Mid 50s to start the day here at the BOL. Yesterday stayed overcast most of the day, but was warm enough for a T shirt and long pants. The attic got a bit warm, but not like summertime… today should be the same, but maybe a bit clearer.
I did my major task this weekend. I have installed the 50A 240V receptacle in the carport. I can feed an RV, or charge an EV now. I’m not completely done, I was short 4 wire nuts. They are to wire up the pass through to a second receptacle in a different style, so I can accommodate different plugs without adapters. I’ll have the two most common styles when I’m done. Won’t take but an hour when I get back up here.
I also got to clean up the yard with the mower, and it looks nicer. Old leaves and random weeds growing just look sloppy.
Today I’ll do some more cleanup and set up a water hose for the RV pad. I brought some drinking water safe hoses from home. I use them to fill my big water storage tanks, so they should be good for the RV. I’ll add an inline filter too, since I have it.
Then it’s back home for a couple of days, before returning.
I’ll catch a pickup on the way home to save a trip.
Stacks. Water hose, in line filters, electrical supplies. Knowledge.
Stack the stuff, but stack the skills too.
nick
Good morning!
All now head for Nick’s BOL, where there is power and water… 🙂
Talking of skills, if you’re interested in trades work of the highest quality, look out for band instrument repair technician Wes Lee Music Repair on YouTube. Fascinating to watch and learn from, even if you will never lay hands in anger on a brass or woodwind instrument.
Mississippi. I thought for sure it would be Texas.
Someone like that is always at school band competitions here, their time paid by the organizing entity.
Anger. Some of the band directors locally have watched “Mr. Holland’s Opus” on repeat too many times.
They might temper the attitude after a student suicide, but not our high school’s band director.
I wonder if Jeep tried to get Chevy Chase in the same commercial. Both of them, in different Jeeps, saying “even though my name is …”, would have been better.
Yes, I was underwhelmed by any of the commercials. Even the Clydesdale one was not that good. It is hard to surpass some of the commercials in the past, Herding Cats, the young Clydesdale pulling a railcar, Ribbit, etc. Probably too many DEI hires in the ad agencies.
Chevy Chase is semi cancelled after his antics on the set of “Community”.
We’ll see if he appears on the SNL 50th anniversary special in February.
“Chevy” is Chase’s stage name, selected in part to conceal his wealthy family background which includes his mother being an adopted daughter of the Crane plumbing dynasty.
I doubt Chevy has ever been in a Chevy.
Cornelius Crane Chase.
Kansas City used the Bear’s offensive line method of quarterback protection which permits the 4 defensive linemen to overwhelm 6 or 7 men of the offense and chase and sack the quarterback or rush throws which permit interceptions. Then there was the halftime (Show?). I tried to understand the spoken word! I guess my hearing aids were incapable of translating the sounds to meaningful lyrics! I gave up and watched the news for a half hour. I never had a dog in the contest so my congratulations to the Eagles!
The Wagon Queen Family Truckster was a 79 Ford.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/02/trump-admin-moves-to-dissolve-impermissible-and-anti-constitutional-weekend-tro-against-treasury/
At what point do the unconstitutional actions of a judge merit arrest? Removal from office? Imprisonment?
In the latter, I’d suggest that the clearly improper application of law to imprison J6 protesters is the only equitable remedy and the only remedy that will sufficiently chill any such future conduct
Yeah, shut down.
MVP should have been the 4 defensive linemen of the Eagles.
As the only “Swiss” commercial, I had to see the one with Roger Federer. It was a bit strange: The company logo for his sports company is not “QC” but “ON” – and the entire commercial was about explaining that. The logo is not a marketing triumph.
That said, the soles of the shoes definitely are: you recognize a pair of their shoes from far away. So far I have never seen knockoffs with the same sole – I reckon they have lawyers on speed-dial to prevent that.
I stupidly agreed to teach one last course of “Intro to Java”. It’s a remote course, starting this evening. Kind of regretting it – I have taught this course for way too many years now, and I am just so done with it. Ah well, the money is good, so there’s that…
Wes Lee Music Repair
— I’ll second that recco…. I’ve been watching him for a while now. He’s a freaking genius with brass. Also a kind and gentle soul, who loves teaching and his video production skill has improved tremendously. It’s much easier to see the thing he’s looking at now and see the changes as he’s making them.
———–
It wasn’t your ears, the DM mentioned difficulty hearing the words in almost every article. Also that fans thought it was the worst half time show ever.
Isn’t the star the guy who OD’d at a Nevada brothel?
————
48F this morning. That’s a bit chillier than expected. Grey and overcast too.
Working on my breakfast, then some quick cleanup, then off like a prom dress.
n
LOL, that was Lamar Odom, Kloe BigAzz’s ex. He was ground evac’d since he was too long to fit in the Life Flight. Or so the Bunny Ranch says.
I have a new house that I am thinking about. 4/3.5/2 on 5.75 acres with 4,482 ft2 and workshop for $825,000
https://www.har.com/homedetail/383-avenida-cortez-abilene-tx-79602/6551123
Culdesac.
Could add external house for for our daughter eventually ???
No HOA.
Total electric, no natural gas.
Front sidewalk to nowhere.
7 miles South of Abilene, near to Potosi.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/383+Avenida+Cortez,+Abilene,+TX+79602/@32.3076655,-99.7351142,179m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8656f28fffeb097d:0x259306319eb2f0ea!8m2!3d32.3076655!4d-99.7344705!16s%2Fg%2F11csd86kmg?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDIwNS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
“Texas lawmakers push to end daylight savings time for good”
https://www.chron.com/politics/article/texas-daylight-savings-bill-20158254.php
“State senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) filed a bill in the Texas Senate, Senate Bill 64, that would allow Texas to adopt standard time year-round—a proposal that is in accordance with federal law.”
Just get rid of daylight savings time. It is worthless.
“DOGE Team Finds FEMA Sent $59 Million Last Week To Luxury NYC Hotels For Illegals”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/doge-team-finds-fema-sent-59-million-last-week-luxury-nyc-hotels-illegals
No wonder FEMA is broke. $220 million per month will break most budgets.
Also, I know where ICE needs to go now. Luxury hotels in New York City.
How many Hummer EV commercials ran last night?
I finally saw one in the wild, driving through my neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.
No, it wasn’t crabwalking through the neighborhood.
“DOGE Cancels Museum Exhibit for Anthony Fauci”
https://resistthemainstream.com/doge-vs-fauci-the-battle-for-legacy/
“As The New York Post reported, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled over $180 million in contracts within a two-day period, of which included a $170,000 contract for an Anthony Fauci museum exhibit.”
““In the past 48 hours, HHS canceled 62 contract [sic] worth $182 million,” DOGE Said on X. “These contracts were entirely for administrative expenses – none touched any healthcare programs. This included terminating a $168,000 contract for an Anthony Fauci exhibit at the NIH Museum.””
I have no words at the audacity of HHS.
The USA is BROKE. We have an insurmountable debt.
USAID, DOE, FEMA, HHS, they are all going down, cutting off the Dumbo’s slush funds. It looks like tRump and DOGE will spend the next 18 months clawing back our tax dollars.
And another slush fund is about to bite the dust:
Rapid Response 47 DISMANTLES Consumer Financial Protection Bureau AKA Elizabeth Warren’s ‘Brainchild’
If Pocahontas is attached, you know it’s a Dumo slush fund.
LOL, Trump is ordering the Treasury to stop making pennies, which cost us 2c to make. When will the Dumbo lawsuit come?
ORANGE MAN BAD! SAVE THE PENNIES FROM DYING IN DARKNESS!
The Dumbo’s should use that for the 2028 election.
Correction – Fauxcahontas. Or Crockajawea.
Take your pick.
I’ve always used “Fauxcahontas”, myself.
@Denis
band instrument repair technician Wes Lee Music Repair on YouTube
thanks! I’ll enjoy this
All the animals are good. My garden will suffer die off from the lack of insulating snow and several weeks of above freezing temps. Not our normal thing, crazy swings.
Just came off a major time commitment volunteering at a local music festival. Had a lot of fun. Heard some fantastic music. My favorite by far was the guest artist, Corey Ledet Zydeco. Anchorage isn’t known for its southern roots or ability to distinguish between Cajun or zydeco. The band was so good, and Mr Ledet such an excellent educator, he had the entire auditorium on its feet dancing in place. I’ve never seen anything like it at this festival. It was a remarkable demonstration of charisma, skill, rhythm and power. Really good stuff. I hope Mr Ledet continues to use his powers for good.
Prepping for a visit to New Zealand to visit family. Making plans A, B, C for all the things that can go wrong while we’re gone. Setting budget for vet care, house emergencies, etc. fixing many things that are small annoyances that have potential for outsized problems if they critically fail.
Picked up a viola to see if it could be a substitute for taking the blue cello to NZ. Yes. I found I can play the viola and while my bowing arm wont improve, my music reading will. Then an idle request that my aunt check the price on a FB cello turned into that cello sitting in her living room, waiting for me. Wow! Kidlet requested a ukulele (groan) so she’d have an instrument to learn. There can be no answer but yes. We found a better quality / reasonably priced instrument and between savings and a little mom help she’s got a new thing to learn. Kind of exciting.
Health stuff still out of whack but less bad. Taking that as a win. Hoping NZ will give me an opportunity to get good sleep and more exercise and perhaps feel a bit better.
Spent some time with the rabbits letting them run around the enclosed rabbitry. Four adults, no kits, breeding delayed for travel. Gotta say, even the adults are pretty cute. And tasty.
Had three pressure canned jars of broth fail on me recently. one was a cracked lip, other two were poor seal. Keeping my eyes open for new made in USA lids. Many years of canning, first failures I recall. I was alerted by color change and odor.
“Democrats Threaten ‘Checkmate’ Over DOGE Govt. Shutdowns With… Government Shutdown”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/democrats-threaten-checkmate-over-doge-govt-shutdowns-government-shutdown
“In response to the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down various government agencies and slash waste, fraud and abuse, Democrats are threatening a government shutdown.”
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha !
That is like throwing raw meat into a dog pit.
Trump won’t shutdown the National Parks and National Mall like Obama and Bidden did.
“Lawfare 2.0: A New York Judge Launches A Coup”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/lawfare-20-new-york-judge-launches-coup
I have better payment controls on my three businesses. The USA is the biggest business in the world. This is insane.
I agree. The Dumbo shutdowns were to inflict as much pain as possible on us dirt people and blame the Redumbo’s. That doesn’t work anymore.
I wonder how much damage will happen to the Dumbocrat Party by tRump’s first year in office.
DOGE for the win!
Great analysis using the United States Constitution. It never ceases to amaze me how brilliant the Framers of the United States Constitution were and what dumb-fucks we have in Congress now.
This judge is trying to do anything to hamper tRump’s Presidency. I hope SCOTUS crushes this jerk before he gets a pipe wrench to the head. Well, maybe not.
>>Total electric, no natural gas.
@lynn, how you gonna run a whole-house gennie?
No. The pain was inflicted on select people for the “bad optics”.
As soon as the news had footage of the signs going up at the entrance to Yosemite or an Honor Flight vet being turned away at the entrance to the WWII memorial, the shutdown game always ended.
My wife says the same thing when I pass gas.
I was in Abilene TX a couple times last decade, for a couple weeks each. I remember that the taxi time at DFW was longer than the flight time DFW-ABI.
The other lingering memory is that the the winter wind was relentless.
So you didn’t care for the halftime show? Here’s why all you white racists
https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2025/02/10/were-you-confused-about-the-super-bowls-halftime-show-choice-ill-explain-n2185425
Yeah, I hated it.
“Abilene, why can’t ya be true? Abilene, why can’t ya be true? Ya done started back doin those things you used to do….”
—
@lynn, that interior looks like the interior of your current house, iirc, and it’s REALLY out on the windswept plain….
—
Jenny, good to be making progress. I heard Uke was an incredibly weird and difficult instrument to play… but if the kid’s up for it, the big man is the best…
Mashup from the end titles of Meet Joe Black, which I want played at my funeral.
From his album.
Why it’s so great.
n
– previously undisclosed.
n
Yeh, right. There was not one white person in the entire show. That is not diversity or inclusion. Personally, I didn’t care. But for the NFL to make such a statement about an obviously biased performance is just stupid.
As for the show, I could not understand a thing that was sung. After 30 seconds the next 9.5 minutes looked exactly like the first 0.5 minutes. The show was not creative, not original, not fun to watch. A massive waste of electrons.
@lYNN
“I have a new house that I am thinking about. 4/3.5/2 on 5.75 acres with 4,482 ft2 and workshop for $825,000”
Looks pretty nice. Quieter neighborhood.
Upgrade the electrical to the shop and we could probably park a couple of big rv’s there and start an annual party tradition “The Bob’s Boys Roundup and Getdown”
“freshly painted counters” looks like a type: should be cabinets?
Is that island big enough for a prep sink, or no way because no lower level?
“Correction – Fauxcahontas. Or Crockajawea.”
Poxahontas
xkcd: Incoming Asteroid
https://www.xkcd.com/3049/
This is one place that you do not want to win the size award.
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3049:_Incoming_Asteroid
“Shakira & J.Lo (2020), The Weeknd (2021), Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige (2022), Rihanna (2023), and Usher (2024)”
Hard pass.
Bears the same relation to real music as Hunter Biden does to real art.
Rap is crap; hip-hop hopeless. Is it the cause or effect of rampant drug abuse in that demographic? Or are both simply the effects of destroying the nuclear family, the work ethic, and the educational system?
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/10/nfl-fumbles-chance-to-entertain-all-americans-with-its-uninspiring-halftime-show/
“Abilene, why can’t ya be true? Abilene, why can’t ya be true? Ya done started back doin those things you used to do….”
Wong song but you knew that ! “Maybellene” by the awesome Chuck Berry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVY93pWazks
The Abilene song is “Abilene” – Waylon Jennings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNNRlUx8Ebo
>>Total electric, no natural gas.
@lynn, how you gonna run a whole-house gennie?
I figure that a 500 gallon tank of propane should work fine for a couple of weeks.
The next size up tank is 4,000 gallons.
@lynn, that interior looks like the interior of your current house, iirc, and it’s REALLY out on the windswept plain….
Well, the wife just shot down the Clyde, Texas house because the kitchen is too cramped.
https://www.har.com/homedetail/468-s-hays-rd-clyde-tx-79510/6814292
She suggested this house to me northwest of Fort Worth but I was like “two story !”. But it does not have an HOA but it has a really strange garage. But it is 10 miles north of her BFF which would make her happy.
https://www.har.com/homedetail/138-county-road-4865-azle-tx-76020/10198318
Now she just suggested that we buy a couple of acres somewhere and build a house like we want. I figure that is a three year process. My middle brother told me the other day that he would never build a house even again after his experience 15 years ago in Houston. The 13 city inspectors nearly bankrupted him.
Upgrade the electrical to the shop and we could probably park a couple of big rv’s there and start an annual party tradition “The Bob’s Boys Roundup and Getdown”
There is a RV leanto behind the workshop that has a huge RV in it in the Google map pictures.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/383+Avenida+Cortez,+Abilene,+TX+79602/@32.307262,-99.7338652,23a,35y,277.56h,78.7t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x8656f28fffeb097d:0x259306319eb2f0ea!8m2!3d32.3076655!4d-99.7344705!16s%2Fg%2F11csd86kmg?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDIwNS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
You don’t get any more “Miami” than Shakira and J. Lo performing Gloria Estefan.
Like Obama has at the Martha’s Vineyard house.
There was a nice view of the SpaceX launch around 6pm, about 30m after sunset.
We saw it clear the horizon, disappear behind clouds, reappear, stage, and the the re-entry burn of the 1st stage and the disappearance of the 2nd to the SE. A very long pencil like plume before the jellyfish, perfect backlighting I guess, turning to orange by the already set sun.
But what was really neat was the extended maneuvering of the first stage after separation. Lots of separate puffs of engine burns, very clear, very cool.
v. cold tho outside, 48F in 20mph winds.
The Canon 12×36 IS binoculars are perfect for this sort of thing.
but you knew that !
–yup
wrt propane gennies… my neighbor at the BOL had to get an emergency refill on her tank because the gennie burns fuel like crazy. You might want to find out the actual consumption rate.
Or look at diesel.
n
@lynn, that interior looks like the interior of your current house, iirc, and it’s REALLY out on the windswept plain….
Man, on those 115 F days in west Texas, one really wants shade and wind …
But on those 4 F days, you don’t want no wind.
Those binos are sweeeeteeeee….
The older version was in an auction and not called out in the text. I was bidding alone for a while but then someone else figured it out…. and I dropped out.
I did pickup a pair of celestron big ones, no IS though.
n
“Spaceship of Ancestors (Perry Rhodan #73)” by Clark Darlton
https://www.amazon.com/Spaceship-Ancestors-Perry-Rhodan-73/dp/B0006WT5OE?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number seventy-three of a series of one hundred and thirty-six space opera books in English. The original German books, actually pamphlets, number in the thousands. The English books started with two translated German stories per book translated by Wendayne Ackerman and transitioned to one story per book with the sixth book. And then they transition back to two stories in book #109/110. The Ace publisher dropped out at #118, so Forrest and Wendayne Ackerman published books #119 to #136 in pamphlets before stopping in 1978. The German books were written from 1961 to present time, having sold two billion copies and even recently been rebooted again. I read the well printed and well bound book published by Ace in 1975 that I had to be very careful with due to age. I bought an almost complete box of Perry Rhodans a decade or two ago on ebay that I am finally getting to since I lost my original Perry Rhodans in The Great Flood of 1989. In fact, I now own book #1 to book #106, plus the Atlan books, and some of the Lemuria books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan
BTW, this is actually book number 81 of the German pamphlets written in 1963. There is a very good explanation of the plot in German on the Perrypedia German website of all of the PR books. There is automatic Google translation available for English, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, French, and Portuguese.
https://www.perrypedia.de/wiki/Raumschiff_der_Ahnen_(Roman)
In this alternate universe, USSF Major Perry Rhodan and his three fellow astronauts blasted off in a three stage rocket to the Moon in their 1971. The first stage of the rocket was chemical, the second and third stages were nuclear. After crashing on the Moon due to a strange radio interference, they discover a massive crashed alien spaceship with an aged male scientist (Khrest), a female commander (Thora), and a crew of 500. It has been over seventy years since then and the Solar Empire has flourished with tens of millions of people and many spaceships headquartered in the Gobi desert, the city of Terrania. Perry Rhodan has been elected by the people of Earth to be the World Administrator and keep them from being taken over by the robot administrator of Arkon.
Pucky the mutant mousebeaver and the light cruiser Arctic are returning home to Earth from a mission. At one of the FTL transition points, Pucky telepathically hears someone screaming for help. They transition in the direction of the cry and find a 1,200 meter Arkonide spherical battleship. Pucky teleports on board and finds a bunch of live and frozen Arkenides being controlled by robots.
Two observations:
1. Forrest Ackerman should have put two or three of the translated stories in each book. Having two stories in the first five books worked out well. Just having one story in the book is too short and would never allow the translated books to catch up to the German originals.
2. Anyone liking Perry Rhodan and wanting a more up to date story should read the totally awesome “Mutineer’s Moon” Dahak series of three books by David Weber.
https://www.amazon.com/Mutineers-Moon-Dahak-David-Weber/dp/0671720856?tag=ttgnet-20/
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 5 out of 5 stars (2 reviews)
Lynn
@Nick: I am not a fan of Iz and his signature song. It comes off as a bad copy of white culture, done with no understanding. Not a combination of 2 songs, but more of an accident where the 2 songs are smashed together.
Art is art, and your opinion may vary.
@Jenny:
I’m a fan of the uke, and the small ones travel well. You can learn the basics on a small one, and upgrade to Baritone later. Aspire to become Jake Shimabukuro, or one of the other virtuosi out there.
Even Steve Martin made it sound pretty good. It’s an instrument that works well if the context is good.
wrt propane gennies… my neighbor at the BOL had to get an emergency refill on her tank because the gennie burns fuel like crazy. You might want to find out the actual consumption rate.
Or look at diesel.
Starting a diesel genny below 32 F is a whole nother experience. First, you should really winterize the diesel fuel by pouring 1 gallon of regular unleaded gasoline for every ten gallons of summer diesel (pour point = 20 F) in the tank. We can’t buy winter diesel (pour point = -10 ? F) here in Texas because nobody wants it and it is expensive to make by removing the paraffins (waxes). In other words, you need to heat the diesel tank below 25 F. Been there done that using steam. Lots and lots of steam. Also expensive.
Making electricity in the winter below 32 F is expensive. You would not believe the things that I did as a junior engineer trying to keep steam boilers online burning #6 fuel oil. The dispatchers were calling us begging to keep all five units on line for just one more day for three days in a row as the 4 F, 30 mph wind dragged on. We were running around with four foot wide 100 pound rolls of tin foil wrapping everything including the steam lines (steam freezes faster than liquid water). Then we ran out of clean water sending 150,000 lb/hr of steam to the five oil tank heaters which could not come back as all the heaters leaked. Then …
I’m home from my Florida trip. I’m glad I got to see the huge Hamfest, I didn’t spend much money there, and I had a couple of good visits with my high school friend and his wife.
Lots of restaurant food.
In unrelated news:
I’m a big fan of Iz, own all his recordings. My friend saw him live at a mall in Hawaii, and I envy that.
Dunno if it’s the island “brah” culture or personal vibe, but there is a sweetness and naivete to his music, while still being grounded by his lack of bigger success and health problems. There is a tension there that makes it more than just a cover version, and informs his whole catalog.
Anyway. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. There is a vocal at the end of one of his songs where he talks about dying and living and he’s at peace with either…
n
Those binos are sweeeeteeeee….
Yes, pricey, but it is a case of “buy once, cry once”, they actually perform as advertised.
I hesitated a long while, but can’t hold anything over 10x steady, and the 12x and FOV are just about perfect with the IS.
Trump Has Had Enough
Can they round up the collegiate Hamas supporters and send them to Gaza?
“Have you ever been to Gaza?”
“No.”
“Great! You’ve just won a round-trip* to Gaza! Load on the bus over there. Please follow the directions of the special escorts–they are here to assist you. ”
*Return trip available** only 480 days after leaving.
**Visa must be in order. Not valid before 480 days; expires 481 days after leaving. Please retain your entry parachutes with reversing instructions. Have a same trip.
@Lynn
“There is a RV leanto behind the workshop”
Dibbs!
Now let’s talk about that workshop floor and the lights…
I’m a fan of the uke, and the small ones travel well. You can learn the basics on a small one, and upgrade to Baritone later. Aspire to become Jake Shimabukuro, or one of the other virtuosi out there.
“twenty one pilots – Can’t Help Falling In Love (Elvis Cover) ”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ThQkrXHdh4
Twenty One Pilots is way cool semi Christian something band.
I’m a fan of the uke, and the small ones travel well. You can learn the basics on a small one, and upgrade to Baritone later. Aspire to become Jake Shimabukuro, or one of the other virtuosi out there.
“twenty one pilots: House of Gold [OFFICIAL VIDEO] ” – warning, very weird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDyxykpYeu8
Been there while on the farm. I had to start the engine of a D2 dozer when it was 15F. It took several hours using the gasoline starter engine, which itself was a pain to start. We did not shut the machine off for several days, just left it at a high idle.
>>She suggested this house to me northwest of Fort Worth but I was like “two story !”.
https://www.vacuumelevators.com/learn-home-elevators/
>>She suggested this house to me northwest of Fort Worth but I was like “two story !”.
https://www.vacuumelevators.com/learn-home-elevators/
I wonder what their death and injury stats are ?
>>Now she just suggested that we buy a couple of acres somewhere and build a house like we want. I figure that is a three year process. My middle brother told me the other day that he would never build a house even again after his experience 15 years ago in Houston. The 13 city inspectors nearly bankrupted him.
I thought that new development in TX was ‘fast and loose,’ or is that just the zoning rules?
>>Now she just suggested that we buy a couple of acres somewhere and build a house like we want. I figure that is a three year process. My middle brother told me the other day that he would never build a house even again after his experience 15 years ago in Houston. The 13 city inspectors nearly bankrupted him.
I thought that new development in TX was ‘fast and loose,’ or is that just the zoning rules?
My middle brother built the first pier and beam foundation house since 1940 or so in Houston in 2010. The city refused to ok his plan so he had to sue them to get his plan oked. Then the city inspectors went nuts because they had no idea how to build a pier and beam house and were questioning everything. It cost him an extra $250,000 to build the house.
But when hurricane Harvey happened, over half of the houses in his neighborhood flooded. Somewhere around 200 people walked to his house because the water was four feet deep and his house was six above the street. The boats came to his house to take the people out.
Now the city of Houston wants everyone to build pier and beam foundation houses to elevate them. And if the elevation was not high enough, then you put in more piers. Not very expensive whereas lifting a foundation slab costs $100,000 for the first foot, after the flood.
Houston does not have zoning. But it has city inspectors.
Reminds me of the friend in Dallas, back in college days. His dad build new business premises. The new building kept failing inspection after inspection, always something trivial, but always something…
Finally, one of the inspectors dropped a clue. After an envelope full of cash was carelessly left lying around, the building was finally approved.
Me, I would have recorded the theft and prosecuted the bastard. But I guess that’s business-as-usual far too often…