what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[freebird5825]

I slept in until noon...I used my downstairs family room just for a change of pace. I wanted to stay up and listen to music without disturbing Mr B. I've been having sleep disruptions due to night time hot flashes lately and have been waking him up unintentionally. Argh.

It looks like an Adirondack cabin down there, big stone fireplace, all wood beams, paneling and bookcase. Very cozy. So I enjoyed a "guest room" sleepover in my own house.

I eventually want to put a natural gas fired insert and a single person hot tub in down there. Both are on my wish list, after I pay for some much needed yard tree w*rk and my partials. All in good time, all in good time.

 

[MichaelB]

Drove down to Miami airport yesterday to pick up two of DW's brothers. Not a lot of fun, drivers along that stretch seems to think they're practicing for a NASCAR event.

 

[iac1003]

Just watched the original version of the Sound of Music. Pretty interesting. I can see why Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the story some.

http://goo.gl/SRV6c9

Auf Deutsch? I am very impressed. I would have to brush up on my German from 43 years ago to watch it in its entirety.


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[iac1003]

This was the 1st day since my almost-mostly-retirement (4/6) that I had nothing scheduled.

Meditated. Read on the internet before arising, made my morning smoothies, threw out a few things from the fridge, took a shower, did 2 loads of laundry, watered the outdoor plants and herb garden, some food prep, puttered around the house, spent 2 hours going through file cabinet papers to shred or recycle (there's lots more to go), made a late lunch. Now I'm relaxing on the couch with my dog listening to the thunder.

I could get used to this.

And DH found some old cans of paint left by the previous owner that at least gives us an idea of the colors used in order to paint the porch and touch up indoors.


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[outdoorgirl02]

Did some work this morning (work for myself, from home). Baked a loaf of gluten free bread, did some laundry, started reading a new book, picked up DD from school, stopped at the grocery store. Going to make some zucchini fritters and chicken for dinner soon then get packed for a girls weekend trip.

 

[Car-Guy]

Spent 6 hours on the tractor today cutting some of the fields. Had to stop since now we're getting some serious rain. Guess I'll be cutting the same fields again in a few more weeks.

 

[Hermit]

How many hours have you spent sweeping/shoveling snow from the worksite over the course of the winter?

It usually takes two hours or so after every snow and then if the snow was deep another four hours plowing several miles of roads. I haven't kept track of the number of snows. I'll be glad when the roof is on, the outside is finished, and the wood burning stove is installed.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I did mostly errands today. The front yard succulent container gardens turned out so cute I bought a similar pot for the patio. We wanted a little fountain on the patio, but it has become a hobby to try to figure out how to use as little energy from the grid as possible, so it had to be solar or battery. Today I found a battery one I can power with solar charged rechargeable batteries. We plan to make something bigger, but this is a nice start. We had afternoon drinks on the patio with the fountain on.

I used herbs from my new windowsill herb garden for the first time today for dinner. The plants seem to be doing really well. We've got a lot of windows so I'm going to see what else will grow.

 

[splitwdw]

The day before yesterday, we had torrential rains and flooding making some streets impassable and resulting in several drownings in my suburb. Even my relatively high street had a foot of water in it.

Yesterday, we had golfball sized hail that came out of nowhere with 50 mph winds and sheets of rain and a tornado that fortunately did not touch down. The hail took down power lines but amazingly, I had no damage and I still have power although my internet is iffy, on and off. I was scared to get a piece of hail to photograph (thought I might get knocked out by it) and it is hot here so they had melted quite a bit by the time I could take this photograph. In the next suburb over, they had baseball sized hail.

I just want to go grocery shopping but apparently that is too much to ask for.

W2R, stay safe. I'm such a car person I never thought about people getting knocked out. I was thinking as I read your post, wonder if there are special places to park your car if there's hail.
I wish there was a way to collect the rain and pipe it to California and other drought areas.

 

[W2R]

W2R, stay safe. I'm such a car person I never thought about people getting knocked out. I was thinking as I read your post, wonder if there are special places to park your car if there's hail.
I wish there was a way to collect the rain and pipe it to California and other drought areas.

Thank you. I have no garage or carport, so no, not for my car anyway. If/when I find and buy my dream house, it will have a garage or at minimum a carport. There isn't room to build one on my present property.

Yesterday, despite alarming forecasts it barely drizzled. I still didn't do much beccause I was expecting the severe weather of the previous two days. Today, the prediction has changed to just 60% chance of thunderstorms. So, I guess we are out of the woods. The flash flood watch is still up.

California, and especially Southern California is famous for its droughts and frequent forest fires. I remember living there back in the 1980's and having to limit watering to every other day depending on even or odd street address. Here, I don't even own a sprinkler. I am so sorry that California is still in drought conditions and hope it rains there soon!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I wish there was a way to collect the rain and pipe it to California and other drought areas.

Thanks for thinking of us. What you can realistically do is not buy bottled water from here:

A Lot Of Bottled Water Comes From Drought-Stricken California

It is crazy how many of the garden centers here will have maybe a row or two of water-wise plants and that's it. Most of the stock is unsuitable to the climate and especially the current drought. There is a lot that could be done to save water that just has not kicked into gear here yet.

 

[Ronstar]

....I wish there was a way to collect the rain and pipe it to California and other drought areas.

It's easy to do, just difficult to do cost effectively. All that is needed are several canals, water towers, reservoirs and pumping stations

 

[Hermit]

Yesterday I swept about 4 - 5 inches off the floor. This morning I have another foot. This stuff is very wet and heavy. Just as I got up there to get started, the sun came out while it was still snowing. Half the valley was socked in and the other half was sunny. I had to come back down and get a hat so I could take off the hoodie I was wearing. Time for some sunscreen...

I may plow when I get finished sweeping snow. Then again, it may all be melted by then.

 

[Walt34]

I got brave and drained the fuel from the snow thrower and prepped it for storage. Mowed the "north forty" and noted that the other half doesn't need it yet. Well, most of it.

The grass seed is sprouting on the area dug up last November when the water line was replaced and DW goes out every day to check on that. The ugliness has bugged her all winter to the point that once she even wanted snow so it would be covered up!

 

[REWahoo]

After the low quality step-pads on the set of truck nerf bars (AKA running boards) I bought on Amazon in 2011 started disintegrating, I did some research on buying new pads. I groused big time when I learned a set of four replacements and the metal clips to install them would run me $125, half what it cost for a complete set of new bars.

After a little more noodling I ran across a customer comment on Amazon stating the bars actually had a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, not the three years stated on Amazon. I emailed the mfg. customer service department and they responded within minutes saying they were shipping me a new set of step pads and mounting clips. Got them today. Can't beat free.

 

[Walt34]

Surprises like that you can live with!

 

[pb4uski]

Yesterday I swept about 4 - 5 inches off the floor. This morning I have another foot. This stuff is very wet and heavy. Just as I got up there to get started, the sun came out while it was still snowing. Half the valley was socked in and the other half was sunny. I had to come back down and get a hat so I could take off the hoodie I was wearing. Time for some sunscreen...

I may plow when I get finished sweeping snow. Then again, it may all be melted by then.

Ugly. We have a small spot of snow left on our roof... about the size of a placemat and that should be gone tomorrow.

I continued on cleaning windows today. All but two on the main level done and those I'll do tomorrow.

I also pulled of the kitchen faucet and showerhead and have them soaking in white vinegar to clean out the hard water deposits that we get. I usually try to do them once a year.

I may follow Walt's lead and service the snowblower tomorrow and put it away.

 

[braumeister]

I may follow Walt's lead and service the snowblower tomorrow and put it away.

A friend is coming over next week to buy my snowblower and take it away. Delightful!

I took the snow blade off the tractor last week to put on the mower deck, and that will remain for the time being. My assumption is that whoever buys this house will want it.

Moving to a condo has many advantages, and this is just one of them!

 

[travelover]

I posted some unused garden stuff on Craigslist today, at minimal prices, including a rototiller.

The first people out were from the Middle East and were genuinely offended when I wouldn't lower my already super cheap price. I didn't want to insult them, but geeze it was a bargain price.

I guess that is a lesson for me to either state the price is not negotiable or to raise the asking price and let them "talk me down".

 

[REWahoo]

I guess that is a lesson for me to either state the price is not negotiable or to raise the asking price and let them "talk me down".

+1

My experience is every Craigslist buyer expects to be able to negotiate price. Always ask more than you are willing to accept - it's how the game is played.

 

[Walt34]

I guess that is a lesson for me to either state the price is not negotiable or to raise the asking price and let them "talk me down".

So much of setting the price is cultural I suppose. If you set an asking price for the Middle East customer so they can do the bargaining thing and get a price way lower than initially asked, then a guy like me is going to think "that guy is on drugs!" and I won't even call.

 

[travelover]

+1

My experience is every Craigslist buyer expects to be able to negotiate price. Always ask more than you are willing to accept - it's how the game is played.

So much of setting the price is cultural I suppose. If you set an asking price for the Middle East customer so they can do the bargaining thing and get a price way lower than initially asked, then a guy like me is going to think "that guy is on drugs!" and I won't even call.

Ironically, I used to just post stuff like this for free, but got tired of the "gimmee, gimmee" crowd just taking stuff because it was free (or only promising to pick it up). So, I started selling stuff very cheaply thinking it would at least go to someone that was looking for the item in the first place.

The bottom was when a guy took a TV for free, changed his mind and tossed it on the woods at the end of my street.

And on we go.........

 

[38Chevy454]

Little over $1100 and 38 tons (which is also about the same in cubic yards) of gravel for the driveway and around my detached shop garage today. The dump trucks (3 trucks total) did a good job of spreading/distributing most of the gravel while dumping where they could by chaining the tailgate closed to a small opening and then drive forward while dumping. So in the end a couple hours on my tractor spreading it around where it is all needed, and some hand raking work for another hour. Then spent about 30 minutes driving a vehicle all over it to help pack it down. Should be good for another 5 years or so. I have 400 ft of driveway just from the street to the house, plus the area at top by the house and around the detached garage. The new gravel should keep it less mud when it is wet, over time the gravel breaks down and is also pounded into the ground, so recharging is a periodic maintenance.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Ironically, I used to just post stuff like this for free, but got tired of the "gimmee, gimmee" crowd just taking stuff because it was free (or only promising to pick it up). So, I started selling stuff very cheaply thinking it would at least go to someone that was looking for the item in the first place.

The bottom was when a guy took a TV for free, changed his mind and tossed it on the woods at the end of my street.

And on we go.........

That is unfortunate. I am on assorted freecycle email lists but have never used them. I suspect a lot of the people on there are just flea market resellers so if I have stuff to give away I usually give it to a charity shop instead.

My kids sell stuff on CL and usually start out high and then keep dropping the price every few days until they find a buyer. Buyers that show up usually will offer $10 less in person than the price they agreed to through the photos and texting.

 

[pb4uski]

I posted some unused garden stuff on Craigslist today, at minimal prices, including a rototiller.

The first people out were from the Middle East and were genuinely offended when I wouldn't lower my already super cheap price. I didn't want to insult them, but geeze it was a bargain price.

I guess that is a lesson for me to either state the price is not negotiable or to raise the asking price and let them "talk me down".

I've had some stuff that I priced very fairly and when they offer me a lower price I just tell them that my asking price is a very fair price and then silence. If they still want a discount then I tell then that my price is a good deal and if they don't want it at that price then I am sure that someone will come along that will. Most of the time they concede to my asking price because they know it is a good deal but they're just looking to get it cheap. It helps that in most cases I really don't much care if it sells or if I take it to Goodwill.