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

[Dan in Pasadena]

Today's progress. The panels on both sides of the patio roof are wired in and complete. The main portion of the house will be completed tomorrow, systems tests run and that's a wrap. If it happens I'll be pleased it was relatively quick and painless. Contractor noted yesterday that the roof tiles on the main portion of the house are a bit longer than the ones on the patio roof so they had to go get different ones for the replacements. So at least there's nothing weird for me to notice after its complete.

 

[don long]

Dan
Congrats. on the solar install. I sure like your mountain scenery up close. My front yard looks at your mountains from across the valley
Yes I'm most blessed to have the wife god gave me on the third try all the other stuff is icing on the cake
I'm living comfortably in my golden years trying to spend all the kids inheritance $$$ before I go lol the collision business was very good to us

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Don! The NextDoor app sent out a notice this morning that a large bear had been spotted on the Colby Trail. That's the one at the end of our street where I sometimes let my dog run free. Won't be doing that anymore. I've worried about rattlesnakes and what I'd do if she was bit.

They say, "...living well is the best revenge" and I tend to agree since I feel that I am as well.

 

[rharman]

I've often wondered about the issue of breaking those concrete or clay tiles when they do solar. Our roof is composition so that's not a worry but it's coming up on 30 years old and I'd probably not be comfortable doing solar on top of that - even though the material was a 40 year product. Ugh... the thought of re-roofing scares the devil out of me - not to mention the $$$$.

Hope the $'s work out for you. Should help a lot.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

The tiles have been a real issue. The salesmen will promise you anything to make the sale of course. They told us their installers have some "special" shoes that kept the tiles from breaking (I rolled my eye at that) and of course they laughed when I told them that. But they were guaranteeing they would replace ALL broken tiles with the same - in writing - so I didn't say anything.

The day they did initial layout they marked 15 tiles they'd cracked! Since then they've had to go buy 2 additional amounts of tiles. The 2nd because they found the tiles on one side of the roof were longer than the other. The tile's color doesn't match of course but the non-matching ones will be placed under the solar panels so they won't be visible at all.

They're supposed to finish tomorrow. I gave them a head's up before the start that I managed Construction Quality for Metro in my work life so I intended to inspect the work closely before they finished. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Another "small potatoes" job:

Washed front windows & screens before caulking some gaps between masonry & window frames. Just to make sure there'll not be a future termite issue (I hope) I sprayed termite foam into the gaps til it oozed out. Wiped off excess with lacquer thinner, masked brick and applied sealant caulk. It's the same stuff the solar guys are using where necessary on solar panel mounting "feet". It's slightly more gray than the white windows. Shows in these photos but not noticeable at all in real life.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

More small stuff:

Been needing to add drip lines to potted plants outdoors. These are scabbed onto nearby buried 1/2" irrigation lines. Line tucked into masonry joints and hot glued to stay - we'll see if that lasts for long.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Went to shear the lantana and found this bolt & nut on the bird bath....hmmm! I knew I hadn't put it there.....then I figured it out. Our birdbath & a water bowl I leave for neighborhood dogs is a favorite of bluejays and crows. A bit heavy for a bluejay but not for our crows. They're nearly ravens! Must be some good eating in the nearby hills. I'm leaving it to see if they come back for it.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

A LOT of work trimming 2, 30-40 ft long lantana hedges & about 10 rosemary bushes in same day but it was on my To Do List along with edging so got 'er done. Jumped in the pool after!

Pics of lantana are same as back on Post #805 a couple pages back.

 

[don long]

Looks good Dan and just before another heat wave hits us

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks and absolutely true. So we're "gettin out of Dodge" for a long weekend. First RV trip - short though it'll be - in a long time. Pulling her out washing and maybe waxing her tomorrow. Headed to the beaches by Ventura. You guys all stay cool, hoist a few for me!

 

[captain14]

Would that nut and bolt be a legendary 10 mm set to attract 10mm sockets to kidnap them?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

If not from the crows then most likely. There must be "10mm Elves" living in the hills above us, ha ha.

 

[xtremek]

The panels look like they did a nice job.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks.

The "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say is that this week will be the FOURTH week the installation has been happening!!! They originally told us installation would be "one or two days". I felt that was optimistic but ok.

FIrst day they realized we had lightweight concrete roof tiles - installers said they would break too easily, called their boss, was told to continue and they would replace any tiles broken. Layout alone resulted in 15.

Yada, yada, yada, need "flat roof feet" for the panels to sit right above the roofing, couldn't find them (a week), couldn't find matching tiles, then realized there were two slightly different tile lengths (another week), we told them we had reservations to be out of town this past Fri through tomorrow, "....so if you can't complete the job by Thurs don't come back til Tues" - this so I can inspect the completion and agree to accept - and I intend to be picky about workmanship after all this time. We'll see if it gets done Tues (I doubt it, what'll the next issue be?)

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Also, I added the following to the "Should I Ever Be Left Unsupervised" thread.

The result:
I think I may have broken my own nose

What happened:
We're out of town camping. RV cargo box (door opens upward & has 2 tension latches.) I was putting our portable BBQ away. I was leaning forward when the cargo box door swung down hitting me RIGHT on the bridge of my nose. EEEEOWWW! I was seeing stars! Immediately bled like hell but I had a paper towel in my hand so I caught most of it. Lock on door also scratched my nose causing more bleeding. 2 Naproxen and 20 minutes on/20 minutes off with ice pack and bleeding has nearly stopped. Nose doesn't look out of alignment (well, more than before!) so maybe it was just a bad bruise causing the bleeding. But it still hurts like hell.

 

[PugetDude]

Pictures or it didn't happen, Dan.

 

[xtremek]

Did you hurt the the lock/lid?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Did you hurt the the lock/lid?

Ha ha! I always thought my beak was pretty hard but not harder than that metal edged lid. Damn, I was seeing bluebirds for a second!

Went to doctor yesterday. Yup, it's broken and the left nostril is almost shut with swelling. But only my girlfriend and I see the nose shape changed.

Good because Doc says I should see an ENT (ear, nose & throat guy) after swelling subsides and he'll say if I need it "corrected" - they re-align it (sounds like "re-break" to me) and shave the cartilage if needed. I told my doc, "...that sound painful and ******". He said it is though they'll anesthetize me...except cartilage doesnt accept anesthetic much.

He also related a story of when he did his residency in LA's General Hospital (a very rough neighborhood) and the gangbangers would come in on weekends after beating **** outta each other. They anesthetize their badly broken noses with medical grade pure cocaine....and they loved it, would ask for more! Doubt that's what I'll get IF I do this. My girlfriend says I should to avoid future problems. I'm not so sure.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Pictures or it didn't happen, Dan.

Ok, then it didn't happen! Lol, no one wants to see pictures of my ugly face especially ME!

Damn, I was never any sort of model but I think I was a decent looking guy when I was younger. I'd show you but it would be depressing. Who the EFF is this ugly old mofo?!

 

[Trapps]

Good luck with the recovery, Dan.

I think you'll be OK, I had a similarly 'damaged' nose at one time. Substitute hockey stick for cargo box door.

It's here I am reminded of a scene from The Longest Yard:

The original. Nothing wrong with the remake, but I'm partial to the original.

 

[Bob Heine]

Dan, it's possible to break your nose and have it look the same from the outside. Mine was pushed up along with my front teeth in the accident. Two years later I was still having trouble breathing through my nose and went to an ENT surgeon. After a fancy multi-layer X-ray session, he went in and opened up the crushed sinuses on the right side of my face and straightened my dual-deviated septum. Worst part of the procedure is the recovery. You have a couple of yards of gauze packed in your nose along with a couple of plastic splints. Should you sneeze before the doctor takes the gauze out, you may get to pull it out yourself. You would not believe how much gauze they can stuff up your nose. I'm glad I took care of the problem -- it's nice to be able to breathe through your nose. I also look stupid enough without being a "mouth breather."

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Today's activities:

Grocery shopping​

Gladiator Oil Change & Install Fumoto Oil Valve​

Toilet Seat Replacement​

Spot Treat Termites​

​

​

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Damn, forum won't let me upload the "After" picture - which is the only one that counts. Ok, got it.

 

[captain14]

Dan,

How much lower does that valve sit than anything else low on the vehicle?
Speed bumps, road debris or uneven road surfaces any concern?

Your injury just adds character. If Someone says something, just tell them They should have seen the other guy!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Dan, .....You would not believe how much gauze they can stuff up your nose. I'm glad I took care of the problem -- it's nice to be able to breathe through your nose.

Oh I believe it - I saw it. My now 76 year old sister got her nose broken badly with a croquet ballot when she was about 10. The neighbor girl she was playing with swung the mallot like a golf club, my sister was standing too close to the back swing. She was wearing a white blouse and my little 4 year old memory is of her blouse being totally red with gushing blood. It was BAAD.

The emergency hospital doc packed her nose like you say. She was a horror movie character - 2 black eyes, her face all swollen, her lip split - mallet caught that too, and she could barely breathe, talk, or eat. Apparently it traumatized little me! But her nose is perfectly straight - they did a great job straightening it.

If she looked like THAT I can just imagine what a Frankenstein (I mean it in the nicest possible way, ha ha) you must have looked WORSE and for a very long time after your accident. Bob, you are a certified, card carrying tough futhermucker. With what happened to you the only guy on your level is Aron Ralston, the kid that got stuck between boulders and had to amputate his own arm.

Aron Ralston - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You two are THE toughest guys in existence! Maybe some of the survivors of Iwo Jima or the Battle of the Bulge too but hard to imagine being tougher than what you went through.

PS to Trapps: Agreed. The original Longest Yard was way better. Adam Sandler believable as an NFL quarterback? Young Burt Reynolds, yes. Saandler.....I don't think so.

 

[xtremek]

Did you buy me anything good to eat?

 

[PugetDude]

Ok, then it didn't happen! Lol, no one wants to see pictures of my ugly face especially ME!

Damn, I was never any sort of model but I think I was a decent looking guy when I was younger. I'd show you but it would be depressing. Who the EFF is this ugly old mofo?!

 

[kaymccampbell]

Ok, then it didn't happen! Lol, no one wants to see pictures of my ugly face especially ME!

Damn, I was never any sort of model but I think I was a decent looking guy when I was younger. I'd show you but it would be depressing. Who the EFF is this ugly old mofo?!

That is the sad part of aging. I look like my aunt Mary at this stage of life. 50 years from now we'll all look the same. Slim n trim, bit on the boney side.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

That is the sad part of aging. I look like my aunt Mary at this stage of life. 50 years from now we'll all look the same. Slim n trim, bit on the boney side.

So true, so true.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Dan,

How much lower does that valve sit than anything else low on the vehicle?
Speed bumps, road debris or uneven road surfaces any concern?

Your injury just adds character. If Someone says something, just tell them They should have seen the other guy!

Ha, actually I did joke about that. Told my daughter it was a bar fight and I beat the **** outta the guy. She laughed, she knows I never go to bars.

The valve doesnt hang low at all. I was concerned about that too since it IS a 4x4. Even though it is the Rubicon model I'll never rock crawl in it. Hell, it'll probably only ever go on a dirt road if I ever launch my boat from the shore now that the lakes are all so low. Otherwise it's a mall crawler. I got it rather than a Colorado, Canyon or Ranger because I think the resale on it will be better than all of those....someday.

 

[PugetDude]

Told my daughter it was ajar fight and I beat the **** outta the guy.

So you actually had an encounter with a door that was ajar...

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Wiped down my “baby” checked tire air and took her out to lunch & for a few errands. Love it but also I worry like an old hen. People always walk up to look and I’m afraid they’ll scratch her. But as Kay reminded me, “What are you saving it for, a museum?!” Of course she’s right but I still fret about it.

Maybe I should have left it in its old rattle can shop truck look and just done the mechanicals only!

 

[jon72vega]

Wiped down my “baby” checked tire air and took her out to lunch & for a few errands. Love it but also I worry like an old hen. People always walk up to look and I’m afraid they’ll scratch her. But as Kay reminded me, “What are you saving it for, a museum?!” Of course she’s right but I still fret about it.

Maybe I should have left it in its old rattle can shop truck look and just done the mechanicals only!

That is sweet!

 

[captain14]

Looks great but I’d be parking it at the furthest point away.

There’s always got to be that person that slams a car door into it or my favorite - kids playing with shopping carts and letting it slam into cars. My truck has a dent in The front left fender. Luckily the cart had either plastic or a rubber corner on it. No paint damage.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Looks great but I’d be parking it at the furthest point away.

There’s always got to be that person that slams a car door into it or my favorite - kids playing with shopping carts and letting it slam into cars. My truck has a dent in The front left fender. Luckily the cart had either plastic or a rubber corner on it. No paint damage.

You'll notice I'm sitting at the table RIGHT in front of it and it's in the last parking spot before No Parking on one side. The car next to it wasn't there when I parked it. If there hadn't been a spot right there I'd have not had lunch there!

She got attention today including, "I'll give you 50K cash for the big window today!" I responded, "It'll take a little more than that but we can talk if you'd like" - He was driving a lifted F350 in the Costco parking lot and didn't pull over. I was also asked what year it was by others, and what color it was by another person. It's fun when people are nice.

 

[Ford52PU]

That certainly is one beautiful truck! Thanks for sharing! Enjoy it

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

That certainly is one beautiful truck! Thanks for sharing! Enjoy it

Thank you! Love your avatar F1 too.

I'm a Chevy guy through and through but there are some Fords I really love. Of course the '40 & '41 are to die for. One of the very very fewest trucks I'd sell my truck to get if I could.

Love the '48-'52 F1's and more recently I've really started to appreciate the "jail bar" trucks - the '46 & '47's that used to be considered the ugly ducklings

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Now back to our regularly scheduled program: Solar Installation.

This solar company is making our install into the longest in history! It's now been a month since they started!

Friday the installers couldn't quite finish. They didn't have enough tile so the mis-match color won't show. I showed them an unseen roof area they could remove tile - CAREFULLY! - and use them where they'll be seen, then replace them with the the non-color matching ones.

I spoke to their supervisor and was assured they'd be back on Monday (today) to finish. Said he'd call the scheduler and the guy who releases the crews. Nope, they didn't show up! And I couldn't get the supervisor on the phone either, left multiple messages til his voice mail was full.

The guys that do the roof work aren't the same as the electricians that do the connection work. All the guys are nice as can be and do good work but the salesmen say ANYthing to get signatures on paper ("...our installers have 'special shoes' so they won't break lightweight concrete tile" - I rolled my eyes). Apparently the supervision isn't a lot better. Or they just have too much work or some damn thing. If they'd said we'll be there Wednesday I'd have been fine with it as long as it doesn't rain. (Fat chance in CA these days)

Anyway, even the below electrical work didn't get done because our panel didn't have a knockout and they didn't have the punch to install an LB where they needed it. The 3 boxes are transformers that change DC into AC and send it to the house panel through the new sub panels they installed. No idea why two of them.

We'll see when they get back! Sheesh, I'm REAL tired of dealing with the clowns in their office.

 

[Ford52PU]

Wow I’d be pretty pissed off. It’s so hard being lied to by people and paying them to do it!