Odd Things You Have Noticed

[nvestysly]

Spending more time at home and walking the neighborhood much more in recent months. Haven't taken the RV out for travel since March.

So, the strange thing... Apparently somebody walks through the neighborhood with a small pair of clippers and takes it upon themselves to trim bushes here presumably to get the small limbs out the way of walkers/joggers. I'm not talking branches that hang down - that's too big - these are just nubs of the ends of branches sometimes not longer than 6 - 8 inches! What gives?! We now refer to them as the "Mad Clipper!" but they've never been seen/identified. One neighbor indicated they know who's doing the trimming but they won't tell.

 

[ls99]

I've always found it incongruous to see a neighborhood of very modest homes with expensive cars parked outside. Sometimes the house doesn't even have a garage.

Somebody told me ths is because lease payments are less than mortgage payments.

Nah, not being house poor is why they can afford fancy cars.

 

[JustVisitingThisPlanet]

Did you ever consider that we HUMANS are the aliens since we are last to show up here?

Actually I'm that last to show up, though just visiting.

 

[kaneohe]

The other day I noticed a car driving the wrong way headed toward me on a main road just after (for him) a traffic light/intersection. Thought about getting out of the way but then he turned left into a small mall and parked. Best I could figure he didn't want to continue on the correct side of the main road, drive 200-300 ft , make a u-turn to come back on the correct side of the road to turn into the mall properly so he thought he'd short cut the whole process by driving on the wrong side of the road for a short distance.

 

[Sunset]

I never noticed the hookup for dishwasher is from the hot side under sink. I've done this hookup twice in 25 years, and was surprised when it was mentioned in another thread. And I'm even more surprised it was not in my internal book of knowledge.

Weirdly, in this house, our dishwasher hookup is from the hot water pipe long before it gets to the kitchen sink. The connection is in the basement.

I also like to run the hot water tap to draw in hot water before the dishwasher starts.

 

[skipro33]

*Neighbors across the street always roll their garbage carts to our side at 530 AM, have no idea why they don't leave them on their side of the street? Maybe this belongs in the Pet Peeve thread.

My neighbor did that before moving. I discovered he didn't pay for trash pick up service and the collector just assumes they are mine. Maybe that's what's happening in your neck of the woods?

 

[skipro33]

I've been doing a lot of landscaping during the SIP. I built a stone wall and it's attracted those western fence lizards. You know, the ones that are gray with blue bellies. Well, one has taken a shining to me. He's darker than most and a bit larger. I call him Blackie. Every day I go out and sit on that wall and he comes a runnin'. He'll come right over to me and wait for me to scratch his head. Then he'll run up onto my lap. Quite a friendly little chap!

 

[REWahoo]

I've been doing a lot of landscaping during the SIP. I built a stone wall and it's attracted those western fence lizards. You know, the ones that are gray with blue bellies. Well, one has taken a shining to me. He's darker than most and a bit larger. I call him Blackie. Every day I go out and sit on that wall and he comes a runnin'. He'll come right over to me and wait for me to scratch his head. Then he'll run up onto my lap. Quite a friendly little chap!

This thread is useless without pictures...

 

[Amethyst]

Like Mr. Peggotty ("David Copperfield"), who lived in an abandoned boat which he'd converted into a snug little home, where young David loved to visit.

Maybe, Just maybe, they use it as guest accommodations at their otherwise small house? Or maybe he uses it as his He-Shed? Large(ish) un-seaworthy boats are cheap. One could put several on a lot and operate them as a B&B.

 

[RobbieB]

I installed a 2 gallon electric water heater under the sink just to feed the dishwasher. The water heater is in the garage and the dishwasher will fill before the hot water gets there. If it's already there (from doing dishes prewash) then the water heater gets fed with hot water and the juice is not wasted.

 

[Rianne]

I find it odd anyone would buy a house where the driveway goes down. Our neighbors across the street have gone through hell and back with that driveway creating floods and water damage in their house. They deal with mold too. They’ve spent 10’s of thousands buying multiple sump pumps and had rerouting ditches dug to have the water move away from the house. The wife practically has a breakdown when severe rain is predicted.

 

[Amethyst]

Doesn't just look horrible. It can create terrible drainage issues in a TH development - where the lots are already made of compacted dirt - and reflects a lot of heat back onto the buildings. I'm surprised the TH HOA allows it.

Possibly the extra cars belong to long-term "guests," a.k.a. temporarily homeless friends or relatives. Especially when a TH has a finished basement, it's like a magnet to subletters.

LOL, related to that, many of my neighbors in our townhome development took to paving over their entire front yards( which I think looks horrible, but that's just my humble opinon) in order to have an extra parking space. And yes, probably more cars than people living in the residence.

a

 

[Sunset]

I find it odd anyone would buy a house where the driveway goes down. Our neighbors across the street have gone through hell and back with that driveway creating floods and water damage in their house. They deal with mold too. They’ve spent 10’s of thousands buying multiple sump pumps and had rerouting ditches dug to have the water move away from the house. The wife practically has a breakdown when severe rain is predicted.

My parents rented one when I was a kid.
Sure there was a drain at the bottom, and we always had to clean it out or get flooded.
It was also hard to push the snow uphill when shoveling.
Once winter dad came home and on the snowy driveway when he went to stop, the car slid down the driveway and through the garage door.

I'll NEVER move into a house like that.

 

[Alectoris]

All this talk about fancy garages....

 

[CardsFan]

I find it odd anyone would buy a house where the driveway goes down. Our neighbors across the street have gone through hell and back with that driveway creating floods and water damage in their house. They deal with mold too. They’ve spent 10’s of thousands buying multiple sump pumps and had rerouting ditches dug to have the water move away from the house. The wife practically has a breakdown when severe rain is predicted.

I guess it all depends on what you mean that the driveway goes down. Back 20 years ago we built a house on a lake. The house was at least 20 feet below street level. The drive wrapped around some so it was not so steep, and we had a 3 car garage.. The builder sloped the drive properly everything went away from the house, to the side, then down. Never had water in the garage or the basement.

So, a properly placed and built home can have no problems.

On the other side, I once looked at a home back in central MA (1985?). The basement had running water. Literally, running across the floor, on a sunny day.

 

[jollystomper]

I find it odd anyone would buy a house where the driveway goes down. Our neighbors across the street have gone through hell and back with that driveway creating floods and water damage in their house. They deal with mold too. They’ve spent 10’s of thousands buying multiple sump pumps and had rerouting ditches dug to have the water move away from the house. The wife practically has a breakdown when severe rain is predicted.

You reminded me of when we moved to our current area and were looking at houses. One was one we really liked, a two level ranch style house with lots of room. I remember especially the walkout basement was finished with several room areas that one could use for various things. BUT... the house was below street level, and the driveway sloped straight directly down from the street to the garage, no curves. No evidence of a drain in the driveway or in the garage. We saw it on a sunny, dry day and that basement smelled musty. The price was good, but we decided to pass on it.

 

[MRG]

I find it odd anyone would buy a house where the driveway goes down. Our neighbors across the street have gone through hell and back with that driveway creating floods and water damage in their house. They deal with mold too. They’ve spent 10’s of thousands buying multiple sump pumps and had rerouting ditches dug to have the water move away from the house. The wife practically has a breakdown when severe rain is predicted.

Depends. Ours is lower than the road but it's on the edge of a canyon that drops a couple hundred feet just behind our house. YMMV.

 

[zedd]

Live in a rural area. Local custom is to park vehicles, equipment, furniture, etc. inside the property owner's fence but near the road. If it's parked there, it's for sale.

 

[Rianne]

You reminded me of when we moved to our current area and were looking at houses. One was one we really liked, a two level ranch style house with lots of room. I remember especially the walkout basement was finished with several room areas that one could use for various things. BUT... the house was below street level, and the driveway sloped straight directly down from the street to the garage, no curves. No evidence of a drain in the driveway or in the garage. We saw it on a sunny, dry day and that basement smelled musty. The price was good, but we decided to pass on it.

This is like my neighbors. 3000 sq ft house with finished basement and a wall between the garage and the basement, living room, bathroom and I think an extra bedroom. The driveway...straight down into the garage, thus water flow into the finished part. The HVAC system is right there too. And the snow and ice. Why do they even build houses that way? Makes no sense.

 

[mickeyd]

Sinclair Oil Company has (had?) as a mascot a cute dinosaur. I don't even know if they are still in business. I just associated the fact that "fossil fuel" refers to the remains of dinosaurs. Thus the link.

 

[aja8888]

Sinclair Oil Company has (had?) as a mascot a cute dinosaur. I don't even know if they are still in business. I just associated the fact that "fossil fuel" refers to the remains of dinosaurs. Thus the link.

There's still some out there!

https://www.sinclairoil.com/customers/locations

 

[Gumby]

Sinclair Oil Company has (had?) as a mascot a cute dinosaur. I don't even know if they are still in business. I just associated the fact that "fossil fuel" refers to the remains of dinosaurs. Thus the link.

Mickey: Here is a picture of my garage, with a Sinclair sign in it (and two cars)

 

[Walt34]

Sinclair Oil Company has (had?) as a mascot a cute dinosaur. I don't even know if they are still in business. I just associated the fact that "fossil fuel" refers to the remains of dinosaurs. Thus the link.

Here are two examples. That's me, circa 1963, riding one of them.

 

[W2R]

Here are two examples. That's me, circa 1963, riding one of them.

You were a cute kid, Walt!! Love the smile.

 

[John Galt III]

Doesn't just look horrible. It can create terrible drainage issues in a TH development - where the lots are already made of compacted dirt - and reflects a lot of heat back onto the buildings. I'm surprised the TH HOA allows it.

Possibly the extra cars belong to long-term "guests," a.k.a. temporarily homeless friends or relatives. Especially when a TH has a finished basement, it's like a magnet to subletters.


a

No HOA here, which is OK with me. With the exception of the paving craze, people are maintaining their properties well. Some have planted their front lawns with ferns, artistic rock formations, native grasses, etc, which looks good, imho. But, yes, the paving craze was a real thing. My very own neighbor wanted to do it, and I let her know there were zoning rules that prevent her from paving within 3 feet of my property line. Boy, was she enraged that I pointed that out! Apparently lots of the 'nice' neighbors (not me, I guess, lol) just let their neighbor go ahead and pave away. And as far as I know, no one had to tear it up due to a zoning violation. ie, if no one complains, zoning doesn't care about enforcing its own rules, lol. This issue really bothered me since I am all for people doing whatever they want with their own property, but the paving thing was just way out of line. I hate that it has strained my relationship with my neighbor, but I couldn't have lived with myself had I let her do it.