Random stuff

[paco]

I $%@# hate plumbing. I want to sell this piece of &%$@ house and go back to living in an apartment.

[Ghost_Lombardi]

I $%@# hate plumbing. I want to sell this piece of &%$@ house and go back to living in an apartment.

Did the main back up or what??

[paco]

I $%@# hate plumbing. I want to sell this piece of &%$@ house and go back to living in an apartment.

Did the main back up or what??

No, not that I haven't had those issues too. Just have some big work coming and a lot of little stuff. Twice have tried to get 1 damn toilet to stop leaking from the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl. Going to buy a new gasket tomorrow and try for a 3rd.

I just hate home improvement stuff. It's not my thing. It frustrates me to no end. Not sure why I ever bought a house. I don't make enough to pay people to do everything for me and I don't want to do it.

[Trudge]

So I've been wondering, and I wouldn't but my dad said I should, the pick up response was messed up. First they let me wait for 12 hours before someone said "You know, we didn't check for a stroke." I don't know what was said the first time but I bet it was a hoot.

Guess I can't sue them because they're independent contractors and that saves then from something. BF004, something to keep in mind.

[Captain_Ben]

So I've been wondering, and I wouldn't but my dad said I should, the pick up response was messed up. First they let me wait for 12 hours before someone said "You know, we didn't check for a stroke." I don't know what was said the first time but I bet it was a hoot.

Guess I can't sue them because they're independent contractors and that saves then from something. BF004, something to keep in mind.

Is this in reference to ambulance operators?

[wallyuwl]

I $%@# hate plumbing. I want to sell this piece of &%$@ house and go back to living in an apartment.

Did the main back up or what??

No, not that I haven't had those issues too. Just have some big work coming and a lot of little stuff. Twice have tried to get 1 damn toilet to stop leaking from the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl. Going to buy a new gasket tomorrow and try for a 3rd.

I just hate home improvement stuff. It's not my thing. It frustrates me to no end. Not sure why I ever bought a house. I don't make enough to pay people to do everything for me and I don't want to do it.

Well, rents are skyrocketing and with a house on a fixed rate mortgage the price doesn't go up.

I hate plumbing, too. See above a little for my water in the basement situation that was just a clogged trap for the water softener drain. But took weeks to figure out the problem.

A month ago I replaced a leaky tank to bowl gasket, too. It was in bad shape. And the heads of two of the three bolts had rusted off, so getting the bolts out was fun. A $15 kit and a little elbow grease fixed the problem. But I had to go to the hardware store twice to make sure I had the right kit.

[paco]

Did the main back up or what??

No, not that I haven't had those issues too. Just have some big work coming and a lot of little stuff. Twice have tried to get 1 damn toilet to stop leaking from the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl. Going to buy a new gasket tomorrow and try for a 3rd.

I just hate home improvement stuff. It's not my thing. It frustrates me to no end. Not sure why I ever bought a house. I don't make enough to pay people to do everything for me and I don't want to do it.

Well, rents are skyrocketing and with a house on a fixed rate mortgage the price doesn't go up.

I hate plumbing, too. See above a little for my water in the basement situation that was just a clogged trap for the water softener drain. But took weeks to figure out the problem.

A month ago I replaced a leaky tank to bowl gasket, too. It was in bad shape. And the heads of two of the three bolts had rusted off, so getting the bolts out was fun. A $15 kit and a little elbow grease fixed the problem. But I had to go to the hardware store twice to make sure I had the right kit.

I fixed the bolt leak finally. But now the shut off valve is leaking. Probably going to require cutting pipe and this running a new one. Just going to ask a plumber to do it right.

They'll be coming tomorrow anyway to give a quote on replacing the water line from the street to the house, that the city is requiring me to do. Have a feeling it's going to cost a fortune. Old house and neighborhood means things weren't done with today's logic. Going to be a long run at minimum. Lot of yard or potentially driveway ripped up. I don't know really know. Hoping I'm wrong and what the city will cover takes care of most of it.

[Trudge]

So I've been wondering, and I wouldn't but my dad said I should, the pick up response was messed up. First they let me wait for 12 hours before someone said "You know, we didn't check for a stroke." I don't know what was said the first time but I bet it was a hoot.

Guess I can't sue them because they're independent contractors and that saves then from something. BF004, something to keep in mind.

Is this in reference to ambulance operators?

Yep.

[paco]

Big time relief after the plumber left. Expectation is the cost will be covered by what the city will provide. So no out of pocket cost. Wheels in motion to get that done.

Still need them to come back and give me a quote on some other work, but that's minor compared to the other thing.

[Captain_Ben]

Can anyone recommend a good car/truck?

I need something low maintenance and durable. I drive about 100 miles in a typical day, most of the time on Los Angeles roads and highways that are ridden with potholes which often are unavoidable. So in order of importance, I would put durability at #1. Fuel efficiency is important but being able to deduct fuel costs as a business expense does give me some flexibility there.

I used to have a Toyota Tacoma and loved everything except that the seats weren't very comfortable at times. I'm strongly considering going back to a truck, but am open to anything.

[wallyuwl]

Can anyone recommend a good car/truck?

I need something low maintenance and durable. I drive about 100 miles in a typical day, most of the time on Los Angeles roads and highways that are ridden with potholes which often are unavoidable. So in order of importance, I would put durability at #1. Fuel efficiency is important but being able to deduct fuel costs as a business expense does give me some flexibility there.

I used to have a Toyota Tacoma and loved everything except that the seats weren't very comfortable at times. I'm strongly considering going back to a truck, but am open to anything.

Too little info to make a good recommendation. Why do you need it? Any hauling or towing? What size are you looking for? What is your budget purchase price (leasing is probably not an option with that many miles).

If you can deduct gas and presumably also vehicle cost as a business expense and therefore can buy new or nearly new, and sticking with your preference for a truck, I strongly suggest looking at the GM or RAM diesel offerings in their half ton pickups. If you go RAM there is a dealer in Louisiana that I know of tons of people have gotten great prices (even in this market), and they will ship.

[wallyuwl]

I feel like we stopped paying attention to the murder hornets too quickly before moving on to the spiders.

https://katiecouric.com/news/joro-spiders-east-coast/

[Captain_Ben]

Can anyone recommend a good car/truck?

I need something low maintenance and durable. I drive about 100 miles in a typical day, most of the time on Los Angeles roads and highways that are ridden with potholes which often are unavoidable. So in order of importance, I would put durability at #1. Fuel efficiency is important but being able to deduct fuel costs as a business expense does give me some flexibility there.

I used to have a Toyota Tacoma and loved everything except that the seats weren't very comfortable at times. I'm strongly considering going back to a truck, but am open to anything.

Too little info to make a good recommendation. Why do you need it? Any hauling or towing? What size are you looking for? What is your budget purchase price (leasing is probably not an option with that many miles).

If you can deduct gas and presumably also vehicle cost as a business expense and therefore can buy new or nearly new, and sticking with your preference for a truck, I strongly suggest looking at the GM or RAM diesel offerings in their half ton pickups. If you go RAM there is a dealer in Louisiana that I know of tons of people have gotten great prices (even in this market), and they will ship.

I won't be hauling or towing anything. I'm interested in a truck primarily because of durability. I'm tired of having to be so careful every time I drive over railroad tracks or through a bumpy section of road. I've been driving an Audi A3 for about 3 years. I like it, but it's just too fragile. Too many mechanical issues because of hitting potholes, etc..

It's also easier to put my surfboard in the back of a truck than it is to strap to the roof of a car.

The GM's and RAM's are actually way more affordable than I expected.

Do you have any opposition to Ford? The XL seems like it could be a good fit.

[wallyuwl]

The GM's and RAM's are actually way more affordable than I expected.

Do you have any opposition to Ford? The XL seems like it could be a good fit.

A truck is the way to go based on what you said. By durability I thought you meant what most people mean by reliability.

I don't like Ford trucks, or any Fords currently. We had two Fords until a year and a half ago, now a RAM and Highlander. I had a 2018 F150 XLT and had quite a few problems. Most of those have been fixed in subsequent years but it turned me off the brand. I also think they overpriced their trucks. 2015+ are mostly the same truck except different styling/options and evolved powertrains. Pretty sure no diesel in F150 and HD is like riding on rocks *and you don't need to tow).

I got a 2020 Ram 1500 Laramie a year and a half ago. Great truck so far. Rides much better than the F150 because if not having leaf spring rear end (GM has leaf spring, too). F150 was jumpy on the highway with pot holes or bumps (aluminum too light). I actually put different shocks on (which helped a fair amount). RAM is the best value.

The standard GM 5.3l v8 with the 8 speed is trash. But it seems their diesel is good, and only $1000 upcharge last I knew. RAM is still a $5000 upcharge for their gen 3 diesel I think (which has been more reliable than gen 1 or 2). GM has an upgraded interior for 2022 but IMO RAM is still nicer. I would suggest diesel with your miles for fuel cost and diesels last a while longer typically.

[paco]

A bit late as we'll probably be going tomorrow, but for anyone who are not slaves to that fruit company... Any suggestions on new Android phones? Seems to essentially be between the Samsung S22 models or the Google Pixl 6.

Wife needs a new phone. Not looking for anything folding or massive. I've got the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and its way too big for her. Anything current is going to do what she wants it to do.

She's had LG's to date, but those have gotten crappy. Only requirements from her seem to be, not as big as mine and a good battery.

[Ghost_Lombardi]

A bit late as we'll probably be going tomorrow, but for anyone who are not slaves to that fruit company... Any suggestions on new Android phones? Seems to essentially be between the Samsung S22 models or the Google Pixl 6.

Wife needs a new phone. Not looking for anything folding or massive. I've got the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and its way too big for her. Anything current is going to do what she wants it to do.

She's had LG's to date, but those have gotten crappy. Only requirements from her seem to be, not as big as mine and a good battery.

Motorola Moto E. $99. Ting.

I'm cheap as $%@# when it comes to phones.

[wallyuwl]

A bit late as we'll probably be going tomorrow, but for anyone who are not slaves to that fruit company... Any suggestions on new Android phones? Seems to essentially be between the Samsung S22 models or the Google Pixl 6.

Wife needs a new phone. Not looking for anything folding or massive. I've got the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and its way too big for her. Anything current is going to do what she wants it to do.

She's had LG's to date, but those have gotten crappy. Only requirements from her seem to be, not as big as mine and a good battery.

Even the $200-$300 Motorola Android phones are pretty good nowadays. Just don't have wireless charging (most). Go look at them at Target or Best Buy. These typically aren't tied to a specific carrier.

[salmar80]

A bit late as we'll probably be going tomorrow, but for anyone who are not slaves to that fruit company... Any suggestions on new Android phones? Seems to essentially be between the Samsung S22 models or the Google Pixl 6.

Wife needs a new phone. Not looking for anything folding or massive. I've got the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and its way too big for her. Anything current is going to do what she wants it to do.

She's had LG's to date, but those have gotten crappy. Only requirements from her seem to be, not as big as mine and a good battery.

S22 is nice sized at 6,1'', and it's a fine piece of tech. Pixel 6 is a bit bigger at 6,4'', but I want one since it has the best camera sensors - Samsungs "cheat" a lot when taking pictures, while Pixel 6 actually captures more light. Samsung's photos, especially ones taken in low light, look artificial when viewed in bigger size.

[paco]

A bit late as we'll probably be going tomorrow, but for anyone who are not slaves to that fruit company... Any suggestions on new Android phones? Seems to essentially be between the Samsung S22 models or the Google Pixl 6.

Wife needs a new phone. Not looking for anything folding or massive. I've got the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and its way too big for her. Anything current is going to do what she wants it to do.

She's had LG's to date, but those have gotten crappy. Only requirements from her seem to be, not as big as mine and a good battery.

S22 is nice sized at 6,1'', and it's a fine piece of tech. Pixel 6 is a bit bigger at 6,4'', but I want one since it has the best camera sensors - Samsungs "cheat" a lot when taking pictures, while Pixel 6 actually captures more light. Samsung's photos, especially ones taken in low light, look artificial when viewed in bigger size.

Yeah, I think she'd like the Google better for that. But I don't think my carrier has them right now. Will find out in a few hours.

My wife stresses with this stuff and she won't want to buy something elsewhere and then put it on our network. Just how she is. So we'll probably end up getting the S22.

She actually said this morning that mine should be fine size wise. But don't think we'll be getting an ultra anytime soon.

[salmar80]

A bit late as we'll probably be going tomorrow, but for anyone who are not slaves to that fruit company... Any suggestions on new Android phones? Seems to essentially be between the Samsung S22 models or the Google Pixl 6.

Wife needs a new phone. Not looking for anything folding or massive. I've got the Samsung Galaxy S10+ and its way too big for her. Anything current is going to do what she wants it to do.

She's had LG's to date, but those have gotten crappy. Only requirements from her seem to be, not as big as mine and a good battery.

S22 is nice sized at 6,1'', and it's a fine piece of tech. Pixel 6 is a bit bigger at 6,4'', but I want one since it has the best camera sensors - Samsungs "cheat" a lot when taking pictures, while Pixel 6 actually captures more light. Samsung's photos, especially ones taken in low light, look artificial when viewed in bigger size.

Yeah, I think she'd like the Google better for that. But I don't think my carrier has them right now. Will find out in a few hours.

My wife stresses with this stuff and she won't want to buy something elsewhere and then put it on our network. Just how she is. So we'll probably end up getting the S22.

She actually said this morning that mine should be fine size wise. But don't think we'll be getting an ultra anytime soon.

The "basic" S22 is exactly new iPhone -sized. I think the "superior" versions just add screen size to make 'em unusable without holding them in both hands, and add some cool-sounding unnecessary bells and whistles - no need for them. With Samsungs, spend 2 hours removing all the Samsung software things off it, and it's a fine phone.

Google really has blown the availability of their phones. I woulda paid several hundred more for theirs than the one I now have, if it were available in my country at the time.

In a generation or two, foldable screens may become options, but not yet.