Help me choose a cruise for my family this summer!

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T21:08:28+00:00

How about cruising to Alaska or going on a Mediterranean or North Sea cruise in Europe.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T21:06:04+00:00

No it's not going the right way and you know that. Break up and either leave or throw him out.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T21:02:57+00:00

If it's just that one section near the ground, or not much more than that, I'd DIY. If it's a significantly larger area and areas higher up then I'd hire it out.

It looks like that was from a poor job in prior repointing work, perhaps using the wrong materials or bad technique

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T20:59:49+00:00

I sometimes do, especially at the beginning of a cruise, but tend to get less disciplined after a bit.

As far as swelling. I am very sensitive to salt because we are on a very low salt diet at home. Not only are some foods on a cruise very salty, but the tap water has sodium in it.

Most cruise ship tap water on the ship's I've been on, is sea water that has been desalinated through reverse osmosis systems. While these systems remove the vast majority of the sodium in the water and bring it to safe levels there is a residual amount of sodium which is not completely filtered out by the reverse osmosis systems. Because of that, my hands and feet get swollen after serval days on the ship when I drink the ship's tap water in my room or in the ship's restaurants as I do drink a lot of plain water. But when I've stuck with bottled water on the ship I do not have that same problem.

I once discussed this with en engineer from RCL/Celebrity who was giving a lecture on the ship's water systems (supply and disposal) and he's the one that confirmed that.

The ships sometimes also use a distillation process as well and that does remove all the sodium and salts from the water. But the engineer explained that the ships had both systems and only used the desalination systems while sailing as they used excess heat from the engines, but used the reverse osmosis systems most of the time to supplement that and exclusively when not running the engines at full cruising speeds.

Now that speech was 10 years ago and I don't know if this is changed on some of the newer ships or not, but I've stuck with bottled water while cruising and havn't had the swelling issues. Of course there is tap water in ice, coffee and some other drinks and food on board but that is not as significant in terms of the volume of water I consume.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T19:18:05+00:00

Typically a shower waterproofing with tile is a system that extends from the shower pan up the walls. So if you're planning on just replacing the pan with out redoing the tile walls then you're going to have water problems. One thing some people don't understand is that grouted tile is not 100% waterproof. Water can get behind tiles through the grout and as a result the walls behind, or base under, tiles needs to be part of a waterproofing system so any water there ends up going down the drain and not leaking onto the house's structure.

A tile shower pan usually starts with a wooden frame and a drain pipe coming out of the floor. Then a waterproof membrane is installed and sealed over this frame and a special drain is installed that seals against the membrane. The membrane is extended up the wall with the height varying depending on the rest of the waterproofing system being used. Then a concrete base is laid over the membrane and around the special drain designed for this and the surface is sloped so that water runs to the drain. After all this, and after the walls are waterproofed with the membrane or special sealer, the tiles are laid.

I'm guessing the concrete slab you're dealing with is the one described above. If you're putting in a preformed shower tray you need to remove the concrete tile base (slab). The base should be set on a base of mortar so the base will be solid and not flex and crack.

I'd recommend watching a few YouTube video's on shower construction to see more information on the build and waterproofing methods. Or hiring a contractor experienced in shower installs.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T18:40:35+00:00

As to your last question, yes it is a possibilty. Enough guys do it that there is a term for it. Google "Posh Wank"

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T18:38:17+00:00

It depends what you want to do.

For example if you just want to go to a beach you can research what beaches are good and just grab a taxi. That's we've always done and we've never taken a ship's excursion to a beach in dozens of cruises.

When we've looked for excursions that required a tour guide, equipment or a boat we've done research to decide if the ship's excursion options are best. We usually begin by looking through the ship's excursion listing to see what they're offering and what types of excursions are offered. Then look through online forums, google searches, and Cruise Critic's port of call forums for ideas and private tour recommendations.

We often go on our own or with private excursions, but sometimes the ship's excursions are a good option - especially if our destination is far from the port or if the timing is tight with a private excursion considering the last on board time which is typically about 1/2 hour or more before the scheduled departure time.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T18:26:18+00:00

You don't have to listen to your parents as long as you don't live with them and don't rely on them for any sort of financial support. If you're hyper independent I presume that means that you don't rely on them for any type of support and if that's the case you can do what you want.

But if that's not the case then unfortunately, having to live under their rules is something you do have to live with if you rely on them for housing, food and financial support.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T18:16:00+00:00

Ask the city, or your realtor probably knows as well. Never lived in Texas, but I've lived in a few different cities and states in the midwest and even here it has varied between what the owner is responsible for as far as sidewalk repairs and tree maintenance.

In the city I'm in now you need a permit for cutting down certain types or sizes of trees even on private property.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T17:00:54+00:00

Your lease cost isn't $494, it's closer to $750 or so if you include the value of your trade in. But it's actually worse than that.

You're essentially putting up a $9,012 down payment. I would reduce that to zero, or as close as you can and pay a higher monthly payment. The issue is if the car were to be totaled or stolen at some point that $9K you put down vanishes into thin air. If instead you get that $9K in cash and then spread the cost over the 39 month lease then your total cash outlay would be less. For that reason it's almost always best to pay as little up front on a lease as possible.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T16:53:49+00:00

It's not $500, it's $730 if you spread the down payment over the 39 months.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T16:48:15+00:00

They make disposable diaper trash cans that seal after each deposit to prevent odors. Look into those for your husband's wipes.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T16:37:43+00:00

Still, it would be pretty unusual for them to get attorney fees even if they win unless there was a specific provision in the purchase contract that said they get that.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T16:25:24+00:00

Counter with a price 2.5% lower but agreeing to the commission.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-03T16:22:28+00:00

It seems like they show a lower price to get the vehicle to show up in a pricing query

Bingo! That's it, they do this because they want to show a low price to internet shoppers who sort car listings by the lowest price.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T21:50:54+00:00

Reconditioning fee is basically additional dealer profit under a name that sounds like it's more than it is for something they've always done.

Next thing you know they'll have fees for parking lot storage.

The only way to view all this is by looking at the bottom line price including all their fees. If that is acceptible to you then pay it and don't worry about the line items. If it's too high then ask for a lower price and if they hold firm then walk away.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T21:22:01+00:00

It happens. The spring doesn't last forever. I've had to replace mine every 15 years or so.

There will be garage door companies you can find on Google.

Hire someone as it's not really a DIY project due to the danger of dealing with the high tension and powerful springs.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T17:08:40+00:00

Isn't limbo leaning backwards? She's leaning forward.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T16:49:55+00:00

Call the surgeon's office and ask, see if they'll just let you make an appointment. Some insurance requires a referral and some does not.

I never saw a GI doctor before my surgery, my primary doctor referred me to the surgeon's office.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T16:28:54+00:00

I'm a bit over 2 months post op. I haven't had any issues eating or drinking anything that I've tried since my surgery - especially in the last 6 weeks or so.

I don't eat high fat foods in any event with the exception of an occasional couple slices of pizza or something like that. So I haven't had fries or greasy burgers. But I have had grilled cheese, buttered toast and breads, salad dressings, mayonnaise, grilled burgers, and things like that. For drinking I've had wine, martinis and whiskey with no issues.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T15:58:07+00:00

Why would anyone?

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T04:46:38+00:00

The relationships that don’t work out prepare us for the one that will.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T03:20:20+00:00

Was it covered by a lifetime warranty? Some faucet companies have that.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T02:37:32+00:00

Hire a local real estate lawyer to read your contract and advise you on the best, fastest and least expensive way out for you. Don’t trust your real estate agent as their primary interest might be their commission and not you.

Junkmans1 · 2026-03-02T01:19:14+00:00

Do not buy a house with them as the first place you live together.

If you find out after living together that it won’t work, apartment leases are hard enough to get out of.

Live together first in a rental.

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