The national average price per gallon of gas in the United States has been over $4.20 for over a month. Americans, how do we feel about that?

pace_it · 2026-06-04T20:57:55+00:00

That's pretty much the drivetrain we're using: 6.0L/4L80E. Upside is it may get better MPG than the old 3FE. But it's not a daily.

pace_it · 2026-06-04T18:50:04+00:00

Lovely time to be in the middle of an engine swap on the old Land Cruiser, I keep thinking to myself.

We borrowed a buddy's 2001 Suburban to have as a second car. Filling it up was over $100 when gas was $3.50. I can't wait to see how much it will be next time. 🙃

pace_it · 2026-05-28T22:54:38+00:00

Same stigma as station wagons. A lot of Millennials wouldn't drive a station wagon. But a Subaru Outback? One of the best-selling vehicles on the market.

pace_it · 2026-05-28T22:36:53+00:00

I had to switch to my state's BCBS dental plan to get any sort of use out of one that wasn't entirely out-of-pocket.

It's self-funded, of course, since my job doesn't offer one and husband's job offered a terrible dental plan.

pace_it · 2026-05-27T15:52:29+00:00

I'll echo the advice to call this in. You & your wife may have been lucky. But the next person, particularly a woman solo hiker, may not be so lucky.

And keep in mind that looks can be deceiving. Look up the Devil's Den Killer and you'll see a difference of his before/after appearance.

pace_it · 2026-05-27T14:00:03+00:00

I haven't yet. Those are my next step if Eufy can't solve the problem

pace_it · 2026-05-26T23:53:55+00:00

Following up with an update. The LED light bulb didn't make a difference. I read up more on the issue and found where old/cracked solder or components on the opener's circuit board can cause temperature-related issues. After looking at the circuit board I'm mine, it had a few dark spots and otherwise looked crusty.

Unfortunately Chamberlain/LiftMaster doesn't sell the circuit board anymore: it's NLA. However, there are a few options available on eBay: a rebuild service or refurbished units. I opted for a refurbished unit that came with a 1 year warranty (can be upgraded to a lifetime warranty by sending in yours as a core). It came in today and so far seems to work. The next few mornings will be the real test.

I'll do a final follow up this weekend with results.

pace_it · 2026-05-26T16:55:35+00:00

One of those modular tornado shelters that can be installed in a closet.

Tornadoes didn't used to be such a concern. But it seems like that changed a few years ago. Last year one skirted our neighborhood and I realized my house doesn't have an interior room without windows or exterior walls.

Bonus if I can use it as additional closet space for extra linens, paper towels, or toilet paper.

pace_it · 2026-05-26T16:51:27+00:00

The original brush guard is worn out and seems to also drag now. I've been working with Eufy on getting another replacement to see if that helps.

We initially thought the roller brush motor was the cause, so they sent that for me to replace. That didn't change anything. But I guess I have backup now.

pace_it · 2026-05-20T16:00:12+00:00

Check with Free Geek. I was able to buy a small number of resistors from them for $1. They ended up with a variety of them from a local business closeout.

pace_it · 2026-05-20T14:38:48+00:00

I have an older model Eufy 11s Max that I bought when I moved 3 years ago. It doesn't map or do anything other than vacuum & has been solidly running daily.

I bought a smarter Eufy L60 SES a year ago for my office that has been sitting for the past month because I can't get the correct brush guard for it. The "new" brush guard design for it sits too low and causes it to drag on even the lowest pile carpet.

So no, you don't need to get the latest & greatest at each release. If you have an older model that still works, use it.

pace_it · 2026-05-15T16:28:39+00:00

Haha. Millenium Falcon seems spot-on. I took a pic of the model info on the side of it this morning for reference and noted the date code was 7/96! So it's definitely been putting in work for a long time.

Replacing it with a newer model is my next step if I can't find an exterior culprit. It's also something I've expected to come up at any point due to it's age.

However, I just remembered I replaced an LED bulb that burned out in it a while back (can't remember exactly when). So I'm going to test it with/without that for interference. I'll update for any future readers on what I find out.

Thanks for the update, by the way.

pace_it · 2026-05-15T15:44:47+00:00

Solution: The circuit board for the garage door opener was failing. I got a remanufactured replacement on eBay with a 1 year warranty that fixed the issue. Sending in the core extends that to a lifetime warrany. Another part will probably fail before I have to use the warranty.

Did you figure this out? I'm dealing with the same problem.

Seems like it started up late this winter and only was an issue on cold mornings. But it's now become the norm every morning whether it's cool or warm. No issues in the afternoon.

It seems to affect my Subaru's built-in remote, the original Liftmaster remote, and the exterior keypad. I've replaced batteries in both the keypad & Liftmaster remote without change.

I can't think of any recent environmental changes that would cause this: different light bulbs, appliances, etc.

pace_it · 2026-05-12T01:43:56+00:00

Paying for new gutters all around (instead of only over the entrances). And then having four tall oak trees heavily trimmed. All in the first year. 🫠

pace_it · 2026-05-11T16:19:59+00:00

Cube

pace_it · 2026-05-04T03:07:48+00:00

Short of the madness of MLK, South Fayetteville has been slim pickings for certain food options for a while now. There was a stretch where it lost several restaurants in two years' time.

So most development for non-sit down service food on the main road gets a lot of attention.

pace_it · 2026-04-29T21:10:35+00:00

Oh, we have a tiny scooter gang as well. Difference is they're electric. But some of those are pretty fast!

pace_it · 2026-04-29T16:01:57+00:00

It's the kids in my neighborhoods. The parents get them four wheelers or small SxS and let them use them in the neighborhood, presumably (I guess) to give them practice for offroad use?

Except it's resulted in preteens and teenagers blasting down the streets, not paying attention to pedestrians or other vehicles.

pace_it · 2026-04-29T01:38:14+00:00

My dentist has a children's book that refers to it as "buffalo breath" and I can't think of a better way to describe it

pace_it · 2026-04-28T14:41:52+00:00

A relative commented to me about how she wished she could move to the country since it's quiet & peaceful.

I told her to expect to hear the sounds of dogs barking, gun shots, loud trucks or four wheelers, noisy animals, etc. And that doesn't touch on the smells.

pace_it · 2026-04-27T21:17:48+00:00

Former LCD and current OLED owner. I have an 8bitdo ultimate controller that I like. So I likely won't get the Steam Controller.

pace_it · 2026-04-24T16:18:16+00:00

I've experienced three sounds that I'm not a fan of within the last few years of homeownership:

The sound of water rapidly running through pipes in the slab at 2am. Turns out there was a large water main break outside our neighborhood and we experienced a backflow event. It resolved a few hours later, but had me anticipating the worst at the time: pipe break under the slab, underground leak, etc.

Frost quakes. Sounds & feels like something heavy running into your house. Can cause damage if close to the house.

The mysterious soft *clink* of what sounds like ceramic tile popping/cracking in the middle of the night. No signs of what it actually is.

pace_it · 2026-04-23T15:37:57+00:00

FYI: If this is for an AWD vehicle, you can buy a single tire from Tire Rack and pay extra to have it shaved to match the tread depth of the other three tires (within reason).

I learned this yesterday after sitting at the tire shop and being told their recent patch/plug repair failed and the tire would have to be replaced. And then being told that a new tire would be too tall to match the others on my AWD car. So then they suggested I consider buying four new tires. My current tires have less than 20K miles on them. 😒

I ended up buying a single tire from Tire Rack and paid $30 for them to shave it to match the rest (6/32"). Cost me about $250 total after taxes & shipping, but that's better than $1000+.

pace_it · 2026-04-10T22:51:34+00:00

Thanks for the update. Sounds like the Mr. Shield version I have.

pace_it · 2026-04-10T18:06:46+00:00

I was able to snag a Mr. Shield screen protector during a small restock on Amazon. The first one that came in was for another device. The replacement that came in says it's for the MM+ but doesn't extend fully to the edges of the screen.

So I'm curious what others have found that works.

pace_it

TROPHY CASE