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Costco does phenomenal trade selling gasoline. I’m fortunate in my travels to have an independent with very low pricing… the tankers arrive daily including Sunday. Often 50 to 70 cents less per gallon than the majors and same price cash or credit.

33 years without a cancelled surgery due to engineering/facility. That changed when one 1995 steam boiler was down for scheduled service and the second went down… no steam, no steam sterilizing… several patients cancelled that afternoon. Root cause… aging equipment with capital expenditures on...

Change phone numbers along with moving will solve that… actually common in California to retire and relocate. When mom retired as charge RN at 62 they gave her a great send off… About 6 months later she was asked if she would be interested in coming back part time… mom said she didn’t think...

I see this as the new normal… also cutting back on stock of spare parts to maintain high reliability. Just in Time Supply Chain crashed and burned during the pandemic. Will your friend retire as planned. Yesterday I mentioned to my Admin that it might be wise to bring someone in for when I’m...

On the clock it’s rarely more than 65 hour weeks… but it’s seldom predictable which is the problem… Property management fills in the rest… like last night… family came home from a weeks vacation to no hot water… replaced the thermopile and good to go… everyone happy. I try to keep a little of...

Sadly I know people that retire and die…. 40 years on the job often is who you are. My retired military friend are still called by their rank like gunny, captain, commander… just like retired doctors and judges and clergy. I’ve found that the option to comfortably retire changes everything...

What are your thoughts on retiring early? Younger brothers semi retired and all elders except mom worked until they passed away… the farming side wouldn’t have it any other way and the business side had too many years making a go of it to close the doors. Middle brother retired at 58 to enjoy...

In my current home the only furnishings I bought are the mattress and sheets. The family was downsizing and I said leave whatever you want… I gave a 90 day no cost rent back to make the deal happen. Ended up with a nice dining table for 10 with pads, hutch, entertainment center, sofa...

My brothers new favorite saying is “It’s later than you think” I excel at deferred gratification… work today for tomorrow, build a nest egg… etc. I also know first hand that a family with nothing can live well given the myriad of government programs. Example… live 25 years in a neighbors of...

Maybe arrive early and fall asleep waiting? One eye Doctor is notorious for having his patients arrive super early and the they wait… he says it’s to give them time to not rush and settle… I think it’s so he has 20 patients in place ready for surgery.

Not unusual for BP to cancel outpatient procedure. The number 1 cancellation cause is still eating before surgery… Nurses are trickery… as they walk the patient back they casually say what did you have to eat today? Most recoil but several times each week someone says toast, coffee, etc.

Makes a difference when just about everyone around experienced war and the Depression being self employed scrapping to make ends meet. It’s amazing what our society throws away… see it as a property manager. Section 8 families with this years Christmas gifts in the Dumpster… bikes with the...

Repair instead of Replace Maintain to Extend service life Do my own lawn and garden Never had cable… avoid monthly fees and subscriptions. Still use a 45 year old TV Still use appliance from the 60’s Drive the same $800 car from high school 20 years daily and still have it. Gladly accept hand me...

California has Lemon Law for consumer products not limited to only cars… The distinction often comes down to business or consumer use… In California, remedies for defective tractors can involve various legal avenues, depending on the specifics of the situation, such as the intended use of the...

https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/magnuson-moss-warranty-federal-trade-commission-improvements-act

It is surprising because it’s rather new for utility crews and news crews to be attacked… Utility lineman not exactly pushovers. In all honestly 2019 was one of the best years here… new businesses, renovations, openings… the complaint was gentrification… go figure. Then the pandemic and the...

Can you go forward with a Lemon Law Case or Magnuson Moss Federal Case? Sometimes the only way to get attention is by serving them…

I know too many that had very nice LG refrigerators… they really liked the function and style but what good is function/style when compressors fail?

I built a small one to level out a very small ravine as I had stones onsite and some excavation dirt… Nothing has moved in 20 years and all drystacked as a retaining wall… Thought was a level area suitable for a pony or horse?

Not with Starlink but with cellar data it’s dropping 10-40 seconds and repopulating. Started about 10 days ago with Verizon and T-Mobile. Wouldn’t surprise me to experience area wide outages when least expected…

Nice pair of stones

Neighbor Vivian passed at 106 and survived two pandemics… At 102 she was still baking her sons favorite cake to send over every week and lived in her own home. I’ve never been to a funeral of a 84 year old where the deceased mother rose to speak and you could hear a pin drop… said the best son...

Honest to gosh the PGE utility crews here have off duty uniformed police officers standing by… not directing traffic and only there to prevent robbery. Crews were getting robbed at gunpoint so they started refusing to go certain places and union backed them. Same for Bay Area news crews… The...

It use to be Japan was suspect… Have a few $49 Goldstar counter top refrigerators going strong from the 80’s I wish LG had the same reliability.

Weekly I check critical areas and not so much anymore but I would find heating devices such as patient bed warmers plugged into Red Backup Generator Hospital Grade Outlets and patient monitors plugged into non Backup Hospital Outlets.

Yes and annual reporting with documentation and random onsite audits plus a $800 annual licensing fee to the Air Management District. Strict cap on exercise and testing hours. For years weekly exercise was policy but now only monthly to comply with air district. Works out to oil and filters...

Hospital Standby Generator to the rescue.

Many were stolen but mine was behind a locked gate and chained with heavy chain… It is always a concern.

I was only offering assistance but it proved my effort was for naught… At moms address my Honda 5000 kept the refrigerators going at 4 homes at the end of the cuddle sack plus a outlet for a light or two… Moms then 93 year old neighbor took charge… he made a schedule, coupled and decoupled the...

This project install started June of last year… all time off and leaves canceled pending reliable HVAC in place… I’m holding a substantial sum pending completion. The inside the unit wiring is a almost a rats nest as jumpers needed to function are in place while waiting on the new circuit board.

I was pushing for 7 package units but the cost was higher and projected time frame longer. Also a lot of work would be required inside the sterile areas, new circuits, load calculations, more items to maintain, etc. We had a very good run of 30 years with the original built up unit with the...

The inside the unit factory breakers stamped made in China and they have never tripped…

It was my spare 3500 Companion that is easy to start and easy on fuel. Pulled the refrigerator out enough to plug it into my new 50’ 12ga extension cord… so refrigerator good.

During last summers public safety power outrageous my renter who is head of HR for a 1200 employee company panicked… she said what are we going to do and asked if I had a generator. I did so I brought it over and showed her how simple it is to use… After the event I asked her how it went and...

The family did not speak English and from Vietnam… I imagine cooking in the home country may be in well ventilated semi open kitchens?

I have spares for every fuse in the building in many formats from euro style to cartridge plus spare circuit breakers. I only keep 3 of the TRS125R on hand since the only application is this unit… never needed to use one in 30 years. I keep the 3 spares on the roof in the unit control cabinet...

Tragic story of a family that ran a generator in the home because they did not have long enough extension cords but the generator kept shutting down so was of no use. They brought the charcoal grill inside to cook and add warmth… people died from charcoal used indoors.

With my luck I will hold onto it so long demand evaporates. I understand 410a is getting pricey… The new built up unit takes many jugs to charge both circuits.. A nearby study found 8 of 61 Schrader valves leaking… I felt bad for the contractor having to replace all the lost refrigerant plus...

Is it gasoline powered? I’m still running moms avocado green kenmore 90 series washer dryer pair from the late 60’s and her Amana freezer same era… and happy about it!

I bought a jug of R22 years ago for the one place I own with central A/C… my HVAC retired friend passed away and his sons were having an estate sale and they had it still in the box…

Well they got traction saying banks lent buyers money when they should not have and then the buyer said it’s bank fault for making the loan and take your house back. Honest truth… remember the redlining settlements that opened the floodgates to loans to everyone… Have a heartbeat get a...

ARC fault are soon becoming a new problem for landlords… they don’t like older vacuum cleaners… at least twice now for me. The people that dream this stuff up should be forced to do a year of field service first.

In the old days I would often buy water heaters and in a cloth bag would be the jet for propane if natural gas or natural gas if propane. Now it’s not supposed be field modified is what I was told. I had a sealed A.O. Smith unit where the manufacturer came out so many times the manufacturer...

Many of the safety enhancements to overcome poor judgement affect reliability and a headache for residential property managers. I’ve had too many no power calls with GFCI circuits and each one was on tenant… defective vacuum, lamp, refrigerator… the GFCI was doing its thing but it became my...

Lost TV twice at moms to utility power surge… I had it on a good UPS but the beeping when power was out of spec bothered her… so I took it away.

A builder friend sold a spec home he built and it had multiple offers… he was floored at the bidding. Anyway… not too long later the market cratered and a lawsuit was filed… buyers said pressured… buyers also had a punch list of defects… like 2 windows had fogged, house numbers not of required...

The idea was to relocate… In 2005 my hospital was being sold and my job was to be outsourced. I took this as a signal to make my move. A class action lawsuit between the county and the buyer stopped the sale cold and my job was safe but I had just bought the home… I’ve had several excellent...

Now generators have CO detectors… because common sense not common?

It’s possible but now I’m not paying for the power… I don’t know what to expect when I have boots on the ground… The previous renter went full eviction and really trashed everything… would not vacate until the Sheriff put him out… only paid rent for 3 months and then 7 not paying… the trash...

All indications point to someone required to be onsite to take a deep dive. At least with the service off the monthly bills in the hundreds of dollars have abated to zero. One thing I was always cautious about is turning off the breakers for the well when away. With 17 acres to cover the...

Lots to do on my list for August… I will be bringing my meters to check for usage. It’s the only time I have had a power meter that is not direct 1 for 1 reading. PSE has my meter set up with a 80 multiplier so the meter registers 1/80 of actual usage. In other words electricity used does...

Yep… I’m very comfortable around analog equipment up into the 90’s but everything today is laden with circuit boards and proprietary software… Only 2 things would shut down the old 50 ton unit… low oil or no power. The new unit has 2 full pages of trouble and alarm codes…

At work I swear the place functions on coffee and Diet Coke for over 30 years. House coffee is Folgers. Over the last year the volume of Diet Coke is being replaced by Diet Dr. Pepper I don’t drink coffee or Diet Coke. I find Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi intolerable. If I have soda it has to be...

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/trump-wants-coca-cola-to-bring-back-real-cane-sugar-in-the-us-but-is-it-really-better-than-high-fructose-corn-syrup-215659457.html

I’m starting to hear trades grumbling attributing failures to supply chain issues affected by pandemic.

My grandfather would plan using the Old Farmer’s Almanac… What do you guys use for advance planning? https://www.almanac.com/weather/longrange

Been a rough month for my HVAC contractor on the job. The new Carrier 50 ton condensing unit went in ok as did the 12,500 cfm air handler and new reheat hot water boiler and pumps. Thought all was good but under warranty had to replace one of the four compressors, control circuit board and...

Friend in the business gets service calls unit down and some are because of the disconnect. I couldn’t remove the meter at a vacant rent house so I had service turned off… $600 electric for a vacant home with not a clue on my end… property manager said nothing was on except refrigerator. I...

One very popular strategy in a sellers market in the SF Bay Area is to list below and the buyers will bid it up… seen it so many times and often the sale price is a new high for the area.

When I sold a home to a young couple they were thrilled I offered to show them features like how the sprinklers were set up, how to light the furnace pilot and give them manuals for the appliances, etc… 5 years later they still forwarded the occasional letter and very happy I introduced them to...

It’s like so many code changes… Ive lived in knob and tube, no ground, no GFCI, no Arc Fault and no circuit breaker homes and survived and the value of the home went from the 50k I paid in the 1980’s to 500k when I sold it… heck… still had the original 1920 high leg stove and single pane double...

Are Meters Locked down with steel ring and keyed lock typical where you are. The days of just a lead seal or snap plastic seal have been superseded with armor. I’ve seen multifamily where the fire department just cuts the two hots from the aerial because it faster than dealing with a dozen meters.

Several with cars totaled or not recovered were given the option to find a replacement and insurance paid. I met a guy at Toyota… his 75 year old mother’s 95 Camry, garage kept with 19,000 miles was stolen… insurance offered not so much but when contested offered the option to find another and...

My standard old 950 to 1200 square feet home upgrade consists of a weather head and combo exterior meter base and circuit breakers… and then the old 30 amp panel becomes a sub-panel. Plus the ground rod and add bonding and GFCI where required. Often the request is electric dryer driven and...

This is an ongoing problem I have encountered with tenants and criminals in the city are known to flip outside breakers to get someone out of the house. With tenants it’s been a disgruntled boy or girlfriend the most often. Locking is not much of a deterrent as bending a few times often enough...

It would seem cost effective to use combo panels.

Very common in California and especially for Service Upgrades The combo meter base with service disconnect and 20 to 40 circuit breakers all in the same box. In mountain vacation communities it is or was common to use living trees to run neighborhood utility lines… no need for utility poles...

I do the parking cone funnel at work for the diesel generators… can’t spill a drop because spills trigger reporting and mitigation.

Lighting Strike or Aluminum Alloy Buss Bar mega fail?

Sounds like the 1855 out buildings and barn at the ranch… all strung overhead… the breaker is never left on unattended… only flipped on if checking livestock at night.

Seen Copper Pennies used… I pulled one out and it was war time steel penny… My guess is fuses not available with war time rationing and war effort production? Picture below is identical to the service main I removed when I did a 100 amp 240 volt service upgrade What I found interesting is...

Edison Glass Fuses that were 4 for a $1.50 are $15 a box at the local hardware. The push button replacement are very convenient and possibly economical. I have some very old take apart glass Bakelite fuses with replacement strips… if it blows just unscrew and replace. Americans… especially...

One of the nurses I work with is from Indonesia… she married in California and they have a daughter… I attended the wedding and only her aunt with a Belgium passport could attend from her family. Her parents dreamed of seeing where her daughter lived and meeting the American family… several...

We also only have self checkout except for the return desk, garden and contractor desks… at least it’s been this way but I heard there might be a law mandating a minimum ratio of cashiers to self checkout?

When I cancelled my Philippine trip over safety concerns I can’t help but thinking I may have over reacted. The people telling me not to go are hospital co-workers from the Philippines… I finally said ok… I will cancel and just stay home in East Oakland California where I know I am safe! The...

Interesting… even homes tracts from the 1960’s have circuit breaker main with breakers for stove and oven and sub-panel. Sub-panel in the back of the coat closet are 6 or 8 glass fuses. Almost every 1950-60’s home around here has Federal with the split main so turning off power requires...

5 to 10k annual residential home owners policy premiums are becoming the norm and you learn not question as options may not exist… Several of my friends have gone naked with no insurance or only a liability policy… 12k annually for a 3,000 feet 1970’s home and a 2500 square feet shop is what...

We have the opposite near my WA place… a small gas station with general store with a little bit of everything… The folks are so nice… even letting oversized parcels be dropped off and offer free coffee that the locals really support it… gas is 10 cents a gallon more but keeps me from driving...

Several Bay Area cities already have this and it applies to vacant lots and residential in addition to vacant commercial. I truly find it insidious… like kicking someone when there down and going through this now… Since 1942 a property was auto sales with office and detail area, etc. 100%...

Yep… corporate relocations out of state is a big deal… Also a lot of vacant retail here from fast food, grocery stores, CVS, Walgreens, banks, auto parts and strip malls. The smaller operators that got hit hard during years of pandemic often folded. Large retail chains closed profitable...

That’s the one and they have been around for decades… and not always made overseas. Last inspection I had to install safety fuses that will not accept a larger size fuse… I have seen homes where every circuit had a 30 amp fuse where most should have had 15 amp.

I have an old Clinton engine and the fuel bowl has a spring loaded plunger making it easy to drain… Seen drains on the wings of small planes too. I dread how many bad carbs I will find around here with all the equipment stored. I do believe a cool even temperature year round is a plus… Lots...

Many of my old cars have fuel shutoff valves.

Now only for 15 and 20 amp circuits… The 30 amp were regulated out of existence…

We rarely upgrade… Some of the older neighborhood have service upgrades on hold because the 1920 poles and wires are maxed. I can show you 1920 single family 3 bedroom homes selling for 500k with untouched 1920 30 amp electric service. I have lived in several and never an issue… washer...

Yep… who would have thought having a claim free history would be a negative. So far I have maxed deductibles to help… some are now 10k.

I have not… 1031 the property in 2019 for commercial… I admit to being about 5-6 years behind most things new…

Eight Fuse Box in the 1940 home and twin 60 amp pull out cartridge fuse main…

I’ve been with Farmers for decades with local agent and all was good… This year all 7 current policies non renewed citing departure from my market :-(

Often I find very old junction boxes too small to properly fit a GFCI… I had a sink countertop outlet in a rented home… the pre move Section 8 inspection listed a single deficiency… non GFCI receptacle at sink counter. This was all tiled in and the box was much too small for any GFCI and the...

Probably no ground in sight… run into this a lot in older neighborhoods in the city. That said I was required to install GFCI in bathrooms with the original knob and tube.

Probably using as a parts gopher?

Bypassing Meter? I’ve seen 400 amp service with stepdown transformer direct to inside panel with a small cable tap to a meter mounted outside… always makes me suspicious if truly accurate? All my installs are weatherhead to meter then panel… pull meter no power to panel.

Sure is Purdy…

Many of my purchases and several of my sales occurred without brokerage or agents… I did have one where the seller called a Realtor friend that charged 1% to Shepard the deal and actually helped me greatly by making one change to the purchase agreement regarding rent back if not vacated after...

Sometimes the middlemen can kill a deal or even work against it if they have ulterior motives like selling to a friend. I bought a home that I could not get a viewing… contacted the estate and said such and the doors opened. Another home the week of closing with everything in the sellers...

A friend joked at a Casino and was promptly met by security who escorted him to a private room for about 15 minutes… The cashier was looking at them and he said just printed this morning.

I’ve never worked in a traditional job where tipping was the norm except as a car hop during high school for country club events… It was easy work and the chef always prepared plates for the boys… Never expected anything and even declined at times but when forced I graciously accepted. Best...

A good friend works for a redwood logging outfit hauling… It took him a very long time to get the rig he wanted because of the extreme terrain and loads… often just a rough trail at best. I believe his current set up is ex Utility and low hours… the big problem is he must repower or the truck...

I got fined by HOA for late pay of assessment… the neighborhood big USPS mailbox was stolen… only the feet remain below where it was cut off. HOA wouldn’t budge and my replacement check had UCC verbiage check tendered as payment in full and HOA cashed it… open and shut in Court for the $60 late...

Zero hours and 7 hours would raise at least a question in my mind. Everyone agreeing to cancel the transaction seems to be the best outcome. At the car dealership management was very strict with the new inventory… used inventory no problem making a parts run or going to pick up something to...

A car collector friend did a special order and contract said less than 4 miles at the time of delivery… He went to pick up his new special order and it had 237 miles… salesperson took it home over the weekend… Situation got ugly and a significant accommodation made…

I bought a used CAT D3 from dealer and dealer called saying delivery is delayed??? Did a little investigating and found they rented my machine for 2 days… Looked up the rental rate and said need to refund to me… dealer said sounds fair… then I said I want 30 days to return if there is a...

Surcharges… Utility for eateries like fuel for Field Service then add City Imposed Fees… This is how the $20 combo is calculated.

I remember grandfather’s dairy farm nothing was more important than haying except milking…

They meter it…

When I bought my first got a great rate of 13.5% As rates drop so did the interest plus appreciation really took off. My friends said they would never own but somehow they did and now their kids say the same…

Friends sold their 650k home 1000 square feet California home and bought a home on a couple of acres at the same time in Alabama… He has lots of family there… she not so happy… with the lower home price came lower wages…

Only when you can cash out and relocate to a less expensive area…

Is it difficult to replace? So many of my friends and family can only get insurance from the very expensive State plan which has limited coverage.

Ask Oakland CA where the Raiders and Golden State Warriors have sellout crowds… they wanted a new stadium and when not forthcoming left. Athletics also left and now play at a minor league community field. It’s ironic in the case of the Raiders because the residents of Oakland are stuck with...

Did know such existed… had vandals or kids turn on every backyard hydrant over a weekend before discovered at a vacant but ready rent house. Water company adjusted the bill downward when I provided a police report…

Easy… do a search of a topic and find thread and add to it… I’m surprised there are not more especially when it comes to trouble shooting because a search may yield multiple threads for the same issue…

Europe has long been manufacturing hay equipment and a way of life for so many family dairy farms…

I’m calling it and taking down my two feeders as this is the second year with no action after many years I was refilling every 2 to 3 days.

Just for curiosity I looked up childhood tract home folks bought new for 16,500 Dec 1959. At current value it’s at a million dollars… boggles the mind… 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1100 square feet.

Mine used similar except leather…

I’m in a conundrum regarding a property I bought with my 2 brothers in 1985 for 50k… one said yesterday sell or cash him out… doesn’t want his wife or adult kids stuck with income property…. If I cash him out he is looking at 175k and it will trigger a huge property tax increase based on change...

It happens a lot… Same happened with a retired couple in my area they bought a bank foreclosure for 800k and said how happy they were in the place and making it their own… had painters in and out and 30 months later said it was too big and flipped it for 1.2m They moved to Oregon to downsize...

Longevity is good… I always TBN search a topic preferring to build on existing thread.

Currently I use marginal cellular data since ATT dropped my DSL. The reason I say marginal is signal drops depending on where I am in the house. I’m thinking about adding fiber… and would bring the old family phone number to my place… I understand many of these services are portable as long...

The coastal Mediterranean climate of the Bay Area is the best I have ever found… That said I could get use to the climate on the Big Island Hawaii at elevation… a home I looked at had 76 year round temp… with fantastic views. With the defacto mandate of heat pumps in much of the Bay Area heat...

My Kubota has a sight glass to check fill level.

Thanks for the tip. I will need to see if I can port over my existing number. Magic Jack reviews show some issues but I think it also has the lowest annual cost to keep a phone number active… Open to all suggestions.

I think it’s the least expensive way to keep the phone alive… cell reception is the pits both at the folks place, my home and Washington place… for some reason it’s a common theme for me. With both parents deceased call me sentimental… lots of calls the first 6 months or so… not so many now…...

Hospital is 2 blocks to Central Office… DSL was fantastic and a $20 month add on… never once ever went down but alas no more. I live in another city and same central office..

Except for legacy fax’s and UL Fire the entire hospital is VOIP 10k monthly phone cost now $1800 including dedicated ATT fiber

I’ve kept the folks ATT landline going for the occasional call from a relative or friend… they had the number since 1960’s. At $90 per month with virtually no calls placed my thought is to transfer the number to Magic Jack and keep the number alive. Any thoughts pro or con… Some places I go...

https://www.stihlproline.ca/en/landscaping/revolutionary-4-mix-technology#:~:text=As%20such%2C%20it%20must%20be,any%20angle%2C%20even%20upside%20down. Maybe an end run around 2-Stroke bans?

It was quite a buildup to last night and last night was full on fireworks from as far as one could see… boy was it loud plus provided cover for lots of side show activity. If anyone needs an example of law breaking on full display… look no further.

Or wait until after the next wind event?

Same here…not a single person and this included the few I knew in Concord and Walnut Creek… Much of the SF Bay Area has as near a perfect as perfect can be mild climate… thus so many older single family homes remain with the original 30 amp 120 volt service… I posted before about a 3 unit...

I had a day like that last month…

Sounds like wind storms required to improve safety post storm? I was working at a home on 17 acres eating lunch… It was dead calm, blue sky day when a hear a loud crackling and look about 400 feet away as a large old fir decides now is the time to topple… No idea why now on a still day became...

I only know one residential with a second meter and the reason is the in ground pool… Lawns are almost extinct around here… irrigation except drip frowned upon.

My boss has a residential 1960 tract home on what years ago was a vineyard before prohibition. In her small fenced backyard is the original hand dug well that they were told about when they bought. When the drought came I said what about your well so they bought a $65 Sears pump and dropped it...

Doesn’t take much of a leak to become significant over time. Some water extremes in California are communities such as Diablo facing $600 monthly water bills. https://www.sfgate.com/centralcalifornia/article/water-bill-hike-gated-california-community-20405101.php

No 11k water bill for me yet but I did get a 2-month $950 bill with average daily use of 500 gpd which includes sewer treatment based on gallons used. Turns out a defective sprinkler valve was leaking about 15 gallons per hour day in and day out. My typical 2 month bill is about $425 based on...

Climate is a huge plus for me living in Oakland… go all year without heating or cooling. Before A/C and swamp coolers the outlying areas remained sparsely populated… It’s also true that once you have A/C it’s not something you are willing to do without…

Have you mapped the circuits? It’s often a good place to start. I had a problem where tenant did lots of cooking for her church and was always tripping breakers. I tried to convey you can’t plug in multiple skillets just because you have outlets. My solution in the kitchen was to change...

I have no idea what the THD of my 1990 Honda EM5000 is… I do know some less expensive generators cause the APC UPS to go into alarm.

I second building records being a mess. Was in escrow selling a home and the home inspector flagged a unpermitted addition, car port and second bathroom. Sure enough the city of Pittsburg CA confirmed. So I went to the county seat Assessor’s office and the digital record again confirmed. I...

It worked well for me but be aware different stores can have different pricing…

1979 Ford Warren Buffet 2014 Cadillac

I’m thinking this also… Growing up the wealthiest person my family knew was one of the largest ranchers in Nevada… comes from pioneer stock. No one would even guess he was anything but a ranch hand by dress and work. He drove a well used Chevrolet pickup with no A/C in the 70’s with a stock...

I’ve seen documented 80% drop from purchase price to foreclosure sale price in the neighborhood back in 2009-12 implosion. Not typical for all of California but cities such as Oakland and San Francisco have and do experience wild swings. The company my brother works for just picked up a city...

Doing the math a high volume surgeon with 2 operating rooms and staff and a morning with 20 procedures is not atypical and adds up… Many are prompted when DMV eye test becomes a problem. When a Doctor has a 20 patient surgery morning delays are inevitable… especially when small delays add up...

When is a done deal done is a recurring theme in Real Estate which becomes more fragile as additional parties are involved. One of my better buys came about because the seller had several times accepted contingent offers that never closed. The listing agent was then given written instruction...

I have PGE and high fire danger and have many PSPS events during fire season… plus the Honda EM5000

1920’s was a building boom in the SF East Bay with tree lined streets, sidewalks and variations on the classic Craftsman Bungalow style. All these home built with a 30 amp main feeding a 2 fuse sub panel with a 20 amp plug circuit and a 15 amp light circuit. The mild climate of SF Bay Area...

Still remember receptionist bought then a 50k Expedition with high payments… gas went up and she wanted out but was 15 to 18k upside down. Her hare brained solution was to park it in the industrial section of Oakland and within 36 hours it was stolen and wrecked and her gap insurance paid it...

A lot of the older 1100 sq ft homes here with 3 bedrooms still have a 30 amp 120 volt main. This works because gas central gravity heat, gas dryer, gas hot water and gas cooling…

Maybe in reality it’s a fusible link?

The receptionists often have the nicest cars not counting the cars Doctors lease.

There is a ban on purchase of equipment but some cities like mine take it a step farther and ban the outright use of equipment such as gas blowers and brush cutters.

Drove my $800 Plymouth from senior high school until I was 40… one timing chain which was under $50 back then. I grew up around the car business and it might surprise just how many cars are sold payments out 60 to 84 months…

Or this one…

Where I brush cut it is illegal to use a hand held gas powered brush cutter… only battery allowed. Billy Goat and Yazoo on wheels are legal… and I have both.

You have the unit I had designs on… just the right size and diesel.

Mr Wilson was the retired man down the street where I grew up… he and is wife we’re different than the other neighbors and it was only later did I realize the way they lived was due to their drinking… getting up late, no longer able to drive, etc. and he really did have a red nose.

I’m referring to me as a non drinker… I enjoy reading about what others post but have no first person information to add from imbibing myself. I can only contribute as an observer… no way would it even be possible for me to have a favorite or comment from personal knowledge as to taste, kick...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming

Yep… I have opinions and beliefs with no first hand experience… Having heavy drinkers as neighbors leaves a lasting impression on a kid… How come Mr. Wilson has a red nose and why does he get up at lunch time and why does he call a taxi when he has a car or at 16 driving him and his wife home...

Can you store at a nearby neighbor for a fee?

Or the stick goes to zero and is delisted… I bought several stocks to put away around age 20… didn’t follow and didn’t worry so it came as a surprise when they became worthless… Still a stock that dropped from 30 to 10 about 40 years ago and it’s still around 10… The only stock I ever sold...

Even posts from members that don’t drink…

I like the professor… made me think I could invent anything.

You may be a good candidate for the hand throttle or maybe the foot throttle linkage can be tweaked to provide more engine rpm sooner in the pedal travel arc?

One thing I can attest to is seeing many hesitant and or nervous patients here for the first eye back and anxious to get the second done asap.

Off topic but related… My neighbor passed last week after a quick pancreatic cancer from diagnosis to treatment to passing away. They have an active young dog and 3 house cats… the dog and cats do not get along and the elder cat inherited from a family member does not like the other 2 cats and...

To be determined… however 1/3 of cost is non issue… who would be there to meet with contractors falls to me… as well as setting the job to be done, verifying work and making payment.

About 10 years ago during the merger the decision at the highest levels at the corp distant headquarters was to outsource as much of facilities as possible… my team and even my on call backup/vacation relief were let go with one of the justifications being it is expensive to keep up on required...

There is also a throttle kit that can be added so throttle can be increased without tromping down on the pedal… The standard pedal setup modulates both the hydro and throttle from the foot pedal. Unlike a car, tromping down on the pedal will actually give you less speed/power on steep ascents...

Tahoe is quite limited when it comes to trades and the competition is intense from high end builders plus the building season in the mountains is limited… The cabin is a family cabin which I now have a minority interest… My experience is hiring out could take longer than just rolling up my...

Fir a tractor scenario the hydraulic connection would not apply… basically installing the trailer brake unit just for the variable resistor to manually be able to activate the electric trailer brake via the controller lever.

^^^ True about exposure…

I installed about a dozen of these as a teen… mostly for folks with horse trailers… Seems to be no shortage online.

So many have just one favorite… The commander was a very specific Martini, retired telco was old fashion. Another Navy man was Wild Turkey and grandma here Early Times and 7-up… Few beer and wine drinkers in my older circle of friends…

I just don’t want to spend days scraping and feather sanding… been there before. The building supply will be my stop if I can ever get a week off. Pay period before last 137 hours on the clock in 2 weeks with last pay period 109 hours… It’s strange being a department of one and on the job 7...

Neighbor tows a 12k tag trailer for work up and down California and every 3 to 4 years buys new truck… he has owned several fords, 3 GMC and Dodge. The 7.3 never needed anything other than oil changes. The next 2 Fords had good performance but too many trips under warranty to the shop… the...

Cabin used maybe 3 weeks a year now… been in the family since 1964… Mom was the one every year to spend a week painting, cleaning etc… The goal right now is to make it presentable as several pandemic years no one visited.

Systemic is often my experience :-(

An old Kelsey Hayes brake controller with the long over ride lever? Nothing electronic… all mechanical.

I got a call to help a guy with a frozen motor on a Model A flat bed on the old remote farmstead… He said his grandfather did something to keep it from being driven off. The guy saw the missing battery cable and thought good to go… Grandpa was more wily and used extra long starter bolt that...

We no longer have garbage men… only sanitation engineers. I have heard the term polluted substituted for drunk. I’ve got a closet shelf full of Alcohol received over the years… my guess none of it is palletable? Bought a home as-is and it also came with racks of old wine… guessing the same?

Never tried a hair dryer but a steaming washcloths did wonders.

Looks like this year it will again be a no show… Pre pandemic it was hard to keep the feeder full…

I have a bartender as a tenant… nice guy but don’t call him a bartender… he corrected me and said mixologist… On a separate note attending a wedding with my 4 nieces ages 5 to 9… the adults were having a great time but the girls were starting to loose interest as the reception continued… 4...

Brother put a cheap carburetor on his Craftsman and still running strong used on the farm…

I’d try heat before cutting the shaft… heat can do wondrous things… restoring antique cars often require a little extra persuasion to disassemble. Sometimes you may think it’s not working only to try removing after all has cooled and the heating/cooling cycle turns out to be just enough to...

Recall campaigns go back to the 1920’s as my Model A had a recall for delaminated windshield safety glass… I wonder if recalls expire? Just had the 2011 Corolla in for the second airbag recall… BMW also had airbag recall and notice said not to drive but dealer offered no transportation or...

^^^ You are right as far as pricey. 45 years ago I bought a nice OTC puller set… some years I never use it but when needed I sure am glad to have it… it was not exactly cheap at the time but should last several lifetimes. I’ve picked up a few others along the way for little back when I hit the...

Allen Screw Deep inside the hole shown would be a common method. If it’s never been off a good penetrating oil applied ahead of time might make the process easier as would a puller. I had a difficult pulley last week and heat from a propane torch was the ticket…

Don’t forget “Here Come the Brides” loosely based on Seattle Mercer girls…

Wonder if quality of 2-Stroke oil a factor?

Successful marriages I have seen are based on respect… Once respect is gone the marriage is on the rocks or so it seems to me.

Stucco is popular for SF Bay Area Mediterranean style homes and Craftsman Bungalows. I have worked on some and a hammer blow bounces off on a 100 year old home… Newer Stucco pre sheathing and one hammer blow sinks right in… Not a lot of stucco in the Sierra…

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/entertainment-news/ap-bobby-sherman-teen-idol-in-the-1960s-and-70s-and-later-a-cpr-teacher-dies-at-81/

Lots of SF buildings still have the old cement asbestos siding which is all but indestructible barring impact. I assumed the asbestos free product would be similar? 25 years ago a local new home subdivision filed a class action suit cement fiber roof tiles turned to mush…