Category: lakehouse

Hot and humid because, well, because Houston in the summertime.   Even a couple hours north it was butt sweaty hot yesterday.   It was 104F in the shade at my BOL.  Fortunately it was cooler than that here by the time I got home, but it was still 85F at 11pm.   Same for today I think… although it keeps threatening rain.  It would be nice to get some rain, but maybe AFTER I’m done running errands.

Spent the day at the BOL with contractors.   We’ve got a tentative plan to spend a bunch of money and do a bunch of work.   It’s not happening instantly but to have it finally happening at all is a good thing.   We really must be in a recession as people are beginning to work again… or be available for work (although the guys I talked to this time all seem busy and hard at work.)  Something about if you want something done, get a busy man to do it, mumble mumble…

Today, I’m the busy man.  Or that is the plan anyway.   Tires for the truck, pickups, a drop off, and the normal shenanigans should keep me occupied all day.  And if not, I’m sure something will jump up and demand attention.

Prepping advice for today, check your tires.  Check your spare and jack.  While you’re at it, look at your brakes, and your fluids.   Check your stock of expendable maintenance stuff, like wipers, headlights, tire repair, and fluids.  I was able to find some tires that suited me, but many others have reported some difficulty getting what they wanted.   Tires will ‘age out’ so stockpiling them might not be indicated, but if you are close to needing them, you might want to go ahead and replace them.  You can even keep the take offs if they have any life left in them, just in case.  If you plan to drive around in an area affected by a hurricane or tornado, you  will want mounted spares, probably a full set, and a repair kit with a compressor.  Roofing nails go everywhere.

Stack up some spares, for all your important things.   Take a systems approach, not just a ‘things’ approach.   And commonality and redundancy are Good Things ™.

n

Hot, humid, but less of both if we are lucky.   Got some rain late in the day yesterday and it did clear the air and cool off a bit.  Not much mind you, but a bit.

And it was hot during the day.  I know because I cut the grass in it.  Yes I am that dumb.  Or motivated.  Or guilty.   But in any case the yard hadn’t been cut in a couple of weeks and it looked like it.  In furtherance of that, I also did a bit of work on the gas string trimmer.   I replaced the bump head, and tried it out.   The string I have on hand is too thin.   The thing still starves for gas and dies.   I have thicker string at the BOL and some will come home with me, and I think the issue with fuel is related to the filter stone I replaced to get the thing running in the first place.   Specifically, I think it is too small.   Looking at the package, it has a picture of a chainsaw and a hand held blower.  I’m thinking the trimmer engine needs a higher flow rate.   I’ll pick up a new kit at the store today.

I’m going to the store for more plumbing fittings.   I will be at the lake doing plumbing this weekend, and I’ve got a list.   Since it’s so hot, I think I’ll just get new ends on the pipes for the hall bath sink and wait to do the pex lines until it either leaks again, or gets cooler out.   With the hall bath working again, I can strip the master bath, and then that job can get started.

Or maybe I’ll do something completely different.  I might be using the camp toilet, but I’m staying all weekend, just me and the dog.  Everyone else is sailing.

Then I’m home for a day or two, then back out to meet with the engineer, and also the septic guy to see what we can move forward on.   Suddenly stuff might be breaking loose.   I  hope so, because stuff is breaking loose out there in the world too.   I need to keep working on the house as a BOL.

And I still need to build up stacks.

At the grocery today, some empty shelves.   Pork was up about 10%.  Chicken was the same as last week.  Beef was either nasty or too high.   I did buy two pot roasts that were onsale and looked ok.   The bread I like was in stock.  Limes are 32c each.   They used to be 10/$1.  Avocados were slightly cheaper but still $1 each for small.  Makes me wish I’d planted the tree 10 years ago.  (Thinking about it, I believe I did plant an avocado tree but it died.)  The best time  to have done a lot of things was 5 years ago (or 10), so do them NOW and be glad you did in 5 or 10 years.

Add to your stacks while you can.  Don’t be kicking yourself in a couple of years that you didn’t.

nick