Cooler and drier? One can always hope… [75f And 99%RH, so not much]
Yesterday it rained cats and dogs on the north side of town. Pretty good rain in parts of the south too. And it still got hot. My whole load got wet, and as the boxes melted, the load shifted, and I almost dumped it all on the freeway. I’ve learned the hard way to put LOTS of straps, from different directions, on any load. That saved me this time.
One thing I noticed at one of my pickups- there are a LOT of people running auctions, consignment shops, thrift/antique/junque shops. Lot of people like me making a living in between normal commerce and with castoffs. Sarah Hoyt says that can only happen in a very rich country. If the amount of “richness” were to change, a whole lot of people hustling like me might be out of business and struggling- and that would be bad. I really hope it’s not like the joke about the two antique store owners… they are the only two people on an island, and both have successful stores…
I am getting a ton of preps at huge discounts, and that counts for something, even if I’m not getting anything that sells.
“It’s a hard knock life, for me…”
Off to the salt mines.
n
Strap every load down really well.
My three-high pile of boxes looked like that after the rain soaked them to mush.
n
One thing I noticed at one of my pickups- there are a LOT of people running auctions, consignment shops, thrift/antique/junque shops. Lot of people like me making a living in between normal commerce and with castoffs
A lot more people are trying it, but retail skills and castoff quality are off, even compared to 10 years ago. Thank/blame the Brown Truck Store model.
My last EBay challenge was decided in 15 minutes because the merchandise was clearly junk and the seller pushed things all the way to the limit because they needed that $100. Based on what I saw looking up their address on Google Maps, it wasn’t ‘beer money’ to them.
I’ve written before that the resellers, especially Pakistanis/Indians, got so aggressive locally that the neighborhood ISD warehouse no longer does surplus sales on electronics on site.
68f this morning, a nice change from the high 70s at 6am. Maybe fall is around the corner.
I am feeling content this week. Very little stress now. At work I was just given a project that I know I can’t complete by the end of the year and I don’t care. I’ll do what I can and not worry. What will they do … fire me? My only stress right now is prepping for the move. We are hauling the sports car and a load of stuff down tomorrow. I have a contractor painting the exterior of the house and replacing any bits that need replacing. Over the last three weeks I have interviewed three realtors who have all breathlessly assured me that I can get TOP DOLLAR for my house, if I sell NOW!! It seems that I may get more than I expected but I am not ready to sell now. I will list it in December. The last realtor was very forceful that I put it on the market before the end of the month. I am happy to take advice but I wont let her dictate my schedule.
“Cooler and drier”?
Well, 53F here this morning in the California high desert, but it’s supposed to hit 94F this afternoon. A forty degree swing.
@Harold: FWIW: after I listed my place October 1st of 2017 I received a grand total of two offers before New Years.
If you’re in a hurry, list now, otherwise save yourself some aggravation and wait until spring.
Ed:
I’d like not having to carry the extra payments any longer than necessary. $950 a month adds up. The last realtor claimed that October and November are hot sales months here because of transfers, then it goes quiet till the spring. I don’t need a lot of buyers, I only need one.
Nick, consider a shell for your PU. They do have their drawbacks, but really shine in the rain.
Sorry, poor attempt at humor. Early here, and brain still coming up to speed.
Or, maybe some good tarps?
I actually have a goretex shaped tarp in the truck that I could have used, if I’d put it on when I loaded the boxes (so it was under the straps.) I didn’t because of the blue skies. Move 10 miles here and you’re in a different weather system, but I was lazy and didn’t really give that enough weight.
On the plus side, the boxes are of a medical supply kit, which is totally sealed in plastic, so the contents didn’t bet damaged. Further, even though the kits are expired, several items inside are not, and I’ll be able to put them up on ebay separately, so I should be ok on this lot.
(kit is a hose, vac container, pulse ox sensor, electrode, drape, mouth cover respirator thing, and some wipes, almost all of which I can sell separately)
n
Although there might be less number of house buyers in the fall or winter, those that are looking are highly motivated. The key, IMHO (and I am not a realtor, but I use the internet), it to agressively declutter the house.
The walls should be mostly empty; minimal personal items. Bookshelves should be mostly empty. Family pictures should be put away. Kitchen counters decluttered of utensils, etc. Closets should not be stuffed with clothes. Garage should be neat. Removing some furniture to create more open space. Cleaning off nightstands, side tables, etc. Put away all kids toys. Keep the house warm and toasty (if cold outside). Sidewalks clear (and de-iced if needed). New welcome mat at the front door. Remove clutter from the back patio (room to walk around). Cut the grass, rake the leaves. Etc.
You want the potential buyer to be able to visualize *their* stuff on the walls and shelves and closets. And visualize themselves relaxing in the back yard. All of that makes the home more appealing to the potential buyer.
Harold:
Same here. I took the best offer because, after running the numbers, owning one place outright at years end beat financing two for even six months longer.
I tried making it look “uninhabited by someone with perfect taste” for a month, then emptied it and repainted inside and out.
I’m not sure it made any difference, but I can’t beat myself up for not trying 😉
Best of luck to you!
“The Passion of Zealots” By Erick Erickson
https://www.creators.com/read/erick-erickson
“Listen to the environmental zealots, and hear for yourselves how salvation is obtained. It is not pretty. The United States has done more than most countries to cut its emissions, but the zealots always demand more. They do so because, as long as sinners still sin, those who should be saved cannot be. In Christianity, the unrepentant sinner will not find salvation. For the saved, however, access to heaven is not dependent on the unrepentant. In environmentalism, the penitent environmentalist will not find salvation as long as the polluters pollute. If the government won’t stop the sin, the zealots will have to.”
By making environmentalism a religion, the zealots are trying to make nature worship common and unassailable. So when will the human sacrifices start ?
My three-high pile of boxes looked like that after the rain soaked them to mush.
I am planning on buying a Leer camper top for the new truck WHEN I get one.
“Trial begins for former Dallas cop who fatally shot neighbor”
https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Trial-begins-for-ex-Dallas-cop-who-shot-neighbor-14460201.php
Not good for her. Being tired is no excuse for breaking into another apartment and shooting someone.
I agree, in Christianity we have the sinners that are not going through the pearly gates and in Climate Change we have the science deniers that are going to be imprisoned.
Roger that. I have lived in apartments and stayed in hotels, never once attempted to open the wrong door.
By making environmentalism a religion, the zealots are trying to make nature worship common and unassailable.
The Progs can’t take away people’s 2400+ sq ft houses, steaks, cars, and plane tickets suddenly so they’re making those things immoral over time. Everyone will want to give those things up … and report to the camps where free Wifi, HBO Max, and endless binging of “Friends” and “Big Bang Theory” await.
68f this morning, a nice change from the high 70s at 6am. Maybe fall is around the corner.
I am feeling content this week. Very little stress now. At work I was just given a project that I know I can’t complete by the end of the year and I don’t care. I’ll do what I can and not worry. What will they do … fire me? My only stress right now is prepping for the move. We are hauling the sports car and a load of stuff down tomorrow. I have a contractor painting the exterior of the house and replacing any bits that need replacing. Over the last three weeks I have interviewed three realtors who have all breathlessly assured me that I can get TOP DOLLAR for my house, if I sell NOW!! It seems that I may get more than I expected but I am not ready to sell now. I will list it in December. The last realtor was very forceful that I put it on the market before the end of the month. I am happy to take advice but I wont let her dictate my schedule.
I know where you are coming from. The first mortgage payment on the new house is due Nov 1 and I hope to have the new windows in, painted, and recarpeted by then. If we don’t move until December then I will just pull money out of our retirement savings to make both mortgage payments. And the realtors around here are telling me that I must have the house on the market no later than Nov 1 for the transfers moving in. Plus I have to pay the taxes and HOA fees on both houses before the end of the year. Oh well.
Moving the daughter is going to be a nightmare. She does not have the energy to help and gets dizzy when she leans over. In fact, doing anything makes her dizzy. She is getting another iron infusion treatment today. She upchucked and got hives during the last iron infusion so I am hoping for better results today. The hematologist wants her blood iron above 10.0. She was 9.0 a couple of weeks ago but has probably dropped since then. If she drops below 7.0 then we are suppose to run her to the ER and get a whole blood infusion.
And I am ready for our first fall cool front also.
“Jeff Bezos would pay $9 billion a year in wealth taxes under Bernie Sanders’ plan”
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/24/jeff-bezos-would-pay-9-billion-a-year-in-taxes-under-sanders-plan.html
You go Bernie and Elizabeth ! Lets punish the people in our society who build things and push us to new heights.
This is nothing but a federal property tax. If you think that state property taxes are bad, just wait until you have to fill the forms and get the annual anal inspection from the federal property inspector. And, it may start out on the “wealthy” but in ten years the entire middle class will be paying the federal property tax.
Hat tip to:
https://drudgereport.com/
“EIA expects worldwide energy use to rise nearly 50% by 2050”
https://www.ogj.com/general-interest/article/14040557/eia-expects-worldwide-energy-use-to-rise-nearly-50-by-2050
“World energy consumption is expected to rise 50% from 2018 levels by 2050, driven by countries where strong economic growth is driving demand, particularly in Asia, the US Energy Information Administration said in its 2019 International Energy Outlook.”
Ruh roh. This is not compatible with our little global warming / climate change / climate disruption youth leader.
Although there might be less number of house buyers in the fall or winter, those that are looking are highly motivated. The key, IMHO (and I am not a realtor, but I use the internet), it to agressively declutter the house.
The best way to declutter the house is to move out ! As my friend OFD used to say, be RUTHLESS !
I agree, in Christianity we have the sinners that are not going through the pearly gates and in Climate Change we have the science deniers that are going to be imprisoned.
I would rather go through the pearly gates than go to the other place. One of my favorite thoughts is that I would rather live in a garage apartment in Heaven than a mansion in Hell.
When I was a kid, Dad used to work at the Shell refinery in Baytown during the summers. The five of us would live in the garage apartment owned by the plant manager at the corner of the refinery so I know this concept well. No bedrooms, one bathroom, and 200 ft away from the screaming banshee known as the crude oil fired heater vaporizing 400,000 barrels of crude oil a day. I could see Hell from the garage apartment but we did not live there.
“Petabytes on a Budget: 10 Years and Counting”
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/petabytes-on-a-budget-10-years-and-counting/
“It has been 10 years since Backblaze introduced our Storage Pod to the world. In September 2009, we announced our hulking, eye-catching, red 4U storage server equipped with 45 hard drives delivering 67 terabytes of storage for just $7,867 — that was about $0.11 a gigabyte. As part of that announcement, we open-sourced the design for what we dubbed Storage Pods, telling you and everyone like you how to build one, and many of you did.”
Them are big pods.
Now that the Dumbocrats finally have tRump, LOL, will Cankles come out of the woods and run?
There are rumors that once the DNC realizes how unelectable the current crop of Dem presidential wannabes actually is, there will be a brokered convention at which Hillary! or Moochelle will be nominated.
_The New Frontiers Series, Book One: The Ship_ by Jack L Knapp
https://www.amazon.com/New-Frontiers-Book-One-Ship/dp/1720012105/?tag=ttgnet-20
Book number one of a six book space opera series. I read the well printed and bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback self published by the author. I have ordered books 2 and 3 in the series.
Wow, great story. An older engineer buys a bunch of Nikola Tesla’s journals in an old chest and spots a design for an “electric impeller” that was never built. He builds a working version of the electric impeller after many restarts and has an anti-gravity device. The rest of the story concerns funding and building various containers for the electric impeller and various peoples trying to steal the design.
The writing of the story is a little bit rough so I am deducting a half point for that. A little more editing would have been good. But for me, the story is always the most important thing. I will read this story again some day so that makes it a five star book.
BTW, this is not the first time that a story has been written similar to this. Many stories have “magical” engines for space drives. A very similar book is John Varley’s most excellent _Red Thunder_ which uses the squeezer drive. The reason why I like these stories so much is that it is not just the new drive device, it is also the design and work to build the container around the new device.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars (68 reviews)
Now that the Dumbocrats finally have tRump, LOL, will Cankles come out of the woods and run?
There are rumors that once the DNC realizes how unelectable the current crop of Dem presidential wannabes actually is, there will be a brokered convention at which Hillary! or Moochelle will be nominated.
Nah, they are going to run Warren and Bernie against the Trumper. Will be interesting.
There are rumors that once the DNC realizes how unelectable the current crop of Dem presidential wannabes actually is, there will be a brokered convention at which Hillary! or Moochelle will be nominated.
A brokered convention would be a trainwreck which the Dems have worked hard to avoid. 1980 was the closest the party came in the modern era, and whatever else he did wrong in office, Carter spared us that disaster. The old Sunday school teacher knew the country would be better off with Reagan, a fellow 70s-era Governor, than Ted Kennedy.
The party is a collection of disparate special interest voters who are hypocrites about everything except their own pet issue. The leadership knows a consensus candidate couldn’t emerge from a smoke filled room anymore.
Change of Heart: Pelosi to Set the House on the Road to Impeachment
It may not matter who the nominee is or how his/her/its nomination came to be. If the Dims go through with the impeachment farce, only the lowest of low information voters will be voting Dimocrat in 2020.
And John Cornyn is already fundraising on the impeachment news !
https://secure.winred.com/john-cornyn/defend-the-majority/
Maybe I need to give him and the Trumper a little bit of money.
I’m sure not going to give Romney any money as he has already shown his butt in this matter.
I accidentally went into the wrong bathroom once at McDonald’s. Does that count?
Went into the wrong bathroom at Walmart, intentionally. Men’s bathroom was closed. Told the Walmart employee when she yelled at me that it was the floor or the wrong bathroom, take your choice.
It seems Beto is good for Trump. I know a few folks that do not like Trump. We just don’t discuss it…
But Beto said something or another about getting rid of the ag exemption _unless_ you make your living from the land. I have a friend that owns the 15 acres next to me. Before he got it ag exempted (because of my cows) his tax bill was about $900 a year. I don’t know what his bill is now. Ain’t no well, no electricity, just trees.
Going by that math, my 25 acres that is ag exempted with taxes being about $40 a year, would go up to about $1500 a year. The acre with the house is about $1400 a year. Yep, that’s gonna be awesome, paying almost $250 a month for land I own. Sure, “for the children”.
Then there is the “hell yeah, we’re taking your guns!” line. Uh, no, Skateboard Jesus, you ain’t.
And tearing down the wall and opening the borders to anyone.
Trump gained three votes because of Beto.
Went into the wrong bathroom at Walmart, intentionally. Men’s bathroom was closed.
Yep. Wasn’t at Walmart but same thing. I did offer to pee in the water fountain if the vacant Ladies Room was too sacred for a man to use.
LOL! The Dumbocrats are all about the U.S. Constitution, now. tRump is shredding the Constitution! We can’t let that happen!
Pelosi: This President can’t be re-elected.
Way to give it away, Stretch.
I stumbled across a page today babbling how Roku and Fire sticks and smart TVs track you.
Sure, some tracking is expected. But my Roku is talking to Adobe?
Ok, if your router is capable, install one of the HOSTS files. Or get a pi and install on that, and let it be your DHCP server. Um, like pi, router, internet modem.
A pi goes for $45? And shipping and a case and etc. Perhaps. An EdgeRouter is about $100 (last I looked). Perhaps a wash money-wise.
Then again, I have my so-called server Moa. Just put the filtering software on Moa and make it the DNS server instead of my router.
Nothing to buy and the electric bill stays the same. My head will explode the same with either route.
edit: I’m kind of a Paklet with this stuff. “We find things.” But without their mean streak.
edit2: Win7. Home.
My problem would have been more of a brown liquid dump in the mop bucket.
Yeh, I know. TMI.
Althouse: Is Hillary running?!:
How innocuous. Could have come from any side. Fun taking things out of context!
That use of language is deliberate. She’s hoping everyone hears what they want to hear and not her actual words.
There was a lot of sci-fi about it in the late 60s? 70s? Poul Anderson and his Psychotechnic League springs to mind. Azimov certainly had tendencies that way. In one of PA’s stories they spell it out in the story, the words of a politician’s speech are carefully picked so that each side hears the same words but takes away different meaning (based on their internal understanding of the words.) anyway, I think it was PA, and I think that was the timeframe.
I’m going to bed. Fell asleep at my desk.
n
Dunno about Poul Anderson, but some of Heinlein’s stuff was influenced by Korzybski’s General semantics.