Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The "Glendora Garage"

[PugetDude]

Above ^^^ the lantana hedge (right) obviously needs to be sheared but I didn't have room in the yard trash can so I couldn't do it. We also have the giant ficus tree privacy hedge in the backyard that needs to be "faced". Now that the city's waste contractor has started to use mechanical can pickup you can't line up a lot of cans like we used to. Just one yard can allowed.

Does that yard waste can have the proper Prop65 warning lable on it, Dan?

 

[rharman]

Above ^^^ the lantana hedge (right) obviously needs to be sheared but I didn't have room in the yard trash can so I couldn't do it. We also have the giant ficus tree privacy hedge in the backyard that needs to be "faced". Now that the city's waste contractor has started to use mechanical can pickup you can't line up a lot of cans like we used to. Just one yard can allowed.

If you need more, you should be able to get them. In our town each additional increases your monthly rate $3.38.

One of our neighbors has a huge back yard and has 4-6 of the green waste cans.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Does that yard waste can have the proper Prop65 warning lable on it, Dan?

Not required. It's just grass.

 

[PugetDude]

Not required. It's just grass.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Spent several hours on patio removing furniture cushions, hosing off dust & spider webs, wiping all metal & glass, putting cushions out to dry and washing months of **** from concrete pavement. All this for tomorrow as we are having my daughter, son-in-law & three grandkids.

To be honest, "company" (of course they're NOT really company) is just an excuse to clean the patio for summer which we do every year anyway. Lots of work, got tired out enough to go in hot tub afterward and.........it looks NO DIFFERENT than before we did it, ha ha!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

After all that I picked up lunch and got in the hot tub to ease the sore back. Fifi HAS TO be right next to me even though she doesn't like water.

 

[captain14]

She’s your lifeguard.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

She’s your lifeguard.

Maybe but I kinda doubt if I were drowning that she'd jump in for me. She'd bark, maybe try to grab me from the side.

 

[Bob Heine]

You have to hope Fifi learned from Lassie how to tell someone "Come quick, Dan's fallen down the well!"

 

[hardtop5000]

Love that tub photo, Dan. Two happy dogs!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Continued shearing bushes from "yesterpage" post #1479. Sheared the front lantana hedges, mowed, pulled some larger weeds and sprayed others. Used Rose food/systemic herbicide on the front roses and geraniums. Bot hare putting on their first Spring show and I want to keep it going.

Fifi and Max are on guard in case a vampire, werewolf, zombie or mailman decides to prey on me!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Do most of us make To Do Lists and work the items off? The "****:" side of my personality get weird satisfaction from checking off or lining out the items. But they're also a reminder of the things I DIDN'T get done, damn. Today was a pretty good day for getting stuff done.

These things were on the list but did NOT get done (yet):

• Take tow ball off truck
• Recharge front porch camera
• Fix tv remotes/
• Remove Tapcons on gazebo
• ’55 - Fix leaking left rear tire
• RV oil change

Below all got done:

• Take dogs to groomer for baths
• Metal table to street w/FREE sign
• Remove vise from metal table
• Dip pruner handles
• Pick up Maricela
• eBike & helmet to truck bed
• Truck to dealer for oil change by 9am
• Ride bike home
• Schedule dog grooming
• Trash cans to street
• Mow back Lawn
• Home Depot - Buy Plasti-Dip

 

[zanyad]

Do most of us make To Do Lists and work the items off?

I tend to more at work than home. Biggest problem is the list never seems to get shorter!

 

[captain14]

Nah, the list gets longer. You do one thing and that generates three more things on the to do list.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I tend to more at work than home. Biggest problem is the list never seems to get shorter!

Nah, the list gets longer. You do one thing and that generates three more things on the to do list.

So true. Since I posted this list - proud of getting a lot done - I've replaced them with another big group of things. But I find if I don't record them (on my phone these days) I forget there were some other stuff I wanted to do.

The only thing worse than growing old is the only alternative! Lol

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I posted this over on the dog thread but want to put it here too:

This is little Max. He does this EVERY day with at least one of my sneakers. The sneakers are almost too big for him to carry but he does. He never chews them but carries one into the living room or sometimes out the dog door to the patio.

He's a funny little dog. Somewhere between 5 and 8 years old per vet. He's a "lap dog" and I know for certain he's had 2 owners before me (more?) but it's obvious he hasn't been doted on like a lap dog. In my truck he always sits on the center console (I have a folded blanket there for him) with his head on my right leg. I rescued him when I bought Fifi.

When she got in my truck he ran under it and cried because he wasn't big enough to get in by himself, but he tried. I asked if I could have him too and the lady said he was her dad's dog but that dad was thinking of "letting him go."
So she gave him to me. He probably would have been sent to the dog pound and been put down. I love both my dogs dearly and I feel like I truly saved him from a bad fate.

 

[Bob Heine]

Some of our buddies have a security blanket, looks like Max has a security sneaker. I bet it has to do with your smell being on it..

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'm sure it's that. He likes my stinky feet! It's really apparent it's about missing me when we go out on errands. that's when he gets one from the bedroom and brings it out to the livingroom where wes pend most of our time.

It's ironic when you see big muscular pit bulls with a blanket in their mouth sorta sucking on it. Makes me assume they were taken from their mothers before then were entirely done weening.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I'm sure it's that. He likes my stinky feet! It's really apparent it's about missing me when we go out on errands. that's when he gets one from the bedroom and brings it out to the livingroom where wes pend most of our time.

It's ironic when you see big muscular pit bulls with a blanket in their mouth sorta sucking on it. Makes me assume they were taken from their mothers before then were entirely done weening.

When it comes down to it, they're all just puppies. They crave parents and love.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

When it comes down to it, they're all just puppies. They crave parents and love.

Pretty much exactly how I feel about my pups. They're pack animals and they crave attention and the approval of the pack leader which; fortunately, they see as me.

I'm absolutely convinced my dogs would do almost literally anything I tell them them IF they understood me. But I'm not really smart enough to convey things to them. They've got a dumb pack leader!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

More of the usual:



I don't mind the shearing though my Milwaukee Quik-Lok with the long hedger attachment is damn heavy after a little while. I'm thinking I may have to retire from this particular chore after my birthday (70 - ugh) and hire it out. I already had planned to do that for the topping because I'm concerned about using my scaffolding to get high enough to do the top of the tall ficus hedges.

PS: Little Max supervising from nearby. Fifi takes a look, goes in to sleep on the sofa. Max never leaves my side if he can manage it - though he's afraid of power equipment.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Replaced the filters on our under sink reverse osmosis system today. Pain in the 'nards because I lost track of how the little tubes went from one filter to the other.

I didn't install the system in the first place so I had no point of reference (though I wouldn't have remembered anyway). Found this little diagram online and it saved me. I had it ALL wrong. I had swapped #5 and #6 and the T fittings were in the wrong place too. I had to undo/redo it all but I've got it right now.

FYI: it's an iSpring 6 element system.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Replaced the filters on our under sink reverse osmosis system today. Pain in the 'nards because I lost track of how the little tubes went from one filter to the other.

I didn't install the system in the first place so I had no point of reference (though I wouldn't have remembered anyway). Found this little diagram online and it saved me. I had it ALL wrong. I had swapped #5 and #6 and the T fittings were in the wrong place too. I had to undo/redo it all but I've got it right now.

FYI: it's an iSpring 6 element system.

Wow. I'm glad my well only needs a few grams of chlorine per minute of operation, to give me bottled water taste.

In the future, only change out one filter at a time. If you only change one thing, you will have much more trouble getting confused.

 

[rharman]

@Dan in Pasadena - Have you given any thought to replacing that convoluted nightmare? RO wastes a ton of water.

MANY years ago, we picked up a MultiPure canister filter at the LA County Fair. It works great as far as we can tell.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

@Dan in Pasadena - Have you given any thought to replacing that convoluted nightmare? RO wastes a ton of water.

MANY years ago, we picked up a MultiPure canister filter at the LA County Fair. It works great as far as we can tell.

Nope. It’s a new system. Personally I don’t care about filtered water. I drink it from the tap and it tastes fine to me. My girlfriend is another story though.

Every time I buy a bottle of water, in my mind’s eye I can see my dad shaking his head and thinking I’m an IDIOT because water come out of the tap for “free”!

 

[Bob Heine]

Nope. It’s a new system. Personally I don’t care about filtered water. I drink it from the tap and it tastes fine to me. My girlfriend is another story though.

Every time I buy a bottle of water, in my mind’s eye I can see my dad shaking his head and thinking I’m an IDIOT because water come out of the tap for “free”!

Dan, I'm with you. We pay for municipal water in Boca Raton. The city has a "70-MGD (Million Gallon a Day) water treatment plant that uses a nanofiltration membrane system and state-of-the-art reverse osmosis technology to provide customers with dramatically improved, appealingly clear drinking water." The system purifies the water but it isn't perfect. There are still some contaminants in the water but comparedd to bottled water they don't scare me.

I did install a whole house filter that catches any particulate matter but it only got changed every five years and looked like it could have gone longer. In 2017 I installed a larger filter and have yet to change the cartridge. I feel better knowing my drinking water isn't chunky.

I did an accidental test of plastic water bottles that was disturbing. Liane feared there would be no water available if the power went out during a hurricane (our supply is gravity fed from large tanks). To ease her fears I put a 6-pack of water on a shelf in the garage and forgot about it. Six years later I noticed it was still there but the bottles were no longer full. It appears water leached out through the plastic and it occurred to me contaminants could make the trip going the other way.

Turns out it's worse than I thought. "One liter of water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics, of which 90% were identified as nanoplastics and the rest were microplastics, according to the study."
(https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/health/bottled-water-nanoplastics-study-wellness/index.html)

Here I thought the blue bin in the garage was where all the plastic went for recycling. It appears I'm recycling some of it as well. Maybe we should just start eating the plastic to build up our tolerance.

My favorite bottled water test was Penn and Teller's "********" show:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=295904514122934

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Had new "shoes" put on my truck today.

2021 Silverado 1500 High Country. I got it last October and I've put about 7,000 miles on it. It's run flawlessly. I knew it had mismatched tires on it when I bought it through a private dealer. Easy to understand why. Name brand tires for it run in the high $200's to over $400 PER tire. Big *** tires too: 275/50/22's. Yikes.

I've been searching for deals and got 4 new Chinese tires out the door for a bit over $600, mounted and balanced with new stems. I searched reviews online and they were consistently good. I considered "take offs" too but they were the same Bridgestones and I'm not impressed by them. But of course my fingers are crossed because I've never heard of "FullRun HP299's" before. But I felt that way years ago when I bought a set of Kumho's - which I'd never heard of either at the time.

What's a little surprising is that they have a higher load rating with more plies in sidewalls & tread than the 2 remaining factory Bridgestone Alenzas. They ride very smooth, no road noise.

 

[PugetDude]

Rotsa Ruck, Dan.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Rotsa Ruck, Dan.

Ha ha, I may REALLY need it. It's YOUR FACE that'll pop up in my mind if I find myself on the side of the road in 110*weather on the way to Laughlin next month.

So far, no issues. BUT (there's always a "but" right?). A couple days ago after changing the oil & filter the truck threw a Check Engine Light. I very briefly noticed the coolant temperature went one "line" over the 210* mark. It never goes over 210* but we were driving along in heavy traffic for a short period. I've heard these trucks have a fairly common coolant control valve issue so I'm thinking possibly that(?). NOT a good issue to potentially have when I know I'm going to be driving it in very hot temperatures on an upcoming trip. It stayed on about a day, including after an overnight cool when I started the truck the next morning. Then it just went out and hasn't come back.

I plan to stop by the dealer and have the service writer scan for codes - undoubtedly it will be something expense......or just to bug me it'll show nothing at all!

 

[PugetDude]

Ha ha, I may REALLY need it. It's YOUR FACE that'll pop up in my mind if I find myself on the side of the road in 110*weather on the way to Laughlin next month.

What's worse than a flat tire in 110F Heat?
You just answered that.

PS.... How are those Tapcon anchors coming along?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

PS.... How are those Tapcon anchors coming along?

Ball buster! Lol

I actually worked on the gazebo today too. I'm adding drip irrigation tubing to it for the two potted black eyed Susan vines SWMBO puts next to the front columns. I'm trying hard not to revisit the failed Tapcon issue because once I pull them out I've got to find a replacement......or maybe I don't. Just leave the thing standing there. Tropical Storm Hillary didn't move it so maybe the whole effort to bolt it down is unnecessary?

(Yeah I know, I know tiny Puget Dude standing on my shoulder. I HAVE to do it. UGH)

 

[captain14]

Going back to the tires, have you checked and dropped the spare tire assembly down in the driveway in the shade yet? It’s a big difference than along side the highway pulling the trailer.

We wont event talk about not having any shade…..

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Going back to the tires, have you checked and dropped the spare tire assembly down in the driveway in the shade yet? It’s a big difference than along side the highway pulling the trailer.

We wont event talk about not having any shade…..

Excellent idea and no I have not. I've had the truck now for 7 months and haven't done it just to check that the spare holds air and of course to see how big a hassle it is.

 

[rharman]

Excellent idea and no I have not. I've had the truck now for 7 months and haven't done it just to check that the spare holds air and of course to see how big a hassle it is.

I used to think I was the only one who checked spare tires for correct pressure occasionally. Then.... I joined Garage Journal.

Time for Dan to join the club.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I used to think I was the only one who checked spare tires for correct pressure occasionally. Then.... I joined Garage Journal.

Time for Dan to join the club.

Yup, I suppose so. Actually, I know I got no jack with this truck! I remember now finding that and never doing anything about it. I suppose the factory jack is mega dollars from the dealer but I should be able to find something at Harbor Freight or the local Autozone. Maybe eBay will have one of the real ones. Good reminder!

Quick find on Amazon:

Amazon.com

$125 +/- on eBay for the factory one. A bottle jack instead of scissors style.

 

[PugetDude]

Yup, I suppose so. Actually, I know I got no jack with this truck! I remember now finding that and never doing anything about it. I suppose the factory jack is mega dollars from the dealer but I should be able to find something at Harbor Freight or the local Autozone. Maybe eBay will have one of the real ones. Good reminder!

Quick find on Amazon:

Amazon.com

$125 +/- on eBay for the factory one. A bottle jack instead of scissors style.

If you're the going to run Chicom tires, you might as well have a Chicom jack to keep them company.

 

[captain14]

It’s worth a shot to check a local junk yard that deals with GMC products. Some of them will put those on a table or bin to sell.

I would go with a bottle Jack with a higher rating.

Let’s face reality. Would you be comfortable changing a drivers side tire that big alongside the interstate?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Let’s face reality. Would you be comfortable changing a drivers side tire that big alongside the interstate?

....like I would have a choice?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Today's project (actually two days) because I stopped to order white drip irrigation tubing. via Amazon. Could 't find it locally. Makes the finished job look so much better:



The backyard borders have 1/2" irrigation tubing then 1/4" drip lines run to the individual plants. I installed a T fitting into an existing line and ran it up the gazebo column. Then I ran white tubing up over and around the horizontal beams to provide water to the two potted black-eyed Susan vines. Had to find white clamps - they were for organizing electrical cables but I modified them to work for this purpose.

Yes, when the valve shuts off all the water in the overhead lines will drain into the pots. So I have the watering heads shut down to only about 1/4 open. It'll still drain but it will happen slower so hopefully won't overflow(?)

Below is where I T'd off the existing line and ran the black tubing up the column. I have since anchored that tube and buried it. I also ran a black 1/4" line which you can barely see to the large pot with banana tree & geraniums. Now ALL the backyard pots have automatic irrigation.



And of course the project management team was on hand to make sure I did the job correctly!

 

[kaymccampbell]

....like I would have a choice?

Don't they have Triple-A in Californica?