What did you do today? - 2023/2024 version

[Gumby]

I observed a crew take down a giant oak tree on my street. That thing was easily 50 feet tall and about as wide, growing up in a space about 20 feet wide between two neighbors' houses and branching out over both of them. It was also in the middle of the power lines. The operation involved a gigantic crane, a regular bucket truck, a super heavy duty grinder for the smaller branches, and a dump truck for the trunk and larger branches. There were about 8 guys in the total work crew.

They did a great job maneuvering everything around the power lines and taking it all down without any damage to the adjacent houses. I was quite impressed, but I hesitate to even think about how much it cost.

 

[MC Rider]

Hopefully the oak removal cost under 5 figures at least. Had to be quite expensive.

Sounds like Street is one of the most energetic people on here. Nice pics there.


Not sure how it took 2+ hours to install 4 boards around a window exterior to frame it today. OK, I have never done this so that adds a lot of time. It's one more bite of the elephant.

 

[skyking1]

Hopefully the oak removal cost under 5 figures at least. Had to be quite expensive.

Sounds like Street is one of the most energetic people on here. Nice pics there.


Not sure how it took 2+ hours to install 4 boards around a window exterior to frame it today. OK, I have never done this so that adds a lot of time. It's one more bite of the elephant.

I don't thing anyone is standing around with a stopwatch

I hauled the mini excavator up to the property to dig some soil log holes for the engineer. 4 hours round trip and 15 minutes of digging.
He needed them to write the report so there you go. I was prepared to dig them 6' deep, but he only wanted me to dig to potato.

Small potatoes up by the house.

Quite a bit bigger down on the old river bottom from ~12,000 years ago.

That's an 18" wide bucket for scale.

 

[Time2]

Not sure how it took 2+ hours to install 4 boards around a window exterior to frame it today. OK, I have never done this so that adds a lot of time. It's one more bite of the elephant.

Heck I spend 2 hours just looking for my tools!

 

[Music Lover]

Not sure how it took 2+ hours to install 4 boards around a window exterior to frame it today. OK, I have never done this so that adds a lot of time. It's one more bite of the elephant.

That seems very long. Was there an unforeseen problem?

 

[DrRoy]

I finished editing the photos that I took on our month long trip out west, home since 3/1.
.

 

[street]

I finished editing the photos that I took on our month long trip out west, home since 3/1.
.

Beautiful DrRoy.

 

[Venturer]

It was my birthday,and I got an unexpected suprise. My DD called and ask if I would be intrested in seeing UGA vs KSU in a ball game, then stop off for my birthday dinner afterwards. I said sure. It was a great trip and UGA won(yay) and the dinner was very good. The reason for the trip was so our DGD who is 12 could possibly get some of the UGA ladies to sign her softball. She has her sights set on playing for UGA in a few years. It was an enjoyable last min. outing for me. My daughter told me that it thrills my DGD when Papa comes to her softball games and hopefully I can continue to see her play through high school and college too. I can hope it happens.

 

[pacergal]

It was my birthday,and I got an unexpected suprise. My DD called and ask if I would be intrested in seeing UGA vs KSU in a ball game, then stop off for my birthday dinner afterwards. I said sure. It was a great trip and UGA won(yay) and the dinner was very good. The reason for the trip was so our DGD who is 12 could possibly get some of the UGA ladies to sign her softball. She has her sights set on playing for UGA in a few years. It was an enjoyable last min. outing for me. My daughter told me that it thrills my DGD when Papa comes to her softball games and hopefully I can continue to see her play through high school and college too. I can hope it happens.

Happy Birthday!
Our time spent with Grandkids is so precious!

Today is our weekly afternoon with youngest grandson. Then tonight meeting with siblings and travel agent for our Fall cruise planning. A quick and late plan, but currently brother in law is feeling well, yet fighting cancer, so we want to get a trip on the books while he is doing well and hopefully stays that way.

 

[Surewhitey]

Rebalanced DW 401k, long overdue with the market moves. Also burned old tax docs dating back to 2008.

 

[Trailwalker]

Saw that professional baseball is started up, so we bought tickets to the Brewers/Twins game next week. Senior day, and good tickets for only $15 each. The game will be in Milwaukee's retractable-roofed stadium. Been spending almost every day at the hospital visiting close family so we need the diversion.

 

[Walt34]

Mowed the upper half of the lawn today for the first time this year. Will think about the other half tomorrow. Not promising anything though, no point in rushing into things.

 

[street]

Decided to go hiking for the day since it was going to be around mid 30's today. The place I wanted to go to is a place that has a crick that I need to cross. It is a crazy crick and can run hard and fast so I need to go in there on colder days, so you don't get caught with high water and can't get across. That happened to me once so really have to pick the day and time of year etc.

Spent the day back in there had a nice spot for a lunch. I noticed midafternoon the water was starting to run in small drainages so I headed out back to the one spot you can cross. I was 2 hours from that crossing and when I got there, I did get across with not much trouble, so I was lucky. Lol

I'm going to rest this evening might just fall asleep in the chair. Those all day in the fresh makes for an early night for me.

 

[rodi]

Unfortunately, spent the morning at the vet. Gino the wonder dog has had some digestive tract issues this week (both ends) and I had a bad feeling. Took him to the vet yesterday and Vet suggested an ultrasound today. He came home with a shaved belly, meds, and dx of a serious mass in his stomach. Once he came off the anesthesia he was his usual self with everyone but me... but he's mad at me. Vet estimated he has months to up to a year... and quality of life is the name of the game.

He's overall healthy - walked 2 miles this morning before the vet visit. But he doesn't like meds, and I'm the mean dog-mom.

On other news, younger son, who'd broken his metatarsal bone about 5 weeks ago and is home on spring break, went to his ortho appt. He has to keep wearing the boot, but is healing up well... can add swimming to his routine.

 

[Walt34]

Mowed the other half of the lawn. Well, most of it, the last quarter of it gets a lot of shade and I realized that I couldn't tell where I'd mowed and where I hadn't, a good signal to stop mowing.

I've noticed the engine is hard starting when cold (fortunately it has electric start so I don't have to struggle with it) but this signals that I'm going to have to take the carburetor apart for some cleaning. No point in waiting until it won't start at all. It's not the automatic choke, I looked at it when cold and it was closed as it should be and it starts easily when warm. This is one of the newer plastic Brigg & Stratton carburetors that have several youtube videos on the issues with them, fortunately easily solved if you're comfortable with getting your hands a little dirty.

 

[skyking1]

started with a couple of miles on the treadmill and then did a big grocery run to Coscto and other stores.

 

[Gumby]

Smoked an 8 pound bone-in double turkey breast to bring to the in-laws for Easter. We're driving down to Pennsylvania tomorrow.

Hopefully the oak removal cost under 5 figures at least. Had to be quite expensive.

Talked to my neighbor today. The whole thing cost $4000; he and the other neighbor split the cost. I find it difficult to believe the tree service made any profit at that price.

 

[MC Rider]

plastic Brigg & Stratton carburetors


First time I hear of plastic carbs, say what??

Can't imagine they are all that precise but what do I know?

 

[Walt34]

plastic Brigg & Stratton carburetors

First time I hear of plastic carbs, say what??

Can't imagine they are all that precise but what do I know?

Alas, 'tis true. Almost the entire thing is plastic, the actual jet is a bit of brass with a tiny hole drilled in it. Video below, the actual disassembly starts at 2:13.

So I cleaned it out yesterday afternoon/evening and it didn't seem to make much difference in the hard starting. It runs fine but still is hard starting when cold. Warm it starts fine. It turns out I needn't have bothered, a new one is $15 on Amazon so I put that on my list there and won't bother cleaning it again. Even the same one from Briggs and Stratton is only $35.

I did find out that carburetor cleaner will etch the lenses on the safety glasses I was wearing. I hate to think about what that stuff would have done to my corneas, not to mention the pain involved...

 

[athena53]

A good day. Just finished polishing my sermon for tonight (I'm a lay preacher, not ordained). Meeting a friend at our favorite Mexican restaurant first. Will skip the tequila.

I got rid of some small electronics (not worth selling on e-Bay) and two suction-cup shower grab bars as Free Stiff on Craigslist. DH used to joke that we could probably find all the stuff we listed at the local flea market. Fedex delivery of antique silver spoons from Mom's side of the family just arrived- I did NOT want that sitting on the porch. And I just found out my niece, almost 40 and with twin preteen girls, has just welcomed a new baby girl into the family- via surrogate. Not sure why the surrogate but I wish them well. I cannot imagine staring over with diapers and 3 AM feedings when your others are 11 years old.

 

[CO-guy]

I just returned home from a short solo trip, so we slept in as late as our dogs would allow this morning before slowly making our way to the ski resort to take a few runs. Conditions were variable with an inch or two of fresh powder, but we met up with some friends and the place was empty otherwise.

 

[Out of Steam]

I observed a crew take down a giant oak tree on my street. That thing was easily 50 feet tall and about as wide, growing up in a space about 20 feet wide between two neighbors' houses and branching out over both of them. It was also in the middle of the power lines. The operation involved a gigantic crane, a regular bucket truck, a super heavy duty grinder for the smaller branches, and a dump truck for the trunk and larger branches. There were about 8 guys in the total work crew.

About ten years ago, we paid for a similar project at our previous house for a tree hit by lightning, including a 100 foot crane. The cost was close to five figures then.

 

[Out of Steam]

Rebalanced DW 401k, long overdue with the market moves. Also burned old tax docs dating back to 2008.

March 31st is my annual date for counting up and rebalancing our retirement accounts. It has been a convenient date in that it doesn't require work right after the holidays, and it's after our taxes are filed.

Despite annual draws between 3.8 and 4.5% since late 2020, it should show that we have about 10% more than when I retired in 2019. I've been allowing our stock allocation to drift up, but won't go above 45% until I am drawing Social Security.

I also need to take on that burning/shredding project. When I was doing our taxes this year, I realized that we had tax returns back to the late 1990s.

 

[pacergal]

Yearly fasting lab work, so up and out early to be at the lab by 8 am.
Paid monthly bills.
Also need a hair cut, so waiting for the salon to call me back.

Lovely spring day today, so will get out for a walk later.

 

[street]

Just an absolutely beautiful day here also. I have had a mild sinus issue for a couple days so been getting thing done around home. Today I felt great so I pulled my pump of shed and is now ready to hook up someday soon. I checked water in shallow well pipe and have 10 feet of water so that is good. Fixed my bike with a different tire and put a tube in my wife's bike.

Eat lunch and headed to the ranch to spread some black plastic to plant pumpkins and squash. I then dug in a 4-inch pipe and buried it to the crick about 30 feet. I will place a 2-inch suction pipe inside that 4 inch so I can take water from the crick to water a test trail on Sainfoin a hay crop I may be seeding a larger field with, if test plot seems to do okay.
I finished the last piece of tin for the canopy in front of old shop building.

Tomorrow I will be heading to the high country for a day of hiking.