Let Sleeping Dogs Rant

[Chancy 6,241]

1 hour ago, TBoneTX said:

independent Filipina-Americans can (and should) go on their own

 

My fault really.  I've been putting off driver's ed, so I still only have my learner's permit.  And in our part of Louisiana, there are no sidewalks.  It's a death-defying adventure to walk between the highway and the ditch, even just to get to a couple of streets away from ours.

 

[TBoneTX 45,284]

2 hours ago, Chancy said:

I've been putting off driver's ed, so I still only have my learner's permit.

Hitch a canoe or pickup ride with a local Cajun, si C ma'am.

Impair-transportationed C ma'am!  Impair-transportationed, IMPAIR-TRANSPORTATIONED C ma'am!

2 hours ago, Chancy said:

And in our part of Louisiana, there are no sidewalks.

But, it's hoped, plenty of roadkill for din-din, si C ma'am!   

2 hours ago, Chancy said:

It's a death-defying adventure to walk between the highway and the ditch

Copy the Cajuns, si C ma'am.

Defy-deathing ditch-highwaying C ma'am!  Defy-deathing, DEFY-DEATHING ditch-highwaying DITCH-HIGHWAYING C ma'am!  

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Thrilling Monday report, see man:

 

We did not leave the casa all day, waste of shaving man.

 

Lunch was one nuked bag of mixed vegetables, ingest we man.

Din-din was several salami slices, leftover potato salad, a dinner roll, salted peanuts, and green grapes, ingest we man.

 

We are actually cleaning our casa, call the psychiatrists immediately man!

Mini-B. is too embarrassed to invite his little amigos over, super-sensitive wee man.

We are therefore decluttering the living room, more than halfway with it man.

Next comes the den, remove Mini-B.'s outgrown toys to avoid wee-man embarrassment man.

Miu is thoroughly double-checking our work, investigatory miu man.

 

We have e-mailed Mini-B.'s graid-skool librarian to see if she can accept donated books, first option man.

 

Sadly, we have decided that trying to put on a GS is too much, even if we had a helper man.  

 

Party with the rubias in a few hours, cavort we man.

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Living room is almost decluttered, except for donation boxes, industrious we man.

(Floor needs sweeping, need to call Hondureña maid we man.)

 

We were in & out of the cold A/C & outside heat, garbage man.

Once in, we blew our nose, blow off we man.

We were surprised to discover a moderately severe nosebleed, how did that happen man.

Blood pressure is Many/Many, about like this morning man.

Any ideas, huh man?

[mam521 2,062]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:53 PM, Neonred said:

Had to do the same thing about a year and a half ago.  Was searching for less expensive homeowners insurance and learned in our area most insurers won't insure a house with a 20+ year old water heater.  This was the original heater from when I had the house built.  Found that if I replaced the water heater I could save more than the cost of the replacement in the first year with the insurance company I wanted to use.  Off I went to Home Depot and picked up a 50 gallon water heater with wifi, as if anyone really needs one with wifi.

 

I've installed several water heaters in my life and now it is much easier than it used to be.  The first couple I did in the past were soldered copper.  This one was installed with the shark bite connections.  Easy peasy.

Went with tankless, on demand last year.  It's actually dropped the gas bill more than I imagined! 

 

On 6/19/2023 at 1:58 PM, Chancy said:

 

My fault really.  I've been putting off driver's ed, so I still only have my learner's permit.  And in our part of Louisiana, there are no sidewalks.  It's a death-defying adventure to walk between the highway and the ditch, even just to get to a couple of streets away from ours.

 

I feel this...especially after having returned from being overseas where pedestrians are a legitimate thing and you don't have to fear for your life when you cross the road!

[M+K IL 102]

28 minutes ago, mam521 said:

Went with tankless, on demand last year.  It's actually dropped the gas bill more than I imagined! 

Nice! We had a tankless one in our previous townhouse, bill was low (but we're not comparing apples to apples - it was a smaller house, in a different state, before energy prices shot up thanks to the war). It did take longer to get warm water though so in our current house we hesitated to switch back to tankless. Does yours warm up fast?

 

28 minutes ago, mam521 said:

I feel this...especially after having returned from being overseas where pedestrians are a legitimate thing and you don't have to fear for your life when you cross the road!

I feel that too. It can be scary the other way - the last time I took a cab in central London (carrying luggage otherwise I would not have) - I swear some pedestrians -- especially around pubs -- pretend cars don't exist and just blithely loiter on the street!

[mam521 2,062]

10 minutes ago, M+K IL said:

Nice! We had a tankless one in our previous townhouse, bill was low (but we're not comparing apples to apples - it was a smaller house, in a different state, before energy prices shot up thanks to the war). It did take longer to get warm water though so in our current house we hesitated to switch back to tankless. Does yours warm up fast?

 

I feel that too. It can be scary the other way - the last time I took a cab in central London (carrying luggage otherwise I would not have) - I swear some pedestrians -- especially around pubs -- pretend cars don't exist and just blithely loiter on the street!

It hasn't been too bad.  It's probably an extra minute or so.  We have a long run from the tankless unit to our master, which does take a minute to get up to temperature but it is all the way across the house and we are quite happy to enjoy the super hot water we get without any interruption.  Also, being in TX, the tank was in the attic above Kid2's room, so I'm not sad about the lessened potential for a tank drain/pan failure leaving upstairs or worse yet, the main floor soaked and water damaged.  The HVAC units in the attic and potential clogged drain lines are enough stress on their own!

 

Because I'm in TX, Texans are mostly unaware of what pedestrians are and will argue that pedestrians have no rights.  I still feel safer attempting to cross the road in rush hour in Kuala Lumpur than I do crossing the main road in my neighbourhood to get to the park!  

[M+K IL 102]

2 minutes ago, mam521 said:

Because I'm in TX, Texans are mostly unaware of what pedestrians are and will argue that pedestrians have no rights.  I still feel safer attempting to cross the road in rush hour in Kuala Lumpur than I do crossing the main road in my neighbourhood to get to the park!  

Having been to KL, but not yet to TX (apart from airport transits) - yikes!

[Neonred 3,562]

2 hours ago, mam521 said:

Went with tankless, on demand last year.  It's actually dropped the gas bill more than I imagined! 

 

Unfortunately we don't have gas here...

 

Except after my wife's bean soup.

[M+K IL 102]

20 minutes ago, Neonred said:

Unfortunately we don't have gas here

Electric? Firewood?

[TBoneTX 45,284]

2 hours ago, mam521 said:

Texans are mostly unaware of what pedestrians are and will argue that pedestrians have no rights

We have this bumper sticker, see mam ma'am:

SO MANY PEDESTRIANS... SO LITTLE TIME, SI MAN

2 hours ago, mam521 said:

dropped the gas bill

Warning:  Do not fart too close to the water heater, no man!

29 minutes ago, Neonred said:

we don't have gas here... Except after my wife's bean soup

https://redstate.com/alexparker/2022/06/09/new-zealand-proposes-a-tax-on-farts-n576854

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Thrilling Tuesday report, see man:

 

What a day, si man!

We went out Many (2+2) -- si man, Many (2+2) -- times today, si man.

 

Trip #1, see man:

     We took some donation items to favorite donation place, donate we man.

Lunch, just beforehand, was at #2 favorite Mexican restaurant, ingest we man.

Upon return to the casa, miu insisted on brushing, accommodate miu we man.

 

Trip #2, see man:

     We completely hosed our corpus by moving Many (2+1) boxes of books from casa to T-B.-mobile, hose we man.

These boxes were Many -- si man, Many -- pounds each, needed hand-cart and still had trouble man.

Of further complication, temperature outside was Many00 on thermometer and more by feels-like, sweat we man.

 

We had initially called Mini-B.'s old skool to see if the librarian wanted any, generous we man.

However, new librarian won't be on campus till mid-July, too late man.

We therefore took these books to Half-Price Books, nearby but dead-bodied we man.

Got books inside, struggle we man.

Our sweatband was wholly inadequate for its purpose, drenched we man.

A great many people were also selling books, wait and cool off we man.

 

Nice fellow conscientiously reviewed every book, impressive change from previous man.

He took seemingly Many% ([2x2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2]%), amazed we man.

We earned $Many.Many*, successful Bu$ine$$ Typhoon we man.

     *$(2x2x2x2x2 - 2+2+2).(2x2x2x2 +2), to be precise man

He even said that they would donate or recycle the rejects, no need to haul them off we man.

We felt better about this experience than previous ones, partially recovered but pained we man.

At casa, we beelined for medicine cabinet, daytime HSM ingest we man.

Miu insisted on another brushing, accommodate miu for second time we man.

 

Trip #Many, see man:

     H-PB was halfway to our bank, but we'd forgotten our (POTS) deposit, oh well man.

Took POTS deposit to bank, bank it we man.

Surprised staff immediately dropped all to roll out red carpet, successful Business Typhoon we man.

One damaged her back while bowing & scraping, genuflectory she man.

Our sweaty, pained self felt rejuvenated after this adulation, typical every time man.

Upon return to casa, miu insisted on yet another brushing, accommodate miu for Many'rd time we man.

 

At this point, we showered, great necessity man.

We were exhausted, out-wiped we man.

We tried to siesta for an hour, necessary zzz we man.

 

However, some idiot rang the doorbell, miserable vendor man.

Miu then very noisily announced that we needed to play with her feather-roller, supplied by loud miu man.

We still managed to get part of our siesta, rather refreshed man.

 

Trip #Many, see man:

     We realized that today was "our" discount day at favorite large thrift shop, realize we man.

Shop closed at Many o'clock, and it was already half-past Many, little time to waste man.

However, miu demanded play with feather-roller, accommodate miu we man.

Once downstairs, miu insisted on yet another brushing, accommodate miu for Many'th time we man.

Miu then lobbied very vocally for din-din, feed miu din-din we man.

 

We made it to thrift store in record time, merely Many (2x2x2x2) minutes man.

We got** Mini-B. Many (2x2x2) shirts, Many (2+2+2+1) underwears, & Many (2+2+2) pants, shop we man.

     **all on discount, financially savvy we man

 

Din-din was at Burger King*** on route from store to casa, ingest we man.

     ***WUOC, financially savvy we man

 

At the casa, miu insisted on yet another brushing, accommodate miu for Many'th time we man.

 

We detagged Mini-B.'s purchases and inventoried his clothes to swap out, eagle-eyed we man.

We shall take Many ([2 Manyzen - 2]) shirts and 2 Manyzen pants to kids' resale place**** on Wednesday, si man.

     ****this Business Typhoonery stuff is addictive, $i man

We also hope to out-clean the rest of the public downstairs for donation or trashing, mostly old toys man.

It is tiring yet productive to get tired being productive, sagely conclude we man.

 

Much HSM to be consumed tonight, need body transplant we man.

And we know what miu is angling for yet again, ultra-needy miu man.

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Thrilling Wednesday report, see man:

 

We are really getting into this decluttering, straitjacket needed NOW man.

 

Collected 2 more boxes of books, collect we man.

Some of these were ones just finished with Mini-B., imagine that man.

Took boxes to Half-Price Books, took aspirin first man.

Earned $Many ($2x2x2x2 + 2+2+2), $ucce$$ful Bu$ine$$ Typhoon we man.

 

Went straight from there to kids' resale shop, long time man.

They took fully half our stuff, glee for we man.

We earned $Many ($2x2x2x2 + 2+2+2+1), $ucce$$ful Bu$ine$$ Typhoon we man.

 

Thus, in 2 days, we earned $Many ($2x2x2x2x2x2 + 2+2+2+1), $ucce$$ful Bu$ine$$ Typhoon we man.

 

Lunch was onecan of beef stew, ingest we man.

Siesta'd for a nice hour, zzz we man.

 

Din-din was several salami slices + 1 slice of honey-wheat bread, ingest we man.

 

We contacted our Hondureña maid to come on Thursday, commit we man.

Therefore, this eve, we began decluttering the den, industrious we man.

   1.  We found Many (2+1) of Mini-B.'s winter coats on the sofa, so that's where they were man.

   2.  We compiled rejected clothes and old hand-towels for donation, aggregate we man.

   Many.  We found chocolate candy from last or the previous Hallowe'en, ingest as we type we man.

   Many.  We purged Mini-B.'s old toys, not as intimidating as we'd feared man.

   Many.  We found a couple of charger-cables that he'd lost track of, surely to-be-pleased wee man.

   Many.  We have emptied (and shall donate) a bunch of the infernal wicker baskets that then-Mrs.-T-B. insisted on collecting, good riddance finally man.

 

Miu has either slept through or supervised the decluttering, zzz or curious miu man.

 

We must now tackle the kitchen floor, declutter it too man.

We don't know where we'll store all the cleaning supplies, too many cans man.

 

Then will come the kitchen table & counter, comparative pieces of cake man.

 

With maid's help, we also plan to remove Many (si man, Many) artwork items (all very dusty) from man-cave and put them on living-room walls, our casa where no girl can tell us what to do man.

 

We are again reminded that positive activity dispels the blahs, reminded we man.

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Scintillating Wednesday repartee, yawn man.

-------

Thrilling Thursday report, see man:

 

We got to bed at half-past Many (2+1) a.m. this morning, furiously casa-cleaning we man.

The rubias, as usual, lifted no fingers to help, only partially useful rubias man.

 

The maid (a Nicaraguense, not an Hondureña) came right about on time, appear she man.

We told her that we wanted only downstairs help, si man.

She helped us carry Mexican artwork downstairs, remove from walls in our Executive Office we man.

 

She vacuumed the floor, and vacuumed the miu-hair from all furniture, voluminous man.

(This entire time, miu was inspecting and commenting on the goings-on, engaged miu man.)

She and we alternated putting up the art on the walls, not very particular she man.

('Twas still good to have a chica's positive input, rare these days man.)

She then vacuumed and mopped the floors, entire downstairs man.

She made minor suggestions about placing the furniture, mild-mannered she man.

She cleaned our kitchen countertop and rearranged stuff logically, good object-lesson but slight grrr man.

She left at 1 p.m. after 2 hours + half an hour, thorough job man.

 

Mini-B. should be very well pleased, now can invite little amigos over wee man.

Ex-Mrs.-T-B. may faint, poetic justice man.

 

Mama T-B. wonders why we have been so uncommunicative all week, little does senior she man know man.

We are being mysterious about this on purpose, might finally win a mind-game with senior she man we man.

 

Immediately after maid left, we took off to 2 donation places with packed T-B.-mobile, get rid of it man.

First place (our favorite small shop) was highly pleased with everything, grateful they man.

Second place, which accepts toys, had a sign "Leave your stuff on this cart," well thank you man.

We couldn't even get a donation receipt, grrrr man.

 

Lunch/din-din was at Wendy's across lot from second donation place, ravenous we man.

We tried their taco salad*, comes with large cup of chili and bag of cheaps man.

     *bought WUOC, financially savvy we man

 

After return to casa, showered, dusty/sweaty we man.

Took siesta, planned for just over an hour man.

We overslept by 1 hour + half an hour, keep slapping tap-nap exhausted we man.

 

We have another trunkful to donate to both places on Friday, as much as possible to first place man.

We also have a small bag of books to try to rid ourself of at Half-Price Books, not hopeful we man.

 

There is still more to do to straighten the casa, but the big stuff is done, amazing man.

 

We have itineraried Many (2+2+1) ESs for Friday, itinerary we man.

 

Party with the rubias commences later, cavort we man.

Edited June 23, 2023 by TBoneTX

[mam521 2,062]

Soooo....

 

Around 5:40pm Wednesday, I heard a loud hissing noise, kinda like you'd hear if a tire popped.  Opened the back door, thought it sounded like something at the neighbours.  Went back inside until a knock on the door a minute later from the neighbour.  He heard it too, but it was definitely in my yard.  The suction inlet on my one AC condenser units overpressured, the compressor blew up and the hissing was the refrigerant vacating the system.  Called my AC guy (who is awesome, by the way).  He sent his on call guy right out and yup, dead unit.  We'd have to wait until today to get a new unit. In the meantime, the upstairs AC unit was functioning fine and we had a portable unit in the garage that I pulled into the house to cool the master bedroom.  I grew up in a very frugal household because we had to stretch limited resources as far as possible, so I'm pretty good at managing resources when push comes to shove.  

 

Around 8pm, a BAD storm rolls in.  Hubs and I have to dart out and lay the 33gal pots of bamboo over so they didn't rip the string lights down.  Wind picks up and the lighting starts.  Power was flickering like mad and finally gave up the ghost.  Generator kicks in (ironically, the service company had just serviced the generator hours earlier).  Two very bright flashes were accompanied by instantaneous BANGS! and had struck very close by.  Kid2 comes down "what was that?!" "lightning striking really close" "oh...I don't like these kinds of storms.  I'm putting my headphones on!".  This lasted for a couple of hours.  We went outside with a couple of flashlights once it rolled through to survey whether we had damage.  Nope - couple of bigger branches and a bunch of leaves, but it's fine.  Pretty creepy though because there was no lights and only the hum of the generators for those of us that have them.  Came back inside and opened a bottle of wine, drank it and went to bed. 

 

Got up yesterday morning.  Still on generator power.  Thanking my lucky stars we saved and bought the generator at this point.  AC guy calls - we get bumped ahead because we have a source of power so he can install the new condenser unit and test, irrespective of grid power.  Cool.  As he arrives, grid power comes up (excellent).  They work away at it and turns out the unit the supplier sent is a dud.  So, we're another night with the little portable AC unit and upstairs AC.  The sweet part about this is its under warranty and we're getting a massive upgrade from a 16 seer, 2 stage unit to 23 seer, variable stage unit at no cost.  I'm thankful for that warranty, I'm thankful I kept my portable AC units and I am thankful Centerpoint was able to restore power to 348,000 homes.  It's pretty impressive given the circumstances.  

 

There is a section of our neighbourhood that still has no power this morning, unfortunately.  The temps are somewhere around 36°C/97°F but feels like 43°C/109°F outside in the afternoons and we're in a neighbourhood with LOTS of little kids.  The one transformer was badly damaged with it blowing it's top clean off and landing in someone's pool.  There's been trees that have fallen on houses, across roadways and snapped in half.  It's a bit of a mess but amazingly, the trash guys showed up to pick up regularly scheduled trash!  

 

Fingers crossed the linepeople are able to get the remaining outages fixed and people heed this as a precursor warning to prepare as we're in hurricane season and the Atlantic has already fired up some named storms.