Hot and humid although we might be on the downward side of the hill. I think it only got to 107 in the driveway yesterday.
Regardless of the high temp, I hid inside most of the day. All hail Mr. Carrier, without whom, life in Houston wouldn’t be tolerable for most people.
I did some exploration on the honda gennie in the late afternoon, and either found or created an issue with an O ring, so I’ll be waiting for the parts to come in before trying the thing I just discovered. I took my own advice and searched on youtube with a slightly more general string, and the first hit described two things that historically fail on this model, and how to fix them. This was the first time I saw the particular info, and I suspect it’s my problem. I was almost there with my exploration before I obviated any more work by tearing the O ring. There is a filter INSIDE the tank that “looks fine” but the mesh swells with time and exposure to gas, and restricts flow. I was getting steady flow out the bowl drain when I emptied the tank of old gas, but maybe it wasn’t enough. There is also ANOTHER filter inside the fuel petcock, that needs to be replaced sometimes. Both filters are in the petcock replacement kit. According to the YT creator, these are a common but hidden and non-obvious problem with old eu3000 gennies. F me. I hope that replacing those works. They’re not even expensive. Ebay has the petcock kit for ~$30. I went ahead and bought a new spark plug, the O ring, the fuel level gauge, and I’ll get the petcock if cutting a hole in that filter solves my problem. (keeping in mind that this is a ~$2000 gennie new, it’s worth fixing.)
I also spent some time with the manual for my inverter, and started actually planning my little mini-backup battery solution. It looks like the inverter only works as a charger when connected to shore power (120v AC) and not from solar panels. I’m willing to work around and compromise, since I am getting the stuff piecemeal and cheap. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Some time ago I got rid of the big pile of commercial UPSs that I was using as battery backup. The batteries finally failed and I wasn’t interested in rebuilding what was only a temporary measure anyway. Plus, I had a running generator…
My wife asked how many backups I planned to have. The quiet gennie, the bigger noisier gennie, the whole house natgas gennie, and eventually installed solar…. with individual inverters and car batteries to back that all up, as well as LiON jump boxes, 7Ah gel cells, small solar USB charging panels, and maybe a biofuel fed peltier USB charger.* Kinda like my plans to keep cooking…
There is no overkill…
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing, right?
More cops killed this weekend, more civil unrest. I’m long body armor, bear spray, and staying away from crowds. That means stores too. Which you can do if you keep stacking…
nick
*I have all these already, but don’t have them all in working condition or ready to run. That’s what I’m working on now with a renewed sense of urgency. I’ve listed my plans for cooking before, starting with my electric range and going all the way down to open fires.
And you had to stop there because there still are no portable fission (or fusion for that matter) solutions available for the DIY person. Right?
We saw “Bill and Ted Face The Music” *in a theater* yesterday.
Alamo Drafthouse. Lots of social distancing. Order food in advance. Disinfected theater between shows. Only a few other people were in the theater for the show.
As with “Zombieland 2”, the writers worked a little sly social commentary into the script if you pay attention, much more so than would be possible with a standard studio flick carrying higher expectations.. George Carlin was still missed.
Cheaper than Dirt (online gun retailer) sent an email this morning claiming they have 223 and 762 in stock and urging me to “STOCK UP”.
The 223 is $1.20/round and limit 3 boxes… 60 rd total, or 2 mags worth.
They have a bit more 762 in stock, at .50c to 2.00 / rnd.
Which is crazy high. Many people in the “gun community” avoid CtD as they have a history of price gouging after every tragedy, well beyond market price increases. Certainly no one is “stocking up” with 60 rd limits….
n
added- I hope anyone who needed to got on PSA yesterday and picked up a Shield, or a build kit, or even one of the glocks or baretta 92Fs they sold out of….
Cheaper than Dirt (online gun retailer) sent an email this morning claiming they have 223 and 762 in stock and urging me to “STOCK UP”.
Cheaper Than Dirt had a physical store for about a year in Round Rock, near the end of the run of “Gun Salesman of the Century”, President Obama.
The store closed around the same time the Cabela’s family sold out to Bass Pro.
I did an ammo inventory this weekend. I’m generally good on everything, though I noticed I have only one or two boxes of hollow point for each caliber. I found some 9mm hp on midwayusa.com for 20.99 a box. More expensive than normal, but not horribly so. I ordered two boxes. I also threw in a box of 30-06. At $27.99 a box, it’s not cheap, but a price I’m still willing to pay in smaller quantities. I’m going to try and stop at the local gun stores this week to check out the carnage.
“I’m going to try and stop at the local gun stores this week to check out the carnage. ”
–let us know what it looks like.
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8680077/SWAT-swarms-LA-apartment-shots-fired-Trump-car-caravan.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8679723/Fleet-moving-vehicles-seen-NYCs-troubled-Upper-West-marking-mass-evacuation.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8680569/Suspect-48-fatal-shooting-Patriot-Prayer-supporter-describes-100-ANTIFA.html
Colion Noir gives his take on the Kenosha shootings.
https://youtu.be/NSU9ZvnudFE
n
LOL Youtube gives me a “inappropriate content” warning before letting it play. Black Conservatives make ProgLibTurd platforms like YT crazy. Well spoken and laid out video. YT doesn’t dare delete him, but obviously hates him. Raaayycisss!
Amazing how the kid, Kyle, keeps his composure during the shooting. Most people would have sprayed bullets everywhere. He could have easily been beaten to death. Or killed a lot of people.
That is the immediate counter to the screaming that he was shooting into crowds of innocent people. He is VERY disciplined, holds fire when the guy with the gun raises his hands, and the still gets off the shot when the guy advances again.
I hope that ‘come the day’ I can do as well. (if it ever comes)
n
I imagine a number of military recruiters are putting on their track shoes so they can sprint to be the first to grab Rittenhouse the moment he turns 18.
PSA was holding back some inventory from their Daily Deals….
https://palmettostatearmory.com/daily-deals-new.html
n
That Prius sure is an ugly car. Beat up, too. I never understand why people do this.
As an engineer, I have to admire the Prius. It is an engineering marvel and getting 59 mpg day in and day out is simply amazing. It is totally designed for its goal, getting people from one place to another efficiently using city streets. And occasional long drives between cities using interstate highways. It is not designed for off street usage whatsoever.
I look forward to the day that I can buy a true hybrid F-150. I am not sure that it is going to happen at this time as Ford seems to be a total meltdown.
Amazing how the kid, Kyle, keeps his composure during the shooting. Most people would have sprayed bullets everywhere. He could have easily been beaten to death. Or killed a lot of people.
Amazing is a mild word of describing that. He only shot the people attacking him. That is the very essence of self defense. I am fairly sure that I could not have kept my cool like that. And I have been to training (highly advised).
http://www.frontsight.com
I did an ammo inventory this weekend. I’m generally good on everything, though I noticed I have only one or two boxes of hollow point for each caliber. I found some 9mm hp on midwayusa.com for 20.99 a box. More expensive than normal, but not horribly so. I ordered two boxes. I also threw in a box of 30-06. At $27.99 a box, it’s not cheap, but a price I’m still willing to pay in smaller quantities. I’m going to try and stop at the local gun stores this week to check out the carnage.
I am short on shotgun shells, as in none. And 5.56. I have lots and lots of .223 FMJ. And lots of pistol ammo.
I never could decide which shotgun shells to buy, slug or large birdshot. And one of my shotguns is a 12 gauge pistol that requires a special shell with blowbacks in it.
https://www.remington.com/other-products/model-870-tac-14
Well Toyota does have a RAV4 hybrid for off road but I would guess real off roaders would much refer a 4Runner or Tacoma. Just Google it Toyota has plenty of choices.
(and is there any chance they will ever drop TRD in their US marketing?)
That 870 looks like it would be hard to handle. The Remington site you linked had nothing about special ammo, but did mention reduced recoil ammo. I have never heard of “special shell with blowbacks,” so I did a quick search and found nothing. What is it?
As for best defense round, that will never be answered. Here’s my $0.01 (not even worth $0.02) At very close range, almost anything you put in a 12 gauge can be devastating. In a neighborhood like yours, where the next house is closer than 100 yards, #8 shot is pretty safe. It won’t usually penetrate a normal wall, and there are claims it won’t break a window 100 feet away. It is still potent up close. I don’t like slugs, but just me. For a little more distance, many experts recommend #4 buck as a compromise between number of pellets and penetration. 00 buck is considered to have too few pellets, although it has great penetration, maybe even through car doors under good conditions. Some of these rounds can be high recoil, not ideal for your light gun.
I have always liked shotguns. An old friend, now gone from us, was an attorney. His choice was a regular hunting shotgun with regular rounds typical of local hunting. He claimed it would be easier to defend the use of the family hunting gun in court if it that ever happened. He particularly disliked “tactical looking” shotguns or “coach” short double barrel guns because they signaled knowledge and intent. That was his opinion 20-30 years ago, and times have changed. He also recommended just not being there, but if the scene would be his home, these tips might help. For any other places, escaping without a trace was his plan. Remember, we have a lot of remote places. This is definitely not an urban area.
Random thought: I bet SteveF doesn’t NEED ammo.
Old, corny story, presented with the knowledge that several people here live in Texas.
A Texas Ranger was at a social event. A grandmotherly lady greeted him and asked if he expected trouble, because he was wearing his sidearm. “No, Ma’am,” he said. “If I had been expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.”
Probably apocryphal.
Well Toyota does have a RAV4 hybrid for off road but I would guess real off roaders would much refer a 4Runner or Tacoma. Just Google it Toyota has plenty of choices.
4Runner and Tacoma are real trucks, body on frame.
A RAV4 is a crossover, essentially a Camry since they share the same “TNGA” platform now.
Replacing the RAV4 at the smaller size is the Corolla Hatchback, essentially a redesigned Matrix, which Toyota used to build at Fremont, now home to Tesla.
–I know they were there, exercising their 1A rights, and proudly ‘flying a flag’, but that is only wise when under rule of law. Time for grey man protocols…
n
You don’t need bullets when you’re facing only one person, whether he’s armed or not. Beat him down, make him cry, take his weapons, and make him cry again.
If you’re facing more than one, pick up one by the ankle and whip him around to beat the others.
I look forward to the day that I can buy a true hybrid F-150. I am not sure that it is going to happen at this time as Ford seems to be a total meltdown.
Ford had a big class action go against them with the Focus/Fiesta transmission debacle, potentially to the tune of $5 billion, but the entire industry is holding its breath to see the outcome of the election.
Trump losing means the Feds reinstate the penalties for not meeting 54 MPG CAFE in 2025, and it isn’t realistically possible to meet the target without simply writing checks to The Real Life Tony Stark (TM), hence why Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world … for now.
I’d still rather be in Ford’s position than Tony’s. Just ask Toyota San Antonio how much time and money it cost to learn the 1500 class pickup market just to pull within striking distance of F150. And Toyota is still doing stupid things down there.
A hybrid F150 would realistically require a small diesel. Not that I don’t believe Ford has one in a lab somewhere, but getting one through the Feds testing would be pricey. Still, a hybrid F150 with 120 V or, dare I say it, 220V outlets for power tools on remote job sites? People would line up to write checks.
Regardless of the high temp, I hid inside most of the day. All hail Mr. Carrier, without whom, life in Houston wouldn’t be tolerable for most people.
My dog loves Mr. Carrier also, we have two of them. In fact, this is the first time that I have ever owned a Carrier unit. My dog goes outside, barks at the squirrels, lays down in the grass, and is ready to come back inside after ten minutes. Oh yeah, she is a home girl who likes to lay on my bed underneath the ceiling fan in the A/C set to 72 F.
We saw “Bill and Ted Face The Music” *in a theater* yesterday.
Alamo Drafthouse. Lots of social distancing. Order food in advance. Disinfected theater between shows. Only a few other people were in the theater for the show.
As with “Zombieland 2”, the writers worked a little sly social commentary into the script if you pay attention, much more so than would be possible with a standard studio flick carrying higher expectations.. George Carlin was still missed.
Dude, you rock ! ! !
I have yet to see “Zombieland 2”. Or “Jumanji, The Next Level”.
That 870 looks like it would be hard to handle. The Remington site you linked had nothing about special ammo, but did mention reduced recoil ammo. I have never heard of “special shell with blowbacks,” so I did a quick search and found nothing. What is it?
“Remington Express Managed-Recoil Ammunition 12 Gauge 2-3/4″ 00 Buckshot 8 Pellets Box of 5”
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002089838
$5.99 for a box of five shells. If you could buy any.
You can shoot regular 12 guage shells in it. I figure after the first regular 12 gauge shot the gun will rip itself out of my weak hands and fly backwards about 50 feet.
hmm I wonder what changed in South Bend IN in the last 30 years?
How bad is South Bend Indiana?
South Bend, Indiana is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. There were 1,012 violent crimes in South Bend for every 100,000 residents in 2016, more than double both the state and national violent crime rates of 405 incidents and 386 incidents per 100,000 people, respectively.”Apr 11, 2019
n
I bet I’m not the only one here that looks at the picture here (possibly NSFW, depending on workplace) and thinks of the heart plug killing implant in Dune?
n
I have yet to see “Zombieland 2”. Or “Jumanji, The Next Level”.
Be sure to watch *all* of the credits of “Zombieland 2”. There will be a quiz.
And don’t try to skip ahead or you won’t understand the context of the last few seconds.
The virus ruined what would have been a huge film year, not only new material but 35th and 40th anniversaries of various classics which are starting to lose actors, actresses, and other creative people to time.
Hagar The Horrible: hunting dragons
https://www.comicskingdom.com/hagar-the-horrible/2020-08-31
Aren’t there areas in the Viking lands that stay frozen 12 months a year where he can stash the meat ?
The new Jumanjis have been a lot of fun.
n
As for best defense round, that will never be answered. Here’s my $0.01 (not even worth $0.02) At very close range, almost anything you put in a 12 gauge can be devastating. In a neighborhood like yours, where the next house is closer than 100 yards, #8 shot is pretty safe. It won’t usually penetrate a normal wall, and there are claims it won’t break a window 100 feet away. It is still potent up close. I don’t like slugs, but just me. For a little more distance, many experts recommend #4 buck as a compromise between number of pellets and penetration. 00 buck is considered to have too few pellets, although it has great penetration, maybe even through car doors under good conditions. Some of these rounds can be high recoil, not ideal for your light gun.
“Remington Express Ammunition 12 Gauge 2-3/4” 00 Buckshot 9 Pellets “. Oh yeah, out of stock, no back order.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601190866
A hybrid F150 would realistically require a small diesel. Not that I don’t believe Ford has one in a lab somewhere, but getting one through the Feds testing would be pricey. Still, a hybrid F150 with 120 V or, dare I say it, 220V outlets for power tools on remote job sites? People would line up to write checks.
Nope, the 2021 F-150 hybrid is coming with the 3.5L V6 biturbo. But it is not a plug in. And only 23 mpg in the city (mine gets 17 mpg in the city).
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128649_2021-ford-f-150-hybrid-just-23-mpg-but-can-power-a-worksite
It does have four 120 volt outlets in the bed though. And a 230 volt 30 amp outlet so it can run a large compressor in the field. But the hybrid battery is only 1.5 kwh which seems very small to me. And the hybrid motor is only 47 hp so I am wondering if it will run with only the electric motor.
BTW, all of the new diesels are crap. The emissions equipment on them severely affects their reliability and economy. I am hearing of too many rebuilds before 100,000 miles.
I have yet to see “Zombieland 2”. Or “Jumanji, The Next Level”.
Be sure to watch *all* of the credits of “Zombieland 2”. There will be a quiz.
And don’t try to skip ahead or you won’t understand the context of the last few seconds.
The virus ruined what would have been a huge film year, not only new material but 35th and 40th anniversaries of various classics which are starting to lose actors, actresses, and other creative people to time.
I have been watching “The Umbrella Academy” on Netflix. It is very well done and I look forward to season three.
“So, this is pretty miserable. How much longer will summer last?”
https://spacecityweather.com/so-this-is-pretty-miserable-how-much-longer-will-summer-last/
“As we’ll discuss in the post below, our weather for the next week remains hot. But about 10 days from now there are hints in the global models of a decently strong cold front arriving in the Houston area. There are a couple of reasons for skepticism: We get a lot of “mirage” fronts popping up in the models at this time of year that falsely advertise the arrival of cool fronts, and this one would be about two weeks earlier than normal for Houston. On the other hand, this front has been fairly consistent in the model forecasts. At this point, therefore, I would say there is about a 50 percent chance of a nice front pushing into Houston about 10 days from now. That is not a guarantee.”
Cold Front ! ! ! Cold Front ! ! ! Cold Front ! ! !
Oh wait, he said Cool Front. Still, awesome !
“Five SFF Stories Featuring Truly Terrible Parents” by James Nicoll
https://www.tor.com/2020/08/31/five-sff-stories-featuring-truly-terrible-parents/
Zero for five here. And I thought that one of the Heinlein’s was going to make it in, such as “Have Space Suit, Will Travel”. Or “Starman Jones”.
“A’s, Astros walk off field in protest, game postponed”
https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/A-s-Astros-walked-off-field-in-protest-game-15523437.php?cmpid=hpctp
Ok, I have just about had it with these pansies. They walked off the field for a sexual molester !
I have totally given up on the NBA and the NFL. MLB, maybe.
I have been watching “The Umbrella Academy” on Netflix. It is very well done and I look forward to season three.
Our nightly quarantine entertainment is “Deep Space Nine” on H&I Network, complete with commercials. I guess we’re gluttons for punishment.
We missed a lot of DS9 when it ran for the first time. I worked 70 hours a week at GTE, and my wife was in med school from 93-97.
One thing that struck me watching all of the DS9 epsiodes relatively fresh is that Quark and the other Ferengi are really good at killing, particularly Jem Hadar soldiers.
Roger that! I watched NASCAR Sat, Tour de France cycling Sat, Sun and today, and US Open Tennis now. No need to watch mentally disadvantaged.
Our nightly quarantine entertainment is “Deep Space Nine” on H&I Network, complete with commercials. I guess we’re gluttons for punishment.
We missed a lot of DS9 when it ran for the first time. I worked 70 hours a week at GTE, and my wife was in med school from 93-97.
One thing that struck me watching all of the DS9 epsiodes relatively fresh is that Quark and the other Ferengi are really good at killing, particularly Jem Hadar soldiers.
Deep Space Nine is on Netflix without commercials. I am amazed what less than $10/month gets you.
https://www.netflix.com/title/70158330
We have the Premium version of Netflix for $15.99/month since we occasionally have Netflix running on all three TVs in the house.
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
“15 Best Seapunk Books” by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/15-best-seapunk-books/
I have read “Camouflage”, “Startide Rising”, and “Sphere”. I would like to read “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” some day but I have seen the awesome Disney movie several times.
15 Best Spunk Books?
No thanks. Not into that genre. Don’t let me stop you, though. Different strokes for different folks.
Umbrella Academy rocks.
Doom Patrol is so weird it rocks (read the mag as a kid).
Warrior Nun rocks.
Stargirl rocks.
Stranger Things rocks.
Many more…
Waiting for the last season of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The new Adult version.
Currently watching the final season of Lucifer.
“Large Turnout At Memorial For Hans Gruber Who Was Thrown From A Building By A Police Officer”
https://babylonbee.com/news/large-turnout-for-memorial-for-hans-gruber-who-was-thrown-from-a-building-by-a-police-officer
“LOS ANGELES, CA—A huge crowd turned out Sunday for the Hans Gruber memorial service. Gruber was the victim of police violence, having been thrown from Nakatomi Plaza by police officer John McClane, which many consider one of the most excessive uses of force ever witnessed. After the incident, there were protests all week, and now thousands from all over the country came to pay respects to Gruber, widely described as an “intelligent and witty soul.””
Umbrella Academy rocks.
Doom Patrol is so weird it rocks (read the mag as a kid).
Warrior Nun rocks.
Stargirl rocks.
Stranger Things rocks.
Many more…
Waiting for the last season of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The new Adult version.
Currently watching the final season of Lucifer.
I did not know about Doom Patrol.
Warrier Nun is totally cool.
Stargirl ?
Stranger Things is totally freaking awesome ! Hopper lives !
Sabrina The Adult Witch got a little too creepy for me.
Am trying to watch the fifth season of Lucifer but it seems repetitious.
And Netflix’s “I Am Not OK With This” is so over the top that it is awesome. Yes, it is a ripoff of “Carrie”. So what.
And Netflix’s “The Order” is cool.
The first season of “13 Reasons Why” is ok but the not the second or third. The same with “The Rain” and “Black Summer”.
Don’t forget The Expanse and Bosch on Amazon Prime. I’ve also heard good things about “The Boys”.
Deep Space Nine is on Netflix without commercials. I am amazed what less than $10/month gets you.
H&I runs four hours of “Star Trek” a night, Sunday-Friday. The commercials are sometimes entertaining, and we noticed that the nasal-y Prog chick disappeared from the Babel spots in the last few weeks, “My husband …. is from Gutatamala …”
Maybe a sign that Plugs is in trouble. Even Babel doesn’t want to associate too closely with his voter types.
We watch broadcast on the old TV in the living room. “Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager” will probably never see HD transfers at this point.
Yup, rocks.
The next season of “The Boys” looks to be even gorier. Can’t wait.
The tolerant ProgLibTurd Left:
‘I am not sad that a f**king fascist died tonight,’ Portland ‘protester’ announces to cheers after Trump supporter killed
Nothing like a f*t bl*ck chick with a bullhorn.
“Altered Carbon” on Netflix is a helluva ride. Very well done.
Ditto on Amazon Primes “The Boys” it is a different kind of superhero series, season 2 about to drop. Didn’t think it would catch me, but it did.
last 2 that I’ve binged
oh, and Farscape, a golden oldie most here are old enough to get.
Mom had a(nother) stroke several days ago. Not her usual “slurred speech” variety. The nursing home sent her to the local Seton. Which sent her to the Seton on 38th and Lamar ? in Austin.
A few days ago the doctor called and wanted permission to do a colonoscopy. What? She had a stroke. Well, she’s passing blood. Ok, do what you need to do.
The doc called yesterday morning and said he was not going to do it, she’s too weak. Ok, keep her comfortable, please.
All fine and dandy as far as this stuff goes for a woman a month shy of turning 89.
A nurse called last night, a bit after 10pm, said she’s not doing well and if you can, come see her. It’s about 70 miles… already in bed, been drinking beer, so… tomorrow.
Well. The hospital called again. Five minutes to 11pm and Mom had passed. I dug out the paperwork, called the nursing home. Called the local funeral home. She has a pre-paid plan. Unlike having tires from Discount Tires rotated at any Discount Tires location, you have to call the funeral home that sold the plan. I called, the lady was very nice. While I’m talking to her, the other phone rang and it was the hospital. Yet again. “You need to come get this body. We don’t got space in the morgue.”
All of 40 minutes after dying? For freaking real? You want me to drive an hour and a half to Austin and then? Yer gonna dump her in the back of my pick-up? And I take her to the funeral home in Edinburg? In this heat? What are you smoking? Yeah, no, but thanks for calling.
Trippy.
Anyway. The funeral home in Edinburg called a while ago. Needing info for the death certificate. Yeah, sorry, but I don’t know my grandmother’s maiden name. I knew the rest, yay me! How many copies of the death cert do you want? I don’t know, how many do other folks need? Ok, one for the bank, maybe one for the nursing home, on to take her off of the deed to the house. Ok, five sounds good, I have five copies of Dad’s certificate, so let’s go with five.
I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never had a mommy die. Shrug.
I’m cool. I suppose I’ll lose it when the ashes arrive. I really don’t know when my “blubbering idiot” time will happen.
Anyway. Whatever and blah blah blah. I’m now an orphan.
It’s been a weird day for sure.
Yes, and I wish they would rotate and not just Original series, then Picard/Riker and onward. Because after watching Wheel of Fortune and StarTrek and then Next Gen, I’m done, it’s bed time for me. I’m not watching two more hours of TV.
@Paul: Sorry to hear about your mom.
Nothing like a f*t bl*ck chick with a bullhorn.
In a state which was “whites only” within the lifetime of surviving WWII vets.
The rainy season starts soon. 10 years ago tomorrow, I took my son to his first day of school in Vantucky, and, within a week, cold and wet started like someone turned on a faucet.
The BLM folks will go back to LA as soon as the bad weather starts.
I stopped at Cabellas after work. Shotgun and rifle ammo all at normal levels, with the exception of bulk rifle ammo. No bulk at all, everything sold in individual boxes. Oh, and no 5.56.
.22 lr was there, but not the big bricks.
Handgun Ammo was almost empty. No 9mm, .40. A few boxes of a fre others. They did have 5 boxes of 380 HP. I bought 3.
No evil black rifles at all (well, anything below 3k). Handgun supplies were obviously down. I’d guess at half inventory. Plenty of shotguns.
I’m going to try and get the locally owned shop later this week.
Sympathies, Paul.
And that was a lot of WTF boiled down into your description.
oh, and Farscape, a golden oldie most here are old enough to get.
I binged the first season a while back on Netflix. I want to binge the entire series some day.
I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never had a mommy die. Shrug.
Hi Paul, sorry for your loss. I think that the true grieving comes over quite a while, months or even years.
I am supposing that you called your sisters.
My sympathies at your loss, Mr. Paul. When my Mom passed (palliative care), the hospital had a book where you could pick any number of funeral homes to come claim the body, burial, cremation, etc. I picked cremation and the funeral home handled everything the same evening.
Actually, since they cleaned out the place before they left the Valley, and mailed her car keys to me a month later with a note saying “it’s your turn”….
And I called mom and she was down to one egg and the bread had turned green and she was eating canned beans and spam. Her big complaint was that the half and half for her coffee had soured. So we brought her here.
Dad had a ton of tools. And yeah, Franklin Mint stuff. And yeah, Dad might have sold off a lot of his stuff before he died, but he wouldn’t have left scraps of paper and empty boxes. My sisters plundered the place. Before they emptied 30 grand or so from her checking account.
So, no. Not calling the sisters. Ever. They left her to die. They will never know….
Paul, I’m very sorry for your loss. From my observation of others, it’ll take a year for you to get thru it all and start feeling normal again. Don’t make any big decisions that you haven’t already given a lot of thought to. Keep an eye open for scammers and thieves.
Again, sorry for your loss.
nick
Paul, sorry for your loss. Grieving is a process, and each of us goes through it a little differently. That SNAFU didn’t help.
Dad had a ton of tools. And yeah, Franklin Mint stuff. And yeah, Dad might have sold off a lot of his stuff before he died, but he wouldn’t have left scraps of paper and empty boxes. My sisters plundered the place. Before they emptied 30 grand or so from her checking account.
Sorry about your loss and the mess.
The last time I checked, I cosign on my mother’s account even though we haven’t spoken in years.
I meant to check on the status when we were in FL within driving distance of SunTrust, but all their physical branches were closed. Not that it really matters — if she passes and my siblings call for access to the account, I’ll send it all to St. Jude’s.
Actually, since they cleaned out the place before they left the Valley, and mailed her car keys to me a month later with a note saying “it’s your turn”….
And I called mom and she was down to one egg and the bread had turned green and she was eating canned beans and spam. Her big complaint was that the half and half for her coffee had soured. So we brought her here.
Dad had a ton of tools. And yeah, Franklin Mint stuff. And yeah, Dad might have sold off a lot of his stuff before he died, but he wouldn’t have left scraps of paper and empty boxes. My sisters plundered the place. Before they emptied 30 grand or so from her checking account.
So, no. Not calling the sisters. Ever. They left her to die. They will never know….
Wow, that was cold. Very cold. To just take everything of worth that your mom had and just leave here there alone in the house. I would call that elder abuse.
I am surprised that they did not try to sell her house too.
The last time I checked, I cosign on my mother’s account even though we haven’t spoken in years.
My wife went up to Dallas to get POA (power of attorney) paperwork from her dad and to get cosignature on his main bank account. At his request. This is before we knew he had nine bank accounts at nine banks (paranoid, raised in the Depression).
As soon as my wife left town, he went and closed the bank account that he gave her co-ownership on and opened a new account. Why ?
About five years years ago, she attempted to write a check on the account. The check bounced to cover his nursing home care. So we paid the nursing home care out of our funds, $5,000 for a month. Not cheap ! And then she drove up to go see the bank. They told her about the closed account. So she went over to the nursing home, hired a notary to meet her there, got him to sign the Bank’s POA and the notary notarized it. She then went back to the bank and got herself put on his new account after the bank manager called her Dad’s phone and ok’d it verbally also. What a pain in the buttocks !
Then she went to his house and grabbed all his bank records. She now is on six of the accounts and has closed one of them. There are only two accounts that she is not on now and those have about $40K in them. She does not need the money for him yet. Sigh, what a complicated mess.
I have tried to get her to get guardianship over her dad for years so she can get control of those two other bank accounts. It is not trivial to do so and apparently has to be renewed in Texas every year.
https://www.reachfamilies.org/Texas%20Guide%20to%20guardianship%20.pdf
My wife went up to Dallas to get POA (power of attorney) paperwork from her dad and to get cosignature on his main bank account. At his request. This is before we knew he had nine bank accounts at nine banks (paranoid, raised in the Depression).
Free toasters? Do banks in small towns do that anymore?
My wife and I have separate accounts at different credit unions for direct deposit along with one left in WA State since it is tied to my EBay/Paypal sales ID, but I can’t imagine nine. I hate reconciling at the end of the month in the most active checking account even though the pandemic makes it easy — house payment, utilities, Sam’s, and HEB.
Get a dozen copies. Some places will not accept copies and only the original. Especially when financial and property is involved.
Condolences on your loss.
“Christian crowdfunding page to benefit teen Kyle Rittenhouse explodes with donations”
https://www.theblaze.com/news/christian-crowdfunding-page-to-benefit-teen-kyle-rittenhouse-explodes-with-donations
“Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo is hosting a fundraising campaign for Kyle Rittenhouse, who was charged with homicide last week following riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.”
“At the time of this reporting, the page has received more than $270,000 in donations.”
My wife went up to Dallas to get POA (power of attorney) paperwork from her dad and to get cosignature on his main bank account. At his request. This is before we knew he had nine bank accounts at nine banks (paranoid, raised in the Depression).
Free toasters? Do banks in small towns do that anymore?
My wife and I have separate accounts at different credit unions for direct deposit along with one left in WA State since it is tied to my EBay/Paypal sales ID, but I can’t imagine nine. I hate reconciling at the end of the month in the most active checking account even though the pandemic makes it easy — house payment, utilities, Sam’s, and HEB.
Who said that my father-in-law reconciled any of his nine accounts ? He would circle the tax deductible items for his rental properties and give the paperwork to whomever he cajoled into doing his taxes for free. When the wife took this over five years ago, it was a freaking mess. Still is. He never reconciled anything that I know of.
I suspect some of the accounts have been seized by the state for non activity. One of the accounts is at Fidelity and holds some stock, an IRA, and cash. Another account is at Discover and gets his monthly federal pension for the 20+ years he spent at the VA. My wife is still tying to figure out how to get control over that account since it has $40K in it. There are no checks, etc.
Actually, since they cleaned out the place before they left the Valley, and mailed her car keys to me a month later with a note saying “it’s your turn”….
I take it that your parents lived south of Austin ? If so, that was a hike from your place.
My sister somehow convinced my Dad before he died to transfer half of their house to her, and my Mum before she died to transfer the other half. All done very discretely and apparently without any taxes being paid – she works for the UK Inland Revenue and knows the system.
There’s more to the story, she planned it all out years before and manipulated them. At the time their modest house was worth approx GBP300k or $500k due to location and speculation.
Amazing how people become obsessed with greed.
The thought of inheriting does strange things to people. Very strange and irrational things.
My grandmother decided that her kids, all adults, should get nothing, and that the grandkids should split the estate. My dad was executor for his mom. He did an estimate of the value of the estate, divided that by 26, and gave each grandkid that amount to “bid” in an auction for all the stuff. If you really wanted something you remembered, you spent your “money” on that. Of course grandma gave her favorites the stuff they wanted long before she died. My uncle would still ask my dad if he knew where certain things he wanted ended up. I thought it was about the fairest way possible to divvy up the stuff amongst so many grandkids, while honoring her wish that my dad and his siblings got none of it. Whether that was ‘fair’ to her kids or not, I can’t really say, but it was what she wanted.
On the other hand, I’ve got a cousin who cleaned out her dad before he died. She’s a scammer and con artist, check kiter, identity thief, and a variety of other crimes. He knew and tolerated it. F’d up family.
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One of the most tedious things with settling my dad’s affairs was going thru 40 years of bank statements, trying to be sure that the accounts were closed, or tracking them thru 15 different mergers and name changes to be sure we knew what the most recent name of the bank was. Dad had a lot of accounts and different banks, and multiple accounts at the same banks. The mergers and name changes complicated everything.
Get rid of old statements. Keeping them implies they are important for some reason, like an ongoing business relationship. Keep 7 years or even 10 if you must, but beyond that, get rid of it. Move the closed account statements into a folder marked CLOSED. Those two simple changes will save countless fruitless hours for your survivors. (the exception is stock trade accounts- keep that sh!t so people can establish your cost basis.)
Keep legal papers, court records, etc forever. The computerization of old records was spotty and filled with inaccuracies. If it could affect your freedom, finances, or ability to travel or work, keep the hard copy. (I have a long and tedious story about youthful indiscretions that bit my @ss 30 years later. One piece of missing paper would have cleared it up with no drama or delays.)
Have a system for passwords. At least for your membership, .gov, payment, and banking sites. No one cares if your pilsbury.com log in works, but having your toll tag manageable online makes it a lot easier. Freaking state of illinois.
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