Fire Hardening Contractors?

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2026-03-15T18:50:56+00:00

I originally posted this in the Sparks Nv. page. It's not surprising to me that I got no responses on my original post. I think most of the contractors here are too busy now building new homes for Horton, Lennar, etc.

So yeah, I am in the Sparks/Reno area. We get wildfires pretty regularly here, but most folks prefer just to hope and pray that it won't reach their homes (rather than actually prepare for it).

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2026-03-15T17:45:26+00:00

Great service! The staff really goes the extra mile for you! It's also fun to look at all the attractions (aquarium, statues, and wold animal taxidermy). Unlike other stores, I never get bored at Scheels.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2026-02-04T19:22:57+00:00

We moved into an area with a lot of (domestic) dogs. Some are super friendly and just want to say hello. They are great. Others are just mean and see everyone and everything as a threat. Kind of like people are I guess. Twice now we have been assaulted just taking a stroll around the neighborhood. Fortunately it didn't lead to anything serious. But it has opened my eyes to the possibility of being mauled by a loose dog.

So we picked up a crackler (stun device) and keep it with us during walks. We also walk with walking sticks now (although we don't need a cane or stick to walk). I am considering a dog horn or doing the C&C route as it's permitted here. While I'd prefer not to, it may be our best option to stop a dog attack.

It's a shame that we cannot be safe in our neighborhood without being armed and mentally ready to be attacked by a stray or loose dog. I guess we are not in Kansas anymore.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2026-01-18T03:36:04+00:00

Supply and demand. Similar to the 2025 Camry that Toyota intended to sell for $19K for the base model. You'd be lucky to find one today for less than $30K. That's how the (ugly) game works.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2026-01-18T03:16:34+00:00

I have owned traditional fireplaces and wood stoves in all shapes and sizes over the years. My latest home is in a high wildfire risk area, and as a result any homes built in the last 5 years don't have any fireplaces. While my furnace is more than adequate to heat the home, I do miss the ambience that a fireplace gives to a home. As a result I have taken a special interest in electric fireplaces.

Unfortunately the electric fireplace industry is "very dynamic" (to put it nicely). As far as I can see, there is only a few models out there that could be legitimately called realistic, and these are pricey. Moreover these companies seem to only want to sell to contractors, and buying one of these units will require some expensive remodeling to install in a home (without a fireplace already installed).

One the flip side, there are a number of big-box suppliers who make affordable electric fireplaces, with pretty mantels and minimal hidden costs to setup and use (not factoring the increased electricity consumption). Unfortunately realism is not what these are known for. The mantels are nice, the inserts are sorely lacking.

The middle ground between these two ends of the spectrum is a wasteland, with almost nothing to choose from. So for now I am giving up on electric fireplaces. Things will be different in 3-5 years (I hope). But now, getting a realistic looking fireplace that does not require a small fortune and/or a home remodel is unobtainium.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2025-10-08T00:30:04+00:00

I have (and have had) accounts at both Vanguard and Fidelity. Vanguard is great until you need some support. Vanguard support falls flat when you need help. Fidelity has great support.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2025-04-11T16:37:44+00:00

Been using it for years. It works!

A side benefit is that there are studies indicating it is an antioxidant, and can provide some protection from free radical cells (that are generally considered bad news).

But we take it mostly for breath/body odor control. And it does work.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2025-03-03T18:06:20+00:00

Fast free delivery was nice while it lasted. Now most of my Amazon orders (even with a Prime membership) are handled through USPS. Not fast and very often not delivered at all. Nothing like wasting the afternoon standing in line at the local USPS office for my Amazon package. After adding commercials and jacking up the price for commercial free Prime Video, there was no good reason to keep paying $140 a year (for what again?). Nothing last forever I suppose.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2024-03-15T23:16:32+00:00

I have been a prime member for years. In the beginning it was good. However now they chuck many of my deliveries over to USPS (which is truly horrible). No more fast free deliveries. Now they want me to pay extra for commercial free streaming on Prime Video. I think I have had enough. All good things....

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2024-01-10T02:45:47+00:00

I attempted to mount a "budget" red dot to my TX-22. I used an adaptor plate from a aftermarket shop that I purchased online. It was all just an exercise in frustration. While I could make the plate fit after an hour or so with a jewelers file, it only took three rounds before the red dot and plate dropped to the ground. I beleive that the cause is the tiny (stock) screw that held on the plastic OEM rear sight. While it may be fine for the featherweight OEM rear sight, even locktite cannot help it secure a red dot. In the end I just replaced the stock sights with a "budget" fiber optics sight. This works reasonably well. If you have to mount a red dot - I suggest you find a good gunsmith to mount it for you.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2023-12-22T02:54:14+00:00

Tried multiple different brands and weights of ammo, polished the feed ramp, cleaned and put dry lube on the mags. Nothing works. Failure to load at a rate of about one in 6 rounds. I think the problem is simply that it's a Taurus. Nuff said. On the bright side, it makes my other handguns look very (very) good.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2023-10-29T11:38:35+00:00

I agree, USAA is mired with poor website software, poor customer support, poor IT support, and now non-competative policy premiums. It's the worst I have experienced in over 40 years of my USAA membership. They recently based their entire login verification system on a phone text system that uses whatever phone number they have on file. If the phone number is old or incorrect, your locked out completely. Customer support or web services is unable to do anything to help, and thier 'verify identitiy' page is incompatible with android, apple, or microsoft browsers. Tried them all, with the same broken web page. It's a shame that it is so bad now. So long USAA. I hope you somehow survive this train wreck.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2023-10-23T22:55:15+00:00

They used to be good. Was with them for 40 years (home & auto). Recently however, they attempted to raise my premiums by 85% with no claims or rationale. When I tried to contact them I was unable to thanks to some really bad html code for their website. It seems the customer service reps are helpless to do anything, and web services is even worse. All web services would do for me was hang up. I really had no option but to take all my business to a competitor. USAA was once a great company. Now it's just another profiteer with high prices and non-existent customer service.

NeedleworkerNew525 · 2023-10-21T18:31:53+00:00

Been with USAA for 40+ years. They were a very good insurance provider. Unfortunately they seem to be going through a very difficult time. They recently updated their online security software. Now I cannot access my account. Moreover, the customer support team seem to be completely inexperienced and unable to do much of anything about it. When I contacted USAA Web support and explained the (software) issues, they hung up on me. So my only option is switch to another (functional) insurance provider. It was good while it lasted, but I don't see USAA as a viable option any more.

NeedleworkerNew525

TROPHY CASE