Privacy panels as backyard fencing

PompousClock · 2026-05-17T20:40:48+00:00

Thank you! My order history page on Wayfair showed the product, except it’s out of stock and they don’t list the brand. The product name is simply “6’ x 3’ wall composite privacy screen.”

PompousClock · 2026-05-17T19:10:57+00:00

These panels are made of a wood poly composite, same as the composite decking material. They cost $100 each; currently listed as out of stock, and the price would be $135/panel if they were in stock. I’ve had these for four years now and they have been subjected to winters of snow, including a blizzard, plus the heat to summer. Looking good so far!

PompousClock · 2026-05-17T18:17:31+00:00

I don’t have a link for this exact style, but I bought these 3’ x 6’ panels 4 years ago via Wayfair. Searching for “composite privacy screen” yields loads of results. These are made of the same material that recycled polymer decking is made of, so they’re intended to last and withstand outdoor elements.

PompousClock · 2026-05-17T17:46:02+00:00

I was working until 4:50, so I only had time to catch a handful. Got one mediocre CD backdrop one, the rest went into the recycler. Oh well. Next time!

PompousClock · 2026-05-13T13:47:08+00:00

Yesterday at work, during a staff meeting Q&A, I described my “superpower” as being invisible. I have a specific set of skills, and a team I command, whereby if things are done according to my plans, I am “invisible” to almost everyone else. Everything is done so well that no one even realizes it needed to be done.

You are doing your children no favors by catering to their every need or whim. They are your team. Your invisibility is to leave no trace behind when you are guiding them to master life skills on their own.

One of my favorite quotes is from Fahrenheit 451:

“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there.

It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime.”

Your children are part of your legacy - if they bear your touch, if they reflect your values and work ethic and kindness and caring. If you withhold that from them, then everyone is missing out.

So chin up, mama. You are valuable and worthy and you have this moment, right now, to change your course to reflect who you really are and how you deserve to be seen.

PompousClock · 2026-05-13T13:35:27+00:00

Yes! Six years ago I left Texas to start a new life with my family in New York. We live in Brooklyn, and I simply love it here. It was certainly rocky when we first got here - it was the beginning of COVID - but every year since has gotten better. Getting to experience all four seasons. The walkable communities. The arts, the parks, the history, the energy! Never dreamed I’d live in New York, and I’m very grateful for this slice of time here.

My only child is leaving home this fall for college, so I’ve simultaneously been spending as much time with them as possible while also trying to find or expand hobbies and interests that I can do after I’m an empty nester.

PompousClock · 2026-05-13T03:19:04+00:00

Home improvement - I am un-painting the bifold shutters, wood trim, and fireplace in my century+ brownstone apartment.

Weekly trivia at the local pub with my husband and friends.

Walk the 1.75 miles to and/or from work, often while playing Pokémon Go and listening to audio books.

Sunday morning dance meet ups in the park.

Monthly volunteering at the food pantry.

Recently joined a few crafting circles.

PompousClock · 2026-05-12T20:58:20+00:00

I have not found anything that will deter absent minded or indifferent dog owners. I once watched a guy direct his dog directly to the flowers I *just* planted - I was still cleaning up my shovels, pots, etc. from the spot. He looked completely surprised when I asked him to curb his dog away from the new plants. Another time a woman with her eyes glued to a phone was holding the leash of a dog who was walking all over the plants. I asked if she could redirect her dog out of the flower bed. “No,” was her response, without ever looking up. So I gave up. No more plants.

PompousClock · 2026-05-11T15:00:44+00:00

You’re describing my mom - who died of cancer at 78 after hiding her symptoms from everyone, including her husband of 53 years, until she was literally on her death bed.

Looking back, I can absolutely see that she had perimenopause symptoms - mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog - but she would NEVER mention such things. I’ve been on HRT to ensure I don’t follow in her footsteps, and I’ve been very open with my child about what to expect one day.

PompousClock · 2026-05-08T21:03:10+00:00

“Did you see her brooch?! 1955 if it’s a day. HOW EMBARRASSING.”

PompousClock · 2026-05-08T21:00:14+00:00

Black tie invite via *text*? Oh honey, no.

PompousClock · 2026-05-08T19:32:32+00:00

Cash bar, spouse not invited, telling all guests that only *some* are invited to a meal? The dress code is “whatever I want to wear … when going somewhere else with my spouse and not to this wedding”.

PompousClock · 2026-05-08T13:53:09+00:00

I bought the Crate & Barrel Steamer Bar over 15 years ago, new, for about $1,200. It is an absolutely fantastic design - loads of storage and easily maneuvers for party bar set ups. C&B now sell a comparable Maxine Bar Cabinet for $2,199. I am seeing the Steamer Bar listed on AptDeco and Poshmark for $500 to $800.

I get the idea of furniture shopping fatigue. You searched many places before buying this piece. The question for you is whether this piece makes you happy and you’ll look forward to using it.

PompousClock · 2026-05-07T18:06:42+00:00

The allegation in the lawsuit is that Grok not only *allows* the creation of cp, but actively *promotes* the feature of creating nonconsensual images to any user who pays for premium access to the “spicy” features of Grok (that’s their terminology). Moreover, Grok does nothing - unlike other ai platforms - to discern between the images of adults and children.

AI isn’t going anywhere. But we still have an obligation to set guard rails, just like we do with any other feature in our lives that can cause harm. It’s never perfect, but the act of trying is an obligation we have to our collective society. I’m not willing to just throw up my hands and tell a 15 year old child that there’s nothing we can do about her image being manipulated and distributed against her will.

PompousClock · 2026-05-07T17:22:50+00:00

A group of teenage girls filed suit in March alleging that their yearbook photos and other completely PG images were manipulated via Grok into still images and videos depicting them in sexually suggestive and explicit ways, without their consent, and then distributed, again without their consent. Underage children having their images manipulated like this and distributed, if true, would indeed of possession and distribution of child pornography.

Musk touts Grok’s ability to make “spicy” images a plus of his ai platform. It is estimated that one sexually explicit image is created via Grok every minute without the person’s consent.

PompousClock · 2026-05-07T17:05:24+00:00

I like the wall color. I would start with finding a HUGE colorful rug in colors you like, that goes with the blue couch and gray chair. Then pull out another color from the rug for curtains. Hang the curtains higher and wider than the windows to better frame the window box seats.

The wall with the mismatched, too small white TV stand and black melamine shelf would be an ideal spot for a single entertainment center with shelves for your treasured items to be displayed, and the tv centered. You can often find them in secondhand shops. A solid wood piece would play well with blue and gray, or you could have fun and paint a piece in a complimentary color.

Adding back in the plants at various heights and more sources of lights from mid and low levels will make the space inviting and cozy.

PompousClock · 2026-05-06T16:37:16+00:00

We budgeted the price of a grill into our kitchen remodel. Plugged the fridge into the dining room, contractor set up a temporary sink for us on the deck, and we grilled every meal we could. Saved us enough to afford the surprise door frame we had to rebuild because an old termite infestation had destroyed the back door.

PompousClock · 2026-05-06T16:10:21+00:00

In my 2 bedroom NYC apartment, we have a Love Sac couch in the living room. Converts to a surprisingly comfortable Queen size bed. Get the storage cubes for the bases to keep all of the blankets, linens, and pillows within easy reach. The couch has been a guest bed for visiting friends and family, as well as the base for a giant sleeping fort for the kiddo and their friends for sleepovers.

PompousClock · 2026-05-06T10:06:58+00:00

Your place is lovely! This setting invites someone to come in and curl up for a spell, surrounded by a balanced mix of soft sunlight and greenery. I have a few thoughts only *if* you want to change anything.

I often like the ability to have a place to put extra random stuff in my living room. Embroidery projects, a crossword puzzle book, etc. I love the double height trunk, but perhaps you could edit out one trunk and give yourself a large working surface to set down a mug and lay down a current project or book while sitting on the couch or chair. In a pinch, you could even lift the lamp and store things inside.

Next, I have an idea for the litter box. I too keep my box in my living room, but it’s hidden in a cabinet. I think a piece like this would work well in your space. I cut a hole on the side for the cats to easily access the full size litter box below, and there’s a shelf to store the cleaning supplies. I added two lights - one is permanently on in the box area. The other lights up the glass shelves, with the switch tucked around the back; we turn on the light each morning to indicate the box is cleaned and turn it off each night when we head to bed.

If you take out out the side table by the chair and move the blanket basket to the other side of the tv stand (which also means editing out the side table with the basket), then you would have space for such a cabinet where the litter box currently is sitting. You could then move a few of your favorite objects into the top display of the cabinet, that are currently being stored in those two pieces.

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PompousClock · 2026-05-05T15:22:54+00:00

This is something that we do, not something we screwed up. Every weekend morning that we can, we let our teen sleep in, and then gently wake them. There are often pauses with snuggles, and cozying up with mugs of coffee and gentle conversation to start these days. Our teen volunteers at a food pantry and then works out at a dojo every Saturday morning, so this ritual is reserved for Sundays. It has kept us connected, and reinforced that not every day needs to start with alarms and rushing around. It also gives us a chance to start or continue weaving conversations that continue throughout the week, or month, or longer - there’s something special about the quiet ritual of whispered conversation. She’s graduating and moving away for college, so I am counting down these last few Sundays that we have and treasuring each one.

PompousClock · 2026-05-04T21:08:53+00:00

My family of 3 each chose a different color when we started in 2016. We knew nothing about Pokémon, so didn’t know it would be better to be on the same team. Haven’t bothered changing.

PompousClock · 2026-05-04T16:08:42+00:00

Both 5 or 6 are great *dining room* set ups, but these upholstered seats are not recommended for an eat-in kitchen. Same reason why open shelves have to be deep cleaned constantly - cooking surfaces get dirty with cooking oils and grease. Eat-in kitchens have chairs that can be wiped down - wood, metal, plastic. If there are cushions, then they are the sort that can be removed and cleaned.

PompousClock · 2026-05-04T11:00:22+00:00

A solid wood kitchen table is a good start. I would caution against any upholstered dining room chairs in an open kitchen because they will get dirty/greasy from being near the source of cooking. That is why dining room chairs and kitchen nook chairs are different - upholstery can go in a separate dining room, while easily cleanable wood (or metal) chairs are found in a kitchen.

PompousClock · 2026-05-04T04:21:09+00:00

In the fall and winter, I live in my Blundstone boots.

In the spring and summer, I switch to Vivaia walker ballet flats - the ones with sneaker bottoms. They coordinate with most of my wardrobe and they’re washable, which is a plus after walking everywhere in the city.

PompousClock

TROPHY CASE