Rant for the Day (keep it clean)

[Meerkat]

Weather keeps messing up my plans, Otherwise all is ok.

 

[Meerkat]

Sometimes when I have typo can't correct it because of little yellow line erases more than error or typo.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I am ticked off with myself. It was -30 last night. Went out to plug in the truck, only to find out that it doesn't have a block heater. WhoTH doesn't have a block heater in Canada? Me apparently. This truck was part of the payment for my farm. It didn't
occur to me to check for such a standard feature. Now I have to wait for balmy weather to get it started and rectify the situation. My bad.

 

[backlash]

My old Chevy had a block heater and I had no idea it did until I discovered it one day. Never needed one even when I had a diesel.
My F150 has a block heater and I only know because there were 2 recalls on it. One to fix a factory problem and the next one to fix the problem caused by the recall.
I did buy a magnetic block heater for my tractor just in case I needed to use it to move snow. So far I haven't needed it.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

I will have to brave the cold tomorrow.
Check the mail, start the car.

 

[GrannyG]

 

[Weedygarden]

I am ticked off with myself. It was -30 last night. Went out to plug in the truck, only to find out that it doesn't have a block heater. WhoTH doesn't have a block heater in Canada? Me apparently. This truck was part of the payment for my farm. It didn't
occur to me to check for such a standard feature. Now I have to wait for balmy weather to get it started and rectify the situation. My bad.

At -30, in my experience, a block heater may not be enough. When I lived in North Dakota, a block heater was good to -20 at best. The other part of the problem is that the battery will not work when it gets that cold. People without heated garages would take their batteries into their homes at night to help with the problem. Some people had heated garages. Even some people in Colorado have heated garages.

 

[Peanut]

The trick is figuring out what the store might be called and where the real industrial supply store is located.

Sort of funny... In a little town near me there used to be a Napa Auto Parts store, just like any other auto parts store. But! If you drove up to the back of the building and banged on the roll up door... the back was a shop that specialized in water pumps, hoses, and hydraulic lines for large tractors and logging machines, even a good variety of hydraulic cylinders. It was also an industrial supply. It was amazing the amount of items stuffed in greasy boxes on dark wooden shelves. If he didn't have something you needed he could get it in a couple of days.

The same guy owned the building and ran both shops. The average auto-parts shopper never knew what was in back because he never advertised it. Of course every farmer and logger for 30 miles around knew what was in back. He didn't need to advertise. It was the only one in town.

 

[Neb]

Sort of funny... In a little town near me there used to be a Napa Auto Parts store, just like any other auto parts store. But! If you drove up to the back of the building and banged on the roll up door... the back was a shop that specialized in water pumps, hoses, and hydraulic lines for large tractors and logging machines, even a good variety of hydraulic cylinders. It was also an industrial supply. It was amazing the amount of items stuffed in greasy boxes on dark wooden shelves. If he didn't have something you needed he could get it in a couple of days.

The same guy owned the building and ran both shops. The average auto-parts shopper never knew what was in back because he never advertised it. Of course every farmer and logger for 30 miles around knew what was in back. He didn't need to advertise. It was the only one in town.

re: he could get it in a couple of days.

About 30 years ago I maintained the mainframe that Napa used to shuffle parts around using green bar tractor feed paper reports for each shop.

They used a hugh speed printer that I found myself fixing one late night. I had the covers and guides off and did a quick check.

That baby threw an arch of paper 12' high that had me laughing out loud.

Sorry about the side story

Ben

 

[Peanut]

This was one of those small town shops that went the way of the dodo bird... It used to meet the needs of 100+ farmers and as many loggers. Now there are only a few super-sized farms and a few logging operations. The old man who owned it for 40yrs retired. His son took over but the son and the chief of police got busted for selling meth they were stealing from meth cooks... Now it's just a Napa shop someone else owns.

 

[Weedygarden]

My debit card was declined a couple weeks ago, in spite of me knowing I had more than enough money for my purchase. It was Saturday, so there was little I could do, except put the charge on my credit card, which I never want to do unless it is a necessity, such as this purchase after the declined card.
On Monday I called my Credit Union to discuss why my card had been declined. It is not the first time. My Credit Union watches purchases very closely. If I get car repairs done for more than $500, I can count on those charges being declined, even when I have more than enough money for the charges. They stopped all charges on my card because someone attempted to charge $183 worth of clothing at a store called Athletica at a store about 20 miles from where I live. I never make large purchases like that on clothing. They caught it. I was able to walk into the credit union and get a new card on that Monday. But there are so many things that are on auto pay with my debit card--internet, Amazon purchases, and more. I have had to make several changes to the various accounts to update my information. The other thing was that I have a pin number that I have used for my debit card for a long time. I was not allowed to use that pin number now because it began with a zero. Now, when I enter my pin, I sometimes forget that I have a new number. I just have to get used to using the new number.

 

[Supervisor42]

My debit card was declined a couple weeks ago, in spite of me knowing I had more than enough money for my purchase. It was Saturday, so there was little I could do, except put the charge on my credit card, which I never want to do unless it is a necessity, such as this purchase after the declined card.
On Monday I called my Credit Union to discuss why my card had been declined. It is not the first time. My Credit Union watches purchases very closely. If I get car repairs done for more than $500, I can count on those charges being declined, even when I have more than enough money for the charges. They stopped all charges on my card because someone attempted to charge $183 worth of clothing at a store called Athletica at a store about 20 miles from where I live. I never make large purchases like that on clothing. They caught it. I was able to walk into the credit union and get a new card on that Monday. But there are so many things that are on auto pay with my debit card--internet, Amazon purchases, and more. I have had to make several changes to the various accounts to update my information. The other thing was that I have a pin number that I have used for my debit card for a long time. I was not allowed to use that pin number now because it began with a zero. Now, when I enter my pin, I sometimes forget that I have a new number. I just have to get used to using the new number.

Don't use debit cards!!!!
It is a direct link to your checking account and if it gets skimmed, it can take you months to get your money back.
CC people are waiting in line to risk their money instead of yours and it costs you absolutely Nothing!
Every month I use their money Interest-Free for 40 days. I approve the purchases, and pay them.
If there is a screw-up, I just let them know and don't pay them. And they fix it fast!
I have a card for all local purchases.
I have another card for auto-pays.
I have another card for online purchases.
I have one called 'Emergency' if I need to swing up to $25K.
I even have one I call "The Stunt Monkey" for purchases outside of the US, shadey stuff.
If any one of them misbehave, OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!!!

Oh, did I mention bonus points?
When you launder most of your purchases thru a card FOR FREE, for several years, and you forget about points, they send you a nice letter asking you, when are you going to cash-in those pesky 33,400 bonus points you have?
Never paid them a single dime in interest or fees...and they owe ME $334!
My Debit card is ONLY used in the bank's ATM to get cash. That's the only place that is safe for it.

 

[Amish Heart]

Agree. We do the same

 

[MoBookworm1957]

I use prepaid credit card when shopping on line, Wal-Mart etc.
Regular credit card is for emergency only.
I have have emergency account not linked to credit card.
I have fixed savings account not linked.
This fixed saving account is for projected known expenses : Strawberry's vet bill, property taxes, car licences.
Then I have monthly saving account for monthly expenses.
Then checking account with bare mimium in it.

 

[havasu]

Spent two weeks getting my kitchen remodeled, buying new stove and microwave, and today my washer starts leaking. Does it ever end?

 

[Weedygarden]

Spent two weeks getting my kitchen remodeled, buying new stove and microwave, and today my washer starts leaking. Does it ever end?

These things seem to come all at once. I saw someone have every appliance in their home go bad in a very short period of time. They just thought it was timing. Later, someone pointed out to them that perhaps they had had a power surge that damaged all of their appliances, and this was likely true.
But I do not think that is true for your washer.
Back to power surges: I often had my own things at school, often purchase for little at yard sales, etc. and one day my electric stapler, my label printer and my regular printer all went out in a matter of minutes. I believe it was due to a power surge.

 

[Weedygarden]

At -30, in my experience, a block heater may not be enough. When I lived in North Dakota, a block heater was good to -20 at best. The other part of the problem is that the battery will not work when it gets that cold. People without heated garages would take their batteries into their homes at night to help with the problem. Some people had heated garages. Even some people in Colorado have heated garages.

As we go into a temperature dip from the Polar Vortex, many people will be replacing car batteries that will not be able to handle the temperature dip.

 

[VThillman]

As we go into a temperature dip from the Polar Vortex, many people will be replacing car batteries that will not be able to handle the temperature dip.

I remember back in the late 40s in Vermont, brother Reg putting a kerosene-fed wick burner under the oil pan of his 35 Ford. 35 Fords were up off the ground enough for that to be possible.

 

[Weedygarden]

I remember back in the late 40s in Vermont, brother Reg putting a kerosene-fed wick burner under the oil pan of his 35 Ford. 35 Fords were up off the ground enough for that to be possible.

I'd bet that there have been a few strategies used over the years to keep vehicles warm enough to start when it gets frigid.

 

[phideaux]

I had a neighbor once that put a metal pan full of charcoal coals under the motor. I guess it worked but the car always smell like charcoal.

Jim

 

[backlash]

The guy on Mountain Men had an old Willies pickup he called Wilber.
One day it was too cold to start so he built a small fire under the engine. It warmed up and started. Another guy had a plane and he flew into remote areas to trap. He had a propane heater he would put under the engine cover so it would start.
In North Dakota in Feb. it was so cold the cars would not start even tho they had been plugged in all night. That was the coldest temp I have ever been exposed to, -35°

 

[havasu]

Spent two weeks getting my kitchen remodeled, buying new stove and microwave, and today my washer starts leaking. Does it ever end?

Just a footnote. Understanding all the plumbing we have had going on, I suspected a grain of sand caused the washer fill seat to leak, similar to the flapper on a toilet. We ran 6 loads of wash, back to back, and it has quit leaking. By the way, this is a front load LG washer, so the leaking water dripped into the drum only, and not onto the floor, thank goodness!

 

[The Lazy L]

Spent two weeks getting my kitchen remodeled, buying new stove and microwave, and today my washer starts leaking. Does it ever end?

The "joys" of home ownership!

 

[phideaux]

Why does those rubber toilet flappers curl up and , leak , and keep the toilet running , about every 4 months?

I keep spares on hand.
But I hate changing them so often.

Jim

 

[phideaux]

Why does those rubber toilet flappers curl up and , leak , and keep the toilet running , about every 4 months?

I keep spares on hand.
But I hate changing them so often.

Jim

BTW, we never had that problem in the old outhouse.

Jim

 

[backlash]

BTW, we never had that problem in the old outhouse.

Jim

In a cold outhouse, something else curls up. Well, I guess it could be called a flapper.

 

[SLADE]

I had a neighbor once that put a metal pan full of charcoal coals under the motor. I guess it worked but the car always smell like charcoal.

Jim

I had a buddy do that with his Kenworth and while he enjoyed breakfast his truck burned to the ground.
He had no insurance for the fire and owed just one more payment.
This ended his trucking career after a lot of hard work .

 

[Neb]

BTW, we never had that problem in the old outhouse.

Jim

Are you using TidyBoy or similar?


Ben

 

[havasu]

Why does those rubber toilet flappers curl up and , leak , and keep the toilet running , about every 4 months?

I keep spares on hand.
But I hate changing them so often.

Jim

Bleach tablets and really hard water are the biggest reason for having to replace flappers.

 

[phideaux]

Bleach tablets and really hard water are the biggest reason for having to replace flappers.

We have soft water , so it must be them cleaner tablets the wife puts in the tank.
She said they're septic safe.

But may be not flapper safe.

Jim