In the garden, and RAIN!!!! by SIGNYM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

GOOD DOG !

Jeeze - you'd think you were the only person on the entire planet doing shit to improve lives. Or that that makes you special.

Though MOST people aren't as monomaniacally selfish or such bloviating braggarts about their efforts as you.

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 9:29 PM

I am special. And I'm awesome.

Don't be a hater.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 10:18 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

snicker

Oh wait, this is the Garden thread and I'm supposed to be nice to you no matter what kind of narcissistic crap you post.

GOOD DOG !

pat pat pat

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 10:20 PM

I'll pat my own back, thank you very much.

You really shouldn't pet strays. You might get bit.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 10:32 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'll pat my own back, thank you very much.

You really shouldn't pet strays. You might get bit.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Oh, you mean you're NOT so awesome ?!!

I never would have guessed.

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 10:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'll pat my own back, thank you very much.

You really shouldn't pet strays. You might get bit.

Do Right, Be Right. :)
Oh, you mean you're NOT so awesome ?!!

I never would have guessed.

I hardly need outside approval when I can look at things like this...

2nd bedroom Before:

2nd bedroom After:

Master bedroom Before:

Master bedroom After:

Strange... I couldn't find a before pic with both windows on the 2nd bedroom.

But yeah. I'm awesome.

And so is the A/C.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 10:55 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Nothing a handyman couldn't do JACK. And nothing that I haven't done.

You're not even average. You're just a wannabe - a pretender.

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 10:59 PM

I'm not a handyman. I'm an artist.

And no, you couldn't.

You drunk on that box wine, Karen.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 4, 2020 11:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Sigh.

It's too bad.

My friend and I will have a wet meet up tomorrow. We may stay in the mall for lunch and just tool around there.

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Friday, June 5, 2020 1:02 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'm not a handyman. I'm an artist.

And no, you couldn't.

You drunk on that box wine, Karen.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

See, JACK? You have to resort to lying, AS ALWAYS, in order to make yourself feel special. Why are you such a twisted fuck? That's what I want to know.

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Friday, June 5, 2020 1:06 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Sigh.

It's too bad.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

My friend and I will have a wet meet up tomorrow. We may stay in the mall for lunch and just tool around there.

The mall is ... OPEN? (Things here are still closed, seeing as how cases are still going up.)

I was chit-chatting with a friend back in NYC. Apparently masks in public are a state law. How's that going by you?

Anyway - stay dry! And relax and have a good time! And then (hopefully) tell us all about it!

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Friday, June 5, 2020 6:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Sigh.

It's too bad.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

My friend and I will have a wet meet up tomorrow. We may stay in the mall for lunch and just tool around there.
The mall is ... OPEN? (Things here are still closed, seeing as how cases are still going up.)

I was chit-chatting with a friend back in NYC. Apparently masks in public are a state law. How's that going by you?

Anyway - stay dry! And relax and have a good time! And then (hopefully) tell us all about it!

Actually we got lucky no rain today.

This mall isn't that big and there are still 3 stores not open in it. And the food court is mostly open but much less seating. So I grabbed a table to wait for her. (We've been lucky. No major spikes since BC has partially reopened. We are looking good for phase 3 by around the middle of June. Now just because this mall is, I don't know about the big one in the next city too me. My friend said that one big mall in the city she lives in isn't open.)

There is no provincial law that says you have to wear a mask. Some people do and some people don't. I kept the one I was given at my doctor's office over a week ago and used it when I went to the vampires on Monday. Most people working in the stores have masks and gloves on, that includes the food places. My friend was wearing a mask but then she was on buses coming in from another city.

So, we met at noon and had lunch from A&W, that is a fast food place. She bought some sort of chocolate desert from the place as a treat for herself and it looked terrible to me. She said after eating most of it, it was terrible. We talked for a bit then went shopping. We found what we were looking for in one store. Then she wanted to spend another gift card that I had given her for Christmas in a comic shop. So we went in there and she found a collectable that she liked. I found a comic book that I like but I didn't buy. I have to go out tomorrow, so if it is still there I just might buy it.

We went across the street after to another store and she found a couple of more things that she needed. I should mention that she just moved a month ago, so somethings of hers need replacing. She thought about buying some flowers from this place but decided not too.

Anyways she was out here for a couple of hours and we had a good time, gave her a hug before she ran for her bus as after that she had to grab what is known in BC as the "sky train" which is a commuter train that runs from Vancouver to her city.

So, yeah. Good day.

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Friday, June 5, 2020 6:45 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I was smiling the whole time I was reading your post. THANKS for taking the time!

And YAY. All in all, it DOES sound like a good day!

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Friday, June 5, 2020 7:59 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
SIX: If you'd like Kiki to keep her trash talking out of this thread, I'd ask Sigs and Brenda to say as much.

There's no need for it in here, and it's just as welcome now as it is when T brings it into the Garden.

Thanks.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNY: SIX, I would hve said it differently, and out of concern for you, but I agree with KIKI's point. The money that you "don't spend" is NOT income. It's great to get rebates and points and shit, but spent money is just spent money.

We used to have a joke where I worked... someone would find an ad for some really expensive luxury item .... HALF OFF ON TOP LINE CALLAWAY GOLF CLUB SET WITH FREE SET OF BALLS!... and we would laugh and say we couldn't afford to save like that, and toss the ad in the recycler.

Or dd brings me a coupon $0.75 off on [some comparatively expensive meat] and I explain, again, that even if I use the coupon it will still cost more $6 more than if I threw the coupon out and bought a cheaper brand.

I don't see you buying luxuries, and I'm glad you have an A/C, but to say that you didn't spend $100 [more] on the unit means that your A/C is basically "free" is the kind of contextual thinking that gets people in trouble.

SIX: The $100 I saved by buying it 3 weeks early is only 1/3rd of the money I am talking about. The other 2/3rds is the $200 credit I get on my new card when I spend $1,000 in 3 months, and THAT IS income. I regularly get over $500 tax free every year doing this.

I have zero debt and I pay the cards off every month. I've done so since August of 2005.

So yes... My A/C is free this year.

Wow, just imagine how much money you would have "made" if you hadn't bought anything at all!!

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

#WEARAMASK

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Friday, June 5, 2020 8:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
SIX: If you'd like Kiki to keep her trash talking out of this thread, I'd ask Sigs and Brenda to say as much.

There's no need for it in here, and it's just as welcome now as it is when T brings it into the Garden.

Thanks.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNY: SIX, I would hve said it differently, and out of concern for you, but I agree with KIKI's point. The money that you "don't spend" is NOT income. It's great to get rebates and points and shit, but spent money is just spent money.

We used to have a joke where I worked... someone would find an ad for some really expensive luxury item .... HALF OFF ON TOP LINE CALLAWAY GOLF CLUB SET WITH FREE SET OF BALLS!... and we would laugh and say we couldn't afford to save like that, and toss the ad in the recycler.

Or dd brings me a coupon $0.75 off on [some comparatively expensive meat] and I explain, again, that even if I use the coupon it will still cost more $6 more than if I threw the coupon out and bought a cheaper brand.

I don't see you buying luxuries, and I'm glad you have an A/C, but to say that you didn't spend $100 [more] on the unit means that your A/C is basically "free" is the kind of contextual thinking that gets people in trouble.

SIX: The $100 I saved by buying it 3 weeks early is only 1/3rd of the money I am talking about. The other 2/3rds is the $200 credit I get on my new card when I spend $1,000 in 3 months, and THAT IS income. I regularly get over $500 tax free every year doing this.

I have zero debt and I pay the cards off every month. I've done so since August of 2005.

So yes... My A/C is free this year.
Wow, just imagine how much money you would have "made" if you hadn't bought anything at all!!

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

#WEARAMASK

None, actually.

The A/C is about preventing humidity damage on the house. Comfort is just a side benefit.

I pay my monthly bills and buy my food with the card, and any home improvement stuff I need to get also goes on the card until I get the amount necessary to get the bonus. This is all paid off at the end of the month. Then I apply for a new card and do it again when I know I have a large purchase or two that would get me over the hump, otherwise there is no chance I would spend $1000 on a card in 3 months, since I can't put the gas/electric on a card with my company, and it would cost me a $60 "convenience" charge to try to pay my property taxes with a card.

Seriously. Don't try to school me about money.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Friday, June 5, 2020 9:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Actually we got lucky no rain today.

This mall isn't that big and there are still 3 stores not open in it. And the food court is mostly open but much less seating. So I grabbed a table to wait for her. (We've been lucky. No major spikes since BC has partially reopened. We are looking good for phase 3 by around the middle of June. Now just because this mall is, I don't know about the big one in the next city too me. My friend said that one big mall in the city she lives in isn't open.)

There is no provincial law that says you have to wear a mask. Some people do and some people don't. I kept the one I was given at my doctor's office over a week ago and used it when I went to the vampires on Monday. Most people working in the stores have masks and gloves on, that includes the food places. My friend was wearing a mask but then she was on buses coming in from another city.

So, we met at noon and had lunch from A&W, that is a fast food place. She bought some sort of chocolate desert from the place as a treat for herself and it looked terrible to me. She said after eating most of it, it was terrible. We talked for a bit then went shopping. We found what we were looking for in one store. Then she wanted to spend another gift card that I had given her for Christmas in a comic shop. So we went in there and she found a collectable that she liked. I found a comic book that I like but I didn't buy. I have to go out tomorrow, so if it is still there I just might buy it.

We went across the street after to another store and she found a couple of more things that she needed. I should mention that she just moved a month ago, so somethings of hers need replacing. She thought about buying some flowers from this place but decided not too.

Anyways she was out here for a couple of hours and we had a good time, gave her a hug before she ran for her bus as after that she had to grab what is known in BC as the "sky train" which is a commuter train that runs from Vancouver to her city.

So, yeah. Good day.

Hugs are nice. I forgot about that until my brother came. Seen my old man a few times but he's still scared to touch anybody.

You going to start playing Mahjong again soon?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Friday, June 5, 2020 9:57 PM

It must have been about 100 degrees in my garage today with 99% humidity. Gross.... so nice to come into the A/C when I was done working.

I filled up all 3 cans with trash again, and put out more stuff on the curb. Everything I put out yesterday somebody took. Hopefully it's gone again tomorrow, but I doubt it since about half of it is all the old baseboard and door trim that I've already replaced. The door stuff isn't that bad... not any worse than you'd find at Habitat for Humanity.

I probably have one more good day of cleaning and organizing out there before I'm done. Nice cool weather this weekend for a change. My diagnostic meter came a day early for my car, so I'm going to fool with that and see if I can get my car to do the test it needs to do so I can pass the emissions.

Also got my privacy film for the windows and the white tape I need to seal in the A/C and beautify it.

I'm famished. Going to go eat and then sleep for 10 hours... hopefully.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Friday, June 5, 2020 11:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
I was smiling the whole time I was reading your post. THANKS for taking the time!

And YAY. All in all, it DOES sound like a good day!

It was.

I even saw someone else that I should be calling. I tried yelling to get their attention but no go. Oh well. I'll just have to get on the horn.

ETA The biggest mall in BC which is called "Metrotown" is open. But their hours are limited. Not badly. Most stores in malls in BC are open from around 11am and close at about 5pm though Metro Town is from 11am to 7pm.

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Friday, June 5, 2020 11:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Actually we got lucky no rain today.

This mall isn't that big and there are still 3 stores not open in it. And the food court is mostly open but much less seating. So I grabbed a table to wait for her. (We've been lucky. No major spikes since BC has partially reopened. We are looking good for phase 3 by around the middle of June. Now just because this mall is, I don't know about the big one in the next city too me. My friend said that one big mall in the city she lives in isn't open.)

There is no provincial law that says you have to wear a mask. Some people do and some people don't. I kept the one I was given at my doctor's office over a week ago and used it when I went to the vampires on Monday. Most people working in the stores have masks and gloves on, that includes the food places. My friend was wearing a mask but then she was on buses coming in from another city.

So, we met at noon and had lunch from A&W, that is a fast food place. She bought some sort of chocolate desert from the place as a treat for herself and it looked terrible to me. She said after eating most of it, it was terrible. We talked for a bit then went shopping. We found what we were looking for in one store. Then she wanted to spend another gift card that I had given her for Christmas in a comic shop. So we went in there and she found a collectable that she liked. I found a comic book that I like but I didn't buy. I have to go out tomorrow, so if it is still there I just might buy it.

We went across the street after to another store and she found a couple of more things that she needed. I should mention that she just moved a month ago, so somethings of hers need replacing. She thought about buying some flowers from this place but decided not too.

Anyways she was out here for a couple of hours and we had a good time, gave her a hug before she ran for her bus as after that she had to grab what is known in BC as the "sky train" which is a commuter train that runs from Vancouver to her city.

So, yeah. Good day.

Hugs are nice. I forgot about that until my brother came. Seen my old man a few times but he's still scared to touch anybody.

You going to start playing Mahjong again soon?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Hugs are nice.

We usually trade hugs before or after our get together.

My mah jong group is still up in the air. The senior centre where we play is still closed except that they do offer take out on their lunch menu.

But I am hoping soon. I do miss playing.

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:00 AM

I never caught before that you did it indoors. That's a bummer.

I think I've just seen too many movies where people play pick up games of chess in the park, and I always imagined you and your friends playing Mahjong outdoors.

Maybe you have a place outdoors you can meet until the center comes back, now that the weather is finally getting nice around your parts?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:24 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Sounds like a nice day, BRENDA! I hope you have many more!

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

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:28 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Hey KIKI, how's the back?

I STRONGLY recommend those chemical heating patches, you might want to pick some up next time you shop. I don't know what it isabout them, but they work way better for me than electrical heating pads or Biofreeze. Maybe because they're glued on (I use extra tape to keep them on) and allow freer range of motion? Also, they produce a very mild heat for 12 hours, not eight. If your back is still tweaked, you might want to give it a try. For me, one is all it takes.

Other than that, how's by you?

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

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:31 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Good on you with the cleanup, SIX!

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

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:38 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I actually have baby zucchini growing.

Reached a natural stopping point a couple of days ago with taking the old compost pile apart: The garden is fully mulched and I had no prepared place for the rest. I weeded under one avocado to put mulch there, because once the mulch goes in place, no more weed torching!

Anyway, today is leaf-shredding day. Two more 65 gallon bins to shred and dump under the Haas avocado. there are other places to weed that can be mulched too, like the old veggie garden that I may turn into a "pollinator" flower garden for the rest of summer (cosmos, coneflower, milkweed) before I turn it into a winter-vegetable garden (maybe) ... but that will have to wait until I attend to other more important legal matters. And of course we are still helping with the garage to make it a functional workspace for hubby.

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

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Good on you with the cleanup, SIX!

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

#WEARAMASK

Thanks.

The garage was where I had left off in the dehoarding when my friend finally was able to come around so we could fix the porch and I never got back to it before winter set in.

It was kind of funny going out there that first day and spinning around in a circle for an hour with no idea where to start since there was still so much stuff and nothing I could decide to throw out. But then I realized I had 5 sheets of drywall in a corner that have been there since the first year I had the house and I brought them in and put half of them up on the one porch wall where I don't need to put any moisture resistant stuff.

That gave me 8 feet of back wall to start from. It's been pretty slow going since it was unbearably hot the last two days out there and I really had to put a lot of planning into where things should go, but it's looking great right now.

I was complaining to myself about all the old dressers I had out there because as nice as it is to have something to store stuff, you lose about half of whatever space you have when you use dressers over proper shelving units. But then I realized yesterday that I had a large cabinet screwed into the wall over one of the dressers and if I removed the doors to it I had 3 large shelves that were just big enough to hold 6 of my heavy duty totes where I could label them accordingly and break up things like various things for electrical work, tile installation, mudding & taping, painting, etc.

I won't be throwing out anything else that really clears out any room, but I have half the surface area of my two large work benches clear now, and a few empty tool boxes and one 2 empty totes to organize my tools, so I should end the day with only half of the smaller work bench covered, and that will mostly be just house projects that I haven't gotten to yet.

Great timing too, since I have to try to fix that power washer and my car. I was able to unbury the washer for easy access by the end of the night yesterday, and when I came in I realized my Diagnostic meter was shipped a day early.

Fingers crossed on both of them.

In the mean time, except for the pantry where I kind of let my tools go crazy again while doing work inside the house during the cold months, I haven't brought anything new inside and after building the closets everything has a place.

I found out at my friends Bday party last year that an old gradeschool buddy of mine lives right in my area and we've been keeping in touch since. Before the virus crap, he had come over one day and said something like "boy, you live the life of a minimalist, don't you". I laughed and told him he should have seen what the place looked like a year ago.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 1:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I never caught before that you did it indoors. That's a bummer.

I think I've just seen too many movies where people play pick up games of chess in the park, and I always imagined you and your friends playing Mahjong outdoors.

Maybe you have a place outdoors you can meet until the center comes back, now that the weather is finally getting nice around your parts?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Yeah, we do.

You are thinking of New York City and places like that. I've seen movies like that too.

We'd have to meet in a park but until the weather is better and the other thing all our mah jong gear is in the centre. So getting to it would be hard. So, I think we are stuck until the centre figures out how they are going to operate ALL the activities it does.

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 1:42 PM

Laundry day and out for a walk after. Later peeps.

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 6:13 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Hey Signy - my back has pretty much been teetering on the edge of crapping out the whole time. I do fairly limited physical things (washing dishes, tidying up the house, cooking, shopping and running errands, and so on) until it starts to get cranky. I'm sure you've felt that kind of thing too, where you just happen to move the wrong way and all of the sudden it tweaks intensely. But I can manage maybe three total hours of work, not counting breaks to rest my back, until that happens. And then I stop. And then I'll often move on entirely to sit-down jobs. One good thing about having so much to do is that I have no end of choices!

On the positive side, after that initial AM where I woke up almost unable to move at all, not even to shift around in bed, I haven't had a repeat of waking up so crippled - nothing beyond the normal morning level of stiffness. Rest in bed, sometimes with the heating pad, seems to reset the previous day back to a better morning.

Thanks for asking. I appreciate it!

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 7:31 PM

I think I might have to bite the bullet and buy another car... :(

I put over 200 miles on it today and ran a few cycles. I also did a "trick" on those older Toyotas where you just let it idle for 10 minutes then force it to 3000RPM for 3-5 minutes and it gets your CAT to run. No dice.

Tried a temporary patch with some soda cans and aluminum tape but the flex pipe is so fubared compared to the smaller holes last time I passed that the patch won't last more than about 2 minutes before busting.

I think there's just too many things to fix on it, and I'd really just be throwing parts at it until I figure out which one will make the stupid test run. Even if I find somebody to weld a cheap flex pipe on for me for a reasonable price, I still might have to change the thermostat for the coolant, and it's still possible that it's an 02 sensor or two keeping the test from happening even if they're not throwing any codes.

I looked into pricing a device that would fool the system, but those are NOT cheap at all. In fact, it would cost more than fixing all of the other things combined, and even then you need a bit of knowledge of how those systems work so you make it work to your car's specs.

Freaking ridiculous after all we've been through that I'm going to have to dump this car because of a stupid government test.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 9:13 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I think I might have to bite the bullet and buy another car... :(

I put over 200 miles on it today and ran a few cycles.

Been there, done that. But my car's only problem was that I had put a new battery in it.

Quote:
I also did a "trick" on those older Toyotas where you just let it idle for 10 minutes then force it to 3000RPM for 3-5 minutes and it gets your CAT to run.
catalyst?
Quote:
No dice.
Darn.

Quote:
Tried a temporary patch with some soda cans and aluminum tape but the flex pipe is so fubared compared to the smaller holes last time I passed that the patch won't last more than about 2 minutes before busting.

I think there's just too many things to fix on it, and I'd really just be throwing parts at it until I figure out which one will make the stupid test run. Even if I find somebody to weld a cheap flex pipe on for me for a reasonable price, I still might have to change the thermostat for the coolant, and it's still possible that it's an 02 sensor or two keeping the test from happening even if they're not throwing any codes.

I looked into pricing a device that would fool the system, but those are NOT cheap at all. In fact, it would cost more than fixing all of the other things combined, and even then you need a bit of knowledge of how those systems work so you make it work to your car's specs.

Freaking ridiculous after all we've been through that I'm going to have to dump this car because of a stupid government test.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Wish I could help! Even the "old" cars like my 2001 Honda were pretty complicated ... way beyond just adjusting the timing and cleaning the carb.

"Fraid it's beyond me, but you have my sympathy!

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

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 9:14 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Signy - my back has pretty much been teetering on the edge of crapping out the whole time. I do fairly limited physical things (washing dishes, tidying up the house, cooking, shopping and running errands, and so on) until it starts to get cranky. I'm sure you've felt that kind of thing too, where you just happen to move the wrong way and all of the sudden it tweaks intensely. But I can manage maybe three total hours of work, not counting breaks to rest my back, until that happens. And then I stop. And then I'll often move on entirely to sit-down jobs. One good thing about having so much to do is that I have no end of choices!

On the positive side, after that initial AM where I woke up almost unable to move at all, not even to shift around in bed, I haven't had a repeat of waking up so crippled - nothing beyond the normal morning level of stiffness. Rest in bed, sometimes with the heating pad, seems to reset the previous day back to a better morning.

Thanks for asking. I appreciate it!

Treat your back nicely, I'm sure it will mend in time. If you need any help, just ask.

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

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 10:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I think I might have to bite the bullet and buy another car... :(

I put over 200 miles on it today and ran a few cycles.
Been there, done that. But my car's only problem was that I had put a new battery in it.

I've learned more about all of this in the last few days than I care to know, actually. The last time my battery was disconnected was when I changed the plugs a few months after I fixed the massive oil leak.

Fortunately for me, I procrastinated on that fix and did it after my emissions test that spring. Because there was already a hole in the flex pipe back then and although I was able to patch it enough to muffle the sound for 20 or so minutes, I wouldn't have ever gotten the catalyst to run a complete test like that (or so I've read on the internet...)

But that does seem to be the likely case here. Not that I drive all that much or for any long distances when I do, but in an entire year and 3/4 I have yet to complete the CAT test since the battery was reconnected.

Quote:
I also did a "trick" on those older Toyotas where you just let it idle for 10 minutes then force it to 3000RPM for 3-5 minutes and it gets your CAT to run.
catalyst?
Quote:
No dice.
Darn.

Yeah... the catalyst.

Quote:
Wish I could help! Even the "old" cars like my 2001 Honda were pretty complicated ... way beyond just adjusting the timing and cleaning the carb.

"Fraid it's beyond me, but you have my sympathy!

Well... mine is even older. So old, in fact, that if it were one year older I wouldn't even be able to do the OBD (and neither would they) and they'd have to do the sniffer test on the tail pipe.

I'd still fail it right now with the gaping hole in the exhaust, but chances are pretty good that if I got that fixed I would pass.

I'm so on the fence about what to do next. It is possible I could take my measurements and order a $16 flex pipe and some clamps and get away without welding it and that might be all it takes to get that dumb test to run. But I might end up wasting a few more days trying to do drive cycles, wasting more gas, and just frustrating myself when it could be an O2 sensor or two or the thermostat is bad.

I don't have any codes on the OBD at all. Just an INC on the CAT.

Good news, I guess. But it doesn't really give me any information to go on.

I don't regret the OBD purchase though. I'm certainly never buying a car in the future without making sure that the meter says it would pass the emissions test.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 10:19 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Treat your back nicely

I'm doing my best!

Quote:
I'm sure it will mend in time.

I'm just impatient at waiting for it, and having to be limited and gingerly while I'm waiting.

Quote:
If you need any help, just ask.

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

#WEARAMASK

And that is a very kind and deeply appreciated offer. Especially because I know it's honestly meant.

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:33 PM

Well, it rained on me when I went out after doing my laundry. By the time I was ready to go home, it was bright and sunny out. Stupid weather can't make up its mind.

Anyways I did go back to that comic shop and bought two comic books. The Wolverine one I noticed with my friend then a Thor one. Oh well. I don't do that very often.

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Sounds like a nice day, BRENDA! I hope you have many more!

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

#WEARAMASK

It was nice Sig. One of these times she is out here I am going to have to drag her over here to see this place.

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Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:47 PM

Also second drawer on my dad's old dresser cleaned out. Seems it was mostly dish towels and pillow cases. So I don't need any of those types of things for a while.

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Sunday, June 7, 2020 2:21 PM

Lazy Sunday.

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Sunday, June 7, 2020 10:26 PM

I miss lazy Sundays...

I was trying to have one. I was even successful until around 5PM.

But after a nap I was feeling super guilty for letting this car thing bother me and derail my work so I went out and bought a flex pipe and a few clamps and got to work under the car.

Just before the light was gone I was able to cut off both ends of the exhaust pipe around the old damaged flex and fit the new one in. One big problem though... It only fits the end of the pipe that goes to the muffler and tailpipe. It won't fit around the one coming from the CAT.

I'm sure that it should. There's no way the pipe is 2.25". It's got to be rust buildup and/or any bumps I might have made cutting it. Temporarily, I sealed them up by butting them tight, wrapping them with aluminum tape, wrapping an aluminum can around that and further taping it, then using another clamp to hold it together.

This at least allowed me to test it out and it sounds a million times better. The exhaust is now actually coming out of the tailpipe instead of bellowing out right underneath where I sit.

But I still haven't got the CAT test to initiate.

I might try some catalyst cleaner, and/or remove the assembly and clean it by hand. I might do some research on how to verify my O2 sensors are working. Unlike the newer model the guy doing the videos had, my 2nd O2 sensor isn't past the flex pipe and is right after the CAT before the flex.

So that means that fixing the pipe probably didn't help me out at all outside of reducing noise, improving performance of the car and not breathing in a bunch of carbon monoxide when I drive it around.

Maybe the cat is just dirty... I dunno.

I think I'm going to pull the battery for 10 minutes tomorrow and start everything from scratch. I don't have any bad codes at all that would be preventing me from getting the test to run, so I'm really kind of grasping at straws.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Sunday, June 7, 2020 11:41 PM

Jack, you are a head of me. I think I might have understood about half of your post. But then what I know about cars you could fit on the head of a pin. Since I've never driven or owned a car.

Yeah, Sundays I don't usually do too much unless it is something that I've been putting off for a while. And that I covered last week. So I just messed around with this thing, listened to some music and watched a little tv.

I really need to get a couch as watching tv in a dining room chair isn't good for my back.

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Monday, June 8, 2020 12:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Jack, you are a head of me. I think I might have understood about half of your post. But then what I know about cars you could fit on the head of a pin. Since I've never driven or owned a car.

Everything I put in that post I didn't know a thing about 3 days ago.

Like owning a house, owning a car is great until it isn't.

You've gotten by this far without either. I'd say your much better off without them.

Oh... tip of the day: Don't use safety glasses when using a sawzall to cut a steel pipe 3" from your face. Use safety goggles.

If you don't, you'll learn very quickly the hard way that getting metal shavings in your eyes is not fun, and if you didn't wear contact lenses like me you might even go blind.

Quote:
Yeah, Sundays I don't usually do too much unless it is something that I've been putting off for a while. And that I covered last week. So I just messed around with this thing, listened to some music and watched a little tv.

I really need to get a couch as watching tv in a dining room chair isn't good for my back.

My problem is too many years behind me where everyday was a lazy Sunday. I'm paying for it now.

Hope I can enjoy them again one day if I keep at it. In the mean time, enjoy them for me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 8, 2020 3:35 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Thinking about the million-and-one things ahead of me, ANY lazy day is immediately spoiled by guilt.

I was supposed to get a lot done today, but I got tangled up with other stuff and got almost totally derailed. The only thing I can point to is that between dd and myself, we got 2 bins of leaves shredded and under one of the avocados, and one bin of weeds out by the curb, so I did my week's-worth of three bins of cleanup. And I ordered some hose end fixit parts over the internet, made dinner and cleaned the kitchen (mostly). But I still have a LOT of things staring me in the face.

Since Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are anticipated to be hot-hot-hot, I guess I'll be doing indoor work.

Still thinking about that frontyard landscaping, too. Needs some revision, but I'm not going to put a lot of work into it until I figure out a design.

And HEY! My hollyleaf redberry looks like it's going to have berries this year. Good for the birds, but they'll have to get there ahead of me! heh heh heh

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

#WEARAMASK

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Monday, June 8, 2020 5:00 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Somewhere I recall you saying you have either hollyleaf cherry or its subspecies Catalina Island cherry. I just want to point out that my experience with them is that they're extremely variable in form, depending on growing conditions and even individual plants.

I have a bunch of Catalina Island cherries planted under a large incense cedar and juniper on my side of a fence, but along the edge of a neighbor's uphill front lawn. So they get a lot of regular water, and nearly 100% shade, and they're very tall, very big around, and with widely spaced deep green dull, large smooth leaves with smooth edges. One of them seems to have found a deep source of water and is now a genuine tree.

On the other side of the front yard are the exact same kind of tree, planted at exactly the same time and at exactly the same size, that border a neighbor's downhill driveway. They get NO extra water, and no shade. They're roughly half the size with ~1/2 sized, shiny, more crinkly leaves with pointier edge scallops in a brighter green.

AND their form also changes depending on how closely planted they are to each other!

The hollyleaf cherries I had before were not uniform either - some were shorter and bushier, some taller and more treelike, etc. And the two hybridize freely, so depending on your source you may get some that are more like Catalina Island cherry, and some that are more like hollyleaf cherry.

Overall I like the looks of hollyleaf cherry better - their leaves are a prettier green, more crinkly, and more glossy, and they sparkle in the sun.

But what I like about both is that they're really reliable - they're very drought tolerant and do best in full sun, but not at all touchy about clay soil or extra water (as long as they're not constantly wet) or shade.

In general though, expect either kind to grow much bigger if planted as a specimen (solitary) plant, with extra water, and some shade.

OOC, have you ever heard of Malosma laurina? It seems to be quite variable. I thought I knew most of the native shrubs but I just ran across it.

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Monday, June 8, 2020 9:03 AM

I don't imagine I'll ever have time to get to the landscaping. I planted a bunch of hastas when I moved in and besides an unidentified bush on one end, that's what's out there.

One or two of the hastas even died in the shadier areas. I know they don't grow as big in a lot of shade, but I didn't even know they could die.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 8, 2020 4:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Jack, you are a head of me. I think I might have understood about half of your post. But then what I know about cars you could fit on the head of a pin. Since I've never driven or owned a car.

Quote:
Everything I put in that post I didn't know a thing about 3 days ago.

Like owning a house, owning a car is great until it isn't.

You've gotten by this far without either. I'd say your much better off without them.

Would have loved a car before the seizures but yeah now not a good idea. A house would have been nice again if I could have afforded it when I was younger. Now, it's not really a possibility.

Quote:
Oh... tip of the day: Don't use safety glasses when using a sawzall to cut a steel pipe 3" from your face. Use safety goggles.

If you don't, you'll learn very quickly the hard way that getting metal shavings in your eyes is not fun, and if you didn't wear contact lenses like me you might even go blind.

That's not so good Jack. You have got to be more careful.

Quote:
Yeah, Sundays I don't usually do too much unless it is something that I've been putting off for a while. And that I covered last week. So I just messed around with this thing, listened to some music and watched a little tv.

I really need to get a couch as watching tv in a dining room chair isn't good for my back.

Quote:
My problem is too many years behind me where everyday was a lazy Sunday. I'm paying for it now.

Hope I can enjoy them again one day if I keep at it. In the mean time, enjoy them for me.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I'm sure you will one of these days Jack.

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Monday, June 8, 2020 5:09 PM

Well, I am back from my doctor's and got the results from my blood work. All is good but my bad cholesterol is up a bit. It was up a bit last year too. So, I got to figure out what to do about that.

Also lost 5 pounds but I can put that back on I think easily.

She decided to do an extra bit of poking at me but that all came out fine. Listened to my lungs, took my blood pressure and because I was jumpy it went into the normal range.

Usually my bp is low.

Heart, liver, lungs, kidneys all good. Calcium, thyroid stable, hemoglobin good, iron stores good, potassium good, sodium good. Blood sugar good. Good cholesterol good. So all numbers really where they should be.

Only numbers not back is on where my seizure meds are. That takes a couple of weeks. That might need adjusting from what she sounded like and if they do it will be down.

So, she's happy and I'm happy.

Hope, I don't have to cut out peanut butter but it does contain a lot of saturated fat.

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Monday, June 8, 2020 7:15 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Hey Brenda - I think if you get natural peanut butter - without hydrogenation or added fats - it's really low in saturated fat!

One tablespoon has about 1.5gram of saturated fat and 12.5grams of UNsaturated fat.

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Monday, June 8, 2020 11:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - I think if you get natural peanut butter - without hydrogenation or added fats - it's really low in saturated fat! One tablespoon has about 1.5gram of saturated fat and 12.5grams of UNsaturated fat.

I'm looking into it as that is one food I really do love. "Stick to your ribs" as my dad used to say.

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Monday, June 8, 2020 11:07 PM

Call back from my family doc this afternoon, she got the report on my seizure meds level and they are too high. So, she has taken it down. I now take 2 in the morning and 3 at night. I go back to her in two months and we shall see.

Flipside is my eye doctor's office is reopened and taking in patients. So I called this afternoon and made an appointment. Got one for September.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 2:54 AM