anything hard and brittle like crackers, chips, etc scrape & cut the skin over the bones.
> 
> To this day I still don't like green beans bc Mom used to make them from a can and I hated them.
> 
> I'm currently cooking yellow rice and just heated up a Stoufer's chicken enchilada for Mom. She seems to like it. She was born in Detroit but grew up in California so she misses Mexican food. We don't really have much of that around here.
> 
> My stupid shoulder is aching. I leaned on the doorframe while bending down for something and my shoulder can't handle any pressure like that. Can't reach behind my back or lift my arm too high. Just getting up from bed both of my shoulders were sounding like rice cereal.
> 
> I need to power through and get some cleaning done tomorrow though. Spicoli has been encouraging me to get stuff cleaned up and to eat better. I need to do both, but I'm going to try baby steps. I realize that when I look at the huge mess I feel overwhelmed so I'm going to try tackling small areas a little at a time. Getting the counter with the microwave cleaned up made me feel good. I just got a spray bottle and plan to do the warm water + vinegar to spritz on cabinets.
> 
> Speaking of the bottle, I grabbed it and went to check out and then realized there was no sticker or barcode anywhere on it. I do self checkout bc the other lanes are usually closed. The clerk who works in that section came over and I told her where I got the bottle from, she looked it up, found it, and then used the hand scanner from the self checkout to scan the barcode on her little handheld screen thingy. Usually I have to go back and grab another one so that was sweet of her. A lot of the clerks would have me go back and get one that has a label.
> 
> As an aside, once I get things cleaned up more, I have a project for my friend's kitchen. I saw this plan on Ana White's site: Rustic X Small Rolling Kitchen Island | Ana White and decided on some modifications. Full shelf, wider drawer with proper drawer glides, Painted to match the cabinets but the panels under the X pattern would be gloss black (I already have the paint for that).
> Here's the original from the plans
> View attachment 29073
> 
> My general plans:
> View attachment 29075
> View attachment 29076
> 
> I'd still have the 12" deep drawer but would have a shelf behind it. I know, maybe a pipe dream, but I already have some of the lumber for it.
> The planning part makes me happy-- especially when my body is not cooperating with actually doing stuff.


----------



## Ron Van

Put the turkey in a sink filled with cold water and it only takes a day to defrost a 22 lb turkey. Our daughter is cooking the turkey this year. First time for her but Ruby (mom) will be helping her.


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> I think the best thanksgiving meal is Chinese take-out. I am not a fan of eating lizards birds in general, and I find turkey doesn't even have the redeeming quality of being decent fried or in tikka masala. Unfortunately when I request an alternative to the big lizard, I'm usually offered ham which I like even less. The sides are good but don't really hold together without a meat as the centerpiece. Thanksgiving is not a gustatorially happy time for me. Hey at least there's nice weather--oh wait


This really bums me out. I love turkey, roasted, fried, smoked, whatever. I love Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday I think. I love to make a big meal for friends and family, we've had 40+ before. Everyone brings side, lots of fellowship, it's the bomb! Sorry got carried away. Needless to say I'm looking forward to Thursday. 


Flyover said:


> Wife and I had "date night" last night for the first time in way too long. We went to an alcohol-free bar. They serve mocktails and NA beer, though they also had a food menu. We ordered wings, which were really good. We ordered shots of non-alcoholic liquor (tequila for me, gin for her) which were undrinkable. (But hey, we got to try it.) Then we sent those back (the waitress was very understanding; she herself admitted they were pretty nasty) and ordered non-alcoholic beer instead, which of course was much better.


So what in NA tequila of gin made from? I like both of those in the regular form so I'm curious.


----------



## 68bucks

zannej said:


> Turkey sandwiches with some cranberry sauce over them on the next day isn't bad. I do really like the stuffing. Once I get the pantry cleaned up better I need to get more stuffing to make.
> 
> I guess we have different tastes, Flyover. I like moist bird meat. But then I like softer textured foods. I have a weird thing where the in my lower jaw behind my teeth stick up way higher than normal and anything hard and brittle like crackers, chips, etc scrape & cut the skin over the bones.
> 
> To this day I still don't like green beans bc Mom used to make them from a can and I hated them.
> 
> I'm currently cooking yellow rice and just heated up a Stoufer's chicken enchilada for Mom. She seems to like it. She was born in Detroit but grew up in California so she misses Mexican food. We don't really have much of that around here.
> 
> My stupid shoulder is aching. I leaned on the doorframe while bending down for something and my shoulder can't handle any pressure like that. Can't reach behind my back or lift my arm too high. Just getting up from bed both of my shoulders were sounding like rice cereal.
> 
> I need to power through and get some cleaning done tomorrow though. Spicoli has been encouraging me to get stuff cleaned up and to eat better. I need to do both, but I'm going to try baby steps. I realize that when I look at the huge mess I feel overwhelmed so I'm going to try tackling small areas a little at a time. Getting the counter with the microwave cleaned up made me feel good. I just got a spray bottle and plan to do the warm water + vinegar to spritz on cabinets.
> 
> Speaking of the bottle, I grabbed it and went to check out and then realized there was no sticker or barcode anywhere on it. I do self checkout bc the other lanes are usually closed. The clerk who works in that section came over and I told her where I got the bottle from, she looked it up, found it, and then used the hand scanner from the self checkout to scan the barcode on her little handheld screen thingy. Usually I have to go back and grab another one so that was sweet of her. A lot of the clerks would have me go back and get one that has a label.
> 
> As an aside, once I get things cleaned up more, I have a project for my friend's kitchen. I saw this plan on Ana White's site: Rustic X Small Rolling Kitchen Island | Ana White and decided on some modifications. Full shelf, wider drawer with proper drawer glides, Painted to match the cabinets but the panels under the X pattern would be gloss black (I already have the paint for that).
> Here's the original from the plans
> View attachment 29073
> 
> My general plans:
> View attachment 29075
> View attachment 29076
> 
> I'd still have the 12" deep drawer but would have a shelf behind it. I know, maybe a pipe dream, but I already have some of the lumber for it.
> The planning part makes me happy-- especially when my body is not cooperating with actually doing stuff.


I don't know what I did on that other post but here is what I wanted to say:
Is the model you attached done in Sketch-it or what ever it is? Someone one here has put up some really nice work on that software. In have done a lot of 3D modeling with expensive software and that work is comparable. I have an old version of the software I used at work before I retired on my desktop pc at home. Problem is I'm nearing the need for a new desktop and when I do I won't have that software anymore. I played with Sketch-it briefly but I was looking for thoughts on how it is to work with seriously. Judging by some of the stuff I've seen here someone has spent serious time with it.


----------



## 68bucks

Yes the other thread was shut down. I'll take the blame. Note to self, keep trap shut. Oh Mom's birthday party went great, totally surprised her and she's not easy to fool. And my Dad was there and asked her out. What you say? They have been divorced for somewhere around 55 years. Go figure.


----------



## Flyover

68bucks said:


> So what in NA tequila of gin made from?


As best I can tell, cleaning solutions.


----------



## Flyover

Today I fixed the compost bin and added a pegboard to the basement workbench.


----------



## Eddie_T

Zanne, I like your idea of making full use of the cart interior. I suppose Ana's design allows for leg room if sitting at the back side. I prefer my idea of fixed casters as swivel can be kinda squirrely (plus mine are hidden). I need to get it finished.


----------



## shan2themax

@68bucks , I think it is Zannej that messes around with it. I have thought about having her do a sketch up of my kitchen with cabinets on the outer wall lol. I think she is one of those people who is just a natural with most things.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks, Well, the plow has plowed our laneway three times, and it was supposed to snow all day today, but woke up to the sun beaming, so we got about 15 inches of snow... and 1/2 way through the week it's supposed to warm up to 4 - 6 Celcius... So, we all know what that means, lots of water, and dirty... But we all survived the 1st snowstorm... But it's funny how the storm travelled,  Few towns over, so like make 20km from here, got rain, no snow... Ottawa which is about 100 km from here, got a dusting...And Buffalo got like 5 - 6 feet of snow... Very very strange... We got the total of snow we got all last winter...



Flyover said:


> Wife and I had "date night" last night for the first time in way too long. We went to an alcohol-free bar. They serve mocktails and NA beer, though they also had a food menu. We ordered wings, which were really good. We ordered shots of non-alcoholic liquor (tequila for me, gin for her) which were undrinkable. (But hey, we got to try it.) Then we sent those back (the waitress was very understanding; she herself admitted they were pretty nasty) and ordered non-alcoholic beer instead, which of course was much better.


Congrats Buddy... We too had a GREAT time when we went out too... and plan to do it once a month now...

@shan2themax probably going to get a blast here, but sure our kids use to bring their laundry here, there are the machines... go knock yourself out... But I get it... Lorie and I are from two different worlds too... When I was old enough to make my lunch for school, it was up to us to make our own lunches, do our laundry, and clean our room... But Lorie, her Mom made their lunches... If she was making lunch for Lorie's Dad... then she might as well make lunch for the 4 girls too... and did their laundry when it was in the laundry room... So, I really don't know which way is the proper way...

I think that's great survey material...  Have to figure out how we do a survey here... I know some Forum sites it's very easy.

Well, going to have some breakfast... and shower, and then Lorie and I and Carl have three Christmas Craft Sales to go to...

For the turkey topic... Not a real fan of turkey dinners, much rather have a nice Prime Roast... But again the rest of the family loves turkey... I don't mind a nice turkey sandwich the next day with mayo and salt and pepper...There are two ways I would love to try a turkey, deep-fried, and smoked...

@zannej love what you are doing with the rook, looks FANTASTIC...

@shan2themax your kitchen looks GREAT

Well, kids, I hope YOU all have a wonderful Sunday... and remember to smile all the time... it confuses everyone...

Cheers


----------



## Spicoli43

When cooking a Turkey, cook it upside down. The meat will not be dry. 

That's what I'm told, never liked it enough to try it.

Ancient Montucky secret.


----------



## havasu

I replaced my 12' ice maker line for a much more manageable 6' stainless braided line. Also, found a special 3 bone rib roast for half price. $50 instead of $100. I'll slice it up and make 8 nice rib eye steaks down the road. Also got a few nice tri tips for $3.99 a pound. I'm set for awhile.


----------



## Eddie_T

Friday evening we had fruitcake for desert. I love good fruitcake. I liked the ones Sears used to sell. For both Thanksgiving and Christmas we would have fruitcake and drink Russian tea.


----------



## Spicoli43

HAHA Shan... Me and "Yoga" are like Water and Oil... I couldn't lift my leg to pee on the mailbox if my life depended on it... But, for low back pain, lay flat on your back, stretch one leg over the other and stretch your arms out like you were going to do an Angel in the snow... Hold that for 30 seconds and do the other side. I find instant relief for pain / stiffness with that.


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> When cooking a Turkey, cook it upside down. The meat will not be dry.
> 
> That's what I'm told, never liked it enough to try it.
> 
> Ancient Montucky secret.


I have tried that a couple of times but really didn't notice a difference. I think the secret to moist turkey is not over cooking it. I feel brine helps too. I cook to 155-160F in the beast meat then let it rest for about an hour. I avoid in the bird stuffing. It hard to get it done to a safe temp without drying the meat too. We'll have another turkey dinner in mid December. My son's birthday is the 14th and he always wants turkey dinner for his birthday. He'll be 40 this year so if they come over for dinner it'll probably be turkey. A lot of years on Thanksgiving I'll do 2 smaller (12 lbs or so) birds. Roast one and smoke one. In 2019 we raised 6 turkeys. That was a first and I waited to long to butcher them. We had 5 Hens and they all dressed at about 27 lbs but the one Tom dressed at 42 lbs. I split that one in halves. I don't have a roasting pan big enough for a 40 lb bird. They were all really good though. We raised heritage birds so it was a little different than the run of the mill commercial white turkey.


----------



## havasu

_*Since I had time to kill, I deleted 42 posts with politics, and merged so no threads are locked.

I love our first Amendment, and for this reason, I really dislike locking/deleting/editing anything.*_

*If we can just understand that politics are a turn off, so let's please respect each other.*


----------



## shan2themax

@havasu I am glad you clarified, because for a moment....... well.... I thought I had totally lost my mind. I thought did I dream that other thread up? Lol

@RedneckGrump  id rather wash her clothes in peace than to have her dogs running everywhere knocking things over chewing stuff up.... I have picked my battle! Lol

Also... I found a 1989 Canadian dollar coin in the house yesterday evening, Not sure where it came from (well other than Canada lol)

She came over this morning and helped me out a bit in preparation for the guy coming tomorrow. I had her go through clothes I didn't want anymore, sheets, towels, blankets etc... she helped me get my puzzle onto my corkboard, now I can sit in the living room and work on the puzzles without killing my back. I made my bed and moved some stuff around in my room. I rarely make my bed, it seems like such a waste... however, it does look nice made 

I had leftover meatloaf a little ago, along with a small can of green beans. Hopefully I don't get a headache, because I cooked the green beans in a frying pan without the liquid and for less time than normal.... however, since there was no liquid they seemed to be about the same doneness. We shall see. 

I'm going to watch some YouTube episodes and then I think I will measure the openings to the holes in the floor from previous return air vents and see if just a 1/2 sheet will be big enough to close in both holes.... I also need to recheck measurement of 23/32 " thickness....

Now if I can just stay awake, because I am exhausted currently (which is dumb) I will have to get up early tomorrow and move stuff around in the garage so that he can easily get to the attic if needed.

Hope you all are staying safe and warm!


----------



## havasu

Speaking of green beans. My son in law Introduced us to a new recipe for green beans. Steam them until almost done. Place in a frying pan with some butter and soy sauce and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add slivered almonds and serve. They will take on the flavor of edimame. Delicious!


----------



## Eddie_T

We southerners tend to cook green beans to death. I have learned that just sauteing pole beans in sesame oil and eating them with some crunch can be quite tasty.

@zannej  If I had Flyover's free wood supply I could build end tables, sofa tables, night stands and kitchen carts and have a thriving business.


----------



## Eddie_T

@68bucks White turkeys look rather anemic compared to heritage birds.  I like turkey but cooking for one I settle for the occasional turkey breast.


----------



## Ron Van

havasu said:


> Forgot to post the new sprinkler controller on the wall.


Those look like nice controllers. I imagine you have apps to control these? I can control our thermostats (two of them) and view the cameras and also monitor our electric usage from my phone.


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Today I fixed the compost bin and added a pegboard to the basement workbench.
> 
> View attachment 29092


Boy, that might just get me motivated to clean up my shop.


----------



## shan2themax

@Flyover i need to get organized like that in my garage..... one thing at a time though.... and it is too cold for that business now. Although, I am sure that I will have to move some of it Round tomorrow for the guy that is coming (provided he needs attic access -which i would think that he would)

I have piddled around some more, went through a bunch of mail, put some odds and ends tools/supplies all in one spot... struggled to stay awake... did another 2 loads of laundry. Now I am trying to find something to put these scarecrows in until next year. Thoughts i would watch an old episode of Cold Case Files..... then I will get busy again I suppose....
My nest thermostat is trying to suffocate me, it did its seasonal thing and asked if I wanted it to monitor for the next 3 weeks to learn, to help save on electric bill... so I tried it and I got super hot earlier and the thing was on 75. So I changed it to 67 during day. We will see what it attempts tonight. Hopeful for a 64-67° (18ish C°) night.

Hope all is well!


----------



## zannej

I was napping when my brother asked me to go into town with him. He needed an oil change and I needed to pick up an RX. Usually they take a long time so I brought the other vehicle so I could drive us over to our friend's house while the oil was changed but it went quick so we both went over to friend's house. His gf wasn't there. She took his 2nd car without even asking and left & he has no idea where she went. His mom came over to bring a toy for her granddaughter. As she was leaving I told her that my friend had told the gf to leave repeatedly and she told him "NO" and to eff off. She was about ready to go in there and drag her out by her hair but I said she wasn't there. Said the girl had established residency so it would take formal court eviction. She happily declared that she could do it. I told her my mother offered to pay the court fees for eviction to get her out. She popped in to tell my friend that she would happily file eviction. She lamented it was 30 days but I informed her that since the girl was violent with him, doesn't pay any rent/bills & friend has her on video attacking him violently & he showed the video to the cops (but declined to press charges) its constructive eviction & she can get 3 days eviction. She was happy about that. Hopefully they will follow through. I told her I'd go to the courthouse with her when she files. Friend needs to dig up the video and we can corroborate that she's verbally abusive to him. 

I helped him install some door trim around the barn door that goes to his kitchen. He asked me if I had measuring tape on me and of course, I always carry it with me. LOL.

My brother decided to stay over at our friend's house. I put a kitten on his lap (Namir's nephew) and he was cuddling the kitten. He's still really broken up about Namir dying. Feels the vet could have done more for him but wasn't willing to even try so he's mad at her. 

Got home and cooked for Mom and am about to take a nap.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Ron Van said:


> Boy, that might just get me motivated to clean up my shop.


@Ron Van You and me Both Buddy... Been trying to get out there for the last little bit... Little too cold now... so will probably wait till Spring...

Well Kids, not a lot to report on... So will try to get on later today, and see whats happening...

Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Made Beef Chili, was going to use Bison from Ontario... Good eatin, but it's frozen with paper between the patties, so I have to thaw it completely... So, next week after Thanksgiving... 

I was standing in line at the grocery store, knowing I forgot something, realized it was Jalapenos, got them, put them in the fridge and forgot to put them in the Chili... DOH!!!


----------



## Eddie_T

I found out that one of my radial arm saws the one that I was planning to take outside and use to rip plywood for my kitchen island drawer boxes has a recall. The bad news is that even though Ryobi will pay for the return of the motor and carriage the refund is only $75. I may keep it and use it only as an overhead router.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> It is funny how your complete post changed once I read message as massage!


LOL! Bet you were puzzled how the hip got bruised...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> Is this the weekend for the American's Thanksgiving?


What day is the Canadian version? 
Our Thanksgiving Day is predicted to be the warmest day of the week, about 55 degrees...  
The past week has been COLD and windy, more like January weather...


----------



## shan2themax

So.... they came and were here for a good while, doing all the measurements and answering all the questions and such. Idk if I asked all the questions that needed asked or not, but I asked.  So the estimate was about where I thought it would be for the main beam area, although I wasn't expecting the back half to be the same amount.

Basically my main beam is only a 2x8 and the current piers are 11, 14, and 11 feet apart ()some of the areas, the wood "supporting" the beams is nearly twisted to the point of slippage. 

I am going to start another thread, that way if someone else comes here with the same problem they will have something to read.....


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I love good fruitcake.


LOL! ... That has to put you in a minority. Fruitcake is likely one of the most re-gifted items... however, if you put the word out that you wouldn't mind being re-gifted fruitcakes...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> Also... I found a 1989 Canadian dollar coin in the house yesterday evening, Not sure where it came from (well other than Canada lol)
> Is that one of those golden 'loonies'?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I found out that one of my radial arm saws the one that I was planning to take outside and use to rip plywood for my kitchen island drawer boxes has a recall. The bad news is that even though Ryobi will pay for the return of the motor and carriage the refund is only $75. I may keep it and use it only as an overhead router.


Seems like they should give you a new improved saw... is the problem really that serious? 
My old Monkey Wards radial arm saw still works fine at 50+ years old... but prolly doesn't have whatever new safety equipment that is required now...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> @68bucks White turkeys look rather anemic compared to heritage birds.  I like turkey but cooking for one I settle for the occasional turkey breast.


I just put some sun tanning lotion on it in the form of Bar-B-Q sauce, wrap it in paper towels and then plastic wrap and put it in the microwave, quickly comes out really moist/juicy... eaters ask what trick I used...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Seems like they should give you a new improved saw... is the problem really that serious?
> My old Monkey Wards radial arm saw still works fine at 50+ years old... but prolly doesn't have whatever new safety equipment that is required now...


Apparently the armature and shaft end are fastened to the rear part of the case with four tap screws into the plastic case. Two are long screws and two are short. The case apparently cracks around the short screws. What's interesting is that one can sometimes pick them up as low as $30-$50. None near me or I would pick a couple up for return rather than take the loss on mine. I may be able to fashion something to keep it together should it fail.

Some of the old Monkey Ward RAS had the high speed router spindle like the Ryobi. They used metal cases back in the day.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> View attachment 29073


Reminds of my living room lamp tables I made 40 or 50 years ago... even the color... still using them... 
Top and bottom shelves of  2" x 10" x 30" glued together edgewise (after cutting off rounded edges), 2" x 4" x 18" in between shelves, 2" x 4" x 1 1/2" 'feet' under bottom shelf... surprised the glue has held up this long... thought I used Elmer's glue, but maybe it was fibreglas resin that lasts a lifetime... after staining, poured polyurethane over the shelves for a good thick tough clear protective coating... let it sit however long it took for that to dry/cure...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Some of the old Monkey Ward RAS had the high speed router spindle like the Ryobi. They used metal cases back in the day.


Yeah, mine has the two accessory spindles and 20,000 RPMs universal motor and with gear driven blade shaft it saws deeper than the Sears version with blade on the shaft of the fat shunt motor. As I recall, the Sears wouldn't saw through 2" wood at 45 degrees angle... 
Surprised the brushes never needed replaced as I did use it commercially at times as well... about the only plastic on it is the trigger switch lockout/machine lockout button(just put the button in your pocket)... gotta be careful, though, if take figure off button too quickly, the button pops out, heads for the floor, and tries to hide... 
I saw a used Wards one at a flea market... 
Of course, I also have a table saw, power mitre box saw, and a half dozen 7 1/4" builder's hand saws... had a $500 Sears Professional 7 1/4" magnesium 20 volt cordless saw, but the D. junkies got that...


----------



## BuzzLOL

RedneckGrump said:


> @Ron Van You and me Both Buddy... Been trying to get out there for the last little bit... Little too cold now... so will probably wait till Spring...
> 
> Well Kids, not a lot to report on... So will try to get on later today, and see whats happening...
> 
> Cheers~


Deciding which projects to get done during the warmup this week and what will have to wait until Spring... 
. 
Been feeling like I'm coming down with something the past three weeks, excessive thick phlegm in the throat... well it finally hit full blast Saturday afternoon... flu, fever, feeling sick, weak, and tired... went to bed... woke up Sunday morning and it had ended just as quickly, sick with flu feeling gone, phlegm gone, feeling like I'm freezing while actually burning up gone... but I did still feel wiped out Sunday and mostly rested... haven't eaten in 3 days... every food I thought of my stomach said "not interested" and my body said "don't have the energy" to eat... now I'm about to eat leftover homemade chicken noodle soup that looks like Shan's... but with mushroom soup added... of course...


----------



## Eddie_T

Live life on the sunny side and you'll be healthier!

I built my house with a Sears 9" RAS including millwork. I didn't need to cut anything thicker than 1.5".


----------



## shan2themax

Ok, I finally finished the other post about the estimate to fix middle of house floor sagging

Thread 'Sagging floor repair estimate' Sagging floor repair estimate


----------



## zannej

I went into town to check mail. No packages and something we ordered very early this month is listed as "delayed" even though it was shipped. Pretty sure they lost the package. But they said we can get a refund even if it arrives later. Still frustrating. 
Popped in to see my friend briefly. His gf was there and was giving me stink-eye the whole time. The toddler, who is locked in his room, was calling for attention. She yelled at him to shut the eff up. I said he wanted out and she said the living room was too messy. I told her she best get on cleaning it then. Friend looked miserable with her there. Then the baby woke up and made a small sound (not loud, not annoying) and the gf started whining about it. Friend went to pick the baby up but since I was there the gf pretended to care. Plucked the baby up roughly with no concern and no hint of any affection. She hates her own kids & its sad.

Grabbed some sweet feed for the cows at TSC and found the hay with molasses is back in stock so I grabbed a bale. The cows were ecstatic.

Cooked for Mom and am now resting with kitties piled on. My shoulder is still giving me grief-- pain is extending into my collarbone now. It's not bad pain, but enough to be annoying.


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej  I hope your shoulder gets better. I have torn and had repaired both of my rotator cuffs, shoulder problems are absolutely no fun!


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Shan. Its stopping me from hauling out the old microwave, which is annoying to me. I was barely able to get the cow feed loaded and unloaded.

Buzz, on the little island thing, I was thinking of using boards but its hard to find straight lumber here. The plywood is less likely to have warp to it. And its actually cheaper than the boards in my area. It is something I considered though.


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Buzz, on the little island thing, I was thinking of using boards but its hard to find straight lumber here. The plywood is less likely to have warp to it. And its actually cheaper than the boards in my area. It is something I considered though.


Have you priced plywood lately? Often trim is placed around the edge of plywood to disguise that it's plywood or thin veneer... maybe your pieces needed are small enough you can find some scraps...


----------



## zannej

BuzzLOL said:


> Have you priced plywood lately? Often trim is placed around the edge of plywood to disguise that it's plywood or thin veneer... maybe your pieces needed are small enough you can find some scraps...


Yes. I have a list of the wood I want to use and the prices. I can get more bang for my buck from the plywood pieces I want and they are easier to transport in my truck. 8' boards stick out more and I have 5' truck bed. They won't deliver out here so I have to transport it myself. Sometimes I have to open the rear window of the truck and stick stuff through. I can get the veneer or just seal up the edges with wood putty and then paint.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good morning, 4 minutes before it would be Good Afternoon... Yup just got up and stayed up to watch my Sens lose at a late game...

Well, I was dead against firing the coach... But honestly, I think it's come to it... Probably won't happen till they sell the team which is up for 800 million... I remember when they were sold back in 2003 for 99 million... The big difference now... Anybody wanna go in with me... LOL...

Well, not sure what I am doing today... Still trying to wake up... Tomorrow, I have to be up early, because I have to be in Ottawa tomorrow for two dr appointments, the first one being 8:30... So I will probably leave here at about 6:30 tomorrow morning... and then my second appointment is at 10:30



BuzzLOL said:


> What day is the Canadian version?
> Our Thanksgiving Day is predicted to be the warmest day of the week, about 55 degrees...
> The past week has been COLD and windy, more like January weather...


@BuzzLOL Our Thanksgiving was October 10th... But nowhere as BIG as yours...


shan2themax said:


> @zannej  I hope your shoulder gets better. I have torn and had repaired both of my rotator cuffs, shoulder problems are absolutely no fun!


@shan2themax yeah, I screwed my shoulder up in the car accident we were in years back, and trying to convince insurance doctors my shoulder was (sorry) phucked! Ended up finally having the rotor cuff surgery almost 3 years after the accident... I have had a few surgeries, and that is one I don't ever want again!


BuzzLOL said:


> Have you priced plywood lately? Often trim is placed around the edge of plywood to disguise that it's plywood or thin veneer... maybe your pieces needed are small enough you can find some scraps...



I was pricing some 4X8 5/8 Pressure Treated plywood... In the middle of Fall, it was $165 a sheet... and I wanted two sheets... Only hope it drops come Spring...

Well, kids... I hope YOU all have a splendid day... 

Cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Even healthier for everyone with no addictions...


Buzz goads everyone else regarding addictions but it's quite obvious to others that he is addicted to the mantra he espouses.


----------



## shan2themax

Let's just ignore the Buzz stuff before this thread gets shut down.

I still haven't decided if I am going to do all of the sag repair or just some of it. I probably should do option 2....  a caveat I don't think I mentioned is that the floor joist under the half bath is cut in half, there is blocking, however it is not sufficient and in the way for plumbing repairs.
My biggest angst about option 2 is if they knock plumbing loose, then I will have to hire a plumber and they are dumb expensive. I should have gone to school for plumbing/electricity.... oh heck, if I am gonna dream... just all the trades lol.

All jobs are important, ALL of them..... however, I have a hard to reconciling the fact that me physically bringing you back from the dead is considerably cheaper than plumbing repairs.... let's think about that for just a moment.

My sacroilliac joint HATES me the past 2 days. I am supposed to be preparing some dishes for Thanksgiving dinner I am having tomorrow, I haven't been able to do anything though....
I'm working on this puzzle. I may never get it done at this point lol. I dumped a bunch of pieces on the floor yesterday on accident. Its coming along though.




Hope everyone has a wonderful evening.... and I hope I make up my mind before he calls me back lol


----------



## Flyover

Shan, my 5 y/o son and I just started 1000 piece puzzle of our own. It's a photo of some town in Colorado...Breckenridge, I think? Looks cozy and inviting, makes me wanna go visit. Great way to boost tourism! 

Anyway, I have been deliberately staying away from the puzzle so long as I have anything else to do because I get REALLY sucked into them. Speaking of addictions...


----------



## shan2themax

So... I have worked on the puzzle some more, I have sweet potato casserole in the oven, and I put the broccoli casserole together.... the eggs have been hard-boiled but I have yet to do anything else with them... 
My sacroilliac joint has been a turd today. 

I will have tonget my roasting pan out ofnthe garage tomorrow for tom turkey and I think I will cook the ham early and then people can just heat it up if they want. I normally make bone broth with my turkey bones but idk if I will be able to, we will jist have to see. If anything, I could at least put the bones in the freezer and do it another time. I still have a few quarts from last year though. Decisions, decisions.

Hope everyone has had a good day.
 I'm gonna work on this puzzle a little, I will have to wait for the sweet potato casserole to cool for like 30 minutes before I can put it in the fridge.


----------



## 68bucks

We typically make stock from the turkey carcass too but we are pretty stocked on stock right now too. A friend of mine's mom used to always make soup from the turkey carcass. They called it dinosaur soup because of how the bones looked.


----------



## zannej

Redneckgrump, I hope you won't need to have anymore surgeries on your shoulder-- or anywhere else. Surgery can suck. I mean, it helps but it still is an ordeal.

Shan, if the joist under the bathroom is cut in half then I can understand why you would go that route. If they are licensed & bonded with insurance, they should cover any damage to plumbing though. If they mess it up, they should have to get it fixed. I also have a joist cut in half- big chunk taken out for a tub drain so I know how concerning that can be.

We haven't done holiday stuff ever since my father died. Just never felt like it after. Not doing anything special for Thanksgiving. Probably having leftover spaghetti that I just cooked today-- and that was a royal pain. The electric kettle boils water faster than on the cooktop so I went to boil the water but the kettle won't turn on. I checked to make sure its plugged in. It got knocked down one too many times and broke. Ordered a new one. Then something fell on top of the cooktop and cracked it (it's a portable one, not built-in). It still been working ok with the cracks but the water boiled over and caused the cooktop to start flashing error signs and malfunction. I had to keep switching sides and eventually had to pause my cooking in the middle of browning the meat and let it sit for a bit and start working-- but it's not heating as much as it was before. That is frustrating. I finally did get it cooked at least. 

On the upside, I did find the accessory I got for the microwave to pick up hot bowls and cover stuff while its cooking. So I was able to use it when I set the spaghetti in a bowl in the microwave to keep cats out of it. I couldn't fit the noodles in the pan with the sauce so I had to mix them in a large bowl.

I saw some stools on clearance that my friend could use in his kitchen so I bought them. They fold up so they can be put out of the way when not in use. They hold 440lbs. He was looking at a set that had stools that only held 200lbs. They were made of particle board. He said they would be for the kids. I reminded him that the toddler dismantled the particle board drawer set in his room and he'd make short work of those stools.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, how do you store your bone broth? I want to cook a lot, but have heard Botulism will multiply under the fat layer in a mason jar. I asked several places how I would use it after that, and no real info. Even the local USDA extension people couldn't answer.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 I just let it cool a little and then put it in zipper freezer bags, wipe the zipper on the zipper bag well and then seal. Then I lay them flat on a metal pan in the freezer. 

I found this that you may find useful. 



			National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Can Meats
		


I follow several youtubers that can broth also. I was going to give it a go this year, but my SI joint is still angry today.

I will find a link to one YouTube channel that has lots of canning experience.


----------



## havasu

Buzz just went on vacation for a week. If this continues once he returns, this will be a permanent ban.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Afternoon Folks...
Well, it was a fast morning... Set the google alarm for 5:30 this morning... And for some strange reason it did not go off, Lorie shook me and asked Google what time it was, and when I heard 7:10... Well up, hustled Lorie and Carl, and out the door at 7:30. Have to be at the Pain Doctor @ 8:30 in the city of Ottawa,  which is about an hour and a half... Jumped off one hwy, onto another that took us up to Ottawa, Well, Yup we ran into freezing rain, so that slowed us right down, and then we jumped on the hwy that runs through Ottawa, and yup Ontario Provincial Police sitting on both sides of the hwy making people even slower... Well got to the doctors at nine... Then I had to go to the Ottawa hospital for a CT scan on my lung where they give you a dye by intravenous...  While I was in there someone knocked on Lorie's window on the truck, It was a very good friend of ours that we have known forever who was in to see his wife who had her vertebrae taken out cuz it was covered in cancer... she also had 2 spots on her liver which is cancer and a spot on her lung... She just finished fighting breast cancer, and we had a big party for her... If there is anyone who prays in this form, I ask you to pray for Zorha, and I thank you very very much... I know that is going to ruffle a few feathers...

@zannej thanks Dear... but I don't think I have any surgery anytime soon... But Thank you...

Well, Kids... My wife needs a bottle of wine... So I am on my way to get her a bottle or box... all depends on how I feel when I get over there.. and then I am going to come home again, and make a cider apple whiskey sour...

So, I hope YOU all have a GREAT evening...
Cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

@RedneckGrump  Praying for Zorha.


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks Shan, but that doesn't say anything about Botulism / how to avoid it. I looked for months on Youtube and other sources and couldn't find anything, so I'll just give up on it. There's 4 million articles on cooking it, none mention safety. 

I looked for it to heal my gut, but my 7 week Detox took care of that.


----------



## Spicoli43

Praying for Zorha. Please cure her Cancer.


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Thanks Shan, but that doesn't say anything about Botulism / how to avoid it. I looked for months on Youtube and other sources and couldn't find anything, so I'll just give up on it. There's 4 million articles on cooking it, none mention safety.
> 
> I looked for it to heal my gut, but my 7 week Detox took care of that.


Are you considering bone broth different than stock? We make what we call stock often using bones along with vegetables and seasoning maybe. We freeze it often similar to what Shane does but do can it. We have a pressure canner because you need to processes meats products at higher temperatures. We do can some meat occasionally.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> Are you considering bone broth different than stock? We make what we call stock often using bones along with vegetables and seasoning maybe. We freeze it often similar to what Shane does but do can it. We have a pressure canner because you need to processes meats products at higher temperatures. We do can some meat occasionally.


No. You describe the same thing, but the recipes I have seen have a TBSP of ACV to help the collagen release from the bones.


----------



## havasu

Filled 2 trash bins trimming my pomegranate tree. Looks like my neighbors jumped the wall and stole over a hundred beautiful pomegranates, leaving me 2 of them.


----------



## Ron Van

Ruby and I bought two new desktop computers that were on sale at Costco the other day. I set them up and configured them today. It went pretty well, it seems they are getting easier to configure and transfer all the data from the old computer these days. 

Got a Covid test at the doctor’s office and then Put some more decorations up.


----------



## shan2themax

@RedneckGrump so sorry to hear about Zorha, prayers for a miracle headed that way...


@Spicoli43  Botulism is actually pretty rare... however it does only take one time.  From what I have read, you can let the broth cool skim the fat off and then follow canning guidelines strictly.

 Here's what the CDC says, Home Canning and Botulism

Its all in the proper procedures and boiling for the correct amount of temp/elevation etc.

Also, I hear alot of homesteaders talk about how you have to wash the outside of the jars off after they have cooled and you should NEVER store with the rings on. If you have clean jars, you will know if something didn't seal properly. ALSO, you should ALWAYS wipe the rim of the jar (and I vote the threads also) with vinegar or apple cider vinegar because they act as a degreaser and help ensure a good seal.

I get an extra day off since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I plan to do a bunch of nothing.... maybe puzzling, maybe reading, maybe napping..... got some planes for next rotation off, hopefully nothing stalls those!

Have a great night and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving  tomorrow... mine was great today.... I forgot to take pictures. However, this was the first Thanksgiving dinner at the dining room table actually IN THE DINING ROOM since like 2010ish.

I enjoyed it immensely!


----------



## Eddie_T

I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner in a gated community. The meal is catered so I imagine it will be kinda fancy. About nine people total two of which  have been friends since 1999 the others will be new friends. Maybe a house with a view the name of the community is Cliff Ridge.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner in a gated community. The meal is catered so I imagine it will be kinda fancy. About nine people total two of which  have been friends since 1999 the others will be new friends. Maybe a house with a view the name of the community is Cliff Ridge.


That's great Eddie! Is that on the Mountaintop golf course? Fancy!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving  tomorrow... mine was great today.... I forgot to take pictures. However, this was the first Thanksgiving dinner at the dining room table actually IN THE DINING ROOM since like 2010ish.
> 
> I enjoyed it immensely!


Your hard work is paying off! Just another thing to be thankful for!


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> I screwed my shoulder up in the car accident we were in years back, and trying to convince insurance doctors my shoulder was (sorry) phucked! Ended up finally having the rotor cuff surgery almost 3 years after the accident... I have had a few surgeries, and that is one I don't ever want again!


I messed up my left rotator cuff (and head) after being thrown off a ladder by an angry tree. I came back from the ER and taught the tree a lesson. Anyway...the doctors are recommending surgery but after the experiences I've gone through with surgery lately, I don't think I want to do it. It sounds like you don't recommend it either. What happened that you wouldn't do it again?


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> That's great Eddie! Is that on the Mountaintop golf course? Fancy!


No not the golf course. It's a small private community that predates the golf course. It is just on the SC side of the eastern continental divide. Not many air miles from my avatar pic.


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks Shan, but there's too many rules and it's not like I will have a mild cold if I screw it up... I will just accept that I'm not allowed to do it. 

Happy Thanksgiving all!


----------



## 68bucks

I had shoulder surgery in 2010 for a torn labrum and bone spurs in the AC joint. I was in a sling 6 weeks before I could start PT. It was really painful. I think  with RC surgery you start PT in a couple weeks. I have bone spurs in the other AC joint but it will have to get a lot worse before I do that again.


----------



## shan2themax

@Ron Van I too have torn both rotator cuffs. I didn't find it to be horrible, however... it is a mind game doing therapy. Speaking of therapy, dependent upon what all is torn and the extent, you may be able to get by with just physical therapy to strengthen up the supportive muscles. Hope that helps!

And Yes, I was very Thankful for yesterday. Today.... I am resting this dumb SI joint, and reading The body keeps score: Brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma

Happy Thanksgiving!!


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Thanks Shan, but there's too many rules and it's not like I will have a mild cold if I screw it up... I will just accept that I'm not allowed to do it.
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving all!


Just cool a little and put in freezer bags. A quart bag will hold about 2 cups of broth. Lay flat in freezer, when frozen you can stack or stuff or whatever you want


----------



## ekrig

A happy and healthy Thankgiving to all!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Evening Friends...

The first thing I want to say is that you are probably all stuffed, sitting around and relaxing... But I wish YOU all a very very *Happy Thanksgiving*... *Happy Turkey Day*...

Been a very busy day from morning till about 6 tonight... Don't really want to get into it, but am home now, relaxing in my chair, writing to YOU guys...



Spicoli43 said:


> Praying for Zorha. Please cure her Cancer.


Thank you very much @Spicoli43 



havasu said:


> Filled 2 trash bins trimming my pomegranate tree. Looks like my neighbors jumped the wall and stole over a hundred beautiful pomegranates, leaving me 2 of them.


Time to get cameras or a BIG dog... or donkey they are very territorial 



shan2themax said:


> @RedneckGrump so sorry to hear about Zorha, prayers for a miracle headed that way...


Thank you very much @shan2themax 



Ron Van said:


> I messed up my left rotator cuff (and head) after being thrown off a ladder by an angry tree. I came back from the ER and taught the tree a lesson. Anyway...the doctors are recommending surgery but after the experiences I've gone through with surgery lately, I don't think I want to do it. It sounds like you don't recommend it either. What happened that you wouldn't do it again?


I had a torn rotor cuff from the car accident... Yes, I was in the sling for six weeks, and then ended up with a frozen shoulder.  So, I started physio about a week after coming out of the sling. I set up a pulley thing in my basement from the ceiling and put a waist strap on the rope on the pulley, and that is how I worked my shoulder before physio... Was a lot of pain... But I got it done... @Ron Van if ya need the surgery, Buddy, get her done, cuz it doesn't get any better... For example, I ripped my ACL  back in my teen years playing lacrosse,  and to this day it's still torn... I can live with it, but the torn Rotor Cuff, it got to a point, I could not raise my arm more than 15 degrees

So Everyone, again I hope YOU all had a very Happy Thanksgiving Day, and Please be careful with the rushes in the stores for Black Friday...

Thank you for all your prayers,  very nice of YOU all...

Have a GREAT Long Weekend Everyone!!!
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

While we are on the torn body part topic, both my shoulders and knees are shot. I don't take any pain meds, but have done Acupuncture in the past, which works when one finds an excellent technician, preferably a graduate of Bastyr University, which is the "Rolls Royce Gold Standard" of alternative therapy schools. I have had Acupuncture that didn't work from some that apparently went to "Ben's kneedle sticking instruction course"...

I will not go to therapy, will not have surgery, and will not go to the worthless VA about it. I would rather go to a car mechanic and have them work on my knees and shoulders because they have FUNCTIONAL brain cells.


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> @Ron Van- if ya need the surgery, Buddy, get her done, cuz it doesn't get any better... For example, I ripped my ACL  back in my teen years playing lacrosse,  and to this day it's still torn... I can live with it, but the torn Rotor Cuff, it got to a point, I could not raise my arm more than 15 degrees


Yes, I believe you are right. It won't get better. I had every intention of getting the rotator cuff surgery until my bad Cologuard result came in which prompted a Colonoscopy, which resulted in a colon Resection (they took a chunk out), which got infected, and then I had a bad reaction to the antibiotics, which resulted in three different episodes of swollen facial features and chest pains bad enough to go to ER. To make a bad situation badder, Ruby and I both tested positive for Covid on Wednesday. That explains some of my weird symptoms. I'm a little hesitant to do the rotator cuff surgery now. I don't think my shoulders are nearly as bad as yours where. My major complaint is that it's hard to sleep on my side. When I sleep on my back, Ruby says I snore.

I had a MRI done on my shoulder. The nurse called a week later and said, "It's pretty bad." I asked her to give it to me in plain English because I don't understand medical jargon. She said, "It's bad." I'm not sure what that means because it doesn't feel that bad, except when I try to reach in certain directions or sleep.


----------



## shan2themax

@Ron Van you should be able to get a print off of your radiology report, that way you know exactly what is wrong. 

I'm off to work in a bit, I am really dreading it because of my back and SI joint. It woke me up several times overnight and is so angry. I am over it, literally over it. I feel like I have the body of a 90 year old. Call me a waaaahhmbulance.

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great day!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Evening Chums...

Does anybody do the Black Friday Games today... They kinda have the black Friday up here, Well. we went out and got a dishwasher, so I know what I am doing as of Tuesday when it comes in... I have bought Samsung Fridge, and Stove, so I was hoping to get a Stainless Steel Samsung Dishwasher, and we got one...So, after Tuesday when it gets here, I will be installing it...Be nice to have it installed before the family Christmas Dinner...

Oh yes, and this morning we had friends over, that we hadn't seen for about 8 - 9 years... So, we had a good visit with them...

Well, that's all the excitement going on here... Hope YOU all had a GREAT day
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

I would rather be hung upside down from unmentionable parts of my anatomy while "My heart will go on" or whatever that horrific song is plays in the background for a Month than go anywhere on Black Friday.


----------



## zannej

Hey everyone. Sorry if I mixed up stuff with who said what. I have such a hard time remembering things. Been raining so internet has been dropping. I watched the latest episode of Andor. Watched a bunch of "how to" videos on Youtube. Looked up some recipes for fried rice. Didn't the usual veggies so used corn & broccoli. Too much corn though. Need to add more rice later. Turned out ok though. Mom didn't hate it.
Mostly did online shopping because I was not about to go anywhere near a store today. Going tomorrow though. Need to get groceries.
I've found that if I sing to myself while in the store I can somewhat drown out the crappy music. I stroll through the aisles singing a creepy version of (Ding Dong) Hide and Seek". 

Anyway, I scored some electrician's tools, some cleaning supplies, and some sewing patterns on sale online.

Waiting for my brother to get home from work to weigh in on the fried rice.


----------



## Spicoli43

For those in the Stock Market, this is a recommendation for a ground floor opportunity in a company called Enzolytics (ENZC)... Of course I'm not trying to spam the board, and if you read the link, you will understand the potential. 

I'm not saying "Mortgage your House" to buy shares, but at less than 5 cents, you can easily make some coin on it... Do your due diligence and research, but at a bare minimum if you don't want to invest, research the product that will be released in stores soon, IPF Immune... From being an investor for 2 years, I think it will help anybody that has had Covid, which is almost the entire planet. I'm ordering as soon as I can, or going to get it at CVS or wherever. 

Also, their Clone 3 Anti-HIV Monoclonal Antibody was initially "kinda" funded by the NIH, which then decided not to fund it fully, and then when they realized their mistake, Fauci tried to steal it from the inventor, patent holder and rightful owner, the CMO of Enzolytics, Dr. Joseph Cotropia.... 

Dr. Cotropia's brother Charles, the CEO, is also a Patent Attorney of 40 some Years, so that didn't work out too well for Fauci... Just a fun fact for those that didn't think he was evil, which is basically nobody.

(Bioclonetics is now fully owned by Enzolytics)..









						Enzolytics, Inc. Announces Expansion of Production of Its Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics and Marketing of IPF Immune(TM)
					

Enzolytics, Inc. (OTC PINK:ENZC) (https://enzolytics.com/).




					finance.yahoo.com
				












						BioClonetics Incorporated - Dr. Joseph Cotropia
					

BioClonetics Incorporated - Dr. Joseph Cotropia



					www.academia.edu


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks,
Well, the sun is already shining, and it is +7 already...Snow is disappearing slowly, but can see grass again... Perfect... We have company coming over, brother and sister in law... so that's always good for a couple of beers, a couple of shots of Forty Creek Whiskey... and then a Prime Rib for dinner with a bottle or two of red wine...

The only problem is their 1.5-year-old Puppy, (cocker spaniel) that constantly is in Carl's face...Carl growls and snaps at him (he would never bite him) But Charlie doesn't get the message...One day he might... (LOL)

Well, that is my day... I want to get online and see if I can find the dimensions for this dishwasher, so I can frame it in before Tuesday, run the water lines, and drain...

Well, folks, that is my day planned in a nutshell... Hope YOU all have a wonderful Saturday...
Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Redneck, you're doing brand new cabinets / counters with the dishwasher install? 

My Brother's favorite breed is Springer Spaniels, which I think are just giant Cocker Spaniels.


----------



## Spicoli43

Just updated my spice cabinet... Found a bunch of spices that were from 2017, so discarded them. Found out I was short on Basil, Catnip and Curry... Looking out at the patio, I pictured myself building a nice spice rack instead of having them in little Mason Jars, but I'm getting Miron Violet jars and need them before cutting wood. That won't happen until next year.

Side note... As long as Catnip doesn't interfere with any RX drugs you are on, you can brew a cup like any other Tea... It's incredibly relaxing, the Polar opposite of what it does to Terrorists... er... Cats.


----------



## havasu

My spice rack definitely needs help!


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I have a cabinet like that just for stuff I put on Eggs and Hashbrowns etc by the stove, but my big cabinet is the one that needs serious help...


----------



## Flyover

That's not too bad Spicoli, but yeah could be better. I have a nice alphabetized 20-jar spice rack on the counter next to the stove where each jar is tilted so I can read the top of the lid, but all my less-used spices, bulk spices, and other non-spice ingredients like oils/vinegars/cornstarch/etc. are in a cabinet like that. Some day I think I'll expand onto the adjacent wall and build several shallow shelves so they can all go there one row deep. Alphabetized of course. Hm, or maybe on the inside of the cabinet door, and just reduce the depth of the shelves in the cabinet to accommodate.


----------



## zannej

Morning all. I'm up at 5am because I heard my brother coughing really hard. He got sent home early from work yesterday bc he was sick. Almost lost his voice. We were out of chicken noodle soup in the house so I went out and got the pack I forgot to unload from the truck and brought it in. Went to samsclub yesterday and had to load five cases of water, three 25lb sacks of cat food, and 2 gallons of milk. Grabbed some stuff for arthritis pain to see if it helps my shoulder. It's hurting all the way under my collarbone now. Fortunately, Mom still had potato salad, chicken salad, and bread so she made herself sandwiches while I was gone. Good thing bc something was going on up there and the cops were all over the place with the roads closed off. Took me an extra 30min driving around it to get back on the road home. The way this place is designed you can't just go back the road you came on, you have to go on some sort of roundabout and they had al the roads to it closed. I had to take backroads (with the help of gps) to find my way around. At one point a cop waved me through but he pointed the flashlight directly in my eyes and temporarily blinded me & another car disregarded his instructions to stop and blew through in my way so I had to wait while the cop was shouting at this person to stop. They almost ran him over. It was very clear he was blocking that road and the person tried to get around his car. While he was dealing with that person I was able to go. I was going to go to Walmart too, but was too tired by the time I got back into town.

I had grabbed food at Wendy's to eat when I got home. It was almost cold but they wrap their stuff in foil so it stays warmer. After eating I crawled into bed and just about passed out. Mom didn't complain because I think she saw how exhausted I was. I barely made it into the bed and my shoulder was giving me grief while I adjusted pillows and tried to get comfortable.

Anyway, got my brother some soup and some Mucinex and then refilled his water bottle with filtered water so he can stay hydrated. He has to sleep sitting up bc of al the mucus and was using a neck pillow I got him awhile back. The last two nights he gave me some of the food he bought before coming home. He had ribs the other night and chicken last night. 

My spices are all over the place. Some on the floor bc cats are a-holes and got into the cabinet. Some are on a shelf I can't reach in the cabinet over the microwave. We do have spice rack thingies but they won't fit some of the larger spices. I've thought about building a rack to the side of one of the cabinets but I'll have to get measurements.

Trying to get back to sleep. I keep waking up sweating and Bethesda keeps licking my leg with her sandpaper tongue. Sir Hammington just popped up (literally made a sound bumping something), meowed and climbed on me. At least he didn't pounce this time.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Morning all. I'm up at 5am because I heard my brother coughing really hard. He got sent home early from work yesterday bc he was sick. Almost lost his voice.


Me, Ruby and her mother had Covid last week. It’s back! Now my daughter and SIL have it.


----------



## zannej

Ron, that sucks. I hope you're feeling better and that your daughter and SIL will get over it quickly. Pretty sure my brother got some kind of cold or something from our friend's kid. She had the same symptoms and climbed all over my brother while sick. She sat on his shoulders and farted on him (for which she apologized).
I believe they tested my brother for Covid at work and it came out negative. I'm trying to avoid too close contact with him bc I do not need to get sick.


----------



## 68bucks

Ron Van said:


> Me, Ruby and her mother had Covid last week. It’s back! Now my daughter and SIL have it.


My SIL came down with covid last week. She started having fainting spells, she passed out several times in a couple of days. Ended up in the ER on Wednesday and has been in the hospital since. She has been diagnosed with atrial flutter and her heart beat was 160+. They have managed to get it down in the 70's but it keeps returning to the high rates. Lots of tests going on. The nurses said they have been seeing a lot of covid cases coming in with people having heart complications of one sort or another. She has never had any issues with her heart prior. Hoping she can go home Monday or Tuesday but we'll see.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> That's not too bad Spicoli, but yeah could be better. I have a nice alphabetized 20-jar spice rack on the counter next to the stove where each jar is tilted so I can read the top of the lid, but all my less-used spices, bulk spices, and other non-spice ingredients like oils/vinegars/cornstarch/etc. are in a cabinet like that. Some day I think I'll expand onto the adjacent wall and build several shallow shelves so they can all go there one row deep. Alphabetized of course. Hm, or maybe on the inside of the cabinet door, and just reduce the depth of the shelves in the cabinet to accommodate.


I would have a spinning spice rack on the counter, but the Cats would think that was the best toy ever.


----------



## Spicoli43

Hope everybody that has / had Covid is okay. The Heart problems are probably due to the Covid shots, that's the main side effect. People have to detox if they got the shots.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Ron, that sucks. I hope you're feeling better and that your daughter and SIL will get over it quickly.


It wasn’t that bad for me. I had a stuffy nose for a day. Ringing in the ears a headache for a couple days. It’s all good now. 



Spicoli43 said:


> Hope everybody that has / had Covid is okay. The Heart problems are probably due to the Covid shots, that's the main side effect. People have to detox if they got the shots.


Yeah, Ruby and I never got the jab.


----------



## Spicoli43

Here's a Free E-book about reversing damage from the not-really-a vaccine. You'll get access to a Free documentary series as well with lots of Doctors. I have been watching Doc series like this for a decade and have learned tons of stuff about Health topics. 

If you just want the E-book and don't want the documentary series, just unsub from their emails. On day 2 or 3 of the series, they will offer to sell it in case you want to have access to it for life.









						Guide - Optin - Brave Series
					

Ultimate Vaxx Detox Guide Reverse Damage from the Deadly COVID “Vaccine” Download your free eBook now and get access to expert-recommended protocols & treatments to reverse post-vaxx injuries, both mild and severe. The most lethal bioweapon known to humanity has been unleashed on the world. And...




					braveseries.com


----------



## Eddie_T

I made a wooden 24 bottle spice rack many years ago. Most of the spices I don't use since my wife passed. Some that are old I just use extra if I happen to need them.

I didn't get the jab and usually carry a nasal spritzer (with 1% povidone iodine) with me when I go out. When I was a guest for Thanksgiving I spritzed several times afterward.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I didn't get the jab and usually carry a nasal spritzer (with 1% povidone iodine) with me when I go out. When I was a guest for Thanksgiving I spritzed several times afterward.


I'm convinced I got covid because my immune system was weakened by the steroids and other medications I was on after my surgery. I hardly ever get sick.

After hearing RedNeckG talk about it and others, I'm pretty sure I don't want to get the rotator cuff surgery. I've had it with hospitals and their knife toting doctors.


----------



## zannej

We have a rotating thing to hold stuff for coffee-- like creamer & packets of sweetener. Similar to a rotating spice rack-- it turns and such. Cats knocked it on the floor and broke it.

I have a few friend who are nurses and they have all talked about young patients with no pre-existing conditions coming in with heart issues from Covid. One had an 18-yr-old who died from it. It can wreck the heart. I already have heart issues so I'm trying to avoid people.

My brother has some sort of respiratory infection now. He's been hacking up big chunks of greenish yellow mucus. He probably needs some nebulizer meds but his nebulizer has broken parts and they don't care parts locally.

Just finished cooking for Mom. Need to go to Walmart to get more groceries but not feeling up to it. I'll try to go tomorrow. I have mail to pick up then anyway. I'm a bit annoyed bc a package that is supposed to arrive tomorrow hasn't even been shipped yet.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I made a wooden 24 bottle spice rack many years ago. Most of the spices I don't use since my wife passed. Some that are old I just use extra if I happen to need them.
> 
> I didn't get the jab and usually carry a nasal spritzer (with 1% povidone iodine) with me when I go out. When I was a guest for Thanksgiving I spritzed several times afterward.


My Lungs are the victim of the Anthrax "vaccine" in 2003 before Iraq... I'll never take anything Pharma makes ever again. Shedding Blood in exchange for bribes results in people being cursed according to the Bible. I wouldn't want to be the CEO of Pfizer or Moderna.

My M.O. since 2000 has been to just take my Multi Vitamin, extra C and D3 and others, and in 2005 I switched to a plant based Multi. I hadn't had a hint of a Cold or Flu from 2000 until mid 2020, and that was weird, I assume it was Covid, but half my face felt dead and the other half was functional. I upped my dose of C then to 4-8 grams a day, and will continue that.

I also had a "cold" in 2021 that lasted a day and I killed it off with 10-12 Grams of C per day. I have sprayed things down with Vinegar or Peroxide since a long time before Covid.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> I'm convinced I got covid because my immune system was weakened by the steroids and other medications I was on after my surgery. I hardly ever get sick.
> 
> After hearing RedNeckG talk about it and others, I'm pretty sure I don't want to get the rotator cuff surgery. I've had it with hospitals and their knife toting doctors.


Have you ever used DMSO? I have a long story about that, but to keep it simple, I'm walking because of it. Between Football and the Military, my knees and ankles are toast, but I can "rip" my knees and be walking fine the next day... 

The last time I did that was a few years ago when I tried to kick the Soccer ball for my Dog and missed, hyperextending my knee. I low crawled into the house and just laid up for a day... Didn't use DMSO because I had used it several times since being introduced to it in 1993... 

If you want the down low, I'll tell you more.


----------



## Ron Van

I ordered a freeze miser from Amazon. Does anyone have experience with them?


----------



## Spicoli43

I have experience with these, no problems in -35 or lower.



			https://www.lowes.com/pd/CompanyBox-Hard-Plastic-Faucet-Cover/5013648589


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> I ordered a freeze miser from Amazon. Does anyone have experience with them?
> 
> View attachment 29174
> 
> View attachment 29175


Interesting concept. I had never heard of them before.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks...
Man oh Man, getting too old for this stuff, stayed up to watch my Sens win last night, but the game didn't end till after midnight, and up @ 6 to have my coffee, and have the truck at the shop for an oil change @ 8... Back in the day, I was able to work, have union meetings all day, go for a couple of beers after work, and do it all over again... But think that would kill me today (LOL)

So, I trust YOU all had great turkey days and black Friday festivities... It's funny how fast time goes now also... It seemed just like yesterday it was Thursday...



Spicoli43 said:


> Redneck, you're doing brand new cabinets / counters with the dishwasher install?
> 
> My Brother's favorite breed is Springer Spaniels, which I think are just giant Cocker Spaniels.


@Spicoli43, Just building a cabinet for the dishwasher...and then installing the dishwasher. Was looking yesterday where she wants the dishwasher and where it would be practical...Going to look closer today when I get home from the oil change...

Put the other truck on Facebook yesterday, and got all kinds of inquiries for it... Also dropped the price to $2500... And not going much lower...

Well, I hope YOU all have a GREAT Monday...





Cheers~


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> Well, that is my day... I want to get online and see if I can find the dimensions for this dishwasher, so I can frame it in before Tuesday, run the water lines, and drain...


Redneck, Dishwashers are usually 24" wide and around 23" deep. The height is adjustable to fit under you countertop. An Air Gap may be required for your drain line by code otherwise you can make the drain line go through a high loop

Air Gap


High Loop




Also, you might consider having your dishwasher on a dedicated 20A circuit. It's probably code in Canada anyway.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> I have experience with these, no problems in -35 or lower.
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.lowes.com/pd/CompanyBox-Hard-Plastic-Faucet-Cover/5013648589





We have these now and they work but because we use our hoses year round, it's a pain in the rear to be taking the hoses off to install these on two different bibs anytime the forecast says it might freeze and then take them back off to use the hoses. The freeze miser (if it works) can be left on using a "Y" at the bib.


----------



## Ron Van

Has anyone ever looked at the "Hammerpedia" plumbing lessons?
Home page:


			https://cf.hammerpedia.com/order-24489944
		




Cyber sale on Hammerpedia


			https://secure.hammerpedia.com/training1665780819409
		


I learned a few things just watching the advertisements.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron, won't you have to unscrew the freeze miser to put the hose on?


----------



## Ron Van

One of Ruby’s broccoli plants are starting to form a head. Each plant only forms one broccoli.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Ron, won't you have to unscrew the freeze miser to put the hose on?


I’ll use a. “Y” with one side having the freeze miser and put the hose on the other side.


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> One of Ruby’s broccoli plants are starting to form a head. Each plant only forms one broccoli.
> 
> View attachment 29190


When you pick the head will it make another?


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> When you pick the head will it make another?


This is the first time Ruby has attempted to grow broccoli but this is what the internet says about it:

How Many Times Can You Harvest a Broccoli Plant?

At first glance, broccoli (Brassica oleracea) seems like an inefficient vegetable. It doesn't continually produce new fruit like many garden vegetables. However, broccoli does have some redeeming qualities. Although you can't harvest broccoli for months on end, you can harvest it several times during the growing season. Don't wait until the broccoli heads become large, though. Young shoots are the most tender and sweet.

Harvesting​In general, broccoli plants can be harvested two or three times or for a period of up to three months. The plant first produces a large center head. This head should be cut at a slight angle with 5 to 6 inches of stalk. Once cut, the plant will produce smaller side heads for several weeks. Broccoli should be harvested when the heads are small, tight and firm. If flower buds appear, it should be cut immediately. When the yellow flowers open, broccoli becomes bitter.

Growing Conditions​How long you can harvest broccoli depends mostly on weather conditions. Broccoli is a cool-season crop that bolts or goes to seed in hot, dry weather. In Mediterranean climates, it grows best from fall to late spring. During cool weather, it can be harvested repeatedly. When the weather turns hot, your broccoli-picking days are probably over.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Ron Van said:


> Redneck, Dishwashers are usually 24" wide and around 23" deep. The height is adjustable to fit under you countertop. An Air Gap may be required for your drain line by code otherwise you can make the drain line go through a high loop
> 
> Air Gap
> View attachment 29180
> 
> High Loop
> 
> View attachment 29181
> 
> 
> Also, you might consider having your dishwasher on a dedicated 20A circuit. It's probably code in Canada anyway.



Thanks, @Ron Van, Thanks again, Buddy!


----------



## Ron Van

Yesterday the power went off at church. We switched to acoustic instruments although I normally play acoustic guitar anyway… it wasn’t much of a change for me.


----------



## Ron Van

Got my freeze misers today




I put a freeze miser and a foam cover on this one.


----------



## Ron Van

Attempting to fix my mother in laws Christmas Decorations today. Hopefully it works. Used JB Weld 2 part epoxy. 

One of the sleigh’s runners broke off. It’s hard to glue something like that back on but epoxy is pretty good stuff! 




Also her Santa broke off it’s stand. Trying to hold it while the epoxy sets is the challenge.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Evening Folks...

Well, my 2006 Ford sold today, and I was offered $1800... wrote back saying I was hoping to get $2000, then wrote back and said, what the hell... Merry Christmas, I'll take the $1800... So as of tomorrow morning, she is gone... Had about 100 offers come in, once I posted her on Market Place on Facebook... Hate to say it... But yup, Lorie was right... again...

So, took the plates off her, and cleaned everything out of her...Just finished the bill of sale... So, tomorrow morning, she is GONE!!

Picked up the wood to frame the dishwasher in, that is tomorrow's job...The dishwasher was supposed to be here today, instead, it will be here Friday afternoon... So, hopefully, if I can get some sleep tonight, I will have her ready to be plugged in, and away it goes...Time will tell... But I need some SLEEP...

There is not a lot else to report here up in the northern part of North America...Except the snow is almost gone... except for a little tuff here and there... No, where as much as we did last weekend...

Well, I hope YOU all have a GREAT evening...and tomorrow it's hump day already tomorrow...
Cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

Since I have problems flipping eggs 'over easy' I decided to try an 'egg in the hole'. The egg remained in the pan toasted bread for the flip so I may be on to something.

I re-installed a one piece Kohler Rochelle toilet using a waxless seal. It's in a tight place as I scooted it into place on 2x4 scraps one corner of the base hit the ceramic tile and chipped the corner. Not too serious or noticable. I will try some moldable plastic pellets and acrylic paint to touch up the corner.

Did I mention that I hate plumbing? I don't even recall how many months I have been down to one bath due to a pinhole leak repair in the wall behind the toilet.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Since I have problems flipping eggs 'over easy' I decided to try an 'egg in the hole'. The egg remained in the pan toasted bread for the flip so I may be on to something.


Interesting! That actually sounds really good! I love to dip my toast in egg yoke!


Eddie_T said:


> I re-installed a one piece Kohler Rochelle toilet using a waxless seal. It's in a tight place as I scooted it into place on 2x4 scraps one corner of the base hit the ceramic tile and chipped the corner. Not too serious or noticable. I will try some moldable plastic pellets and acrylic paint to touch up the corner.


So…the Rochelle is the small toilet that looks like it doesn’t have a tank?



I can’t even figure out how that works. The tank is usually up high so gravity will help the water flush with force. 


Eddie_T said:


> Did I mention that I hate plumbing? I don't even recall how many months I have been down to one bath due to a pinhole leak repair in the wall behind the toilet.


Was the leak in copper?


----------



## Ron Van

Is Shan on vacation? Haven’t heard from her since Friday. @shan2themax


----------



## Eddie_T

The leak was in a copper hot water line.
I think the toilet is a 7.5 gallon flush. 
Here you can see where the chip is.


----------



## zannej

What is the egg in the hole technique? I suck at flipping eggs.

Hammerpedia is a good site and the youtube videos are always good.

I've tried those foam covers but they were a waste of $ bc they won't stay on. Wind blows them right off no matter how tight I put them and the cows bump them off if the wind doesn't get them.

Monday I took my brother to the doctor. He's on the verge of getting pneumonia. Doc prescribed more nebulizer meds & some antibiotics. Wrote a scrip for replacement nebulizer parts since some broke on my brother's one. Went to Walmart after to get groceries. He went to pharmacy to ask about nebulizer parts but forgot to ask about his meds. Walmart said they didn't have them (but later told me they can order them for $35 plus tax-- suggested local drugstore might have parts). We got frozen stuff & bro got mad at me for not wanting to go back in to see about his meds. Not my fault he forgot to ask.

He woke me up early this morning wanting me to take him to the pharmacy as he's too sick to drive. Was coughing up blood with his mucus. He was very impatient while waiting for me to get up and get dressed. Normally I can get out the door in a couple minutes but my body is aching and not cooperating. I had trouble just getting out of bed. Went in and got his prescriptions & then to the local drugstore for nebulizer parts. Bro didn't like the ones I got so I went back in and clerk apologized & said the other parts were more expensive (they were a whole $5). I guess living in such a low income area that $5 can break the bank. Bro griped that his meds need to be taken with food so I stopped and grabbed food from a local place. Got some for Mom as well.

Got home and nearly wiped out trying to go in the door. Wind blew the rain up on the porch & made it slick. (Original portion of the porch was done with a very smooth texture & the top step was broken by tenants & replaced with a cutout from the top of a concrete septic tank). I slipped and hurt my already messed up shoulder catching myself. 

Went to get grab a bottle of water from mom from the case I set in the living room only to discover it was empty. Brother apparently drank the last one. Went to go get the case that was sitting in the front room only to discover that my brother drank the entire case and didn't bother to tell me. He's not supposed to drink the bottled water bc he has filtered water pitchers but he's been too lazy to fill them lately. If I'd known I would have tried to bring in another case before it rained. Bro told me I should just go out and get another case but it was still too wet and slippery & I'm not about to break my neck to get a case of water. He hasn't helped bring in the cases for weeks. I was further annoyed when I opened the fridge to get something out and an empty milk container fell on my head. Looked up and realized my brother has been throwing trash on top of the fridge again. The trash can is within throwing distance. So, that, on top of having shoulder pain and being tired, made me pretty cranky. Had to go find something else for Mom to drink and I'm hoping it will be dry tomorrow so I can get the water brought in.

Bro just came in and complained about it being too hot in the house. I told him weeks ago the outside compressor isn't working. AC guy still hasn't returned calls.


----------



## Eddie_T

zannej said:


> What is the egg in the hole technique? I suck at flipping eggs.


'Egg in the hole' is simple. You cut a hole in a slice of bread with a biscuit cutter. Toast one side in butter in the frying pan. Flip the bread and break an egg into the hole then when it comes time to flip the egg stays in the hole.  You also toast the cutout piece and maybe eat with jelly. Now I've got to figure out how to cook two eggs, maybe use a griddle or a larger pan. I only had one slice of bread so I only did one egg today.


----------



## zannej

I have trouble flipping bread sometimes. LOL. Probably because I use silicone spatulas and they are a bit thicker than metal ones. I have to use something to keep the item I want to flip from sliding in order to flip.

As an aside, I ordered a broom and dustpan combo from amazon. The dustpan folds up to be out of the way, has a ring on it that allows me to attach the broom to it for easier storage, and the dustpan has a plastic rake-like piece on it to scrap hair and lint off of the broom. The broom itself is meh but the rake works really well to clear crud from the broom and make it drop into the dustpan. I may get a different broom to go with it as this one is smaller than average and doesn't have an angle so it doesn't sweep as well as angled brooms, but the dustpan part was worth it. I wish I had a 3d printer to make more of those plastic rake things to attach to my my other dustpans. The hair & lint not coming off is one of my major frustrations with sweeping.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> The leak was in a copper hot water line.
> I think the toilet is a 7.5 gallon flush.
> Here you can see where the chip is.


Kohler makes good stuff!


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> I wish I had a 3d printer to make more of those plastic rake things to attach to my my other dustpans. The hair & lint not coming off is one of my major frustrations with sweeping.


There you go! You could make millions of dollars with your plastic rake dynasty!


----------



## Spicoli43

I have decided that my body is no longer allowed to eat Turkey and all the fixing things. Ever again. The family has been notified that the accepted food will be authentic Mexican or authentic Italian with room for more authentic food. They have been given a FULL MONTH to figure out what they want to do, but I'm on Turkey Strike.

Why? Because it's BRUTALLY BORING, that's why.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks...
Not a lot new since I wrote yesterday... But today I am going to start laying 2out the dishwasher which I don't have yet... But since the dishwasher is going besides the stove, on the other side of the kitchen. The dishwasher will have its own water line, which I will take a right off the waterline in pex...  And the drain, I will run right across the ceiling and put it into the main drain...

Other than that, Oh yeah, gotta wait for the guy who bought the other truck...

Well Foks, I hope YOU all have a wonderful day... and should we send out a search for @shan2themax 

Cheers~


----------



## zannej

I forgot to mention, Redneckgrump, that sometimes dishwashers are only 21" wide. They have more compact ones. So, its best to measure as best as you can.. Is your dishwasher going to be anywhere near the sink?

I hope Shan is ok. I imagine she's busy with life and getting things sorted at the house.

I heard my brother go outside last night a few times. I hoped that maybe he might have brought a case of water in. Nope. It was no longer wet out so I was able to go unload the water from the truck. Went out and discovered that the jerk had just opened up a case of water and taken several bottles out. Having the case opened and weight unevenly distributed can make it harder to carry in. 

As I was unloading the water our friend rolled up. No comment on the fact that I wasn't wearing pants. He said he was there to pick my brother up. I said I thought my brother was too sick and he said my brother messaged him that he wanted to go into work. He's going to be pretty useless I'm sure. But I guess he wants some hours. I'm building a walmart pickup order so I don't have to go into the store bc I am exhausted and sweaty. Friend must have been tired bc normally he'd hop out and help me with unloading stuff. Got all 5 cases in and took one case to the living room so Mom won't gripe about not having water anymore.

I couldn't sleep most of the night so I'm about to take a nap.


----------



## zannej

Well, as I predicted, my brother was too sick to work. He was coughing so hard his manager told him to go home, take care of himself, and get better. Said she would find someone to cover his shifts the rest of the week. Friend brought him back a couple of hours after picking him up.
And apparently my friend did notice I didn't have pants because he sent me a gif from Lord of the Rings saying "The beacons are lit, Gondor calls for aid" (reference to a comic strip about a girl so pale that the nerd in the group yelled that when her skin was exposed).

Meanwhile, friend picked up his gf's phone for some reason (I think bc it was on the floor or in the way) and saw it was unlocked & she had messages open to the guy who fathered her most recent baby. She was really trash-talking my friend in the messages. And the guy was griping that all she does is trash-talk my friend and he knows that she trash-talks him to my friend and he's tired of that crap. Speaking of crap, apparently the baby crapped all over the gf and my friend laughed his butt off and then told her he wanted her out of his house. His mom said she wants her out and that she will babysit the grandkids (not the baby that isn't his though). He was at work less than an hour today when she was messaging him and calling and griping about the baby crying and how she couldn't deal with it and was too stupid to figure out how to load a syringe to the 3rd line to give the baby some medicine for gas. I'm sure he'll cave and not kick her out, but I'm glad his mom is on it and offering to take care of the kids. She's been more reliable since she split with her longtime grifter boyfriend.


----------



## havasu

Finally got a dimmer switch and installed it in the dining room. She gave me 3 years of grief which was fixed in 5 minutes.
Also went to Home Depot and purchased rye grass seed for our upcoming rains. There were only 4 bags left, and all had little holes in the bags. The manager walked by and told me to grab the biggest bag, and he would only charge me $15 for it. I found a huge 50 pound bag of grass seed, with a pen size hole at the top of the bag, and got it for $15. Regular price was $67.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend buys country sausage gravy from Amazon in 105 oz cans and portions it out for freezing.. I don't know what it is but real gravy it ain't. He gave me enough frozen to top four biscuit halves. I ate some this morning on toast (home baked bread) and it was passable but not quite the real deal. I baked biscuits this evening only to find found the 'gravy' to be thin and watery. I checked Amazon finding it to be a 'fat free' product. I think my friend doesn't know the difference because he has been eating gravy biscuits at a restaurant that prolly uses the same fake gravy. Real gravy starts with a flour and fat roux and gets thicker if left over rather than thinner.
​


----------



## Spicoli43

I can't eat any gravy unless it's SOS.


----------



## shan2themax

Hey everyone! I am alive and well.... just finishing up my work week.... I work 12 hours shifts, 3 days on, one day off, three days on... so today is my Friday! Woot woot. 


I'll get back with you all tomorrow. Gonna clock out and head to the house.... it has been super crazy at work the past 2 days, today especially


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I can't eat any gravy unless it's SOS.


I like the dried chipped beef version but not so much the ground beef version.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I like the dried chipped beef version but not so much the ground beef version.


Ground for me... We took care of the cooks, providing their Copenhagen and Cigs in exchange for Buttered Eggs and SOS... The only problem was running into cooks that couldn't be bribed because they didn't do anything fun like chew or smoke or drink. Then we didn't even get good Coffee, just standard Mermite... 

The best Coffee was a canteen cup with 2 packs of instant coffee, a pack of Cocoa, 2 Sugars and a shot of whatever syrup they had... Boiled on the heater exhaust of the Abrams, or if in the wild, standard biscuits / heat tabs... 

Now, I brew 2 days worth of Coffee at once, doesn't even phase me. Once you had Army Coffee, you cant get worse.


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Hey everyone! I am alive and well.... just finishing up my work week.... I work 12 hours shifts, 3 days on, one day off, three days on... so today is my Friday! Woot woot.
> 
> 
> I'll get back with you all tomorrow. Gonna clock out and head to the house.... it has been super crazy at work the past 2 days, today especially


That’s a tough schedule Shan!


----------



## shan2themax

@Ron Van it can be, but then I also get 7 days off in a row. I loved when I was part-time, when my back was at it worst. I worked Sat-Sun 12 hour shifts and then off for 5 days. 
Working in healthcare can be very rewarding, but I have never worked somewhere were people could openly belittle you, verbally, physically or mentally abuse you, or bully you, yet you are still expected to have a smile, be. Harming and either continue working with them (coworkers) or continue to wait on them hand and foot, while being abused. Healthcare is a toxic environment. We do have a few signs posted stated it isn't tolerated, however people don't care. When you have 6 patients and 1 is total care, and 2 others are incontinent, and 2 are a fall risk and 1 is a walkie talkie..... who has time to stop what they are doing, call security and wait for them to show up?
I am so very thankful to not be on the floor in that capacity anymore.

Idk what was going on in the world the last 2 days but it was wild at work. 

We had a period of lockdown yesterday. Idk the reason why, someone said there was a shooting at a hospital across town. We did have 2 gunshot victims at different times yesterday. (We do traumas on even days, the other hospital does trauma on odd days).

We had several overdoses. We also had several suicide attempts. One of them I was admitting was beyond upset that his girlfriend had dropped off cookies with security and they were gone. I was telling him what room he was going to after I asked all the questions and did the physical exam, he started screaming again about the cookies, and how he wasn't going anywhere without them.  My first thought was.... grow up dude...(he was in his low 30s)... but then looking at him, it kind of saddened me that he probably has never had things go his way and he just wanted some cookies to give him some comfort.

One of the GSW (gunshot wound) died, the other was super lucky. 
We had strokes upon strokes admitted. It was a very mentally exhausting workweek for sure. 

I don't think I have anything planned for today other than the store here in a few. 
Tomorrow I have an appt with a new therapist. I had one for the majority of 5 years, but the office doesn't return calls anymore so I am just going to go somewhere new and give them a go.
I am hoping for a person who specializes in PTSD so I can learn to relax, let go of the effects of hurts and help these old bones, nerves, and connective tissues to reorganize themselves and let go also. We shall see. 

Hope everyone has a great Afternoon!! Be blessed!


----------



## Ron Van

Wow! That’s crazy Shan. Durning my recent stay at the hospital, it was way more subdued than that, however, the area I was in had a lot of people that looked like they were circling the drain. I don’t think a lot of them would ever leave in the upright position. I had several super nice nurses taking care of me. I have nothing but good to say about them or anyone in your profession. 

Thank you for your service!


----------



## Ron Van

All this talk about eggs (and the flipping of them) made me hungry so after my stress test today, Ruby and I took our granddaughter, Reyna, to our favorite breakfast place. 





The eggs were perfect for dipping the toast in…yum! 

7 hours after my stress test, the doctor’s office called and said that my heart is healthy. The test results were normal. During the test, the guy that was administering the stress test asked how I was doing. I said ok…and told him that pulling our trash cans up our driveway to the road is way more stressful than his treadmill. 

It was called a nuclear stress test. I found out that it’s because they injected me with radioactive stuff so they could image my heart better before and after the stress test. I was also hooked up to a bunch of heart monitors.


----------



## Eddie_T

See all the fun I am missing by not having a doctor.

What a sweet granddaughter, She looks happy!

Now your making me hungry!!


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I don't have too much respect for drug dealers masquerading as "Doctors" unless they exhibit some kind of intelligence outside their Pharma taught "education"... If they have any clue how the body works, I will engage in conversation. 

Don't get me wrong, I treat them with respect and even call them "Doctor" until I know if they are one or not. If they are arrogant and think they own the world, I ask them what to give a patient that is having a myocardial infarction. Most Allopathic physicians don't expect a patient to call a Heart Attack by the medical jargon.

I will also ask them what to take for blank organ problems, as I know common spices / herbs for all of them. If they are really arrogant, I will tell them I know more about medicine than them and my only student loan is my Internet connection. That's when they walk away.

Don't get me wrong part 2, that has almost never happened. I don't look for an argument, but know how to win it at all times. The thing that irritates me, though, is "We will put you on ___ drug for ____"... 

"No, your side of WE didn't ask my side of WE if that was okay."

Nurses are great though, I don't flip them any attitude, just correct them that the arm should be slightly raised for BP instead of laying on the arm rest.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> The thing that irritates me, though, is "We will put you on ___ drug for ____"...
> 
> "No, your side of WE didn't ask my side of WE if that was okay."


Yeah, Ruby is pretty good at that. She tells her doctor that SHE (Ruby) knows her body best and "this" is what she needs. Her doctor listens and usually does what she says. I told Ruby after the last time I was at the doctor's office that I need to consult with her before I go in so I have a more thought out plan of attack. 


Spicoli43 said:


> Nurses are great though, I don't flip them any attitude, just correct them that the arm should be slightly raised for BP instead of laying on the arm rest.


Yes, nurses are great and highly underrated. My neighbor is a forensic nurse (what ever that means). She came over three times before, during and after I had covid two weeks ago. One night, Ruby texted her that I had chills and our neighbor's husband (who is an ER doctor) came right over to check on me. I got a home - ER visit!


----------



## Flyover

How about drug dealers masquerading as coffee shop owners. That one cracks me up.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks!

Well, it's Friday, Not really sure where this week went... But we are like 23 days away from Christmas... I told Lorie, that if we are going Christmas shopping, we need to do it soon... I hate standing in lines... So, probably the next day or so, we will be heading out to shop...

Well, the other pickup is sold and gone... the laneway looks so big now... But I am relieved the green pickup is gone...I believe it's going to be turned into a farm truck...

Started the housing for the new dishwasher, and I have the sizes, but since the accident, I have become a visual guy,  but want to put it where I want it, and then put up the other wall and go from there... 



zannej said:


> I forgot to mention, Redneckgrump, that sometimes dishwashers are only 21" wide. They have more compact ones. So, its best to measure as best as you can.. Is your dishwasher going to be anywhere near the sink?


@zannej it's 23.9 inches wide... and I am putting the dishwasher on the opposite side of the kitchen... So, later I need to watch YOUTUBE, and see how the plumbing is done...


Spicoli43 said:


> I can't eat any gravy unless it's SOS



 I can only eat Lorie's gravy which is always made from the beginning, I cannot eat grav y out of a can or a box..

@Ron Van Yes, nurses are great and highly underrated. My neighbour is a forensic nurse (whatever that means). She came over three times before, during and after I had covid two weeks ago. One night, Ruby texted her that I had chills and our neighbour's husband (who is an ER doctor) came right over to check on me. I got a home-ER visit!

I agree @Ron Van  We need to treat our nurses better, and respect them, and I believe they should be paid better money...

Not sure what happened to my editing ^^^^^ and hopefully it works out... Well, we pick up the dishwasher this afternoon, it was not on the Tuesday afternoon truck... Plus I have a trip to the dump today... and hit the drugstore....

So, I hope YOU all have a GREAT Friday...And stay out of trouble, which I will not... Trouble seems to follow me... (grin)...
Cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

An alternative doctor told my wife and I to always remember that in the healthcare partnership the patient is the senior partner.

I found value in the local news last evening. As usual I had it on but was multitasking when I heard the words 'Balsam Range' I listened up learning that mandolin player, and founding member, _Darren Nicholson has decided_ to leave Balsam Range to pursue his own solo career.


----------



## Spicoli43

About that time to start saying I'm going PALEO starting on January 1st... I usually do something along the lines of Paleo every year, and I feel much better without any Wheat in my diet, and here is a good article on WHY...

I promise myself Paleo for the New Year... After lots of Burritos this month and Stuffing for Christmas on top of Stuffing with a side of Stuffing...






						Wheat: 200 Clinically Confirmed Reasons Not To Eat It
					

Whereas conventional screenings for wheat allergies or celiac disease consider intolerance exceedingly rare, an accumulating body of clinical research now links wheat consumption with over 200 health problems. Could this be why millions of American consumers are now expressing their wholesale...




					greenmedinfo.com


----------



## shan2themax

So... the structural engineer came by this morning, said he would email me the report over the weekend.
I have an appt this afternoon  with a new therapist..... I don't wanna go but am going to suck it up. 
I have felt "weird" all morning. I don't feel stressed but who am I to recognize that? Lol
I think I am just potentially low key panicky for some reason... idk. 

What I do know is that a nap would fix it and I can't take one currently lol.

Thank you everyone to the love of nurses. It is very much appreciated.

Speaking of what did you dos..... I belong to a public service student loaf forgiveness reddit and people kept posting that their payments hand been updated (for forgiveness..... must work for a qualify non-profit, and certain professions I think, and make 120 payments toward loans), so I went to the Mohela site and logged in..... Holey Moley it updated to 110/120 and I still have a few they are verifying employment.... I was in tears!!! Can I just tell you how life changing that would be?????.
I was innthe Walmart parking lot when I checked and I just sat there and cried and sang some praises!

Anywho, maybe I will attempt a 45 minute nap before I leave. 

Hope everyone has a good day (and I hope this weird sensation goes away)


----------



## Eddie_T

It may just be me but I seem to be quite healthy for my age (no doctor of record) without the complications of seeking organic input, doing cleanses or special diets


----------



## Eddie_T

Another plug for nurses. I met an ER nurse who (as a friend) helps a friend and neighbor of mine with her shopping. I don't know how we got on the subject but she said never drive with a full bladder. I was thinking for obvious reasons but she said the bladder could actually burst in an accident. My guess is that a seatbelt might even be the bladder's enemy in this case.


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> it's 23.9 inches wide... and I am putting the dishwasher on the opposite side of the kitchen... So, later I need to watch YOUTUBE, and see how the plumbing is done...


They usually put the dishwasher next to the sink to make life easier. In your case, if you are more than 3 meters (9.8 feet) from the sink, you will have to install a P trap and a vent for the DW. You can use an AAV for the vent. From what I read, you still should use a High Loop or check valve to prevent the DW from sucking in dirty water from the drain. Another guy suggested a setup like a clothes washer drain. Here's Whirlpool's drain requirements:

DRAIN REQUIREMENTS ■ Use the new drain hose supplied with your dishwasher. If this is not long enough, use a new drain hose with a maximum length of 9.8 ft (3 m) from the sink that meets all current AHAM/ IAPMO test standards, is resistant to heat and detergent. ■ Connect drain hose to waste tee or disposer inlet above the drain trap in the house plumbing and 20" (50.8 cm) minimum above the floor. It is recommended that the drain hose be either looped up and securely fastened to the underside of the counter, or be connected to an air gap. ■ Use an air gap if the drain hose is connected to house plumbing lower than 18" (45.7 cm) above the floor.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> An alternative doctor told my wife and I to always remember that in the healthcare partnership the patient is the senior partner.
> 
> I found value in the local news last evening. As usual I had it on but was multitasking when I heard the words 'Balsam Range' I listened up learning that mandolin player, and founding member, _Darren Nicholson has decided_ to leave Balsam Range to pursue his own solo career.


They're from NC! No wonder you like them...and Christian too.

Balsam Range


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Speaking of what did you dos..... I belong to a public service student loaf forgiveness reddit and people kept posting that their payments hand been updated (for forgiveness..... must work for a qualify non-profit, and certain professions I think, and make 120 payments toward loans), so I went to the Mohela site and logged in..... Holey Moley it updated to 110/120 and I still have a few they are verifying employment.... I was in tears!!! Can I just tell you how life changing that would be?????.
> I was innthe Walmart parking lot when I checked and I just sat there and cried and sang some praises!


Ruby has been monitoring this for several years. Our oldest son took on significant student loan (against my advice) but the catch is that the parents are required to pay back part of it too. Ruby retired from one of those included professions that qualify for loan forgiveness after 10 years (120 payments) if…there are no missed payments (check), and the loan hasn’t been refinanced (check).


----------



## Ron Van

Finally got tired of my vise handle falling off the vise. I don’t know what happened to the handle but I drilled a hole in it. I need to get some kind of hairpin (some call it a hitch pin) to keep it on but for now I just put a nail in it and bent it.


----------



## shan2themax

Ok.... so I figured out what was wrong with me this morning. A medicine that I take occasionally when my stomach is being a jerk..... can cause slow to stir panic attacks.... I figured it out about 20 minutes into it..... I took a 15 minute nape, and talked myself out of sensatioms for a solid hour. 
Note to self...... DO NOT take that med again

I liked the new therapist, I think that he will be helpful. We shall see. I am looking forward to getting through the dumb stuff and giving my body a break!

Making tacos  for dinner... my youngest is coming over, oldest is sick, middle lives here. Youngest insists on Mexican rice. So I suppose I will concede and make it.

Hope everyone is well! I think I might either read some or work on the puzzle.... I still haven't finished, while I am cooking dinner.


----------



## shan2themax

I have tons of those hairpins. I think I ordered them on Amazon, or bought at harbor freight.


----------



## Ron Van

I put the final (hopefully) Christmas decoration up today. It’s probably wishful thinking. I’ll go out tonight when it’s dark and make adjustments on everything. I’m sure you all are busy with decorations since it’s now officially post Thanksgiving. 

Started putting down flooring for a little area that leads to my mother in law’s part of the house. First step was to remove all the baseboards. Step two was to put floor leveler on some areas where the tile lipage was out of limits. 



I’m going to have to cut the bottom of the door to clear the new flooring. I also have to cut the existing stair bullnose so I can install bullnose that matches the new flooring.


----------



## Flyover

Ron Van said:


> I need to get some kind of hairpin (some call it a hitch pin)


Cotter pin is what I always saw it called


----------



## havasu

I've always called them clevis pins


----------



## Flyover

Today we put up the tree after dinner. It's one of those pre-lit frosted ones and it shed white stuff all over the place. I have a Santa hat that's black and says "BAH HUMBUG" on it that I always wear when we put up our decorations. I wore it and didn't get upset about the tree.


----------



## Eddie_T

I decided to ask google. The only one I knew for sure was cotter.

8 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PINS​





When you need to fasten or align two components, there are many hardware solutions available to you. One common option is pins, which fit into pre-drilled holes and make up their own class of fasteners. There are numerous types of pins, and all of them operate a little differently to suit different situations.
Due to their many design options and ease of use, pins are popular fasteners. Let’s look at a few of the more common types.
*1. LINCH PINS*​


Linch pins have their own built-in locking mechanism in the form of a loop that runs through the head of the pin. Once the pin is inserted, the loop snaps down, holding the pin in place.
*2. COTTER PINS*​


Made of a softer, more pliable metal, cotter pins are similar in shape to a bobby pin, but they’re straight on both sides. Once a cotter pin is inserted through a hole, its legs are bent back to keep it from falling out.
*3. HAIR PINS*​


Like cotter pins, hair pins consist of one continuous piece of metal that’s straight on one side and curved at the top, but they’re made of a firmer substance so as to remain stiff. The straight leg of the pin is inserted into a hole while the other holds it in place.
*4. CLEVIS PINS*​


These pins have a machined head on one end that prevents them from slipping through their insertion hole. They also have a small hole (or series of holes) drilled into the bottom, as clevis pins often work in conjunction with other types of pins that help them remain in place.
*5. WIRE LOCK PINS*​


Wire lock pins are designed with a hearty “wire” attached to the head of the pin that curves over the body in a spring-like mechanism and loops around the end to hold it in place.
*6. HITCH PINS*​


This type of pin is often used in conjunction with other pins. Hitch pins come in many different sizes, and many are big enough to tow large vehicles. They have a handle at the top for easier grabbing and usually feature a hole in the body where another pin can be inserted to keep the hitch pin from falling out.
*7. SPRING PINS*​


All pins mentioned so far generally leave a lot of room for movement — not the spring pin. Also called a roll pin, this type of pin acts as a spring, contracting upon insertion, pushing outward and ultimately locking into place.
*8. DOWELS*​


Like spring pins, dowels are meant for a snug fit. They’re used in automotive and furniture assembly to center and couple two components.


----------



## havasu

Who would have thunk this? I use a few when towing the boat.


----------



## Ron Van

They seem to call them many things…here’s a description from Amazon:




1.Retaining cotter pin
2.cotter pin hairpin


----------



## Ron Van

Here’s a nail cotter pin…


----------



## Eddie_T

Baked a loaf of bread and ate about 1/3 of it slathered with butter. I used a pack of rapid rise yeast dated Dec 06, 2014 and it still worked.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Baked a loaf of bread and ate about 1/3 of it slathered with butter. I used a pack of rapid rise yeast dated Dec 06, 2014 and it still worked.


Yum!


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> @zannej it's 23.9 inches wide... and I am putting the dishwasher on the opposite side of the kitchen... So, later I need to watch YOUTUBE, and see how the plumbing is done...


I was looking at the install manual for our Whirlpool dishwasher we bought about a year ago and this is what I saw...




Both those pictured drain traps are against code in the US and probably Canada too. Let's have some fun... Can anyone guess why they are illegal?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning everyone,
Saturday morning... And wondering if our dishwasher is going to get here, Stopped at the store yesterday at about 1:00 and told us to go to the back of the store at the loading docks. we sat there for almost an hour, drove around the store, and went into the store. They told us it came off the truck, but can't find it now.  So we hung around the store for another hour, and were told when they find it, they will drop it off for delivery.  Well, we still haven't heard from them.  So Lorie is going to call them, cuz I will just lose it on them.

@Ron Van thank you for the support and ideas on the plumbing...  Muchly appreciated...

Today is supposed to be extremely windy today... Winds are supposed to be 90 - 100 kms...

Well as of now, That's about all the news up here in Ontario... Hope YOU all have a GREAT Saturday...
Cheers~


----------



## Eddie_T

I thought this was cute. The caption was twins adopting each other.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like to experiment. I found a box of Kasha (toasted buckwheat groats) in my pantry. I mixed a half cup or so with warm water, yeast and a little sugar. I am going to let the mix soak and ferment a bit then add to to pancake mix and see how that works out.


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> Today is supposed to be extremely windy today... Winds are supposed to be 90 - 100 kms...


Whoa...That's 56-62 MPH! Hang on to your toupee! And your roof!


----------



## Spicoli43

How do people lose a DISHWASHER?


----------



## havasu

Easy. Get a divorce!


----------



## zannej

The list of pins thing is very helpful! My water trough float used a cotter pin.

Shan, I'm glad you're ok but that stuff in the ER sounds crazy. I have multiple friends who are nurses & its a very tough job from what I hear. Nurses don't get the appreciation they deserve. There's a doctor on youtube called Dr. Mike who talks about how important nurses are and how doctors could not function without them and that the nurses often can do things doctors can't (like put in IVs or draw blood). Since they got rid of orderlies, the nurses have to be on cleanup duty. There's an ER tech named Steve who does a lot of short vids on Youtube who is very funny & talks about what nurses have to do.



Ron Van said:


> I was looking at the install manual for our Whirlpool dishwasher we bought about a year ago and this is what I saw...
> 
> View attachment 29241
> 
> 
> Both those pictured drain traps are against code in the US and probably Canada too. Let's have some fun... Can anyone guess why they are illegal?


S-trap! It allows the water to be siphoned out of the trap so it doesn't stop sewer gases from coming back up. 


Spicoli43 said:


> How do people lose a DISHWASHER?


You'd be surprised. The Amazon Warehouse in Baton Rouge lost entire delivery vans.

yesterday I did some cleaning. Arm is still bugging the hell out of me. Today I had to go to Samsclub to grab stuff. Brother came with me but is feeling awful. He's feeling like I get on some of my super fatigued days. I've told him if he feels worse to let me know so I can take him to the hospital. He might need to be put on oxygen if he's not getting enough. He's taking antibiotics and using a nebulizer. Anyway, I figured stopping at Panda (the Chinese buffet) would perk him up. He got some soup and green tea. I had long beans, chicken sticks with ginger, chicken with broccoli, and egg drop soup. I actually had two bowls of soup because it was soothing.

Then to Samsclub. Brother waited in the truck while I went in and grabbed stuff.

Got a little pissed off on my way out of the yard though bc Samsclub had just dumped a package next to my front gate over 200ft from my house and it got rained on and was soaked. Contents inside were ok, but I thought it was a box that had fallen out of the trash and almost put it in the burn pile until I realized it was unopened. I sent a complaint to them about it but will see if they reply.


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> How do people lose a DISHWASHER?





havasu said:


> Easy. Get a divorce!


I have had 2 dishwashers..... neither worked well (or at all), figuratively... or literally


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> I thought this was cute. The caption was twins adopting each other.
> View attachment 29242


That's almost certainly an Anne Geddes photo. All her work is like that.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> That's almost certainly an Anne Geddes photo. All her work is like that.


Yeah, they all show such innocence.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> S-trap! It allows the water to be siphoned out of the trap so it doesn't stop sewer gases from coming back up.


Winner! You are correct! My house had a S trap until I re-plumbed it last fall. I learned on a Hammerpedia ad that there is one legal S trap in every home…and that’s your toilet. But fills so slowly that it refills the trap and doesn’t siphon out.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, Good Morning Foks...
Yup, up a little early... so, thought it is a GREAT time to get on here and have a visit with YOU guys & ladies...

Well, we sat around till 11:30 waiting for the delivery of our dishwasher, and yup, no show... Surprise, Surprise... So we got into the truck, and drove over to the store, they told me it must have been stolen or misplaced. I asked the same question, how does a dishwasher just disappear? So, I went to our salesman, and told him, if you guys had called us, and told us you can't find it, and we ordered you another one that will be on Tuesday, I would not have got so angry, so cancel the deal, and put the money back on my debit card... So we went to Home Depot, found one, and it will be delivered on December 13th... This one is LG, I tried to keep all the appliances the same, and the fridge and stove are Samsung... But I believe LG is right up there in quality with Samsung. Plus it was $200 cheaper when taxes and extended warranty were all done. So, now we wait for the 13th...

I got to remember to go out to the shed today, to get the battery out of the deere and bring it into the house. Plus bring in the hood so I can do a little repair on it over the winter...

Well, thats about all I have to report at the moment, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day... and keep safe... God Bless...

Cheers~


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> Yeah, they all show such innocence.


Helplessness is the word that comes to mind for me. Which is of course the essence of cuteness. She "gets it." For me what's interesting about her art is it totally short-circuits the parts of my brain that would normally be lit up by looking at formally composed photographs. Instead I'm completely entranced. It's fun.


----------



## Eddie_T

An S-trap can work well under most conditions. The inverted siphon holds water and the upper siphon only works as a siphon when the drain pipe is full. IOW when releasing a sink bowl of water it may siphon but not when washing hands or rinsing with running water. However it can present a problem thus the code.

 I had to do a google search to find the purpose for a shelf on a toilet paper stand. No wonder I missed it, it's for the ever present smartphone and I don't do smartphones. So now the question is should I put a shelf on the one I am making in deference to others? I could turn a round-to-it and add a slit for the phone.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> So now the question is should I put a shelf on the one I am making in deference to others? I could turn a round-to-it and add a slit for the phone.


Nah, let people figure out they should take 5 minutes to not look at their phones for a change.


----------



## Eddie_T

I made buckwheat pancakes with an overeasy egg on the side for brunch. My experiment with yeast fermented Kasha worked but I think I will just grind some Kasha into flour next time.


----------



## havasu

My new wi-fi LG refrigerator told me via computer that my air  and water filters needed changing. A quick trip to the Home Depot, and $70 later, I  replaced them and reset the notification light on the face of the fridge. I wonder when the oil and oil filter will need changing?


----------



## shan2themax

I woke up at 320ish this morning..... again.... was awake until about 830 or so.... then took a nap for like 3 hours.
I just put some chicken and broth and cream of mushroom soup as well as salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and thyme into the crockpot. In about 3 hours after I started it, I will added some frozen Raemes egg noodles and a few peas and carrots and call it dinner.

I di nothing yesterday... well thats not true. I did 2 loads of laundry.... other than that, nothing. I read on my book for about an hour last night. I need to find my highlighters so I can mark up the pages for things that strike me or for things I want to look into more deeply. Maybe I will decide to do that today...

I agree Anne Geddes does a good job of capturing innocence. I wish that we could all retain some innocence and somehow discourage hardening of the heart so early on in life.

I watched the last 6 episodes of season 4 of Manifesto yesterday. This season was a little weird compared to others. 

Now, I am getting caught up on my youtubers that I watch.

My favorite is a channel called DIYFFERENT. Closer to spring I will watch my gardening favorites like ROOTS and REFUGE FARM. I also like Simple Life Reclaimed and Country Road Cure as far as DIY channels go.... 

I was going to paint 2 walls this week, however, maybe I should wait until the sag is fixed? Just in case those walls have damage... what do you think? One of the walls is the center wall.


Anywho, I'm boring today.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!


----------



## Spicoli43

RedneckGrump said:


> So we went to Home Depot, found one, and it will be delivered on December 13th... This one is LG, I tried to keep all the appliances the same, and the fridge and stove are Samsung... But I believe LG is right up there in quality with Samsung. Plus it was $200 cheaper when taxes and extended warranty were all done. So, now we wait for the 13th...


Well, maybe it's different up there, but the quality of name brand stuff here is the same... They are all utter garbage. You did good getting that extended warranty. You will need it if the quality is the same.


----------



## zannej

Ron Van said:


> Winner! You are correct! My house had a S trap until I re-plumbed it last fall. I learned on a Hammerpedia ad that there is one legal S trap in every home…and that’s your toilet. But fills so slowly that it refills the trap and doesn’t siphon out.


All of my fixtures have S-traps (with the exception of the guest bathroom shower bc it doesn't have a trap at all-- which is why I had to plug the drain). Really need to gut the plumbing.


Eddie_T said:


> An S-trap can work well under most conditions. The inverted siphon holds water and the upper siphon only works as a siphon when the drain pipe is full. IOW when releasing a sink bowl of water it may siphon but not when washing hands or rinsing with running water. However it can present a problem thus the code.
> 
> I had to do a google search to find the purpose for a shelf on a toilet paper stand. No wonder I missed it, it's for the ever present smartphone and I don't do smartphones. So now the question is should I put a shelf on the one I am making in deference to others? I could turn a round-to-it and add a slit for the phone.


I use the shelf above tp holder for wet wipes. It can probably also be used for small tissue boxes if you want to blow your nose without wasting toilet paper for it. It can also be used for other objects-- soap, deoderant, etc. Good in a small bathroom that doesn't have as much counter space.

Redneckgrump, that sounds very frustrating. Hopefully your new dishwasher will arrive safely.

Shan, Ooh, I love cream of mushroom soup!

I woke up sweating in the middle of the night bc my brother turned the damn heat back on. He also didn't put the lid back on the leftovers properly & bugs got into them so I had to feed them to the dogs (I had made shepherd's pie).

Arm was really bugging me last night-- hurt all the way down to my wrist. I used arthritis cream but its not doing much. I've also been doing the recommended pendulum exercises for shoulders. 

It's cloudy out and the cats are piled around me sleeping (too warm for them to sleep on me). I wanted to do some cleaning but my coordination is garbage and I keep stumbling around.

I talked to Samsclub customer support to complain about my packages being left out in the rain instead of being put on my porch. I requested that they put a note in with my account to please leave things on the porch & to not run from the cow or she would chase them as she sees running as playtime. Had the CS agent laughing about that one. They apologized and hopefully the delivery person will heed the instructions.


----------



## shan2themax

I like to take bucket steak (cube steak) beef or pork.....and put it in the crockpot with cream of mushroom soup. It is delicious. I make homemade cream of mushroom soup on occasion when I am feel betty crockery and it is really good too.


----------



## Spicoli43

I'm wondering if I can use Maple Syrup powder in my Chocolate refiner. No liquid is allowed as it binds with the Chocolate and will cause it to seize, AKA turn into a giant lump, and possibly kill the machine motor. (I can't pour Milk in to make Milk Chocolate, I have to use Milk powder)....

I can add most powders, I usually add Coconut Milk powder and my last batch had 25g of Fine ground Coffee that was the consistency of powder. I also scraped 2 Vanilla pods and the machine didn't have any problems with that, but if I mix finished Chocolate with Peanut Butter powder in a bowl, it immediately becomes a giant ball. 

There's only one way to find out, and I would have to watch for any issues and shut the machine off. 

If I can create a Maple Vanilla Coffee Chocolate and pour it over Pumpkin Seeds / Cashews / Hempseeds, I think I will have a good recipe.


----------



## havasu

"Betty Crockery"   
Duley noted and love it!


----------



## shan2themax

It turned out pretty good. Would have been perfect without the canned peas and carrots, they gave off a weird taste.


----------



## havasu

Yum


----------



## Spicoli43

As many of you long suffering fans know, I forget stuff when cooking, like forgetting Jalapenos THREE times when making Chili, even though they are sitting on the TOP shelf in the fridge right in front of my Fat Forking Face! 

Well, I remembered Jalapenos this time. But I forgot the Onions! 

Who forgets ONIONS? That should be a Misdemeanor! At the very least Blasphemy of the Culinary Arts!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRR


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, you sure the weird taste isn't the plastic chemicals?


----------



## shan2themax

Spicoli43 said:


> Shan, you sure the weird taste isn't the plastic chemicals?


 They were canned instead of frozen, I'm not a fan of canned carrots to begin with. I was wondering if maybe I didn't drain it well enough.
Idk, bot  deal breaker just not as delicious as it could have been.... however, I have a headache now from eating it..... my stomach isn't happy with me. 
Now to decide what to make tomorrow that will not give me a headache. 

I'd kind of like to make cream of wheat for breakfast, makes me a little leary since my stomach already is bothering me... we shall see.


Do you make your chili in the instantpot frequently? I use my instantpoy for a lot of things, but I haven't made chili in it.


----------



## Spicoli43

No, Shan... The plastic liner for your crock pot. You're ingesting endocrine disruptors, no matter what # the plastic is. Plastic bags of vegetables don't leach anything because they aren't heated. Those microwave ones? Might as well just drink a cup of plastic chemicals.

Your Crock pot is an offender as well, with it being paint coated.

As far as cans, they are lined with BPA, or if the company claims they aren't, they are probably lined with BPS, which is arguably worse. There is many, many Bisphenol chemicals, but I have only heard of BPA and BPS being used in food containers

Which brings me to my point... Although I'm guilty with canned Tomatoes, which are very bad because of the acidity, and Beans etc, I make sure to always use my Stainless Steel Mueller version of the Instant Pot. Stainless might give off Cadmium, but considering the alternative, I'm sticking with SS.

I don't use the pressure cook function, just use it as a slow cooker.

I would use the plastic liner in your Crock Pot with plain Distilled or Reverse Osmosis water for 6 hours or how long you usually cook with it, then take a sample of that water to get tested at your work... See what shows up.






						Bisphenol - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> No, Shan... The plastic liner for your crock pot. You're ingesting endocrine disruptors, no matter what # the plastic is. Plastic bags of vegetables don't leach anything because they aren't heated. Those microwave ones? Might as well just drink a cup of plastic chemicals.
> 
> You wouldn't exaggerate a bit would you?


----------



## Spicoli43

Not much difference. Heated plastic leaches the chemicals.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks,
Not a lot to report today,  Except its dump day today... Always pick up an extra coffee for the supervisor at the dump... Other than that, not a lot happening...



havasu said:


> My new wi-fi LG refrigerator told me via computer that my air  and water filters needed changing. A quick trip to the Home Depot, and $70 later, I  replaced them and reset the notification light on the face of the fridge. I wonder when the oil and oil filter will need changing?


@havasu it's good we have these reminders on all these things today... Because I would never remember to change the water filter in the fridge... The refrigerator tells me every six months when it needs to be changed, and I always have a reminder on the phone to always remind me also. Also, the Ecobee reminds me when to change the air filter on the furnace... I would never remember these things...

The new dishwasher can turn on miles away also, can't see why I would need to do that, but that is om too... Most of the stuff in the house today can be controlled by my phone. I used to drive Lorie nuts when we first got these new appliances when we moved here... I will be over at Buddy's and turn on the oven light...

Well, maybe it's different up there, but the quality of name-brand stuff here is the same... They are all utter garbage. You did well getting that extended warranty. You will need it if the quality is the same.

@Spicoli43 it's probably the same here, usually always the same appliance but with different tags on them... When it comes to appliances, I always put an extended warranty on them... At the store we bought the TV, Fridge and Stove if you don't use the warranty, then when the time is up, what it cost you for the extended warranty, you can use that money at the end and use it in the store on other things... Which I think is pretty kewl too...

Well, Folks, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day, going to have breakfast, and then off to the dump we go...
Cheers~


----------



## zannej

Speaking of changing filters, I need to change my hvac one. Meant to do it yesterday but brain froze up on me.

Shan, what is your recipe to make cream of mushroom soup from scratch?

I don't use canned veggies anymore. I've managed to find them frozen though. I'm debating trying to make more spaghetti tonight. 

Redneckgrump & Havasu, it's interesting how technology has progressed and what stuff can be controlled with phones. I think my thermostat could probably be controlled via phone but I haven't tried. I hate having to use my phone for anything but taking pictures. I don't like making or receiving phonecalls. LOL. We don't have many of the "smart" appliances. So much can go wrong with them. But nowadays you just about have no choice bc newer stuff comes with it whether you like it or not. Newer TVs won't even let you use them without connecting to the internet anymore and that irritates me.

Heard from my friend and he said his mom told him she has to pay some $300+ ticket by 1:45pm today or she goes to jail for a month. She told him it was a bs ticket (which may or may not be true) and she went in to contest it and the judge didn't care/didn't listen (which I absolutely believe bc I've seen this judge in action) so she got hit with court fees, probation fees, etc on top of her ticket. It was like a $30 ticket and in the past she'd been able to contest and get out-- but not with this judge who had 100% conviction rate. Anyway, she was hitting my friend up for $ as none of his sisters will help her out & neither will her boyfriend. I am suspicious though. He doesn't have it but plans to take out a loan to pay it. I told him to get a money order and go with her to make sure its actually for court and not for drugs. He once gave her $600 to pay the taxes on the house & she spent it on drugs instead. Dude is such a doormat and Mom isn't giving him anymore $ so long as his abusive gf is still there.

Tossed and turned last night trying to get comfortable. Arm is still bugging the hell out of me. I'm waiting for the post office to open so I can get mail- after I change the hvac filters.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Not much difference. Heated plastic leaches the chemicals.


Are you implying that trace vs cupful are equally bad?


----------



## Spicoli43

Not a trace.


----------



## Eddie_T

A trace is less than breathing the air in a modern vehicle after parking in the sun.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 I have used those before and not noticed a difference in taste. Although I don't use them often. However, after thinking about it.... it tasted kinda like carrot water lol

I just finished watching a movie on Amazon Prime "Dog" it was a good movie and unexpectedly made me cry at the end. I like military type movies, doesn't have to be war. This was supposedly a drama/comedy.... I didn't find any of it comedic however.
I emailed the report to the office of the 2nd company and await a call for when they can come and look, so we shall see how that pans out. Idk what I plan to do today, maybe nothing. I worked on the puzzle for a little bit, but the movie grabbed my attention more than the puzzle, lol.

@zannej I will post the recipe here in a bit. Hows the strength and range of motion with your shoulder? Does it hurt mostly at night? From what you have said, it reminds me of my first rotator cuff tear.

Have a great afternoon!


----------



## shan2themax

@zannej this is the recipe I loosely follow. I use a combination of white and portobello most of the time and I don't put wine in it because I don't like the taste it leaves behind. Super easy to make though. I use a little more garlic that suggested and even though I use onions, I still add maybe a half teaspoon of onion powder to it also.









						Cream of Mushroom Soup
					

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup is full flavoured and so easy to make, you won't buy soup in a can again! Ready and on your table in minutes.




					cafedelites.com


----------



## zannej

Thanks, Shan. My range of motion with my shoulder sucks. Can't reach behind my back and can't even lift it up much to put on deodorant. It seems worse when I'm trying to sleep. If I sleep on that shoulder it hurts. If I sleep on my other side it hurts bc I can't seem to get it angled properly. Not so bad on my back, but I can't sleep on my back without waking up feeling like I can't breathe and coughing profusely. If I suddenly tense up for any reason it gets very painful all through the upper arm. My doctor said its my rotator cuff and recommended doing pendulum exercises-- which I've been doing. I use onion powder in stuff because I can't have fresh onions. Dehydrated ones don't bother my stomach but I'm allergic to fresh ones (even when cooked). 

I went to Walmart to pick up RX & some groceries. Brother came along for the ride (I wanted to get him out of the house to get some fresh air) but he stayed in the truck. I got a papercut that bled while taking stuff out of the cart to scan. Shelf-checkout cashier heard me say "Ow" and asked what happened. I made sure not to touch any bags or anything with the bleeding finger. It was only a small amount of blood though. Still annoying. Went to post office afterward and got mail. Just remembered I forgot to bring the packages in.

Changed HVAC filter in the hallway. Need to check the one in my brother's room next but it usually only needs to be changed once every 2 months. Hallway one has to be changed 2x a month.


----------



## Flyover

This week I've planned ribs, steak tacos, and grilled chicken over pasta, so today I grilled all three kinds of meat while the kids were at school, since it's harder to do when they're home and it looks like it's gonna rain the rest of the week. All of it came out really well.

Also for Black Friday I went on Amazon and got a larger Crockpot and food processor so now I can make things in bigger quantities that might last longer than just a day. So far I made hummus, with enough to package up and give a tub to my sister-in-law. She says it's good enough I could sell it. Later this week I'll be making chili.

(Decided to eat more meat this week because we've been eating mostly vegetarian the past month or so, and I think some of my family members need the iron.)


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> A trace is less than breathing the air in a modern vehicle after parking in the sun.


I said not a trace. Nuke one of those vegetable bags and empty the liquid in a glass. Then get a Mass spec test to find out what's in it.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @zannej this is the recipe I loosely follow. I use a combination of white and portobello most of the time and I don't put wine in it because I don't like the taste it leaves behind. Super easy to make though. I use a little more garlic that suggested and even though I use onions, I still add maybe a half teaspoon of onion powder to it also.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cream of Mushroom Soup
> 
> 
> Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup is full flavoured and so easy to make, you won't buy soup in a can again! Ready and on your table in minutes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cafedelites.com


That looks like a good recipe, Thanks... I don't understand the Wine either, but I don't ever consider that a drink either. I will use regular milk with a couple TBSP's of Cornstarch to avoid the Carrageenan and Polysorbate 80 in the Heavy Cream.


----------



## shan2themax

I just found out one of my coworkers house burnt down and they lost everything. It was her, her husband, her adult son, her 17 year old son, and then her 13, 10 and 7 year old grandchildren she is raising (has custody if). My heart just breaks for her. Life has been difficult enough the past few years for her without this. 



The second company is going to come in the morning to take a look and give me a more realistic estimate. The "ballpark" site unseen usually more than actual cost was 15k . He talked like there would be less sistering and just more piers (like every 6 feet) but I suppose I will find out for sure tomorrow.

My goodness gracious sakes alive, why can't things be simple and less costly.... however.... had I just done it 15 years ago, it would have been. 

I guess the next thing to do after this, would be to get new gutters/fascia. I mean, I guess I  could put downspouts on myself to give myself time to recover from this mess. The seems of what is hung leak and there aren't any downspouts currently. I had actually paid for that to be done but that was the contractor that took me for 5k and didn't finish anything.

Well, guess I need to go be Sally homemaker and clean the house so it is done in the morning when they come. 

I think Larry is outside getting the last of the stuff loaded on his truck. That will clean up the back yard, but I still have the storage unit to get through, plus mine.....

Its really just never ending isnt it? 

Is it like this when your married? I mean, I feel like I have always been the one to do the bulk of it. Thats just my opinion however. 


Anywho..... have a great evening.... I'm off to be Sally Homemaker


----------



## Ron Van

I’m continuing working on installing new flooring in this relatively small landing, but as what happens so often, one thing leads to another and it always takes longer than it should. I decided to remove this door and the frame around it because the door was so out of square that it was ridiculous. So, after rehanging the door, I worked on cutting the bullnose off the step so I can put a new one on that matches the flooring.


----------



## Spicoli43

Was it out of square because of the actual frame? I can't build anything to square here because of the lumber at Lowes / HD... I haven't tried the more expensive lumber places though.

Literally, 2x4's on the garage floor corner clamped and screwed together... Not even close to square. One side is at least a half inch off.

Or was the door bad / hinges?


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Was it out of square because of the actual frame? I can't build anything to square here because of the lumber at Lowes / HD... I haven't tried the more expensive lumber places though.
> 
> Literally, 2x4's on the garage floor corner clamped and screwed together... Not even close to square. One side is at least a half inch off.
> 
> Or was the door bad / hinges?


I think because of the house settling over the past 52 years and me jacking the floor up last summer, the door jamb hinge side was about 3/8” lower than the striker side. I took the door and hinges off and raised the hinge side of the jamb as high as I could (until it hit the header) and then used a laser leveler to shim it plumb in all directions. Then I used the laser (and a tape measure) to get the jamb header and striker side plumb. I used the tape measure to ensure the opening was parallel and square. I had to carry the door outside to cut a 1/4” off the bottom so it will clear the new flooring. That door is heavy! It’s mostly glass.


----------



## Eddie_T

I hand pick my lumber at Lowes. I think the last time I purchased a couple of whitewood studs I had maybe 20 lying in the floor just to find two that were acceptable.


----------



## Eddie_T

I picked up a bag of onions yesterday, they seem to be the superfood for health. After purchasing white onions I find that red onions are a better choice. However, maybe I can just eat more white (or yellow) especially if red proves more expensive.


----------



## Spicoli43

WOW, Ron... How is the entire foundation?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I picked up a bag of onions yesterday, they seem to be the superfood for health. After purchasing white onions I find that red onions are a better choice. However, maybe I can just eat more white (or yellow) especially if red proves more expensive.


Yes, I go through 50 plus boards at Lowe's to find a few good ones... Most have chunks missing or are warped... 

As far as Superfoods, there is tons of them, but I cheat... This powder is about 25% of the cost of "Balance of Nature", which is full of pesticides and is GMO... 









						Raw Greens Powder - Unsweetened
					

Order raw greens powder online from Naturelo.com. Check out our unsweetened green superfood powder for clean green energy and health benefits. Purchase a tub of vegan supplement powder and get over 30 servings of high-quality vegetable alternatives.




					naturelo.com


----------



## Spicoli43

Hollywood at it's best... 

"I always think of testosterone as a toxin that you have to slowly work out of your system."

Wokester director James Cameron...

Well, to be fair, "He", if he still identifies as a "He", is responsible for the movie "Titanic", so he hasn't had Testosterone for decades.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> WOW, Ron... How is the entire foundation?


The foundation is fine. I had a similar problem to Shan. Here's a link to the conversation.





__





						Sagging floor repair estimate
					

So, the company came today to give me an estimate to fix the sag in the center of the house.  Part of it was where I thought it would be, part of it I was sort of surprised about....  So... overall, the main beam and joist are only 2x8s (single). There are several piers (cinderblocks with wood)...




					www.houserepairtalk.com


----------



## Flyover

Ron Van said:


>



Looks like a Strat-style Cort that gets plugged into...is that an amp head on the floor under the desk with no cabinet??


----------



## Flyover

Eddie, I think different onions have different flavors when raw/pickled/cooked/etc. Yellow are the sweetest when sauteed, baked, or grilled, for sure. (Maybe when deep-fried too, I'm not sure.) White are my preference if I'm only cooking to translucency and still want some bite. I'd use red if they were going to be served raw (on sandwiches, diced up in potato salad, etc.) and probably then only if I'm cooking for a party.

Today I'm making chili with a larger-than-usual ratio of ground beef to beans, partly because I had way fewer dry beans than I realized and partly because of what I said earlier regarding my suspicions about my family's iron levels.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover, why not cook some Eggs every morning in a Lodge Cast Iron skillet?


----------



## Eddie_T

When I referred to onions as a super food for health I forgot that there is a world of powdered foods out there called superfoods. I don't do any powdered foods. I eat for enjoyment first and nutrition second. Onions seem to fit both for me. I will slice some later to eat with a little salt or maybe blue cheese dip.

I picked up a small pkg of boneless beef ribs that were marbled nicely. I will get several meals of steak and eggs using them. I noticed on youtube raw onion rings being used to contain eggs when fried. I am not sure I would like that but it would make flipping with a spatula easier.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Flyover, why not cook some Eggs every morning in a Lodge Cast Iron skillet?


Why not? Practical reasons probably. That sounds nice!


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Why not? Practical reasons probably. That sounds nice!


Use Lodge USA though, nothing from China. You can do your DD on that.


----------



## Flyover

I was just seasoning one of my cast iron skillets today (my 12", not the 9") so it's funny you mention it. Pretty sure it's made in the USA but I haven't checked.

DD = dirty dishes? Due diligence? Double inDemnity? Dunkin donuts? Dastardly deeds?

Eddie that onion egg trick sounds neat, I'll have to try that if I ever have an onion big enough.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I was just seasoning one of my cast iron skillets today (my 12", not the 9") so it's funny you mention it. Pretty sure it's made in the USA but I haven't checked.
> 
> DD = dirty dishes? Due diligence? Double inDemnity? Dunkin donuts? Dastardly deeds?
> 
> Eddie that onion egg trick sounds neat, I'll have to try that if I ever have an onion big enough.


Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap while Doing Due Diligence.


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Looks like a Strat-style Cort that gets plugged into...is that an amp head on the floor under the desk with no cabinet??


Yeah, that’s my practice guitar. I play acoustic at church but this guitar makes less noise and I can use headphones. The amp head is actually a Spark amp. It has a little speaker in it but I run it through the sound board on the desk and then through headphones. They were all the rage for a nanosecond. 

See here


----------



## Flyover

Nice Ron, I saw the mixer on the desk and figured it was for recording.

My new buddy who moved into the house behind me is a drummer and we're supposed to jam tomorrow for the first time. I am very excited...


----------



## Eddie_T

Some of the facelift slab door covers are interesting.


----------



## Spicoli43

Here's a webinar, about an Hour and a Half from an Ayurvedic Doctor that's also an expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He talks about Teas and Supplements to help lung health as well as how to knock out a Cold / Flu in a day. 

Some of you remember the 7 week Detox I did that completely healed my 22 year gut problems the first week of the program. This is the same Doctor. It's well worth your time to listen to it and to stock up on specific teas / supplements.

Of course, you have to figure out if there is interactions with any drugs you take.

You want to watch this, even if it takes a few days. If you don't and you are in day 5 of a Cold / Flu later this season, you will remember reading this!






						Holistic Help for Healthy Lungs - Video
					






					go.internationalintegrative.com


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Some of the facelift slab door covers are interesting.
> View attachment 29269


I wish I would have known about these 5 years ago when I changed out 6 interior doors from flat hollow core doors to raised panel doors. I had to buy a template for the hinge mortises and the door knobs and all that.


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Nice Ron, I saw the mixer on the desk and figured it was for recording.
> 
> My new buddy who moved into the house behind me is a drummer and we're supposed to jam tomorrow for the first time. I am very excited...


What do you play? 

Yes, the mixer was for recording. In my old house, I had a studio setup that was pretty nice. I have an Alesis HD24 recorder which is a digital hard drive recorder. But mostly I just used a 16 channel analog to Digital interface into a computer running Sonar to record. I recorded a song once that ended up having 52 tracks and Sonar handled it really well. 

The band I used to be in used In-ear monitors with Aviom interfaces to control the mix on stage, which worked really well. We also used an Aviom analog to digital converter on stage to send 16 channels of  sound via a digital snake to the sound board. Being a traveling band, it was nice to have a cat5 (or cat-6 now) cable rather than a big snake but 16 channels is very limiting especially when you consider the drums have 8 (or more) channels alone. So we "Pre-Mixed" the drums on stage with a small mixer and sent the mix as 2 channels to the board. Later we switched to Roland V drums (electronic) which made life easier in many ways. V Drums have a stereo signal needing only 2 channels and the volume is easier to control in smaller venues. Normally, the drums set the volume of the rest of the instruments. However loud your drummer is, that's how loud your instruments have to be. I can't tell you how many times someone would ask us to turn down the volume a little. Asking a drummer to play quieter (softer) never works. The V drums sound really good but a lot of drummers won't use them. I don't know why...I'm not a drummer but Roland says their mesh head drums feel like regular drums and they sound better amplified than real drums with mics. Here's a link to a video with my old band and the V Drums

HERE

The church I play at now uses an app on your iPhone (m32-Q) to control the mix for your in-ears. They are pretty progressive. They use a click track and prompts. It's what all the pros do these days. What that means is, you better be able to play your instrument without thinking about it much because there's a lot of stuff going on.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I hand pick my lumber at Lowes. I think the last time I purchased a couple of whitewood studs I had maybe 20 lying in the floor just to find two that were acceptable.


It seems Lowes has different qualities of 2x4s. One pile is sketchy but cheap. The next pile is better but more expensive. Use the cheap ones for temporary braces, etc, and the more expensive for building stuff that matters.


----------



## Ron Van

I got a little done on the flooring in the landing project. I bought some baseboard at Lowes last night because the old baseboard is not salvageable. I’m going to paint it today even though it’s supposed to rain and then install the pieces that go behind the curio cabinet so we can move the cabinet back into place. Then I can finish the space.


----------



## Eddie_T

A friend gave me several bottles of tart cherry to try for hip pain. Her hubby tried it for gout and it didn't help him. I don't know why he didn't keep taking it at least til he used it up. It's a good antioxidant.

She also mentioned a product called DermaWound saying that it's pretty close to a miracle for fast healing her hubby's diabetic foot ulcers. I think it's based on sugardine.


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> I got a little done on the flooring in the landing project. I bought some baseboard at Lowes last night because the old baseboard is not salvageable. I’m going to paint it today even though it’s supposed to rain and then install the pieces that go behind the curio cabinet so we can move the cabinet back into place. Then I can finish the space.


Do you have to level the tile grout to prevent print through or is the LVP thick enough not to print?


----------



## Flyover

Ron Van said:


> Here's a link to a video with my old band and the V Drums
> 
> HERE


Hah, I love that song. Was a it a coincidence half the band was wearing football jerseys, or was this for some kind of tailgating event or something?

I play guitar, bass, and some other instruments but generally when I'm jamming with people I'm playing guitar.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Do you have to level the tile grout to prevent print through or is the LVP thick enough not to print?


Here's what the manufacturer says:

ADURA®Max can also be installed over most existing hard surface floor coverings provided that the existing floor surface can be made smooth.
• Ceramic tile should be made smooth by applying a cementitious overlay such as patching or leveling compound (filling grout lines not required).
• Existing grout lines can be laid over.
• Existing floors should be non-cushioned, fully adhered and not exceed one layer in thickness.
• Do not install over carpet. • Floor should be flat, smooth, dimensionally sound and free from deflection.

******************** **
In the beginning, I was filling in the grout lines and filling in anywhere there was tile lippage. I did the kitchen, dining room and desk area 8 months ago and it still looks good.

When I did the Livingroom, I did very little leveling because the tile was pretty good in that room and I decided not to fill the grout lines. So far so good. I did the living room 3 months ago and it looks good. 

The area I'm doing now needed some leveling but I didn't fill all the grout lines. I think it will be okay because there is very little traffic in that area. It is the hallway leading to my mother in laws area.  

The Mannington Adura Max planks are 8mm thick with a 1mm pad attached. The wear surface is 20mil. It's supposed to be pretty good LVP.


----------



## zannej

Flyover, the meat sounds good. We eat less beef with prices so high. Good thing I like pork chops and love chicken. Although, even chicken has been going higher.

Shan, that is very sad about the co-worker's house burning down.  Also sorry you got screwed out of $5k by a contractor. 

Ron, flooring is looking good! I like the stair treads. Adorable doggies. I have some doors with the glass panes like that. 

Spicoli, it is so frustrating trying to find lumber that isn't bent or cut crooked. Apparently nowadays people need some sort of jointer to square up boards because quality control has dropped. One good thing with Lowes is if you find some gouges on boards and stuff you can sometimes negotiate a lower price. James Cameron is a jerk. I still remember footage of him years ago of him violently grabbing his (now ex) wife, Linda Hamilton, by the arm and trying to forcibly drag her away at some public event. I know a lot of cast and crew have said he's a nightmare to work with.

Eddie, other than color I don't know the differences in onions- but then I can't eat them so I just avoid them. I've got some cast iron skillets but can't use them bc my arms/wrists are weak. I can barely lift the aluminium ones with stainless steel on the bottoms. LOL. Mom was looking at some pots online that weighed like 12lbs and I told her no way in hell would I be able to lift one that was full without hurting myself. 

My brother is still feeling dizzy & not up to helping out with anything. He griped that he couldn't get over the old microwave that I set on the floor to put in the new one but wasn't willing to help me move it. Said it was in his way & he couldn't do laundry. I've been stepping over it to get to the laundry room, but I think he wanted an excuse. I tried picking it up, but left arm wouldn't cooperate. I ended up grabbing it by the cord and dragging it across the floor. Bethesda hopped on for a ride but was too heavy so I had to push her off. She chased after it as I dragged it to the double doors. I lifted it up onto a bin and hope they don't knock it down. But I couldn't get it any further than that for now without hurting myself. 

Been hot the last few nights and I keep waking up drenched in sweat. Still no callback from AC guy. Gonna have to call again.

Rupert has decided that I'm his best friend (or maybe just buttwarmer) so he's sitting on me right now. The other night he kept reaching up for my brother to pet him. So my brother picked him up, rolled him on his back, and held him like a baby. I could hear him purring from across the room.

My shoulder & arm are still giving me grief. Feels like I pulled a muscle. Anytime I tense up at all, my whole bicep starts throbbing like I'm having a charlie horse. I keep doing the exercises for the shoulder and hoping the arm will mend too.

Need to get some more stuff from Walmart at some point, but might not be until later today or even tomorrow. My brother's boss has taken him off the work schedule until he's recovered enough to go back-- fortunately, they are being very understanding with him having to miss so much while recovering. Not many places like that these days. There was a report that of all the top thefts going on in the country, the theft of wages committed by corporations is more than the rest combined. $15million in wage theft annually.

Meanwhile, I think I've found an acceptable shower surround for my bathtub. I've got a flangeless cast iron tub and plan to put up either cementboard or purple drywall and then have a glue-up surround over it. I'm thinking of using instatrim in some of the corners, getting a tension rod shelf thingy for one side, and I already have a grab bar corner shelf for one corner. Might trim out the top with waterproof chair rail strips. I'm thinking of adding aluminium L stock as a sort of flange on the hidden edges of the tub to direct water into the tub should any water somehow get behind, but also want to do some Instatrim or something along the perimeter. I will probably post about this in one of my threads....


----------



## Flyover

I'm getting ready to re-caulk the shower in my master bathroom. It's got tile walls with a resin or some kind of plastic basin (I don't know if that's what you call it...the part you stand on, with the drain in the middle). The existing caulk has a lot of black stuff, presumably mold, and I figure it's probably time to redo it. I haven't looked but assume caulk requires 24 hours to cure or something, so I'm trying to figure out when it will be least inconvenient.  Otherwise I figure this is simply a matter of scraping off the old stuff as best I can, cleaning, and re-applying?


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Hah, I love that song. Was a it a coincidence half the band was wearing football jerseys, or was this for some kind of tailgating event or something?
> 
> I play guitar, bass, and some other instruments but generally when I'm jamming with people I'm playing guitar.


We all planned on wearing jerseys but there were a couple non-compliant members. This was not a normal event for us. It was a multi band event with the headliner being the guy from "Big Daddy Weave." It was a treat because all the equipment was there, we just brought our personal gear and amps and they had the soundboard with sound guys and floor wedges, etc. There was a sound guy on stage right dedicated to mixing the floor wedges. Personally, I'd rather have in-ears and the ability to mix it myself. 

That day I was playing through a Line 6 HD500 pedal board to a Line 6 amp with a Bogner tube power amp. At events like this, they normally just throw a mic on a little stand in front of your amp and then run the mic through the soundboard. They layer the amps so that when we were finished, we grab our stuff and the next band rolls their stuff up front and go as fast as possible. 







You're lucky to have a drummer in your backyard. They are hard to come by these days...I guess it's too much equipment to set up. 

Here's my current band from last week. I traded my Les Paul for the Martin . . .not literally though. I still have the LP.


----------



## Flyover

Today I discovered my car has an oil leak, and it's coming from the oil drain plug! I haven't had time to troubleshoot it yet. Not sure why this would happen all of a sudden (leak definitely wasn't there yesterday). I have one of those Valve-o-max things installed too, which should offer double protection against leaks...so I thought. And I changed my oil fairly recently too (oil on the garage floor was reddish brown) so I don't want to drain it all if I can avoid it.


----------



## ekrig

Everyone is pretty busy with plenty of hobbies.

Today, I finally finished remaking my bench/desk space, Went from a 4ft long piece of plywood on sawhorses to a proper table. The table legs were made from wood reclaimed from old pallets, plus a couple of 2x3s to reinforce an old piece of piece of plywood that I had. That plywood used to be part of the subfloor and was in bad shape, but managed to get it to look ok with filler and several coast of paint. I also added additional french cleats (from 1x3 furring strips) for organization. It took longer than I anticipated because when installing the cleats some screws popped, requiring drywall repairs and painting.


----------



## Ron Van

ekrig said:


> Everyone is pretty busy with plenty of hobbies.
> 
> Today, I finally finished remaking my bench/desk space, Went from a 4ft long piece of plywood on sawhorses to a proper table. The table legs were made from wood reclaimed from old pallets, plus a couple of 2x3s to reinforce an old piece of piece of plywood that I had. That plywood used to be part of the subfloor and was in bad shape, but managed to get it to look ok with filler and several coast of paint. I also added additional french cleats (from 1x3 furring strips) for organization. It took longer than I anticipated because when installing the cleats some screws popped, requiring drywall repairs and painting.



Very nice! I like using reclaimed wood! It's such a waste to throw it away. I made a shed out of old pallets and left over fence pickets at our old house. It had corrugated plastic roof panels on top. I kept a lawnmower and some other tools in there. Worked great!


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Today I discovered my car has an oil leak, and it's coming from the oil drain plug! I haven't had time to troubleshoot it yet. Not sure why this would happen all of a sudden (leak definitely wasn't there yesterday). I have one of those Valve-o-max things installed too, which should offer double protection against leaks...so I thought. And I changed my oil fairly recently too (oil on the garage floor was reddish brown) so I don't want to drain it all if I can avoid it.


If you just had the Valve-o-max installed, I'd suspect that. Reddish brown sounds like tranny fluid but it shouldn't be on the Valve-o-max. I have installed a couple Fumoto valves and they haven't leaked yet.


----------



## Eddie_T

I prolly should have posted this on the funny thread but if you google compression rods all the hits are for tension rods. It seems that the world has compression and tension reversed.


----------



## Flyover

I installed that Valv-O-Max years ago, it's never leaked until now. Thus my confusion. And it was definitely oil, I smelled it and even saw the point where it was dripping out of the car (from the Valvo-O-Max).


----------



## zannej

Flyover, I hope you can get the oil leak thing sorted. Also hope the caulk removal goes well. The caulk on my tub is like dried superglue but 10x stronger. 
I've decided I want to go with a waterproof hardeeboard for behind my shower walls. It's more expensive but the purpleboard mfr said you can't glue shower walls to their product.

I also typod. It wasn't $15million in wage theft, it was $15billion. The accumulated property theft types combined don't even reach $14billion. So wage theft is pretty much the most costly and rampant form of theft-- but you almost never see any prosecutions &  people aren't going to jail for it. If they actually started prosecuting some of these bigwigs who steal from employees like that, it might reduce it a little. Almost every member of my family who ever had a job has been a victim of wage theft. My dad was, I was, and my brother too. My sister has only worked for one company & the worst they did was pay her less than her male counterparts for years. When they got in hot water over it, they raised her pay & gave her some compensation/backpay for it. Mom has never had a job so she's managed to dodge that bullet.


----------



## Eddie_T

It just doesn't get any better than this. My supper was; steak and eggs, grits, oven toast (buttered homemade yeast bread) and local sourwood honey.


----------



## Eddie_T

I need to get a drain valve. Sometimes I go way too long between changes because I don't want oil allover my hand when the plug comes out.


----------



## havasu

My drain plug usually ended up in the drain pan. With oil $7 a quart, an oil filter costing $15, it is just easier to go to an oil change place which gives you a free car wash, all for $29.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> My drain plug usually ended up in the drain pan. With oil $7 a quart, an oil filter costing $15, it is just easier to go to an oil change place which gives you a free car wash, all for $29.


Yeah, I usually take my wife's SUV to the local mechanic after they send out a coupon for a $25 oil change. My car's small enough it's still easy/cost effective to just do it myself, plus the whole satisfaction thing...

Of course now with the leak I'm thinking maybe I'll have to take it to a mechanic anyway. I don't think diagnosing the leak is beyond my capabilities, but it might be beyond what I have time and energy for, what with all my other obligations.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> An S-trap can work well under most conditions. The inverted siphon holds water and the upper siphon only works as a siphon when the drain pipe is full. IOW when releasing a sink bowl of water it may siphon but not when washing hands or rinsing with running water. However it can present a problem thus the code.


S traps used to be common place in the 70s. Then they tried to fix them with a "Crown Vent" which ultimately didn't work because a turbulence is created right after the trap which is why there is a minimum distance specified between the trap and the vent.



The minimum distance between the trap and the vent is 2 x the diameter of the trap arm. This is why the Crown vent didn't work either. 




The rule of thumb is that the trap weir must see the vent. The vent can be a dry vent or a wet vent but you still have to follow this rule of thumb.




With standard slope (1/4' per foot), a 1 1/2' trap arm would be flooded in 6' but code says, max 42" to be safe.

A friend of mine is building a house and he posted this picture. This is a sink stub-out and a sink drain. There will be, in the future, a trap and trap arm connected to the slip fitting on the drain there.




I asked him how he was going to vent this and he said, "It's vented on the other side." I told him, in a kind way, that I don't think this will pass inspection but then I remembered that in another picture, he showed that the sheetrock is now on. This means, either the inspector found nothing wrong with this and I am confused about something, -or- he isn't getting anything inspected. I haven't heard from him yet.

What do you guys think?


----------



## Eddie_T

I got a 30W Behringer GX110 years ago on a closeout sale for $70 or less. It was cheaper than a pedal. This is a pic of the newer version. Mine has a GX110 badge where the virtube badge is. I think it has a 10" speaker.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I got a 30W Behringer GX110 years ago on a closeout sale for $70 or less. It was cheaper than a pedal. This is a pic of the newer version. Mine has a GX110 badge where the virtube badge is. I think it has a 10" speaker.


I have several Behringer mixers and even though they are less expensive than the the big name ones, I was always impressed with the Behringer models. They have features that make sense. Your GX110 has tons of effects.


----------



## Eddie_T

Turns out my friend gave me seven 60 cap bottles of SR Tart Cherry. I will have to find a way to attempt reimbursement. At Amazon prices that's around $140 + tx. Way too much for a freebie.


----------



## Eddie_T

@Ron Van I checked out your church's website. It looks like an interesting and friendly church. Is it independent or have national affiliation?


----------



## zannej

I believe crown vents are against code now. My plumber tried to fix my S-traps somewhat by doing circuit vents. The vents are added under the house after all of the traps so they don't do much good. 

Meanwhile, I almost got taken out by my induction cooker. I've got this Cuisinart 2-burner portable induction cooktop. Cats knocked something on to of it and cracked the glass. It wasn't so bad at first, but while I was cooking it started flashing errors for awhile but I finally got it working again. I use silicone handle covers on my pans bc the metal ones get too hot and are hard to grip. In the middle of cooking my hand slipped a bit and gripped the metal part. I heard a ZZZZT sound and felt electricity shoot through my hand and up my arm to my shoulder, neck, and chest. I hopped up a bit when it happened too. It caused the already sore bicep muscles to contract and I couldn't move my arm. I was swearing up a storm for a couple of minutes before going to vent to my mother. She asked if I needed to go to the hospital. I said they wouldn't know what to do if I went in bc they suck here. At first I couldn't even move my fingers but then I got them wiggling a bit. I had her rub my bicep until I could move my elbow and bend my arm. Took several minutes but I could move although its a bit weaker. I had arrhythmia for a little bit but it's settled down. I managed to finish cooking, but now my entire arm hurts- including my hand. it's more of a sore/tingly/burning sensation and its more annoying than anything else. Tomorrow I'm throwing that cooktop in the garbage.

Could be worse though. Could have been zapped as badly as my friend and lost feeling in hand and both feet.


----------



## Spicoli43

Huh, the notifier turned off and I didn't know people posted... I'll get to everybody's posts...

OH... I know, the system didn't want me to post another 2 HOUR video lesson! 

Well the system FAILED... Make like a Tree and get out of here!

This lesson is the First on a series of 11 or so episodes called "The Real Skinny on Fat" that features several Doctors and even a Neurosurgeon that talk about the benefits of the Keto diet... 

I think the series was retired, I did find a way to buy it, but it seems real suspicious as in the webpage doesn't look official... I wouldn't do that, but this episode will give you a lot of info... 

YOU NEED to have a Functional Medicine Doctor to guide you through Keto, I don't care what anybody says because we are all different... Keto can mess you up if you don't have the Doctor to help you with blood testing and monitoring and late night 5 card Monte games etc...


----------



## Spicoli43

Spicoli43 said:


> Here's a webinar, about an Hour and a Half from an Ayurvedic Doctor that's also an expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He talks about Teas and Supplements to help lung health as well as how to knock out a Cold / Flu in a day.
> 
> Some of you remember the 7 week Detox I did that completely healed my 22 year gut problems the first week of the program. This is the same Doctor. It's well worth your time to listen to it and to stock up on specific teas / supplements.
> 
> Of course, you have to figure out if there is interactions with any drugs you take.
> 
> You want to watch this, even if it takes a few days. If you don't and you are in day 5 of a Cold / Flu later this season, you will remember reading this!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Holistic Help for Healthy Lungs - Video
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> go.internationalintegrative.com


Oh, My Bad... Sorry to repost this, but I forgot to mention the Doctor's name... If one were to click on my video, they might think it's from "Fred's Natural Cures" or some garbage like that... There's only 1800 Trillion of those sites... 

Also, for anybody that doesn't know, I'm not making a cent from telling you this stuff, if you hire and pay said Doctors then you will reap the rewards, but everything I post is 100% Free... 

The Doctor is K.P. Khalsa, an Ayurvedic Doctor of almost 50 years... If you are a Tea drinker, you probably know the "Yogi" brand... He was the formulator / lead consult for 30 plus years... Maybe he's the founder, he doesn't say... 

I didn't sign up for his 7 week detox course because I read he was the Chief of Yogi Tea, I signed on because he's a Professor at Bastyr University in Seattle, which was my stomping grounds for most of my life... I knew about Bastyr and had experiences with their practitioners long before I had heard of K.P. Khalsa... 

Bastyr is basically the Rolls Royce of Alternative Medicine Schools, to include Indian (Ayurvedic) and Traditional Chinese Medicine that includes Acupuncture... Students from all over the Planet go there and graduate...

I have had Acupuncture from a "regular" clinic that did nothing, and had Acupuncture from a graduate of Bastyr University that took my Root Canal pain away in 4 seconds... The Doctor literally told me I would feel no pain in a few seconds... 

My first experience with a Bastyr Doctor, and I didn't even have time to laugh at how ridiculous his statement was... One needle in my Chin if I remember correctly, one needle in my Arm... PAIN GONE... Exsqueeze me please? I'm a convert from everything I have ever known!

If you have never had deep tooth pain you can't control, and you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you need to eat more Fast food and Processed food... 

The much needed Root Canal waited a year with zero pain until I had Dental coverage through the VA to get the tooth pulled... It wasn't a horrifically rotted out tooth, so for said year, I barely noticed it... I brushed like normal, just didn't have any pain... I didn't do anything special, as far as the Acupuncture tech knew, I paid the $25 and would come back when I came back...

If you have had that pain, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about... ALL plans cancelled, heading to the ER to get at least some serious painkillers... There's nerve pain in your back where you can adjust and sit differently... Yeah, can't adjust the teeth... 

So, Long Story End.. When have you heard that? 

I'm getting the Cold / Flu Herbs the Good Doctor recommends. I'm also telling everybody in my Planet about this video.

Prost!

Aaron


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> It seems Lowes has different qualities of 2x4s. One pile is sketchy but cheap. The next pile is better but more expensive. Use the cheap ones for temporary braces, etc, and the more expensive for building stuff that matters.


Not here... All the same grade from slightly under 8 ft. for Contractors to 12 feet... I don't know about Home Depot, maybe that's different...


----------



## zannej

I'm awake. Just took allergy meds and some naproxyn. Shoulder, arm, etc were bugging me all night. my fingers have the sensation they get when my hand is swollen but there is no visible swelling. No outward signs of having been zapped but I'm feeling it on the inside. I commiserated with my friend who has been zapped quite a bit. Although, the work boots we got him as a gift were designed for electricians so it blocks the path to the ground. 
Brother seems to be perking up a little bit but he's still weak & exhausted. I'm going to try to call the AC people again and see if I can get them to come out to look at the compressor. It's been too hot. I have my window open to let some cool air in.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> My drain plug usually ended up in the drain pan. With oil $7 a quart, an oil filter costing $15, it is just easier to go to an oil change place which gives you a free car wash, all for $29.


Costco's Kirkland Synthetic is a little over $4 online, so cheaper in the store, but I'm not a fan of Kirkland and haven't researched it. I do oil changes the old fashioned way... Pull the bolt off and get oil all over myself while cursing and throwing the bolt somewhere.


----------



## Spicoli43

You gotta go to the Dr., Z... I'm the last one to say that, but there are special circumstances like ELECTROCUTION! 

I want to learn to play the Guitar someday.


----------



## Spicoli43

Watching Hurricanes... There's one in the dead center of the Atlantic..









						earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions
					

See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.




					earth.nullschool.net


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> @Ron Van I checked out your church's website. It looks like an interesting and friendly church. Is it independent or have national affiliation?


Up until a month ago, we were in the SBC (Southern Baptist Conference) but with all the trouble the SBC has been getting into lately, the congregation voted to get out of the SBC. 

I've only lived in the South for 2 years so I asked if we were going to become a Non-Denominational church without knowing that "Non Denominational" was a bad word here. Our Pastor looked down and kindly explained that he had grown up SBC and the thought of being called Non Denominational didn't sit well with him but then a guy, who I have a very low opinion of now, started muttering something about the word Non-Denominational made him want to go out in the parking lot and exchange blows.

I was pretty stunned by his comment and was trying to understand what I thought I just heard. Ruby said she looked around the room and others were stunned as well. This guy is supposed to be an elder. Anyway, there has to be one in every crowd.  

So, to make a long story endless, we are some kind of Baptist church affiliated with other local Baptist churches now.

I grew up in a Baptist church in Northern Indiana and it was more of what Ruby thinks of as Southern Baptist. It made me quit going to church for a long time. I finally reasoned that it's not God's fault what man does with religion. But as a child, we were taught that smoking and drinking were sins but so was dancing, playing cards, long hair on boys, and guitar was an instrument of satin. The only instrument allowed was an organ and the choir. The pastor was the worship leader as well. He would wave his hand up and down as we sang hymns. I thought I was in hell already. When my dad died, the pastor said at his eulogy that my dad was probably going to hell because he hadn't been to church in a while. I wanted to take this pastor out in the parking lot and exchange blows...yeah, I was that one guy in the crowd I was talking about.

Our church now, Connect, is nothing like that...otherwise I wouldn't be there.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Up until a month ago, we were in the SBC (Southern Baptist Conference) but with all the trouble the SBC has been getting into lately, the congregation voted to get out of the SBC.
> 
> I've only lived in the South for 2 years so I asked if we were going to become a Non-Denominational church without knowing that "Non Denominational" was a bad word here. Our Pastor looked down and kindly explained that he had grown up SBC and the thought of being called Non Denominational didn't sit well with him but then a guy, who I have a very low opinion of now, started muttering something about the word Non-Denominational made him want to go out in the parking lot and exchange blows.
> 
> I was pretty stunned by his comment and was trying to understand what I thought I just heard. Ruby said she looked around the room and others were stunned as well. This guy is supposed to be an elder. Anyway, there has to be one in every crowd.
> 
> So, to make a long story endless, we are some kind of Baptist church affiliated with other local Baptist churches now.
> 
> I grew up in a Baptist church in Northern Indiana and it was more of what Ruby thinks of as Southern Baptist. It made me quit going to church for a long time. I finally reasoned that it's not God's fault what man does with religion. But as a child, we were taught that smoking and drinking were sins but so was dancing, playing cards, long hair on boys, and guitar was an instrument of satin. The only instrument allowed was an organ and the choir. The pastor was the worship leader as well. He would wave his hand up and down as we sang hymns. I thought I was in hell already. When my dad died, the pastor said at his eulogy that my dad was probably going to hell because he hadn't been to church in a while. I wanted to take this pastor out in the parking lot and exchange blows...yeah, I was that one guy in the crowd I was talking about.
> 
> Our church now, Connect, is nothing like that...otherwise I wouldn't be there.


LOL !


----------



## Eddie_T

I see SBC churches changing names in my area. And a former PCA church is merging with an AG church. It has an evening music event maybe once a quarter that I attend. Times are a changing.


----------



## zannej

My hand is feeling a little better. Wrist & elbow are not hurting anymore. Arm is still a little sore. 

Mom has an appointment on Monday so if it's still bothering me I might bring it up with the doctor.

My cow was hollering at me a few minutes and now I see she is sitting down behind my truck as a not-so-subtle hint that she wants me to get more feed. I'll have to ask the TSC employees for some help again. I hate having to ask for help with loading stuff but I know I need to give my arm/shoulder a rest.

I have mail to pick up in town anyway.


----------



## Eddie_T

I buy whatever motor oil is cheapest. My last purchase was Ace Hardware on sale.

@zannej It's pretty hard to get a good zap unless one is well grounded. Were you touching anything grounded?


----------



## zannej

I forgot to mention I really enjoy the link from Spicoli where you can see the wind patterns all over the planet. That is very cool.


----------



## Spicoli43

zannej said:


> I forgot to mention I really enjoy the link from Spicoli where you can see the wind patterns all over the planet. That is very cool.


Hit Earth at the bottom left to play with all the controls, mouse wheel to zoom in / out. I thought I posted that part.


----------



## zannej

Eddie, I have no idea. I was standing there with a spatula in one hand stirring the meat and then my other hand slipped and touched the metal part of the handle. 

Spicoli, I zoomed out and looked all over the globe. It's so cool! I know you shared that link with me before but I had forgotten what the url was and it is still very cool.

I picked up mail, grabbed groceries from walmart, and got hay & sweet feed at TSC. Had to ask for help at TSC since my arm was not cooperating but the associate was a sweet lady.

Cow hit my cheek with her horn when I was trying to cut the sweet feed bag open. Not hard though, but enough that it was annoying at the time.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, I like looking at that site a lot. I don't understand why we don't hear about Hurricanes elsewhere unless they are massive. That one off India looks big, 2 off Japan, one between Hawaii and Japan.


----------



## shan2themax

So..... I've had a decent day at work. Currently no admissions waiting to be done. I got the email from the company, I  posted it  in the sag thread..... 

Let me just say.... its all disheartening, like I make good money, but how do I pay that much for fixing the sag, plus windows (broken/old/etc) plus siding, plus carpet, plus kitchen, plus bathroom.... like for real, how do people afford to do these things? It is discouraging to say the least.


----------



## Ron Van

Our worship team at church had an appreciation party last night for all the people and their families (sound, lights, and worship teams). We called it Thanksmas party. We had a blast. At one point we were playing a game that I've never seen before called, Oven Mit present game. The object is: you pass around a pair of dice. Each person rolls the dice and when someone gets doubles (two of a kind) they get up and put on a robe, a scarf, antlers, and gloves. With all that on they try to open a present (which turns out to be taped up pretty good and hard to open). The present is in multiple boxes, so it takes a while to get to the present inside. Whoever gets it open, gets to keep it! . . .But. . . the dice are still being rolled while someone is trying to open the box so when the next doubles is rolled, that person gets to take over
View attachment Oven Mit Game (2).mp4

. Here's the chaos that ensued...


----------



## Eddie_T

I went to the ophthalmologist late Monday and picked up a few grocery items on the way home. I had some chills yesterday then would get too hot if I turned up the quartz tower. Today I have a slight temperature and am just relaxing, taking extra vitamin C, zinc and spraying nose and throat with 1% povidone.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Hit Earth at the bottom left to play with all the controls, mouse wheel to zoom in / out. I thought I posted that part.


Cool app!

A lot of pilots use Windy.com
I used Windy when I was flying out of Alaska to determine how strong the wind was if they asked me to go to a remote lake with no weather reporter. It was pretty accurate.


----------



## Spicoli43

Thanks, Ron! That's great with the temps. I have never seen anything like that... I'll play with that and check it out soon...


----------



## 68bucks

Ron Van said:


> Cool app!
> 
> A lot of pilots use Windy.com
> I used Windy when I was flying out of Alaska to determine how strong the wind was if they asked me to go to a remote lake with no weather reporter. It was pretty accurate.
> 
> View attachment 29292


That's a popular app for great lakes fisherman. I use multiple wind forecast resources when I plan to fish any of the great lakes.


----------



## Eddie_T

My bout with Covid, symptoms were; 

Day one: shivers, malaise, some phlegm (no color), little appetite

Day two: elevated temp (101.4), elevated malaise, loose stool, some phlegm (no color), no appetite

Day three: covid test positive, temp near normal, no malaise, loose stool, less phlegm (no color), appetite is returning


----------



## shan2themax

Eddie_T said:


> My bout with Covid, symptoms were;
> 
> Day one: shivers, malaise, some phlegm (no color), little appetite
> 
> Day two: elevated temp (101.4), elevated malaise, loose stool, some phlegm (no color), no appetite
> 
> Day three: covid test positive, temp near normal, no malaise, loose stool, less phlegm (no color), appetite is returning


Glad you're feeling better!


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> My bout with Covid, symptoms were;
> 
> Day one: shivers, malaise, some phlegm (no color), little appetite
> 
> Day two: elevated temp (101.4), elevated malaise, loose stool, some phlegm (no color), no appetite
> 
> Day three: covid test positive, temp near normal, no malaise, loose stool, less phlegm (no color), appetite is returning


Good you're getting back to normal, hit the Vitamin C hard to finish it off.


----------



## Spicoli43

Never fed Birds before, but figured I would to give the Cats entertainment, every second they are distracted is one less claw in my shooting range eligible furniture... All I have seen for the last week is Pigeons... I had a lot of Maggies, but don't know what happened to them.


----------



## Ron Van

Finished laying the floor in this little area. I need to put the baseboard on and the new bullnose on the top step.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron.. Wood or Luxury Vinyl?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I buy whatever motor oil is cheapest. My last purchase was Ace Hardware on sale.


Before the plandemic, Walmart's SuperTech motor oil was 5 quarts for $12.99 and I was surprised to see full synthetic was 5 quarts for $13.99... of course, that's more like $23.99 now... and the jugs have electronic security devices on them now... 
Was in Walmart today, saw a tooth brush on the floor, picked it up to put back on display, a kid's decorative tooth brush and surprised to see an electronic security device on it, as well...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I went to the ophthalmologist late Monday and picked up a few grocery items on the way home. I had some chills yesterday then would get too hot if I turned up the quartz tower. Today I have a slight temperature and am just relaxing, taking extra vitamin C, zinc and spraying nose and throat with 1% povidone.


Like a 'fever'... feel cold, but actually burning up... likely one of the Covid flus...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah, I like looking at that site a lot. I don't understand why we don't hear about Hurricanes elsewhere unless they are massive. That one off India looks big, 2 off Japan, one between Hawaii and Japan.


In Asia, they're called typhoons, I went through a bad one while in Vietnam...


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Ron.. Wood or Luxury Vinyl?


Luxury vinyl planks (LVP). First time I’ve used LVP. Pretty easy to install but we’ll see how long it lasts. This is Mannington Adura Max. 8mm thick with a 1mm pad built in. 20mil wear layer. Sonoma Cork is the color.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> Luxury vinyl planks (LVP). First time I’ve used LVP. Pretty easy to install but we’ll see how long it lasts. This is Mannington Adura Max. 8mm thick with a 1mm pad built in. 20mil wear layer. Sonoma Cork is the color.


Well, at least you didn't get "Wellmade" from Costco... It failed in multiple places in my high traffic living room / kitchen... I should have spent more, but first time also.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, at least you didn't get "Wellmade" from Costco... It failed in multiple places in my high traffic living room / kitchen... I should have spent more, but first time also.


How long did it last? Did the locking mechanism fail or the wear layer?


----------



## Flyover

Yesterday my 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle went from "spotty" to "almost done" because I get severely addicted to those things and neglect all other areas of my life to work on them. I brought a 64oz water bottle down there with me and forgot to drink it most of the time. I look up and hours have gone by and I'm astonished at myself. I think that puzzle by itself has annexed 5 or 6 hours that would have gone just for sleeping. Well, I'm sure I'll finish it today.


----------



## havasu

I don't have the patience to build a puzzle, read a book, or even meditate. The closest I get is what I am currently doing. I am perusing the forums while blasting Andrea Bocelli on my set of Sonos speakers. Ava Maria is currently blasting.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> How long did it last? Did the locking mechanism fail or the wear layer?


About 15 months or so... The wear layer is fine, I guess. It's almost impossible to scratch, which reassures me for whatever future brand I choose, maybe the technology is the same...


----------



## Spicoli43

Opera is where I draw the line... NOPE... Just like Liver... If Opera was on in the house, that's fine... I'll sit there with earbuds in watching anything else... I'll watch the Knitting Championships if I have to...


----------



## Eddie_T

havasu said:


> I don't have the patience to build a puzzle, read a book, or even meditate. The closest I get is what I am currently doing. I am perusing the forums while blasting Andrea Bocelli on my set of Sonos speakers. Ava Maria is currently blasting.


 I love Andrea Bocelli especially Autumn Leaves.


----------



## shan2themax

Anyone else feel like it's midnight for the last few hours? 
I didn't do much today, went to Sam's and Walmart... I've been struggling to stay awake all evening. 
I'm wishing I had bought cookie dough while I was at Sam's, because I want a nice soft warm cookie and I am entirely too lazy today to mix up the dough. I thought about making brownies in a bit, we shall see. 
I almost forgot to wash my scrubs that I will need for the next 3 days.... apparently walking around in the stores wore me out and made me goofy... lol

I can't believe that Christmas is in 2 weeks already... time goes by so quickly when we get older.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful day!


----------



## zannej

Shan, sorry the price of fixing the sagging floor is so expensive. 
Eddie, I hope you recover quickly. I've heard a lot of people say that in the first week they get sick and then feel better and then get feeling really sick toward the end. So it comes and goes.

My brother found some Life Water brand stuff with Zinc and drank a bunch and said he's feeling better.

Ron, the floor looks good!

Spicoli, unless it's glue down, you may be able to pull up the floor and fix that if it's separating. That's one of the nice things about the clicklock stuff. But it's a total pain to do. My friend had to take apart the vinyl plank in his bathroom to clean under it bc his grandfather made the toilet overflow. Clogged the toilet up so badly he had to get a new toilet bc nothing would clean it out. We think he flushed non-flushable wet wipes down it.

Took Mom for bloodwork on Friday. While waiting, two women came on. One had two canes. The other (who was very talkative and funny) said "that's the last time I push you down the stairs!" They both then explained what happened. They are sisters. Injured lady hurt her back & her leg stopped working. She fell down. Talkative lady said her husband woke her up and 2am and said "You have to go pick up your sister!" Literally had to pick her up off the floor. Then a one-legged man in a powered scooter rolled in. I saw him struggling to grab a number so I got it for him. Talkative lady opened the door to the office so he could roll in when his number was called. He said since the door pushed in he could get in by himself but would have trouble getting out. She told him she'd only open the door to let him out if he was good. The walls are all glass so you can see in. When it was time for him to come out, she went in and opened the door for him. He said "I guess I was good!" She said "I'm being a good samaritan for now, but later I'll return to being evil!" So that was entertaining. We grabbed food from a local place and headed home.

Saturday my brother and I went to vote-- municipal elections. There were 3 things on the ballot. We were the first people there and they hadn't turned on the voting machines. They apparently redistricted us so we are no longer in the same district. We used to be in the district of one of the old ladies. But now we are in the district of an old man- who has to manually write the names of the voters on a piece of paper.  He was right across the table from the old lady and she was having to shout to him for him to hear. She kept repeating my brother's name over and over and spelling it out. He finally got it. He got mine more easily. We showed our IDs and signed before voting. Other than waiting for the machines to boot up, it was pretty quick. We were going to get mail but they closed off the main road (which has the post office) for some stupid parade or something. 

I could not get to sleep last night because of my arm/shoulder throbbing. Not super painful or anything but just that level of annoyance that stops me from being able to sleep. Tossed & turned all night. Finally got to sleep & Mom woke me up to go to Walmart to get her some vitamins. My brother tagged along and got more Life Water. He insisted we pop in to see our friend. I told him no more than 5min. He ends up going to the bathroom which took over 15min. I kept telling him we needed to go but he ignored me. Then Mom called and said she wanted food so we had to go. Next time I'm just leaving him.

I ate a salad & am tired enough to nap but we'll see if my shoulder will cooperate.


----------



## Flyover

I rocked out with my drummer buddy today. It was the best session we've had in a while, despite it being a long time since the last one. I guess we've both been practicing or something. Felt good.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I rocked out with my drummer buddy today. It was the best session we've had in a while, despite it being a long time since the last one. I guess we've both been practicing or something. Felt good.


----------



## Flyover

Today I took one of my kids to a buffet for lunch. As we were getting ready for our last round, the waiter came by with the check. He set it down and told us a lady who'd been sitting near by had paid for us. Then he flipped the receipt over and she'd written "Merry Christmas! You're a great dad!" That was a nice surprise. I figured I'd pay it forward and left the waiter a larger-than-usual tip. Maybe he'll do something randomly kind for someone else.

I think I get Keith Urban confused with Bon Jovi. Brad Paisley I know a mile away tho.


----------



## Spicoli43

Some remember the stock I promoted, Enzolytics... ENZC... Today is the first day to buy their Immune supplement, which I ordered because it's formulated by a Doctor genius and is patented. I hope at the very minimum it helps with my Brain fog... 

Enzolytics IPF IMMUNE, a patented supplement... Should be mainstream in early 23, but for now it's on a "soft launch" at One Lavi... IPF Immune was created by the company COO, Dr. Gaurav Chandra, MD. 

They have many other irons in the fire, such as Clone 3, which is  an HIV Monoclonal Antibody that the EVIL Gremlin Fauci tried to steal from it's inventor, Enzolytics' CEO Charles Cotropia, who is a Patent Attorney of 40 plus years... 

Everybody needs immune support now, that is not a sales pitch, it's valid fact. Again, I'm not selling anything, not spamming the board... There is legit scientific studies backing up the supplement, hence the Patent... 









						Enzolytics IPF - Immune Support Supplement Helps Strengthen Body’s Defenses Against Illnesses – 50ML
					

Enzolytics immune supports immune function by positively supporting the immune system, Enzolytics has devoted years to developing an immune Support that fortifies your natural defenses. Enzolytics IPF Immune™ is a gluten-free liquid supplement taken for two consecutive days per week, for eight...




					onelavi.com


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Some remember the stock I promoted, Enzolytics... ENZC... Today is the first day to buy their Immune supplement, which I ordered because it's formulated by a Doctor genius and is patented. I hope at the very minimum it helps with my Brain fog...
> 
> Enzolytics IPF IMMUNE, a patented supplement... Should be mainstream in early 23, but for now it's on a "soft launch" at One Lavi... IPF Immune was created by the company COO, Dr. Gaurav Chandra, MD.
> 
> They have many other irons in the fire, such as Clone 3, which is  an HIV Monoclonal Antibody that the EVIL Gremlin Fauci tried to steal from it's inventor, Enzolytics' CEO Charles Cotropia, who is a Patent Attorney of 40 plus years...
> 
> Everybody needs immune support now, that is not a sales pitch, it's valid fact. Again, I'm not selling anything, not spamming the board... There is legit scientific studies backing up the supplement, hence the Patent...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Enzolytics IPF - Immune Support Supplement Helps Strengthen Body’s Defenses Against Illnesses – 50ML
> 
> 
> Enzolytics immune supports immune function by positively supporting the immune system, Enzolytics has devoted years to developing an immune Support that fortifies your natural defenses. Enzolytics IPF Immune™ is a gluten-free liquid supplement taken for two consecutive days per week, for eight...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> onelavi.com


Is one eight week regimen complete or does it have to be repeated at certain intervals? Also I can find no information with regard to what the product is derived from.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Evening Folks,
So, How's everyone doing... @Eddie_T, hope YOU are feeling better...

Been pretty busy around here, but the internet wasn't working, I got on about a week ago... read your postings, and then gone... But here we are again...

Just bought a soundbar for my BIG tv in the theatre room... I had a soundbar...  But was over at Buddy's... and he had one with ATMOS...What a sound... wow... instead of having speakers all around you for surround sound... A soundbar with ATMOS does it... it's like 3D sound... So just ordered on now on Amazon... Lorie is going to shoot me when it gets here, but I have been telling her the sound is unbelievable... Has anyone here heard it?  My Buddy played a BIG string band on one side of the room, and then the horns on the other, and wow, you could distinguish what instrument was playing... it was so cool...It will work perfectly in my theatre room...  The sound bounces off the ceiling, floor, and walls in the room...

Well, not a lot else is new... The new dishwasher is to me here tomorrow... So that will make her happy when that gets here...

But that is all that is new... Good reading and catching up with everyone...  Hope YOU are all doing well... Check in again...

Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Is one eight week regimen complete or does it have to be repeated at certain intervals? Also I can find no information with regard to what the product is derived from.


It's 3 Eight week cycles with a week off in between. Here's a label picture and 3 efficacy reports... I haven't read them yet, but it's derived of Pepsin from Porcine. If the reports don't say, I'll dig more... It's been a year or so since I even looked that up. 



			https://enzoimmune.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/finalen-otchet-tzitotoksichen-efekt-na-ipf-eng.pdf
		




			https://enzoimmune.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/final-report-herpes-simplex.pdf
		




			https://enzoimmune.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/final-report-corornavirus.pdf


----------



## Spicoli43

Oh, forgot... You only take it 2 days each week... I'll get a calendar and take it on Monday and Tuesday for 8 weeks and then have the off week and resume...


----------



## Eddie_T

OK so it takes six months for a full treatment. How long then is one's immune system boosted?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> OK so it takes six months for a full treatment. How long then is one's immune system boosted?


That's a good question, I would assume for a long time but if it makes me feel better and I avoid Colds and general malaise, I will do a cycle every year. I might be able to find longevity results for the Bulgarian version, which is Enzoimmune active.


----------



## havasu

My buddy gets an immune infusion once a month, and it costs him $2000 since no Insurance will cover it.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> OK so it takes six months for a full treatment. How long then is one's immune system boosted?


Here's the Bulgarian version... It was renamed for the US market









						Enzoimmune Active | Home
					

This is the official website of Enzoimmune Active, welcome! Enzoimmune Active is an immune modulator - liquid food supplement in the form of a spray or drops. The active substance of the food supplement has been registered for use in the USA with FDA (NDI reg. № 1083). Enzoimunne Active is a...




					enzoimmune.com
				




Rosetta is also a partner of Enzolytics overseas for another molecule, ITV-1, which is contraindicated for HIV.









						Rosetta Lifecare Bulgaria LTD | Home
					

We, at Rosetta Lifecare Bulgaria LTD, are proud to introduce EnzoImmune Active, an innovative dietary supplement which will help into leading healthy and happy life. We are always committed by Research and Development to bring out the new formulations and the best quality products to serve mankind.




					rosettalifecarebg.org


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> My buddy gets an immune infusion once a month, and it costs him $2000 since no Insurance will cover it.


Youch!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks,
Well, my Sens pulled off another win, and a shutout at that... Go Sens Go... think there are six more games before Christmas... and then we will have the world juniors to watch...

Well, we got a phone call last night telling us the dishwasher will be here between 9 and 1 pm... So time will tell...

Well, I don't know if my pup Carl, who will be 16 in March is going to make it to Christmas. he's really slowing down and hardly eating, where I am confused, is his walk, he's a go-go rabbit... He just goes... But then sleeps the rest of the day, hardly eats, and still drinks lots of water...

The last blood test done in October told us his liver is slowing down, and when he farts, my eyes water... I think he's telling us its time... His brother Lenny told us 2 years ago it was time...Well, have to watch Carl very carefully in the next few days... It's going to kill me when it's time to do the deed... When we had to put his litter mate Lennie down, that just about destroyed us...




This picture also has their cat in it... It was when we were on our way home after camping for 2 weeks...

Well, Folks waiting for the dishwasher so we can get it installed, and ready to go... So, we hope everyone has a GREAT and Feeling Good day...

Cheers~


----------



## Spicoli43

Sorry about your Dog, Redneck... They are the best animals, hands down in my opinion, but they just don't live long enough. It's always rough when the time comes... 

Have you tried giving him Milk Thistle or other liver helping supplements? 

Good luck, prayers for your Buddy... 









						Search-Results
					

Only Natural Pet offers natural pet supplies for dogs and cats. Natural Pet Food, Flea and Tick, Dog Supplements, Cat Supplements and Homeopathic Remedies for Dogs and Cats, Expert articles and information on holistic pet care.  Save on Auto Delivery 35% on First Order!




					www.onlynaturalpet.com
				






			https://www.vetinfo.com/can-liver-disease-in-dogs-be-cured.html


----------



## Ron Van

It’s probably best that dogs don’t outlive their owners. Dogs would be pretty helpless without their owner.


----------



## Ron Van

RedneckGrump said:


> Good Morning Folks,
> 
> Well, we got a phone call last night telling us the dishwasher will be here between 9 and 1 pm... So time will tell...


Post some pictures of how you route the drainage. I’ve never seen a remote dishwasher before. At least I’ve never paid attention to one before.


----------



## zannej

RedneckGrump said:


> Just bought a soundbar for my BIG tv in the theatre room... I had a soundbar...  But was over at Buddy's... and he had one with ATMOS...What a sound... wow... instead of having speakers all around you for surround sound... A soundbar with ATMOS does it... it's like 3D sound... So just ordered on now on Amazon... Lorie is going to shoot me when it gets here, but I have been telling her the sound is unbelievable... Has anyone here heard it?  My Buddy played a BIG string band on one side of the room, and then the horns on the other, and wow, you could distinguish what instrument was playing... it was so cool...It will work perfectly in my theatre room...  The sound bounces off the ceiling, floor, and walls in the room...
> 
> Well, not a lot else is new... The new dishwasher is to me here tomorrow... So that will make her happy when that gets here...
> 
> But that is all that is new... Good reading and catching up with everyone...  Hope YOU are all doing well... Check in again...
> 
> Cheers~


Is Atmos the thing where it broadcasts sounds to bounce off of certain locations to make it sound like surround sound?

Sorry to hear your dog isn't doing well. It's always so difficult to make the decision. A couple of mine let me know when it was time. They just gave up on life & it was heartbreaking. 

I've seen what happens when the pets outlive their owners. One of my elderly friends had her 16-yr-old dog euthanized (although she didn't want to) because the vet said it was the kindest thing to do when her husband died and her son forced her to move to an apartment that didn't allow dogs. The dog was incontinent, had skin allergies, wasn't fond of cats, & was very attached to the elderly couple. She would not have adjusted well to a new place. We would have taken her if not for her getting stressed out by cats & strange places. I still sort of wish we had taken her.

The cat she had got to come with her. The cat's previous owner had died at the age of 91 his dying wish was for someone to take care of her. His son & family just left her on the streets so my elderly friends took her in. When the husband died, she took the cat with her. Then when she died her son found a new home for the cat. Cat must be at least 14 years old now-- if she's still alive after all the loss and moving.

My arm hates me today. Between bumping it on stuff & the cats repeatedly jumping on it in my sleep it is sore as hell.

Upside, my new neck pillow is comfy. I even use it to prop up my ailing arm at night.

Made the mistake of ordering a Honda navigation dvd from ebay. Advertised as brand new. Returns accepted. Ebay money back guarantee. I'd previously purchased other software that worked fine. After purchasing the seller changed the listing to say it was Used & no refunds/no returns. I removed the old disk (which was working) and put in the new version (my old one was 2019 new one is 2021- or was supposed to be). Got Disk Read Error, not correct DVD, contact dealership message. So I tried it again. Not working. Contacted the seller to ask about what the problem was and doublechecked that I ordered the correct one. It all matched up with what should work. After contacting the seller, instead of replying to me, the seller changed the listing again to claim that the Disk Read Error meant the navi system was bad & that disks do not go bad and there will be no refunds/returns if it has that error. I know for a fact that DVDs can go bad over time but I contacted the dealership & talked to a guy named Steve. He told me that the navi being the problem when it is reading the old disk is absolute BS, disks *do* go bad, and the only reason for that error is a bad disk. He said when I bring my truck in for some maintenance to call his personal cell number for a heads up. He will test it in a compatible vehicle with navi & confirm its a bad disk & then write up a report for ebay to tell them it's a bad disk so I can get a refund. Bc the product was faulty (or possibly even fake). The fact that the seller changed the listing shows its a fraud. and once I get my $ back I'm going to give a 1 star rating and scathing review. Wish I'd screenscapped the listing before purchasing. Lesson learned. I'll be getting screenshots forevermore. 

I also FINALLY got the AC repairguy on the phone when I called. Reminded him its his uncle's old house so he knows where it is. He said he'd call back when he can send someone out. 

So, now I have to wait on that and then get the truck to the dealership.

Hopefully they can sort out the error messages on my truck.


----------



## RooferMike

Putting roofs on Miami fraternal organizations is becoming a specialty. Have done the local Moose club, Elks (not to mention just about every bar within a 5 mile radius) and just signed the Lions. Pulling permits is getting to be a huge pain in the arse. Just when you think the building departments are done flexing their technical muscles they add more BS to the process.


----------



## havasu

Welcome Mike. What type of roofs are your specialty?


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> Made the mistake of ordering a Honda navigation dvd from ebay. Advertised as brand new. Returns accepted. Ebay money back guarantee


Hope you can get your money back, I don't buy from small businesses unless can go through PayPal... 
Seems like that should update via online...


----------



## Ron Van

Finally finished the flooring in this landing area. Got the baseboard trim painted and then installed. 




I decided to paint the window frame while I was at it. You know how one thing leads to another. 




Here’s the bullnose on the top stair. 




This hallway leads to where my mother in law stays. 










She has the best view.


----------



## zannej

Looks great, Ron! The masks remind me a bit of stuff from Indonesia.



BuzzLOL said:


> Hope you can get your money back, I don't buy from small businesses unless can go through PayPal...
> Seems like that should update via online...


We paid via Paypal so if Ebay doesn't cooperate, I might dispute.
Heard back from the seller and he claimed it required a setup disk fist. Thing is, all of the info about the disk says it does NOT require setup because that is the whole purpose of the "white edition". Dealership said that wasn't true. I'm going to ask the dealership if they have a setup disk for me to try just in case, but dealership said the ONLY reason the dis would say that is if its bad. I suggested to the seller that maybe whoever he got the disks from sent him a bad batch. Also informed him that the dealership said DVDs can and do go bad. I'm waiting for a reply. The seller also said that I can destroy the DVD and send him a picture of it destroyed & he will refund the money. But I don't trust him. So, I'm trying to figure out how to contact ebay and maybe even paypal over it. I can tell paypal that the disk was a dud & that I suspect the seller is selling fake/bootleg DVDs.


----------



## havasu

Sweet job Ron!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> maybe even paypal over it.


Last time I contacted PayPal, they didn't even question it, they didn't say, but I suspect they knew the seller was getting a lot of complaints... they just did an instant refund...


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning Folks...
Well, Carl is still with us, and his Liver is approving... the problem today is his Thyroid... Underactive, and that is why he is acting the way he is... So, he's on medication... He is one of the hardest to get pills into, so we are using McDouble's... So, he had X-rays, and blood test, and a test where they put it on our finger, they have to put on a dog's lip or ear... To find how much Oxygen is in his blood He didn't like that too much... but everything else is looking good... He might make it to 16 this March...



Ron Van said:


> Post some pictures of how you route the drainage. I’ve never seen a remote dishwasher before. At least I’ve never paid attention to one before.


Will do Buddy, Have some ideas... Will go to the basement and see the best way to do this...


zannej said:


> Is Atmos the thing where it broadcasts sounds to bounce off of certain locations to make it sound like surround sound?


Yes, the soundbar will do everything that surrounds sound speakers used to do... So instead of having 6 or 8 speakers, this soundbar will do it all

Well, I hope YOU all have a GREAT day, Have to get started on the dishwasher...
Cheers~


----------



## BuzzLOL

Thought I'd been in about 5 or 10 threads here but in checking 'Watched' threads I guess the number is way over a hundred!


----------



## shan2themax

Well.... I haven't done much today... I am sick.. yeah me! I had a low grade fever and chills, lots of body aches . 
Had my nose jabbed to check for Covid, Flu and RSV.... haven't heard back from that yet. 

I feel like a warmed up turd.

I just hope that I don't develop N/V, because I pass out when I through up, and I just don't have the energy to go through that at all.

I hope everyone is having a good day


----------



## BuzzLOL

[email protected]​
8:42 AM (8 hours ago)





*Hi Buzz !*​Order Now Delivered (McAfee Antivirus)​As you are aware your Bills are Paid Automatically every Month. Your are enrolled in AutoPay at McAfee. 
*Account Summery
Issue Date:-* Dec-14-2022
*Invoice Number:-* 052100231
*Service Summery
AntiVirus* - $104.33
*AntiMalware* - $57.33
*Firewall* - $88.34
*Mobile Security* - $99.99
*Total Service Paid - $349.99 (inclusive of all Taxes)
Paid on Dec-14-2022, Thank you!*
Thank You
McAfee LLC 

( the above is all fake received in an email... don't Russians have anything better to do than email out fake receipts? )


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, hope you feel better soon. I think I have Long Covid symptoms with my lungs and brain, so I empathize with your BLAH feelings... I'm going to schedule a consult with Dr. KP Khalsa to hopefully figure out my problems. 

I don't know if you were active on the board when I reported results from my 7 week detox I did with Dr. Khalsa, but my intense gut pain that I have had for the entire Century was gone in the first week... So, if I'm going to pay anybody, it's him.

You can research him, but his consult fee is cheaper than a regular MD visit... Well, maybe not for you, but it's not expensive for what you get. Granted, KETO eliminates almost all physical manifestations of disease, but one really needs an active practitioner to lead them through that. I don't know if Dr. Khalsa has that program or not, but his detox programs work, I'm proof of that.

Good Luck. 









						Health Consultations • International Integrative Educational Institute
					

Health Consultations If you are looking for holistic solutions to your health concerns, K.P. Khalsa can help. K.P. Khalsa’s goal is to help you heal and return to a place of health. You can make an appointment with K.P. for a phone consultation from anywhere in the world. You can expect: Your...




					internationalintegrative.com


----------



## Spicoli43

I have gotten emails like that, Buzz... My favorite spam is phone calls that say I can "save so much on my existing service with ________" when I'm not even able to have their service.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I have gotten emails like that, Buzz... My favorite spam is phone calls that say I can "save so much on my existing service with ________" when I'm not even able to have their service.


Yeah, I keep getting calls supposedly from Spectrum Cable TV that we don't have around here... I push '9' so I won't get called again... but that doesn't work...


----------



## havasu

I thought that was a real bill Buzz. I damn near fell off my chair with those prices!


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> Yeah, I keep getting calls supposedly from Spectrum Cable TV that we don't have around here... I push '9' so I won't get called again... but that doesn't work...


Ok, I have Spectrum... I get calls from Comcast / Xfinity among others that I can't get. Those are voicemails because I never answer. If you answer and push their number, it lets them know your number is active. Just let it ring through and delete it.

Same thing with texting STOP to unwanted texts... Unless it's a reputable business, it just lets them know they can sell your active number to 1800 other spammers.


----------



## shan2themax

They just called to tell me I have Covid..... ugh.


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> They just called to tell me I have Covid..... ugh.


Ok, so Vitamin C... 4 Grams now..... 4 Grams in 8 hours... Keep going, you'll be better by tomorrow night.

Good Luck.


----------



## shan2themax

Thanks @Spicoli43


----------



## Ron Van

Ruby and I both had Covid 3 weeks ago. It wasn’t really that bad. Covid is getting weaker.


----------



## shan2themax

I actually feel pretty decent currently.... other than muscle pain. I'm sure that it will only last for so long. My temp was 102.1 a little bit ago, but is currently normal. I'm thinking about trying to eat something, but that does still sound kind of gross. Took a shower while I felt like I could. 

No clue where I got covid, I always wear my mask at work. However, I suppose it could be from the guy I got the estimate from last week???? Idk. I will just be glad when it is over. It makes me very anxious. 
Anyhow.... hope everyone has a good night


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> They just called to tell me I have Covid..... ugh.


And you're fully Covid shotted and boosted... ?


----------



## shan2themax

No boosters just first 2


----------



## Eddie_T

My discomfort lasted only four days, only one day of elevated temp. I had no jabs but suppose I now have antibodies. My son wanted me to go to urgent care but I didn't think it wise to go where sick people congregate while my immune system was compromised. Also the meds they prescribe can cause recurring symptoms.


----------



## Ron Van

My Doctor gave me a Rx for Paxlovid but I didn't take it. I'm not sure I trust any of these Covid meds or shots especially when Bill Gates says his number one priority is population control. Luckily, Covid is getting weaker and deaths are going way down.


----------



## Spicoli43

I'll never take a drug or vaccine again, any trust I had for them was lost with the Anthrax vaccine in 2003. Even if I was a hardcore pharma supporter before Covid, the fact that they haven't taken the not really a vaccine off the market because of the massive deaths would be all I would need to know. Then you have the fact that they don't work, period... 

They could tell the truth about Gubment famous people that have never gotten it, hence they keep getting Covid... I guess they are fine with that exposure proving there is no efficacy.


----------



## Flyover

I forgot to mention how at the beginning of the month I was driving home from a business trip and happened to look out my side window and saw a huge fireball falling out of the sky. It broke in two and kept falling and burning. It was incredible. It was probably in view for a full two seconds, which you'll realize is a long time if you count it out loud.

Later I researched it and apparently tons of people across like six states saw it as well, there was even some video although none caught the fracturing that I saw.

I was thinking back on that today. It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime, maybe once-in-three-lifetimes thing to get to see.


----------



## Spicoli43

So, you completely FORGOT a Meteor crashing to Earth?


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> So, you completely FORGOT a Meteor crashing to Earth?


Hah no, just forgot to report it here.


----------



## zannej

Shan, I hope you recover quickly.
Redneck, I had to give a dog thyroid meds and it sucked. Had to break it up and slip it into cheese and get her excited about her "treat" and she would practically inhale it.

Got cold enough to close my window last night. Cats and dogs piled on me. My brother accidentally locked poor Rupert in the closet overnight. I didn't know that closet had been opened and was wondering where Rupert was. Then I was in my bathroom and heard a cat meowing from the wall. Went and opened the door and out he stumbled. I immediately set him up with food and water. He's been obsessed with sitting on me ever since.

Arm is still throbbing.

Going to the Honda dealership tomorrow for some maintenance and to get them to write a letter saying the DVD is bogus. Ebay CS told me to return it and that seller should have to return ALL money and pay for shipping if the product was not as described-- and something that doesn't work is not as described. I bet the seller knows it too. Keeps insisting I destroy it. Seller said "destroy it and I'll refund all but $9.99". I said told him I'm not accepting anything less than a full refund on a defective product and that CS told me he had to pay return shipping. I hope Ebay will back me on this as it goes forward. Talking to them in Twitter DMs for now. They said they are starting the return process for me and that the seller can not keep any of the $. Said it was a defective product & they don't get to keep any $ over that.

Looks like there were 50+ tornadoes in the past few days. Some landed east of my area. Looks pretty ugly. Family on the news said their house had been in the family for 100+ years and was completely destroyed.


----------



## Eddie_T

I still test positive for Covid seven days after my high temp day. I don't have any symptoms other than I can't get excited about what I want to eat and procrastinate a lot.


----------



## zannej

Ok, Honda appointments were booked up so I'm going Monday. Called the guy from the dealership to let him know and he said he'll see me then. Graham-- the person from Ebay who has been helping me out has been very nice. Said to send a DM if I have any more problems with the ebay seller. I'm waiting for the chance to leave a 1 star review but I want my refund first. Graham said I didn't even need the proof from the dealership if the new disk doesn't work.

AC guy still has not called back. My brother turned the heat on last night but I turned it off this morning. Was getting too hot. I'm waiting for him to wake up so we can go pick up his RX (insurance finally approved it) & grab some stuff from the store. Also need to get mail. My drywall sanding vacuum attachment should be at the post office.

I sent my sister's amazon wishlist to Mom & she ordered a few items off of it for her. She's getting a Cuisinart stainless steel egg cooker. Sister sent us gifts but I don't know what they will be. Even if it's something I don't like I appreciate that she sent something. She doesn't usually send gifts.

My friend said his electric bill was over $600 this month-- I think it's bc of his gf constantly leaving the door open. He said he's kicking her out today. He gave her notice last week that she had to be out and she refused to leave but now the bio dad of the baby she had has the baby so she can't use the baby as an excuse. I suspect he's got someone else lined up to date bc that's usually what it takes for him to kick an ex to the curb. But, that's just my guess. Plus she has been making a huge mess in his house and he can't even enjoy time at home bc she's always b****ing at him. & then constantly calls and texts him when he's at work. Hopefully he'll stick to his guns on this one and not let her come crawling back.


----------



## Eddie_T

Apparently positive Covid tests can occur for up to three months after an infection The instructions are to mask for five days after isolation then forget it unless new symptoms appear.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Apparently positive Covid tests can occur for up to three months after an infection The instructions are to mask for five days after isolation then forget it unless new symptoms appear.


Or just throw out the rules completely because they have never been right about anything... Or be like Elon and take 4 tests a day in which 2 are positive and 2 are negative.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> I was driving home from a business trip and happened to look out my side window and saw a huge fireball falling out of the sky. It broke in two and kept falling and burning. It was incredible. It was probably in view for a full two seconds, which you'll realize is a long time if you count it out loud.


2 seconds can be a long time to have your eyes off the road when driving... hope you saw it through the windshield...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I still test positive for Covid seven days after my high temp day. I don't have any symptoms other than I can't get excited about what I want to eat and procrastinate a lot.


Those tests just check for high antibody levels... they don't know what caused the increase... need an electron microscope look at your blood to determine that...  see what virus you have...


----------



## Eddie_T

All my home nasal swab test kits are an antigen test.


----------



## 68bucks

Eddie_T said:


> All my home nasal swab test kits are an antigen test.


Yea I don't recall seeing any home antibody tests. I don't think the home tests are too reliable but it's all we have outside spending the money for a lab test.


----------



## havasu

I don't know,  but my doc says those Binax nose swab tests are highly accurate.


----------



## ekrig

Antigen Covid tests are very accurate for positive results but not for negative results. Put another way, if an antigen test is positive, it is pretty much guaranteed that the person has Covid. However, a negative test is quite common even for folks that have Covid because the sensitivity is not that high; that why with antigen tests people often test twice.


----------



## zannej

My plan for today was to do some cleaning inside the truck but it was cold out so I decided to start cleaning inside after tripping on trash and hurting my shoulder again. My brother kicked a bunch of trash out of his room into the hallway & the cats started using trash as litterboxes instead of their actual litterboxes. There was also a ruined towel and pet bed that the dogs pissed all over & between my back & fatigue I hadn't gotten around to cleaning them up. Those two items were beyond saving. I got most of the hallway cleaned (just one tiny segment needs to be cleaned up- maybe like 1/10th of the hallway. I had to pick up a bunch of plastic bags and empty water bottles that the dogs and cats dragged in. Cats play with the bags. Dogs play with the bottles. My brother-- despite saying his shoulder feels better-- still will not take out the trash. So, I pulled out the 55gallon trash bag from kitchen trash (we use an outdoor trash can in the kitchen) and set it down. It was full as far as it could go inside the can. I filled it up more sweeping up trash and set it aside. Then I filled up another bag and set it aside. Got one that was too heavy to put more stuff into so I tied it off. After I had 3 full bags I hauled them out. Hauled out 2 more bags after that. Mostly box stuff and things that take up space. There's all kinds of paper stuff stuck to the floor that will take more effort to get up, but I wanted the tripping hazards out of the way. I had to take a break and a nap after about an hour or two of working. Then after my nap I started up again. Had to stop when my body decided not to cooperate anymore. It got too dark to clean in the front room. Trash bag in the bin in the kitchen is currently 95% full. I'm certain that when Mom comes out she'll only comment that I didn't get the stuff stuck to the floor up. But, no more stuff sticking out in her way. I'm about to take a nap and then organize the pet bowls (which I piled up to get them out of the way) and take another nap. Not having any appetite today so I've been drinking water instead. Watch my mother will suddenly decide to want food when I get comfortable. LOL.


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> 2 seconds can be a long time to have your eyes off the road when driving... hope you saw it through the windshield...


Hah, no, in absolute terms it was probably not safe. It was out my driver's side door window, and I was completely mesmerized. Luckily it was on a Thursday night in the middle of nowhere and there were very few other cars on the road, plus the road was flat and straight and driving conditions were clear and calm. Sure, I don't recommend anyone take their eyes off the road that long, even if Zeus himself appears in the sky.

But I did, and I'm glad I got to see it. Plus I'm lucky I didn't crash. (Peripheral vision at least helps; if anything unusual was going on in the road my eyes would have been pulled instantly back in that direction.)


----------



## 68bucks

Flyover said:


> Hah, no, in absolute terms it was probably not safe. It was out my driver's side door window, and I was completely mesmerized. Luckily it was on a Thursday night in the middle of nowhere and there were very few other cars on the road, plus the road was flat and straight and driving conditions were clear and calm. Sure, I don't recommend anyone take their eyes off the road that long, even if Zeus himself appears in the sky.
> 
> But I did, and I'm glad I got to see it. Plus I'm lucky I didn't crash. (Peripheral vision at least helps; if anything unusual was going on in the road my eyes would have been pulled instantly back in that direction.)


I saw a very similar meteor once. Really bright and long lasting. It split into 2 pieces also before it burned out. It was really spectacular. It was probably 18-20 years ago.


----------



## Eddie_T

Maybe I'll give pea protein angus burgers another try. I like meatballs which are adulterated, meatloaf not so much (maybe it's the egg). I am thinking maybe grilling the burgers then simmering in sauted onions or a sweet-sour gravy.


----------



## zannej

My mom made great meatloaf but I always had a tummy ache afterward. Turns out it was the onions.

What are pea protein angus burgers?

Reminds me I should find he split pea soup.

Slept in & then got up to clean out my truck. Body was too sore to function much, but I got the receipts & empty drink containers out and dumped the dirt off the floor mats. Brought the cat food in. My body absolutely hates me right now so I'm trying to take it easy the rest of the day. Mom is mad that I wouldn't get up, walk all the way across the house to the living room to get 3 containers to put in the fridge when all she has to do is get up and walk out that immediate door with those containers to put them up. it's hard for me to even sit up right now with my back aching. 

I got some cuddle time in with my cow though. She had 5+ ticks behind her left horn. She put her head down for me so I could scratch behind her horns and around her ears.


----------



## Eddie_T

Zanne, they are just burgers made with 15% pea protein added into the mix.


----------



## Flyover

I was supposed to make pot roast today starting in the morning so I could go low and slow with it all day, but the roast itself didn't get purchased and brought home until 1pm. Somehow I still managed to get it going shortly thereafter, with the slow cooker set to "high" instead of "low". We had it for dinner. I was afraid it'd be tough and stringy but it fell apart under the spatula, didn't even need a knife. Incredible.

I also made latkas for the first time, at my wife's insistence. I hadn't eaten them since I was a kid and never was all that crazy about them, but man. If they'd tasted like that back then I probably would have been wild for them. (Then again, I cheated a bit and added bacon fat to my oil when frying them. Can't go wrong with bacon fat.)

Oh, almost forgot: back in like October I ordered replacement window locks from All About Doors. They told me right off the bat they were having supply issues and it would be a while, probably December until I got my parts. No problem, I decided I'd wait because they don't sell the size I need anywhere else, even Amazon. Then a few days ago I got an email from them saying "Sorry, the parts are discontinued, we've refunded your money." So now I'm back to square one.

Anyone know another place that might have a decent selection of window locks? I tried Ebay, no luck there either.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had to look up latke to see what I was missing. Turns out that I was raised on them but we just called them 'tater' cakes.


----------



## Flyover

Tater cakes = hash browns, right?

I think the only difference between latkes and hash browns is latkes use an egg/flour/seasoning slurry to bind the shredded potatoes together, whereas hash browns just use the natural cohesion of the starch in the potatoes. And it seems like latkes are fried in more oil than hash browns.

...Though as I'm writing this, maybe I've just always been doing hash browns wrong.


----------



## Eddie_T

My mom used egg, I don't know about flour. She also did a similar thing using leftover mashed potatoes. A friend always has his daughter fry leftover creamed potatoes (which we always called mashed potatoes). She adds egg, chopped onions and SR flour. I think the lines blur between what these delicacies are called.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> these delicacies


Indeed.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am still testing positive for COVD ten days after symptoms disappeared. To me the logical explanation is that my immune system is still slaying viruses and leaving shell particles behind. However the government experts offer no logical explanation.


----------



## Eddie_T

The NASA cafeteria in Cleveland used to feature mashed potato Pierogi about once per month. I always enjoyed lunch when my visits coincided with Pierogi day.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> But I did, and I'm glad I got to see it. Plus I'm lucky I didn't crash. (Peripheral vision at least helps; if anything unusual was going on in the road my eyes would have been pulled instantly back in that direction.)


If you were younger you would prolly have taken your phone out and videod it while driving... LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I am still testing positive for COVD ten days after symptoms disappeared. To me the logical explanation is that my immune system is still slaying viruses and leaving shell particles behind. However the government experts offer no logical explanation.


You're just testing for high antibody levels that will take a while to go down... and, hopefully, 50 years before the last of that type disappear... giving lasting natural immunity...


----------



## Eddie_T

Antibody ≠ antigen


----------



## zannej

I got up pretty early & took my truck through the carwash to get an undercarriage wash. It was 38° and the water didn't spray at first so I backed up and rolled back over until the spray worked. It didn't do a very good job of cleaning my truck but it was better than nothing. Met up with my friend and told him to meet me at the dealership and he followed me there. Dropped off the truck with instructions on what needed to be done and left contact info. Went to the mall with my friend only to find they don't open until 10am (and I dropped the truck off at 9am). Sat around listening to music and chatting. When it opened we went in but almost none of the stores were open. This mall used to open at 7am back in the 80s and 90s. We had walked to Bed Bath & Beyond but it was closed too. Food places were all closed. So we found an "antique" store that was really a consignment flea market. I might want to go back and take a better look at the door and window trim they had bc it was only $3 and $2. They had some old weird equipment, tools, and random stuff. We also went to a store called Hot Topic and got gifts for a mutual friend. When BB&B finally opened we went in and used the restrooms before browsing around. Their toilets have some major iron sediment staining and what looked like some kind of black mold or something in the bottoms. Waited for a Chinse food place in the mall to open to grab some food. Sat around waiting longer and then went to Target. Friend had to get back home so he dropped me off at the dealership.

Close to 4pm they told me they needed to keep my truck overnight or it would cost an extra $200 to put it back together and then take it apart gain if I had to bring it back later. Consulted Mom who asked if I could have a loaner. They hooked me up with a cheap rental from Hertz. Drove me over and dropped me off. Clerks were aggravated bc they said the honda place should have made sure they had something for me bc they didn't know if they did. They only had 2 vehicles left apparently. Got a Rav 4 and man the brakes on that thing are sensitive. The cruise control sucks. I was going to go to Samsclub but opted to come straight home to reduce the chance of any accidents or door dings.

Cooked for mom and am about to take a nap.


----------



## havasu

Washed and gassed up my range truck. I haven't started it in about 2 months. Thanks to a trickle charger, it fired right up. I then decided to replace my cabin air filter on the Cadillac. They obviously want owners to take it in for the $125 labor to replace the $10 filter, since they threw a T-30 Torq screw into the plastic door, but I have 4-5 kinds or torq removal screwdrivers. A 5 minute job. Also had alarm company come out to check a glitch. It appears that when the local cell tower goes down for service, it tells my house alarm to not set. He did some adjustment so hopefully I'm done with that issue.


----------



## Flyover

Havasu, you have a dedicated truck just for taking to the range??


----------



## havasu

Yes, the shell is loaded with ar500 steel pie plates, 2x4's, stands, furring strips, cardboard,  paper targets, gloves and cans of paint. I'm too lazy to haul them back and forth to and from the shed.


----------



## Eddie_T

I never developed any interest in range activity. I'm guessing my lack of interest has saved me some big bucks over the years.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> I then decided to replace my cabin air filter on the Cadillac. They obviously want owners to take it in for the $125 labor to replace the $10 filter, since they threw a T-30 Torq screw into the plastic door, but I have 4-5 kinds or torq removal screwdrivers. A 5 minute job.


Yeah. I took my car in for an Airbag recall and they were happy to give me a list of stuff that needed to be done... Oil change and Transmission fluid change... $175 or something like that... 

2 Bolts.

Watch me, and report if you see any sweating.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I never developed any interest in range activity. I'm guessing my lack of interest has saved me some big bucks over the years.


Well, new ammo yes, but reloading saves a ton. I want to get the Strikeman or their competitor.


----------



## Eddie_T

I need to make some more potatoes in white sauce. I like them much better than mashed potatoes. Also a good to make with new red potatoes.


----------



## havasu

Try the red potatoes with butter, garlic and Rosemary. Good stuff!


----------



## zannej

I think there is such a thing as blue potatoes but I've never tried them. I think my uncle grows them up in Virginia.
My nap didn't last too long but I feel better after it. Body is still sore all over but I know it could be worse.

Potatoes and white sauce sound good.


----------



## 68bucks

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah. I took my car in for an Airbag recall and they were happy to give me a list of stuff that needed to be done... Oil change and Transmission fluid change... $175 or something like that...
> 
> 2 Bolts.
> 
> Watch me, and report if you see any sweating.


So how much to you figure you save changing your own oil and tranny fluid? I quit changing oil a long time ago. By the time I buy oil and filter there is very little savings. I figured my time was worth a lot more than the few bucks I saved. Also do you change your transmission filter? You have to drop the pan for that I believe, more than 2 bolts. 

I don't have a lift and I hate crawling around under cars. Did it too much in my youth when I had to to save a buck.


----------



## RooferMike

havasu said:


> Welcome Mike. What type of roofs are your specialty?


I would have to say, as an individual roofer, that torching flat roofs is my specialty and the most enjoyable type of roofing for me. As a roofing company in Miami we specialize in residential roofing, roof repairs and maintenance including roof coating applications on flat roofs. We're doing a lot of metal roofs these days. I really can't see why anyone would want a tile roof in South Florida right now when there's a 6-8 month wait for concrete tile delivery and the prices are not all that far apart. Clay tile is just as high as metal.


----------



## Eddie_T

I don't have any automatic trannies and always purchased whatever motor oil I could find on sale. That's not so easy to do anymore but I saved a bundle over the years and never had to waste any time scheduling and waiting on service. I also kept the used oil for use as bar oil. A drain valve would make it even easier.


----------



## Spicoli43

68bucks said:


> So how much to you figure you save changing your own oil and tranny fluid? I quit changing oil a long time ago. By the time I buy oil and filter there is very little savings. I figured my time was worth a lot more than the few bucks I saved. Also do you change your transmission filter? You have to drop the pan for that I believe, more than 2 bolts.
> 
> I don't have a lift and I hate crawling around under cars. Did it too much in my youth when I had to to save a buck.


I don't compare, but think just the oil change is $39.99 most places. I haven't replaced my Transmission fluid or filter on the current car, but the quote I was talking about didn't include that. It's just an inline filter.


----------



## Spicoli43

Got an article on Tylenol vs. Black Seed Oil... 

BSO has been said to "Cure everything but Death"... 






						Topical Black Seed Oil Beats Tylenol for Pain Relief in Osteoarthritis
					

The tiny black seed strikes again! Even orally administered Tylenol can't compete with the topical application of this potent healing oil to reduce symptoms of one of the most common health complaints of our time




					greenmedinfo.com


----------



## Flyover

I change my own oil mainly on principle: I know how good a job I did (unlike an unseen mechanic), I get satisfaction from it, and it's a useful skill which can be forgotten (not "like riding a bike"). How will I teach my kids to do it If I've forgotten how? If I save $4 fine but these days money's not the main reason.

Speaking of drain valves, the mechanics who fixed my oil leak (it was the drain pan--I'm guessing I ruptured it going over a curb on a business trip a couple weeks ago in a moment where I was entering a gas station with the sun in my eyes and cars pulling out in the incoming direction) destroyed my Valve-o-max while removing the drain pan. I'm debating whether to get another. It was convenient, but was it _ that_ convenient? I dunno.

Havasu, your range gear sounds like it'd fit in the back of a golf cart. You really keep (maintain, insure, etc.) a whole separate truck _just for taking to the range_?


----------



## Spicoli43

You can forget how to do an oil change? It's One bolt and a filter.


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> You can forget how to do an oil change? It's One bolt and a filter.


Well, I guess I've never forgotten so I'm not sure if it's possible to forget. It just seems like one of those things I might forget. Maybe I'm confusing with brake pad changes, where you have to remember to do things in a certain order...


----------



## Eddie_T

Autozone has a plug with a rubber stopper (for $4.99) that stays engaged until you tug it out but I don't know if it fits my car.


----------



## havasu

Flyover said:


> I change my own oil mainly on principle: I know how good a job I did (unlike an unseen mechanic), I get satisfaction from it, and it's a useful skill which can be forgotten (not "like riding a bike"). How will I teach my kids to do it If I've forgotten how? If I save $4 fine but these days money's not the main reason.
> 
> 
> 
> Havasu, your range gear sounds like it'd fit in the back of a golf cart. You really keep (maintain, insure, etc.) a whole separate truck _just for taking to the range_?


The (6) 2x4's, the (12) 1x2's, the required fire shovel, (6) 2x4 cardboard, (30) paper targets, the (6) 2'x2' metal stands, the (6) ar500 pie plates, the (6) pie plate holders weighs about 700 pounds. Since the range is 15 miles away, where I cross a creek, and up a dirt road a mile, is a bit much for my golf carts.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Well, I guess I've never forgotten so I'm not sure if it's possible to forget. It just seems like one of those things I might forget. Maybe I'm confusing with brake pad changes, where you have to remember to do things in a certain order...


Well, Brakes are different by vehicle, same general concept though. I like my car better than my truck since the car takes around 5 minutes per side, not including jacking up.


----------



## havasu

I have my car at the dealer right now for a 6 qt synthetic blend Dextros, rotate tires, filter, gasket, and a 100 point inspection,  for $89. Sure, they will probably say I need tire air change, snd spark plug rotation (jk) but with 20k on it, I'll decline everything.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> I have my car at the dealer right now for a 6 qt synthetic blend Dextros, rotate tires, filter, gasket, and a 100 point inspection,  for $89. Sure, they will probably say I need tire air change, snd spark plug rotation (jk) but with 20k on it, I'll decline everything.


Huh? How much is just the tire rotation? What is the gasket?


----------



## Eddie_T

I think I'll just keep on driving my 96 Prism and smile all the way to the bank.


----------



## havasu

Bill was $86.89. Tire rotation was free. Gasket is for the oil pan. They also got rid of the locking lug nuts for me since they were a PITA.


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> The (6) 2x4's, the (12) 1x2's, the required fire shovel, (6) 2x4 cardboard, (30) paper targets, the (6) 2'x2' metal stands, the (6) ar500 pie plates, the (6) pie plate holders weighs about 700 pounds. Since the range is 15 miles away, where I cross a creek, and up a dirt road a mile, is a bit much for my golf carts.


Hah, wow. Did you know when you got into shooting that you'd have to buy a whole truck just to lug the gear?


----------



## havasu

I can't really complain since all the targets were given to me. I did buy a $300 shed for them, but don't use it since I bought the shell for the truck.


----------



## Flyover

Makes me wonder if you also have a dedicated truck just for going to the movies, another one just for going to the doctor, another one just for the post office...


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Bill was $86.89. Tire rotation was free. Gasket is for the oil pan. They also got rid of the locking lug nuts for me since they were a PITA.


Ok... Why did they remove the Oil pan?


----------



## RedneckGrump

Hey Folks, How are we all doing... I am hoping I get this written before Lorie calls me for supper, she's making butter chicken, We spent the day in the city of Ottawa today... Had to go and see the diabetic doctor this morning... I just finished my weight, and waist thing, when Lorie txt my truck is dead... So I finish up my check-in appointment before seeing the doctor... Well, I turned the lights on when I drive the 4 lane highways... just a habit I've got into... Got to my appointment... Got out of the truck, it was dinging, but thought, keys in the ignition... Well after an hour of lights on and the door not completely shut, killed the battery... So got a boost, and that was that... Anyways CAA came, gave the truck a boost and we were on our way... Stopped in the town we used to live in to give my B-I-L my old sound bar for his new TV... I bought the good sound bar.. came on Saturday, and wasn't supposed to be here till tomorrow... But I am not complaining... Man oh man, what a difference... Sounds so awesome... The one I used to have sounded great, but this one, wow, sounds like they are spinning tires behind me, or bullets sailing behind my head... What a wonderful sound... Just made my theatre room so cool...

Now, You are all probably thinking of our new dishwasher, all installed and works perfectly. @Ron Van, I put the pipe up behind the dishwasher with a cheat vent... Under the floor, I put the trap... and then ran the drain over to my main drain over to the septic line... The dishwasher is very quiet and runs perfectly, so my hands will never be rough from doing dishes again... (lol)

@shan2themax and @zannej I hope YOU both feel much better soon... Horrible time to be feeling odd... Just hope YOU both feel better before Santa gets here...

@BuzzLOL Welcome back, great to see YOU...



Eddie_T said:


> Zanne, they are just burgers made with 15% pea protein added into the mix.


Hey, @Eddie_T Lorie now and then makes hamburgers out of all kinds of beans... Very Very good...and have lots of protein...


havasu said:


> Try the red potatoes with butter, garlic and Rosemary. Good stuff!


How are you doing @havasu Love potatoes with butter and garlic...


zannej said:


> I think there is such a thing as blue potatoes but I've never tried them. I think my uncle grows them up in Virginia.
> 
> 
> Potatoes and white sauce sound good.



Never heard of Blue Potatoes,  Heard of other things blue, but not potatoes...  But I am going to look out for them...

Well, Folks, think I am all caught up...and I think YOU all feel better and are all getting ready for Christmas... 

Oh, has anybody have a recipe they might be able to put in the recipe section for Baileys Irish Cream Fudge...

Well, I hope YOU all have a great night, Hope I didn't ramble on too much... Just got called for dinner... Till Later...

Cheers~


----------



## havasu

I just looked again at my bill. The Cad doesn't have an oil plug gasket. It is my Toyota pick up that has a gasket. This is just for the drain plug.
Back to the truck, I bought it for my daughter new in 2003. In 2018, when I bought my Cad, I offered my used Lexus to my daughter, since it also had low miles and way more comfortable. Since she names her vehicles, she asked that I give "Dave" a nice retirement, and not sell him. I keep it for the range and as a way to haul big things, and just as a spare vehicle in case of crashes, being broke down, allow family to drive in an emergency, etc. So there you have it. You now know the saga of "Dave", the range truck!  He sits in his own covered carport, behind the gate, on a trickle charger. Here he is...
Oh, BTW,  you can see the sign over my "Shootin shack" on the left.


----------



## havasu

Blue potatoes usually come in a bag of what is called "fingerling potatoes."


----------



## ekrig

havasu said:


> I just looked again at my bill. The Cad doesn't have an oil plug gasket. It is my Toyota pick up that has a gasket. This is just for the drain plug.
> Back to the truck, I bought it for my daughter new in 2003. In 2018, when I bought my Cad, I offered my used Lexus to my daughter, since it also had low miles and way more comfortable. Since she names her vehicles, she asked that I give "Dave" a nice retirement, and not sell him. I keep it for the range and as a way to haul big things, and just as a spare vehicle in case of crashes, being broke down, allow family to drive in an emergency, etc. So there you have it. You now know the saga of "Dave", the range truck!  He sits in his own covered carport, behind the gate, on a trickle charger. Here he is...
> Oh, BTW,  you can see the sign over my "Shootin shack" on the left.
> View attachment 29351


That a nice looking mountain range that you have for a view...


----------



## havasu

The tall mountain is Cucamonga Peak. 
_Cucamonga Peak is one of the highest peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, with a summit elevation of 8,862 feet. It is within the Cucamonga Wilderness of the San Bernardino National Forest. It is named after the 19th-century Mexican land grant, Rancho Cucamonga, that was below it. __Wikipedia_


----------



## zannej

I wish the bill for my truck was under $100. Dealership called this morning to say my wheel bearing was bad. What pisses me off about that is that I took the truck to the local tire place 5x and asked them to check the wheel bearings but Jose (one of the employees) kept giving me attitude and either didn't check or he's incompetent and couldn't tell. My best friend said it sounded like a wheelbearing & Jose said "Then why doesn't he fix it?" Jerk. Anyway, the estimate (not including tax & other fees) is $810 & my truck is supposed to be ready tomorrow. That is when I have to turn the rental vehicle in. There are good and bad things about the vehicle and some that are a mix of both.
The good-- great turning, brakes are very effective & take very little pressure, shows speed limit digitally, shows cruise control speed setting digitally, has radar range detection to detect vehicles ahead of and next to it (and slows down speed during cruise control if another vehicle is too close in front), good backup camera with lines to show the size of the car, good screen for the backup camera...
The bad-- cruise control doesn't always go the speed you set it to for some reason, the car randomly beeps and flashes some warning that I don't know wtf it is, it tells me to put my hands on the wheel in a certain way while my hands are on the wheel that way, the blinker sound is annoying, no heated seats (I thought they were but realized it was just from my own body heat), no exact temperature given on climate control & hard to cycle through settings, inside windows fog up fast, you can't speed up and click to lock in cruise control speed (which I can do in my vehicle)-- you have to toggle cruise off and on again and it doesn't show the speed limit digitally while transitioning, the seats have these side pieces that come forward to hug the body but poke in & are annoying. They really aggravated Mom. 
Don't know what year it is (its a Rav4) but it's not too bad. But I prefer my truck. Wish my truck could turn like that though. LOL.


----------



## Ron Van

Barbecued some Costco steaks tonight for me, Ruby and her mother, Linda. 




Also made AuGratin potatoes and Zucchini.


----------



## Flyover

Oh man Havasu, I didn't realize you were a Californian! (Maybe you mentioned it and I forgot.) That means you're paying California insurance on all those trucks! Ouch!

I didn't do much with the house today, aside from the get the ladder out so my wife could refill one of the bird feeders that hangs from an out-of-reach branch. One of the things on the "get it done before the giant snowstorm at the end of the week" checklist. @bud16415 You're in Erie, right? Isn't someone else here in that area too? You'll probably get dumped on like crazy.


----------



## havasu

I pay $1150 a year, full coverage for both vehicles. Since I've lived here all my life, is that a good or bad price?


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Oh man Havasu, I didn't realize you were a Californian! (Maybe you mentioned it and I forgot.) That means you're paying California insurance on all those trucks! Ouch!


Ruby and I moved from California to Alabama in 2020. Our auto insurance is about the same but our property insurance is way higher now. Sales tax is higher too. State income tax is less in AL and house prices are much less in AL.


----------



## ekrig

havasu said:


> I pay $1150 a year, full coverage for both vehicles. Since I've lived here all my life, is that a good or bad price?


Compared to mine, those are very good.


Flyover said:


> Oh man Havasu, I didn't realize you were a Californian! (Maybe you mentioned it and I forgot.) That means you're paying California insurance on all those trucks! Ouch!


Insurance rates are regulated by the states. Because of the crazy hikes in car parts, labor, and the car market, I heard that insurance companies are deep in the red and having to increase rates. If they don't, the ones that actually offer any protection will go out of business or won't pay the claims. I also heard that California is so behind on updating their rates (something like 2 years), that several insurances companies are refusing to sell insurance in CA moving forward. I don't know how they'll dig themselves out of that hole...


----------



## havasu

With my low mileage, it costs about $300 a year for full coverage for the truck. I would only have PL/PD on it, but for $60 more a year, I have full coverage. 
Registration is what sucks big bananas here in this state. This '03 truck is $197 a year, and the Cad is now about $440 a year. Good news though, I got gas for $3.79 today. Yeah me...


----------



## Spicoli43

Insurance for me is around $900 for 2 vehicles... 
Registration is $25 each with the Military discount. 
If the vehicle is 12 years old, the registration is a one time forever fee of under $100.
No State Sales Tax
Income Tax around 3%

Sounds great, Move to Montana, Eh?

Temp supposed to be -60 Wednesday night.

Continental US record temp -70 in the 1950's... Guess which State.


----------



## havasu

Well, love the state but hate that cold! Shorts and tee shirts are the dress of the day. I hear Christmas is going to be 80 degrees. Nice!


----------



## havasu

Reminds me of this!


----------



## RedneckGrump

Good Morning folks... Well, in a few more days, Santa will be hitting each of our doorways... Not sure where the time went... Have to get out, and get a couple more for Lorie... Today or tomorrow... The weather is supposed to get ugly Thursday...

Thursday is supposed to get a high of 12 during the day, and then a deep freeze in the evening... Time will tell...

I pay $52 a month for the 08 Ford F150, equalling $654 a year and when I had both, I was paying $32 a month for the 06 Ford F150...and 384 a month equaling $1068 yearly, But just paying $654 a year now, that I sold the 04...

Well, that's about all I have since I wrote yesterday afternoon...
Cheers~


----------



## Flyover

Redneck, is that some weird Canadian thing? Here in America Santa hits the chimneys, not the doorways.

Havasu, I thought I remembered CA insurance being notoriously high, but maybe I'm misremembering. It's been ten years since I lived there. I do remember finding it astonishing how anyone could have a normal life in that state just with the general cost of living, unless they were rich. (I was very poor and had very little at that point in my life.)


----------



## Eddie_T

I used to keep a truck as a second vehicle but now with a quick calc of how much per mile it would cost me I just cancel the urge. I considered a small short bed Takoma as an only vehicle but they have become a cult vehicle. The custom boys trick them out and call them 'street Tacos'.


----------



## havasu

When I got the truck back from my daughter, it was rode hard and put away wet. I did a complete fluid change, got 4 new tires, gave it a clar bar and wax job, pulled off the nerf bard, shampooed the interior, got the A/C serviced and charged, added hockey puck front lifts (to balance the truck, making it sit level), new shocks, and replaced all front light lenses and bulbs. Since it was an awkward short bed, it still looked funny so I wanted a shell, but found them obsolete. I called a few places, but they wanted $3000 for a custom build shell, and $600 to color match the paint. One night, my neighbor was looking in "Offer Up" saw the exact shell I needed for $600, so I went to get it. Gut was really nice and even installed it for me. My daughter is happy that I gave it a facelift, so Dave is looking pretty proud these days.


----------



## Eddie_T

Here's the Tacoma I'm on the lookout for. No extended cab or wheelbase to mess with appearance or turn radius. However it's a fav for the 'street Taco' crowd.


----------



## Flyover

Today I tried to make a fire in the living room fireplace. It's an insert, and not one of the good ones I think, and we've had occasional problems with it not drawing properly. (It's happened 2-3 times in the 2 years we've been in the house, during which time we've had probably a dozen "successful" fires in that fireplace.) Well it happened again today, and the living room filled with smoke. Had to open windows, set up fans, pour water over the smoldering fire to put it completely out, etc. I managed to contain the smoke to the living room, but still that sucked and we never got to enjoy a fire. I let my wife know and we're going to look into having the insert serviced or replaced.


----------



## havasu

I had a fireplace like that once. I needed to prime the flue by burning a piece of newspaper up near the flue, which started the drafting of the fire below it.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Eddie_T said:


> Here's the Tacoma I'm on the lookout for. No extended cab or wheelbase to mess with appearance or turn radius. However it's a fav for the 'street Taco' crowd.
> View attachment 29359
> 
> View attachment 29360


It nice truck, but I need a super cab, or crew cab because if not, don't have enough leg room...


----------



## Flyover

havasu said:


> I had a fireplace like that once. I needed to prime the flue by burning a piece of newspaper up near the flue, which started the drafting of the fire below it.


Mine belches smoke sometimes even when I prime it like that (which I do every time). It seems totally random when it's going to work and when it isn't, which probably means it's sensitive to some environmental factor I'm not paying attention to. I never light fires unless it's below about 42° and today it was considerably colder than that.

Actually I think what it means is there's something wrong with the flue and/or its connection to the chimney.


----------



## havasu

Try cracking a window near it next time. Since I built my old fireplace, I contacted the manufacturer and based on his calcs, I needed one additional 4' flue segment. I chose to not add it because I would have needed a guy wire support system, so I left it as just something to look at.


----------



## Ron Van

Yesterday my BIL and I made a doghouse for the dogs we are fostering until we can find them a forever home. 

It is made out of 5/8” T1-11 siding and has a PETNF 300w heater in it.


----------



## Flyover

Ron, that oughtta keep the raccoons out from under the deck too!


----------



## Eddie_T

That's a nice little heater.


----------



## Spicoli43

My Alcoholic in a former life Terrorists insist on drinking out of a Beer glass. The younger one will wash her paws in a bowl like a Raccoon if I try to give them water in it.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Well, good morning Folks, two days before Christmas... I found Christmas came on very fast this year... Well, as I explained in *What's the Temp* we are in the middle of the ugliest storm for the first storm this winter, saw snow, and now pouring rain, temp is supposed to plunge and then turn to snow. Now they are saying the week between Christmas and New Year's the temp will be above zero in double-digit numbers... Only in Canada...

Well, yesterday, Lorie and I hit the stores early before the big crowds and got a few groceries, and a battery-motorized Audi for my 2-year-old niece.  Has a remote that Mommy and Daddy can walk behind her with the remote till she gets old enough to drive it herself. Then came home, and watched a pile of movies... and yes the new soundbar is wonderful... Made my theatre room 150% better... Love it...

So, not going too far today, may go out and get some more salt, but time will tell... So that's about all that is going on up here in Canada... Just got off the phone, and I hate when you can't hear someone even with the speaker on the phone... Oh well, sorry, just ranting for a sec... 

Have a GREAT Friday everyone...
Cheers~


----------



## Flyover

As has become our Christmas eve tradition, I am making two lasagnas today. Due to a logistical error, this year they will have bison in them as well as the usual beef and sausage. For unrelated reasons I'm also making chili today (with bison in it). Somehow my wife is going to simultaneously make both cookies and cinnamon rolls today as well. And we have three kids who tend to favor the kitchen as a hang out spot/playground. Our kitchen is comfortably sized, but not commercial-sized, so I'm not sure yet how this is gonna work. Guess we'll find out!


----------



## Flyover

Oh also this is my regular complaint about people who can't drive in snow, and who get all precious about the snow and cold in general. It's snow, it's not that complicated. Once again, I'm out there managing just fine in my 800lb hatchback while 4x4 pickups and jeeps are all around me acting like they're on the edge of a gravelly cliff. If it's below freezing out you put on a thicker coat, and hat and gloves, and it's fine, but people act like low temperatures are some kind of natural disaster. Annoying.


----------



## Eddie_T

I remember friends from Montana that I met on my first engineering assignment in Denver. Darrell and Beth Bywater. Darrell was from Bozeman and Beth was from Poison. They met at the University in Missoula. Darrell always said be could put on enough clothing to keep warm but he couldn't take off enough to keep cool. However when they were transferred to Napa, CA they stayed there. Beth decided she wasn't moving again.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Oh also this is my regular complaint about people who can't drive in snow, and who get all precious about the snow and cold in general. It's snow, it's not that complicated. Once again, I'm out there managing just fine in my 800lb hatchback while 4x4 pickups and jeeps are all around me acting like they're on the edge of a gravelly cliff. If it's below freezing out you put on a thicker coat, and hat and gloves, and it's fine, but people act like low temperatures are some kind of natural disaster. Annoying.


Yeah, it's not rocket surgery. Snow here forces people to drive like nice friendly Humans, which is the opposite of the "I'm in a Tank and Bulletproof" mentality around here. That said, I rarely see anybody wiped out. In Western WA though, cars and trucks wipe out everywhere. They think that gunning it and / or spinning the steering wheel works. No.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Why the phuck, do people not stay home like the cops are asking... There are over 500 car accidents from Brockville (where we are) to Toronto, which is typically a 5 - 6 hour drive... There is zero visibility, We cannot see the house across the road from us...

There is a 100 18-wheelers piled up past Toronto... If today were Christmas, we would NOT be going anywhere today...

Well, that's my second rant in two days... I'll shut up now... (LoL


----------



## Spicoli43

Because people are people, Redneck. When I was told about the storm, I went to the store and stocked up on stuff the day before, which was a ZOO experience because everybody else was doing that, but I didn't have to go anywhere since.


----------



## Eddie_T

I am going to have a spinach-tomato quiche for brunch courtesy of my son and DIL. I am still isolated due to positive COVD tests. Son's MIL lives with them and has a compromised respiratory system. I fare better at home anyway.


----------



## Eddie_T

The quiche was a bit bland so I topped the portions I ate with pancake syrup. What's left for later will be topped with Mexican salsa.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> The quiche was a bit bland so I topped the portions I ate with pancake syrup. What's left for later will be topped with Mexican salsa.


A woman from church gave us two quiches but since our son and DIL's flight was canceled today, Ruby froze the quiche and we will revive it on Wednesday when they finally can get here. The airlines are a mess right now.

We are going to have two Christmases, one tomorrow with my BIL's family and another on Wednesday when our son gets here.


----------



## shan2themax

I am on the mend. I NEVER want to experience that again. I was positive again at day 5. Looking back at day 5, I should not have driven myself to the testing center. I mean, I was fully awake and oriented, but I also wasn't.... if that makes sense. My brain definitely wasn't working at capacity.

I am thankful for alot this Christmas, but especially Thankful that my mom passed prior to me getting Covid. I still don't know where I got it. I guess I never will. 
I definitely don't want it again though.

I hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas!!! Stay healthy.


----------



## havasu

Glad to hear that you are well again. Merry Christmas Shan!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> I am on the mend. I NEVER want to experience that again. I was positive again at day 5. Looking back at day 5, I should not have driven myself to the testing center. I mean, I was fully awake and oriented, but I also wasn't.... if that makes sense. My brain definitely wasn't working at capacity.
> 
> I am thankful for alot this Christmas, but especially Thankful that my mom passed prior to me getting Covid. I still don't know where I got it. I guess I never will.
> I definitely don't want it again though.
> 
> I hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas!!! Stay healthy.


Was this your first bout with Covid? It seems the first is the worst, then it’s like a cold the second time…at least that’s my experience.


----------



## zannej

Hope everyone is feeling well today.

Insurance in my state is very high. It's almost $1k for six months for two vehicles. The rates keep going up even though the vehicles are depreciating. The thing insurance companies don't like their customers (or the commissioners of insurance) to know is that they put the $ away in high interest bank accounts and are making tons of $$$$ in their savings and such. And the commissioners are not allowed to consider the reserve profits in the banks when assessing whether or not its ok to raise premiums. So, they are rolling in $ but claiming poverty to get $ from the government and raise premiums.

Truck was a little over $1k total for the "fix". Except, the wheel is still squealing like there's a bad bearing. They also didn't deal with the "check emissions" message that I asked them to look at. They did mark on the diagnostic that something with the engine needs "critical" repair and timing belt is critical but they didn't say it to me verbally. I'm a bit miffed about it, but its the only Honda place within 100 miles. This state has very high income taxes on lower income brackets & middle class, very low taxes for millionaires, asininely high sales tax, not sure on property taxes, and then the high insurance rates. Medical costs are very high but the care is substandard.

I was flossing my teeth when a chunk of tooth broke off last night. Guess I'll be having to setup a dental appointment to make sure it doesn't get infected.

The only outside hosebib left (feeding the automatic water trough for the cows) ruptured when it got down below 20°. Some of the insulation had been torn off & it is the one thing that does not have a shutoff. The shutoffs in the pump house are jammed. None of the cold weather PVC cement is available in the area and the stuff they sell won't work under something like 45°F but it didn't get above 38° yesterday. I'd shut off the pumps at the breaker to stop the leaking pipe and went to get repair supplies. The cap to the PVC cement did not want to come off and I could no find my adjustable wrenches anywhere. Brother couldn't get it off either. I finally found a rubber work glove and got it loose. But water kept coming out of the pipe when I was trying to put the glue on to attach a shutoff valve to the hosebib pipe. I had that problem before and the only way to stop it is to shut off the main waterline. But, as I mentioned before, shutoffs were jammed and wouldn't turn. I lost my balance and fell on the pipes & broke them. Broke from below the tee to the pressure tank, just before the tee to the outside areas, and under the ground where it goes to the house. 

I made a run to HD (as local hardware stores were already closed) to get repair parts. One problem I have is that dirt fell into the pipe underground so I will have to figure out how to get it out. No working outlets to plug in a shopvac in there & I don't have an extension cord long enough to run to an inside outlet. By the time I got home, it was already too cold to use the PVC cement and banged my shoulder into something so my arm isn't cooperating. I'll have to hope it warms up enough tomorrow to fix it.

Meanwhile, my best friend's shower valve froze over and something inside it broke. He had heaters running in the bathroom but somehow the valve froze. He may need a new valve.

But, we're still alive and he made his ex get ALL of her crap out of his house today & told her she's not welcome back ever. She doesn't know he has a new gf already.


----------



## Ron Van

@zannej This Arctic blast is bad and it is a terrible time to have things go wrong. Especially since it’s Christmas! I have had multiple problems too but you just have to plug away and handle the problems. I pray you can get your water back on soon! 

The timing belt is critical. Most belts call for replacement at or before 100k miles. If it gives up, there likely will be major damage since most engines these days are made with an interference fit, meaning the piston will strike the valves if they are out of time. If that happens, your Honda will be toast. I replaced one on my youngest son’s Mitsubishi. It wasn’t hard but I’d consider it a mid level repair job.


----------



## RedneckGrump

Merry Christmas Ev eryone... Glad YOU feel better @shan2themax  and glad things are going a little better @zannej


----------



## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> I am on the mend. I NEVER want to experience that again. I was positive again at day 5. Looking back at day 5, I should not have driven myself to the testing center. I mean, I was fully awake and oriented, but I also wasn't.... if that makes sense. My brain definitely wasn't working at capacity.
> 
> I am thankful for alot this Christmas, but especially Thankful that my mom passed prior to me getting Covid. I still don't know where I got it. I guess I never will.
> I definitely don't want it again though.
> 
> I hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas!!! Stay healthy.



Good to see you're over it, Shan... Not to make light of your suffering, but you MUST remember you can knock any viral infection out in a couple of days max with huge amounts of Vitamin C... 

8 grams a day at the first hint of symptoms, and you won't have a day 3. It's virtually guaranteed. It's Orthomolecular Science. 



			Vitamin C Protects Against Coronavirus
		




			Robot or human?


----------



## Spicoli43

Hope you get your plumbing issues fixed, Z... Hope your tooth is saved as well.

As far as Millionaires, I don't get the low taxes part, and I don't get how you aren't one with 18 Cats, 6 Dogs, 6 Cows, 14 Chickens, 13 Parrots, 6 Oxen, 13 Horses and 15 Lizards!


----------



## Spicoli43

Merry Christmas everyone... I'm all for celebrating the Birth of Little Baby Jesus, but it wasn't in December.


----------



## Spicoli43

She was laying on me all night, so that's what you get, Dog!


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Merry Christmas everyone... I'm all for celebrating the Birth of Little Baby Jesus, but it wasn't in December.


Those cold-weather barbarians weren't just gonna convert _themselves_! Had to meet them halfway. 

Merry Christmas y'all!


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Hope you get your plumbing issues fixed, Z... Hope your tooth is saved as well.
> 
> As far as Millionaires, I don't get the low taxes part, and I don't get how you aren't one with 18 Cats, 6 Dogs, 6 Cows, 14 Chickens, 13 Parrots, 6 Oxen, 13 Horses and 15 Lizards!


·  ·  · and a partridge in a pear tree.


----------



## Spicoli43

Made a batch of Chocolate, around 4 lbs. probably. I think this recipe will end up being 3 Gallon sized Ziplocks because I added so much stuff to it... I like to keep it around 65% because I don't use straight up Sugar. I could increase it to 75% Dark if I used Sugar, but I don't think that would work with the Fruit Sugars. The variable is Maple, first time using it. 

65% MAPLE VANILLA COFFEE MILK 

CACAO, CACAO BUTTER, CASHEWS, COCONUT MILK, COFFEE, CRANBERRIES, DATES, HEMPSEEDS, MAPLE SYRUP, PUMPKIN SEEDS, RAISINS, SEA SALT, VANILLA, WALNUTS

ALL ORGANIC

PRODUCED IN A FACTORY THAT PRODUCES OTHER STUFF


I put in 50g of Maple to start, but after 4 Hours I couldn't distinguish it, so added another 50g. I haven't tested it since, so I don't know how good it turned out. The refining process filled the room with Vanilla / Maple scents, so I thought it would be all good. I ran the refiner for 24 Hours. 

The recipe will be good no matter what because of everything I add, but getting Vanilla Beans is hit and miss, so I will have to find a reliable source if it's something I do moving forward. Everything else is readily available.


----------



## tomtheelder2020

Spicoli43 said:


> 8 grams a day at the first hint of symptoms, and you won't have a day 3. It's virtually guaranteed. It's Orthomolecular Science.


I have been around long enough to remember when Linus Pauling first came out with mega-dosing vitamin C. Too bad there is no credible evidence his claims, or those in the 50+ years since, are true: 

5 Tips: Natural Products for the Flu and Colds: What Does the Science Say?.


----------



## tomtheelder2020

Spicoli43 said:


> Vitamin C Protects Against Coronavirus



There is theoretical basis and high quality anecdotal evidence that Vitimin C mega-dose might be effective:  Therapeutic potential of megadose vitamin C to reverse organ dysfunction in sepsis and COVID‐19

But SO FAR, controlled studies are not finding evidence that it does:  Vitamin C and COVID-19 treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials


----------



## Spicoli43

You know you lose all credibility when you quote the Fake Fraud Fauci organization called the NIH, right? They are single handedly responsible for Millions of Covid deaths alone.

"Vaccination is the best protection against getting the flu."... Yeah, NO... Most Covid deaths post vaccine are seen in vaccinated people. That's proven. It isn't a vaccine, it's a Bioweapon.

And from now on, you can die of Massive blood clots because the Covid Death Shot will be included in all Influenza vaccines!!!

They didn't even do trials with the Covid Death Shot, do you seriously think they will do trials with Vitamin C?


----------



## Flyover

Well I had a bizarre and hilarious evening. I told myself I'd stop thinking about it because it'd drive me crazy, but apparently I'm not ready to stop thinking about it yet. Let's just say that 2 months ago I thought I remembered doing one thing but actually did a different thing, such that it made this night a Christmas we will never forget.

(Before you ask: nobody is dead, pregnant, or in jail; it was just a mix-up in some recreation plans that cascaded into a lot of unnecessary driving and dinner in a crappy Chinese buffet instead of as a family around a warm table.)


----------



## zannej

My shoulder was not cooperating with me at all today. Went out and started trying to dig up the pipe that broke off underground but legs & back gave out on me so I got ahold of my friend. He needed a sitter for the kids so I brought Mom over and he came back with me. Pipe was broken off at a union so he had to lift a large cinderblock that had the holes filled with dirt and move it out of the way and dig all around to be able to attach something. I misjudged bc I only looked at the pipe going in to the pressure tank and didn't realize it reduced to 3/4". I have a ton of 1" fittings and not enough  of the 3/4" to reconnect everything. So, for now we only have the house water connected (but the other ones were off). Going to use PEX to hook the other ones up when it isn't so cold. For now the water is running-- although the cistern was very slow to fill. There is a very small drip coming out of a pipe before where my friend fixed stuff, but I suspect it was there before and its minor. I'm using a heating pad on my back to recover a bit before I go out to put insulation on the pipes. It's not at freezing temps yet but I will go out before it gets freezing. At least I had a 3/4" shutoff and I was able to take parts off a broken hose bib line to get the last elbow we needed. Will keep the 1" stuff just in case and will get more 3/4" stuff later.
When I took my friend back home the toddler was fussing so my friend put on some Geoff Castellucci music and he calmed down. Took my friend to grab some food and then waited for his new gf to be back in town. He went to pick her up (she was borrowing her grandmother's car and she dropped it off and he picked her up from there) while we sat with the kids. It was great to see her. She and my friend get along great, she's a great friend, and everyone is so happy for both of them-- and they are happy. I've told her I will go help her get her stuff from her old place whenever she wants-- but she doesn't want conflict with her ex. He already went around lying and saying she cheated on him. But she's happy to be out of that situation now.

I'm exhausted though and hoping to get some sleep soon.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> Merry Christmas everyone... I'm all for celebrating the Birth of Little Baby Jesus, but it wasn't in December.


Yes, I think most people agree He was not born in December but I’m glad we celebrate it then because December is a dark month that needs more cheer and more lights. Merry Christmas!


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Well I had a bizarre and hilarious evening. I told myself I'd stop thinking about it because it'd drive me crazy, but apparently I'm not ready to stop thinking about it yet. Let's just say that 2 months ago I thought I remembered doing one thing but actually did a different thing, such that it made this night a Christmas we will never forget.
> 
> (Before you ask: nobody is dead, pregnant, or in jail; it was just a mix-up in some recreation plans that cascaded into a lot of unnecessary driving and dinner in a crappy Chinese buffet instead of as a family around a warm table.)


Sounds like a good story!


----------



## Flyover

Zannej, I never heard of Geoff Castellucci so I looked him up. Wow, what a voice! The one video I saw was really well produced too. Too bad he hasn't done any Type-O Negative covers.

Spicoli, what do you do with all that chocolate?? Also I'm curious what you mean by e.g. "maple". You mean maple syrup?

I've found my sweet spot for chocolate when I buy it to eat is between about 85-90% cacao. I've eaten bars of 100% before and enjoyed them but been happy to go back to 85. But 75 just tastes like sugar to me, way too sweet.

Also I like Lindt and the Aldi brand (Moser Roth) but can't stand Ghiradelli, doesn't matter what %.

Ron: Yes, it is! I need to get it together first and then I can tell it. Give me a few days.


----------



## Ron Van

Ruby and I along with her mother, brother, brother’s wife and their son went to church this morning. Then everyone came to our house where we were joined by our daughter, her husband and our grand daughter to open presents. Later we had dinner and watched a little of the LA Rams verses Denver Bronco game.


----------



## Eddie_T

Happy group! Now I see why you need all the leaves for that dining table.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Happy group! Now I see why you need all the leaves for that dining table.


Yeah, and my son and DIL’s flight was canceled and won’t be here until Wednesday. If their flight had not been canceled, we would have had two more. The table is pushed back against the wall so the far end is not used. If we have more people, we pull the table out and put the two young-uns on the end. It’s crowded but no one seems to mind. 

It’s awesome when you can move halfway across the country and still get that many family members together. Ruby has an Uncle in Louisiana, and a cousin in Florida. I have an Aunt in Georgia and my brother in North Carolina but most our relatives are still in California. They all were quick to point out that it was in the 70’s in Northern Cal and 82 in SoCal. I said, “Yeah? It got up to 33F here!” That’s the warmest it been since last Friday when the Bomb Cyclone hit.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Because people are people, Redneck. When I was told about the storm, I went to the store and stocked up on stuff the day before, which was a ZOO experience because everybody else was doing that, but I didn't have to go anywhere since.


Yeah, noticed Walmart was surprisingly packed in the earlier daytime Thursday...


----------



## BuzzLOL

ekrig said:


> I heard that insurance companies are deep in the red and having to increase rates. If they don't, the ones that actually offer any protection will go out of business or won't pay the claims. I also heard that California is so behind on updating their rates (something like 2 years), that several insurances companies are refusing to sell insurance in CA moving forward. I don't know how they'll dig themselves out of that hole...


That $100Billion in hurricane damage in Florida prolly shocked the insurance companies...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I don't compare, but think just the oil change is $39.99 most places.


Some places do low priced oil changes in hopes of finding real or imaginary other things that need fixing...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> That $100Billion in hurricane damage in Florida prolly shocked the insurance companies...



A friend is a carpentry foreman at ORNL. He says they have lost a lot of union carpenters to Florida hurricane cleanup.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Today I tried to make a fire in the living room fireplace. It's an insert, and not one of the good ones I think, and we've had occasional problems with it not drawing properly. (It's happened 2-3 times in the 2 years we've been in the house, during which time we've had probably a dozen "successful" fires in that fireplace.) Well it happened again today, and the living room filled with smoke. Had to open windows, set up fans, pour water over the smoldering fire to put it completely out, etc. I managed to contain the smoke to the living room, but still that sucked and we never got to enjoy a fire. I let my wife know and we're going to look into having the insert serviced or replaced.


Problem may be at top of chimney... not high enough... blocked... baffles... something weird up there... animal caught in chimney... higher walls nearby may cause a pressure buildup when wind is from certain directions...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Was this your first bout with Covid? It seems the first is the worst, then it’s like a cold the second time…at least that’s my experience.


I got Covid-19 in Feb. 2019... before it was even famous/well known... long before any too late shots available in Fall 2020...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> that they put the $ away in high interest bank accounts


There hasn't been any high interest bank accounts the past few years... with home mortgages down around 3%... hard to find a savings interest above 1%... the rates were just recently raised/doubled/tripled to stop high prices/inflation... LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> "Vaccination is the best protection against getting the flu."... Yeah, NO... Most Covid deaths post vaccine are seen in vaccinated people. That's proven. It isn't a vaccine, it's a Bioweapon.


Jokementia Bribery caught on videos (now being mostly hidden): "If you get the Covid shot, you won't get Covid"


----------



## Eddie_T

Though big pharma and the medical profession in general tend to put down anecdotal evidence as if it's the opposite of 'science' most doctors use anecdotal experience in their practice. Since all meds don't work for all patients most doctors favor remedies that have worked for them.

My use of vitamin-C is my own anecdotal experience and may not work for others. Before trying vitamin-C I experienced the common cold and occasional flu just as others do.  It was just a winter expectation. Someone started placing a bottle of vitamin-C at the office coffee pot during the winter months (paid for with coffee mess funds). I noticed less colds so when I moved into a field assignment I purchased my own vitamin-C. I gradually increased dosage from one gram per day to three grams per day distributed. The bottom line is that respiratory ailments are no longer a winter expectation. I had flu symptoms in 2017 four days after a flu shot (I have since dropped flu shots) and can't recall my last common cold episode. I did have the three-day COVID and upped my vitamin-C intake until it passed.

Vitamin-C may not be the magical bullet for everyone but it certainly has been in my personal experience. As my wife's internist said with regard to Hawthorn Berry for BP control; try it, if it works, fine, if not move on.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Merry Christmas everyone... I'm all for celebrating the Birth of Little Baby Jesus, but it wasn't in December.


90% of people in the world know he wasn't ever born at all... just an evil storybook character... hung for his crimes at the end of the story... but still inspired the murder of billions of people...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> The bottom line is that respiratory ailments are no longer a winter expectation.


At your age, you prolly have immunity to most common ailments... that's why they had to go into the lab and invent new ailments... LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

"Vandals in Pierce County, Washington, attacked four power substations on Christmas Day, causing at least 17,000 residents to lose power, KING-TV reported." 
. 
This seems to be getting to be all the rage these days... is there some group promoting this activity? 
That northern Pacific area just had an "ice pellets" storm...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Lighten up or you may be history!


Still more threats?


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> At your age, you prolly have immunity to most common ailments... that's why they had to go into the lab and invent new ailments... LOL!


Actually I ran my own (N=1) study finding the proper dosage for both vitamin-C and Hawthorn Berry


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Still more threats?


No just an anecdotal observation.


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, what do you do with all that chocolate?? Also I'm curious what you mean by e.g. "maple". You mean maple syrup?
> 
> I've found my sweet spot for chocolate when I buy it to eat is between about 85-90% cacao. I've eaten bars of 100% before and enjoyed them but been happy to go back to 85. But 75 just tastes like sugar to me, way too sweet.
> 
> Also I like Lindt and the Aldi brand (Moser Roth) but can't stand Ghiradelli, doesn't matter what %.


Wow, you're hardcore. Just by observing the Chocolate aisle at various stores, hardly anybody buys 85 plus. My main go to batch that I make for myself is 100% but I add in the Cashews, Dates, Raisins etc... Every bite of Dark Chocolate is exactly that, but it's tempered down with the fruit sugars. 

I give most of it away to people, keep a bag for myself. The Maple is Maple Syrup granules.


----------



## havasu

BuzzLOL said:


> There hasn't been any high interest bank accounts the past few years... with home mortgages down around 3%... hard to find a savings interest above 1%... the rates were just recently raised/doubled/tripled to stop high prices/inflation... LOL!


I have my savings and money market savings at Ally Bank. 

_3.30% APY

Ally's savings account currently offers *3.30% APY*.3 days ago_


----------



## Eddie_T

havasu said:


> I have my savings and money market savings at Ally Bank.
> 
> _3.30% APY
> 
> Ally's savings account currently offers *3.30% APY*.3 days ago_


 I have never heard of Ally Bank. Is it just an on-line banking system?


----------



## Spicoli43

I just dump all my spare change into the market. It will eventually come back bigly, but probably not for a couple more years. It's long term savings that will pay 1000% plus.

Found out that the Pluto app has 24/7 COPS on.... Vintage... "Bad Boys Bad Boys Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when I rollup on you in my 99 Crown V"...

"Yeah Yeah, with seating for 22, I can fit your whole crew"


----------



## havasu

Ally Bank was one of the first "online" banks. I've used them for years, and have linked all my accounts, so a few seconds on the computer and I can transfer funds in or out of that account, all free of charge, in usually one day or less. I even have a credit card and checks I could use, but I use my local bank for daily needs and try only to  use the Ally account for savings purposes. 

For the Republicans in here, there is another new online savings bank forming right now. They will not invest with woke culture and ignore ESG {Environmental Social Governance) or "Cancel Culture". The primary investors are Dr. Ben Carson and Larry Elder. It is called "Old Glory Bank." Depending on interest rates, I just may transfer all my funds in there because it too is FDIC insured.


----------



## havasu

Speaking of banks, I was talking with my neighbor, who admitted having his $600,000 savings account at Wells Fargo Bank, earning .025% interest. I tried convincing him to slide his money into Ally, which would get him about $20,000 in free money every year. He is hesitant because he thinks his money is safer at a brick and mortar bank. I use to think that way as well.


----------



## Flyover

That's interesting about Old Glory bank, Havasu. I think there are probably a lot of people, not just Republicans, who'd like to see more pushback from business, education, finance, entertainment, tech, etc. against woke/cancel culture. It seems like a coordination problem but maybe it's a bit of a first mover problem too.

Of course maybe the main problem is apathy, but that assumes woke/cancel culture etc. are really that big a deal in the first place, rather than mostly just something people talk about a lot on Twitter and in the news but otherwise have very little reason to ever think about.

(Since I avoid Twitter and the news, I noticed I pretty much don't hear about any of this stuff, ever, except from people who are talking about Twitter or the news.) If the woke people, and the people who want to spend their time fighting the woke people, all want Twitter and the news so bad, they can have them, I don't want those things anyway. They are not part of the land mass I live on.

Spicoli, I'd bet that mix is pretty good. Have you tried it with coarsely ground coffee beans?


----------



## Eddie_T

havasu said:


> Ally Bank was one of the first "online" banks. I've used them for years, and have linked all my accounts, so a few seconds on the computer and I can transfer funds in or out of that account, all free of charge, in usually one day or less. I even have a credit card and checks I could use, but I use my local bank for daily needs and try only to  use the Ally account for savings purposes.
> 
> For the Republicans in here, there is another new online savings bank forming right now. They will not invest with woke culture and ignore ESG {Environmental Social Governance) or "Cancel Culture". The primary investors are Dr. Ben Carson and Larry Elder. It is called "Old Glory Bank." Depending on interest rates, I just may transfer all my funds in there because it too is FDIC insured.


Thank you for your post. I am definitely going to have more money because you shared this info! 

I find that I will stick to the news so that I am aware of the ever changing world situation. Plus my local news can be of value especially due to my rural situation.


----------



## Eddie_T

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, I'd bet that mix is pretty good. Have you tried it with coarsely ground coffee beans?


I have never tried chewing ground coffee. Is it chewable like nuts?


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> It is called "Old Glory Bank." Depending on interest rates, I just may transfer all my funds in there because it too is FDIC insured.


I heard about them on Real America's Voice, I'm in if I can pay my Utility bill from there.


----------



## Spicoli43

havasu said:


> Speaking of banks, I was talking with my neighbor, who admitted having his $600,000 savings account at Wells Fargo Bank, earning .025% interest. I tried convincing him to slide his money into Ally, which would get him about $20,000 in free money every year. He is hesitant because he thinks his money is safer at a brick and mortar bank. I use to think that way as well.


Well, you could just tell him the truth that his money is better off with the local Crack dealer than Wells Fargo...


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> Spicoli, I'd bet that mix is pretty good. Have you tried it with coarsely ground coffee beans?


I have, although adding the Coffee to the refiner for 24 Hours is my preferred method. Some Craft businesses let their refiners run for 3 days, but they are the size of a Washing machine. I can't run my tabletop unit that long.


----------



## Spicoli43

COPS reminds me of my favorite Mad TV spots...


----------



## Eddie_T

So far Old Glory Bank has made no comment w/respect to interest rates.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> I have, although adding the Coffee to the refiner for 24 Hours is my preferred method. Some Craft businesses let their refiners run for 3 days, but they are the size of a Washing machine. I can't run my tabletop unit that long.


What does the refiner actually do?


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> What does the refiner actually do?


It grinds down the Cacao Nibs and Sugar / other powders to a smooth texture and breaks down the Cacao flavor and smell. Every Chocolate bar you have ever bought is made that way, albeit in gigantic machines. 

The small refiner (AKA Grinder AKA Melanger) does exactly that, only on a tabletop scale of 2.5KG Max... If I run the machine for 4 hours, it will still be a little gritty. People on Chocolate forums say the 24 Hours is necessary for both the smooth "mouth feel" and the breaking down of the Cacao into a refined Chocolate taste and smell. 

I either don't understand the Chocolate taste and smell part, as running it from minute 1 releases an intense Chocolate smell that I love. Also, on earlier batches I only ran it for 8 hours or so and I had no problem with it... Apparently both parts of the reason to run it that long is personal preference. 

Here's a short intro video of the machine I own...


----------



## Eddie_T

Though I like chocolate my fav is simple homemade black walnut chocolate or PNB caramel fudge. And only homemade store bought is adulterated with some sort of gum.


----------



## zannej

I remembered that I have the same shower trim (sitting in a box) as my friend has in his shower. Since his cartridge blew apart, I gave him my cartridge and have contacted Delta for warranty service on the cartridge. If they refuse to cover it, I can still buy a replacement.
I handed him tools while he changed the brake pads on his new gf's car and then drove him to the auto shops to get new lug nuts bc hers are garbage. Her ex's brother was working at one of the shops and said friend needed to call the ex to talk to him bc the friend is looking for her & has told everyone she cheated on him (which is not true). Someone told the ex her vehicle was at my friend's house. Friend said he was working on her brakes and that's why we were there buying stuff. She freaked out when we told her bc she has anxiety & is worried he'll come try to confront her & is upset that he won't leave her alone. I volunteered to go get her cat and the stuff the cat needs and that I will tell him I insisted (bc I am insisting) on doing it and its not at her behest. I said as far as her ex is concerned, she's staying with me (so he won't show up at my friend's house to bother her). Friend's ex is losing her mind and messaging the new gf nonstop.

I picked up my RX, grabbed some groceries, helped a friend who works at Walmart with stocking a shelf (just handed him stuff to make it faster), got food for my friend's cats (they were out and were losing their minds over having food). Got home and cooked for Mom. Gave my brother some food to eat at work as he was heading out the door.

I'm currently snuggled up with Aminatu.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Though I like chocolate my fav is simple homemade black walnut chocolate or PNB caramel fudge. And only homemade store bought is adulterated with some sort of gum.


I like melting Coconut Oil in a double boiler and adding Cacao powder with Coconut Sugar and Mint flavoring. I also do a recipe with peanut Butter Powder. I just pour the mix into cupcake paper things and freeze them. That's a 15 minute thing or whatever when I don't want to do a whole batch with the Refiner, which takes around 30 minutes to setup and then I can't leave the house for said 24 Hours. 

As I get deeper into this hobby, I will be doing Caramel filled little round Chocolates as well as Whiskey filled.


----------



## Spicoli43

Every single day, Z.... Every single day is a missed opportunity for a Reality TV show...


----------



## zannej

LOL. Someone call Dr. Phil! 
As an aside, female friend's ex went over to see her & actually talked it out with her & is calming down. Male friend's psycho ex is still being a pain. She barged into the house (used the toddler as an excuse) and started looking all around without asking & friend had to tell her to gtfo. Friend's 10-yr-old daughter has been great. She's been singing to the toddler & helping him get to sleep and helping take care of him. She's very nurturing. Complete opposite of the hag that spawned her. Smart kid too (also opposite of the spawner). 

I got cat food for the cats at friend's house. They'd been out for days & they were starving. They were very excited about it. I got the last 2 bags in the store. Hopefully they will get more in before the kitties eat all the food.


----------



## Eddie_T

I like most versions of Wayfaring Stranger especially the harmony of this epic version,


another fav is House of the Rising Sun and this instrumental version.


----------



## zannej

I really like the Wayfaring Stranger one. I've always really liked House of the Rising Sun. I was told that my paternal grandfather could play harmonica and banjo. My paternal grandmother could play piano. 

I racked out last night and am trying to get myself motivated to go outside and finish fixing some stuff up but my body doesn't want to cooperate. Shoulder is still giving me grief. I may need my brother's help to get the hose off the old hose bib but he's already at work. 

I cooked last night which made mom happy but I can't cook all the stuff I want bc the stores have been out of heavy cream that I use in stuff.


----------



## havasu

I believe I've mentioned before that my ring tone is House of the Rising Sun. I like this version better!


----------



## Spicoli43

I finally tried my new Chocolate recipe, and it's insanely good. I am the LAST person to like my recipes, but I have a keeper. The Vanilla and Maple melded perfectly with the Nuts and Dates... I would commercially produce it or at least sell it at the Farmers market... 

I am stunned it's that good, so I have to give it away Right Meow before I gain 30 pounds!


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> I am stunned it's that good, so I have to give it away Right Meow before I gain 30 pounds!


Super Trooper?


----------



## zannej

Step out of the car meow sir.

Mom woke me up wanting me to go to the store to get her RX. She claimed the pharmacy said it was ready. It wasn't. I waited in line 15min to get up there only to be told I had to wait another 30min for it to be ready, but they wrote on a dry erase board that I was there and they needed to fill it asap. Limped around the store for 30min, then had to wait in line another 15min. They had changed shifts, but I got the RX and some other stuff. Dropped some things off at friend's house, petted the kittens, and headed home. I left a lot of stuff in the truck bc my stupid shoulder is not cooperating. Can barely move my damn arm/shoulder. It's really annoying me.

At least its supposed to be warmer the next few days.


----------



## Eddie_T

I tried Aldi store brand steak sauce and BBQ sauce but it's been months and they haven't restocked it.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> You know you lose all credibility when you quote the Fake Fraud Fauci organization called the NIH, right? They are single handedly responsible for Millions of Covid deaths alone.


NIH does have some value, at least the NCBI arm. I monitor it for info on supplements or other preparations that have cancer fighting potential. If the NCBI recommends further research it ain't gunna happen unless something is patentable. However I have successfully avoided some skin surgery by using info gleaned from NCBI. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to make recommendations to others as I used a 'shotgun' approach and don't know which treatment nailed it for me. I used multiple approaches simultaneously as I wanted the skin lesions to be gone now rather than later.


----------



## Spicoli43

Yes, I like the Pubmed part of NCBI, even though it contradicts itself a lot, or the researchers find different conclusions. I do know that the Biblical Wormwood, AKA Artemisinin, at least eliminated my Dog's Lung Tumors that appeared as Baseball sized lumps by his armpits. How much of the rest of the Cancer was zapped would need a picture of course.

My vitriol is focused on Fauci and Collins, who are Demonic for what they have done with their Covid protocols. There's surely some good people that work for the NIH, as there are good people that work for all of the other agencies, which are equally as worthless, although not all of them go around killing people left and right.


----------



## Eddie_T

Here's why one doesn't just casually cruise shelters;


----------



## Spicoli43

Yes, Eddie. You can't have them all, you aren't Z...

HAHA

That guy is a great looking pup.


----------



## Eddie_T

I noticed that DermaWound (based upon sugardine) seems to be able to advertise now. I recall when it had to be marketed as an antiseptic (and was able to because of povidone iodine content). I wonder how much the government and big pharma spend trying to squelch remedies? I'll bet they are losing sleep over Ivermectin sales (they hate us free thinkers).


----------



## Spicoli43

Yeah, they suppress everything they can. They never even mentioned Vitamin C for Covid, when every human alive older than a Kid knows it works against all viral strains. They didn't even mention Hydrogen Peroxide or Vinegar to wipe down surfaces, instead pitching Clorox wipes and stuff like that from publicly traded companies.


----------



## havasu

I think most doctors recommend taking 1000 mg of vitamin C for general health as it builds up the immune system.


----------



## Spicoli43

I have never heard an Allopathic "Doctor" say anything about C... 1 gram is okay, but I take 4 or 5 grams a day if I'm staying home.


----------



## zannej

I watched older episodes of Death In Paradise (I missed the first 3 seasons when it first came on) and then my internet crapped out so I went to sleep. Tossed & turned and wasn't feeling well. Finally got up and saw the sky getting dark. Promised myself I'd go fix the pipe for the cows' waterer tomorrow. But then I thought "Why not today?" Argued with myself in my head a bit and then just grabbed the fittings, grabbed cut off PVC remnants from the pump house & then got to work. Cutting the remnants that weren't attached to anything down to size was a total pita. The blade on my pvc cutter chipped. I'll have to take a picture later. I was able to re-use the old faucet that was still attached to the hose (could not get that hose off) because there was enough pipe out of the back of it. Got everything secured together and then put insulation tubing on it all. Need to figure out where the hell I put the insulation tape so I can secure the tubing better. But for now it is all connected. Just need to wait about an hour before turning water on to give the PVC cement time to set.

I'm sure Mom will want food in a bit but I'm resting while I can. Aminatu is helpfully warming my sore arm by wrapping herself around it. As an aside, I can't even get enough range of motion to lift a drink to my mouth with my left arm (not unless I lean my head down pretty far).


----------



## shan2themax

What did o do today?......
I woke up at 530 am startled by a weird dream, was cold. Looked at my nest thermostat app with one eye open, saw that it was 62 degrees and thought great...... went back to sleep though because I was supposed to work 11 to 11. Got up at 815... now 55 degrees.... attempt to turn the emergency heat on, on the heat pump... wait a few minutes, nothing..... decide I should probably get out out of bed. So.... I mess with it some more then realize there is no air coming out of the vents... great, call work tell them I will be in later as I need to find a repairman to fix the problem. I call my normal person, who can't come till Friday, make the appointment anyway... decide to try someone else, choose a random number to call, they can come between 2 and 3... call work and update them.... wait and wait and wait.... they call hes running late, problem at the stop before mine. He gets here aRound 545 and I am nice and warm by 730ish..... $619 later.
I was proud of myself that I diagnosed it correctly (although it wasn't hard). It was the blower motor. He had one with him, as well as new brackets. I'm treating myself to 70° currently so I was cold all day. Called work back and told them that I want going to come in for 2.5 hours. Lost my New Years holiday and it will count as an occurrence but you win some and lose some. 
I am just glad to be warm and that I could afford the repair and didn't need a new system.


Also..... I'm feeling *nearly* like my old self again


----------



## zannej

Shan, I'm glad you got it fixed. I'm going to have to get a different AC repair guy because mine still won't return calls. 

Turned the shutoff for the outside hosebib on but no water came out. Don't think it's frozen or anything, but I now suspect it was somehow connected to the outside water instead of the house water-- which doesn't seem to make sense because those shutoffs were turned off. So, I'm going to cut those other two shutoffs off, use some adapters and tees and go to PEX to link to the old PVC.


----------



## zannej

The bracket holding my satellite pole up fell off the tower. Internet is out and I have 1 bar of signal so I might not be able to post much until it is fixed.


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> He is hesitant because he thinks his money is safer at a brick and mortar bank. I use to think that way as well.


I hear FTX Cryptocurrency was advertising high interest rates... LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> drove him to the auto shops to get new lug nuts bc hers are garbage.


Bought some new Dorman brand lug nuts for my pickup, but when I went to tighten them, they stripped out like made of butter, so I stopped at a junkyard and grabbed some used Ford lug nuts off vehicles that worked fine...


----------



## shan2themax

Ya'll, I let my dogs out this morning and found 2 cats on my back porch. I tried to catch them both but could only get 1. The poor thing was so so so sick, she had a huge area on her chest, I kind of thought it looked like a giant tumor but it was infected in the center, she smelled so bad and I can barely smell still because of Covid. I put her in a cat carrier and took her to the vet up in town and they euthanized her. I felt so sorry for her, she had to be in so much pain and she just meowed. The other cat was healthier looking, but it looked like part of her eye was missing but she was too fast for me to catch. I wonder if they were "friends" because they were both calico, and in the box together. I hope I can catch the other one, although I didn't see her when I got home. 
I was standing in the vet office and started crying for that poor cat, she was so skinny and it was such a huge area.


I went to Walmart and bought a bunch of Christmas tree decorations (I don't have any)  for next year, and a new vacuum..... I just bought a new vacuum in October but it stopped working. I got a pork butt roast marked down, I am going to cook it in the crockpot tomorrow and make bbq pulled pork mac n cheese for dinner.


I am going to have a late Christmas Dinner on Saturday, prime rib, asparagus, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts cooked with bacon and onion and some dinner rolls. And then I bought a cherry crumble and some vanilla bean ice cream.

I bought the prime rib a few weeks ago, it is bone in, but it was marked down to $7/pound, so I thought that would be a good treat.

I wore myself out walking around in walmart for  2 hours so I think I might take a nap or at least lay dawn and watch some TV (if I can find some of the internet that I haven't watched while sick lol)



Hope everyone has a wonderful day!


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> I believe I've mentioned before that my ring tone is House of the Rising Sun. I like this version better!


Guy I worked with had Star Wars ring tone, whenever it rang, we all yelled Princess Leia is calling again... then laughed... we could really have some fun with House of the Rising Sun! 
. 
I've listened to several versions of the French National Anthem: "La Marseillaise" 
but still think the best version by far is the one in that old Humphrey Bogart movie "Casablanca"... 
(The words to that song, translated into English, are rather brutal)


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> Ya'll, I let my dogs out this morning and found 2 cats on my back porch. I tried to catch them both but could only get 1. The poor thing was so so so sick, she had a huge area on her chest, I kind of thought it looked like a giant tumor but it was infected in the center, she smelled so bad and I can barely smell still because of Covid. I put her in a cat carrier and took her to the vet up in town and they euthanized her.


Sounds like mange... hope you washed your hands quickly and cleaned anything it touched! 








						Mange - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I tried Aldi store brand steak sauce and BBQ sauce but it's been months and they haven't restocked it.


Most dollar stores have BBQ sauce for about a dollar, but the only steak sauce available may be only A1 for $5 now...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I woke up at 530 am startled by a weird dream, was cold. Looked at my nest thermostat app with one eye open, saw that it was 62 degrees and thought great...... went back to sleep though because I was supposed to work 11 to 11. Got up at 815... now 55 degrees.... attempt to turn the emergency heat on, on the heat pump... wait a few minutes, nothing.....


Yeah, it was -4 F outside when I was reading that email from my electric company that first time ever mentioned the possibility of "short, rotating customer outages" around here and I'm thinking, yeah, that's all we need now...


----------



## Eddie_T

General Patton's dog was so ugly that I would never own a dog if that were the only breed.


----------



## shan2themax

BuzzLOL said:


> Sounds like mange... hope you washed your hands quickly and cleaned anything it touched!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mange - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org



It was a tumor of some kind. I am assuming cancer, she appeared to have a lump under her arm also.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> General Patton's dog was so ugly that I would never own a dog if that were the only breed.
> 
> View attachment 29400


I think that's actually a picture of actor George C. Scott... don't know if they got the dog breed correct... looks like a pit bull here...
General Patton's dog, Willie, was a similar bull terrier:
https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/121116_pattonwillie2.jpg


----------



## BuzzLOL

Farmer with 102 Children and 568 Grandchildren Decides to Stop
					

A farmer who has 102 children and 568 grandchildren from 12 wives has finally decided to stop growing his family.  Musa Hasahya, 67, has now asked his wives to use contraception so that they can af…




					truenews.media
				



. 
Guess he's going to start doing something different today...


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> I think that's actually a picture of actor George C. Scott... don't know if they got the dog breed correct... looks like a pit bull here...
> General Patton's dog, Willie, was a similar bull terrier:
> https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/121116_pattonwillie2.jpg


Yeah, then it'd be a still from the movie "Patton", written by Francis Ford Coppola, in which George C. Scott played the title role.

The dog looks like a Bull Terrier -- not a pit bull, but that goes to show you how readily people mistake other dogs for pit bulls. If that dog had bitten somebody then it would be called a pit bull for sure!

I think it's an okay-looking breed. The really ugly ones to me are the ones that look unhealthy with the squashed-in faces and messed-up hips to give them waddly gaits. (Basically, the further you get from wolf, the uglier.)


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Yeah, then it'd be a still from the movie "Patton", written by Francis Ford Coppola, in which George C. Scott played the title role.
> 
> The dog looks like a Bull Terrier -- not a pit bull, but that goes to show you how readily people mistake other dogs for pit bulls. If that dog had bitten somebody then it would be called a pit bull for sure!
> 
> I think it's an okay-looking breed. The really ugly ones to me are the ones that look unhealthy with the squashed-in faces and messed-up hips to give them waddly gaits. (Basically, the further you get from wolf, the uglier.)


In the 1980's I had a college student tenant who loved that Patton movie, he borrowed my VHS tape copy of it and watched it about every day for a while... after graduating he wrote me that he moved to a job in FishKill, NY and met a girlfriend that caused his social life to explode... last I heard from him... 
. 
Well bull terriers are pit bulls... known for the large powerful looking jaw muscles... and for hanging on by the teeth after biting... usually gentle if not raised for fighting... of course every animal/person has a different personality... current occupant of White House has a dog known for biting Secret Service agents... owner claims that's not true... 
. 
Yeah, bull dogs were bred for shorter and shorter noses until they can barely breathe through tiny passages... Bulldogs are supposed to be fearless, but a few years ago on the football field that bulldog mascot of Georgia CFB team sure took off after the Longhorn cow of Texas got tired of it barking at him and took off after it with a horn!


----------



## Flyover

BuzzLOL said:


> Well bull terriers are pit bulls


Nope, two totally different breeds that don't look at all alike.

Bull terrier:






Pit bull terrier:


----------



## Eddie_T

The Pit Bull Terrier is actually quite handsome in comparison to the American Bull Terrier. Tummy tuck and a more general dog look in the face. The cute shelter puppy that I posted yesterday was advertised as a Carolina Dog but I suspect it's CD/Pit mix. It would prolly do me well but I don't want to go through puppyhood again.

Well I hit Aldi today and they had finally restocked BBQ sauce. I like their hickory, brown sugar version. No steak sauce though but Food Lion store brand is about the same price point  and both are (IMO) as good as A1.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Nope, two totally different breeds that don't look at all alike.











						Pit bull - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Ron Van

The past 6 days we’ve been battling frozen pipes and septic back ups. I called several septic clean out guys but none were working because their trucks were frozen. I got the water running again fairly fast and then a septic guy finally came out on Tuesday 5 days after I started calling them. It was cold and also Christmas Holiday so it was a bad time to need a service. 

After the septic tank was pumped, the septic backup was still happening so I went under the house and snaked the main house drain pipe for several hours (it seemed like). I found another clean out buried outside the house. It was that one that finally cleared the problem. 

Today, my BIL and I installed a plastic utility box over the outside clean-out so I don’t have to dig it up next time. 

It seems everything works like it should now so we took some time off to go to the park with the kids and look at some Christmas lights. 






Me and Ruby


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> After the septic tank was pumped, the septic backup was still happening so I went under the house and snaked the main house drain pipe for several hours (it seemed like). I found another clean out buried outside the house. It was that one that finally cleared the problem.
> 
> Today, my BIL and I installed a plastic utility box over the outside clean-out so I don’t have to dig it up next time.


I would have dumped hot/boiling water down the cleanouts... 
. 
Hope the box is insulated so cold doesn't get down into there...


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Hope the box is insulated so cold doesn't get down into there...


Yeah, I thought about that. What could be used for insulation in there? The sewage drain pipe is still mostly buried in dirt with the top being exposed in a small area where the clean-out is. It probably won't have any problems. I say that because the other half of the house has a secondary kitchen and a full bath that drains into the septic from the opposite side as the main house and it's drain line is more exposed than the main house is now and it had no problem at 7 degrees F. I'm sure it will be fine but a little extra insurance isn't a bad thing


----------



## Ron Van

The strainer on the pool pump froze and broke because I forgot to program the pump to run 24/7. We’re just not used to temps below 19F. Even at sub 29F I should run the pump 24/7. I really need to make a sub 29 checklist and a sub 20F checklist and then hope I don’t have to use the sub 20F one. 




Luckily, I had a spare and just had to cut the 1 1/2” PVC going to the inlet which you can’t see in this picture. When I put it back together, I used a union so it can be taken apart without cutting it.


----------



## Eddie_T

I had my septic tank pumped a couple of years ago and bought a cover to go in the hole for cleanout. I have never installed the cover so the hole has never been refilled.The system continued to operate throughout the cold snap so I am assuming the small exposed area did not permit enough heat loss from a 1500 gallon tank for any freezing. The distribution box was not uncovered.


----------



## Eddie_T

For the Pit Bull vs Bull terrier argument Wiki is not a good source. The  breeds aren't even recognized in the same kennel clubs. The Bull Terrier is shown in the AKC and the Pit Bull Terrier in the UKC.


----------



## Flyover

Eddie_T said:


> For the Pit Bull vs Bull terrier argument Wiki is not a good source. The  breeds aren't even recognized in the same kennel clubs. The Bull Terrier is shown in the AKC and the Pit Bull Terrier in the UKC.


But even Wikipedia states that in the US the term "pitbull" may refer to a number of breeds--_none of them the bull terrier_!









						Bull Terrier - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org


----------



## havasu

Ron Van said:


> The strainer on the pool pump froze and broke because I forgot to program the pump to run 24/7. We’re just not used to temps below 19F. Even at sub 29F I should run the pump 24/7. I really need to make a sub 29 checklist and a sub 20F checklist and then hope I don’t have to use the sub 20F one.
> 
> View attachment 29406
> 
> 
> Luckily, I had a spare and just had to cut the 1 1/2” PVC going to the inlet which you can’t see in this picture. When I put it back together, I used a union so it can be taken apart without cutting it.
> 
> View attachment 29407


I recently purchased a variable speed pool pump, and looking thru the instructions, it says it has freeze protection built in to it. I'm wondering if it senses the temperature and turns on during freezing weather?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> What could be used for insulation in there?


Some styrofoam or fibreglas wall insulation... depending how much water it will see...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> But even Wikipedia states that in the US the term "pitbull" may refer to a number of breeds--_none of them the bull terrier_!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bull Terrier - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.m.wikipedia.org


They all seem to agree a pit bull is some combo of bulldog and terrier... raised to be mean...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> They all seem to agree a pit bull is some combo of bulldog and terrier... raised to be mean...


But Patton's dog wasn't a Pit Bull, it was a Bull Terrier.


----------



## havasu

My grandfather clock died last night. I have torn it apart, and going to find out why....and how to fix it. I just did this last year, and ran great, but think I used the wrong lubricant.


----------



## Eddie_T

Spicoli43 said:


> Made a batch of Chocolate, around 4 lbs. probably. I think this recipe will end up being 3 Gallon sized Ziplocks because I added so much stuff to it... I like to keep it around 65% because I don't use straight up Sugar. I could increase it to 75% Dark if I used Sugar, but I don't think that would work with the Fruit Sugars. The variable is Maple, first time using it.


For me I am sure the most economical approach would be for me just to purchase chocolate. Back in the day I used to order a 5 lb block from Sears catalog each Christmas along with their 5 lb Masterpiece fruitcake. If I were to seek an online source for chocolate what should I look for and what would represent a good price?


----------



## havasu

I fixed it!


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> For me I am sure the most economical approach would be for me just to purchase chocolate. Back in the day I used to order a 5 lb block from Sears catalog each Christmas along with their 5 lb Masterpiece fruitcake. If I were to seek an online source for chocolate what should I look for and what would represent a good price?


Well, the bars I bought before I got my machine were 3 oz. Theo Organic Mint. They were $1.99 on sale / $2.49 regular for a long time before Obamaflation. Now they are $3.65 regular. 

I just ran the numbers from my supplier for a straight up 100% Cacao bar... To make a 1KG batch is about 75% of a 3 LB bag of Cacao Nibs that are $21.99 on subscribe and save.

That comes out to $16.16 per 1KG batch

1KG is 35.27 Oz...

35.27 Oz / 3 Oz bar.. 11.75 Bars

That comes out to $1.37 Bar for 100%

I didn't add the required Cacao Butter because adding 50g of that drops the Cacao Nibs by 50g. It would probably be the same cost if not a miniscule difference, but the point is if I make enough, which I will, it will pay off the machine that costs $300 or $400 since I'm now saving approx. $2.28 per bar...

There's variables because I don't usually do the bars, I do the chunks of my recipe with cashews and raisins and dates etc... I'm just going off the straight up Cacao cost I would incur if I was buying 100% Bakers Chocolate or whatever separately. So, if I make 175 bars using said calculations, that pays for the $400 machine.

I think I'm probably half way there. 

Whether you want to get into making it with a machine with the Nibs, or you just want to use Cacao Powder on the stove and mix it with Coconut Oil and a sweetener / Peanut Butter or whatever, the best source I have found is a family owned company called Terrasoul... They are great now, hopefully they won't sellout...









						Cacao & Coconut
					

Mood and health elevating Cacao and Coconut are hailed as “Food of the Gods” and “The Tree of Life” for a reason. Enjoy these foods in the purest form available.




					www.terrasoul.com


----------



## shan2themax

I made a delicious dinner today. BBQ pulled pork, mac-n-cheese, and French style green beans. 

Also............

I keep getting notifications on reddit about people's public servant student loan forgiveness payment counts surpassing the required 120 payments and logging in to find there balances either 0.00 or much less if they had varying ages of loans because of more than 1 degree.  I logged into mine and was immediately moved to tears..... literally. So grateful, thankful and blessed. I will be 100%ecstatic once I get the formal letter, however.... 75% of mine are gone! The remaining balance is because I went back to school in the end of 2018 and graduated the spring of 2020. 
Ya'll.... that opens up so many possibilities, I can AFFORD to have the house worked on after it is finalized..... I was thanking Jesus for such a wonderful opportunity.

It is 70° here today after being 1° last week.... crazy weather!

Hope everyone has had a blessed day, and a delicious dinner!


----------



## shan2themax

If you have a spare 25ish minutes, please watch this. This happened in my hometown last year. This IS NOT the facility I work at.... I don't understand how this came to be..... so senseless and tragic


----------



## havasu

Video is unavailable.


----------



## Eddie_T

That's scary stuff!

53 Days | Chuck’s story | A 70-year-old man with documented dementia is taken by EMS to Cabell Huntington Hospital. What happened in the hours that followed shocked and devastated... | By WSAZ NewsChannel 3 | Facebook


----------



## zannej

Shan, I'm sorry about the cat. It could have been a very infected abscess but it sounds like she was in bad shape. She's no longer suffering. I hope you can help the other kitty. I'm so glad that most of your student loan debt is paid off.

Internet is working again but still unstable. Weather has warmed up and it won't cool off in the house. Gonna have to call a different AC person.

Havasu, I'm glad you got the clock fixed.

My shoulder and arm really hate me. I have a lidocaine patch on the arm but it's not helping enough. Muscles keep spasming. I'm going to have to see my doctor. Mom is talking to me about trying to get some sort of insurance but it's so expensive here. Need to get my stupid tooth that broke fixed but also need to get more work done on the truck. Timing belt and such. I'm a bit miffed at the dealership bc I asked for an oil change, diagnostic, & having the abs/vsa thing addressed. They charged me for fluid injection system treatment & put that I requested it. I did not. Charged over $500 for it. But, its the only place that works on Hondas in my area. Need timing belt changed and some other stuff. Need new tires too. Ugh.

But, at least its warm and I can still use the internet a bit.


----------



## Flyover

zannej said:


> But, its the only place that works on Hondas in my area


What??? I've never heard of Hondas getting treated like exotic European cars. I've seen places that only work on Porsches or Volvos because normal places won't, but Hondas??


----------



## Ron Van

I would like to do something to protect the inlet and outlet pipes going to and from our tankless water heater. We have a Rannai outdoor approved water heater. It has freeze protection internally for the exchanger and other critical components but the pipes connecting it to the house are unprotected and are the first thing to freeze. If the temperature gets down to 20F, it will freeze.




As I posted HERE, I'm getting conflicting information on putting heat tape on PEX. Some people do it but the heat tapes I've looked at (ie Frost King), don't list PEX as a material they are approved for. And also, some people put foam insulation over the heat tape but other people say not to do that.

If I just use foam insulation, How much does that really protect the pipes? 

Does anyone have info on this?


----------



## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> Some styrofoam or fibreglas wall insulation... depending how much water it will see...


I think the Styrofoam would be the way to go. It would be more waterproof, although, I don't think there should be much water in there but time will tell. 

It's funny...Our water meter is in a hole with a concrete utility box on top of it but the hole has never been filled in so there is no dirt around the box to insulate it. 




When we first bought this house 2 1/2 years ago, I didn't know where the water meter and shut off was, so naturally, I wanted to find it. It was buried under a growth of ivy and other weeds but the cover was not on the box. I found the cover, straightened up the box some and Ruby has been working the last two years on cleaning out the ivy and weeds. But the point is...It has never frozen whereas the water heater freezes any time it gets below 29F for any significant amount of time.

So, my goal is to become more proactive in freeze prevention.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron, when I had my shop floor concrete forms in, we put in a new pipe from the well to handle what will be the bathroom and a drop sink or whatever else I want. 

I should have put a shutoff valve by the well, but I was thinking I was going to have the shop built right away. So for the past 3 years, I have the exposed pipe / valve on top of the concrete, the only part that needs protection. 

I found this wrap that has been invaluable for 3 years, as evidenced by my pipe surviving even in this years' -50 plus with wind. It's not even rated that high, so I'm extremely impressed. This wrap connects to a 10 ga. extension cord that I snaked through conduit... 

While that isn't your exact situation, I think they can help you out... 



			http://www.unitherm.com/freezepro/


----------



## zannej

I wonder if spray foam/great stuff over saran wrap (so it won't stick but can be made into a form/shape) would work for insulation. LOL.

Flyover, I'm in an area where the preferred vehicles are Fords or Chevy's. But generally its best to take the vehicle to the dealership of the appropriate brand. Ford place doesn't know how to work on Hondas. Don't know why. My friend looked at forms from the place and said they did not actually do some of the work and that what I was seeing was what they wanted to do and how much it would cost. The labor was triple the cost of the parts. Friend said he'll send me links to get parts and I can order them and he'll install them.

He also noted that they charged me for oil on my oil change, but I provided my own oil. So, I'm going to have to ask them about that when I go back there. He also said the timing belt wasn't bad but something with the timing was off. I'm going to have to contact them and ask for a credit or refund for the oil bc it was $40. I know they used my oil bc they put the almost empty jug back in my truck.

My arm still hates me today. Met with my friend to put gas in his car and then get some more groceries. He helped me load things. Hung out briefly with him and his new gf. She's still stressed bc her ex is stalking her & trying to win her back. He's showing up at her work, following her around town, and asking people to report to him where they see her vehicle. At this point, she might just need to sell that vehicle and get a different one. He went by my friend's house at 10pm when my friend wasn't there and went into my friend's backyard to see her vehicle was there. Then started calling my friend demanding to know why it was there. He told him it was bc she wanted it hidden bc she wants him to leave her alone. He's just not getting it.


----------



## Eddie_T

I watched portions of several Pit Bull Terrier dog shows on youtube. Unless they were atypical redneck specials it brought out my worst impressions of the breed.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> I wonder if spray foam/great stuff over saran wrap (so it won't stick but can be made into a form/shape) would work for insulation. LOL.


It probably would work but I think the foam sleeves are a lot easier.



zannej said:


> He also said the timing belt wasn't bad but something with the timing was off.


I'd be asking questions about that! The valve timing is set by aligning teeth on the belt to make the pulleys line up right. They can't get off unless the belt skipped a tooth which would be a major thing. 

If he's talking about ignition timing...that has nothing to do with the timing belt but ignition timing (these days) is controlled by the computer. There could be a crankshaft position sensor or a knock sensor acting up but your "Check Engine Light" (CEL) would be on and it seems like he would have mentioned a sensor being bad. Anyway, write down what he says and Google it to see if it makes sense. Mechanics hate a woman who knows what she's talking about. If your car's CEL is on, get an OBDII reader for $25.00 off Amazon and Google the code or ask your mechanic what code it is throwing and then Google it. 

I use a code reader like this one. I have an app on my phone that communicates with it. The ones for iPhone use WiFi to connect to them and Android use Bluetooth so get the right one. This one says it's good for both. I use the Fourstroke app on my phone.




My Expedition threw this code recently...




The fuel trim (both long term and short term) show that the computer is compensating for the lean mixture but it's not normal. Most likely, it indicates a vacuum leak. Oh boy! Another project!


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> I watched portions of several Pit Bull Terrier dog shows on youtube. Unless they were atypical redneck specials it brought out my worst impressions of the breed.


Ruby and I are fostering two pit bulls until we can find them a forever home. They are the biggest love bugs I’ve ever seen and they mind better than our dogs.


----------



## Ron Van

I removed one of our toilets recently because the main drain pipe going to the septic tank was plugged and water (and other stuff) was backing up into the bathtub. But the bad thing was water was flowing out of the base of one of the toilets indicating the wax ring had failed.

When I took the toilet off, I couldn't believe what I saw! The flange was broken, unlevel and had nails (doing something). I can't even figure out what the nails were doing. One side of the flange was well below the tile and the other side was a little above the tile. Not acceptable!




Anyway, I bought an Oatey toilet flange repair kit and got it level and 1/4" above the tile. Worked perfectly.





I had to cut the tile out a little but that wasn't a big deal.

I put a repair plate under the yellow Oatey flange to help screw it down.


----------



## Spicoli43

I think Wikipedia is dying. By no means do I consider it a source of information, more like the National Enquirer mixed with some truth like "Where is the Grand Canyon"... Lately though, any visit results in them begging for money.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> I watched portions of several Pit Bull Terrier dog shows on youtube. Unless they were atypical redneck specials it brought out my worst impressions of the breed.


Pit Bull rescues are the most gentle / playful Dogs I have ever met.


----------



## Spicoli43

WOW, Ron... I can't believe the person doing that toilet job successfully hooked up the water hose! You got me on the nails also, never seen that.


----------



## Eddie_T

Where I had Thanksgiving dinner the family had a rescue Pit Bull. It would lay its chin on my knee hoping for some loving attention. All it takes is one bad boy to do some damage though.

Thinking back to my youth my Boston Terrier mix quickly dispensed with the first rat it ever saw. A Collie I gave away herded chickens and cows (to the point that they couldn't graze) with no instructions. Beagles will hunt rabbits given the chance. So my question is what might a Pit Bull revert to unexpectedly w/o instructions?

A person at one of the dog shows commented that the breed was developed for aggression toward other animals but gentle enough toward humans that the owners could lift them out of the pit w/o being attacked.  Poor backyard or street breeding could end up with some strange suppressed characteristics coming forward.


----------



## Ron Van

Maggie, the dark brindle colored dog, is a Dutch Shepard. She is a sweetie to humans and to our other two dogs but we can’t trust her around stranger dogs! She will rip them apart.


----------



## Eddie_T

They both look sweet. Dogs get a lot of bad press. I was considering adopting a Dobe (before learning how difficult adoptions had become) available because his owner (a military officer being transferred) found out at the last moment that the community where he had just closed on a house had a restriction against Dobes and some other breeds. I mentioned it a friend and he said I better check my homeowners insurance before considering a Dobe.

Thought i heard random shots fired just now then realized that it was New Year's Eve.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> he had just closed on a house had a restriction against Dobes and some other breeds. I mentioned it a friend and he said I better check my homeowners insurance before considering a Dobe.



Doberman’s are the only dog that scares me. I’ve known a couple that you just couldn’t make friends with. 

My neighbor in Elk Grove, Ca had two Dobes and I put the back of my hand out so one of them could smell me and he jumped up and bit me in the stomach. Tore my shirt. 


Eddie_T said:


> Thought i heard random shots fired just now then realized that it was New Year's Eve.



We’ve been hearing shots too! Waste of money. I’m saving my ammo for the apocalypse.


----------



## shan2themax

There has been another tragedy in the area.
Last night a 13 year old girl was hit by an off duty sheriff deputy (reportedly drunk, but not official) and killed (thought to have been on impact). I guess protests started after a candlelight vigil this evening.



			https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02bxznXTjFPtMSmLXtQCuGcBLs22L5c4LjqvJh8KsQ82pWz28wEpJgv2Q8swRW3VXDl&id=100044376999744&mibextid=Nif5oz


----------



## Eddie_T

Elk relaxing today near Newfound Gap.


----------



## Flyover

Went to a neighbor's for bbq last night. Then we were back home and had the younger kids in bed by 9. I was up latest, reading in bed until about 12:05. I heard a lot of fireworks and possibly some gunshots, and knew what it would mean... 

Sure enough, one of the younger kids got out of bed scared and insisted on sleeping in my bed. I hate that because it means either I try to sleep on a 6" strip of mattress and wake up with my limbs asleep, or I go try and sleep in the kid's vacated bed which isn't as comfortable as mine (because it's not mine) and usually wake up not rested and possibly with an achy neck. Well, that's what I opted for anyway so here we are. 

Fireworks can go to hell along with everyone who lights them off within 5 miles of young kids and dogs. Bah humbug.

At least today I can look forward to jamming with my drummer buddy.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Elk relaxing today near Newfound Gap.
> View attachment 29428
> View attachment 29429


That's awesome! Did you take this picture?


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> Went to a neighbor's for bbq last night. Then we were back home and had the younger kids in bed by 9. I was up latest, reading in bed until about 12:05. I heard a lot of fireworks and possibly some gunshots, and knew what it would mean...
> 
> Sure enough, one of the younger kids got out of bed scared and insisted on sleeping in my bed. I hate that because it means either I try to sleep on a 6" strip of mattress and wake up with my limbs asleep, or I go try and sleep in the kid's vacated bed which isn't as comfortable as mine (because it's not mine) and usually wake up not rested and possibly with an achy neck. Well, that's what I opted for anyway so here we are.
> 
> Fireworks can go to hell along with everyone who lights them off within 5 miles of young kids and dogs. Bah humbug.
> 
> At least today I can look forward to jamming with my drummer buddy.


Yes, I agree. I don't see how fireworks for average joe is necessary. An organized show, maybe. When the fireworks and/or gunshots go off, our big bad Dutch Shepard jumps into our bed. We tried to get her out but soon gave up because was shivering, whimpering and very persistent. This has been going on since we moved to Alabama. We now know if there is a thunderstorm, Hunting season opener, or fireworks, she will be shivering in our bed.


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> There has been another tragedy in the area.
> Last night a 13 year old girl was hit by an off duty sheriff deputy (reportedly drunk, but not official) and killed (thought to have been on impact). I guess protests started after a candlelight vigil this evening.
> 
> 
> 
> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02bxznXTjFPtMSmLXtQCuGcBLs22L5c4LjqvJh8KsQ82pWz28wEpJgv2Q8swRW3VXDl&id=100044376999744&mibextid=Nif5oz


This story is exactly why I made the decision in 1995 to quit drinking. I couldn’t live with myself if I killed someone while intoxicated. Not to mention your career is over, your family will be thrust into poverty, and you will do jail time. It’s easy to say, “I’ll never drive while drunk!” But everybody does at some point. You forget something at the store and you’ve only had one beer. . .surely you can drive and nothing will happen. It’s not worth it though.


----------



## Eddie_T

Ron Van said:


> That's awesome! Did you take this picture?


My son took the pics. He and his wife went to Gatlinburg just for a break from her regimen of caring for her Mom. They saw the elk shortly after passing the visitors center at Newfound Gap. He sent me the pics saying that just seeing the elk was worth the drive. from NC.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was reminiscing over the first (and maybe the best) trained dog I ever saw. I was a kid and a returning WWII vet had a GSD. He didn't have a vehicle and would walk a bit over a mile to see a movie. The dog walked with him off-leash in the heel position. He would tell the dog to stay and it would sit or lie on the sidewalk between the ticket booth and the 'greasy spoon' until his master returned.


----------



## Spicoli43

Shan, I hope that deputy gets everything a civilian would if he was drunk... Obviously nobody should drive impaired, but there's a higher standard for LEO's. That said, the only story I found outside of FB from Huntington didn't say anything about alcohol. I can't see the FB story, but wouldn't be surprised if Fascistbook fabricated that part.

Hardly any fireworks last night, but people don't like doing them when it's 10 degrees. The 4th is a completely different story, they light them until 2 AM.

None of my animals have any problems with them, my younger cat has more issues with K-9 Dogs barking on episodes of COPS than any fireworks. 

Homeopathy for animals works, you can give your animals a few pellets every night leading up to the 4th or every night during Thunderstorm season, and you should notice a huge difference.... Any health food store will have the pellets like the Walmart link.









						Homeopathy For Animals During Fireworks | College Of Natural Health & Homeopathy
					

https://cnhh.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/art-top-4th-nov.jpg




					cnhh.ac.nz
				






			Robot or human?


----------



## shan2themax

Happy New Year!!!!


Glad to put 2022 behind me and look forward to what 2023 has to offer.

I made my late Christmas Dinner yesterday. I made a prime rib roast with mashed potatoes, prime rib gravy (took 4.5 hours to make), my oldest made asparagus, and my daughter made brussel sprouts, and then I made a cherry crumble (frozen). Delicious dinner, great company. 

Learned about all kinds of New Years Eve/Day superstitions yesterday. Some are hilarious. 

Hope everyone has a great day!


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 the video was of a protest that started after the candlelight vigil.

I hate what this sheriff will go through, for the rest of his life, no matter how it happened. However, I hope it isn't just swept under the rug. If it were a civilian they would have been put in jail until Tuesday when the magistrate was back, and he is at home. Which..... for him and his family is a good thing I guess so that they have time to spend together before whatever happens.


----------



## Eddie_T

I was reheating applesauce (apple butter  simulation) so it will keep another 10 days or so in the fridge. I had it on low and after maybe an hour I noticed it was bubbling. It got me thinking that a cooktop needs a slow cooker setting.

I have the original Crock Pot but seldom use it because the ceramic liner is not removable for washing. I hesitate to purchase a modern version as I am not sure how much I might use it and it would be something else to store. I am thinking of experimenting with a 120V burner (that I have on hand) and the voltage controller that I use with my quartz heater to simulate a slow cooker with any pot.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> I'd be asking questions about that! The valve timing is set by aligning teeth on the belt to make the pulleys line up right. They can't get off unless the belt skipped a tooth which would be a major thing.


Hondas were some of the first vehicles to have VVT... Variable Valve timing... so that can get screwed up...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I hate what this sheriff will go through, for the rest of his life, no matter how it happened.


I hate that good officer Derek Chauvin got 22 years in prison simply for trying to arrest stoner career criminal George Floyd while he was suiciding himself perpetrating one last crime...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Hondas were some of the first vehicles to have VVT... Variable Valve timing... so that can get screwed up...


Sounds like a good reason not to buy a Honda (or anything with VVT). It's getting to where dealer maintenance visits are more than depreciation.


----------



## havasu

Actually, which other profession can you get caught driving drunk, get arrested AND lose your job AND pension? Way more to lose if you wear a badge and screw up.

The guy the other day, who killed the Moreno Valley Motor Officer, had committed a robbery, an armed burglary, involved with stabbing a police dog, was pursued by cops several times, but was released to shoot and kill that officer while out on bail, UNDER HOUSE ARREST!









						Riverside County sheriff blames judge for allowing release of man accused of killing deputy
					

According to Sheriff Chad Bianco, the suspect had been convicted of a "third strike" offense last year that should have put him in state prison for 25 years to life, but a San Bernardino County judge lowered his bail, allowing his release.




					abc7.com


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Thought i heard random shots fired just now then realized that it was New Year's Eve.


Went down to the casino last night to watch the Ohio State - Georgia football game... kinda forgot it was also New Year's Eve... prolly 3 years since I've seen the casino packed like that... there was a live band, but playing 1990's music, so not my taste... I'm still 1940's - 1970's... was surprised by the shiny skimpy outfits some of the younger women were wearing in the middle of winter...


----------



## havasu

Them girls were on the prowl!


----------



## Spicoli43

I guess I should root for TCU in the NC game, but I think 1-A Football is lackluster and boring because they only have 4 teams in the "playoffs", and most didn't really play anybody. A few years back when Alabama was #1 AGAIN, their strength of schedule was 85th or something like that.

With 1-AA Football, there is 24 teams in the playoffs, so they have to actually win several games. North Dakota State has dominated in the last decade, but they pay the refs. There is blatant evidence of that, and I question if they ever truly won anything, but that's the only Sport I have left.


----------



## Eddie_T

I tried to watch some PBS music. I noticed that Bluegrass Underground was anything but bluegrass. As it signed off I noticed the program name had changed to the Cavern Sessions. I guess my favorite era was the folk music craze of the 60s and 70s. When my FTA satellite dish was operable I got some better PBS music programing from a station in the west. I don't recall the state. I don't know if FTA is worth a try nowadays or not the internet seems to have taken over.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> I guess I should root for TCU in the NC game, but I think 1-A Football is lackluster and boring because they only have 4 teams in the "playoffs", and most didn't really play anybody. A few years back when Alabama was #1 AGAIN, their strength of schedule was 85th or something like that.


Actually, in FBS, the 'playoffs' start the 1st Game of the season! Lose 1 game, like the 1st game, that ND did, and your chances at PlayOffs is questionable... lose a 2nd game, and forget it, as EbbTide learned this season!
I was really ticked last night, Ryan Day said he would play this game WILD! Not hold back and be overly conservative. But then the chicken shiiite didn't go for the measly ONE YARD, just punted the game away... laying all the loss blame on the poor kicker kid... plus Day did another of his usual NOTHING 4th Quarters! That's OK if it's 4th quarter Garbage Time, but not if you need the points... At least Ohio State proved they could shred Georgia's weak socalled 'defense' for most of the game...


----------



## BuzzLOL

havasu said:


> Them girls were on the prowl!


Most were with a guy... but maybe still on the prowl... LOL!


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I tried to watch some PBS music. I noticed that Bluegrass Underground was anything but bluegrass. As it signed off I noticed the program name had changed to the Cavern Sessions. I guess my favorite era was the folk music craze of the 60s and 70s. When my FTA satellite dish was operable I got some better PBS music programing from a station in the west. I don't recall the state. I don't know if FTA is worth a try nowadays or not the internet seems to have taken over.


Just go straight to youtube... all your favorite old songs are there... plus they have videos with them now... that you didn't get to see when they were only on the radio...
Reminds me of 1970's when Hollywood decided there would be no more, or at least few, 'country'/western TV shows any more... would go all city/suburban/modern/cops/vehicles...
Was trying to call an older cousin, but discovered she had died, she and her sisters had grown up just before Rock-n-Roll was invented in early 1950's so was into RagTime. And since her one son had grown up with the kids of local musician RagTime Rick, she was always wanting me to join them when they went to see him play weekly. I would request to hear the song 'The Entertainer' from the movie 'The Sting' since that's about the only one I'm familiar with...


----------



## Eddie_T

I like some original stuff like this which is hard to find unless I already know about it;


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## Eddie_T

Hmmm, the Entertainer remotely reminds me of Alabama Jubilee


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## Spicoli43

Went to my Brother's and played an Xbox racing game... Forza 5. It's real addicting, but I'm not buying an Xbox to play it. I see I can get it for the computer, probably just have to buy an Xbox controller. I will have to figure that out.


----------



## shan2themax

@Spicoli43 I used to play Call of Duty when I had a working WII... it was quite stress reducing lol.
I may have thrown the controller a few times and screamed and yelled. I really like the Mario Brother games on all platforms also


----------



## havasu

Had relatives here today. Drank some wine, had spaghetti,  Italian sausage, garlic bread, green salad and cheesecake. We then played Farkle, a fun dice game.


----------



## zannej

Ron, thanks for the info. It looks like it is ignition timing. Friend said he can fix it. I need spark plugs and stuff and friend said he'd look up all the parts for me and send me links. Said he can do the labor himself. I need engine filter. I used the Seafoam cleaner in my gas tank so that might help with some stuff, but I suppose engine filter change is due and I know the air filter must be filthy. Need new tires though and that is going to suck bc they went up in price again. Samsclub charges $80 to install 4 tires (at $20 a pop). 

The "check engine" light is NOT on but the "check emissions" light is on. They didn't mention emissions in the diagnostic.

I have a code reader somewhere. I think it has to connect to a laptop. I don't know where to plug it in though-- will have to get friend to do it.

This is what the dealership gave me on the printout: (I'll have to take another pic with the prices-- the are insane).



I've seen some very sweet pit bulls as well as some very aggressive ones (bc of how they were raised/treated). There's one that has been going around killing neighborhood pets. I don't have any problems with pit bulls as a breed, but I have a problem with people who don't take good care of them or who teach them to be aggressive and then let them run loose. I love the brindled pattern on your doggy.

My guess is the flange may have cracked during installation/repair and they tried to patch it with nails rather than replace it. Initially I thought it was to keep the bolt from sliding back into the track, but its not in the right position for that.

Spicoli, I've seen some Wiki articles that pissed me off. Local guy in my area who passed away had a wiki entry & they listed him as a "philanthropist". He was one of the most greedy cutthroat s.o.b.s in town. Not a generous bone in his body. He owned half the commercial buildings in town. Total slumlord. Wouldn't fix leaking roofs, black mold, etc. Kept raising rent to the point it couldn't be afforded & then he got $ for business losses or something. Don't know if it was in tax deductions or insurance or both. He ran a flooring store & charged 2x the normal installation fee, didn't even install correctly, & made deals with distributors that they were only allowed to sell to him and not the one competitor in town. Drove the competitor (who is my good neighbor) out of business. Then there was the article about a former governor of Guam where they said he rescued a girl from a plane crash. He outright kidnapped her from the crash site, took her back to his mansion where he probably sexually abused her, and refused to release her. Didn't even let the poor kid get medical attention. I'm with you that the cop should get in major trouble for the drunk driving. I hate that (where I live) cops get more leniency. IMO, they should be held to higher standards bc they know the law and are supposed to enforce it. My father was a LEO and he felt the same way. I've mentioned before that cops in my area can (and have) literally get away with murder. I'm glad that its not like that everywhere though.

Eddie, I knew someone with a doberman who lived down the street from me. The dog loved kids and was very protective of them. The mother couldn't spank the kids with the dog around. So they would piss the mother off and run to the dog. If she tried to hit them, the dog would jump up and grab her hand (gently) and would put herself between mother and kids. One time at a gathering a man was throwing a toddler into the air and the toddler was screaming. Dog thought he was hurting her so she bit him.

Shan, that is very sad. Awhile back there was a teen hit by a deputy who I believe was speeding on a road. There were no crosswalks across the street & there was a public park. Kid was trying to get to the park when he got hit. There are a lot of children in that area. Kid lingered on life support for a month before dying & his organs were donated. Cop hasn't had any consequences but parents are pushing for crosswalks and reduced speed limit signs in the area.

Buzz, I LOVE The Entertainer song! I still remember when I was a kid there was a Fry Guys merry-go-round (could fit maybe 3 or 4 kids) and it played that song. While my parents were eating at McDonalds I was riding that thing over and over just to hear the song. I'm fond of Ragtime music. 

Havasau, sounds like a good day.

I think I was asleep when midnight rolled around for new year's. Woke up to some gun shots and had to pee. Went back to bed after that and slept in the next day. Was not feeling well and my arm/shoulder were hurting like hell. Didn't get up until after dark (aside from bathroom trips). Gonna hope my friend can come over tomorrow to help with plumbing. Apparently he slept in late too. Said he didn't wake up until about 4pm. My brother went to work and did a 10 hour shift. He reported that a teenage girl who had been banned from the casino for having sex in the public restrooms TWICE was back & they let her in. She apparently used to hang out in the Kid's Quest area and started hitting on male workers when she was 12. At 13 they no longer let her in Kid's Quest as she was "too old". She started hitting on every male (and some females) in sight. She was at it again flirting with other customers and employees. She comes in with a lot of $$ and spends hours playing arcade games and putting moves on people. It's pretty sad.

I'm hoping I'll be feeling better tomorrow. Stomach doesn't feel good today. I'm also going to have to call the Honda place and ask for a refund/credit because they charged me for oil when they used the oil that I provided. I even put in the appointment write-up that I brought my own oil and filter but they still charged me for it.


----------



## Flyover

At that neighbor's new years eve bbq we were at the other night, he had the Michigan vs tcu game on on his giant 96-or-whatever-inch TV, so I watched a good chunk of the 3rd and 4th quarters. That's my kinda game! Right down to the wire. It's even more fun when you don't know or care about either team (I had to guess what tcu stood for), who's favored to win, who the winner's playing next, what are the names of the coaches' mother-in-laws, etc. Just to be in the moment watching a sport get played by people who are way better at it than you ever were or will be, and it's within a touchdown right up to the final seconds. That's good television!

Also, seeing all those favorable calls for Michigan getting overturned one after another, it was like a plot twist.


----------



## Ron Van

Flyover said:


> I had to guess what tcu stood for, who's favored to win, who the winner's playing next, what are the names of the coaches' mother-in-laws, etc.


Yes! It's good stuff! The Bulldogs (Georgia) are highly favored to beat Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs one week from today in Irvine, Ca. It's supposed to be 64F on Game day.


----------



## Eddie_T

As my son was making his return from Gatlinburg traffic was backed up. When they got to the bottleneck it was a cow elk followed by the big guy walking the centerline of the road. He said DIL could have reached out and touched his rack as they passed by.


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## Spicoli43

shan2themax said:


> @Spicoli43 I used to play Call of Duty when I had a working WII... it was quite stress reducing lol.
> I may have thrown the controller a few times and screamed and yelled. I really like the Mario Brother games on all platforms also


The last thing I played was Tiger Woods Golf on the Wii, before that the only thing I owned was the OG Nintendo, and played all the Mario games. I have been pretty much Computer games since then, but only have time when I can't mow the snow..


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> At that neighbor's new years eve bbq we were at the other night, he had the Michigan vs tcu game on on his giant 96-or-whatever-inch TV, so I watched a good chunk of the 3rd and 4th quarters. That's my kinda game! Right down to the wire. It's even more fun when you don't know or care about either team (I had to guess what tcu stood for), who's favored to win, who the winner's playing next, what are the names of the coaches' mother-in-laws, etc. Just to be in the moment watching a sport get played by people who are way better at it than you ever were or will be, and it's within a touchdown right up to the final seconds. That's good television!
> 
> Also, seeing all those favorable calls for Michigan getting overturned one after another, it was like a plot twist.


Since WHEN do you like watching guys run around in tight pants?


----------



## shan2themax

So... reports are saying that the officer was not drunk or on drugs, which is great..... but... I feel like that will make it even harder on the Officer. There is alot of controversy currently because witness statements and police statements aren't matching. I just hope the family, and the officer can find some peace in this tragedy. The deputy appears very young in his pictures, I can't imagine what either of the families are going through.


I decided to be silly this year and go with the superstitions of not cleaning on New Years Eve or New Years day.... so here we are today, cleaning furiously lol.

Hopefully everyone has a blessed day.

@zannej go get that arm/shoulder/neck looked at so that you can avoid permanent disability!


----------



## Flyover

Spicoli43 said:


> Since WHEN do you like watching guys run around in tight pants?


I told you I like watching sports if I'm out somewhere and it's on. I just can't be bothered to go out of my way to turn it on and watch at home; got too much other stuff to do. (like post on here haha) And of course I can't fathom why I should care which team loses, whose record is good/bad, etc.


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## Eddie_T

I thought the only reason for sports was thinly veiled public gambling.


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## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> I told you I like watching sports if I'm out somewhere and it's on. I just can't be bothered to go out of my way to turn it on and watch at home; got too much other stuff to do. (like post on here haha) And of course I can't fathom why I should care which team loses, whose record is good/bad, etc.


I remember you saying you don't care who wins, I don't remember you ever saying you like to watch. I don't care or watch 99% of Sports now that most of it is Rainbow enhanced Woke CCP sellout garbage. Only College sports.


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## Flyover

Watching anyone who's really good at what they do, making something extremely difficult look easy, is fun to watch. Sports has the added benefit of being something most people have participated in at some point, and if you understand the strategy aspect that adds another layer of interest. And then playoff sports have that extra intensity too.

If the person on TV is not in the process of playing a sport, or directing a team on how they should play the sport, then whatever is on TV is not sports and might as well be a soap opera or home shopping network for all I care. Ideally the TV only turns on a split second before the ball/puck/whatever is in play, and turns off a split second after the final whistle/out/etc.


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## Eddie_T

I was about to say watching people paid to perform sports is a waste of time but suddenly realized that most of us waste time. My own waste is reading novels. I have read several hundred in the past few years. I guess the only redeeming factor is that it has enhanced my speed reading capability. But I use that for what, to read even more novels?

Because of the the novels I favor I have learned much about government (and other) surveillance and tracking, how to enhance situational awareness, mistakes made by those who carry weapons and think they are prepared of self defense. But what good is that since I live in a low crime area and don't personally know anyone who has saved the day by being weaponized? So I guess my rant is over and I'm back to my latest novel,


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## zannej

I assembled some PVC pipe with couplings and shutoffs. Had some issues with the glue & had to go to the store to get cleaner and primer. Picked up my friend and brought him out. It took a pipe wrench to get the cleaner and primer jars open. Friend got everything hooked up to outside water. Went back to help his gf get her stuff form her ex's house. The ex had her alone lying to her and trying to manipulate her for 30min before I went back up to the door. He let me in and we chatted a little. I helped with what I could. The ex acted all friendly and helpful. Got back to friend's house and the gf was crying really hard bc of the bs her ex said. Hung out for a bit and then came home. Checked the water and there was a massive leak. One of the pex fittings was broken. Told friend and he said he'd come out once he knew what was going on with the gf. I fell asleep. He called out into my room and I woke up. He'd been by and couldn't see me before. Got up and ran back and forth getting fittings and such. He got it all fixed and just headed out.

Mom just walked by and said she wants food. Arm is still really hurting and being obnoxious. Gonna have to see the doctor about it and see if he can prescribe something better for inflammation and muscle spasms.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> I assembled some PVC pipe with couplings and shutoffs. Had some issues with the glue & had to go to the store to get cleaner and primer. Picked up my friend and brought him out. It took a pipe wrench to get the cleaner and primer jars open. Friend got everything hooked up to outside water. Went back to help his gf get her stuff form her ex's house. The ex had her alone lying to her and trying to manipulate her for 30min before I went back up to the door. He let me in and we chatted a little. I helped with what I could. The ex acted all friendly and helpful. Got back to friend's house and the gf was crying really hard bc of the bs her ex said. Hung out for a bit and then came home. Checked the water and there was a massive leak. One of the pex fittings was broken. Told friend and he said he'd come out once he knew what was going on with the gf. I fell asleep. He called out into my room and I woke up. He'd been by and couldn't see me before. Got up and ran back and forth getting fittings and such. He got it all fixed and just headed out.


It's nice to get your water working again!


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> So... reports are saying that the officer was not drunk or on drugs, which is great..... but... I feel like that will make it even harder on the Officer. There is alot of controversy currently because witness statements and police statements aren't matching. I just hope the family, and the officer can find some peace in this tragedy. The deputy appears very young in his pictures, I can't imagine what either of the families are going through.



I looked back on the original post and the Facebook post connected to it. It amazes me how people where ready to crucify this officer! I still don't know the facts and it seems most people don't but if he wasn't drunk or on drugs then the focus should shift to why was the little girl in a city street at 10:30 PM? It seems like an unfortunate accident that was being blamed on a cop.


shan2themax said:


> @zannej go get that arm/shoulder/neck looked at so that you can avoid permanent disability!


Thinking about Zannej and Louisiana, reminded me of the country singer Lainey Wilson who is from Louisiana and she sang a duet with Hardy at the CMA's this year that really stuck in my mind called, Wait in the Truck . 

There was something in the headlights
It stopped me on a dime
Well, she was scared to death, so I said
"Climb in, " and then she climbed
Oh, yeah

Well, she was bruised and broke from head to toe
With a tear in her blood-stained shirt
She didn't tell the whole truth, but she didn't have to
I knew what had happened to her

I didn't load her down with questions
That girl had been through enough
I just threw it in drive, looked in those eyes
And I asked her where he was . . .

Anyway, I realized that Lainey Wilson sang a bunch of songs that I like but the weird thing is that Ruby and I were watching the TV show, "Yellowstone" last night (with Kevin Costner) and I thought that the singer on the show (Abby) looked a lot like Lainey Wilson...Sure enough, Abby is played by Lainey Wilson!


----------



## Eddie_T

Here's a clue that he's not a real hillbilly or redneck, real trucks ain't got no drive.

I didn't load her down with questions
That girl had been through enough
*I just threw it in drive,* looked in those eyes
And I asked her where he was .


----------



## zannej

Speaking of trucks, I was watching a Youtube series called Stud Pack. It started out in Baton Rouge, LA but they just moved out to Houston, TX. The main guy in the channel has a Ford F150 & the thing apparently doesn't have 4WD or AWD. It kept getting stuck in the mud. His son-in-law had to bring in a Toyota (I think Tacoma) and pull him out of the mud and move heavy stuff to and from in the yard because it could actually make it. It also pulled down a tree and an old shed (once they removed 2 walls. They are first going to build a detached garage with living space above. Then they plan to tear down the old house and build a new one. They are waiting on approval from the city.

Anyway, I went out this morning and turned the shutoff that I believed would turn the water to the trough on. I was correct. It's coming out somewhat slowly, but I think the line needed to clear some air bubbles. Makes me glad we put in new shutoffs because the old one was off but was still allowing full flow of water. The new one works much better. I didn't have any elbow fittings for PEX so had to use a tee and a cap. I'll have to take photos later. Right now I'm trying to cool off. Power went out last night and I was sweating like crazy. It's really damp outside so that didn't help and its also warm again. 

Need to make an appointment with the doctor to see about my shoulder because it's being hateful today. I've been doing the shoulder exercises he told my brother to do for his shoulder but its still not helping.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Speaking of trucks, I was watching a Youtube series called Stud Pack. It started out in Baton Rouge, LA but they just moved out to Houston, TX. The main guy in the channel has a Ford F150 & the thing apparently doesn't have 4WD or AWD. It kept getting stuck in the mud. His son-in-law had to bring in a Toyota (I think Tacoma) and pull him out of the mud and move heavy stuff to and from in the yard because it could actually make it. It also pulled down a tree and an old shed (once they removed 2 walls. They are first going to build a detached garage with living space above. Then they plan to tear down the old house and build a new one. They are waiting on approval from the city.


I've watched quite a few of the Stud Pack youTube channel videos. He seems to have a good relationship with his son, Jordie.


zannej said:


> Anyway, I went out this morning and turned the shutoff that I believed would turn the water to the trough on. I was correct. It's coming out somewhat slowly, but I think the line needed to clear some air bubbles. Makes me glad we put in new shutoffs because the old one was off but was still allowing full flow of water. The new one works much better. I didn't have any elbow fittings for PEX so had to use a tee and a cap. I'll have to take photos later. Right now I'm trying to cool off. Power went out last night and I was sweating like crazy. It's really damp outside so that didn't help and its also warm again.


It's warm here too. That's why there are tornado watches all over the South.


zannej said:


> I've been doing the shoulder exercises he told my brother to do for his shoulder but its still not helping.


Your brother needs to do the exercises! LOL!


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Here's a clue that he's not a real hillbilly or redneck, real trucks ain't got no drive.
> 
> I didn't load her down with questions
> That girl had been through enough
> *I just threw it in drive,* looked in those eyes
> And I asked her where he was .


To make it rhyme he could say, "Put in in first gear, Blew in her ear," but that changes the whole song!


----------



## Spicoli43

Watched some COPS episodes, Season 13 last night from Joisey City... In the Intro where the "Bad Boys" song plays, they show the Twin Towers in the background, and I was stunned for like 10 seconds... had to pause it and just look...


----------



## Flyover

Ron Van said:


> To make it rhyme he could say, "Put in in first gear, Blew in her ear," but that changes the whole song!


Three more options:

Threw it in first, while a beer did I nurse

Stepped on the clutch, which impressed her much

Released the e-brake, and prepared to 'cel'rate


----------



## zannej

My brain isn't focusing enough to add to lyrics. I thought those were actual lyrics to a song.

My brother was telling me some famous wrestler was killed in a snowmobile accident. Flipped over and landed on him. And an actor from the Marvel movies had a snow plow accident-- got thrown off and it ran over his leg. He's apparently in ICU from what my brother said. And here I'm whining about my shoulder. LOL.



Ron Van said:


> I've watched quite a few of the Stud Pack youTube channel videos. He seems to have a good relationship with his son, Jordie.
> 
> It's warm here too. That's why there are tornado watches all over the South.
> 
> Your brother needs to do the exercises! LOL!


Yeah, Jordan is really nice and you can tell he & his dad love each other. Apparently, Jordan was living in Dallas and saw some of his dad's videos on Youtube and said "I have to go help him!" and moved to Louisiana to help him out. When he decided to move back to TX, his dad wanted to move with him. I think his sister also lives in TX. Now the sister's husband, Rad, is helping out. They all seem like nice guys. Did you see the bathroom reno they did where the used camshafts as supports for counters?

ugh. Tornadoes suck. I still feel so awful for the family that lost a house that had been in their family for 100 years. They survived, which was the upside, but still-- something that lasted 100 years and in seconds it was ripped apart.

My brother has been doing the exercises for his right shoulder-- although its still bothering him. I've been doing them for my left shoulder but can't do them for as long as I'd like because it starts to spasm on me.

Today I went out and got pictures of the plumbing in the pump house as well as the outside hose bib I fixed up. The cows haven't gone near the waterer ye. It is filled to the brim but not overflowing. I need to level it better. And I need to put up some sort of cover to keep the leaves and branches out of it. Need to add a second tap for another hose on there and use the hose to spray the trough out when I clean it.

This is the current state of things in the pump house. I need to clean up in there. Eventually I want to get a smaller tank and a cycle stop valve setup. I'm thinking of making a pressure treated wooden stand or board that attaches to the steel shed wall (but goes all the way to the ground in case the wall doesn't support it)  and use a bracket to hold it up-- metal bands that wrap around the tank to hold in in place.


I also put foil tape over the seams and gaps on the insulation for my hose bib. I'm still planning to make a cover for the top using a small styrofoam cooler that shipped with mom's insulin and some zip ties or something. Still need to figure out how to protect the ball valve. I put it above ground because I couldn't find the tools to dig lower and didn't have a way to prevent the shutoff from getting buried and be unusable. Its so close to the fence its hard to get anything behind it.
Before & after foil tape:





I only got the foil tape stuck to myself twice.

Cooked for Mom but she really wanted some frozen burritos she bought from Sams last time we went. Except my brother ate them all. In his defense, he thought they were the ones he got at Walmart and didn't remember he'd eaten all of his. But Mom was really pissed off. I found something else for her to eat but she wasn't happy.

Upside is, my friend is happy. His ex is absolutely miserable though. She has to take care of her own baby and she hates it. She also has to clean up after herself and that pisses her off too. If she doesn't she gets kicked out and her boyfriend & his mom will take the baby from her.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> I thought the only reason for sports was thinly veiled public gambling.


After the plandemic, local casino replaced the $8 all you can eat buffet with a sports gambling outfit... everyone wants the buffet back... I don't eat that much often, but it was an occasional treat to have 200 food items to chose from and sample...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> My brother was telling me some famous wrestler was killed in a snowmobile accident. Flipped over and landed on him. And an actor from the Marvel movies had a snow plow accident-- got thrown off and it ran over his leg.


I get about 50 emails daily with those kinds of stories... don't have time to read them... just delete most of them... never heard of most of those 'famous' people...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I get about 50 emails daily with those kinds of stories... don't have time to read them... just delete most of them... never heard of most of those 'famous' people...


You get to many emails. You either need a better spam filter or a fresh email address


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> You get to many emails. You either need a better spam filter or a fresh email address


Neither one will work... a new personal email address would just get the same spam emails as companies re-sell it... and make a lot of work for me to get the new email address out to hundreds of people, websites, and companies.
And I don't want to block real Russian people trying to reach my email for my Normal People Organization that are trying to seek info about and help from the outside world. Russia email bombs that address to try and block their people from being able to reach us and religions also try to block us/the truth.


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Neither one will work... a new personal email address would just get the same spam emails as companies re-sell it... and make a lot of work for me to get the new email address out to hundreds of people, websites, and companies.
> And I don't want to block real Russian people trying to reach my email for my Normal People Organization that are trying to seek info about and help from the outside world. Russia email bombs that address to try and block their people from being able to reach us and religions also try to block us/the truth.


So you have a following of normal people that you actually help?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Got my electric bill today, looked a little highish, so I re-checked the rate. Still at about 5 1/2 cents per KWH... checked the other 55 companies' rates available around here, they varied from 5 3/4 - 20 cents... most were over 10 cents... the one for 5 3/4 also had an additional $50 monthly 'fee' in addition to electricity usage billing... plus a fee for early contract termination... 
Before the plandemic i was paying about 4 1/2 cents with an outside supplier, but they had jumped to 13 cents now... and couldn't keep me on at any lower than that... 
. 
My natural gas had been at 33 cents, but that company has jumped to $1.20 now, nearly 4 times as much, like nearly 300% increase. Friday I will go on a new supplier at 74 cents, the lowest rate available now, but still 2 1/2 times higher... so much for the Govt claim that inflation is only 8%...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> So you have a following of normal people that you actually help?


Normal people don't need much help, unless trapped in foreign countries, but we offer help to everyone and some learn from it/take advantage of it... it's what we can do to make the world a better place... decrease the number of unneeded wars/lower human suffering/poverty/mass murdering... basically, it's the same thing that was done when Jefferson/Madison formed the USA in writing... a country vastly radically different from all earlier countries... and a model for other countries to try to evolve into...


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Normal people don't need much help, unless trapped in foreign countries, but we offer help to everyone and some learn from it/take advantage of it... it's what we can do to make the world a better place... decrease the number of unneeded wars/lower human suffering/poverty/mass murdering... basically, it's the same thing that was done when Jefferson/Madison formed the USA in writing... a country vastly radically different from all earlier countries... and a model for other countries to try to evolve into...


Do you have any metrics to substantiate that you're making any impact?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Do you have any metrics to substantiate that you're making any impact?


Did Jefferson and Madison have any metrics?


----------



## Flyover

My trick with a new email address was I only shared it with people I knew personally. Then i set up automatic forwarding from my old one for select domains (Amazon, auctions, etc.) if I wanted e.g. notifications about stuff I'd bought without having to open the old one.

If I need to send an email to a company I use the old address.

Kids should to be taught to set up 3 email addresses: one personal, one for  commerce, and one professional.

Also, when filling out forms where your legal name isn't required but "your name" is, include a deliberate typo so you can trace who sold your data.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> My trick with a new email address was I only shared it with people I knew personally. Then i set up automatic forwarding from my old one for select domains (Amazon, auctions, etc.) if I wanted e.g. notifications about stuff I'd bought without having to open the old one.


ISP emails me daily asking me to delete the 1,000 unwanted emails clogging up memory from the other account...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Flyover said:


> Released the e-brake, and prepared to 'cel'rate


My uncle used to call the gas pedal the exhilarater pedal... since that was what it did...


----------



## Spicoli43

Flyover said:


> My trick with a new email address was I only shared it with people I knew personally. Then i set up automatic forwarding from my old one for select domains (Amazon, auctions, etc.) if I wanted e.g. notifications about stuff I'd bought without having to open the old one.
> 
> If I need to send an email to a company I use the old address.
> 
> Kids should to be taught to set up 3 email addresses: one personal, one for  commerce, and one professional.
> 
> Also, when filling out forms where your legal name isn't required but "your name" is, include a deliberate typo so you can trace who sold your data.


Yeah, I have 5 Emails, and create a new one when a Football game is on ESPN and I need to subscribe to a streaming service for a free trial. I burn that email just for that purpose, and for subscribe and save kind of deals wherever... I don't tell anyone it exists, and it receives zero spam. I also make up the name completely. My name is completely fabricated.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Yeah, I have 5 Emails, and create a new one when a Football game is on ESPN and I need to subscribe to a streaming service for a free trial.


I just go to the casino and sit and drink their free drinks while watching those games...


----------



## shan2themax

So, I bought myself a new toy had it delivered yesterday, just finished putting it together. I think between the tool chest I already have and this one. I should be able to keep things organized much easier and things will be more easily accessible. It was marked down to 120.00 in June and I think I paid 89.00 or 99.00 for it. Its small a little.over 4.feet tall and about 20 inches wide....
Ignore the dog food mess I just made topping off the food container, the dogs are cleaning it up for me lol.


----------



## Flyover

Built a "tchotchke" shelf out of scrap for my son's bedroom in about 40 minutes today. He helped. For the shelf itself I had a nice piece of edge-glued pine (actually came plastic-wrapped with an SKU and everything) and I fabricated some triangular supports and a backing piece out of some other 1x material I had lying around. Nothing fancy, just glue and brads. It looks nice enough and fits the decor in his room. I spaced it so I could screw it right onto the studs.


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> So, I bought myself a new toy had it delivered yesterday, just finished putting it together. I think between the tool chest I already have and this one. I should be able to keep things organized much easier and things will be more easily accessible.


Are you a TomBoy?


----------



## shan2themax

BuzzLOL said:


> Are you a TomBoy?


I thought that was kinda obvious  at least when it comes to tools, taking things apart putting them back together etc..... years ago, when I owned my Ford Festiva and Geo Metro, I did MOST  of the maintenance myself, oil changes, removed seats to get a good detail, pulled the bumper back out so the hood would attach to the latch after I rear-ended someone. I use to repair "boomboxes" when I was a kid. I was very poor until my mid 30s, so I learned to do things out of survival mode.

In general, I don't dress tomboyish, or look/act butch..... however, I will not ever be seen with a ball cap or plaid too because that definitely has attracted women to me in the past... and that is just not my thing at all.

I also own this


And this 


And a bunch of power tools.... small air compressor, router, oscillating tool, toe kick saw, circular saw(s), jigsaw, reciprocating saw, chain saw, compound miter saw, table saw..... you get the gist.....


I could care less about hair, makeup, clothes, etc......


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I just go to the casino and sit and drink their free drinks while watching those games...


The slot machine Casinos here are in every gas station and Bar, so even a town with 1000 people has more Casinos than Stop lights. If I were to sit at a machine and put coins in, Beer is free... If I were to be watching the game the whole time, there would undoubtedly be some regular people that wanted to use the machine, so I would be bounced and Beer wouldn't be free anymore.

But, I haven't done that in 20 plus Years, so maybe everything changed. They also have Sports gambling now, so maybe Beer is free if I gamble... No idea. 

I do know without a doubt that I cannot stand being around drinkers if I'm not hammered, and I don't get hammered anymore, ergo, I would risk missing a good portion of the game to walk home in that situation.


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> So, I bought myself a new toy .
> 
> View attachment 29460


Nice!



I like this one even better!


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> . I also make up the name completely. My name is completely fabricated.


You mean your name isn’t Spicoli?


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> Did Jefferson and Madison have any metrics?


Are you in their class? IIRC they made it into the history books.


----------



## zannej

Shan, nice tool chest! I wish I was better at taking things apart and fixing things. I have knowledge on how to do things but lack the physical strength and dexterity.

After seeing the maintenance list for my truck, I talked to my friend and watched youtube videos on how to do it. I can do some of it myself (like changing the spark plugs in the front- won't be able to reach the back ones), the PCV valve, and the ignition coils. I went ahead and ordered the latter 3 things from rockauto. Used a coupon from Retailmenot to save about $15 on the order. I got the chrome plugin that lets retailmenot automatically plugin different coupon codes until it finds one that works. 

Not feeling great today. Slept in and got up briefly to get mom food and feed the cats. Then back to resting. Got woken up by a call from a friend's ex wanting to drag me into drama. I kept trying to tell him let it go & move on but he was not listening to me. The dude still won't accept that his relationship ended when his gf said it was over and left. He's claiming it wasn't officially over until a few days later when she re-iterated to him that they were done. She just blocked him today. He also said he was "giving her space" but was messaging her at least once per day. That's not giving someone space. ugh. This is why I don't even want to deal with relationships. Too much drama.

on the upside, the Fries setting on the air fryer is good for the frozen chicken tenders.


----------



## shan2themax

Ron Van said:


> Nice!
> 
> View attachment 29463
> 
> I like this one even better!


Yes, I love this thing. I drooled over it for more than 2 years and then one day... I was like you know what... just buy it, stop thinking about it and just do it, so I did.  I had to order it and wait for like 2 weeks for it to come in. I got it at Harbor Freight.

Today starts my work week. Hoping its a good day. With just the right amount if busy!

Hope everyone has a great day!


----------



## Eddie_T

Just learned the number for tax free gifting this year is $17K. That means you can gift anyone you wish  up to that amount with no tax issue for either party. It's also per individual not per household.


----------



## Spicoli43

Eddie_T said:


> Just learned the number for tax free gifting this year is $17K. That means you can gift anyone you wish  up to that amount with no tax issue for either party. It's also per individual not per household.


Ok... PM me for my address. I accept Money Gram or even a personal check. You are the BEST!


----------



## Spicoli43

I'm considering another Water fast, but not a 5 day like the article describes. I fast for 15 hours at the minimum every day, and when on an intermittent fast, it's closer to 23 Hours. I have done a 40 Hour fast, which is real easy because the brain is fooled into thinking it's only a day... That's from Sunday night until Tuesday at 10 AM, basically just Green Tea / Herbal Teas on Monday and then Tuesday morning as well and it's done.

I have found if I drink 16 ounces of Tea / Water / Bone Broth an hour for the 16 Hours on the Monday, I eliminate a lot of built up waste, which starts healing at a cellular level. My Belly drops inches. 

If you do a fast and feel "weak" because you aren't eating Sugar, take a TSP of Coconut Oil, which feeds the Brain and eliminates the Sugar craving. 









						5 Day Water Fast: What to Expect on the Healing Journey
					

Water fasting is one of the most ancient and powerful healing strategies known.  Here you will discover what to expect on a 5 day water fast.




					drjockers.com


----------



## Eddie_T

My mix of about a half tsp of Vaseline with a tsp of canned tuna 2-3 times per week seems to be reducing hairball episodes for my cat. After the Vaseline is used up I'll switch to a generic petrolatum. Petrolatum is the main ingredient in Laxatone which is what I started with.


----------



## Ron Van

Spicoli43 said:


> If you do a fast and feel "weak" because you aren't eating Sugar, take a TSP of Coconut Oil, which feeds the Brain and eliminates the Sugar craving.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5 Day Water Fast: What to Expect on the Healing Journey
> 
> 
> Water fasting is one of the most ancient and powerful healing strategies known.  Here you will discover what to expect on a 5 day water fast.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> drjockers.com


I'm going to try that.


----------



## Ron Van

shan2themax said:


> Yes, I love this thing. I drooled over it for more than 2 years and then one day... I was like you know what... just buy it, stop thinking about it and just do it, so I did.  I had to order it and wait for like 2 weeks for it to come in. I got it at Harbor Freight.
> 
> Today starts my work week. Hoping its a good day. With just the right amount if busy!
> 
> Hope everyone has a great day!


I also bought a Harbor Freight toolbox. I was looking for a bigger box but I wanted roller bearings on the draw slides. HF is always having a sale but one day they were practically giving these boxes away so I got one. I’ve had it for over 5 years and the drawers slide just like they did on day one.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron Van said:


> I'm going to try that.


I would start with 24 Hours to see how you feel, and would start it in the evening so the next evening when you hit 24, if you want to go to sleep you get the extra 8 hours or whatever. If you're drinking 16 ounces of water / tea an hour, I would suggest a lot of Organic Green Tea during the day and Chamomile or Catnip at night for the calming relaxing effect.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Just learned the number for tax free gifting this year is $17K. That means you can gift anyone you wish  up to that amount with no tax issue for either party. It's also per individual not per household.


How do they know it's not a bribe, political donation, paying person who worked for you, etc...?


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> Are you in their class? IIRC they made it into the history books.


Religious Terrorist Hitler is in history books and was a Time MAN OF THE YEAR... so not necessarily desirable...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Green Tea / Herbal Teas on Monday and then Tuesday morning as well and it's done.
> 
> I have found if I drink 16 ounces of Tea / Water / Bone Broth an hour


People have died from drinking too much tea... I forget the chemical that builds up but you can look it up if interested...


----------



## BuzzLOL

shan2themax said:


> I got it at Harbor Freight.


I finally broke down and bought a tool box at HF... Wouldn't you know it, next day I was driving along and saw a nice Craftsman upper and lower tool box setup for sale in a front yard... as I looked it over, the seller came out and kept dropping the price... by the time I decided it was acceptable, he was down to $30 for all of it including some tools in it... I hem hawed around for another .035 seconds and loaded it into the back of my truck and quickly left...


----------



## Ron Van

I saw the most amazing thing today but unfortunately, I didn’t have my phone with me. So I’ll describe it with words. 

I was out in the yard this afternoon and I hear a small engine buzzing around. I looked up and a motorized paraglider flew by. Like this one. 





A few minutes later, he came back but over the water and really low. I waved at him and he waved back but then dropped down even lower and put one of his feet in the water and skied on his boot for a while and started a turn to his right. He then gave it some power to gain altitude and flew away. Apparently, it’s a thing because I found several videos on YouTube. This is where I saw him. 




Shots from YouTube


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> How do they know it's not a bribe, political donation, paying person who worked for you, etc...?


It's a bit hard to believe as nosy as big brother is.


----------



## Flyover

Ron, that's pretty neat. I wonder what powers the fan. One of my older brothers is an experienced paraglider, but he just uses airpower, jumping off the side of mountains and such.

I have a small bonsai ficus that is losing its leaves. I don't know if it's supposed to lose its leaves or if it's unhealthy. I water and fertilize it as directed by the label, but I have a bit of a brown thumb...


----------



## 68bucks

I get those paragliders and othe small ultra light aircraft flying over occasionally. There is a small airport not far from my place, I think they fly out of there. I believe the motor of choice is a snowmobile motor. Not sure what size. A friend atrted building an ultralight years ago that used a snowmobile motor. He sold it before he finished it.


----------



## Ron Van

68bucks said:


> I get those paragliders and othe small ultra light aircraft flying over occasionally. There is a small airport not far from my place, I think they fly out of there. I believe the motor of choice is a snowmobile motor. Not sure what size. A friend atrted building an ultralight years ago that used a snowmobile motor. He sold it before he finished it.


Here's what one company sells for a Paraglider engine. Only 16 HP at 9500RPM. Man that's screaming! 




My Dad built one of these BD-5's in the early 80's. It had a 90HP 3 cylinder 2stroke engine
This is a picture off Pinerest, Not my dad's actual airplane.


----------



## Eddie_T

I usually shop for marked down eggnog or boiled custard right after the holidays but had covid and missed it. So today I made a quart of southern boiled custard since I had milk and eggs that needed to be used.


----------



## Eddie_T

One of the guests that I met at Thanksgiving dinner with friends does hang gliding. I may be using the wrong terminology but it's something he unfolds and jumps off a cliff with. I don't recall what elevations he flies to but he visits the clouds. He told us how he watches for signs of thermals by observing birds, tree leaves shaking and such. That's the way he likes to spend his weekends.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Eddie_T said:


> One of the guests that I met at Thanksgiving dinner with friends does hang gliding. I may be using the wrong terminology but it's something he unfolds and jumps off a cliff with.


I lost interest in wingsuit flying after reading 1 in 5 dies from it... 




			https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wingsuit-01.jpg/250px-Wingsuit-01.jpg


----------



## Eddie_T

BuzzLOL said:


> I lost interest in wingsuit flying after reading 1 in 5 dies from it...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wingsuit-01.jpg/250px-Wingsuit-01.jpg


I watched a documentary on wingsuit flying and it appears suicidal to me. I won't be trying hang gliding either. The uncertainty of where one might be landing is a bit much for me. The fellow I met said that although he might be aloft for several hours he is constantly scanning for a probable landing site. The wing span places some limitation on where one can land. With a powered unit one could either come back to the starting point or do some travel within fuel range.


----------



## Ron Van

Give me a real airplane!


----------



## Ron Van

Have you guys heard about this? Fines if you drive more than 15 minutes from your home. 
Portland is putting a 15 minute plan together. 
*****************
The “15-minute city” may be defined as an ideal geography where most human needs and many desires are located within a travel distance of 15 minutes. 

the 15-minute city is defined by its ability to provide access to all human needs by walking or bicycling for a quarter hour or less. Transit should be provided within the 15-minute city
From the AP: 
CLAIM: The county of Oxfordshire, England, which includes the city of Oxford, is imposing a “climate lockdown” that will confine residents to their neighborhoods. 

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Oxfordshire has approved a plan to put “traffic filters” on some main roads, restricting drivers’ access during daytime hours and freeing up space for buses, cyclists and pedestrians. But car owners can apply for daylong permits to bypass the new rules, and many other vehicles are exempt. All parts of the county will remain accessible by car, officials said.

THE FACTS:Last week, local leaders in Oxfordshire voted to try a new traffic reduction system in an effort to reduce congestion in the county’s namesake city. Some on social media have since likened the scheme to stringent government COVID-19 containment policies.

“UK. - Oxfordshire Council, part of the 15 minute city club, has passed a plan to trial a Climate lockdown,” tweeted one user, alongside a screenshot of an article warning that “residents will be confined to their local neighborhood.


----------



## Spicoli43

Ron... Great plane! I jumped out of one that was held together by 3M Duct Tape, which has a useful half life of 27.2 minutes, so I was happy to jump.

As far as the 15 minute city plan that I hadn't heard of, that will never happen. They will never have enough Military or Cops willing to enforce it. Besides, the Military is too busy putting on high heels and practicing pronouns to enforce anything foreign or domestic.


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> People have died from drinking too much tea... I forget the chemical that builds up but you can look it up if interested...


Well, if you drink a gallon of water in 5 minutes you can die. 16 ounces an hour is harmless. If you're talking about Fluoride in Tea, I would think it's eliminated with the Organic varieties, but one can ask for the lab tests from the company. Fluoride is a Neurotoxin though, so one has to research just like they research anything else.


----------



## zannej

As neat as hangliding and such seem, I wouldn't do it. I like to stay on the ground. LOL. I don't like the change in altitude. Driving to Albuquerque makes my ears pop.

I felt cruddy on saturday and slept it off. Mom's computer wouldn't boot all day. I waited until she was out of her chair to push the plug in tighter (both into the APC and the back of the computer). Held the power button and it turned on. I let her know so she put her laptop down and went to use her computer. Internet went out for several hours because it was pouring rain. Kitties started getting aggravated and hollering at each other. I had to go step in between them and nudge them in different directions.


----------



## Flyover

England has had congestion fees for a while now, where basically you have to pay extra money if you want to drive a car in London (maybe some other cities too) during peak hours. I wouldn't want to have to deal with that, but that's all it is; no surprise the news media twists this into alarmist stuff likening it to lockdowns and martial law and what not. Look at that headline! Ridiculous. British newsmedia are among the boldest and least scrupulous.

Yesterday I made a lot of progress on my woodworking project; very exciting to see it coming along.


----------



## Eddie_T

However history has shown that once the government passes a controlling law it's like a camel getting its head into the tent. Freedom is lost one step at a time rather than in one fell swoop.


----------



## Ron Van

zannej said:


> Ron, thanks for the info. It looks like it is ignition timing. Friend said he can fix it.



If the Honda doesn't work out, maybe you can get one of these!


----------



## Ron Van

I probably posted this before but I can't find it...So I'll post it again!

There was a guy I was working with in the South Pacific named Robert. We were on Western Samoa and a bunch of guys decided to go out to a bar to go dancing. I opted out for several reasons, one being, I'm happily married and I wouldn't like it if Ruby went to bars without me. Secondly, I quit drinking alcohol in 1995. But anyway, these guys went and had a good time until this photo surfaced of Robert dancing with what he thought was a woman but she turned out to be, "Fafa!" Which is short for, Fa'afafine.

From Wikipedia...
*Faʻafafine* are people who identify themselves as having a third gender or non-binary role in Samoa, American Samoa and the Samoan diaspora. A recognised gender identity/gender role in traditional Samoan society, and an integral part of Samoan culture, _faʻafafine_ are assigned male at birth, and explicitly embody both masculine and feminine gender traits in a way unique to Polynesia.[_citation needed_] Their behaviour typically ranges from extravagantly feminine to conventionally masculine.[1]

Anthropologists have speculated that if a Samoan family had more boys than girls or not enough girls to help with women's duties about the house, male children would be chosen to be raised as _faʻafafine_,[2] It has been estimated that 1–5% of Samoans identify as _faʻafafine_.[4] According to SBS news, there are up to 3,000 _faʻafafine_ currently living in Samoa.[5]


----------



## Ron Van

This woman has some natural talents.

Best Karaoke


----------



## Ron Van

A friend of mine, who has more money than common sense, is chomping the bit to buy a 2022 Rivian. They are back ordered.


----------



## Eddie_T

Cockpit looks a bit drab for $$$ spent.


----------



## Spicoli43

Even if I were a Billionaire, I wouldn't buy a Rivian. The answer is No... They cannot possibly make the front end uglier. And, the Truck version is a mini bed, completely useless like the Avalanche.


----------



## Eddie_T

I wouldn't buy any modern truck. Too big and too many doors. I understand that Toyota Stout compact is coming next year but test vehicles spotted have four doors.

It just dawned on me Friday that paying a high price for an older vehicle and getting poor MPG will still represent a considerably lower total cost for ownership plus operating/maintenance costs compared to a modern vehicle. Especially when one considers that a classic will appreciate in value if properly cared for.

Saw a sharp Jeepster Commando on facebook but it was a convertible.


----------



## Eddie_T

Just musing. 
It seems that humans are the only creatures that seek danger purely for the thrill and kill for sport. 
Security and freedom are destined to clash. 
People need to live the life they want to live and will not be happy living the life someone else wants them to live.


----------



## Ron Van

Eddie_T said:


> Cockpit looks a bit drab for $$$ spent.


Yeah, and only 316 miles on a charge. I wonder what the cost comparison between gas and electric is per mile. We’re up to $2.95/gal here and .12/kWh for electric. I have no idea how many kWh a charge would be. A tank of gas is easier to figure.


----------



## zannej

The Fa'faine-- I think I spelled that correctly. I think was what they called Gatoi in Thailand.

That car is just UGLY. I like the navigation screen thing but that is about all I like.

Went to Walmart and got groceries. Still feeling exhausted. Went and hung out with our friends while my brother took a shower over there. The toddler said his first sentence "Here you go". Since his big sister has been spending more time over there (to avoid being abused by her older half-brother & neglected by her mother) she has been playing with him and talking to him. The "bonus mom"-- friend's new gf-- has been interacting with him a lot more. The bio mom for the kid was wanting to give him Melatonin to make him sleep but I've read that isn't healthy for a toddler. she doesn't care though. She wants to take shortcuts. But the new gf is taking very good care of him, he's interacting with people more, and generally seems happier. He got upset at being told "No" ran into the kitchen and sat on the floor and wailed. I wailed back at him so he started giggling and rushed back over to me (I was the one who told him "no" when he was trying to throw things). 

I forgot a few things bc I was so tired. Need to remember to get them next time. I'm pretty sure Mom wants me to cook even though its after midnight.


----------



## Spicoli43

The story of the Thai Ladyboys is legendary. The only experience close to that for me wasn't actually a Ladyboy... Friends and I were barely old enough to drive, and a "Weird Science" quality Blonde was walking down the street with tight jeans... I drove about 10 miles below the speed limit so we could get a good look, and right when we got there, it had a huge beard... 

We all screamed in unison and I hit the gas, breaking a land speed record to get through the light so we didn't have to sit there. Then we all laughed our Democrat mascots off about it. I think the standing rule after that was to "make sure she isn't a Fabio"...


----------



## zannej

My dad had a pretty young thing (although older than him) hitting on him in Thailand but the locals were pulling my father away and telling him "Gatoi! Gatoi!"
Apparently the hookers used to also promise they were not gatoi and would let GI's "checky checky" for $5. Never heard any "crying game" type stories though. 

I'm looking to replace my phone since it won't even install the McDonalds app but a new version comes out in February so I'm holding out. But the one I want is already sold out a lot of places. I can't get the one I really want bc they sold out so fast & I don't know if more will be made. I wanted the s22 ultra with 1tb storage (since we can't have sd cards in it). My old phone's simcard won't fit so I found a website on how to back up my simcard data to export to a new simcard. How To Transfer Data From A Micro SIM To A Nano SIM: Detailed Guide - Robot Powered Home

99% of the texts I get are spam. But I want to keep my call logs and contacts list. 

I'm going to get something to eat and then do some cleaning.


----------



## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> Give me a real airplane!


That plane reminded me that the 1950's TV crime show Sky King started with him flying a twin radial engines plane and then the 2nd year he had flat 6 engines which gave like 20 or more MPH from the same HP...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> Well, if you drink a gallon of water in 5 minutes you can die. 16 ounces an hour is harmless. If you're talking about Fluoride in Tea, I would think it's eliminated with the Organic varieties, but one can ask for the lab tests from the company. Fluoride is a Neurotoxin though, so one has to research just like they research anything else.


I had a kidney ultrasound at the VA a couple months ago... I was supposed to drink 32 ounces of water beforehand... drank the 32 ounces of bottled water over about 5 minutes just before the test, didn't bother me in the least... hit the restroom after the test... LOL !
. 
I was thinking of this guy: 
Man Dies from Drinking Tea - TSMP Medical Blog - TSMP Medical Blog 
. 
And similar cases...


----------



## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> The slot machine Casinos here are in every gas station and Bar, so even a town with 1000 people has more Casinos than Stop lights.


Here in Ohio, only the already ultra rich are allowed to get still richer from owning gambling casinos... slot machines in other businesses were banned like 70 years ago or something... when I was a kid, a neighbor kid's father had a slot machine in the basement but we were never allowed to touch it... it was prolly even a secret that he had it... the local casino has about a 5 acre size floor of slot machines... like 8,000 people allowed in the room... probably over a 100 TVs...


----------



## BuzzLOL

zannej said:


> The Fa'faine-- I think I spelled that correctly. I think was what they called Gatoi in Thailand.


Lots of customs in foreign countries that we don't like here, like castration of servants and female circumcision...


----------



## Spicoli43

BuzzLOL said:


> I had a kidney ultrasound at the VA a couple months ago... I was supposed to drink 32 ounces of water beforehand... drank the 32 ounces of bottled water over about 5 minutes just before the test, didn't bother me in the least... hit the restroom after the test... LOL !
> .
> I was thinking of this guy:
> Man Dies from Drinking Tea - TSMP Medical Blog - TSMP Medical Blog
> .
> And similar cases...


They told you to drink the water in the lobby? 

The example sounds like someone that didn't give a rip and just wanted to imbibe in his habit. With high Oxalate foods, there is a high risk of Kidney stones, which is my perfect excuse not to eat Spinach. If someone is drinking that much tea, he has kidney stones, and he definitely had them if he ended up on dialysis. 

Just saying, I have never even heard of such an extreme example. Thanks though, I like learning new stuff everyday about medical topics.


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## Spicoli43

Watching the first episode of a medical masterclass with Dr. Linell King. He's going over Covid basics as well as Covid long hauler symptoms. I have some nasty Brain Fog, so I'm hoping to clear that up, but he also attributes most disease to the gut, which is 100% true.

I have known that for a long time, and some remember my Gut clearing up for the first time this Century with that cleanse I did. I'm going to do that again, but one thing he just said explains why Chiropractors and other alternative practitioners like Acupuncturists don't take Insurance...

This is how the Gubment feels about us peasants, and it can't get any simpler than this. I told the Gubment Allopathic system of Drugs and Death to go to Hell decades ago, which benefited me greatly because it prevented me from even considering the Covid shot.

This is just flat out insane...

*Medicare Guidelines Section 2251.3:

“A treatment plan that seeks to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong and enhance the quality of life; or therapy that is performed to maintain or prevent the deterioration of a chronic condition is deemed
NOT MEDICALLY NECESSARY, and therefore not payable”.*

If you want to register / watch the first episode, you can at this link... The first episode might expire tonight, so I would check that now. It's 35 minutes.









						FREE VIEWING | Back To 100 Masterclas
					

Reveals The Sneaky 'Health-Busters' That Are Hiding In Plain Sight, Robbing You Of Your Ability To Heal From Your Lingering Virus Symptoms...




					backto100masterclass.com


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## Ron Van

zannej said:


> My dad had a pretty young thing (although older than him) hitting on him in Thailand but the locals were pulling my father away and telling him "Gatoi! Gatoi!"
> Apparently the hookers used to also promise they were not gatoi and would let GI's "checky checky" for $5. Never heard any "crying game" type stories though.


I haven't thought about, "The Crying Game" for a long time! That scene Shocked me! But that was a long time ago.


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## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> That plane reminded me that the 1950's TV crime show Sky King started with him flying a twin radial engines plane and then the 2nd year he had flat 6 engines which gave like 20 or more MPH from the same HP...



I loved that show! No matter what happened, the answer was always to jump in the airplane and fly somewhere with his niece Penny. My favorite of all his airplanes was the Cessna 310. 

His first airplane was a Bamboo Bomber (Cessna T50). It had the Radial engines. If they weren't leaking oil it was because they didn't have any oil in them.



Sky King eventually got a Cessna 310.



The Model 310 was a 5-place light twin. It was the first airplane built by Cessna to have retractable tricycle landing gear. It was also the first Cessna design to be tested in a wind tunnel. In 1958, the only year in which the 310B variant was produced, the list price for a new airplane was $59,950. The airplane’s fuselage was 26 feet, 3 inches long. Its wingspan was 35 feet, 9 inches. Its empty weight was approximately 2,850 pounds and maximum takeoff weight of 4,700 pounds.

Here's me and another hero of mine back in 2015 or so. (Guess who?) 

The King Air 200 behind us has a take off weight of 12,500 LBS. It has two turboprop PT6-61 (BlackHawk conversions) for 850HP per side. This airplane can carry anything you can stuff in it.


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## 68bucks

BuzzLOL said:


> Here in Ohio, only the already ultra rich are allowed to get still richer from owning gambling casinos... slot machines in other businesses were banned like 70 years ago or something... when I was a kid, a neighbor kid's father had a slot machine in the basement but we were never allowed to touch it... it was prolly even a secret that he had it... the local casino has about a 5 acre size floor of slot machines... like 8,000 people allowed in the room... probably over a 100 TVs...


Here is Ohio all casinos are corporate owned. I think the place in Toledo (well actually Rossford) is a waste of space. Especially since you said the took out the buffet. I have been in there a half dozen times to eat but that's it. I got a card with $25 on it from them when I went there the first time. It still has $25 on it.


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## Ron Van

Have you guys heard of ChatGPT? 

OpenAI was started in 2015 by Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Their latest chatbot application can understand human conversation and write detailed text as if you were typing to a friend.
They put out a chatbot with artificial intelligence on November 30. It’s called ChatGPT, and it’s taken the tech world and the internet by storm—and made us a little worried, if we’re being honest.

New York City schools are *banning the use of a new artificial intelligence tool* capable of writing essays and correctly answering questions. Officials said they were concerned about students using OpenAI's ChatGPT to cheat on assignments.

"Due to concerns about negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content, access to ChatGPT is restricted on New York City Public Schools' networks and devices,"

Students report using ChatGPT on final exams and papers according to a recent write-up from The College Fix. One College of Staten Island student used the bot on both final exams and “got As on both.”

I don't know what the question was but here is an answer ChatGPT gave to something about Burger King...



Here's another one...
Q: Evaluate the claim that the 2020 US election was stolen:
A:


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## Eddie_T

Here's a 5 cylinder radial motorcycle (Megola) engine mounted in the front wheel. Some would argue that it's a rotary but to me inline, V and radial imply cylinder arrangement rather than whether the cylinders or the crankshaft is stationary. Some say a Harley engine design is merely 2 cylinders of an 8 cylinder radial.


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## 68bucks

Ron Van said:


> Have you guys heard of ChatGPT?
> 
> OpenAI was started in 2015 by Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Their latest chatbot application can understand human conversation and write detailed text as if you were typing to a friend.
> They put out a chatbot with artificial intelligence on November 30. It’s called ChatGPT, and it’s taken the tech world and the internet by storm—and made us a little worried, if we’re being honest.
> 
> New York City schools are *banning the use of a new artificial intelligence tool* capable of writing essays and correctly answering questions. Officials said they were concerned about students using OpenAI's ChatGPT to cheat on assignments.
> 
> "Due to concerns about negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content, access to ChatGPT is restricted on New York City Public Schools' networks and devices,"
> 
> Students report using ChatGPT on final exams and papers according to a recent write-up from The College Fix. One College of Staten Island student used the bot on both final exams and “got As on both.”
> 
> I don't know what the question was but here is an answer ChatGPT gave to something about Burger King...
> 
> View attachment 29511
> 
> Here's another one...
> Q: Evaluate the claim that the 2020 US election was stolen:
> A:
> View attachment 29512


Wow seems sort of creepy to me. In the second question, wasn't the Muller investigation following the 2016 election not the 2020? Maybe it says that further down the page.


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## BuzzLOL

Spicoli43 said:


> They told you to drink the water in the lobby?


I started drinking at home, and during the 5 minute drive to the clinic, and finished it while waiting at the clinic... I didn't want to drink it so far ahead of time that it was coming back out of me before the test...


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## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Wow seems sort of creepy to me. In the second question, wasn't the Muller investigation following the 2016 election not the 2020? Maybe it says that further down the page.


Mueller Investigation was Spring 2017 to Spring 2019... sounds like the AI got kinda wordy and off track from the original question...


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## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> here is an answer ChatGPT gave to something about Burger King...


A smart teacher could probably tell that Burger King answer was written by a WOKE AI rather than a real student... those Burgers are probably simply supposed to be desired by a king and fit for a king's tastes... (not that kings are really any different than other people, despite the hype)... again, the AI got too wordy... and off track... and wanting to criticize Americans/America...


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## BuzzLOL

68bucks said:


> Here is Ohio all casinos are corporate owned. I think the place in Toledo (well actually Rossford) is a waste of space. Especially since you said the took out the buffet. I have been in there a half dozen times to eat but that's it. I got a card with $25 on it from them when I went there the first time. It still has $25 on it.


I think the casino is actually in Toledo and that's the Toledo city limits... 
Monday's veterans can eat for 1/2 price at the 3 remaining casino restaurants... I'm partial to the fried shrimp and french fries... they cook that good... veterans get a special membership card (free) and a free meal on Veteran's Day... it's pretty easy to turn the $25 of 'house money' into $20-30 of real money...


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## BuzzLOL

Ron Van said:


> I loved that show! No matter what happened, the answer was always to jump in the airplane and fly somewhere with his niece Penny. My favorite of all his airplanes was the Cessna 310.


I didn't think you were even old enough to know about that show... I think I loved Penny more... just looked her up, in her 20s during that show, older than they pretended she was, I thought she was my age... she died back in 2010 at age 78... I'll be 75 this month, Dolly Parton will be 77 that day, Gen. Robert E. Lee much older...


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## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> BuzzLOL said:
> 
> 
> 
> I didn't think you were even old enough to know about that show... I think I loved Penny more... just looked her up, in her 20s during that show, older than they pretended she was, I thought she was my age... she died back in 2010 at age 78... I'll be 75 this month, Dolly Parton will be 77 that day, Gen. Robert E. Lee much older...
> 
> 
> 
> I have to admit, I was very young when it was on TV. The series ended in 1962 and I would have been 7 that year. I just remember an airplane and a cute girl. I couldn’t tell you a plot to a single episode.
Click to expand...


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## Ron Van

BuzzLOL said:


> I didn't think you were even old enough to know about that show... I think I loved Penny more... just looked her up, in her 20s during that show, older than they pretended she was, I thought she was my age... she died back in 2010 at age 78... I'll be 75 this month, Dolly Parton will be 77 that day, Gen. Robert E. Lee much older...


I have to admit, I was very young when it was on TV. The series ended in 1962 and I would have been 7 that year. I just remember an airplane and a cute girl. I couldn’t tell you a plot to a single episode.


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