Pipes
Permalink | Tweet This! | | December 1, 2008 by John in Household, Money
The plumber (from Big Sky Plumbing) is here and the water heater is pretty much toast. He was able to drain it and replace the leaky drain valve. Says it could last two weeks or two years.
To do a tankless it will be about $2200 which is about $700 more than I budgeted (but I do have the cash). I can’t replace the one that’s there because of course the floor is rotten and he couldn’t get it out and replace it without removing the furnace (makes me wonder what they were thinking when they laid out the plans for that room with the furnace blocking the water heater from the door). But that’s not the plan anyway. The plan is for that entire room to disappear.
Oh well, I can save up for the furnace next year (or just sell the Golf).
Four down, One to Go
Permalink | Tweet This! | | November 5, 2008 by John in Auto, Household
The Landcrusher has been sold to a gent in Havre. I’m taking up to Great Falls to meet him and do the deal this Saturday.
Updating the fire sale list:
- 1973 Porsche 914 √
- 1974 Porsche 914 √
- 1975 Jeep J-10 √
- 1984 Toyota Landcruiser (rec’d as partial trade for Porsches) √
- 1967 Chevy 327 V8 longblock √
- Nordictrack 998CX Elliptical Trainer (appears to be broken, dangit)
- 1994 VW Golf
Total cash received so far (including the Toyota): $2875
Minus snow tires and a battery for the Dakota: $375
Total left for the furnace: $2500
That should cover it. Selling the Golf will cover the water heater and possibly the shower. My mechanic keeps getting inquiries on the Golf, so that might go soon. I have a ton of little odds and ends, mostly books, left over from the Porsches. I’ll be putting all that stuff on ebay over the winter.
My House, My Rules :: Update
Permalink | Tweet This! | | August 2, 2008 by John in Family, Household
Well, just over a month six weeks after my mom moved in, she’s moving out. She found a place just south of the hospital, on Fairmont Court, and to get it she had to take it as of August 1st. We took two loads over this morning (despite my vow years ago never to move her stuff again) in our cars and she’s over there organizing and putting away that stuff. It’s a pretty nice place. Lots of space. The timing is pretty good because I don’t believe we’ve seriously gotten on each others nerves …yet.
This Table Makes me Want to Finish my House
Permalink | Tweet This! | | February 25, 2008 by John in Entertainment, Household
…but it’s probably really expensive. Fusion Tables by Aramith (via Freshhome):
[...]the Fusion table has everything needed to create those unique memorable moments to share. Convertible in just seconds, the Fusion table transforms a design dining table in a high quality billiard or game table. Created by Aramith, long-time leading manufacturer in the billiard industry, the Fusion dining table innovates by adding multi-functionality as it combines a dining table, a pool table and a game table all in one. As such Fusion dining pool tables add new and exciting dimensions to entertainment and the dining room.
Nerdgasm, #27 in a Series
Permalink | Tweet This! | | by John in Consumer, Entertainment, Household
This Star Wars Inspired Desk would be so much cooler if it acted as a PC casemod, too:
Tom Spina Designs created this custom Star Wars inspired desk for the studio office of Mark Hall, from the Grammy award-winning group Casting Crowns. Underneath the 1/2″ thick glass table top, a carved Han Solo emerges from below. Metal and fiberglass construction with a heavy glass top create an elegant and extremely unique piece of furniture.
To the Batpole, Robin
Permalink | Tweet This! | | January 29, 2008 by John in Gadgets, Household
10 stunning ultra-geeky home cinemas:
above is possibly the sleekest home theatre i’ve ever seen. it was created by canadian-based experts ‘elite home theater seating’, who, as the name suggests, specialize in hand-made, custom home theater furniture for ‘high-end’ clientele. and bruce wayne.
Strike Three, You’re Fixed?
Permalink | Tweet This! | | November 26, 2007 by John in Household
Just a little update: Had a guy from Tri-County come out and look at the furnace this morning. Looks like the fan motor was toast as Fenske had already surmised. The repairman is on his way back with a new motor mounted in the squirrel cage. Should be up and running shortly for a few hundred bucks. Now I can take a breath and (hopefully) wait until Spring to get the new furnace, mounted in the crawlspace.
Update to the update: All better now.
Waiting for Strike Three
Permalink | Tweet This! | | November 23, 2007 by John in Health-Medical, Household
“Whole f***ing world’s against us dude, swear to God.”
I’m not the superstitious type, but I’m starting to wonder if a third strike is waiting in the wings.
Strike 1: Went to the dentist for my semi-annual checkup and cleaning. Good news? The cleaning took about 5 minutes. Bad news? Two of my old fillings have cracked and I have a new cavity. Not sure how all those factors, great hygiene and three cavities, came about at the same time. I guess even when flossing and brushing regularly shit happens.
Strike 2: Last night my furnace died. I woke to a house below 50 degrees. Fenske came over and near as we can tell the fan motor is toast. The thermostat, pilot light, controller, etc. all seem to check out. Naturally this happened on Thanksgiving weekend when not a single HVAC business is open. So I just got back from the rental store with three small electric space heaters.
Strike 3 (speculation): I’m thinking a water pipe might burst due to #2. Just throwing that out there. Or maybe the head gasket will blow in the Golf. Or one of the space heaters will catch on fire. Actually, that’s not a bad thing if I can get me, the dogs and my backup hard drive out safely, and the garage doesn’t catch. I could start from scratch. Hmmm, Maybe I should put that ultra-rare Thunderbird Sport wheel out in the garage, just in case. Of course, if that did happen I’d be screwed now that I’ve mentioned it here.
I have no idea if I’m going to be able to have the fan in the old Lennox (probably 20-22-ish years old–the manual is dated 9/85) replaced for a smallish sum of money, or if I’m going to have to bite the bullet and finance a brand new furnace. If I can do the former it will buy me some time until the Summer when I can tear out the floorboards (water damage from various other problems) and do it all up right.
AskMeFi: Mouse Poop
Permalink | Tweet This! | | November 14, 2007 by John in Household
I was googling something else and I stumbled across this post of mine on Ask Metafilter from a couple years ago. Never did get around to tearing down the shed. Thought about turning it into a large dog house. Safe way to clean up mouse droppings | Ask MetaFilter:
Mousepoop/HantavirusFilter: I have a beat up old shed in my backyard I want to demolish and replace. I’ve emptied it out but I noticed a lot of mouse droppings. What’s the best way to clean it out?
Everyone I talk to is freaking out about hantavirus. How concerned should I be? Someone mentioned spraying the floor with bleach first. Will that neutralize any potential hantavirus or do I still have to be careful afterwards?
Sofadesk
Permalink | Tweet This! | | September 5, 2007 by John in Household
I want something that looks like this for my living room, but this sofa doesn’t look that comfortable.
