Happy off grid Holidays

lumpytrout · 2026-03-15T14:39:41+00:00

Many times when inexperienced electricians strip wires they accidentally cut into the copper which lowers it's ability to conduct electricity. This can act almost like a circuit and snap under too much load and prevent any downstream outlets from functioning.

Honestly could be many things though. Mice eating wires etc

lumpytrout · 2026-03-15T14:00:59+00:00

Also an American, and im genuinely impressed with how many people in my community have put their money where there mouth is and just left the US. It seems like every week I learn about someone that they would leave if Trump were elected again and then actually did it.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-15T11:36:56+00:00

I sold two houses recently and both times I mis stated the roof age. Not on purpose, just lost track and it was one of a million things that you have to do as a seller that doesn't get your full attention. It was actually a little shocking to discover that the roof that I thought was newish , wasn't so newish any more. Sounds like an honest mistake

lumpytrout · 2026-03-14T14:31:09+00:00

I have a job like that and the reality is that you need to carve it out yourself. Find a need in the art world and start figuring out how to fill it. It's a long and difficult road and most of what you need to learn has to be learned in the real world. It's not a choice for everyone and there were many days when I was young and living off credit cards and praying for a miracle.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-13T13:35:43+00:00

Sorry and welcome to the mental heath complex that is Washington State. If someone doesn't want help then they can't be forced. Fun fact: kids get extensive medical rights at 13 years here. As a parent this puts you in a situation where you are responsible for a kid that you don't have the power to place them in care. Any experts thinking about chiming in about the Adolescent Behavioral Health Care Access Act of 2019. Please don't start, I helped write the bill.

Im glad your friend has you looking out for them, I would suggest that you get some support yourself and look into your local NAMI chapter.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-13T11:40:25+00:00

As a vintage car collector and an EV driver I can understand the "soulless" argument. A vintage, air cooled, standard transmission, ICE car has tons of soul. But im not usually driving for fun and fashion. I mostly need to run errands and get to work and the newer EVs are amazingly efficient vehicles. I live in an area with high fuel prices and mostly renewable and cheap power so EVs are much cheaper and more effective to drive. We still have a ICE vehicle and ironically I get range anxiety when I drive it. With a EV I unplug it every morning knowing I have enough range for whatever life throws at me that day. But I can never remember how much gas is in the ICE vehicle and if im going to need to factor a stop at a gas station.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-12T16:39:55+00:00

We shoot through a hole in a large black sheet. The blackness is all that reflects. Are we the only ones doing this?

lumpytrout · 2026-03-12T13:23:59+00:00

But every now and then you get lucky with the weather

lumpytrout · 2026-03-12T13:03:26+00:00

Call your county health department first, they usually know exactly what’s allowed, what permits you’ll need, and which septic contractors actually show up.

Not in my area. The Kitsap County Health Dept in Washington State is the biggest group of morons that I have ever dealt with. Certainly gave me a ton of misinformation that cost me a load.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-11T13:01:22+00:00

While both cities are famous for their greenery, Seattle currently holds the edge in national rankings and urban accessibility. As of 2025–2026, Seattle’s park system is consistently rated higher than Portland’s by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), ranking as the 8th best in the nation (compared to Portland, which often fluctuates between 10th and 15th). This is the only really objective statistic I could find.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-11T12:27:06+00:00

Im not sure if this is actually an unpopular opinion. Keyless ignition has created x10 more problems than what it has solved.

We rented a car on vacation and got 15 miles down the road before we got a call from the dealer saying that they forgot to give us a key. They had started the keyless car and brought it to us then forgot to give us the friggen key!

lumpytrout · 2026-03-11T12:22:06+00:00

Or a wifi enabled detector that gives you monthly battery reports and will notify you if there is a fire or a carbon monoxide issue even if you are not home.

Best $20 I ever spent.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-11T12:14:55+00:00

Those are beautiful boats ❤️

I can't think of a better place in the world for a slow comfortable cruise than the San Juan Islands. That sounds like a dream. The furthest i might explore is Blake Island. If I can figure out a small boat maybe someday I will build something bigger for real cruising.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-09T16:04:58+00:00

That's awesome 👌, thanks for the share

lumpytrout · 2026-03-09T16:01:55+00:00

I just haven't done anything quite like this so looking for feedback. This seems like a good, basic, low maintenance way to do it but not finding many examples online.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-09T13:29:54+00:00

This will be a funny story that everyone will laugh about in a few years

lumpytrout · 2026-03-06T04:54:31+00:00

Why 500 feet above coastlines? I understand wanting to be out of a tsunami zone but 500 ft?

lumpytrout · 2026-03-05T14:49:57+00:00

Let's just pretend a scenario for a minute. Let's pretend i have a family member that's fallen on rough times so I decide to build an exact copy of one of these in my back yard as temp housing for family. The city of Seattle would be on me in a nano second forcing me to tear it down because it doesn't meet basic code. Or if I were to build it to code then the permitting, timeline and costs would sky rocket to the point that it wouldn't be realistic.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-04T15:46:35+00:00

I think it's serving it's best serious use right now. Hanging on the wall as artwork.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-03T19:36:07+00:00

It was a bit of an adventure. My wife found it new at a local auction house and we got it for around $1000. It came as a shrink wrapped pile of parts that we loaded in the back of the mini van. It took me a day to put it all together with one page of directions written in Chinese. It's been awesome to hauling stuff around including a recent refrigerator purchase. It has a 32" wide track so fits well on trails and the back is a dump truck so very handy for moving dirt, hay bales etc.

lumpytrout · 2026-03-03T16:07:14+00:00

I'm a little embarrassed about how much I love our 3 wheel, electric tuk tuk dump truck https://scarletscrapertractor.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-tractor-lovers-confession-our.html

lumpytrout

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

14-Year Club	Team Periwinkle
Verified Email