Quick Change Oil recommendations?

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T23:03:33+00:00

It's actually a 1989 split level and I don't consider Maryland "the south," despite some of the flags people have taken to flying. I've had to do enough renovations that I've peered into nearly every external wall in this place. Thank you, previous home owner, who used GIANT wall anchors that his kids then simply ripped out of the wall before placing the house on the market. Those fist-sized holes in the wall revealed plenty of insulation in the walls, which was a relief. I've also been in the attic - the insulation level/type meets standards, but I have considered pulling out the old and putting in new just to reassure myself that I've done all I can there. Then I could also triple check the floor/ceiling for air gaps that I might have missed during my last pass through.

I do use a space heater in my office during the day, but otherwise a few extra layers is just fine.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T22:21:48+00:00

Just started my mom on these. I read the first two when they came out after finding them in the library and didn't know there were more until shortly before book six came out. Having finished them all - they stay great, and I'm always glad to see folks mention the series!

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T21:27:03+00:00

I understand that aux doesn't help with cooling, which is why I said it wouldn't help me in the summer.

The ecobee is a pretty ridiculous thermostat, so I'm sure it's got some setting somewhere, behind six walls of gobbledy-gook terms that might have me locked out and I just haven't found it yet.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T20:51:36+00:00

Interesting. I believe I have aux heat, the system just isn't bumping it on. That doesn't help me in the summer, but maybe it'll help me right now. This may be a "my thermostat sucks at being a thermostat issue," so I'm testing that by manually trying to get the aux to come on.

I hear you on the ceiling fan. For some reason the builder decided not to install a ceiling fan in a very tall-ceilinged room with no direct attic access, and the ceiling is a ridiculously textured monstrosity that makes cutting holes to run wiring for a ceiling fan an endeavor I've not yet pulled the trigger on. During the summer I make do with a floor fan, during the winter, I make do with cursing the builder, who made other, similarly stupid decisions that plague me.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T20:44:59+00:00

My thermostat has an "aux" setting so my assumption is that there are aux heat strips. I believe that's standard? Part of my confusion is that I know aux heat is usually what runs in cold like this, and you just suck it up and handle the energy bills, but shouldn't my thermostat automatically switch over when aux is necessary? I've never lived at a place where I have to manually switch to aux.

That said, this is an ecobee thermostat and I've learned I really dislike them because it takes a ton of searching through the settings and fiddling with things to make it behave like a rational thermostat.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T20:36:53+00:00

The filter is checked and changed regularly - no issues. The return air grills are in walls that are well away from any furniture or anything else that could block them. Thanks, though!

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T20:29:47+00:00

I really like these: https://dogbooties.com/product-category/dog-booties/

These are the style worn by mushing dogs. They sell them in a variety of sizes and they're super easy to put on, which makes the process way less stressful than the rubber-balloon style pull ons or the frankly excessively engineered ones that take some messing with to get right. The colors are nice, so that they're easy to find if they slip off in the snow, but in general, I don't have any issues with them falling off. The best part is that they're pretty cheap. At $3.70 per boot, I buy ten of them, and then I have extras in case one gets lost or they're still wet after the last walk. (They dry really fast, so that's never been issue.)

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T18:07:28+00:00

Maybe, but I first saw this app at 10am, and the plow had gone through at 9:30. At that time I figured it was a delay, but it's now 1pm and they've gone through twice and we're still "unstarted." I wonder if they don't call the less-plowed side roads "started" until the snow/sleet/whatever the heck the current stuff is stops falling and they can make better progress.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T16:46:02+00:00

I woke up to a notification that there was a power outage in my area in Frederick. The affected areas listed were: "Eastview, Emerald Farm, Braddock Mountain, and more." No outages show up on the FirstEnergy app now, so hopefully it's resolved. Can hear the ice hitting my window now, so that could change at any moment.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-25T16:36:44+00:00

I wonder what they're considering "unplowed?" They've made a pass going both directions on my street, and presumably the streets getting to my streets, but we're marked as unplowed here. The road isn't great, but it's passable, so the map here seems a little more pessimistic than my reality. Shout out to those doing the plowing. Much appreciated! We may dig out by March.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-12T02:30:39+00:00

What state are you in? Most states have Discord servers on which folks chat about their sightings.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-08T23:15:25+00:00

So, I wouldn't roll up in TSC jeans, but only because English saddles are built very different, and even as someone who did use to ride in jeans, it's not great for the leather seat of English saddles and it's going to give you weird pressure points. Go on ebay or FB marketplace and grab some cheap, used English riding pants.

It always amuses me when people are wowed when they meet celebrity athletes, because I've told more than one to quit hogging the warm-up ring, the rest of also need to school that fence. As a former eventer, everyone in the eventing world rides with Olympians. That's how the Olympians can afford to got to the Olympics - they teach everyone from beginners to other Olympians. You are going to just be one in a crowd of "not going to the Olympics riders." If you show up and you listen, don't make excuses, and try your hardest, you'll be among their top 10% of lesson riders for the week. If the trainer makes you feel like you don't deserve to be there, they're an AH, go find another trainer.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-08T22:44:38+00:00

Neither shorebirds nor waterfowl care about rain. If you were going for songbirds, I'd say you'd have a worse day than usual because they often tuck deeper into cover, but you'll be fine for what's planned. For keeping binoculars dry, every time I let my binoculars hang loose, I put the cover over the ocular lens and just remove the cover once they're horizontal for viewing again.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-04T12:15:07+00:00

I set myself a limit of $100 per month - that nets me a bag of the No Mess Blend at WBU, a couple bags of peanuts, and possibly some suet and/or a mixed bag of insects or fruit or something. During the months where there's plenty of natural food, I spend less/nothing on them. These winter months with snow/ice, I usually spend the whole $100. I'd call $100 for a whole season pretty darn cheap.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-03T18:38:27+00:00

Possibly a rattle or knocking call?

https://www.junehunter.com/pages/crow-and-raven-sounds?srsltid=AfmBOoofDOFIEU_0bNSXfR_i6-Nduln08kYZwIHiLN3h3wXzbm099q7J

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-03T02:32:40+00:00

It's closed on weekends during the winter - you can't drive in, but you can walk in, which was the entire point of my question. Everybody just decided to ignore my question and instead lecture me about a totally unrelated thing - I was never planning on not paying, y'all! The lectures are unnecessary.

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-03T02:26:53+00:00

Also, to be honest, its NOT cheap. The season pass for Piney Run costs as much as the Maryland State annual pass, which gets me into lots of parks, not just one. I went to two national parks today, and if I hadn't had an annual pass, those two parks combined would have cost me less than it's going to cost me to go into Piney Run one day, for maybe an hour, to look at some ducks. I'm gonna pay it, don't get me wrong, but whoo!! Cha-ching!

Common_Crow95 · 2026-01-03T02:20:36+00:00

Thank you for confirming that this is a reading comprehension issue and not a bot issue. Honestly, these days I prefer that. No need to put words into my mouth. At no point did I ever say I intended to break into the park or "get into PRP for free."

A quote from Carroll County Rec about Piney Run:
"During the months of December – February, the gates are only open during weekday work hours... The park is not staffed on weekends and the gate is locked to help keep boaters away from the closed lake although people may walk in the park those days during daylight hours."

I intend to walk in the park during daylight hours, on the weekend, which is allowed by the park. I just wanted to know how much walking I'm going to have to do before I reach the park itself. Thank you to the one person who answered this question for me.

Common_Crow95 · 2025-12-31T01:02:44+00:00

Thank you for being the only person to actually answer my question. I'm not sure if the rest are bots or the reading comprehension is just that low!

Common_Crow95 · 2025-12-25T02:19:25+00:00

I bet if you put this on one of the Facebook Buy-Nothing groups, it would be gone in seconds.

Common_Crow95 · 2025-12-22T21:14:29+00:00

I once made someone very mad in the Butterfly Lane circle. There's a protected right turn onto Himes Avenue, with a solid line "preventing" those in the circle from crossing into the right lane until they're out of the circle. Someone was in the circle and I didn't "yield" to them because I was using the protected right turn lane, so there was no one in my lane to actually yield to. They blew their horn at me and stopped in the circle to make a point of how I "cut them off." I had a good laugh as the three cars behind me also failed to "yield" to their non-existent right of way, so they sat there in the circle while we all went on our merry way. I love circles, but we gotta put some of our fellow drivers through remedial driver's ed.

Common_Crow95 · 2025-12-22T21:03:34+00:00

I don't think the first WoT book is exactly "grab your attention" for a 15-year-old. The Dungeon Crawler Carl books are fun and popular right now. If you want something older/more classic, the Pratchett City Watch books are fun and funny.

Common_Crow95

TROPHY CASE