Bill_G, retired, affluence of effluent, and errata

[bill_g]

I have a good friend, who is an organizer. That’s her profession. She’s done several of those hoarding situations. Every year she posts a PSA on her Facebook page reminding all of her friends to, fer Gawd’s sake, get rid of your crap!

Amen to that. I've been watching this third bedroom turn into a fustercluck for a long time. I threatened to back a drop box next to the window, take the glass out, and just start heaving boxes in. Mrs was not amused. Now that I am hip deep in the project, I'm tempted to toss in a match and stand back. (big grin)

[Frater I*I]

Amen to that. I've been watching this third bedroom turn into a fustercluck for a long time. I threatened to back a drop box next to the window, take the glass out, and just start heaving boxes in. Mrs was not amused. Now that I am hip deep in the project, I'm tempted to toss in a match and stand back. (big grin)

Is that gasoline I smell........

[sugar magnolia]

I just caught up on the bleach/mold/toilet convo. The only thing I have to add is that bleach doesn't actually kill mold, it mostly just bleaches it so you don't see it for a few weeks. White vinegar actually kills it, as it travels down the root and kills it all. That's why you spray vinegar on moldy hurricane studs and not bleach. After Katrina, my uncle had gutted his house to the studs and sprayed vinegar on everything. Then he set to cleaning the tile in the kitchen with bleach. Of course, that's exactly when the FEMA guy showed up, smelled the bleach and said he had to spray everything with vinegar. The only reason he escaped having to do it again was showing him the 15 empty vinegar jugs.

And off the subject of toilets but still on bleach..... Chlorine bleach on clothing has to be neutralized, and water alone won't do it. Either use non-chlorine bleach or invest the $3 for chlorine neutralizer for fish tanks. If you don't, the chlorine continues to degrade the fibers indefinitely.

[Rolodex]

I just caught up on the bleach/mold/toilet convo. The only thing I have to add is that bleach doesn't actually kill mold, it mostly just bleaches it so you don't see it for a few weeks. White vinegar actually kills it, as it travels down the root and kills it all. That's why you spray vinegar on moldy hurricane studs and not bleach. After Katrina, my uncle had gutted his house to the studs and sprayed vinegar on everything. Then he set to cleaning the tile in the kitchen with bleach. Of course, that's exactly when the FEMA guy showed up, smelled the bleach and said he had to spray everything with vinegar. The only reason he escaped having to do it again was showing him the 15 empty vinegar jugs.

And off the subject of toilets but still on bleach..... Chlorine bleach on clothing has to be neutralized, and water alone won't do it. Either use non-chlorine bleach or invest the $3 for chlorine neutralizer for fish tanks. If you don't, the chlorine continues to degrade the fibers indefinitely.

Hm. I'm going to try the vinegar with pump method next time the mold shows up. Regular vinegar or the cleaning vinegar? I go though periods of battle mode with my toilets.

[sugar magnolia]

I just caught up on the bleach/mold/toilet convo. The only thing I have to add is that bleach doesn't actually kill mold, it mostly just bleaches it so you don't see it for a few weeks. White vinegar actually kills it, as it travels down the root and kills it all. That's why you spray vinegar on moldy hurricane studs and not bleach. After Katrina, my uncle had gutted his house to the studs and sprayed vinegar on everything. Then he set to cleaning the tile in the kitchen with bleach. Of course, that's exactly when the FEMA guy showed up, smelled the bleach and said he had to spray everything with vinegar. The only reason he escaped having to do it again was showing him the 15 empty vinegar jugs.

And off the subject of toilets but still on bleach..... Chlorine bleach on clothing has to be neutralized, and water alone won't do it. Either use non-chlorine bleach or invest the $3 for chlorine neutralizer for fish tanks. If you don't, the chlorine continues to degrade the fibers indefinitely.

Hm. I'm going to try the vinegar with pump method next time the mold shows up. Regular vinegar or the cleaning vinegar? I go though periods of battle mode with my toilets.

The cheapest white vinegar you can find. I get mine at the dollar store for $1/gallon.

[bill_g]

Thanks Sugar. Learn something new everyday!

[bill_g]

Sometime in the early 2000's we switched from film cameras to digital, and then collected a gazillion pictures. Of course none of them were kept in a central location. I had some. Mrs had some. And naturally all the PC's these memorizes resided on were replaced new models where we could start over collecting more pictures we could lose. Ugh!

But, God Bless the thumb drive. Mrs kept a lot of them. Again not in a central place. They were scattered throughout her boxes of stuff, and I've been collecting those to review later. I went through these pictures from March 2006 during a service call to our Mt Hood site. It's on Mt Hood near the ski lodge.

Despite it being late season, there was still a 100 inch snow base. I drove to the lodge in frozen ditches made by the state highway dept that cut vertical walls on both sides. There is not much to look at except snirt (snow + dirt). From the lodge I had to snowshoe to the site about a half mile further uphill across multiple active ski trails. The public was not amused by a slow old man trudging across the slope as they approached at 30mph or faster. It's not like I could pick up the pace.

Once there, I had to dig down to the winter door - a hatch that is maybe 8 or 10 feet above ground, but that day it was below the snow. I sprayed the padlock down with ethanol and lit it on fire several times to melt the ice so I could insert the key. Then I got to belly crawl inside to a small landing with a ladder to the main room below. I opened the summer door to take a picture of the snow pack.

And when I was done, I got to lock it all up and head home. Woohoo!

.

[Annrc]

Wow!

[RVInit]

This week's drama is titled Clorox and the Sack of Sacks.

So, I've been doing all the house cleaning for the past couple years, and the first step in the bathrooms is to pour a cup of bleach into the toilets. Swish it around and let that sit for an hour or so to work on the mold we get around here. Even if you don't use the toilet, it will turn brown in a couple weeks and look like you never clean it. Clorine tablets in the tank do nothing to stop it. It can be sparkling on the outside, and still be a biology experiment in the bowl. Bleach takes care of that. But not Clorox.

Pour in the cheap no-name brand bleach, and you can almost watch the mold disappear before your eyes. The bowl is perfectly clean all by itself in an hour. No fuss. No mess. Pour in Clorox No-Splash Formula, and the water turns milky white, but never fazes the mold. It smells like bleach. It wants to melt your skin like bleach. It whitens wash cloths like bleach. Mold just laughs at it. Doubling the amount doesn't help. The brown patina covering the porceline under water is unchanged.

I am not a chemical engineer. I have no idea what the difference is, but the bathrooms are getting the cheap stuff from now on. The Clorox is strickly for the laundry.

Bit by bit, tub by tub, box by box, I am working my way through My Dearest's crafting collection in the third bedroom. It is literally floor to ceiling with yarn, bolts of cloth, embroidery thread in a hundred weights and tones, sewing patterns, crochet patterns, knitting needles, crochet needles, sewing needles, sewing machines, sergers, looms, stretchers, pins, pans, pots, soap fragrance, soap molds, candy molds, candy thermometers, cake decorating stuff, tole painting stuff, quilting stuff, jewelry making stuff, receipts from Walgreens in 2002, boxes of pens in a dozen colors with replacement ink cartridges, staplers, file folders, stationary, tape, tape, and more tape. I will never run out of tape.

And a sack of sacks. Neatly folded sorted by size and color. Her OCD must have been at 11 and the knob broke off that day. Packed as a cube, stowed in a plastic tub so they wouldn't get dirty, and placed on the tippy toppest shelf because it's so light. I was laughing and crying at the same time. That tub was totally her. There is nothing special about these bags. They are just bags from the stores she shopped at to buy all these things. I looked through them twice to ensure she hadn't hidden something special in there. Nope. It's just sacks. And they are all mine now.

Tomorrow is garbage day. Both the trash and recyling bins are full already. The sacks will get to stay for another week. In the meantime I need to sort her tubs (plural) of electrical cords, chargers, cables, wires, and various doodads that run on electrons. Good times await me for sure.

A woman after my own heart. That sounds exactly like what is in my closets and spare rooms. Exactly. Including a sack of sacks or maybe two sacks of sacks. You never know when you need something to put other crafty things in. Most of my stuff goes into plastic see through tubs so I know exactly where I can find what I need. But sometimes those bags do come in handy.

[bill_g]

Wow!

I know. It's the part of the job I'll miss the most. I got paid to go four wheeling, paid to go snowmobiling, and paid to go snowshoeing. It was a blast. Never boring.

And we had guys who hated that part of the job. Fine by me. I'll take it. Usually I take someone along just for safety. But this trip was close to the lodge. I went up alone, but had a ski patrol radio with me if I got in trouble. I checked in and out with them. They knew I was there, and came by for a visit. They never get to see the inside of this place. Skiers occasionally get off the slope come cruising through. It's got a great view.

[bill_g]

A woman after my own heart. That sounds exactly like what is in my closets and spare rooms. Exactly. Including a sack of sacks or maybe two sacks of sacks. You never know when you need something to put other crafty things in. Most of my stuff goes into plastic see through tubs so I know exactly where I can find what I need. But sometimes those bags do come in handy.

Ha! It seems to be a genetic trait with crafters in general. I had two different neighbors come in to look at the tubs and reserve what they want after I look through them for personal info effects and info. They both admitted to have rooms like this. That's okay. I've seen it in guys that like motorcycles, or race cars. They've got a garage full of treasure that they will sort through someday.

My brother likes circle track cycles. He has a friend that builds custom bikes like the guys on TV, except he doesn't want the attention. He looks like ZZ Top with a beard down to his belt buckle, and always wears sunglasses - even indoors. His property looks like any other unimproved wooded lot with a bit of pasture. Goats, chickens, and a couple beef cattle roaming around. The house could use a coat of paint. His wife's car is nothing special. His old truck proudly displays a dent on every side, and could use some tires.

His shop is in the barn. You open this broken down door, and behind is a solid metal door with a card key reader. You walk through to a gleaming shop that would please royalty. The floors are so clean you eat off them. The entry hall is plastered with photos of him and famous people and the bike he made for them. OMG! He's got two bikes in the middle of their builds. And every fab shop machine you'd ever need. In the back is a finished store room with old parts and new materials to make more bikes.

Interesting guy. He was the only exception to the clutter rule I've ever met.

[bill_g]

Oh boy - a step towards normalcy - I'm taking a service call on the coast. Small agency water district with COMM FAIL issues. Foul weather predicted. I'll get to wear my Grundens again. Good times.

[RTH10260]

Fish oil in the airwaves

[bill_g]

Fish oil in the airwaves

I wish. The Tillamook Valley is famous for shallow flooding inundating the pastures and roads*. They have pumps controlled and monitored over radio links. And The Rain is a living thing that loves to say "Howdy" to anyone not ready for it. You can go swimming while standing up. So you wear the good stuff to stay dry. And you keep a bunch of towels in the truck. A change of socks is advised too.

It's another one of those situations that no one wants to respond to, and why my retirement is fully funded.

* I have pictures around here some place of barns at sea. Pretty amazing.

[Foggy]

Oh boy - I'll get to wear my Grundens again. Good times.

Interesting. As y'all know, I walk a minimum of two miles a day, and sometimes it is raining (like today). I can't find a good raincoat.

Some of them are "water resistant" not waterproof. I'll be soaked if I walk for an hour or so in the pouring rain.

The ones that are waterproof make me sweat under the coat, so I still get soaked. I can't walk an hour in a big plastic bag without sweating, especially if I wear anything warm under the raincoat.

I have a canvas military surplus coat that is waterproof, but I get soaked.

I have a poncho made of nylon, but I get soaked wearing it.

I have other rain jackets that don't help.

Maybe I can look at a Grundens.

[AndyinPA]

My husband never got one, but he really wanted one of them. He often did forensics investigations on sites in lousy weather. Overkill, but great for travel, too, if you went to unusual places where weather could be foul, which we did.

[bill_g]

Interesting. As y'all know, I walk a minimum of two miles a day, and sometimes it is raining (like today). I can't find a good raincoat.

[snip]

Maybe I can look at a Grundens.

I understand the sweating inside a rain coat problem. I haven't found that solution. None of them seem to breathe well enough. Not even Grundens. But double tee shirts help. I wear a plain old white cotton tee against the skin. I pull a poly/spandex long sleeve over that. They are supposed to be sweat wicking. You want it snug but not tight. Under Armor is a good sports brand. A bit overpriced for what you get, but it really works. You can transition from outdoors to indoors and back outside again without needing to peel layers.

Grundens are great rain gear, but there are no pockets in their commercial products. There's no place to stuff your gloves in the jacket, or get to your car keys with their pants on. But, when you wear a full set (including a balaclava) with real official dairy farmer muck boots on, it can be sideways outside and the only thing getting wet is your nose. A little vaseline will fix that.

[Foggy]

Ol' Wifehorn and I agree, that's a good solution. I have several 'moisture wicking' tees, but not long sleeved ones ... yet.

[bill_g]

My husband never got one, but he really wanted one of them. He often did forensics investigations on sites in lousy weather. Overkill, but great for travel, too, if you went to unusual places where weather could be foul, which we did.

Grundens are not very fashionable or unbulky or light. I wouldn't want to wear a set through the airport. See the sweat discussion above. But if someone has to be outside to work, and they don't want to get wet AT ALL, and fashion is not a factor, something like Grundens is the way to go especially with the pants on too. With just the jacket, the rain sheds off soaking your jeans and shoes. Your toes will prune up. You'll be a walking water jug. You won't have to worry about tearing commercial rain gear on sharp edges, or ripping out the arm pits while reaching for something, or having rain blow up your sleeve, or ripping the butt seam while kneeling.

The country club will stop you at the door and aim you towards the groundskeeper's office, but the tire shop will extend professional courtesy to you and fix your flat for free.

[Annrc]

Hate that. It poured here the other morning here below the KOFA mountains just south of Quartzsite. After taking the dogs out my jeans were wet from rain pouring down my jacket. Ugh. When we are volunteering on the coast we wear rain pants in addition to our raincoat. It helps with wet jeans, but make sure the rain pants cover the tops of your boots or, as Bill states, your feet will be soaked.

[bill_g]

Ol' Wifehorn and I agree, that's a good solution. I have several 'moisture wicking' tees, but not long sleeved ones ... yet.

Costco sells 30 Deg Heat/Cool products. Low cost, long wear, easy wash, good fit. No down sides for general use and warm winters (0-40F).

Coldpruf makes great stuff in several weights from OMG to "it's cold out" to "not bad". American made. Good fit. Long wear. Easy wash. It's available at farm stores around here meaning their target demo is rather broad. You can sip a latte and feed the chickens. Comes in a lot of colors if that's important.

Wearing Cabela's technical base layer will make you the envy of the gun club while keeping you warm and dry, and your pocketbook empty. Good stuff. Good fit. Long wear. Easy wash. Comes in several weights from Athletic to Antarctic.

I love my Carhartts, and I hate them. Super heavy duty. They've got the Hotel California fit - you can get into them, but you can't get out because of the cuffs. There's no give. They don't move with you very well. By far the most expensive. But they will keep you warm. And they breathe the best. You can go from an overheated truck to a frozen outdoors without getting sweat chills. You will feel zero wind.

[bill_g]

Hate that. It poured here the other morning here below the KOFA mountains just south of Quartzsite. After taking the dogs out my jeans were wet from rain pouring down my jacket. Ugh. When we are volunteering on the coast we wear rain pants in addition to our raincoat. It helps with wet jeans, but make sure the rain pants cover the tops of your boots or, as Bill states, your feet will be soaked.

Yepper. Nothing like being dry on top and sopping below. I have some Goretex pants similar to the ones in the link, but not nearly as expensive. Light weight. Easy to wear. Good for walking and hiking. Keep the weather at bay all year round. I have a big pair that goes over my pants in the winter, and a smaller fitted pair for summer. I wear oiled hiking boots in winter, and oiled Romeos in summer. The pant cuffs are adjustable so you don't need gaiters.

[Annrc]

i also wear oiled leather in the winter. I will have to check out the Romeos!

[bill_g]

The Oregon Coast still has flood advisories in place. Yesterday was bad enough, but not nearly as bad as I've seen before. Most of the Tillamook Valley is barely 5ft MSL. The City of Tillamook is 25ft MSL. So, the whole area is subject to flooding.

There are numerous ditches and brooks and creeks and rivers that all drain into the bay ... at low tide. At high tide the water backs up during heavy rain. And if the rain soaks the Coastal Range, which drains towards the ocean, then Tillamook really gets wet.

Most of the roadways are built up on engineered fill to be approximately 25ft-ish MSL so they are useful during a storm. Not always. Farms, barns, and feed stores are elevated the same way for the same reasons. It mostly works. People are used to it.

I took a series of pictures back in 2019, but they are pretty much all the same. I call them Barns at Sea. Please remember this is a photo of pasture *land*, emphasis on land. It's all under 4ft or more of water for miles around. I have no idea how many millions of acre feet of water this is, but it's a lot.

[Rolodex]

Off Topic

Question: how do you attach that photo to your post? I looked in the FAQ and can't find out how to put a private photo into a post. TIA