Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Off to find out about new hearing aides.

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Off to find out about new hearing aides.

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Bon chance!

I need hearing aides, but here in the states they're terribly expensive - $2000 each. And not covered by insurance.

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Hey Brenda and Signy! It's nice to hear from you.

Brenda, I hope your hearing aid search goes smoothly and quickly! Signy, it sounds like you're (completely?) recovered. YAY!!!

As for myself, my back's been cranky again/ still for the last few weeks. I'm not completely incapacitated like Signy was, but I'm moving very, very, and sometimes VERY slowly, with frequent back-breaks. I feel like a snail could go faster. So literally everything's taking a long time to do, from the humble getting out of bed to the more productive housecleaning and laundry.

On my list for today besides the daily stuff is a rather large load of laundry, with 2 others waiting in the wings for the next couple of rounds; recycling about 7 or 8 bags of glass bottle recycling which I give to the people at the recycling center (they tell me they buy donuts for everyone with the money)(I remember when 'recycling' was just a verb; it was Earth Day that helped turn it into a noun as well), and very heavy shop[ping, to buy the stuff that comes in those glass bottles. That'll give me the need to take a day's break to recover mobility, and then I can continue on. Like I said, I'm really slow at everything.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Off to find out about new hearing aides.

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Bon chance!

I need hearing aides, but here in the states they're terribly expensive - $2000 each. And not covered by insurance.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

THUGR posts about Putin so much, he must be in love.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Hey Brenda and Signy! It's nice to hear from you.

Brenda, I hope your hearing aid search goes smoothly and quickly! Signy, it sounds like you're (completely?) recovered. YAY!!!

As for myself, my back's been cranky again/ still for the last few weeks. I'm not completely incapacitated like Signy was, but I'm moving very, very, and sometimes VERY slowly, with frequent back-breaks. I feel like a snail could go faster. So literally everything's taking a long time to do, from the humble getting out of bed to the more productive housecleaning and laundry.

On my list for today besides the daily stuff is a rather large load of laundry, with 2 others waiting in the wings for the next couple of rounds; recycling about 7 or 8 bags of glass bottle recycling which I give to the people at the recycling center (they tell me they buy donuts for everyone with the money)(I remember when 'recycling' was just a verb; it was Earth Day that helped turn it into a noun as well), and very heavy shop[ping, to buy the stuff that comes in those glass bottles. That'll give me the need to take a day's break to recover mobility, and then I can continue on. Like I said, I'm really slow at everything.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Hey Brenda!

Rechargeable! Woooeee!

You really do dislike the rain and getting wet, don't you? I mean really, deeply, truly dislike it. (I imagine most people find it a hassle, but not much more than that.) Of the things that you mention that bother you, that's the most consistent thing you mention.

I actually enjoy rain, so I find your reaction hard to comprehend. When I try to understand it, I compare it to my dislike of snow&cold. One is so much easier to deal with without the other, but usually they come together, in a nasty set of misery. Plus of course my phobia about walking on ice.

Anyway, without rain one has god-awful destructive drought&fire. If only it would just rain at night! Wouldn't THAT be something!

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Hey Signy

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but I deeply, truly, sincerely suggest you try an elimination diet for 10 days.

I mention it because I quite accidentally found out that olive oil was causing a lot of my wandering pain, plus that fact that the pain was embedded in my brain and not 'out there' in my body. I can't really describe the difference except to say that there's pain 'out there' in your body which stays out there, and then there's pain that eats at your thoughts and emotions.


Anyway, my pain is all legitimate, physical, localized pain caused by physical problems I KNOW I have, like arthritis in my spine (shoulders, thumbs etc), and displaced vertebrae. And it's out there in my body.

As for your neck, didn't you have surgery recommended at one point? I'm not saying you should go and get surgery, just that you have physical problems you might need to address there.

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Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
2nd coat inside and out on the bottom cabs. I NEVER have to sit and lay inside of that damned deep cabinet again.



Did some touchups with the small brush while the paint was out, and that should be the last of that.

Had to clean out a bunch of mud/cement/garbage that was in the outlet box for the stove, as well as use a file to file down the tiles in a couple of places for the new GFCI to fit, but I finally got it in there safely. (Pro Tip: file with one hand and use a shop vac to immediately suck up that tile dust, because that stuff will literally kill you).

Managed to find time to mow the front lawn, again, and go to the grocery store to pick up a few things for my old man visiting again tomorrow.

Then one of my buddies came over and we chilled for a while. Haven't seen him for a while, so that was cool.

Good day.



--------------------------------------------------

Give me liberty or just come shoot me in my house. I'm so over this ridiculous reality.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Bought an all natural product that is a granola bar but I don't like them. They are far too sweet for my tastes. Think I have to switch back to the brand of granola bars I was buying before.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Bought an all natural product that is a granola bar but I don't like them. They are far too sweet for my tastes. Think I have to switch back to the brand of granola bars I was buying before.

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Well, at least you tried.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

THUGR posts about Putin so much, he must be in love.

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
6ix,

I stopped at Home Depot today. WTF! The parking lot was packed, much more than the past many months. Not since the Lockdowns first started (and before the Chin Diaper mandates) have I seen the lot this full.

Anyhow, I saw the flexi spout which seems to be what you got. It seems to have fitted ends, so it can be used in between sections, like a splice. You could just put it between wherever you cut through, and aim your 50' extender wherever you feel like, and then move it during mowing. probably just put a brick or block under the flexi end, to maintain a downward slope of gravity flow.
Otherwise, I found Tiling (4"diam x 50') for $23, and then you could cut it in whatever lengths you want. It was called Corex Drain Pipe, was in the garden section. Just tuck the end of the downspout into that 4" diameter, I don't recall seeing folk screwing that one in. But screwing in that Flexi-spout seems reasonable.


Regarding the hinged downspout, I will try to make an image here.
The red dot is the functional hinge, which is actually 2 sheet metal screws, 1 on each outside.
The top side has a cutout, and the foldup piece also has a top cutout, and it's bottom jaws are on the outside of the bottom jaw of the upper piece. The downspout is just cut with tin snips/shears. If I were building it, I'd just put a long skinny machine bolt through the whole thing as the hinge, with 2 nuts jammed against each other at the other end.
It sounds like you already have some scrap pieces to practice on. I would give a couple extra inches, and cut through with a saw, and then trim pretty and fancy with the tin snips.




|xxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxx|
|xxxxxxxxxxxxx\
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxx\_
|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--____
\xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____
x\xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
xx\xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|xxxxcutout
xxx\_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|__________xxxxxx
xxxxx-_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|xxxxx
xxxxxxx-_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|xxxxx____
xxxxxxxxx--_____xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_______|_____|xxx--_____
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____xxxxxxxxxx|xxxxxxx|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____xxx|xxxOxxx|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_|___xxxx|
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|xxx--__|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|___
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____
sxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--_____xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx\xx| l
water drainage patternxx\x|
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx\|

Then that drainage pattern would not get to your wall until the bottom, where it meets your foundation, and your drainage tile takes in the water.
Imagine that is a 45 degree slope in the above image.

So one trick is to install a diversion/protector below the surface. Again, imagine this is a 45 degree slope of the diversion.


xx|,,,,,grass surface,,,,,,,
xx|
xx|\
xx|x\
b |xx\
a |xxx\
s |xxxx\
e |xxxxx\ ---diversion material
m |xxxxxx\
e |xxxxxxx\
n |
t |
xx|
w |
a |
l |
l |
----- <-- foundation

Quote:

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have hinged downspouts. They work OK at directing water away from the foundation, but a splash box (that's what we used to call them, anyway) works, too.

Sis had a problem with a collapsing cellar wall. It was caving in right where the water from the downspout hit the driveway. (The driveway was right up against the cellar wall, there was enough of the wall above the driveway to allow for a 1' window). Problem solved with a splashbox.



-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

THUGR posts about Putin so much, he must be in love.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
6ix,

I stopped at Home Depot today. WTF! The parking lot was packed, much more than the past many months. Not since the Lockdowns first started (and before the Chin Diaper mandates) have I seen the lot this full.

Anyhow, I saw the flexi spout which seems to be what you got. It seems to have fitted ends, so it can be used in between sections, like a splice. You could just put it between wherever you cut through, and aim your 50' extender wherever you feel like, and then move it during mowing. probably just put a brick or block under the flexi end, to maintain a downward slope of gravity flow.
Otherwise, I found Tiling (4"diam x 50') for $23, and then you could cut it in whatever lengths you want. It was called Corex Drain Pipe, was in the garden section. Just tuck the end of the downspout into that 4" diameter, I don't recall seeing folk screwing that one in. But screwing in that Flexi-spout seems reasonable.


Regarding the hinged downspout, I will try to make an image here.
The red dot is the functional hinge, which is actually 2 sheet metal screws, 1 on each outside.
The top side has a cutout, and the foldup piece also has a top cutout, and it's bottom jaws are on the outside of the bottom jaw of the upper piece. The downspout is just cut with tin snips/shears. If I were building it, I'd just put a long skinny machine bolt through the whole thing as the hinge, with 2 nuts jammed against each other at the other end.
It sounds like you already have some scrap pieces to practice on. I would give a couple extra inches, and cut through with a saw, and then trim pretty and fancy with the tin snips.

---

That's a great idea... building one of my own. I have a lot of extra to work with. If memory serves I might have even kept some larger cutoffs that couldn't be returned, on top of the long extensions that aren't permanent.

I think those would work particularly well in two areas where I need to mow around.

I'm going to get the opportunity to see if the one I put on the garage works tonight. We're supposed to get 2 1/2" of rain over a 24 hour period.

Unfortunately, the one going right into the sand is still just going to go right into the pit for now.

I'm going to see if I can find that cheaper black corrugated plastic tubing for that one and snake it out toward the front of the porch where there already is a downspout feeding out that way. That area will be getting a lot of water then since it's the back of the porch PLUS around 75% of the front of the house roof too, but the water does go downhill once it hits that spot.

Any idea what the name of that plastic tubing is called? I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. It's got to be far cheaper by the foot than those plastic gutter extenders that I bought, and it's way tougher material too.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

As for myself, my back's been behaving better than the previous few weeks. Not normal - still stiff and I have to be careful how I move and what I do - but not nearly as limiting as before. So I've made some progress catching up on household tasks. I hope tomorrow to start doing yardwork, a bit at a time.

On tap - so to speak - is starting with watering the trees, which I hope to do monthly, considering how little rain we've had. I don't think there's any deep soil moisture at all, to carry the trees through the summer and fall. But the other thing that'll do is prepare my soil for clearing. I have heavy clay soil that's just about as hard as a brick when it's dry, and I discovered years ago that there's a pretty good grace period after I water it between it being sticky and gummy like modeling clay, and hard and dry like adobe brick. So if I time the watering right, I can have some days to weed (using a spading fork) and mulch.

I've settled on cedar to use as decking. A few days ago I checked back in with duckduck to see if Timbersil was making a comeback, but ... after a flurry of promising search results ... sadly ... no. So cedar it is. After Timbersil, ipe is the premium choice, but it's too expensive and hard (literally) to work with. And since it'll be a while as I'm clearing the yard, I have time to look into using helical screws as posts, which seems like a neat idea. So I hope they're available in this area.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
6ix, not sure I understand your layout.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Brenda, I guess I understand to some degree about rain.

WNY where I'm originally from was almost always overcast with a very low cloud ceiling. There were many a day I went in to work and the top floors of the building were in the clouds. And it was tall, but not THAT tall! Then there were the really cheap tatty buildings that were put up in the early 1900's; the narrow, mingy potholed-streets with the signs all askew from being hit with snowplows and never strightened; the stubby miserable-looking trees because the soil depth was really low and the water table really high; and so on. So, overall the place was exceptionally dreary with a pale yellow-brown smothering sky, and grey and brown decrepit buildings. But I think if we'd had clear blue skies and bright sunshine all the physical dreariness might have looked picturesque, instead of beaten-down and ugly. When I was very young we went to Wasaga Beach in Ontario a couple of summers. And besides the beach !!! - I mean, who doesn't like a temperate beach with warm shallow water? - what I remember about it was the bright blue clear sky and the tall ceiling with scattered white puffy clouds that were WAAAAAAAAAaaay up there ... very different from what I was used to.

The weather can help set a mood, for sure.

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
What I found is ... don't do everything bassakwards, like I did.

Plan first.
Decide what you want your space to do. (Originally I just wanted it to shade the property and house, be drought tolerant, wildlife friendly, have a walkway from drive to front door, and be pretty, but as McMansions sprung up nearby I decided I wanted to screen out the ugly view. Also, it is very important for me to imagine walking thru a space, not just look at it.)
Pencil in adequate walkways for maintenance
Decide on the theme (I have an excellent book on that you can borrow) and a "look"
Hardscape and irrigation first, then sculpt your yard

THEN you can do "total vegetation control", plant the plants that you want, and mulch!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

THUGR posts about Putin so much, he must be in love.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
TOTAL RAINFALL: 3.49 inches in less than 12 hours.

Worst time between pump cycles: 4 minutes; 46 seconds. (around 10:AM while it was just finishing up raining)

Time between cycles as of 6:45PM: 9 minutes; 6 seconds.


Not a drop in the basement.

But it's not a cause for celebration yet. Even though only 3.5 inches would have seen me mopping in the basement last year, I'm lucky the ground wasn't already saturated. My existing setup would handle normal rain in normal rainfall areas, but I'm sure I'd still have problems if it were raining like last year.

I got me 100 feet of drain pipe, a downspout adapter for every spout should I choose to extend all of them this way, a T and a Y connector, depending on which one is going to work better where I want to join two of them, and some plastic gutter guard stuff I'm going to use to block off the downspouts at the top and inside the adapters for a 2nd layer of protection before the crap gets into the drain pipe.

I have a plan in mind, but it may be altered here and there as I'm outside working on it this week. But next time we get this much rain, if I do things right, there will be zero visible standing water in the sand pit, and my pump won't be going off so much.



P.S. If you ever buy 100 feet of 4" diameter pipe, don't try loading it into a car on your own. If somebody hadn't helped me out and given me an extra set of hands, I might have been there all day trying to do it on my own.

Driving home was fun. At least I think it was. I couldn't really see much.



--------------------------------------------------

Give me liberty or just come shoot me in my house. I'm so over this ridiculous reality.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Lazy Sunday and a slower week coming up for me.

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