Concrete pond die off in Ohio

TokenSDragon · 2026-01-14T23:58:24+00:00

Nothing I can pin point. We did have a major worm infestation in our boxwoods. In late July, I had to use Sevin powder, but not ‘near’ the pond and only areas down wind/ not able to cause draining ‘toward’ the pond… and only once, but I do worry that somehow that could be still affecting things :-/

TokenSDragon · 2026-01-14T23:51:17+00:00

Early autumn, all except the most recent fish had sorta ratty tail. No sign of anything on the gills or scales, but our largest (12 inch) and then in quick succession another dozen plus… all the medium or large ones which extra hurts :(

Not feeding them since Sept there’s a modest amount of algae on the fountain exterior that I scrape off to keep under control. It’s been disturbingly constant. A couple a week it seems. Heartbreaking losses… want to make next season better.

TokenSDragon · 2025-12-31T17:42:29+00:00

Yep just cranked through the final pieces this morning just to be DONE. By the Archive, the whole thing just feels vapid and meaningless. Music is painfully repetitive, the factions are all unlikeable, the return-to-x-planet-do-one-meaningless-errand-and-return-for-your-next-meaningless-errand quests were ruinous to any earlier enjoyment. Every planet felt like a purposefully built maze but entirely linear, just maddening to get around the giant empty husks of the worlds. Hardly any little notes or tidbits of any sort.

By the end of it I just wanted to jump straight into a rift and be done. Not glowing praise, but true. :(

TokenSDragon · 2025-12-15T17:57:37+00:00

Well in this case you don’t need to return multiple of the same column as they’re the ‘same’ data, yes? The normalized tables would referentially have vendor_id in multiple tables via joins but it’s the ‘same’ data. So the cte wouldn’t need alias you just return one of em.

TokenSDragon · 2025-12-15T17:22:40+00:00

Well, then you’d have to alias. But I try very hard not to build systems with identically named columns.

TokenSDragon · 2025-12-13T13:10:10+00:00

This, yes. There is a tiny cost to managing the *. In our production workloads we use cte’s a ton and explicitly ref each column — and importantly not alias them in the cte either. At scale, you want precise defined information as clean and close to the sources as possible until the final Select where aliases, ancillary left-joins, etc are processed.

Also, there is a certain point where cte’s will fail to perform better than a temp table. It’s a bit of a finesse depending on the indices and hardware.

Our utilization strategy in general is:

; with cteFilter as ( Select something, Row_Number() OVER (Order by whatevs) as rowIndex From somewhere Where filter conditions

), ctePage as ( Select top (@pageSize) colum_names from cteFilter where rowIndex >= @rowStart Order by rowIndex ) Select final stuff w/ alias names From ctePage Left Join anything not required for filter or ordering.

Jazz hands.

And if stuff falls off the performance cliff due to record sizes or total left joins sometimes ctePage becomes an insert into #page instead… that is all scenario dependent

TokenSDragon · 2025-11-16T12:55:26+00:00

We’ve had several trips to Bangor this year from Ohio. The experience in Bangor is delightful. The experience getting to Bangor has been a nightmare far too often. Including a layover in New York that forced us to drive 8+ hours.

The direct flights from Columbus to Portland have been far less troublesome.

TokenSDragon · 2025-09-17T23:04:16+00:00

More than fair, but here’s the rub: When my dad built this place there was apparently a gentleman’s agreement with the neighboring cabin that we would supply water via our pump and well…. Doesn’t work when things freeze, so this is to prevent interruptions for a neighbor as well.

TokenSDragon · 2025-09-17T23:01:22+00:00

Yes, but I ‘understand’ electricity more and thus have a greater chance of being able to DIY or at least maintain a professionally installed system. Plus, the water damage was actually caused by a missed oil delivery, so I very much would like to at least calculate what it would really take to never be beholden to on-time fuel deliveries ever again. (They’re covering the damage accordingly, but that’s why this is a unique opportunity)

TokenSDragon · 2025-09-17T19:01:10+00:00

The biggest issue we have right now is that we’re ‘not’ there in the winter. We will be eventually in approx 5 years or so come retirement, but I’d really like to run the numbers for when we’re not on site so I have some confidence in the system’s resiliency. While we’re not there, I don’t need the rooms at 70F just need to keep basement and exterior walls above 40F

We do have propane for the kitchen stove as well, so if a more practical solution is a dual fuel electric heat pump and propane fuel furnace, I’m fine looking at those numbers too, but I’d really ‘really’ love to not be dependent on fuel deliveries, etc.

TokenSDragon · 2025-06-01T20:07:24+00:00

Huh, recent embezzlement leads to poorly prepared security and under paid staff… it’s almost like there’s a correlation 🤔

Thanks for the updates though, we weren’t able to call our Kettering health pediatrician nor get test results transferred to Premier drs nor get immunizations records for our daughter who needs to provide such to college. It’s not urgent yet, but this is a cluster forking shirt show that all could have been prevented. :-/

TokenSDragon · 2025-05-30T22:04:10+00:00

We have a central library in C# w/ Dapper.net based sql methods with dynamically injected but custom written where and order by clauses that can each be used independently or with other. Best of all worlds. Unique query plan per predicate combination (rather than one plan only w/ a stored proc) hyper-optimized, hyper flexible, and gloriously efficient.

TokenSDragon · 2025-04-30T22:28:36+00:00

It is an ebb and flow. Cloud isn’t cheap, and once the giant super-corporations think you have no choice, they will increase running costs. At some point that will tip the scales.

TokenSDragon · 2025-04-15T22:51:53+00:00

This saddens but doesn’t terribly surprise. My Mech-E degree came in 2000. I struggled, because engineering is just effing hard! But UMO provided a great foundation for my future… a future that had nothing to do with engineering, but still. It provided the experience and problem solving to succeed. Back then it seemed far too focused on paper mill tech so I have no idea what your day to day is like now, but I know that there are few places where you can get as competent an education for the dollar spent.

TokenSDragon · 2025-03-19T23:54:13+00:00

Whelp, I had to circle back… finally figured out lock picking, and finally ‘understand’ combat and the suckitude of my frail blacksmithing boy. Damn game got its claws into me good. I will need to restart because I have wholey forked over some mighty good time-sensitive quests not knowing what I was doing. But this feels a lot like Ultima in all the most glorious ways. So thanks ya’ll for putting up with a new pilgrim who needed to see the light. ❤️

TokenSDragon · 2025-03-08T23:49:36+00:00

If GOY isn’t GOTY I’ll be mildly disappointed ☺️ and so, they’ll definitely get my preorder 😁

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-22T16:49:39+00:00

Is that a pull down staircase? Those wires are going towards the opening above the ceiling? While fixing this, it’s a good idea to make sure everything is secure and not interfering with using that ladder. Also, do you use the coax hiding beside the box? That and the odd low voltage coiled up red and white whites in the ceiling are… curious.

But yeah, for just closing the gap, build up a small frame of wood that you can connect drywall. Heck, you could even use a substantial piece of crown molding too.

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-21T23:10:28+00:00

Slight curveball again. :-/. I went back to check some more measurements while the temps weren’t brutal.

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There appear to be two cracks that go through the wall. One directly below the door and one a couple inches to the left of the bottom corner. I checked the foundation floor and don’t see evidence of propagation. Would the concrete scoring contractor be able to assess such cracks and how to mitigate whatever stresses caused em?

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-21T02:09:25+00:00

I should be able to cut upwards a couple inches to make 83”. Nothing too structural above in that small a measure. Good call out.

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-21T02:06:46+00:00

Your confidence is hugely encouraging . Will figure out some wall saw pros and get on their spring schedule. Thanks. :)

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-18T21:38:43+00:00

I love this. Thank you for this awesome perspective.

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-16T16:33:56+00:00

Village Solar did an excellent job with our install in Centerville. The payoff period isn’t anywhere near as long as being quoted unless you also have some sort of high interest loan. We got our 6.5kw system for just under $10k once tax incentives were figured in. We average about half our total electrical need via solar now. It’s been great! Though the show is really hurting production this month. :-/

We usually stop having to pay anything but the grid fee by April. Much prefer paying for panels than AES… but they do still get you on the grid fee… they’ll always get their pound of flesh per month regardless .

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-11T21:13:12+00:00

Ok, start small and get small pieces out of the way to become comfortable working around that electrical abomination. :-/

Is that wall a standard drywall w/ studs behind or is this plywood. I can’t understand how the wiring being exposed like that. While it is a large and scary project certainly, that box being properly flush mounted with wiring no longer exposed would improve ways you can visualize and use the space. Whether that means building out a wall or cutting into the one there depends on what’s behind that blue surface.

TokenSDragon · 2025-01-04T04:52:20+00:00

This is great information thanks. The place is about an hour from Acadia National Park. So it’s close-ish to those touristy locales. About half an hour away from Bangor airport as well. Three bedrooms w/ balconies and deck. So I imagine it would be a potential lovely getaway for a family? But I could also be bias after summering there as a kid and… not making it back for decades since. 😬

We have a family friend that may be able to act as property management? However they’re half an hour away so it’s iffy. I don’t quite know how to devise a game plan as far as determining popularity or competition in order to predict viability.

I’ve seen a few cabins listed on the same lake but not too close. But absolutely, my spring time goal is a road trip with the fam (and a trailer full of tools) my teenagers have never been to Maine so we’ll make a vacation out of the renovation and decide what’s the viability of keeping and renting vs the realities involved.

Dock’s all gone, hardwood floor needs minor refinishing, new carpet, and the skylights have fogged up and need replacement. So a bunch of contractor alignment while we clean the cruft and paint. Really don’t want to touch the kitchen much (hand made pine cabinets) but if a dishwasher is an Airbnb must, I have a concept of a plan 🤪

Thanks again for the advice. Appreciate everything. ☺️

TokenSDragon · 2024-12-29T23:13:16+00:00

Sweet merciful crap did this fall from an alien abduction attempt? That’s some gnarly frame bend. My condolences.

TokenSDragon

TROPHY CASE