About Ben Carson: It is obvious that talent at surgery has no connection to political or even general sense. Carson said that the Egyptian pryramids were used to store grain.
The Egyptian pyramids are almost entirely solid except for tiny channels leading to small burial chambers.
You have to be abominably stupid, moronic, idiotic, ignorant, foolish, dull, slow-witted, vacuous, imbecilic and doltish to even CONSIDER the idea that the pyramids could have been used to store anything.
But that's Carson. In MY opinion...
And there are Republicans who SUPPORT him to be our President?
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Politics
You just have to be fascinated by someone like Donald Trump. Successful, ambitious, and a total demagogue. More dangerous than Sen McCarthy, of Communist-Baiting infamy in the 1950s.
Italics, mine...
Who else could say or believe these things and not utterly humiliated and attacked?
1. Trump accused the Mexican government of sending its criminals and rapists across the border.
No evidence exists that illegal immigrants are more criminal in other ways than average. In fact, the history of immigrants to the US has been those of the bravest, most ambitious, and willing to learn a new way of life.
2. Trump knocked Sen John McCain of doing too little to help veterans, knocked the senator in July, first disputing that he was a hero, then declaring: "He's a war hero 'cause he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK?"
This is utterly disgusting. Senator McCain is a hero by means of his general military service and by fighting his captivity. The idea that one is a failure by being captured in warfare is depraved and UnAmerican. Some of the bravest fighters have been captured sometimes. When you push the envelope, you accept greater risk. Trump disses all captured soldiers.
3. Trump repeatedly has questioned Kelly's professionalism and went as far as to tell CNN that she had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever".
For Trump to "blame" women for "bleeding uncleanliness" is harking back to primitive superstitions and general non-understanding of routine human bodily processes.
4. Flip-flopping is trouble for most politicians, but Trump has done it merrily and with apparent impunity. He has shrugged off his old support for abortion rights and a single-payer health care system, and his former identification with the Democratic Party, with that-was-then-this-is-now nonchalance.
Trump has his wet finger in the wind of change. He criticizes others for changing their minds when new facts are learned, but never admits to his frequent changes in views himself.
5. To Donald Trump, there are two kinds of people in the world: good negotiators and bad negotiators. Basically everyone except Donald Trump and his "guys" fall into the latter category.
Trumps has often failed at businesses at public and investor expense. But unlike the Wizard Of Oz, he has kept the curtain shut. Trump know fakes. It takes one to know one.
6. He'll build a wall between the U.S.-Mexico border to keep undocumented immigrants out — and make Mexico pay for it (somehow).
Trump is proposing that Mexico build a wall to keep it's people in. Something that the USA would never tolerate itself. A rule of civilized nations is that anyone has the right to leave.
7. About China: "Listen, you mother(bleep), we're going to tax you 25 percent."
Demagoguery, pure and simple... Bad economics... 18th century mercantilism... Not how a serious leader deals with international economics.
8. Denigrates the USA at every chance: "I have great respect for Mexico — their leaders are too smart — they’re killing us at the border and they’re killing us with trade. You know, Mexico in a certain way, is the new China. "When did we beat Japan at anything?"
Mexico is a 2nd tier economy and tstruggling and their politics are generally barely moderately democratic at best (but improving) . Japan's economy has been stagnant for 20 years. Trump apparently does not know this. He is thinking 30 years ago. That kind of out-of-date thinking is not what the US needs in a President.
9. "Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don't feel so stupid or insecure, it's not your fault."
This is how Trump talks to people who really are stupider than he is. He is smart in a limited way. He has really learned how to browbeat less talented people in commercial negotiations. But that doesn't mean he has any specific intelligence. What he HAS is a talent, and there is a difference. But his general IQ doesn't seem higher than average. As a typical real estate shuskster, he makes claims he can't prove.
10. "Hillary Clinton is the "worst secretary of state in the history of our country."
Ranker listed the best-to-worst Secretaries Of State. Hilary Clinton is ranked 17th best of 66.
11. "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me."
Never mind that the Great Wall of the Chinese (to which he alludes) failed completely most times... Walls to keep people out or keep people in are both bad failures. But, claiming to have built walls, what walls has he actually built either way anywhere?
12. "I build great buildings all over the world. I would have Mexico pay for it. Believe me, they will pay for it."
Specify your plan. Mexico doesn't seem to be impressed.
Italics, mine...
Who else could say or believe these things and not utterly humiliated and attacked?
1. Trump accused the Mexican government of sending its criminals and rapists across the border.
No evidence exists that illegal immigrants are more criminal in other ways than average. In fact, the history of immigrants to the US has been those of the bravest, most ambitious, and willing to learn a new way of life.
2. Trump knocked Sen John McCain of doing too little to help veterans, knocked the senator in July, first disputing that he was a hero, then declaring: "He's a war hero 'cause he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK?"
This is utterly disgusting. Senator McCain is a hero by means of his general military service and by fighting his captivity. The idea that one is a failure by being captured in warfare is depraved and UnAmerican. Some of the bravest fighters have been captured sometimes. When you push the envelope, you accept greater risk. Trump disses all captured soldiers.
3. Trump repeatedly has questioned Kelly's professionalism and went as far as to tell CNN that she had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever".
For Trump to "blame" women for "bleeding uncleanliness" is harking back to primitive superstitions and general non-understanding of routine human bodily processes.
4. Flip-flopping is trouble for most politicians, but Trump has done it merrily and with apparent impunity. He has shrugged off his old support for abortion rights and a single-payer health care system, and his former identification with the Democratic Party, with that-was-then-this-is-now nonchalance.
Trump has his wet finger in the wind of change. He criticizes others for changing their minds when new facts are learned, but never admits to his frequent changes in views himself.
5. To Donald Trump, there are two kinds of people in the world: good negotiators and bad negotiators. Basically everyone except Donald Trump and his "guys" fall into the latter category.
Trumps has often failed at businesses at public and investor expense. But unlike the Wizard Of Oz, he has kept the curtain shut. Trump know fakes. It takes one to know one.
6. He'll build a wall between the U.S.-Mexico border to keep undocumented immigrants out — and make Mexico pay for it (somehow).
Trump is proposing that Mexico build a wall to keep it's people in. Something that the USA would never tolerate itself. A rule of civilized nations is that anyone has the right to leave.
7. About China: "Listen, you mother(bleep), we're going to tax you 25 percent."
Demagoguery, pure and simple... Bad economics... 18th century mercantilism... Not how a serious leader deals with international economics.
8. Denigrates the USA at every chance: "I have great respect for Mexico — their leaders are too smart — they’re killing us at the border and they’re killing us with trade. You know, Mexico in a certain way, is the new China. "When did we beat Japan at anything?"
Mexico is a 2nd tier economy and tstruggling and their politics are generally barely moderately democratic at best (but improving) . Japan's economy has been stagnant for 20 years. Trump apparently does not know this. He is thinking 30 years ago. That kind of out-of-date thinking is not what the US needs in a President.
9. "Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don't feel so stupid or insecure, it's not your fault."
This is how Trump talks to people who really are stupider than he is. He is smart in a limited way. He has really learned how to browbeat less talented people in commercial negotiations. But that doesn't mean he has any specific intelligence. What he HAS is a talent, and there is a difference. But his general IQ doesn't seem higher than average. As a typical real estate shuskster, he makes claims he can't prove.
10. "Hillary Clinton is the "worst secretary of state in the history of our country."
Ranker listed the best-to-worst Secretaries Of State. Hilary Clinton is ranked 17th best of 66.
11. "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me."
Never mind that the Great Wall of the Chinese (to which he alludes) failed completely most times... Walls to keep people out or keep people in are both bad failures. But, claiming to have built walls, what walls has he actually built either way anywhere?
12. "I build great buildings all over the world. I would have Mexico pay for it. Believe me, they will pay for it."
Specify your plan. Mexico doesn't seem to be impressed.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Another Moderately Busy Day
I'm not busy every day. Some days I just get up late (a privilege of singlehood and retirement) make lunch, putter, make dinner, and watch a few science/nature DVDs. But I usually TRY to do something useful each day. Some days just don't work!
I had yesterday (Thursday) all planned out. I would get up early (for me) at 10 am, use the riding lawn mower to tow the 5'x8' hauling trailer to the street, hook it up to the car, drive the car to the UPS center to drop off 2 boxes, drive the car (filled with empty boxes) to the recycling center, stop at the nursery on the way back to get 2 bucket-loader loads on 1/2 soil 1/2 compost (premixed is great there), stop by the grocery store where the double rows of parking spaces allow for a car and trailer, and get home in time to let the cats out.
Hah! I stayed up til dawn, slept til 1 pm, and ate a fast lunch lunch. Then the riding lawn mower wouldn't start. I hadn't used it since late September. The marine battery I keep in the shed was dead too. So I went back to the house for the Jump-N-Carry JNC660 Jump Starter I bought a couple months ago to help with the car. That worked!
So I drove the riding mower (hereafter just "mower") around front to hook up to the trailer to move it. Oops, forgot the key ring. Back inside to get that. Unlocked the trailer lock, hooked up the mower. It some time to get the mower trailer ball directly under the trailer hitch. The trailer was on a slope and held in place by wheel chocks so I couldn't move the trailer up or down hill. And trying to use the brake lock thge the mower is in position is tricky. It wants to settle back a few inches...
But I got the trailer and mower connected and brought the trailer to the street so I could get the SUV attached. Hmm, I need a rake to spread the soil/compost mix level... Another 200' trip back to the shed and 200' back to the trailer. Oh, and I need a tarp to cover the load so it doesn't all blow away. I thought I had the in the car, but it was a small one that wouldn't cover the entire trailer. Off in search of a larger tarp I go!
Didn't find the one I wanted (later discovered the one I wanted was covering plywood on the deck) but found one "almost" large enough. Put that in the car. Checked to make sure I had the bungee cord tie-downs in the car. Nope! Searched for the bungee cords. In garage, in shed, in workshop... No luck. Re-checked each area. Nope!
I wasn't at the point of checking the refrigerator, but close. I use them for a lot of purposes, so I sat down and pictured them. Couple of minutes later, I said "AHA!" and walked right to them. I had a small basket of odds and ends left over from another project, and there they were! OK, into the car they went!
Darn, I don't have my grocery list! I made a list of all my usual items on a spreadsheet by category and with some blank lines after each for unusual items (and printed off a few hundred copies a few years ago). I don't really need it for most things. I know what fresh vegetables and meats I need, but its the odd items like ketchup or Crisco or minced horseradish I'll forget without the list. Plus, going by memory means I end up with 3 jars of fancy hot gardeniera veggies in the pantry...
So I got the list. Went to the SUV. Noticed the sun was setting. That means it is rush hour traffic, plus I don't want to do all these errands in the dark!
ARGGGHHH!
So I set my attention to dinner and today (Friday). I got up at 9 am, showerd etc, made a quick cheese/bacon omelet and toast, ate fast, and got going. Hurray, I was on the road at 11...
The UPS drop-off was easy, though it is annoying to stand in the place typing information into the computer to create a shipping label. I have my computer mouse buttons reversed for comfort, so using the regular arrangement is awkward. And their mouse pads are sticky so (between the two) it is hard to get the cursor on the spots they want. And they are Windows while I am Mac, so some routine shortcuts don't work.
But the label was made and printed eventually. I brought my 2 boxes to the UPS clerk. One box was a return of a crockpot. My 35 year old one finally died, so I ordered a replacement. I THOUGHT I was ordering the same size but with a removeable inset. OOPS! It was huge (for me). 5 quarts is a LOT bigger than I thought. Well, I have 5 gallon buckets I use frequently, and 1/4 that size seemed right. Nope! Apparently, I had a 2 quart crockpot before. So I had a return from that with a prepaid pre-printed label.
It was the kitchen knife return that took all the work. I bought a set of really great Wusthof-Trident kitchen knives from a Going-Out-Of Business store 10 years ago. But I added a few individually. One had a piece of the handle just fall off while I was cutting lettuce. Wusthof said to return it to then VERY securely packaged.
I can understand THAT! Knives defy most packaging. So I found a flat box 4" longer than the knife. I cut pieces from another box to hold the knife. The handle has two narrow spots, so I punched holes in one cardboard piece to match those and used twist ties to hold the handle in place leaving 2" all around the knife. Then I placed the 2nd cardboard piece on top of the 1st and used duct tape all around it. That knife AIN'T moving.
Then I put the broken handle piece in a sandwich bag (with a separate label inside the bag explaining what it was) and tucked it in between the cardboards and taped THAT in place. Then I wrapped the whole thing in small bubble-wrap. I added a copy of all the emails between Wusthof and I (with pictures) into the box after writing my name, phone number, email address on the copy.
When I was done, was was still some movement of the cardboard knife-holder in the box so I packed the edges equally around with styrofoam peanuts. When I was done, an earthquake could not have made the contents shift around in the box. I am nothing if not thorough!
So I got away from UPS in only 20 minutes. On my way to get rid of the recyclable cardboard boxes...
Naturally, there was a person ahead of me. She didn't seem to have the slightest idea how recycling worked. She had her trunk open and the workers were picking through the contents. She had electronics, boxes, garbage, metal, and some non-recyclable junk in there. Hey, if it is her first time trying to recycle, I'm patient.
So I decided to just carry my boxes from a car-length further away. But one of the guys there took my boxes as I approached the cardboard compactor and said "She comes here every week with weird stuff and makes us take some stuff we really shouldn't accept for free" (actual garbage costs money to dispose of), "but if we complain we get in trouble".
I thanked the guy who helped me empty the boxes from the SUV, and commiserated with him about some of the strange "customers" they get. Apparently some people try really hard to get their actual garbage "recycled" for free when there is a dumspter right there saying "$1 per bag of garbage". And they show up in luxury cars!
People are weird!
If you have read THIS far, you get an A+.
So from the recycling center, I went to the landscaping/nursery at the end of the same street. I needed a lot of good soil to fill the cages of the Tulip and Hyacinth bulbs I am planting in an edged circle in the newly-leveled back yard. I asked the "Loading Manager" if they still had the 1/2 topsoil 1/2 compost mix. I told him I wanted 2 bucketloads and set my covering tarp so that the dumped mix would hold the front of the tarp in place, then went to the office to pay for it.
I went back out with the receipt and waved it to the bucket-loader guy. He dumped one, then the 2nd. I was spreading the load out evenly when I noticed he was waving at me. Apparwntly, He felt the 2nd load had been a bit light. He brought a 3rd! Cool!
He didn't hang around like he was wanting a tip, so I gave him a big smile and a slight salute! And he parked his machine and left.
So I went to use the bungee cords to hold down the tarp over the soil in the trailer. Imagine my surprise when I realized I had set the tarp sideways. So I pulled it out from under the soil/compost mix and set it the right direction. I tucked the front edge under the soil as best I could, and used the bungee cords to lock down the sides and back.
I hadn't driven 1/2 miles when the front came loose. so I pulled over to the side of the road to redo the front. I'm glad I had an extra container of bungee cords in the car. It seemed (and was) secure. But I saw some birdfeathers on the road (some unfortunate crow), and put several in the exposed (uncovered) back of the trailer where the "wrong" tarp didn't reach. A little experiment on how much of the purschased soil/compost mix I might lose driving home.
The feathers were still there when I got home, so I guess I didn't lose any soil mix on the way home. Aerodynamics are weird!
So I stopped at the Safeway grocery store. They have double row parking spaces that can fit a car and trailer. Did my shopping; won't bore you with that. But I needed stamps and they sell them at no markup. I had written on my shopping list "Don't Forget Stamps". I forgot the stamps.
So I got home, unhooked the trailer, covered the exposed part of the soil/compost mix with another tarp. Got inside at 1PM, opened the deck door and a few windows (it was 70F) and let the cats out. They LOVED it.
Next time, the first planting of new Tulips and Hyacinths using the new-built cages and 1/2 soil 1/2 compost mix...
And if you have read THIS farther, you get an A++
Mark
I had yesterday (Thursday) all planned out. I would get up early (for me) at 10 am, use the riding lawn mower to tow the 5'x8' hauling trailer to the street, hook it up to the car, drive the car to the UPS center to drop off 2 boxes, drive the car (filled with empty boxes) to the recycling center, stop at the nursery on the way back to get 2 bucket-loader loads on 1/2 soil 1/2 compost (premixed is great there), stop by the grocery store where the double rows of parking spaces allow for a car and trailer, and get home in time to let the cats out.
Hah! I stayed up til dawn, slept til 1 pm, and ate a fast lunch lunch. Then the riding lawn mower wouldn't start. I hadn't used it since late September. The marine battery I keep in the shed was dead too. So I went back to the house for the Jump-N-Carry JNC660 Jump Starter I bought a couple months ago to help with the car. That worked!
So I drove the riding mower (hereafter just "mower") around front to hook up to the trailer to move it. Oops, forgot the key ring. Back inside to get that. Unlocked the trailer lock, hooked up the mower. It some time to get the mower trailer ball directly under the trailer hitch. The trailer was on a slope and held in place by wheel chocks so I couldn't move the trailer up or down hill. And trying to use the brake lock thge the mower is in position is tricky. It wants to settle back a few inches...
But I got the trailer and mower connected and brought the trailer to the street so I could get the SUV attached. Hmm, I need a rake to spread the soil/compost mix level... Another 200' trip back to the shed and 200' back to the trailer. Oh, and I need a tarp to cover the load so it doesn't all blow away. I thought I had the in the car, but it was a small one that wouldn't cover the entire trailer. Off in search of a larger tarp I go!
Didn't find the one I wanted (later discovered the one I wanted was covering plywood on the deck) but found one "almost" large enough. Put that in the car. Checked to make sure I had the bungee cord tie-downs in the car. Nope! Searched for the bungee cords. In garage, in shed, in workshop... No luck. Re-checked each area. Nope!
I wasn't at the point of checking the refrigerator, but close. I use them for a lot of purposes, so I sat down and pictured them. Couple of minutes later, I said "AHA!" and walked right to them. I had a small basket of odds and ends left over from another project, and there they were! OK, into the car they went!
Darn, I don't have my grocery list! I made a list of all my usual items on a spreadsheet by category and with some blank lines after each for unusual items (and printed off a few hundred copies a few years ago). I don't really need it for most things. I know what fresh vegetables and meats I need, but its the odd items like ketchup or Crisco or minced horseradish I'll forget without the list. Plus, going by memory means I end up with 3 jars of fancy hot gardeniera veggies in the pantry...
So I got the list. Went to the SUV. Noticed the sun was setting. That means it is rush hour traffic, plus I don't want to do all these errands in the dark!
ARGGGHHH!
So I set my attention to dinner and today (Friday). I got up at 9 am, showerd etc, made a quick cheese/bacon omelet and toast, ate fast, and got going. Hurray, I was on the road at 11...
The UPS drop-off was easy, though it is annoying to stand in the place typing information into the computer to create a shipping label. I have my computer mouse buttons reversed for comfort, so using the regular arrangement is awkward. And their mouse pads are sticky so (between the two) it is hard to get the cursor on the spots they want. And they are Windows while I am Mac, so some routine shortcuts don't work.
But the label was made and printed eventually. I brought my 2 boxes to the UPS clerk. One box was a return of a crockpot. My 35 year old one finally died, so I ordered a replacement. I THOUGHT I was ordering the same size but with a removeable inset. OOPS! It was huge (for me). 5 quarts is a LOT bigger than I thought. Well, I have 5 gallon buckets I use frequently, and 1/4 that size seemed right. Nope! Apparently, I had a 2 quart crockpot before. So I had a return from that with a prepaid pre-printed label.
It was the kitchen knife return that took all the work. I bought a set of really great Wusthof-Trident kitchen knives from a Going-Out-Of Business store 10 years ago. But I added a few individually. One had a piece of the handle just fall off while I was cutting lettuce. Wusthof said to return it to then VERY securely packaged.
I can understand THAT! Knives defy most packaging. So I found a flat box 4" longer than the knife. I cut pieces from another box to hold the knife. The handle has two narrow spots, so I punched holes in one cardboard piece to match those and used twist ties to hold the handle in place leaving 2" all around the knife. Then I placed the 2nd cardboard piece on top of the 1st and used duct tape all around it. That knife AIN'T moving.
Then I put the broken handle piece in a sandwich bag (with a separate label inside the bag explaining what it was) and tucked it in between the cardboards and taped THAT in place. Then I wrapped the whole thing in small bubble-wrap. I added a copy of all the emails between Wusthof and I (with pictures) into the box after writing my name, phone number, email address on the copy.
When I was done, was was still some movement of the cardboard knife-holder in the box so I packed the edges equally around with styrofoam peanuts. When I was done, an earthquake could not have made the contents shift around in the box. I am nothing if not thorough!
So I got away from UPS in only 20 minutes. On my way to get rid of the recyclable cardboard boxes...
Naturally, there was a person ahead of me. She didn't seem to have the slightest idea how recycling worked. She had her trunk open and the workers were picking through the contents. She had electronics, boxes, garbage, metal, and some non-recyclable junk in there. Hey, if it is her first time trying to recycle, I'm patient.
So I decided to just carry my boxes from a car-length further away. But one of the guys there took my boxes as I approached the cardboard compactor and said "She comes here every week with weird stuff and makes us take some stuff we really shouldn't accept for free" (actual garbage costs money to dispose of), "but if we complain we get in trouble".
I thanked the guy who helped me empty the boxes from the SUV, and commiserated with him about some of the strange "customers" they get. Apparently some people try really hard to get their actual garbage "recycled" for free when there is a dumspter right there saying "$1 per bag of garbage". And they show up in luxury cars!
People are weird!
If you have read THIS far, you get an A+.
So from the recycling center, I went to the landscaping/nursery at the end of the same street. I needed a lot of good soil to fill the cages of the Tulip and Hyacinth bulbs I am planting in an edged circle in the newly-leveled back yard. I asked the "Loading Manager" if they still had the 1/2 topsoil 1/2 compost mix. I told him I wanted 2 bucketloads and set my covering tarp so that the dumped mix would hold the front of the tarp in place, then went to the office to pay for it.
I went back out with the receipt and waved it to the bucket-loader guy. He dumped one, then the 2nd. I was spreading the load out evenly when I noticed he was waving at me. Apparwntly, He felt the 2nd load had been a bit light. He brought a 3rd! Cool!
He didn't hang around like he was wanting a tip, so I gave him a big smile and a slight salute! And he parked his machine and left.
So I went to use the bungee cords to hold down the tarp over the soil in the trailer. Imagine my surprise when I realized I had set the tarp sideways. So I pulled it out from under the soil/compost mix and set it the right direction. I tucked the front edge under the soil as best I could, and used the bungee cords to lock down the sides and back.
I hadn't driven 1/2 miles when the front came loose. so I pulled over to the side of the road to redo the front. I'm glad I had an extra container of bungee cords in the car. It seemed (and was) secure. But I saw some birdfeathers on the road (some unfortunate crow), and put several in the exposed (uncovered) back of the trailer where the "wrong" tarp didn't reach. A little experiment on how much of the purschased soil/compost mix I might lose driving home.
The feathers were still there when I got home, so I guess I didn't lose any soil mix on the way home. Aerodynamics are weird!
So I stopped at the Safeway grocery store. They have double row parking spaces that can fit a car and trailer. Did my shopping; won't bore you with that. But I needed stamps and they sell them at no markup. I had written on my shopping list "Don't Forget Stamps". I forgot the stamps.
So I got home, unhooked the trailer, covered the exposed part of the soil/compost mix with another tarp. Got inside at 1PM, opened the deck door and a few windows (it was 70F) and let the cats out. They LOVED it.
Next time, the first planting of new Tulips and Hyacinths using the new-built cages and 1/2 soil 1/2 compost mix...
And if you have read THIS farther, you get an A++
Mark
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Moderately Busy Day
Sometimes I slack off a couple of days even when I have work to do. Yeah, busy as I seem to be, I can ebnd up just cooking and watching science/nature DVDs...
But I got back to work today. The tulip/hyacinth cages have a time deadline for planting the bulbs before the ground freezes, so I started with those. I made 6 more before my hand started cramping up. I need 27 cages and I have 20 built now. Tomorrow should finish the remaining 7.
So after that, I started making spaghetti sauce. Nothing too fancy. I use 2 cans of 28 oz crushed tomato, a 1/2 minced green bell pepper, 1 minced jalapeno pepper, 1/2 minced onion, 1/4 of red wine, a tsp of sugar, a tbls of dried italian seasoning, a handful of sliced button mushrooms, and a doz pre-cooked meatballs I get frozen from the meat store. I just let it simmer slowly for an hour, scraping the bottom with a spatula every 5 minutes. It's good enough for me; not like I have an Italian grandmother to answer to... LOL! I have Tupperware containers just the right size for one meal, and spoon the mixture evenly for freezing. But I like a LOT of tomato sauce on my pasta, so my Tupperware size might not be yours... BTW, I spoon the 1" meatballs out first and cut them in half. I like a bit with most forkfuls rather than large meatballs at once. Sometimes I use 3 hot italian sausages, cooked separately, then added to the sauce.
While that was going on (and with the repeating timer set to 5 minutes to remind me to stir the sauce), I took care of some internet order problems.
First, I had ordered a replacement cat tree sisal post for the one that Ayla finally broke using it as a launch pad to the top of the tall bookcases. I thought all those posts were the same, but this one had a 3' bolt that stuck down into the hut below, and surely some cat would have been injured. Since it was advertised as "sort-bolt", I asked them to send me a free return shipping label.
Second, I had ordered a new crock pot with a removable stoneware insert for easy cleaning. I thought I was ordering the same size as my 40 year old 1-piece Rival crockpot. But as soon as I opened the box I was shocked at how large it was. I contacted Amazon.com about a return, and the response was to over me $28.11 for the $49.99 item (as it was a 3rd party sale).
Well, I checked the 3rd party seller's return policy and it stated it followed Amazon.con return policies. Which were (for unused, withing 30 days, and in entirely original packing) 100% refund. After a 2nd email to Amazon.com, I received a statement of not only 100% refund, but a free return shipping label. Bless their hearts...
So while the spaghetti sauce was simmering between stirrings, I reboxed the crockpot in the original retail box in the original shipping box.
Third, I had bought a set of Wusthof-Trident kitchen knives a few years ago from a place going out of business. While using a knife I seldom use, a piece of the handle just fell right off! It was like a piece of knapped flint struck off from a core. I emailed them about it and they replied saying to pack up the knife and broken piece and send it to them packed very carefully.
I did that today, and oh boy did I "package" it carefully! I found a thin box large enough, cut cardboard pieces from other boxes to fit, got my roll of duct tape, and raided my stash of bubble wrap. I wrapped the blade in bubble wrap. I set the knife on one piece of cardboard 3" larger than the knife and poked holes in the cardboard at the narrow parts of the knife handle and ran twist-ties through the holes the attach it to the cardboard. Then I wrapped a larger piece of cardboard around the 1st piece and duct-taped it in all directions. I put the broken-off piece in a plastic sandwich bag (labeled, of course) and duct-taped IT to the cardboard. Then I wrapped the whole thing in more bubble wrap. Then I slipped a copy of their email to me authorizing a return (with my name, address, phone number, and email address) into the box and stuffed what little space was left with packing (leftover from packing the crockpot).
The outside of the box is thoroughly "shipping-taped". If that isn't well-packed, then "well-packed" isn't possible. It may take them 15 minutes of work just to get at the knife inside. No one will ever accuse ME of shipping a dangerous product. :)
I sure wish I had thought to take pictures!!!
And THEN, I had received an order of 8 trays of (24 5.5oz cans per tray) Wellness canned cat food from Chewy.com a couple days ago ago and was unpacking it. I discovered I was one tray missing! So I called them The person I talked to (Patrick) didn't hesitate to immediately order a replacement. But he asked about my cats, then mentioned his, and we talked for 45 minutes. They are either not busy and "Customer Service" or they are extremely friendly.
He has 4 male cats (all former strays who get along great) and he names them after minor mythology gods in various languages (1 each Persian, Briton, Greek, and Egyptian). He said he uses minor mythology names "because there are too many Zeuses and Thors". I was impressed! And he asked for my blog URL, so I might have a new reader.
But the timing was ironic. I had to tell him that I had just posted (in complete error) about receiving a goodie box from Chewy.com and it turning out to be a different company (Purr8Packs). He laughed and said things like that happen but I should correct the past posts to give credit to the Purr*Packs company (which was next on my To Do List), but it sure made me think higher of Chewy.com for not hoping for undo credit.
He said he would make sure to look at older posts to get a good idea of what my blog was like. Is that understanding, or what?
Loaded up the SUV with accumulated cardboard boxes for the recycling center. Too many for my small recycling barrel that only gets picked up every 2 weeks. The free space in the basement is nice.
The spaghetti dinner was great. And now I have 5 more containers of sauce freezing for future use. I don't like to bother making sauce one meal at a time.
So tomorrow, I go off with the car packed with 2 boxes for UPS, the back full of empty boxes for recycling, 4 bags of plastic shopping bags to be stuffed into the shopping bag recycle box there (my county recycling center does not accept "film plastic" (shopping bags). On the way home, I'll do my bi-weekly grocery shopping at Safeway (for the good produce) and the local meat market.
But today was a pretty productive day.
Hope you had a good day too!
But I got back to work today. The tulip/hyacinth cages have a time deadline for planting the bulbs before the ground freezes, so I started with those. I made 6 more before my hand started cramping up. I need 27 cages and I have 20 built now. Tomorrow should finish the remaining 7.
So after that, I started making spaghetti sauce. Nothing too fancy. I use 2 cans of 28 oz crushed tomato, a 1/2 minced green bell pepper, 1 minced jalapeno pepper, 1/2 minced onion, 1/4 of red wine, a tsp of sugar, a tbls of dried italian seasoning, a handful of sliced button mushrooms, and a doz pre-cooked meatballs I get frozen from the meat store. I just let it simmer slowly for an hour, scraping the bottom with a spatula every 5 minutes. It's good enough for me; not like I have an Italian grandmother to answer to... LOL! I have Tupperware containers just the right size for one meal, and spoon the mixture evenly for freezing. But I like a LOT of tomato sauce on my pasta, so my Tupperware size might not be yours... BTW, I spoon the 1" meatballs out first and cut them in half. I like a bit with most forkfuls rather than large meatballs at once. Sometimes I use 3 hot italian sausages, cooked separately, then added to the sauce.
While that was going on (and with the repeating timer set to 5 minutes to remind me to stir the sauce), I took care of some internet order problems.
First, I had ordered a replacement cat tree sisal post for the one that Ayla finally broke using it as a launch pad to the top of the tall bookcases. I thought all those posts were the same, but this one had a 3' bolt that stuck down into the hut below, and surely some cat would have been injured. Since it was advertised as "sort-bolt", I asked them to send me a free return shipping label.
Second, I had ordered a new crock pot with a removable stoneware insert for easy cleaning. I thought I was ordering the same size as my 40 year old 1-piece Rival crockpot. But as soon as I opened the box I was shocked at how large it was. I contacted Amazon.com about a return, and the response was to over me $28.11 for the $49.99 item (as it was a 3rd party sale).
Well, I checked the 3rd party seller's return policy and it stated it followed Amazon.con return policies. Which were (for unused, withing 30 days, and in entirely original packing) 100% refund. After a 2nd email to Amazon.com, I received a statement of not only 100% refund, but a free return shipping label. Bless their hearts...
So while the spaghetti sauce was simmering between stirrings, I reboxed the crockpot in the original retail box in the original shipping box.
Third, I had bought a set of Wusthof-Trident kitchen knives a few years ago from a place going out of business. While using a knife I seldom use, a piece of the handle just fell right off! It was like a piece of knapped flint struck off from a core. I emailed them about it and they replied saying to pack up the knife and broken piece and send it to them packed very carefully.
I did that today, and oh boy did I "package" it carefully! I found a thin box large enough, cut cardboard pieces from other boxes to fit, got my roll of duct tape, and raided my stash of bubble wrap. I wrapped the blade in bubble wrap. I set the knife on one piece of cardboard 3" larger than the knife and poked holes in the cardboard at the narrow parts of the knife handle and ran twist-ties through the holes the attach it to the cardboard. Then I wrapped a larger piece of cardboard around the 1st piece and duct-taped it in all directions. I put the broken-off piece in a plastic sandwich bag (labeled, of course) and duct-taped IT to the cardboard. Then I wrapped the whole thing in more bubble wrap. Then I slipped a copy of their email to me authorizing a return (with my name, address, phone number, and email address) into the box and stuffed what little space was left with packing (leftover from packing the crockpot).
The outside of the box is thoroughly "shipping-taped". If that isn't well-packed, then "well-packed" isn't possible. It may take them 15 minutes of work just to get at the knife inside. No one will ever accuse ME of shipping a dangerous product. :)
I sure wish I had thought to take pictures!!!
And THEN, I had received an order of 8 trays of (24 5.5oz cans per tray) Wellness canned cat food from Chewy.com a couple days ago ago and was unpacking it. I discovered I was one tray missing! So I called them The person I talked to (Patrick) didn't hesitate to immediately order a replacement. But he asked about my cats, then mentioned his, and we talked for 45 minutes. They are either not busy and "Customer Service" or they are extremely friendly.
He has 4 male cats (all former strays who get along great) and he names them after minor mythology gods in various languages (1 each Persian, Briton, Greek, and Egyptian). He said he uses minor mythology names "because there are too many Zeuses and Thors". I was impressed! And he asked for my blog URL, so I might have a new reader.
But the timing was ironic. I had to tell him that I had just posted (in complete error) about receiving a goodie box from Chewy.com and it turning out to be a different company (Purr8Packs). He laughed and said things like that happen but I should correct the past posts to give credit to the Purr*Packs company (which was next on my To Do List), but it sure made me think higher of Chewy.com for not hoping for undo credit.
He said he would make sure to look at older posts to get a good idea of what my blog was like. Is that understanding, or what?
Loaded up the SUV with accumulated cardboard boxes for the recycling center. Too many for my small recycling barrel that only gets picked up every 2 weeks. The free space in the basement is nice.
The spaghetti dinner was great. And now I have 5 more containers of sauce freezing for future use. I don't like to bother making sauce one meal at a time.
So tomorrow, I go off with the car packed with 2 boxes for UPS, the back full of empty boxes for recycling, 4 bags of plastic shopping bags to be stuffed into the shopping bag recycle box there (my county recycling center does not accept "film plastic" (shopping bags). On the way home, I'll do my bi-weekly grocery shopping at Safeway (for the good produce) and the local meat market.
But today was a pretty productive day.
Hope you had a good day too!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Guns
There are guns. 16 gauges to shoot squirrels, 12 gauges for hunting deer. In some places rifles are appropriate for longer shots at bigger prey.
But that's it!
There is no reason anyone needs any bigger gun than those.
Hunting deer and squirrels is fine. You want to hunt wild sheep from 500 yards, learn to get closer. You say it is a sport? Good, get better at it. But no one needs an AK 47 to hunt.
I've hunted. Had a wonderful time, and it was exciting. I did well sneaking through the woods after deer. Field-dressed a few myself. And there are too many deer in the East. I don't object to killing deer. But if you need an Ak 47 to kill a deer, then you aren't "hunting"; you are just blasting away like some random Elmer Fudd.
Who wants to be an Elmer Fudd?
So I want to keep my 12 gauge. And my crossbow.
Its the crazies who want to prevent ANY sensible gun laws to prevent the nuts from "carrying"that are going to ruin MY moderate gun usage. And it's the NRA driving the "win everything or lose it all" that is the problem.
I want the leadership of the NRA to be removed. Not the NRA itself. And membership agrees...
1. 83 percent of all gun owners and 72 percent of the NRA members surveyed voiced support for universal background checks.
2. 56 percent of the Republican gun owners polled said they would be more likely to support a candidate who favors universal background checks.
3. Only 29 percent of the respondents said they believe the NRA represents their views on the issue on the NRA platform.
I want some sensible laws about responsible gun ownership. Some sensible laws, like...
A. If you are the 'No Fly List", you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.
B. If you have a mental problem, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.
C. If you are a felon, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.
D. If you are are under a court order about being away from someone, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun under any circumstance.
And I'll take it another step further. If we can't eliminate guns, lets eliminate ammunition. No bullets, and and the crazies can have all the guns they want.
Sure, some people can make ammunition. But less than Walmart sells.
But that's it!
There is no reason anyone needs any bigger gun than those.
Hunting deer and squirrels is fine. You want to hunt wild sheep from 500 yards, learn to get closer. You say it is a sport? Good, get better at it. But no one needs an AK 47 to hunt.
I've hunted. Had a wonderful time, and it was exciting. I did well sneaking through the woods after deer. Field-dressed a few myself. And there are too many deer in the East. I don't object to killing deer. But if you need an Ak 47 to kill a deer, then you aren't "hunting"; you are just blasting away like some random Elmer Fudd.
Who wants to be an Elmer Fudd?
So I want to keep my 12 gauge. And my crossbow.
Its the crazies who want to prevent ANY sensible gun laws to prevent the nuts from "carrying"that are going to ruin MY moderate gun usage. And it's the NRA driving the "win everything or lose it all" that is the problem.
I want the leadership of the NRA to be removed. Not the NRA itself. And membership agrees...
1. 83 percent of all gun owners and 72 percent of the NRA members surveyed voiced support for universal background checks.
2. 56 percent of the Republican gun owners polled said they would be more likely to support a candidate who favors universal background checks.
3. Only 29 percent of the respondents said they believe the NRA represents their views on the issue on the NRA platform.
I want some sensible laws about responsible gun ownership. Some sensible laws, like...
A. If you are the 'No Fly List", you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.
B. If you have a mental problem, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.
C. If you are a felon, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.
D. If you are are under a court order about being away from someone, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun under any circumstance.
And I'll take it another step further. If we can't eliminate guns, lets eliminate ammunition. No bullets, and and the crazies can have all the guns they want.
Sure, some people can make ammunition. But less than Walmart sells.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Tulip and Hyacinth Bulb Cages
One of the biggest problems for Tulip and Hyacinth bulbs around here are the voles. They are evil! I planted 5 circles of 8 Tulip bulbs some years ago and in Spring, I discovered holes dug out from the surface and sides to every single bulb. There were bulb fragments left.
Daffodils are no problem; they seem toxic to voles.
But I love Tulips and Hyacinths.
So I am making wire cages to keep the little voles bastards out.
I designed an efficient form to use 36" wide hardware mesh wire. The dark line in the middle shows where 2 shapes are cut.
I cut many to size. ..
I figured out how to fold them into cages...
They are easily opened for adding bulbs when buried in the ground.
I still have time to plant the bulbs. The ground won't freeze until January here. Building the cages is labor-intensive. I have 14 cages constructed and want 14 more for the 25' diameter edged circle I set in.
But I don't have much time left. I'm sure gonna be busy next week, LOL!
Daffodils are no problem; they seem toxic to voles.
But I love Tulips and Hyacinths.
So I am making wire cages to keep the little voles bastards out.
I designed an efficient form to use 36" wide hardware mesh wire. The dark line in the middle shows where 2 shapes are cut.
But I don't have much time left. I'm sure gonna be busy next week, LOL!
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Neat Neighbor
This may all seem a bit weird. I have a cross the street neighbor who managed to get permission to build a McMansion on the wetland across the street. And he is the father of the Crazy Guy who lived next door to the property. Yet he is friendly and we talk.
This guy is SLICK! He not only got permission to build on a wetland (by bringing in 10 loads of soil), he bought the utterly unbuildable property next to his IN EXCHANGE for 6 acres of wetlands behind him. I would NOT play poker with this guy!
On the other hand, he is utterly friendly and helpful to neighbors.
The wetlands behind him have been draining for years. It is now mostly woods and creeks. So we were talking yesterday. He has a personal herd of deer in his 6 acres and hunts regularly (with a crossbow!) and there are several good fishing spots there too.
I tried not to drool while he described it all. I very briefly mentioned that I was an experienced deer hunter in my younger days and still enjoyed fishing, but didn't outright ask. But I would sure like an invitation. We just compared some hunting and fishing experiences though.
This guy is ultra-competent. He does his own deer butchering and aging. He grows corn for the deer (not where he hunts). He can recognize most of them individually by sight. He enlarged his concrete driveway by himself! I saw him atop his 2.5 story house last week inspecting his shingles! He goes to bed at sunset and gets up at dawn. He snowblows other peoples' driveways just for something to do!
He doesn't seem to own a computer. He mentioned being at a target range a mile away and thought he recognized some of his deer there, and thought the properties were adjacent. When I asked if he had "googled" it, he "said" he didn't know what that was (but keep in mind this guy is slick).
He mentioned that turtles all came around when he was fishing in the back area because they had learned he injured the fish when he got the hooks out of the fishs' stomachs. So I mentioned that I had learned a trick for that. You go up through the open gills with a long nose plier, get ahold of the top of the hook and twist it so that it slides right back out. No harm. I'm a catch and release type.
That got his attention! He likes to catch fish, not harm them.
And I mentioned that I had bought a really good hunting crossbow a few years ago but didn't know where to hunt. But I didn't push it...
He says there are too many deer around here, and I agree. I mentioned that there are too few places to hunt, and he agreed. I told him I had driven to southern maryland and back 2 weeks ago looking a lots and saw 4 fresh-dead deer obviously killed by cars. I have a concern about that.
Years ago, a friend and were driving home after a day of fishing and he hit a deer. He stopped to look at the damage to his car; I went to look at the deer. My friend questioned my priorities, but I wanted the deer out of the road because if an unsuspecting driver hit it, it could actually overturn the car.
An injured deer can be dangerous by kicking, so I kicked it a few times myself. It was dead, so I dragged it off the road. It wasn't a busy road, but I would have felt terrible if some other driver had been injured hitting it.
We got to my house and documented the car damage for insurance purposes. But 3 days after, part of my left hand went numb. I feared it was carpal tunnel syndrome (because I spend a lot of time at work typing). After having a doctor basically electrocute me in small doses (enough to finally send me into shock), I learned the deer impact had caused a fracture in my 5th (6th?) vertabra of my neck, impacting the ulner nerve.
To this day, the little and ring finger of my left hand aren't entirely "there", if you know what I mean. They move fine, but I can't feel them like the other fingers.
So I do not love deer overpopulation...
I stopped hunting deer when I was 22 and bowshot a doe. Field-dressing her, milk gushed out. I was fine with intestines and stomach, etc, but milk? Dang. It meant I had orphaned a fawn or two, too.
But I would like to hunt again. I can't use a bow worth a damn (never could really) but I can use a crossbow. And I would give the meat to charities that accept it for food for the homeless.
But I need a safe place to hunt. There are CRAZY gun-hunters out there who fire at anything that moves (my dad was shot by one once). And here is this neighbor with a personal herd of deer who says he has too many there...
And I want him to invite me to hunt with him...
I'm just not in his circle. Yet.
We have some things in common. Hunting, fishing, DIY home and yard stuff; general compency. It could be interesting. He's slick and I'm not. I don't even cheat at solitare. But I am also "slick-proof". He might find that to be a relief. Or a challenge. LOL!
But I sure could use a real-life, face-time, neighbor friend...
This guy is SLICK! He not only got permission to build on a wetland (by bringing in 10 loads of soil), he bought the utterly unbuildable property next to his IN EXCHANGE for 6 acres of wetlands behind him. I would NOT play poker with this guy!
On the other hand, he is utterly friendly and helpful to neighbors.
The wetlands behind him have been draining for years. It is now mostly woods and creeks. So we were talking yesterday. He has a personal herd of deer in his 6 acres and hunts regularly (with a crossbow!) and there are several good fishing spots there too.
I tried not to drool while he described it all. I very briefly mentioned that I was an experienced deer hunter in my younger days and still enjoyed fishing, but didn't outright ask. But I would sure like an invitation. We just compared some hunting and fishing experiences though.
This guy is ultra-competent. He does his own deer butchering and aging. He grows corn for the deer (not where he hunts). He can recognize most of them individually by sight. He enlarged his concrete driveway by himself! I saw him atop his 2.5 story house last week inspecting his shingles! He goes to bed at sunset and gets up at dawn. He snowblows other peoples' driveways just for something to do!
He doesn't seem to own a computer. He mentioned being at a target range a mile away and thought he recognized some of his deer there, and thought the properties were adjacent. When I asked if he had "googled" it, he "said" he didn't know what that was (but keep in mind this guy is slick).
He mentioned that turtles all came around when he was fishing in the back area because they had learned he injured the fish when he got the hooks out of the fishs' stomachs. So I mentioned that I had learned a trick for that. You go up through the open gills with a long nose plier, get ahold of the top of the hook and twist it so that it slides right back out. No harm. I'm a catch and release type.
That got his attention! He likes to catch fish, not harm them.
And I mentioned that I had bought a really good hunting crossbow a few years ago but didn't know where to hunt. But I didn't push it...
He says there are too many deer around here, and I agree. I mentioned that there are too few places to hunt, and he agreed. I told him I had driven to southern maryland and back 2 weeks ago looking a lots and saw 4 fresh-dead deer obviously killed by cars. I have a concern about that.
Years ago, a friend and were driving home after a day of fishing and he hit a deer. He stopped to look at the damage to his car; I went to look at the deer. My friend questioned my priorities, but I wanted the deer out of the road because if an unsuspecting driver hit it, it could actually overturn the car.
An injured deer can be dangerous by kicking, so I kicked it a few times myself. It was dead, so I dragged it off the road. It wasn't a busy road, but I would have felt terrible if some other driver had been injured hitting it.
We got to my house and documented the car damage for insurance purposes. But 3 days after, part of my left hand went numb. I feared it was carpal tunnel syndrome (because I spend a lot of time at work typing). After having a doctor basically electrocute me in small doses (enough to finally send me into shock), I learned the deer impact had caused a fracture in my 5th (6th?) vertabra of my neck, impacting the ulner nerve.
To this day, the little and ring finger of my left hand aren't entirely "there", if you know what I mean. They move fine, but I can't feel them like the other fingers.
So I do not love deer overpopulation...
I stopped hunting deer when I was 22 and bowshot a doe. Field-dressing her, milk gushed out. I was fine with intestines and stomach, etc, but milk? Dang. It meant I had orphaned a fawn or two, too.
But I would like to hunt again. I can't use a bow worth a damn (never could really) but I can use a crossbow. And I would give the meat to charities that accept it for food for the homeless.
But I need a safe place to hunt. There are CRAZY gun-hunters out there who fire at anything that moves (my dad was shot by one once). And here is this neighbor with a personal herd of deer who says he has too many there...
And I want him to invite me to hunt with him...
I'm just not in his circle. Yet.
We have some things in common. Hunting, fishing, DIY home and yard stuff; general compency. It could be interesting. He's slick and I'm not. I don't even cheat at solitare. But I am also "slick-proof". He might find that to be a relief. Or a challenge. LOL!
But I sure could use a real-life, face-time, neighbor friend...
I'm Not Moving Anytime Soon, Part 3
I know I seem to be complaining about my house. It does have features I like. The ease of movement in the circle is really very good!
I took an architecture class and the professor said "tell me something useful about designing a house". Most all the students talked about the pleasure of large rooms. *I* said don't waste space on hallways". There were other tests of course, but I did get an "A". And I have a pretty minimal hallway today!
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
I'm Not Moving Anytime Soon, Part 2
The House I Want:
I have always desired a particular floorplan. All one level (no basement, no attic), and all interior rooms except bedrooms and bathrooms being divided by 30"/1 meter high walls. So I could have a sensation of space. Kitchen cabinets at the floor and above, but with the space between them open.
I want a 2 bay garage; one bay for the car, a second bay for a decent small boat.
I want a workshop about 20'x30' so I don't have to push equipment around on wheeled bases to get at them; with a garage door for easy access.
I want a TV room positioned where I can watch the TV while I prepare food in the kitchen (as I can now), because I spend a lot of time doing both.
I want a fireplace where I can see it burning from anywhere in the house.
I want high ceilings for a feeling of space.
I want geothermal HVAC (Heating And Ventilation Air Conditioning) and solar panels covering a unobstructed south-facing roof.
I emailed many "custom-builders" asking about such a floorplan. Only one replied, saying the layout needed "rearrangement for utility efficiency". That's OK, its the basic open structure that matters.
My basic idea is this:
I sent the diagram to a dozen custom builders asking if they could build something like that. I had no idea what to expect, but I figured that if anyone HAD built custom-designed houses, they might already have something like that. Only one replied and said the design was flawed for efficient utility design and they couldn't tell the scale, but they could come up with "something more buildable" in a couple days.
I waited 3 days and emailed to ask if they had anything and were still interested. I even said that I understood my amateur diagram probably had some flaws and looked forward to just a paper sketch suggesting a new arrangement of rooms so that I could imagine "walking around through the house" before we discussed details of actual architectural plans and costs.
Now, keep in mind that there are thousands of free basic floorplans on the internet. None of those will enable you to build a house. The real work is in the details and a basic floorplan doesn't provide those!
But the custom home builder apparently wanted (and I didn't realize THAT being new to custom-built houses) payments up front. OK, I might have considered it in $100's, had he mentioned that. My conclusion is that this particular builder wants to know how much I CAN spend, and get me for some few $1,000 starting fees of the process without MY having the slightest idea of the final fees or design. Well, maybe he is used to building houses for really rich people who have too much money...
So I replied that the overall dimensions were about 30'x80' and it was otherwise to scale. I took 2 classes in mechanical drawing, and an architect's ruler (a weird triangular ruler) adjusts to all scaling would have told them everything.
I emailed a note of apology for wasting his time...
I don't know why my basic design is so hard for builders around here to consider. It seems they just don't LIKE the idea. I had an Uncle and Aunt with that basic house in New England, and it was easy to build.
I still want that house. I just might have to approach getting it another way.
But then there is the property. I wanted a lot large enough to guarantee sunny space for gardening and sun on the roof for solar panels regardless of neighbors' trees.. And I wanted geothermal HVAC. I thought that meant at least 2-3 acres.
So I had a Real Estate Agent looking. She found several properties close to my fishing locations, open and level, 2-3 acres. I visited them. They certainly were open and level. I took lots of pictures.
When I got home and loaded the pictures, I realized things I had missed...
The lots were end parts of working farms. I hadn't considered the smell of commercial fertilizers and the sound of agricultural equipment working from dawn to dusk. If the entire farm was being sold for residential lots, that would be one thing. But they were not. The one soybean field being sold as residential was fine in THAT regard, but the slope of the property from the owners house shows severe erosion. Not good.
The Real Estate Agent suggested some other properties. But those were all on well water and septic tank sewage. I'm not ready for that. Wells dry out sometimes, and both wells and septic tanks need some routine maintenance. I'm not that great on routine maintenance.
And they only have satellite TV service.
So she suggested that I consider places closer to me that were on city water and sewage and cable/Fios. And she mentioned that places with city water and sewage were generally 1/2 acre lots and already built on with standard houses.
Um, I'm there NOW... So I would be going through the trouble of moving to be in a house and lot about what I have now.
DAMN!
No point in moving, is there?
I'm going to keep looking, I might find just the right space. But I won't find it today or tomorrow.
I have always desired a particular floorplan. All one level (no basement, no attic), and all interior rooms except bedrooms and bathrooms being divided by 30"/1 meter high walls. So I could have a sensation of space. Kitchen cabinets at the floor and above, but with the space between them open.
I want a 2 bay garage; one bay for the car, a second bay for a decent small boat.
I want a workshop about 20'x30' so I don't have to push equipment around on wheeled bases to get at them; with a garage door for easy access.
I want a TV room positioned where I can watch the TV while I prepare food in the kitchen (as I can now), because I spend a lot of time doing both.
I want a fireplace where I can see it burning from anywhere in the house.
I want high ceilings for a feeling of space.
I want geothermal HVAC (Heating And Ventilation Air Conditioning) and solar panels covering a unobstructed south-facing roof.
I emailed many "custom-builders" asking about such a floorplan. Only one replied, saying the layout needed "rearrangement for utility efficiency". That's OK, its the basic open structure that matters.
My basic idea is this:
I sent the diagram to a dozen custom builders asking if they could build something like that. I had no idea what to expect, but I figured that if anyone HAD built custom-designed houses, they might already have something like that. Only one replied and said the design was flawed for efficient utility design and they couldn't tell the scale, but they could come up with "something more buildable" in a couple days.
I waited 3 days and emailed to ask if they had anything and were still interested. I even said that I understood my amateur diagram probably had some flaws and looked forward to just a paper sketch suggesting a new arrangement of rooms so that I could imagine "walking around through the house" before we discussed details of actual architectural plans and costs.
Now, keep in mind that there are thousands of free basic floorplans on the internet. None of those will enable you to build a house. The real work is in the details and a basic floorplan doesn't provide those!
But the custom home builder apparently wanted (and I didn't realize THAT being new to custom-built houses) payments up front. OK, I might have considered it in $100's, had he mentioned that. My conclusion is that this particular builder wants to know how much I CAN spend, and get me for some few $1,000 starting fees of the process without MY having the slightest idea of the final fees or design. Well, maybe he is used to building houses for really rich people who have too much money...
So I replied that the overall dimensions were about 30'x80' and it was otherwise to scale. I took 2 classes in mechanical drawing, and an architect's ruler (a weird triangular ruler) adjusts to all scaling would have told them everything.
I emailed a note of apology for wasting his time...
I don't know why my basic design is so hard for builders around here to consider. It seems they just don't LIKE the idea. I had an Uncle and Aunt with that basic house in New England, and it was easy to build.
I still want that house. I just might have to approach getting it another way.
But then there is the property. I wanted a lot large enough to guarantee sunny space for gardening and sun on the roof for solar panels regardless of neighbors' trees.. And I wanted geothermal HVAC. I thought that meant at least 2-3 acres.
So I had a Real Estate Agent looking. She found several properties close to my fishing locations, open and level, 2-3 acres. I visited them. They certainly were open and level. I took lots of pictures.
When I got home and loaded the pictures, I realized things I had missed...
The lots were end parts of working farms. I hadn't considered the smell of commercial fertilizers and the sound of agricultural equipment working from dawn to dusk. If the entire farm was being sold for residential lots, that would be one thing. But they were not. The one soybean field being sold as residential was fine in THAT regard, but the slope of the property from the owners house shows severe erosion. Not good.
The Real Estate Agent suggested some other properties. But those were all on well water and septic tank sewage. I'm not ready for that. Wells dry out sometimes, and both wells and septic tanks need some routine maintenance. I'm not that great on routine maintenance.
And they only have satellite TV service.
So she suggested that I consider places closer to me that were on city water and sewage and cable/Fios. And she mentioned that places with city water and sewage were generally 1/2 acre lots and already built on with standard houses.
Um, I'm there NOW... So I would be going through the trouble of moving to be in a house and lot about what I have now.
DAMN!
No point in moving, is there?
I'm going to keep looking, I might find just the right space. But I won't find it today or tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
I'm Not Moving Anytime Soon, Part 1
Looking for a new house and property was really frustrating, and there is a lot to explain. I may have to divide it into several posts.
I am in a split-foyer house, which is basically a ranch house on an above-ground basement with a front door in-between the basement and ranch. I can't even get into the house without going up or down stairs and I'm tired of stairs. And as I get older, I will get tireder of them. The house is about 20'x40', which means that all the rooms are on the small side (by US standards at least). Well, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living room, dining room, hallway and stairs doesn't leave much per room. It was a "starter home", but after 29 years, when do I get beyond "start"?
The basement would be fine if I didn't have some serious wood-working floor equipment and gardening shelves and tables. I can hardly move around in it. Indeed, if I didn't have all the floor equipment on mobile bases so I could push them around to make room, I wouldn't be able to move around in the basement at all. And upstairs, I have 7 bookcases, 3 large cat trees, a large aquarium, stereo equipment, secretary desk, 60" flat TV, no attic storage space, etc.
I'm not in any way complaining about what I have, but I've run out of space. I gave away my sofa and loveseat set years ago. Yeah, I might have "too much stuff". But right or wrong, I feel cramped.
The yard is also a problem. A half acre sounds big. That's about average for semi-rural property here. But with the property surrounded by the 100' tall trees in the edges of the neighbors' yards, I don't get much sunlight. I can't get any of the neighbors to let me have the ones blocking most of my sunlight cut down (professionally and at my expense).
And I like to go fishing. But the nearest decent places are almost an hour away and 1.5 hours away. I don't like driving. Some people do, but it bores me to death. My brain stands to shut down after about 30 minutes... I wanted to be closer to those places, which are in more rural Maryland.
And my town is a traffic bottleneck. It can take 15 minutes to drive 5 miles, and everything useful is on the other side of town. I'm really tired of that.
So I'm feeling cramped inside and lacking good gardening sunlight outside and feeling to far away from good fishing. And been here 29 years; I can walk through this house in pitch-black. So I felt the only decision was to move.
The problem is that what I want in house and property and location doesn't seem to be easy to get. But this is getting long, so I'll post about that tomorrow...
I am in a split-foyer house, which is basically a ranch house on an above-ground basement with a front door in-between the basement and ranch. I can't even get into the house without going up or down stairs and I'm tired of stairs. And as I get older, I will get tireder of them. The house is about 20'x40', which means that all the rooms are on the small side (by US standards at least). Well, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living room, dining room, hallway and stairs doesn't leave much per room. It was a "starter home", but after 29 years, when do I get beyond "start"?
The basement would be fine if I didn't have some serious wood-working floor equipment and gardening shelves and tables. I can hardly move around in it. Indeed, if I didn't have all the floor equipment on mobile bases so I could push them around to make room, I wouldn't be able to move around in the basement at all. And upstairs, I have 7 bookcases, 3 large cat trees, a large aquarium, stereo equipment, secretary desk, 60" flat TV, no attic storage space, etc.
I'm not in any way complaining about what I have, but I've run out of space. I gave away my sofa and loveseat set years ago. Yeah, I might have "too much stuff". But right or wrong, I feel cramped.
The yard is also a problem. A half acre sounds big. That's about average for semi-rural property here. But with the property surrounded by the 100' tall trees in the edges of the neighbors' yards, I don't get much sunlight. I can't get any of the neighbors to let me have the ones blocking most of my sunlight cut down (professionally and at my expense).
And I like to go fishing. But the nearest decent places are almost an hour away and 1.5 hours away. I don't like driving. Some people do, but it bores me to death. My brain stands to shut down after about 30 minutes... I wanted to be closer to those places, which are in more rural Maryland.
And my town is a traffic bottleneck. It can take 15 minutes to drive 5 miles, and everything useful is on the other side of town. I'm really tired of that.
So I'm feeling cramped inside and lacking good gardening sunlight outside and feeling to far away from good fishing. And been here 29 years; I can walk through this house in pitch-black. So I felt the only decision was to move.
The problem is that what I want in house and property and location doesn't seem to be easy to get. But this is getting long, so I'll post about that tomorrow...
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