Otis in the Suburbs (3 Viewers)

[ShaqAttaq]

28 picture documentary of me & my wife re-surfacing my blacktop this weekend:

LINK

Cleaned with that awesome pressure washer attachment, filled cracks, cleaned out any loose weeds and stuff from the edges and did the re-surface gunk.

This stuff is super messy FYI. I had this stuff all over me. Factor in the cost of some new housework shoes when considering this project.

WTF?

2 houses ago, i had an asphalt driveway. it was always a messy weekend when i did the resurfacing. i was able to complete the task without piledriving whilst receiving lex steele, however.

 

[belljr]

FWIW - 2 weeks later and my basement mouse hasn't touched the poison nor the mousetrap (shoulda used crunchy peanut butter, I just knew it). No dead mouse smell yet either. The most pathetic part is me walking around our storage area and frighteningly kicking boxes and other things on the floor trying to expose it. The mouse is winning so far. Another pest-related question - when you find a dead bird or other animal in the yard, do you toss it in the garbage, or bury it? I buried a dead robin that flew into our window.

Old house bag and trash, new house throw into woods

 

[lumpy19]

FWIW - 2 weeks later and my basement mouse hasn't touched the poison nor the mousetrap (shoulda used crunchy peanut butter, I just knew it). No dead mouse smell yet either. The most pathetic part is me walking around our storage area and frighteningly kicking boxes and other things on the floor trying to expose it. The mouse is winning so far. Another pest-related question - when you find a dead bird or other animal in the yard, do you toss it in the garbage, or bury it? I buried a dead robin that flew into our window.

Option 3 - grill it on your new $900 weber grill

 

[ODoyleRules]

FWIW - 2 weeks later and my basement mouse hasn't touched the poison nor the mousetrap (shoulda used crunchy peanut butter, I just knew it). No dead mouse smell yet either. The most pathetic part is me walking around our storage area and frighteningly kicking boxes and other things on the floor trying to expose it. The mouse is winning so far. Another pest-related question - when you find a dead bird or other animal in the yard, do you toss it in the garbage, or bury it? I buried a dead robin that flew into our window.

Old house bag and trash, new house throw into woods

We have trash pick-up 2x a week, so I probably shouldn't expect any bird decay odor. I should do this from now on.

 

[bushdocda]

I think I killt a rabbit with weed killer last year by accident. I snow shovel flung it into the woods.

 

[Invisible Sky Wizard]

28 picture documentary of me & my wife re-surfacing my blacktop this weekend:

LINK

Cleaned with that awesome pressure washer attachment, filled cracks, cleaned out any loose weeds and stuff from the edges and did the re-surface gunk.

This stuff is super messy FYI. I had this stuff all over me. Factor in the cost of some new housework shoes when considering this project.

WTF?

2 houses ago, i had an asphalt driveway. it was always a messy weekend when i did the resurfacing. i was able to complete the task without piledriving whilst receiving lex steele, however.

oh god, I'm dying here.

 

[Otis]

jesus

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

 

[SofaKings]

jhc!

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

lals

 

[Nigel]

2 houses ago, i had an asphalt driveway. it was always a messy weekend when i did the resurfacing. i was able to complete the task without piledriving whilst receiving lex steele, however.

Funniest thing I've read in the FFA in quite a while.

 

[shuke]

28 picture documentary of me & my wife re-surfacing my blacktop this weekend:

LINK

Cleaned with that awesome pressure washer attachment, filled cracks, cleaned out any loose weeds and stuff from the edges and did the re-surface gunk.

This stuff is super messy FYI. I had this stuff all over me. Factor in the cost of some new housework shoes when considering this project.

WTF?

2 houses ago, i had an asphalt driveway. it was always a messy weekend when i did the resurfacing. i was able to complete the task without piledriving whilst receiving lex steele, however.

 

[Mr. Cross]

wow

 

[Tiger Fan]

Last place I'd expect to find a Lexington Steele reference

 

[Britney Spears]

28 picture documentary of me & my wife re-surfacing my blacktop this weekend:

LINK

Cleaned with that awesome pressure washer attachment, filled cracks, cleaned out any loose weeds and stuff from the edges and did the re-surface gunk.

This stuff is super messy FYI. I had this stuff all over me. Factor in the cost of some new housework shoes when considering this project.

WTF?

Alcohol. bag

 

[Britney Spears]

That couldn't possibly be the most incriminating picture in there either.

unsure

 

[gianmarco]

2 houses ago, i had an asphalt driveway. it was always a messy weekend when i did the resurfacing. i was able to complete the task without piledriving whilst receiving lex steele, however.

Funniest thing I've read in the FFA in quite a while.

Jesus, I didn't even get it for a while. But, with all the in response, I had to figure out what I was missing. So glad I did.

 

[OC Zed]

Yes, it is seriously scary, depending on the height of your roof and other things like what you plant your ladder on (grass yard or walkway/driveway) for a sturdy base for ladder. No kidding, I had a good friend who was up on a older wooden ladder cleaning his gutters and the ladder broke. He hit his driveway and blew out his knee and was jacked up quite severely. I could not picture myself standing on my roof, I can only see bad things happening vs the money to pay someone else to be up there.

5k

 

[OC Zed]

2 houses ago, i had an asphalt driveway. it was always a messy weekend when i did the resurfacing. i was able to complete the task without piledriving whilst receiving lex steele, however.

Funniest thing I've read in the FFA in quite a while.

 

[Otis]

I'm not even sure it's worth changing the subject back to house crap, but I might as well try.

Siding job completed today. It looks like a completely different house. Absolutely thrilled, they did a nice job. Will post up a pic or three when I get a chance. Even got the siding guys to hack down a metal pole and rotten basketball hoop that has probably been there since circa 1950. Roof railing will be up on around Monday. Masonry guy won't be here for a few weeks, but once that's done we're all set with the exterior.

Side note/question on the exterior -- our painter offered to paint the chimney, since it looks like crap and is definitely needed since right now the coating of white paint (probably done 30 years ago) is just flaking off all the way around. I suppose another option would be to try and have all the paint just removed and expose the brick -- how difficult is this?

Downstairs bathroom fixtures have been ripped out, old nasty flooring came out (after initially disagreeing with me that the floor needed to come out, the carpenter did an about face and said the smell of the rotting whatever from down there hit him like a brick wall when he opened it up. Floor replaced with new tiles. Once the painter clears through that room they will come back to install the new fixtures.

Laminate kitchen flooring is being shipped now. Once it's in, they will come back and install that for us. Still need to figure out what we are doing about the countertop.

Painting continues on the kitchen and other rooms. Sounds like we'll have the painter out early next week.

Landscaper dude re-planting the leylands and bringing in 7 new ones probably some time next week.

Saw our raccoon friend last evening. Waltzed right by the sliding doors, wasn't even dark yet. First time the wife saw him. She wasn't happy. I compounded it by saying that I heard something to the effect that if they come out before dark, they probably have rabies. Can you hicks verify?

 

[The Commish]

Downstairs bathroom fixtures have been ripped out, old nasty flooring came out (after initially disagreeing with me that the floor needed to come out, the carpenter did an about face and said the smell of the rotting whatever from down there hit him like a brick wall when he opened it up. Floor replaced with new tiles. Once the painter clears through that room they will come back to install the new fixtures.

uh.....can you go back to this? Is it mold? Did it get cleaned up properly? This isn't something to gloss over.

 

[Otis]

Downstairs bathroom fixtures have been ripped out, old nasty flooring came out (after initially disagreeing with me that the floor needed to come out, the carpenter did an about face and said the smell of the rotting whatever from down there hit him like a brick wall when he opened it up. Floor replaced with new tiles. Once the painter clears through that room they will come back to install the new fixtures.

uh.....can you go back to this? Is it mold? Did it get cleaned up properly? This isn't something to gloss over.

I think it's some kind of mold or mildew. Basically there was always a dankness/odor coming out of that bathroom. It could be a lot of things -- could in part have been an old toilet, something going on in the tank of that toilet, etc. The window in that room was busted, and thus couldn't really be opened, and the door is an old school "swinging door" type thing, so it is essentially always closed. So you've got limited ventilation. But I think what was causing it is that the toilet was mounted on a piece of wood -- maybe an inch thick -- supposedly because the floor was warped. It had something to do, I think, with the toilet plumbing and the connection through that wood thing and then the surrounding area. It could also just have been moisture/mildew that collected underneath the nasty old linoleum. In any event, the window is now replaced with a new one, the flooring is gutted and new tile flooring down. A new coat of paint is coming now. Assuming they don't ef up the plumbing, I'm thinking we'll be OK. I was in there last night and it's hard to be sure over the smell of paint and grout and everything else, but that "dankness" and humidity/mildew-type feeling seem to be gone.

 

[squidrope]

I'm not even sure it's worth changing the subject back to house crap, but I might as well try.Siding job completed today. It looks like a completely different house. Absolutely thrilled, they did a nice job. Will post up a pic or three when I get a chance. Even got the siding guys to hack down a metal pole and rotten basketball hoop that has probably been there since circa 1950. Roof railing will be up on around Monday. Masonry guy won't be here for a few weeks, but once that's done we're all set with the exterior.Side note/question on the exterior -- our painter offered to paint the chimney, since it looks like crap and is definitely needed since right now the coating of white paint (probably done 30 years ago) is just flaking off all the way around. I suppose another option would be to try and have all the paint just removed and expose the brick -- how difficult is this?Downstairs bathroom fixtures have been ripped out, old nasty flooring came out (after initially disagreeing with me that the floor needed to come out, the carpenter did an about face and said the smell of the rotting whatever from down there hit him like a brick wall when he opened it up. Floor replaced with new tiles. Once the painter clears through that room they will come back to install the new fixtures.Laminate kitchen flooring is being shipped now. Once it's in, they will come back and install that for us. Still need to figure out what we are doing about the countertop.Painting continues on the kitchen and other rooms. Sounds like we'll have the painter out early next week.Landscaper dude re-planting the leylands and bringing in 7 new ones probably some time next week.Saw our raccoon friend last evening. Waltzed right by the sliding doors, wasn't even dark yet. First time the wife saw him. She wasn't happy. I compounded it by saying that I heard something to the effect that if they come out before dark, they probably have rabies. Can you hicks verify?

I would strip the paint off the chimney. The painter will have to strip alot of the chipping paint off otherwise his paint will be on peeling paint. Who knows how long the paint that isn't currently peeling will take to start peeling and then you are in the same boat your in now. I would try a pressure washer and a scraper to get the paint off the brick. After the paint is off the chimney you'll want to seal the brick with a masonry sealant.Trap the racoon(s) and relocate it/them. (or hire someone to do it ) I wouldn't want racoons strolling around with a newborn. Congrats on phase one nearing completion.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

I'm not even sure it's worth changing the subject back to house crap, but I might as well try.

Siding job completed today. It looks like a completely different house. Absolutely thrilled, they did a nice job. Will post up a pic or three when I get a chance. Even got the siding guys to hack down a metal pole and rotten basketball hoop that has probably been there since circa 1950. Roof railing will be up on around Monday. Masonry guy won't be here for a few weeks, but once that's done we're all set with the exterior.

Side note/question on the exterior -- our painter offered to paint the chimney, since it looks like crap and is definitely needed since right now the coating of white paint (probably done 30 years ago) is just flaking off all the way around. I suppose another option would be to try and have all the paint just removed and expose the brick -- how difficult is this?

Downstairs bathroom fixtures have been ripped out, old nasty flooring came out (after initially disagreeing with me that the floor needed to come out, the carpenter did an about face and said the smell of the rotting whatever from down there hit him like a brick wall when he opened it up. Floor replaced with new tiles. Once the painter clears through that room they will come back to install the new fixtures.

Laminate kitchen flooring is being shipped now. Once it's in, they will come back and install that for us. Still need to figure out what we are doing about the countertop.

Painting continues on the kitchen and other rooms. Sounds like we'll have the painter out early next week.

Landscaper dude re-planting the leylands and bringing in 7 new ones probably some time next week.

Saw our raccoon friend last evening. Waltzed right by the sliding doors, wasn't even dark yet. First time the wife saw him. She wasn't happy. I compounded it by saying that I heard something to the effect that if they come out before dark, they probably have rabies. Can you hicks verify?

sounds like you need to invest in a coon hound.read this as a primer. Ties in nicely with your lumberjackin' imo

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Saw our raccoon friend last evening. Waltzed right by the sliding doors, wasn't even dark yet. First time the wife saw him. She wasn't happy. I compounded it by saying that I heard something to the effect that if they come out before dark, they probably have rabies. Can you hicks verify?

Not a hick, but I can answer, it's not true.Around my parts (Mich), we've seen more raccoons at odd times (dawn/dusk vs. night) this year than previous because of the hot dry Spring, and not enough food around for them, this according to a friend that traps them. They aren't getting their normal amount during their normal feeding times, so theirnormal feeding hours often extend into non-traditional hours of the day for them... ETA: yes, I would def. consider hiring someone to trap and relocate the pesky rascal out of your immediate vicinity.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

since this is the de facto home improvement/tool thread...

Bought this a couple weekends ago: Rockwell Sonic Crafter

Pretty handy tool, but I have no idea what most of the attachments are for (what applications).

anyone of you Handy Mannys own one?

 

[The_Man]

28 picture documentary of me & my wife re-surfacing my blacktop this weekend:

LINK

Cleaned with that awesome pressure washer attachment, filled cracks, cleaned out any loose weeds and stuff from the edges and did the re-surface gunk.

This stuff is super messy FYI. I had this stuff all over me. Factor in the cost of some new housework shoes when considering this project.

WTF?

It feels like the words in the first description are a code to caption the other picture.

Me & my wife were resurfaced by a guy in a black top this weekend. Filled cracks. His stuff is super messy. I had his stuff all over me.

 

[squidrope]

since this is the de facto home improvement/tool thread...

Bought this a couple weekends ago: Rockwell Sonic Crafter

Pretty handy tool, but I have no idea what most of the attachments are for (what applications).

anyone of you Handy Mannys own one?

I have the fein multimaster. It works great and it's very handy.ETA-It makes a great fathers day gift b (I got mine last year)

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

since this is the de facto home improvement/tool thread...

Bought this a couple weekends ago: Rockwell Sonic Crafter

Pretty handy tool, but I have no idea what most of the attachments are for (what applications).

anyone of you Handy Mannys own one?

I have the fein multimaster. It works great and it's very handy.ETA-It makes a great fathers day gift b (I got mine last year)

ya, I jokingly picked it up and said "here's my gift".The manual for the Rockwell one sucks balls. I am sure I can find tips/usage info online.

 

[squidrope]

since this is the de facto home improvement/tool thread...

Bought this a couple weekends ago: Rockwell Sonic Crafter

Pretty handy tool, but I have no idea what most of the attachments are for (what applications).

anyone of you Handy Mannys own one?

I have the fein multimaster. It works great and it's very handy.ETA-It makes a great fathers day gift b (I got mine last year)

ya, I jokingly picked it up and said "here's my gift".The manual for the Rockwell one sucks balls. I am sure I can find tips/usage info online.

I can't remember if it was on fein's web site or youtbe, but there are good videos out there on how to use it.

 

[Otis]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

 

[ODoyleRules]

A trapper? Jesus.OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

That dirty diapers idea is looking better and better, isn't it?

 

[Otis]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

I'm trying desperately to Google image search for this to show you an example, but my search for "mirrored ball to scare animals" gets about a million hits of this.

 

[Otis]

A trapper? Jesus.OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

That dirty diapers idea is looking better and better, isn't it?

Oh we've been doing that. It juts makes my cleanup job every morning even messier. Thanks for that.

 

[desert rose]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

If it didn't scare Larry...

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

I'm trying desperately to Google image search for this to show you an example, but my search for "mirrored ball to scare animals" gets about a million hits of this.

lal

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

You need to post a picture of this New Age Anti-Animal Orb

 

[desert rose]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

I'm trying desperately to Google image search for this to show you an example, but my search for "mirrored ball to scare animals" gets about a million hits of this.

this?

 

[Otis]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

I'm trying desperately to Google image search for this to show you an example, but my search for "mirrored ball to scare animals" gets about a million hits of this.

this?

Don't get snarky Rose. If I knew the damned thing was called a "gazing ball" then yes, I would have done that.

 

[urbanhack]

Any chance you can grow some pot in that lot?

 

[The Commish]

Downstairs bathroom fixtures have been ripped out, old nasty flooring came out (after initially disagreeing with me that the floor needed to come out, the carpenter did an about face and said the smell of the rotting whatever from down there hit him like a brick wall when he opened it up. Floor replaced with new tiles. Once the painter clears through that room they will come back to install the new fixtures.

uh.....can you go back to this? Is it mold? Did it get cleaned up properly? This isn't something to gloss over.

I think it's some kind of mold or mildew. Basically there was always a dankness/odor coming out of that bathroom. It could be a lot of things -- could in part have been an old toilet, something going on in the tank of that toilet, etc. The window in that room was busted, and thus couldn't really be opened, and the door is an old school "swinging door" type thing, so it is essentially always closed. So you've got limited ventilation. But I think what was causing it is that the toilet was mounted on a piece of wood -- maybe an inch thick -- supposedly because the floor was warped. It had something to do, I think, with the toilet plumbing and the connection through that wood thing and then the surrounding area. It could also just have been moisture/mildew that collected underneath the nasty old linoleum. In any event, the window is now replaced with a new one, the flooring is gutted and new tile flooring down. A new coat of paint is coming now. Assuming they don't ef up the plumbing, I'm thinking we'll be OK. I was in there last night and it's hard to be sure over the smell of paint and grout and everything else, but that "dankness" and humidity/mildew-type feeling seem to be gone.

Just be careful with that. The mold/mildew is there because of water. Just make sure you got that source of water fixed.

 

[desert rose]

A trapper? Jesus.

OH get this. I noticed the neighbors have one of those giant mirrored crystal balls in front of their house. It wasn't until recently that I discovered those things aren't some dorky spiritual D&D decoration for hillbillies, but rather they are used to scare off dumb animals that get spooked by their own reflections.

Will one of these things strategically placed near the garbage pail do the trick?

wtf

I'm trying desperately to Google image search for this to show you an example, but my search for "mirrored ball to scare animals" gets about a million hits of this.

this?

Don't get snarky Rose. If I knew the damned thing was called a "gazing ball" then yes, I would have done that.

Your presupposition that they scare animals was flawed. A search for "garden ball" would have given you the same basic results. I can't wait to see pics of Otis's house with gazing balls dotted here and there, and a shadowy figure of Dez behind one of them.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yard_globe

A yard globe, also known as a gazing ball, lawn ball, garden ball, gazing globe, mirror ball, or chrome ball, is a mirrored sphere typically displayed atop a conical ceramic or wrought iron stand as a lawn ornament. Its size ranges from 2 to 22 inches in diameter, with the most popular gazing ball being about 12 inches (33 cm). Gazing balls were glass but can now be stainless steel, ceramic, or stained glass.

Unlike hanging friendship balls or witch balls that have a loop, gazing balls have a stem so they can securely sit in a stand. Larger sizes can be made, but may be difficult due to the weight of the blown glass.

Gazing balls originated in 13th century Venice where they were hand-blown by skilled Italian craftsmen.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, adorned his Herrenchiemsee palace with lawn balls. Thereafter, they became a fixture of European gardens and are associated with Victorian era English gardens in particular.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

I'm still giggling

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Put a half dozen of these around the perimeter too imo

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Put a half dozen of these around the perimeter too imo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirligig

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Put a half dozen of these around the perimeter too imo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirligig

aka Spinning Anti Raccoon Blades of Death Thingies

 

[squidrope]

Put a half dozen of these around the perimeter too imo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirligig

What's it going to cost to have these beauties installed?

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Put a half dozen of these around the perimeter too imo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirligig

What's it going to cost to have these beauties installed?

$5k or a couple thousand raccoon pelts...