The Vent and Rant Thread - Page 1756

covingtoncat73 · 08-16-2015, 09:15 PM

Ugh. I was buying groceries after going to the Goodwill in the same shopping center and, when I got to my car, I realized I had no keys. To top it off, the apocalyptic afternoon thundershowers typical of summer here are back and one was in the process of turning the parking lot into an ankle-deep wading pool.

So, I run to the Goodwill. No keys. I run back to the grocery store. No keys. Meanwhile, this non-dairy, faux ice cream I bought on a whim due to its low calories is melting. Back and forth again. I go to the car. I actually peeked through the passenger-side window when I first realized I didn't have my keys, to see in they were in the ignition, but I hadn't looked at the driver's side door. They were in the door.

The good news is the dairy-free faux ice cream doesn't melt fast. The bad yet unsurprising news is that it tasted pretty nasty.

cromag · 08-17-2015, 12:33 AM

We had a near miss last week.

My Dad got a pretty well orchestrated scam phone call. First, he got a call from someone claiming to be "the police." He took a very aggressive tone, reported that "his grandson" (they only have one grandson -- my son) had been arrested and was in serious trouble. He said it may be possible to get him free on bail, but that wasn't the police department's responsibility. He said someone else would call with the details.

About 15 minutes later Dad got a call from a woman claiming to be from a "criminal system aid bureau" who expressed concern for his grandson, regretted that the bail was set so high, and offered to help them arrange the bail payment, which she was sure he'd want to take care of as quickly as possible.

Dad's 93, and he's beginning to slow down a bit, but (fortunately!) he began to suspect this wasn't on the level. The "bad cop" first phone call threw him off balance (as it was designed to do) but by the second call he realized things didn't add up. While the woman was telling him what he'd "have to do" he told her that if his grandson was in that much trouble maybe she should talk to the boy's father and hung up.

Needless to say, I never got a phone call. Which was just as well, because it would have interrupted our family vacation.

CRussel · 08-17-2015, 01:11 PM

The real question is whether your Dad's Grandson would go bail for him.

Or at least that's the more likely scenario in my family. The younger generation is much better behaved than I ever was.

Cinisajoy · 08-17-2015, 02:25 PM

If my granddad had been called, it would have been leave her. Now my son's grandfather if he was still alive would have either bailed him out or been in jail with him.
Note that would have been my father. His other grandparents would and did let him sit.

Hitch · 08-17-2015, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

If my granddad had been called, it would have been leave her. Now my son's grandfather if he was still alive would have either bailed him out or been in jail with him.
Note that would have been my father. His other grandparents would and did let him sit.

My family, ditto. Gonna do the crime, do the time. None of this "oh, poor precious princess, lemme get you out of that nasty jail" stuff in my family. Or anything else even remotely like that. And if you've been "wrongly jailed" or whatever, hell, it's a character-building experience that puts hair on your chest, or whatever.

Hitch

Cinisajoy · 08-18-2015, 01:55 PM

The water meter reader needs to learn to write numbers more clearly. 4's and 9's are not the same number. They are sending someone out to reread the meter. I got billed for 5000 extra gallons.

I read the meter wrong. Turns out we have a water leak.

TimW · 08-23-2015, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

The water meter reader needs to learn to write numbers more clearly. 4's and 9's are not the same number. They are sending someone out to reread the meter. I got billed for 5000 extra gallons.

I read the meter wrong. Turns out we have a water leak.

5000 gallons in a month is substantial. Dripping faucets won't accumulate to 5000 gallons (not unless all of them are dripping). A toilet running constantly would be sufficient. Hopefully it's not a leak under your house, those can cause other problems...like rotting wood. Here is a link for a drip calculator.

http://www.awwa.org/resources-tools/...alculator.aspx

Cinisajoy · 08-23-2015, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimW

5000 gallons in a month is substantial. Dripping faucets won't accumulate to 5000 gallons (not unless all of them are dripping). A toilet running constantly would be sufficient. Hopefully it's not a leak under your house, those can cause other problems...like rotting wood. Here is a link for a drip calculator.

http://www.awwa.org/resources-tools/...alculator.aspx

There were two leaks. One was small and just needed a wrench to tighten a nut. The other was under the house but luckily at almost the ground and just going into the dirt.
Found it as soon as I cleaned out the closet. Could hear it then.

This is not our first leak.

Funniest one now was at one point we thought we needed a new toilet. Turns out whoever had put it in had used 1 by 2's under it. We fixed the floor and the toilet was fine.

Second summer we were in the house, we noticed a strange odor in the hall.
Turns out the sink was draining under the house. Half the drain pipe had rusted away. No idea how long it had been stopped up as at the connection to the main sewer pipe was like trying to chip away superglued concrete. We reran the drain pipe.

Thanks for the reference.

TimW · 08-24-2015, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

(Snip)

Second summer we were in the house, we noticed a strange odor in the hall.
Turns out the sink was draining under the house. Half the drain pipe had rusted away. No idea how long it had been stopped up as at the connection to the main sewer pipe was like trying to chip away superglued concrete. We reran the drain pipe.

Thanks for the reference.

When you've smelled that dank, rotty odor of waterlogged wood one time, you recognize it instantly the next time you get a whiff. I'm glad you found it. It gets costly if it's allowed to continue for a while.

wodin · 08-24-2015, 04:13 PM

I bought an older house in 2010. The house was built in the 1960’s and has had several additions added to it over the years. During one of these the electrical service was upgraded from 100 amps to 200 amps. During the escrow process, I reviewed all the permits and everything was in order and all inspections had been made. There were a few things that had been grandfathered because of changes to the code, but not the electrical upgrade.

Recently I contacted a Photo Voltaic (PV) contractor to have solar hot water and PV installed. They sent out an electrician to determine if my service was adequate to connect the PV panels. Yup you guessed it, the upgrade didn’t meet code. It seems that even though they installed a new meter box and panel the feeder wire from the transformer is only rated at 125 amps. Now I have to get a new feeder installed at a cost of $3,500.

WHO DID THAT ELECTRICAL INSPECTION!?

Cinisajoy · 08-24-2015, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

I bought an older house in 2010. The house was built in the 1960’s and has had several additions added to it over the years. During one of these the electrical service was upgraded from 100 amps to 200 amps. During the escrow process, I reviewed all the permits and everything was in order and all inspections had been made. There were a few things that had been grandfathered because of changes to the code, but not the electrical upgrade.

Recently I contacted a Photo Voltaic (PV) contractor to have solar hot water and PV installed. They sent out an electrician to determine if my service was adequate to connect the PV panels. Yup you guessed it, the upgrade didn’t meet code. It seems that even though they installed a new meter box and panel the feeder wire from the transformer is only rated at 125 amps. Now I have to get a new feeder installed at a cost of $3,500.

WHO DID THAT ELECTRICAL INSPECTION!?

Your house is newer than mine. 1947 and sometime before 1970. The kitchen was remodeled in about 1972 or 1973. 80 Amp here (4 20amps) + a dryer plug which has its own breaker box.
Funny thing, my cabinet plugs are on 1 breaker and my refrigerator plug is on a different breaker. When I moved in, (this is my grandmother's house) one of the first things I did was make me a list of which small appliances can play together. When we got a more energy efficient refrigerator, I added a power strip to put some of the smaller appliances on. Now I can use a crockpot and the microwave or toaster oven together.
I use the theory of if the watts add up to more than 1600, they cannot be used on the same breaker.

covingtoncat73 · 08-24-2015, 06:59 PM

Speaking of houses. Mom is in her remote summer getaway (no phone) and her tenant called me today. There was a small (very minor, she says) electrical fire involving the dryer. The dryer is deemed too unsafe to use and the A is not working. I'm waiting for the electrician to call me back. Hopefully, he can get over there soonish and the AC is not a separate issue. Also, I hope it is not too horribly expensive. Mom will be back Thur. night.

cromag · 08-24-2015, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

I bought an older house in 2010. The house was built in the 1960’s and has had several additions added to it over the years. During one of these the electrical service was upgraded from 100 amps to 200 amps. During the escrow process, I reviewed all the permits and everything was in order and all inspections had been made. There were a few things that had been grandfathered because of changes to the code, but not the electrical upgrade.

Recently I contacted a Photo Voltaic (PV) contractor to have solar hot water and PV installed. They sent out an electrician to determine if my service was adequate to connect the PV panels. Yup you guessed it, the upgrade didn’t meet code. It seems that even though they installed a new meter box and panel the feeder wire from the transformer is only rated at 125 amps. Now I have to get a new feeder installed at a cost of $3,500.

WHO DID THAT ELECTRICAL INSPECTION!?

Our house was built in 1963. When we moved in, in 1991, we made an addition to the house. After the contractors opened a wall they called us in to see it. Apparently, one of the carpenters doing the building didn't like the electrician. Someone had hammered a nail straight through the middle of an electrical cord. It wasn't structural -- the only purpose for that nail was to go through the cord.

HomeInMyShoes · 08-25-2015, 11:02 AM

Aaaaaaaa.......my library is my library is migrating to a new catalog system?!?!?

During the migration...not everything will be available. WHAT?!?
...links to your family and friends accounts will be broken?!!!??? I won't be able to pick up holds for my friends until I reconnect them?!?!?!?
...they are changing the PIN on my card?!?!??
...they won't be able to process holds between September 17th and 24th?!?!?!?!

I guess I better get all my requests in now.

Cinisajoy · 08-25-2015, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Aaaaaaaa.......my library is my library is migrating to a new catalog system?!?!?

During the migration...not everything will be available. WHAT?!?
...links to your family and friends accounts will be broken?!!!??? I won't be able to pick up holds for my friends until I reconnect them?!?!?!?
...they are changing the PIN on my card?!?!??
...they won't be able to process holds between September 17th and 24th?!?!?!?!

I guess I better get all my requests in now.

That is horrible. Good luck in the next few weeks.

08-18-2015, 01:55 PM	#26331
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	The water meter reader needs to learn to write numbers more clearly. 4's and 9's are not the same number. They are sending someone out to reread the meter. I got billed for 5000 extra gallons. I read the meter wrong. Turns out we have a water leak. Last edited by Cinisajoy; 08-18-2015 at 06:24 PM.

08-24-2015, 06:59 PM	#26337
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	Speaking of houses. Mom is in her remote summer getaway (no phone) and her tenant called me today. There was a small (very minor, she says) electrical fire involving the dryer. The dryer is deemed too unsafe to use and the A is not working. I'm waiting for the electrician to call me back. Hopefully, he can get over there soonish and the AC is not a separate issue. Also, I hope it is not too horribly expensive. Mom will be back Thur. night. Last edited by covingtoncat73; 08-25-2015 at 11:08 AM.

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08-16-2015, 09:15 PM	#26326
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	Ugh. I was buying groceries after going to the Goodwill in the same shopping center and, when I got to my car, I realized I had no keys. To top it off, the apocalyptic afternoon thundershowers typical of summer here are back and one was in the process of turning the parking lot into an ankle-deep wading pool. So, I run to the Goodwill. No keys. I run back to the grocery store. No keys. Meanwhile, this non-dairy, faux ice cream I bought on a whim due to its low calories is melting. Back and forth again. I go to the car. I actually peeked through the passenger-side window when I first realized I didn't have my keys, to see in they were in the ignition, but I hadn't looked at the driver's side door. They were in the door. The good news is the dairy-free faux ice cream doesn't melt fast. The bad yet unsurprising news is that it tasted pretty nasty.

08-17-2015, 12:33 AM	#26327
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 27,353 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	We had a near miss last week. My Dad got a pretty well orchestrated scam phone call. First, he got a call from someone claiming to be "the police." He took a very aggressive tone, reported that "his grandson" (they only have one grandson -- my son) had been arrested and was in serious trouble. He said it may be possible to get him free on bail, but that wasn't the police department's responsibility. He said someone else would call with the details. About 15 minutes later Dad got a call from a woman claiming to be from a "criminal system aid bureau" who expressed concern for his grandson, regretted that the bail was set so high, and offered to help them arrange the bail payment, which she was sure he'd want to take care of as quickly as possible. Dad's 93, and he's beginning to slow down a bit, but (fortunately!) he began to suspect this wasn't on the level. The "bad cop" first phone call threw him off balance (as it was designed to do) but by the second call he realized things didn't add up. While the woman was telling him what he'd "have to do" he told her that if his grandson was in that much trouble maybe she should talk to the boy's father and hung up. Needless to say, I never got a phone call. Which was just as well, because it would have interrupted our family vacation.

08-17-2015, 01:11 PM	#26328
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,333 Karma: 80074920 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	The real question is whether your Dad's Grandson would go bail for him. Or at least that's the more likely scenario in my family. The younger generation is much better behaved than I ever was.

08-17-2015, 02:25 PM	#26329
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	If my granddad had been called, it would have been leave her. Now my son's grandfather if he was still alive would have either bailed him out or been in jail with him. Note that would have been my father. His other grandparents would and did let him sit.

08-24-2015, 04:13 PM	#26335
wodin Illiterate Posts: 10,279 Karma: 37848716 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The Sandwich Isles Device: Samsung Galaxy S10+, Microsoft Surface Pro	I bought an older house in 2010. The house was built in the 1960’s and has had several additions added to it over the years. During one of these the electrical service was upgraded from 100 amps to 200 amps. During the escrow process, I reviewed all the permits and everything was in order and all inspections had been made. There were a few things that had been grandfathered because of changes to the code, but not the electrical upgrade. Recently I contacted a Photo Voltaic (PV) contractor to have solar hot water and PV installed. They sent out an electrician to determine if my service was adequate to connect the PV panels. Yup you guessed it, the upgrade didn’t meet code. It seems that even though they installed a new meter box and panel the feeder wire from the transformer is only rated at 125 amps. Now I have to get a new feeder installed at a cost of $3,500. WHO DID THAT ELECTRICAL INSPECTION!?

08-25-2015, 11:02 AM	#26339
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Aaaaaaaa.......my library is my library is migrating to a new catalog system?!?!? During the migration...not everything will be available. WHAT?!? ...links to your family and friends accounts will be broken?!!!??? I won't be able to pick up holds for my friends until I reconnect them?!?!?!? ...they are changing the PIN on my card?!?!?? ...they won't be able to process holds between September 17th and 24th?!?!?!?! I guess I better get all my requests in now.

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