09:37 – It was 59.0F (15C) when I took Colin out at 0650, bright and breezy. I wore a jacket for the first time since last spring.
We got two bills yesterday from Shaw Brothers, one for all the work they did to repair the first flood, and the second for replacing the water heater. The first was about $500 higher than they’d quoted, which was fine. They’d quoted us on installing a drop ceiling downstairs and replacing the cherry flooring in the master bath. We ended up choosing a more expensive ceiling tile than they’d quoted, and having them install ceramic tile rather than hardwood in the master bath. The water heater replacement cost $700 and change, including the new 50-gallon water heater and labor to install it. What we haven’t gotten yet is the bill for digging up the septic tank and repairing the problem.
We’re still binge-watching the excellent Australian soap opera, A Place to Call Home–which has first-rate writing and a top-notch cast–and the excellent British drama Dalziel and Pascoe, which has the delightful Susannah Corbett, although not enough of her.
The show-runner for the former series, Bevan Lee, started out as a writer, and it shows. He’s also done several other series, which I’m going to see if I can get. Barbara and I just looked at the “what’s new in August” for Netflix and Amazon streaming, and, unless we somehow overlooked something worthwhile, it’s a vast wasteland.
Barbara is finally pretty happy with the state of the house, but is making up a list of other stuff we need to do. We have lots of science kit stuff on the schedule for August, of course, but she also wants to get the LTS food that’s still sitting around in boxes and bags–about 250 pounds of it–repackaged and stowed away down in the LTS food room.
We’re eating now mostly from the garden and LTS foods. Last night, we had ham steak with green beans and bacon and fresh cornbread. We also made up a batch of oatmeal cookies for a snack.
One of Selene’s friends stayed over last night, and they went to sleep in the tent on the deck. Fine … except that a mosquito got into the tent and the friend panicked and flipped out, with the result that the girls came in somewhat before midnight and took showers “to get the mosquito off them”, and then slept inside.
-sigh- I need a term for members of their cohort. What’s more delicate than a snowflake?
“-sigh- I need a term for members of their cohort. What’s more delicate than a snowflake?”
A bubble?
Barbara and I just looked at the “what’s new in August” for Netflix and Amazon streaming, and, unless we somehow overlooked something worthwhile, it’s a vast wasteland.
Most of the studios want you out at the multiplex in August.
Except for Disney — they want you to watch pre-season pro football and the meaningless early college games on ESPN. “Star Wars” will make the losses a rounding error, but they gotta keep the cable operators in line.
“Most of the studios want you out at the multiplex in August.”
Not us. I think the last time Barbara and I went to a movie theater was before we were married.
“Except for Disney — they want you to watch pre-season pro football and the meaningless early college games on ESPN. ”
Not us. The last time we had access to ESPN was 2004.
Read the book about Eisner. The ABCESPN BUY WAS entirely ego driven. They rationalized it after, but E bought it because he wanted it for years. He saved Disney, but then almost ruined it.
N
Almost?
I think Disney was ruined not long after Walt died.
I think I can wean myself off the pre-season pro football, but like I said earlier, I probably won’t go cold-turkey for all of it until Brady and Belichick retire. Brady is or soon will be 40 and shows zero inclination to do that and quite obviously doesn’t need to do that. It seems like a lifetime since he took over from Drew Bledsoe all those years ago down in Maffachufetts.
Sunny with blue skies again today and the Methodists across the street and half a block away are doing an outdoor service this morning, and as is true of almost all North Murkan Christian denominations nowadays, the music sucks rocks. Sad. We have centuries of gorgeous Christian music and the moderns insist on post 1970s treacle and pablum.
Minor yard and porch work today; the Sabbath is a day of rest and a bit of study for ol’ OFD these days. I’ll hit a couple of Latin masses during the week.
On the plane. Anxiety level much reduced now. Let’s hope the world holds together for a while longer. NOK and PRC and USA, looking ugly.
I’ll bet face book drops like a rock Monday am, based on the news from Proctor and Gamble that online ads don’t work.
Anyway, I’m off…..
N
<and the second for replacing the water heater.
Did you consider a “tankless” heater? Newer “upscale” residences in Vegas seem to be pushing tankless, gas operated, water heaters. I’ve considered one when our current standard fails, but don’t know about reliability, cost, and maintenance.
Ok, just an observation but…If you’re so fat your forearms slosh around, you might want to rethink your lifestyle.
Now I’m off….
N
Enjoy your trip, Mr. Nick. Good luck in Chicongo.
Well, the old saying is that 99.9% of ad spend is wasted; they just don’t know which 0.1% isn’t.
And I do wish that they’d re-illegalize advertising prescription drugs. That, and attorneys advertising. Both used to be considered unethical. What changed?
Based on these percentages, we have roughly 3,500-7,000 deadly serious gun owners here in Vermont. Good luck going door-to-door and confiscating their stuff.
https://defensivetraininggroup.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/sunday-morning-rant-not-suitable-for-the-children/
Probably 600-700 gun nuts right here in the town and “city.”
“Did you consider a “tankless” heater? Newer “upscale” residences in Vegas seem to be pushing tankless, gas operated, water heaters. I’ve considered one when our current standard fails, but don’t know about reliability, cost, and maintenance.”
The problem is that there’s no natural gas service here. And propane costs about three times as much per BTU as electricity does. When we asked Blue Ridge about propane, which they also supply, they gave me a little slide-card calculator. IIRC, propane would have to sell at something like $0.85/gallon to break even with electricity at the current rate.
“Good luck going door-to-door and confiscating their stuff.”
No one who’s sane would try that in rural NC. The local LEOs all know they’d be walking into a meat grinder. Up here, Deliverance isn’t just a movie…
Bon voyage et bon chance, Mr. Nick.
I was to guess, I’d guess that ethics changed. Most likely the change was lubricated by greased palms. Which is, of course, totally ethical and aboveboard, and there’s no doubt a ruling which says so.
-sigh- I need a term for members of their cohort. What’s more delicate than a snowflake?
I think that the term snowflake describes this situation perfectly.
You must not have many mosquitoes up there in New York state.
The skeeters are different here than down in MA; I know that much. Down there they’re long-legged buggers that you can actually here whining near you. Up here they’re very small and you don’t hear them until they’re just outside your ear but they’re very slow and easily killed. I don’t recall having to bother with them much in TX or SEA, mainly because we were more concerned about venomous snakes.
And once again, speaking of bad language:
http://coldfury.com/2017/07/26/as-ive-said-before-ive-said-it-before/
Pretty much says it all. With some bad language.
“They’re done, people. They. Got. NOTHING. Unless they suddenly and miraculously discover a smidgen of humility, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes legal to actually start openly hunting them, and bringing their stinking pelts down to the bank to exchange for a new toaster oven, a gift certificate, or some other premium.”
I for one wouldn’t want to touch one after I’d shot it.
I’d like to have a toaster oven. It might be better than the one I gave away. But if I have to skin them, forget it.
I’ll bet face book drops like a rock Monday am, based on the news from Proctor and Gamble that online ads don’t work.
People on Facecrack read real news ?
Skinning would be a useful SHTF skill; supply all that stuff to the howling urban mobs dancing around those greased truck axle BBQ spits in return for valuable loot they’ve stolen, maybe. And they could teach their litters how to make wallets and moccasins.
“People on Facecrack read real news ?”
They seem to THINK it’s real nooz and base all their political beliefs and opinions on it, plus all the cutesy and clever memes that keep popping up. But it would be cool to see some other technology blow away FaceBerg and Twitter.
Fixed wife’s laptop just now; wouldn’t boot at all and it turned out to be a loose connection between the SSD and the mobo. Stupid and easy and I thought the drive was dead or the mobo and we’d have to buy this and that, etc. All good now. And she can keep her pics that she hasn’t backed up and her FaceBerg account.
Will no one rid us of these meddlesome progs?
Shouldn’t be a problem. We are members of a tool-using species.
Heck, I terrified the crap out of one guy (not literally) years ago by describing which of the tools in the toolbox in the back of my car would allow me to remove his trousers, grab his genitals, and remove his genitals, all without me having to touch him. (This conversation was not out of the blue. IIRC it started as a discussion of proper treatment of rapists, segued through “yah, but who’d want to grab that stuff?”, and took a wrong turn with one guy telling me there’s no way I could go through with it.)
Read the book about Eisner. The ABCESPN BUY WAS entirely ego driven. They rationalized it after, but E bought it because he wanted it for years. He saved Disney, but then almost ruined it.
Eisner gets too much credit for saving the company IMHO. A lot of the work was already in motion when key stockholders got impatient and demanded Ron Miller’s removal.
“I’ll bet face book drops like a rock Monday am, based on the news from Proctor and Gamble that online ads don’t work.”
People on Facecrack read real news ?
I’ve been waiting for the black swan to descend on Facecrack for years, but I believe too many pension funds depend on it and the other FANG stocks.
I don’t know about @ech and @nick, but I am thinking about turning off the water heaters for the month of Flame. The copper piping in my attic is picking up enough heat to remove the need for any water heating. And we don’t hit peak summer until Flame 12th.
Hahaha, I love it! The Month of Flame!
We have our Month of Ice in February, usually. Turn off the fridge and freezers. Watch snot freeze on our mustaches and spit turn to ice before it hits the ground.
Seriously, we put a bunch of food out on the back porch for about three months here.
Wife just called and they’ve stopped for the night at an Amish farm AirB&B in Patten, Maine, the northern gateway to Baxter State Park, home of Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The farmer was bringing in the cows with a bull, a couple of dogs, and old-timey lanterns, no LED FLASHLIGHTS there!
They’ll leave tomorrow morning for Pigeon Hill, NB and arrive around dinnertime, I guess. A nice easy uneventful drive up so fah.
We hope Mr. Nick and family are doing OK with their travels, and also MrAtoz and MrsAtoz on theirs.
I’m a real homebody, almost as
badgood as RBT; really like being HOME. In my house. With my stuff. I do get out more than he does, though, I think. Trying harder.Does anyone else see the cognitive dissonance of an Amish farmer getting on the internet to arrange an AirBnB booking?
It would seem to me that the heat in the attic pipes would be enough for quick hot water use. But 1-2 minutes later, water comes from the hot water heater. Don’t think that there would be enough heat transfer from attic into pipe water during use.
But I do like the “Month of Flame” reference.
“…the cognitive dissonance of an Amish farmer getting on the internet to arrange an AirBnB booking?”
Yeah. I’ve read and heard that many Amish and related denominations honor the rules more in the spirit than the flesh; the pixels are a gigantic temptation. And it looks good for guests to see them bringing in the sheaves or the cattle with 1850 technology and dressed accordingly; but who knows whether that’s an iPhone or Droid in his front pocket or is he just glad to see you?
And more from the Cognitive Dissonance Department:
“According to reports in the Bild newspaper, the shooter was an Iraqi national and was known to police.”
“Police say there are no indications that the attack was terror-related, with reports suggesting it was sparked by a domestic or relationship dispute….”
http://freedomoutpost.com/muslim-gunman-opens-fire-at-german-nightclub-at-least-1-dead-many-injured/
You bet it was! Just a domestic that extended into yet another crowded nightclub full of unarmed victims. Just like most domestics everywhere, amirite?
“reports suggesting….” “no indications that…” “terror-related…”
How much more mealy-mouthed could it be?
Hahaha, I love it! The Month of Flame!
I stole that from my son. He learned that is what the Iraqis call August when he served a tour of duty there from May through December.
Don’t think that there would be enough heat transfer from attic into pipe water during use.
We use well water here at the house that sits in an above ground tank painted dark green for about 24 hours before usage. It is hot !
“He learned that is what the Iraqis call August…”
And I have been hearing that every month over there is the Month of Dust. The youngsters tell me it’s constant in the air, they have 20-minute coughing fits. And between that and not much cover/concealment, I’ll take the woods and jungles any day, even with the venomous reptiles.
We have had a relatively mild summer here in Mississippi.
Not one day over 100f or even 96f and the last week had highs in the mid 80s. Even humidity has been lower than I remember being normal for summer. I don’t go by the “feels like” numbers. If it’s 87f it’s 87f not 104.
A little dark humor:
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/two-from-gab/
I saw the latest “Planet of the Apes” movie over the weekend. I thought it was only OK. Kind of boring, actually. It sets itself up at the end as “THE END” or a reboot of the reboot of the original. Hollyweird just can’t get helicopter right. Who in the frack does strafing runs with Apache Attack Helicopters? Gee, let’s make this dramatic and use a standoff weapons system up close and let the bad guys shoot them all down. I chortled during that scene. I really can’t recommend the movie.
“I really can’t recommend the movie.”
No worries, mate; I warn’t planning to see it anyway. In fact, I can’t think of anything lately other than Dunkirk I’d care to see; anyone been to that yet? It’s playing over in the “city” and I might could go see it this week. Haven’t been in a movie theater since our son was still home as a kid. About fifteen years, I reckon.
“Who in the frack does strafing runs with Apache Attack Helicopters?”
Could be fun, I dunno. Let’s give it a try sometime down in Mordor, shall we?
Yes, it would be fun. You just wouldn’t hit anything. Of course, when the sqealing masses of progs are running to their gated mansions, all you have to do is spray.
“…when the sqealing masses of progs are running to their gated mansions, all you have to do is spray.”
Indeed.
After Mordor we’ll hit Manhattan, SF, Hollyweird and then start a tour covering the entire Clinton Archipelago. Maybe an overseas tour covering Berlin and Brussels.
In the words of Frau Commissar Merkel: “We Can Do This.”
It’s all unusual in lots of ways, but the Hatteras and Ocracoke power outage situation is educational.
The mooslems are at it again…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-31/sydney-terror-raids-bomb-plotters-may-have-already-made-attempt/8760562
I’m in Melbourne at the moment and now have to get to the airport 90 minutes earlier tomorrow for my flight back to Adelaide for ‘security’ reasons. I wish I’d taken the train.
But of course, Miles_Teg. In looking at the series of attacks and attempts by lone wolf Mohammedans the geniuses (who fancy themselves as) running your nation cannot find any pattern, so the only thing they can do is view all Australians with suspicion. Inevitable, really.
I’m in Melbourne at the moment and now have to get to the airport 90 minutes earlier tomorrow for my flight back to Adelaide for ‘security’ reasons. I wish I’d taken the train.
Dude, fluff out the beard and wear a tablecloth on your head. They will think that you are a iman and pass you right through security.
As to the ‘Month of Flame’, wife and I will be visiting TX after viewing the great American eclipse–the first of many recce trips as we plan a move for an indeterminate time in the future. California and the Bay Area are becoming more untenable day-by-day.
We’re looking at the Austin area and our criteria are similar to our host’s: small town (<10k pop) 1-2 hrs out from the city/metro, minimal underclass, more affordable, land, etc. For those familiar with the Austin environs, are there any towns we should be looking at? High-speed internet is the ultimate discriminator, but that comes later, after the basics.
Always have been a firm believer in seeing the land at its worst when contemplating a move and the 'Month of Flame' sounds like it fits the bill ^_^
.mg
“our criteria are similar to our host’s: small town (<10k pop)"
10K is a huge town as far as we're concerned. Sparta is about 1,800 and that's more than big enough for me.
We’re looking at the Austin area and our criteria are similar to our host’s: small town (<10k pop) 1-2 hrs out from the city/metro, minimal underclass, more affordable, land, etc. For those familiar with the Austin environs, are there any towns we should be looking at? High-speed internet is the ultimate discriminator, but that comes later, after the basics.
It is tough to find a town less than 10,000 in Texas until you go 100 miles west of I-35 and/or highway 36. Luling on the east side of Austin is is an exception to that at 6,000 people. My brother has a 100+ acre farm outside Luling that he has mostly abandoned now. He sold off all the cattle in the drought and has yet to do anything since his bank chain is growing so much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luling%2C_Texas
I do have a friend living in Smithville on 10 acres that he bought 20 years ago for less than $100K. But his wife drives the 50 miles into Austin each day as she is a middle manager for Apple. Smithville is way off the beaten track at 4,000 people. My friend calls Smithville a paradise but he does live 10 miles outside of town. His internet is the Hughes satellite with terrible lag times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithville,_Texas
My parents live in Port Lavaca at the coast. 12,000 people and poor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Lavaca,_Texas
Austin is cali light. Too many liberals, but it might ease the transition for you. Austin’s climate is different from here in Houston.
To a certain extent, rural is rural, no matter what state you are in.
Wrt internet, a lot of TX semi rural area are getting fixed wireless.
Some towns you might consider are south of Austin. Look at Bastrop area. Land is supposely $10-12k per acre.
Btw, you couldn’t pay me to live in Austin….
N
We’re looking at the Austin area and our criteria are similar to our host’s: small town (<10k pop) 1-2 hrs out from the city/metro, minimal underclass, more affordable, land, etc. For those familiar with the Austin environs, are there any towns we should be looking at? High-speed internet is the ultimate discriminator, but that comes later, after the basics.
BTW, west and south of Austin is the Eagle Ford Shale project. Prices are high and lodgings are tight. Stay away from there if possible. The tight lodgings have caused the housing prices in my parents hometown of Port Lavaca, TX to double in the last five years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Ford_Group
Burnet, Marble Falls, Lampasas and points outward. Johnson City. Blanco. Plenty of mexican type of folks, very few blacks. As far as I know, everyone gets along. There’s nothing like parts of East Austin.
Internet seems to be faster in town. Cable modems and all. My ISP is a wISP In some place they have 15mb speed. For me, maybe 4mb if the wind is blowing right…. good enough to stream Amazon Prime.
I don’t care for Lampasas. I don’t know why… it just has a vibe that makes /me/ want to leave. It’s ok for passing through and there are plenty of little towns pass Lampasas. But then we are getting to your 2 hour limit. On the plus side, Cedar Park and Leander are growing out along US183 so there’s not much need to go to Austin itself.
My ISP does something and various web sites like Home Depot think I live in Lampasas and so think I will shop at the Killeen store. Where the hell is Killeen? I drove thru there once because someone said it was a short cut to I-35. Uh, not. What I saw looked pretty seedy too. And Killeen sort of runs into Belton and there ya go, on I-35.
My next door neighbors are from Michigan. After the last parent died, they liquidated and bought a pusher motor home. Traveled the country for over a year. To them, the Burnet/Marble Falls area had the best bang for the buck. Near Austin for big hospitals and shopping. San Antonio a bit over 100 miles south for more of the same. Lake Buchanan and the rest of the lakes that feed into Travis for boating and fishing.
Luling, Kerrville, Comal, Killeen, Buna, all little town s I buy surplus from. Not much prosperity in some of those places.
Dripping Springs outside Austin looked nice and prosperous.
N
Luling, Kerrville, Comal, Killeen, Buna, all little town s I buy surplus from. Not much prosperity in some of those places.
Dripping Springs outside Austin looked nice and prosperous.
Does Buna stand for Buda, Texas ? I have friends living in Buda. They used to love it for being a sleepy little town. Now the town is exploding with all of the Austenites moving to the ‘burbs. And I-35 is being widened in Buda (a sure sign of rapid growth since Texas does not widen any road until five years past the first need).
Nick is using his phone this week. between auto correct, Swype, and degeneracy, he may not be making sense. And he may express himself in the third person four bo good reason at all.
N
Alto in this case, he simply couldn’t renowned the right name…
N