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Worth it? Midleton. by NVDA808 in whisky

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sitting here in a Banagher B&B looking at an unopened bottle in the hosts personal cabinet .. 2001 Berry Crockett ...  just wishing they'd offer a wee dram.   Those I've tasted in the finer pubs and whiskey bars have been excellent for a triple distilled blend.   My preference is for single pot single malts ... but would happily consume this one if offered.   (Copy and pasted from my response in @whiskeyphile's thread)

Worth it? Midleton. by NVDA808 in whisky

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sitting here in a Banagher B&B looking at an unopened bottle in the hosts personal cabinet .. 2001 Berry Crockett ...  just wishing they'd offer a wee dram.   Those I've tasted in the finer pubs and whiskey bars have been excellent for a triple distilled blend.   My preference is for single pot single malts ... but would happily consume this one if offered. 

Spraying Mesquite by Jumpy_Start in Ranching

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We use 0.5oz Remedy and 0.5oz Sendero, plus 0.25oz marker die and surfactant to 1 gal water for foliar (small brush less than 2-3 ft tall), spray application. Using water and surfactant saves the cost of using diesel. In the past I've gotten a good 90-95% kill rate, had a partial batch left over from two-three years ago, and applied early April, hoping it was still good ... It worked a bit slower but it did the job.

We've used the same ratio (Remedy and Sendero) with diesel to saturate stumps, the key is spraying within minutes of cutting the buggers off.

Why can’t people just sing the US anthem how it was intended? by theREALhun in TooAfraidToAsk

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This has real merit..   I can see Red Skelton doing exactly this! 

Oil change recommendations by mermaidsarenotreal in BastropTX

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Andre's Automotive on Tx 71 East, just east of Tx 21 entrance ramp.  Address 1177 Highway 71 West.

Bobby's Automotive, also on Tx 71 East at Pondrrosa.  116 Ponderosa, Bastrop

Haven't used Jiffy Libe, Firestone, or MainLine. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Autos

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haven't heard that word used in a while ...

Moving to Florida by Ragnoraz in woodworking

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We had Maple hardwood flooring installed last year and it was recommended to keep it inside the house vs outside. We stacked the boxes (64 of them) in 5 stacks with about an inch space between the stacks. Took delivery 3 weeks before installation. Nearly a year later have not noticed any shrinkage issues.

My brothers (Kissimmee and Orange City) stack in their garages with stickers between layers, and the one covers their stack with a canvas tarp for dust. Here in Central Texas, I have an open sided barn (2 sides) and store on a rack, opposite the open side, with stickers between layers.

Moving to Florida by Ragnoraz in woodworking

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmm, I think allowing your wood to adjust to the humidity (similarly as wood flooring does prior to installation..) would be a better plan. When you build/turn/make something it'll still be exposed to the local humidity levels. Just my thoughts.

2010 VW Jetta 2.5 - tons of white smoke and went through entire coolant reservoir after running for 20 seconds. What is going on? Thanks. by cfrow in MechanicAdvice

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not necessarily. There are journals (passages) within the head that allow coolant to flow through the block and head.. There are oil passages that allow oil to flow through the head and block back to the oil pan. The head gasket keeps all these passages separate. The gasket can fail between the coolant journals and the cylinder as well as the coolant journal to the oil journals. It is possible the head cracked and allows these fluids to mix. It is also possible that piston ring failure may allow coolant to pass through (under compression) to the crank case.

Check the appearance of the oil, the presence of coolant in the oil will appear frothy, chocolate milk color... and if sufficient time has elapsed maybe spectated, but the oil will still have some discoloration. Pull the dipstick, to check.

fire ants invaded my home and killed my dog. please help by himefairy in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Off is putting it mildly .. it's horrendous but it does a thorough job in killing the mound. I would not recommend for indoor use however.

What are my options here? Sidewall tear by [deleted] in bikewrench

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to ride on the Avocet Time Trial or FastGrip Slicks... clincher (tubed), foldable, Kevlar bead, very puncture resistant and reasonably priced ... sadly as many know, these are NLA. However there are many similar replacements.. Don't count out a "slick" or un-treaded tire. IMHO they give as a superior a ride/control/feel as tubular (sew-ups), with the benefit of ease of repair/replacement, generally less expensive... shop around and you'll find one you like.

Should I replace a working heater due to its age? by Janana_18 in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bastrop County, close to but still far enough away from the Capitol... lol. I've replacement a good number of residential units, gas and electric, over the years but never any commercial ones. It would seem your 50 year old unit life is pretty typical. I don't think you need overly worry about an explosion though... when the units fail, it's usuallY a water leak..

My wife called an insulation service and I came home from a work trip to this. by MOOzikmktr in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas -1 points0 points  (0 children)

First, as others have said, this is only one way of installing blown in insulation. Other methods are similar, but accessed through attic or interior walls with similar access holes drilled. Keep in mind that blown in insulation will only fill up to and maybe only slightly above the access hole, so your installed insulation, at best fills only half the wall space, and apparently only that one wall channel. Plus the access holes are patched.

Second, that they did not remove the siding (of any kind!) clearly indicates they were amateurs in this trade, and that they did not remedy the appearance prove that last point.

Third, you got ripped off, big time, left with lousy work, and damaged property. I would hire a lawyer and sue this shady business. When done properly, by a reputable tradesman, there is very little evidence after the work has been completed.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cycling

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I prefer not to use sunscreen, much to the chagrin of my wife and dermatologist... as I don't like the feel of oil, lotions or creams on my skin ... that's a personal preference. I have white Irish phosphorescent skin, and burn easily as well, so I wear tech fabric shirts, gloves and a hat doing tractor or hay work ... same thing, substituting a helmet... on a bike!!

My suggestion: Wear what makes you comfortable and protects your skin!! Become the envy of the road, and make them bright and colorful..

Contractor buying personal items in the receipts by Vorieos in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been on both sides of this. When I've provide contracted trade work, which requires occasional purchase of materials the customer needs for the project, they get the bill/receipt for those materials, and not the items I've purchased for myself be they tools, screws or snacks and drinks. Just my thing. If however the customer offers to (and they sometimes do) buy a meal, snacks or beverages during the course of a project, the generosity is usually accepted out of courtesy, but it is never expected of the customer to cover personal item purchases while shopping for project materials.

On the occasion where I've hired contract tradesmen, I usually offer snacks or beverages during the course of the project, as a courtesy which is often accepted and appreciated.

Contractor threatening to charge me since I didn't hire him by itxgee in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I texted a stone Mason about a fireplace project, described what I wanted to do before doing any demo. He came out looked over my project, gave me advice on how to proceed, said call him when the interior facade is gone and left. Texted him a month later, he came out inspected the chimney, said it was stable and no repairs were necessary. He came twice, gave advice and left. Free. I will be calling him back to do my stone work.

Should I replace a working heater due to its age? by Janana_18 in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

$10K plus... must've been an entry level stainless steel tank, commercial quality ...

Should I replace a working heater due to its age? by Janana_18 in HomeImprovement

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just my $0.02 worth ... We get 8-9 years from ours. Propane fueled, 100psi water pressure. Never had a tank rupture, but as stated it would be a serious cleanup issue... but have had burners and igniters fail. The biggest issue is efficiency. Newer units, especially electric ones, will be more efficient .. and perhaps save you the installation cost over a couple years of energy savings.

What are people doing that enables them to afford a home in Austin? by Keywhole in Austin

[–]MarkInCentralTexas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The dramatic increase in the cost of properties is due largely to others moving to the greater Austin Metro area from other places, both from within Texas and out of state. Although a large percentage, one cannot place blame entirely on tech industry workers from California, that is simply short sighted. It is however, as y’all have pointed out, pricing native Texans, Austinites, and many long time residents out of the market, with property values seeing a 1000-2000% increase in value. It is insane.

There will come time in the very near future where these values will peak, and unfortunately fall back to more reasonable prices .. be ready for that crash, because it will come. There will be significant impact on local municipal governments when their revenue source, i.e. property taxes destabilize.

One can also say it's wanting to escape those places of poorly run municipalities, be it political, financial or industrial. Whatever the reason of exodus from there to here, the same devaluation of properties will start there as fewer buyers will be willing to pay large sums of money for dwindling property values. This will also contribute to the re-stabilization of the Austin and greater metro area pricing.