slippedcog

2022-01-09T20:53:00.001-05:00

This is a story of a dream. This is the way I remember it so it is mine and it is strange. One day I had gone to a friend's house to give them a quote on a driveway wall. It seemed like an outsized driveway and I knew this was going to be expensive. I turned to speak with my friend and watched 4 men coming down the driveway. They proceeded to start dividing up work and my friend says "There's a lot of work here". I turned to follow my friend inside and we were joined by 10 other people already going to work on what I thought was a job I had already landed. The crowd grew large and the house grew larger. In fact the house grew in proportion to the men showing up to work. I wandered the house trying to apportion work to everyone while feeling overwhelmed. The house seemed to have no end and wherever I went people were doing my work. There quite simply was no end to the house.

2021-12-29T17:21:00.000-05:00

TGO is suffering. And by suffering I mean pretty much sucking as usual.

It's OK in my opinion because I usually suck too.

Protest cool..Rally bad. Help me understand.

2020-06-20T18:29:00.001-04:00

Apparently, there are crossed wires of logic about dealing with the (bullshit) Covid pandemic when gathering in large numbers for any type of demonstration. The basic rhetoric holds that BLM protests are okey dokey while Trump rallies are a danger to public health. Who am I to believe?

A lot more than I'm used to.

2014-07-29T10:09:00.002-04:00

Trying to get a business started takes a lot of time away from the business. There is so much regulation and taxes and license fees that I can understand why people try to fly under the table. The government wants their cut and they do not care how much of your tax money they spend to get it. If the department of business and professional regulation gets ahold of you then your tax money will be used to prosecute you. Ditto with the IRS. I refuse to say this is right but it is the way of things. Nobody on the government dole cares how much you lost conforming to inane restrictions and regulations. If I lost $1000 taking the time to comply do you think the official I had to spend time waiting to see in order to comply cares? No. That person is getting a paycheck regardless. Okay, rant over, feel free to resume your life.

Summer fun

2014-06-24T20:52:00.001-04:00

While everyone else heads to the beach or the lake,pool or wherever you head to cool off during the hot Summer someone usually winds up staying to handle the household chores. One thing you should work in is an outdoor shower. If you have an irrigation system perhaps you have a pump. whether you do or not it is a fact that cold water is cheaper than hot water and the sand and assortment of other gunk brought back is best left outside instead of going down your indoor plumbing. A privacy enclosure is a nice touch but not a necessity since whatever you wore is wearing some of the gunk you want to get rid of too. If you are bashful just shower in that and hang it out to dry for next time. You can run in to scrub up the unmentionable parts but should see a savings on water and electric. While you are at it use cold water in the laundry unless you are trying to sterilize diapers or something. It's easier on your clothes and your pocketbook. To quote Martha Stewart "It's a good thing"

2013-11-19T13:04:00.002-05:00

Well being in another state gives you a different perspective on things. I am at my Moms' home in Virginia for a couple weeks and they have different climate, different bugs, different landscape and different critters. What they have in common is the need for home maintenance. Something you take care of now will be something you don't have to fix or replace later. Unless you buy throwaway Chinese crap built for throwing away which is a waste of money. Buy things built to last and take care of them and it will be money well spent. Get your furniture at wal-hell and you get what it is...disposable. It's kinda like toilet paper, use it and throw it away.

It's always something.

2013-11-09T11:35:00.002-05:00

It's seems like the shorter the day the longer the list gets. So I guess a coat of primer on that chest and some yardwork is in order, not necessarily in that order. What stands in the way of your day?

Pretty good.

2013-11-06T13:34:00.003-05:00

We all have problem spots and there are found solutions. Example.

Problem.... Dead corner in hallway with junk piling up.

Solution ....cabinet built from found boxes and finished in an antique crackle style.

You just can't say this isn't better. For under a hundred bucks (we already had the paint) Problem solved and we did it with somebodys trash. I wouldn't part with it for under $500 and love what it did for the hallway.

Where does that go?

2013-11-01T12:24:00.002-04:00

Well in the case of purpose built furniture it fills a niche in the house. Case in point: we have a spot in the hallway that used to be home to an old furnace or water heater. Now it is just a dead corner in the hall with some boxes and stuff piled in it. Now I am no master cabinetmaker or furniture craftsman but I have a few skills and have built some pieces we use around the home and have found to be of acceptable quality. The other day we found at the curb a pair of discarded wooden boxes that were apparently crafted by someone with superior equipment and were of quality material. I joined them together and trimmed them out and am currently working on a finish for them. We will wind up with a 4 door cabinet for that spot that is indestructible and attractive. We paid under $100 for the materials and I wouldn't part with it for less than $500. I did invest a considerable amount of time but I had it to invest. Never discount the value of found materials. People throw stuff away because they see no use for it and I am not too embarrassed to pick it up. Your trash could be my next project.

Warm, rain, cold, repeat.

2013-10-27T11:45:00.001-04:00

Here in NE Fla we get cyclical weather patterns and this year (so far) we have been blessed with unseasonably warm weather. Now I'm not gonna go all Al Gore on you and blame it on global warning but I will recommend that you use the cycles to your advantage. When it's warm get a jumpstart on the spring chores so you don't waste primo fishing time or (insert favorite spring activity here). Paint,paint, paint when it's warm paint.By the time a few cycles of weather pass you'll be done painting. Everyone has spring chores to get done and weather permitting do them in the winter.Do you really want to clean the garage on a beautiful spring day? If I was a golfing man I'd rather be reserving a tee time without feeling guilty.

What to do?

2013-10-24T14:59:00.003-04:00

What not to do is usually a better question. There are lots of little things that get lost in the big ones. You know that little paint touch up that you'll always get to later? Guess what it's later. My month and a half of open window weather seem to be drawing to a close so before I slam and lock them I may as well see what shape they're in. It's a no brainer to clean the woodstove and fireplace that should be done already...duh. Uh what else?

Hey! Chill out.

2013-10-24T09:55:00.001-04:00

I said it and it did. I can't complain too much about the climate here. Except for it's soggy, muggy, buggy, moldy and ....well it turns out I can complain. But mornings like today are perfect. That cup of coffee feels and smells great even if it wasn't pumpkin spiced coffee house crap. I think a few things are in order to get ready for the real cold and I don't mean polishing the winter flip flops.

miscellaneous ramblings.

2013-10-22T07:14:00.000-04:00

A lot of stuff slips through the cracks. Like wind...wind slips through. Water. water slips through. If we are to be warm and snug in our abode the cracks should be plugged. As I write this I am sitting in shirtsleeves and fending off an invasion of ants large enough to tow a car. That does not mean I won't get cold soon. My home is blessed with a single option for heating which is the one where you burn stuff. This means I need to clean and prepare the burning apparatus from last season to get it ready for this season. I read too many stories of space heater "accidents" every year so don't let it happen to you. The time is now to prepare for the cold and do it safely.

Hurricane?

2013-10-03T12:24:00.002-04:00

I guess we have a new one brewing. I should correct myself here and say we have the next one brewing. For the people on the gulf coast I hope all stay safe and have their preparations in order. There are a number of things to take into account when deciding 'Should I stay or should I go?' If you are old enough to recognize the song reference I am probably preaching to the choir. You already have your things in order because you've been there done that. Modern meteorological capabilities are a wonderful thing. They are able to forecast with stunning accuracy where a storm is forming and where it will likely head. My advice to you is don't let the decision to leave be a last minute thing. I know everyone has work, school, family and other things to take into consideration. So consider this...Do you need to go? Is your home built of modern sturdy construction in an area unlikely to flood or suffer tree damage? Do you have the supplies on hand for yourself and family to rough it for a few days? By roughing it I mean cooking, cleaning, and ...yes using the ...er..um..facilities in the great outdoors. This one is not shaping up to be a big one but one can never be certain. You need look at the big picture.

slippedcog: I don't have anything to wear!

2013-09-30T10:01:00.001-04:00

slippedcog: I don't have anything to wear!: How can a house be too big and still not have room for all your stuff? Simple, you have too much stuff. Some of your junk needs to go.and y...

Friday! Fall! Football!

2013-09-27T12:45:00.002-04:00

Ah yes it is that magical day of that magical time of the year named football season. The coffee shops are all selling their seasonal offerings of pumpkin spiced stuff that tastes nothing like pumpkin but we forgive them. It is Friday, As of this writing it is Friday morning. A Friday full of hope since even fans of high school ball have yet to experience a crushing defeat. Have you done what you need to do to enjoy the game? Or have you settled for just enough to get by? Around here the weather and the season seem to be forcing the carpenter ants to seek more hospitable accommodations. These accommodations include but are not limited to crawling up my pants leg.
For those not in the know a carpenter ant is unfairly labeled. It is not a carpenter in the sense that it does not build structures to give you shelter or pleasure. It also will not show up 30 minutes late to drink your coffee and make small talk about things that have nothing to do with the project that is a week behind schedule. A carpenter ant is named because it infests habitat familiar to carpenters, namely old, rotten wood. This can be the dead tree and leaf litter associated with it or the rotten siding on your house. If you have the trees there is a good chance you will have the ants.
I for one wish to spend the game noshing on nachos without the unwelcome attention of an ant that can bench press a Cadillac crawling up my leg. Make no mistake these guys can get big and the biggest ones pack a wallop. As far as I know they are non-venomous but the largest ones have a set of gear on their head that is straight out of a Japanese horror movie. With this goal in mind I intend to proceed straight out with a retail preparation designed by people smarter than me to foil the invasion. After all, as effective as a size 13 flip-flop is I would still prefer to vacuum the carcasses up post mortem as opposed to dealing with the live critters. I've had enough dealings with them in the past to know when chemical warfare is actually an appropriate alternative.

slippedcog: Working outside in the Summer.

2013-09-26T09:05:00.001-04:00

slippedcog: Working outside in the Summer.: Working outside in the Florida Summer can be fun. This I know because reliable sources have assured me that it has been done. I guess it h...

I'll get right on that.

2013-09-25T10:40:00.001-04:00

The other day I attended a seaside wedding. It was at a beautiful bed and breakfast in our country's oldest continually occupied city (St Augustine, Fl). The bride was radiant, the groom was handsome and the entire wedding party looked impeccable and performed their parts flawlessly. The Minister performing the ceremony was appropriately solemn and light which was proper for such a joyous yet serious ceremony celebrating the union of a young couple. The vows were said, the blessings were given and the prayers were bestowed. And then....The bar was opened.
A good time was being had by all on beautiful oceanfront grounds swept by a gentle seabreeze on a sunny September weekend. There was a DJ to keep music going and maintain the mood. There were servers circulating with platters of hors d'oeurves. And the bar was doing a brisk business while guests relaxed and enjoyed the company and the surroundings while celebrating the special day of a special couple. And then...then it appeared. At first I ignored it and hoped it would go away. But it was not to be denied. How could it show up here on this day at this time and worm its way ceaselessly into my consciousness. I knew it was there and I was the only one who recognized it for what it truly was. It was an old nemesis. Older than I and far more destructive. A true enemy against whom I had fought many battles but realized I could never win the war. An enemy deceptive in its progression yet relentless in its destruction.
I am talking of course about rusty fasteners used in the construction/upkeep of a dwelling being constantly assaulted by some of the harshest conditions Mother nature can serve up. When you build on the ocean's front stoop there is no such thing as stainless steel. But you have to try. It was a gorgeous day with a gentle breeze but even that gentle breeze was carrying the salt to attack unprotected surfaces. During Winter North Easters that salt is combined with sand and driven sideways into the building. These conditions are a fact of life for coastal dwellers and the repair and/or replacement of such damage is a neverending task. Sometimes people take it in stride and fix it themselves. These people know the value of paying for good quality fasteners and properly treating new materials. It is not uncommon for the cost of the fasteners in a repair job to exceed the cost of the wood. I have seen $5.00 worth of stainless holding up a $2.00 board. But don't cheap out on the hardware or in a couple months it will look like crap and in a couple more it will need to be done again. The same goes for prep and paint. Get the best and use them right. If you hire the job out then make sure the workman does it right. It's more expensive but that is part of what you signed up for when you moved oceanfront. I haven't even started in about hurricanes yet.

What's old is new again.

2013-09-20T11:45:00.000-04:00

There is an old saying ..."Everything in it's time". I don't know who said it but face it..Neither does anyone else. And if a smartypants wants to show their google skills then that's cool too. My point for today's discussion (written but seldom read ) is that certain things need tended to around the ol homestead. If you are renting these fall into the category of home maintenance and need not concern you. Please if you are renting read your lease carefully and make sure this is in fact true. Many homeowners have elected to invest their funds in ironclad leases drawn up by lawyers rather than in the appropriate upkeep of their property.
It is easy to say with a straight face that the leaking roof does not concern you when they have a legal document to prove that the color you painted the bedroom concerns them. If you are leasing a space your legal options are slim and you are limited to the little bit of wiggle room afforded by your lease. If the money spent on the lease lawyer instead of the roof was well spent there won't be much wiggle room.
But regardless of ownership status or landlord/tenant disputes hopefully you are settled in the domicile you plan to spend the winter in. If this is the case then a few things are in order. Unless you live in a basement or some other subterranean space then you have windows. This being the time of year to take advantage of Mother Natures air conditioning as opposed to ponying up for the local utility's Christmas party how about checking the window lock hardware while you open it? The landlord will not fix a drafty door unless you bust a pipe so water is running out the gap. And even then the leak may be repaired but the draft will not be. Perhaps a little weather stripping might be in order? The point is you have to take charge of your own comfort. No one else cares. And if they do it's your parents and only because you still live with them and they are getting the bill for the busted pipe and the weatherstripping

Old man winter is upon us!

2013-09-19T16:29:00.003-04:00

Why is winter characterized as an old man? Could it be because winter weather can be as ornery, unpredictable and as cantankerous as and old man who spends the springtime yelling at kids to get off the lawn and bemoaning the loss of the good life of his youth? I don't know the answer but I do know that the calendar says that the Brrrrs are upon us. You know, Septembrrrr, Octobrrrr, Novembrrrr, Decembrrrr. Football season is here and so is playoff baseball not to mention that frozen free for all played on skates with sticks known as hockey.
How you spend your free time now has a lot to do with where and what level of comfort you will be watching the games at. Take a walk around your kingdom and while you enjoy being the master of all you survey take notes on the things that your kingdom needs corrected before freezing weather arrives. Is a faucet leaking that will leave a sheet of ice for you to bust your butt on during that halftime beer run? What about pipe insulation? Pipe insulation can take a beating in the good months that won't cause a problem till a hard freeze. Yard work, kids, pets,and wildlife all take a toll and it's much simpler to deal with now. The last thing on your mind should be having to get out in the frigid weather trying to duct tape rags around the pipes with a flashlight in your mouth. Animals want to come in from the cold too so make sure your attics and crawl spaces are sealed. Hot tubs that won't see use should be drained and covered. Hot tubs that will see use need to have their heaters tested and thermostats adjusted along with all applicable plumbing protection in place. Pool owners know the drill and are familiar with what needs to be done to winterize the pool. Just remember any enclosure that houses heating equipment will be attractive to critters that can do a lot of damage so prep accordingly.
The methods of heating a home vary so much according to climate that I can't get into all of them. Just make sure which ever method you use is in good repair, clean and ready to go when you need it. If you need wood for a stove or fireplace get it now before the price gougers come out of their dens. Heat with oil? Gas? Top off the tanks. Is your water heater in the garage? Most water heaters are insulated between the shell and the tank but if your area gets multiple days of down right cold weather an insulating jacket may be in order to minimize heat loss and excessive power consumption.
Do these things now plus all the ones I forgot to mention and Fall/Winter will be less stressful for all.

Mold and mildew.

2013-09-16T14:48:00.002-04:00

What is the difference? Does it matter? Mold is mildew gone bad and mildew is a warning of things to come. Mold can have toxic repercussions if not addressed promptly. A bad case of mildew left untreated can lead to mold that causes breathing problems and other nasty irritations that do not have to be endured. For the sake of this post I am going to address both as one and the same problem and will only use what works for me. As a standard disclaimer if you have health problems that can be irritated by any of the things I discuss then seek alternates approved by a health care professional. Blah blah blah blah blah. Here in Florida mildew is the unofficial state flower and if you haven't experienced it it is because you haven't been here long. Mold and mildew thrive in a warm moist environment which is Florida in a nutshell.
The enemy of mold and mildew is .....Bleach. The problem is.......fumes. This is a case where the solution is almost as bad as the problem. In the not too distant past people with breathing related ailments were sent to the hot, dry western climate where airborne micro-organisms that aggravated such conditions would not affect them nearly as much. Personally I will speak from experience and say that if you can breath well and afford the bleach then you should use it often and liberally. Bleach is cheap and effective. It kills mold and mildew on contact and sanitizes surfaces at the same time. Do not skimp. Open the windows and saturate any surfaces that are exposed to moisture regularly. This may be more than you want to hear but my biggest problem spot is the shower. When this requires attention I strip to my birthday suit (It doesn't fit like it did when I got it) and climb in with a spray bottle of bleach. That gunk on the shower curtain and in the grout between the tiles doesn't stand a chance. Follow with a stiff brush and it is lights out for mold. It won't smell good and may burn your eyes but that is what clean smells like. I don't care what the pine-sol lady says. Open some windows and turn on the fan.

slippedcog: Where am I going to put it all?

2013-09-12T15:09:00.001-04:00

slippedcog: Where am I going to put it all?: Storage. It seems like there is never enough of it and not just for the people featured on the TV show 'Hoarders'. You have t...

But the game is on.

2013-09-07T21:02:00.001-04:00

Fall maintenance isn't rocket surgery here anyone can fix it I am proof of that. Sure, it make take you longer than someone you pay to do it but if you have the time and basic tools to invest it makes sense to try. First check out the scope of the job and balance that with the time available to you to dedicate to its completion. Things to consider are will you be doing this in spare time or do you have full time to dedicate to it. Full time is considered a job and is not considered breaks for TV, BBQ, playing with the dog, being a proper dad, handling honey do’s or anything else. Also consider any assistance required. If your help is there to drink the beer you bought for helping or talk fishing or girls or whatever then this is not help and is an option best discarded. If your help is a guy you know who also knows how to do the work you have in front of you then you are ahead of the game and have become his/her help. Reward them appropriately by providing everything needed and pitching in where you can. If your help is just an equally unskilled but willing aide reconsider your relationship. Are they willing to follow your direction or are they headstrong and apt to try to take control? 3 guys can do the same job 3 different ways and the job can be done well. 2 guys trying to do the same job at the same time 2 different ways will be lucky to get it done at all.
Rotten wood repair is pretty much a matter of reverse assembly followed by reassembly. But this must be with an eye toward correcting the circumstances which caused it in the first place. For instance if it is rotten siding in a place where wooden siding is always going to rot then perhaps wood siding is a bad choice for this spot and another material should be selected but that is another subject for another day. Maybe rain runoff had splashed back and ruined the bottom. If that is the case then gutters just became a part of the project. At this point you can choose to split it up into seperate projects but you can’t choose to put them too far apart on your schedule. The main thing to think about going in is that you really have two problems. You have the problem and you have the problem which caused the problem and fixing the problem means fixing both problems. Got it? Good. If not you will always have the problem and putting up new wood just to watch it rot means you never really fixed anything you simply slowed down the cycle of decay.
Granted, not every situation is caused by a problem in your control since some things have to be considered plain old fashioned maintenance. There are environmental issues that take their toll. Some places are hot, humid, muggy, and buggy. You can employ proper pest control practices to mitigate the bugs but you can’t control nature all you can do there is use the proper material for the job. There are places that are extremes from scorching to fridgid and those will take a toll no matter what the scale of your diligence to upkeep. The key here is to stay on top of it. Every Spring you take care of what the previous Summer and Winter have dealt you. That way you can enjoy Fall football and raking leaves without worrying

Where am I going to put it all?

2013-08-12T12:24:00.000-04:00

Storage. It seems like there is never enough of it and not just for the people featured on the TV show 'Hoarders'. You have to make do with the space you have and there are ways to do this. Do you have too many clothes and not enough dresser and closet space for them? Shelves and baskets are a way to store excess clothing and still keep an attractive room while stealing no space from your room because it is up and above everything.

The same method can be used for other spaces where furniture is not an option and your best efforts to de-clutter still left you with things you don't wish to part with and no place to put them. I like to read and after filling the only bookcase I owned I was left with a lot I wanted to keep. Here is a re-purpose for the shelves I built in the bedroom.

Furniture can also pull double duty sometimes even triple duty. I built a coffee table that looks good. It is built well so it doubles as seating when you throw a cushion on it. Since it is on casters it will roll away from the sofa to create separation. And the top comes off to reveal all of our old photos and mementos stored inside. Since I am a builder it was constructed stoutly enough to take all the punishment a family can dish out and it was built using mostly recycled material from job sites. I recommend dumpster diving at construction sites where they are using appealing material (get the superintendents permission and don't do it after hours since trespassing on a job site is a no-no)

There are other ways to make seldom used items work for you instead of just taking up space. We have a dining table that features two leaves to expand it for increased seating at family gatherings. Well the leaves were taking up space and gathering dust. They were also seldom used. So we put them to work and reclaimed the closet space they occupied.

In this way we gained space, dressed up an otherwise unremarkable doorway and found a perch for various knick knacks. I used the same idea in our previous home but they were used as book shelves. You don't need excess table leaves laying around to make use of this idea. The same thing can be accomplished easily with a pair of decorative brackets and a pre-finished board from your local home improvement store. So there you have it. Extra storage doesn't have to be ugly or take up living space if you get creative.

Back to school for your security degree!

2013-08-11T13:46:00.001-04:00

Well it is back to school time and your house will find itself alone for much of the day. Kids are off to school and mom and dad are off to work. Even if one parent doesn't work outside the home this is the time of day they have to themselves to get stuff done. Then there are the extra-curricular and after school functions to take up evenings. Your house hates this time of year cause it can get kind of lonely and it feels vulnerable. Well it should feel vulnerable and it is. This is also the time of year when crooks come out to do their work in the daylight. And if Mom ( or Dad..The times they are a changing.) are at home alone they are vulnerable as well.
We know the basics about how to secure your home in your absence. Lock the doors and windows and set the alarm when you leave. The times we live in have changed and the criminals after an easy payday have changed with them. It has been more than a few years since they developed the technology to open your garage door with their own remotes after intercepting your frequency when you use it. This means the only feasible way to secure the garage was to close the door then go back inside to manually lock it leaving your vehicle vulnerable unless you locked it while you went to lock the garage. And going through all this meant your garage opener wouldn't work when you came home pretty much making it obsolete so nobody did it and a lot of people got robbed as a consequence. Garage door opener manufacturers have since corrected this problem and I haven't heard of many problems lately.
My point is that technology is rapidly evolving. You can use this to your advantage but so can crooks. However here are a few things you can to to give yourself and your family peace of mind. Some vehicles have keyless entry systems with a keypad that you can use to punch in a number or letter combination to gain entry. Well now they have deadbolt door lock systems that operate the same way. If you have kids that get home before you they just have to enter a code to gain access to the home and not carry a key which they WILL lose. They are products of the digital age anyhow and are much more likely to remember a pass code than they are to remember where they put their key. And that is if in their adolescent half awake state they remembered it in the first place. The beauty of this is you don't have to leave a spare key under a rock or mat since that's where they are always found. Every child I know of any means has a cell phone and if they forget the pass code you can always text it to them. If for some reason they can't then they can do like I had to do and sit on the porch and do their homework till you get home or instead of leaving a spare key with a trusted neighbor like old times you can leave the code. Since you have the ability to change the code whenever you wish it is like being able to re-key your lock without the benefit of a locksmith and they still have the old school key for the Luddites out there.
Most home security systems have different levels of security packages available to you. If you have and use a home security system then you should fork out for a good one. You don't need some of the bells and whistles that come along now like being able to change your thermostat temp from your phone. That is why you got the programmable thermostat remember? What you need is protection for every entry in your home and a reliable monitoring service that will get emergency services to the house if there is an alarm. You should have fire and smoke detectors wired to this service so emergency services can be dispatched in your absence. You should also have an instant notification of any alerts so you can head off false alarms.
These are just a few of the things to consider there are more. You can get a breakdown of costs and charges from your security system provider usually for free if you are considering an upgrade. The times they are a changing and you should change with them. Stay safe and secure the threat is real but don't quiver in your boots. Do the best you can and maintain adequate insurance. Obtaining the best in security will get you a break on the cost of the insurance.