What's everybody doing today?

[Weedygarden]

Today I made a major car purchase and lost $3000 in 20 hours.
I bought a used car that I discovered had a major problem with the suspension system and other things that would cost me several thousands of dollars. None of the problems occurred until I was 2.5 hours away. I contacted the dealer I purchased it from within 18 hours and he said he would make it right.
I got a newer, better car but it cost more and he would only give me a partial refund so I'm out 3k.
All of my expensive mistakes in life have involved cars.
Unfortunately in Washington once you sign the paperwork you are on your own.

I was looking at purchasing a new to me car last summer. I asked the person if I could have my mechanics check it out. They only charge $50 for that, and they told me that the car, being from the East Coast, had so much rust, that there were repairs that they could never do on it. It is worth it to me to have cars checked out. I dodged a bullet with that car.

Many years ago, someone sold me a car that had big issues, and being a young woman, they were more than happy to take my money and dump that almost dead car on me. Never again. Since that time, I have encountered similar situations, with people dressing up their almost dead cars and selling them as though they were wonderful.

I have learned that since cars are expensive, and car repairs are expensive, it is good to have good, honest mechanics, even if I have to pay for them. I had a couple Volvo's and had a great mechanic shop for them. My current shop is a very reliable and an honest place.

 

[Weedygarden]

I'm going to a graduation party for a client of mine, a woman who also has passion for lavender simple syrup. I'm gifting her some of the things she needs to make her own. I gave her some a couple weeks ago, which she said was made with love.

 

[Wingnut]

Yesterday's high was 89 degs. Going to be hot again today and no rain in sight. Probably won't get any rain until late October either. After I water the garden we're going to take the kayaks up to the lake.
Yesterday my daughter sent me a listing for a house up near where she lives. Sounds pretty nice. It's only 33 acres has a high producing well plus water rights from the creek. Might be worth looking at. It would be nice to live near the grandkids and scale down some.

89 degrees... I'd kill for that low of a temp, lol.

Today is the first time in 3 weeks (or longer) that the forecast high will be below 100 degrees...

Many plants have died in the garden, others are still going strong...

But what I really wanted to say, MT, is that as we get older, it's good to scale down and streamline things, life is easier and more enjoyable that way. I'm sitting on a lousy 1/2-acre lot, and it's more than enough to keep me busy. If I had more money and a larger parcel of land, I'd be hard-pressed to take care of it without machinery. Being near family is also good, all of mine live over the hill and far away...

But I chose this location, and in many ways it's a good location, I just wish this stupid drought would end. We DID have a little rain last night, and we might get more this evening (40% chance). Every little bit helps here in the high desert, that's for sure. Anyway, I'm gonna relax today, take it easy, and enjoy the slightly lower temp (forecast high of 96* F). Same for tomorrow, though I might take advantage of the cooler weather to knock out that kitchen rehab work for good.

As I get older, I've found that I don't withstand prolonged high heat the way I used to when I was younger... it makes me wanna stay indoors and chill in the A/C. I do all my yard work early in the morning or late in the afternoon & evening, I've even been watering after dark just to keep trees & plants alive. No big deal, I have headlamps but I hardly ever use 'em for this purpose, my night vision is still pretty good and even the light from a waxing crescent moon is sufficient.

 

[snappy1]

Walked first this morning.
Walked dogs.
Mopped entire Church fellowship hall and bathrooms. It's a lot bigger than I thought.
Still need to cook a package of bacon to put in Stuffed French Toast in the morning for Church.
Will get up at 5 to make it and let it sit for awhile before baking.
Young man was here this morning to put down radiant barrier in attic but it got hot fast. He started at 7 and we told him to go home at 10:30. He will be here at 5 so no need to set my alarm.

 

[Amish Heart]

Having coffee after lunch and morning chores, which went long. Our male rabbit bit the dust yesterday, not sure how old he was, that could of been a problem. So Giant Cage cleaned out, and two female rabbits put in there so I could eliminate their smaller cages. Animal chores, and lots of garden weeding. DE and Captain Jacks put on all the squash, because I saw some new squash bug hatchings. I've got stuff to do indoors this afternoon, and will be loading the incubator with turkey eggs. Later this afternoon, little granddaughter and I will go do some more work on the goose run.

 

[dademoss]

Lori MAY come home today, she's been farm sitting. Star is good, missing her herd, and their cats and dog got lots of attention,

Here, nothing died, so it's all good.

 

[txcatlady]

Went to participate in the blood drive this morning for local fire departments. Two volunteers from both departments have been seriously injured. 4 young men who chose to be on call 24 hours a day. I gave blood on 6-3-24 for young man with leukemia. Only 7 weeks ago. Thought I could pull it off by omitting date. Nope. Had to be 8 weeks Iron was low and was deferred. The June drive did 60 donations and was a different company’s. 5 people showed up today. Huge fire started yesterday from 2 tires blowing out and kept going. Contained now but worked all night on it. Forestry service was called in as well. Burned all night long. Back to town to pick up cream peas I bought at 3:30. Been so busy at work last week that didn’t realize this is 4th week and fortunately the pastor sent me hymns for church tomorrow

 

[Magus]

I went to Kroger and blew 150$, did not have the chips OR the kind of chicken I wanted, BUT I found Rolling Rock! I'm a be doing a wake "N" bake Monday!

 

[winds-of-change]

Not sure I have the spelling correct
It is a Spanish desert
Deep fried tortilla
Covered in confection sugar
Drizzled with honey

WHAT IS A SOPAPILLA?​

Sopapillas (or sopaipillas) are dough that puff up when fried and they have a hollow center. They are a type of quick bread served in several regions with Hispanic heritage

Yeah, SOPAPILLAS are a gastronomical delight.

 

[Magus]

Nothing, Lori checks every day, but it's a tight fit to her criteria. Even tighter for my criteria

If you just have to move, try North Ga. lots of upper middle class and a few "No class" places to be had, very light on the income taxes too.

 

[Pearl]

If you just have to move, try North Ga. lots of upper middle class and a few "No class" places to be had, very light on the income taxes too.

That's a little far from the farm!!

 

[Magus]

Not at all, farms all over up here and lots of land.

 

[Wingnut]

Northern Georgia has some nice rural areas, I remember those from my 'trucking daze'---but I wouldn't wanna live anywhere NEAR BuckTown (or "The Big A"---Atlanta). No future in that friggin' ghetto...

 

[LadyLocust]

Hubby and I just walked down to the river and picked another 10 pints of blackberries. One more hot day and this heat should break a little. We’ve had no measurable rain for sometime but wheat harvest is on full bore and under the current food circumstances, I don’t wish them any ill will.

 

[Tommyice]

I’m back in Garbage Gardens (aka New Jersey). I miss my cabin and brother and SIL already.

While up there, brother and SIL kept pointing out houses that were for sale that would be good for me. I can’t afford a house right now, especially one I would not be able to occupy right away. Driving home I had 6 hours to think. I can’t afford a house but I can afford land. So that will be my goal.

Tomorrow I have some food preservation to tackle.

 

[dademoss]

If you just have to move, try North Ga. lots of upper middle class and a few "No class" places to be had, very light on the income taxes too.

We don't HAVE to move, I can buy a lot of new cars for a quarter million bucks. Too far from her horse, 10 mile limit. I used to write material specifications for Procter and Gamble.

I like Georgia, did a plant start up in Augusta, and had an Aunt in Stone Mountain.

 

[Frodo]

I’m back in Garbage Gardens (aka New Jersey). I miss my cabin and brother and SIL already.

While up there, brother and SIL kept pointing out houses that were for sale that would be good for me. I can’t afford a house right now, especially one I would not be able to occupy right away. Driving home I had 6 hours to think. I can’t afford a house but I can afford land. So that will be my goal.

Tomorrow I have some food preservation to tackle.

Take it from a been there done that guy
Buy the land and then buy a cheap metal framed garage. Erect it
Then start filling that sucker up with building materials
Troll construction sites and grab the lumber they toss out
You will be surprised at how many short peices of 2x4 you will need

 

[Wingnut]

Whenever I had a project that required lumber, I'd visit construction sites in Coronado and ask the guys if I could go through the big ol' dumpster... I knew many of those workers too, so it was never a problem, I just liked to ask first, ya know? Sometimes there'd be a big ol' pile of scrap lumber & plywood & whatnot out front, and those workers were glad to see some of it go. Same went for whenever I needed firewood for camping, nothing wrong with clean lumber scraps (no nails). I'd always dress accordingly before visiting the job sites, which means I wore good sturdy work boots and thick leather gloves. It's amazing how much good usable lumber is thrown away on some job sites, especially in a rich town like Coronado where there's always construction going on, regardless of the economy. I'm talking heavy beams, heaps of usable studs, plywood scraps out the wazoo, you name it. Rarely did I have to buy lumber for projects such as wooden boat cradles, minor home repairs, etc. And why buy when ya can pick it up for free?

P.S. I used to scientifically load the trunk of the Olds with lumber scraps until the Olds looked like a friggin' low rider, lol... but I didn't have to waste a dime on firewood, ya know? I also used to stay on the scout for tree rounds cut by the city, I'd take those home and let 'em cure a bit for future use in camping. Nothing wrong with nice big pine rounds loaded with resin... you wouldn't wanna burn 'em in an indoor fireplace, but in the field they're great!

 

[Peanut]

Well, dad’s sink is back on the wall, works fine, no drips. Somehow when he came in his back door he stumbled, sat down in the sink and tore it off the wall! Wasn’t hurt thankfully. I got the water turned off, took one look at the mess and called a guy down the road, a plumber. I didn’t even want to touch it!!! Had to stick around today and make sure it got done correctly.

Tackled my kitchen this afternoon. It was a mess er, disaster! I’ve been so tired lately. Still have the floor and the stove to clean. I’d gotten invaded by fruit flies too, partly my fault. Hate that name fruit fly, in the south they are known as ‘sour gnats’.

I have to fight them off each summer. So every couple of days I pour a cap of bleach in every drain in the house including the shower before I go to bed. That keeps them to a minimum but if I let my kitchen get a little messy they turn into a swarm over night.

Watching a little tv tonight.

 

[Pearl]

We don't HAVE to move, I can buy a lot of new cars for a quarter million bucks. Too far from her horse, 10 mile limit. I used to write material specifications for Procter and Gamble.

I like Georgia, did a plant start up in Augusta, and had an Aunt in Stone Mountain.

Dang, it takes me 25 min to get to the nearest town!! Ten mile limit !?? Blessed your heart!!

 

[zannej]

backlash, I'm sorry you got screwed on the new car sale. I take it they don't have lemon laws there?

Frodo, if you feel safe driving the van after it is fixed up and think it can be fixed up for a reasonable price, I'd say stick with the van. But then, I don't like S-10s because it was an S-10 flipping that nearly killed my best friend. Tie rod came loose. He bought another S-10 after and the tie rod on that one came loose. When that happened he left it where it was and walked away. Never drove it again. I think a van can offer more protective storage when transporting things. Although, which one has better gas mileaage? How much does it cost to insure them? How much would it cost to fix up the S10? Does it need the transmission rebuilt? Does it need a new radiator? How much would those cost?

Wingnut, I feel the same about air conditioning. I can't stand the heat even for short periods of time anymore.

Tomyice, my father was from NJ. He used to say it was "The Garbage State".

Pearl, do you mean 10mph speed limit? Takes me 15 to 20min to get into town but I may or may not go over the 35mph limit. Speed limit used to be 55 out here.

Road people cleared the tree so I was able to pick up RXs and my brother made it to work on time. Got a fresh rotisserie chicken to dissect & shredded the meat into a ziploc bag. Left the wings for my brother and a thigh intact for Mom. Gave the skin to the dogs. Tried to bring in the cases of water but got winded and my body said "nope" so I managed to get 2 cases to the door and set them down just outside. Will have to bring them all in later.

Watched Thor Love & Thunder. That was a funny/silly movie.

There's a spot on the side of the road where they have sample sheds & car ports. Don't know if the already built ones are for sale, but there is a sky blue shed that caught my eye. I like the style and color but wonder how much it would cost. I could store extra tools and stuff in it. I suppose I can stop by sometime when its not too hot and see if they have any tags on it for price or info.

Trying to motivate myself to do another load of laundry. I'm falling asleep so maybe in the morning.

 

[Magus]

So Jake bought this Ruger Charger 10/22 today. He was sighting it in and wanted me to come shoot it. I guess some how when I shot it I got my finger in front of the barrel of the short pos and shot myself in the index finger. I just got home from the hospital and am scheduled to have the finger removed next Monday.

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Northern Georgia has some nice rural areas, I remember those from my 'trucking daze'---but I wouldn't wanna live anywhere NEAR BuckTown (or "The Big A"---Atlanta). No future in that friggin' ghetto...

Craplanta isn't part of Georgia anymore, its a suburb of DC. we disowned them.

 

[Magus]

I stuffed a Jalapeno pepper in a pint of El Jimador tequila last night.
Now, we wait... When it turns I'll fill you in IF I survive!

 

[sonya123]

Today I made a major car purchase and lost $3000 in 20 hours.
I
All of my expensive mistakes in life have involved cars.
Unfortunately in Washington once you sign the paperwork you are on your own.

Even if you don't make "mistakes" when buying a vehicle they cost more than anything else in this life in the US. I don't think I ever bought a total rip off car, but all used cars will have problems. And new ones are either small or super expensive. All the car problems we are having this year is due to age and use of our vehicles. We didn't buy them that way. The new old one we bought is currently in the shop to get motor mounds replaced. But for the price we paid for it I expected something to be wrong with it. It will be $700 which is less than what I haggled the price down for.
The problem in the US is that there is no reliable and safe public transportation. In Europe you can take a train and it will get you wherever you are going cheaper, faster and usually on time. Even small places. We took a trip to Paris from my parents house in Germany one time with the really fast train. It was 5 hours. With a car it would have been more like 8. The train was also cheaper than a car rental plus gas. You can't do this in the US at all. They have crappy Amtrak that will take 3 times as long, only goes a few places and is not reliable at all.
Americans work to pay for their transportation.....

 

[sonya123]

Dang, it takes me 25 min to get to the nearest town!! Ten mile limit !?? Blessed your heart!!

It takes us 40 minutes
But there are farms with horses all around

 

[sonya123]

Market went well, we sold every single last green bean and so did the one other vendor that had a few buckets full. They seem to be popular this year.
My Turkish bagels were also popular, one of the other vendors that sells pastries even got one and loved it, and she is a good baker herself. So more of those next time.
Definite a better effort than the failed salt rising bread LOL

Today we are going to move the sheep back into one of the pastures we sprayed for weeds so we can start working on the next one. Not all the clover is gone, I guess we either missed some spots or it's resistant to the weed killer but overall it looks pretty good. Most of the ragweed is gone which husband is very happy about since he is allergic to it.
The thistles are gone too. It has rained several times since so it should be ok to put them back it ( it says you can leave them in the pasture when you spray it but there is no way I am doing that)

I am also going to make zuccini pizza dough, those things didn't sell well, because they were large and everyone else has them. One guy was giving them away at the end. I like them and have lots of ways to cook them : stuffed, zuccini bread, breaded and fried, make them into pizza crust, middle eastern casserole or even soup

 

[Pearl]

Sonya, yay on the market going well! What is a Turkish Bagel?? I'm going to clean my building shortly!! 62° here only this morning! Weather record keeping began on this place in 1991, only twice have we had that low of a morning temp in July or August. So almost a record!! I have to admit it is pretty nice outside. Hubby finished leg one of the landscaping job he's doing so he didn't have to get up at 4am with me. Bear was even nice enough to let him sleep in this morning!! He and the homeowner he is doing the work for decided to wait a couple of weeks to start the the next part. Hubby can catch up on some of his other handyman jobs now!

 

[snappy1]

4.5 hours sleep. Up at 5 for fellow finishing laying radiant barrier in attic.
French toast bake is in oven.
Then pick up my friend and take her and French toast to Church.
Early afternoon, another friend will pick me up and going to a play. Assassins the musical. Small town production and it gives the local kids something positive to do in their spare time. So relaxing some this afternoon!

 

[Pearl]

4.5 hours sleep. Up at 5 for fellow finishing laying radiant barrier in attic.
French toast bake is in oven.
Then pick up my friend and take her and French toast to Church.
Early afternoon, another friend will pick me up and going to a play. Assassins the musical. Small town production and it gives the local kids something positive to do in their spare time. So relaxing some this afternoon!

You are on my sleep schedule

 

[winds-of-change]

Zannej, I think lemon laws only apply to new cars, not used.