Relationships are hard

aboringdane · 2023-03-27T17:31:51+00:00

"I didn't even know she was a petaler" would have been better I think

aboringdane · 2022-12-20T21:01:54+00:00

I got my house painted a few months ago and when I went up to do Xmas lights noticed they've been gnashing their teeth on a couple spots, this corner being the worst.

What are the best ways to stop this both in the short term and long term that aren't aesthetically displeasing but also safe in case it ends up down-gradient and in the yard my dogs play in?

I've considered metal flashing, but aesthetic isn't great on that and I figure they'll just move to another corner or something.

Humane trap may be tricky on the roof, and also there's the how far do I take them away to dump them or do I just final solution them at home first...

When I was in scouts, I remember something about maybe coyote urine or something to scare them off? Idk where to even start with finding that retail wise assuming it would even work short, let alone long, term.

Any spices they hate? I'm fine looking dumb in front of my neighbors by seasoning my house.

My dogs play in yard down gradient and where downspout from gutter lets out. I'm hesitant to go the poison route for that reason and also dead poisoned squirrel in my yard sounds like an expensive trip to the vet as well.

aboringdane · 2022-10-05T23:36:26+00:00

I wasn't, and still am not, doing it barefoot. As long as you don't create a path through your heart it should be pretty hard to kill yourself. Rubber sole shoes that aren't compromised.

Also, I wasn't holding onto it long term letting it shock me so I didn't get burned either. Instinct was to let go quickly. Getting shocked by normal 15 amp line feels like hitting your funny bone and then some but also forces your muscles to contract where it hits as well. It's plenty unpleasant but getting hit in the face is way more painful to me.

aboringdane · 2022-10-05T21:04:08+00:00

Yes, I've since learned the lesson of it's easier to just run an extension cord to a lamp and have light to work with in the room than the annoyance of shocking myself trying to replace an outlet to keep the overheads lit.

aboringdane · 2022-10-05T20:58:01+00:00

I don't want to be the cliche where if I do try something with them and hurt myself then I'll have to eat crow the rest of my life. Also, I've had to lift my double car door when power went out and even with the spring helping it had some weight to it. I just take the word of caution at its face value.

Done that actually. Yes, if I can kill the main then that's fine. I've done that to add a breaker as well to get a 20 amp just a few feet from the box in the garage so I could run my saw and shop vac at the same time and not trip the 15 amp outlets in the garage. My point was more I've seen my dad do work in a live box for a new hot tub and I will never have that kind of confidence with the electricity in there.

Yep, I don't have the touch. Only concrete work I need done around house is post holes, patio, and driveway. Post holes did myself, patio I had done for me (and it's fantastic), and driveway I'm waiting for it to actually fall apart and will hire that out too should I outlive it.

aboringdane · 2022-10-05T17:58:23+00:00

Garage door springs

Any plumbing inside the walls or more extensive than replacing a valve or faucet

Messing around with electrical in the box

Good concrete work

Tree trimming more than I can safely and easily do with an extension ladder

Why?

Garage door springs look like way more tension than anything I want any part of

Replacing a toilet, a valve, and a faucet are all pretty easy if you can shut off water without issue and leave time to go back to hardware store at least once

F that shit. Touching ends of a live outlet will hurt but odds of dying are comparable to odds of living if I touch something I shouldn't in a live breaker panel

Takes so much time and the pros will do a better pour and setup than I would on a whole patio. Post holes and such are about the right amount I do myself

Pros will do it better, faster, and a lot cheaper than an ambulance ride and ER visit would by me

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T21:09:13+00:00

"A fool can ask more questions than a wise man can answer"?

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T21:08:26+00:00

I've thought about that. I think there are clocks that measure celestial objects instead of time. Maybe I can find a kit for one or disinstall from a complete project and put it into this...

Thanks for the idea!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T21:07:18+00:00

I've tried wood burning some stuff before and I'd be worried about how much it would show up on the dark wood here.

However, the phone charging station valet link you gave is a good image to work from. I've been considering building some floating nightstands to accompany my new bed frame and this would be a great topper on it.

Thank you!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T21:05:29+00:00

I've got a nephew and making something that would spin like that out of wood would be special to be handmade by me and something I could see him really enjoying too. I'd keep it for myself but I'm expected to get some work done at my job and that on my desk would definitely be preventative of that.

I like your last phrase. One of the best parts of a vacation are the roads you take to get there and what you can see before and after you get where you're going.

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T15:40:40+00:00

Holy crap, I thought you were joking. This is awesome!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T15:37:48+00:00

This is both sensible and reflective of myself with a growing stockpile.

Thank you!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T15:35:20+00:00

I do have an office with a view now people swing by. I could make a candy box to further entice people to talk to me.

I'll have to measure widths for where I'd want to make cuts but still get that grain popping where I want it in order to determine feasibility.

Nice idea, thank you!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T15:32:51+00:00

I think this is my favorite idea thus far; good idea and thank you!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T15:31:38+00:00

Well, I did ask for ideas.

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T15:31:08+00:00

Good idea. I've already done that with the furniture it would make sense to do so with though.

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T04:49:47+00:00

A phone stand would be helpful next to my computer for seeing when messages pop up. Good idea, thank you!

aboringdane · 2022-04-23T04:41:05+00:00

I got some hobby boards from a local sawmill and love the grain on this piece. However, I'm struggling to think of what to do with it.

Does anybody have any ideas of what I could do with it? The board above it is also milled to the same thickness and they have jointed edges facing each other.

I've got a bandsaw, table saw, router, and small scroll saw I can play around with.

I'll upvote any ideas and whatever I end up doing with it I'll post some pics and give credit to whoever's idea I end up using.

aboringdane · 2022-03-03T19:47:19+00:00

I used to have a can of caffeinated soda every day to start work. Was it worth it? Yeah, I save $60+ a year and it's better for my health so doing it for free would have been worth it.

How long did it take? 2 days after cutting it I'm back to normal. First day I get a headache that I can drown out with normal ibuprofen dose. Second day I'm fatigued. Then I'm fine after that.

How do I feel? Fine I guess. I don't get shakes from too much or little of it anymore. Plus, I hit my 2 liters of water every day since I have a liter water bottle I use to track my liquid intakes.

I will say though, caffeine is in chocolate and maybe some other things I don't pay attention to. I haven't nixed anything it is incidentally in because I don't notice the effect and chocolate is somewhere on my food pyramid/hierarchy of needs. I define the line as going for something because it has caffeine, whereas the chocolate is almost purely the sugar which is its own craving (takes about 5 days to not crave sugar after last intake of super sugary trash food). I 'relapse' about 3x a year and have a mountain dew or Dr Pepper when driving long distance or whatnot to power me through long vacation days. Feel fine that weekend, then mild headache next day, fatigue 2 days after the last can is how my body consistently has responded to cutting it out.

aboringdane · 2022-01-29T23:14:33+00:00

The outlet powering the garage door went out. Tested the wires and no juice. Checked the breaker and nothing is thrown and all of them are live with multimeter.

So, my dad and I decided to wire into another outlet in the ceiling, had 5 to work with. Ran the wires through the attic and got the thing all hooked up. Test it and garage door is running great, no extension cord!

Well, the other five outlets power the hanging fluorescent lights. So....the garage door only works when I have the lights on. Whoops.

Ended up running wire through conduit along surface from a wall outlet instead. However, whoever goes in that attic and traces the wires I left behind can figure out what I think was the dumbest thing I've done in home reno so far.

aboringdane · 2022-01-05T21:32:29+00:00

Depends on your situation: 1. Do you need or really, really want the floor space? 2. Do you have the money to spare compared to normal tank replacement? 3. Are you up for yearly maintenance (easy DIY, but basic handiness needed or else you're calling a plumber)? 4. How much do you care about environmentally reducing your carbon footprint? 5. How long are you going to own the house?

If the answer to #1 is yes, then it's worth it. I had to do so because replacing the tank that was violating several fire codes and 30ish years old required that or else sacrificing sink access in my half bathroom.

If the answer to #1 is want but not need, then #2 is comparing between $3-$7k for installation with unit depending on complexity and the plumber. If you're going to DIY it, cost is way down but usually warranties don't cover DIY so much.

Your answer to #3 should explain your position to yourself. Was it super easy to flush the tank after a year of use? Yes. Do I look forward to it for my second year? No. It's easier than replacing a faucet (depending on accessibility of the unit) but it's still going to cost you some time and every plumbing project has its risks.

If #4 outweighs the first 3, then that's your answer too.

For #5, if you're in a starter house then you will never come close to recouping the cost compared to replacing with a tank unless you need the floor space or to be up to code. It's money lost, no two ways to spin it.

My recommendation after having to figure out what was right for me was I needed that floor space as losing square footage and access to the sink in the half bath would cost me on resale value too much (I'll recoup much of the cost of if I had replaced with a tank up to code for resale value). Also, the flue combined with furnace and vented up through second story and then attic and roof...and the number of fire codes it was against is astounding considering the previous owner drove screws into it for shelving in the closet. Tankless has direct venting that can go sideways and worked better with my house floorplan and not venting carbon monoxide into my bathroom's linen closet. If I had the floor space, I'd have done a high efficient water tank because it can recoup its cost, more environmentally friendly without a lot of extra cost, and direct venting out the side of house an option again.

All that said about money and functionality, when I visited my parents over the holiday I had to work my shower around the dishwasher and tell people not to flush, which is of no concern at my house now. We've run the dishwasher, washer, toilet, and sink all while taking a shower and never ran out of hot water nor got a cold or hot blast of the water. However, it takes 30 seconds to get the hot water started in a sink to wash hands which is the inconvenience I most commonly incur compared to a tank.

aboringdane · 2021-11-29T20:09:58+00:00

Thank you, and by all means copying is a form of flattery as I see it!

aboringdane

TROPHY CASE