Never thought retirement would be like this

Seeker said:
Then you have an electric, we have both,but I only play (with) the acoustic....have a capo...:)
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That (a capo) is something I'd like to try. Depending on how long I stick with this, I might try an acoustic guitar some day.

This electric thing seems to have a mind of it's own sometimes. I leaned it up against the amplifier one day and went downstairs for a minute. This loud buzzing noise started upstairs and the cat ran down and hid under the couch. The two things got in sync somehow, and they were humming along just fine without me. :playful:
 

maggiemae said:
Nancy, just keep at it and then "Bingo" one day the notes will all come together and make sense!
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Ha! Ha! I wish/hope. Seems like I start over every day.

Picked out your new flooring yet? I think it is too cold to do anything. It's psychological. :) I thought the cold weather was gone. Now it's back! :rolleyes:
 

I have picked the flooring...went to Home Depot this weekend and took another look at it. It's "Interlocking Luxury Vinyl Plank" Warm Cherry color (look it up online). I know some people will turn their nose up at vinyl but you put it down just like wood laminate interlocking planks and it is waterproof and it is thick and looks just like wood and more durable. Only draw back is that they do not carry it in the store, you have to order it on line and they will deliver to the store. That is not a problem for me. But it has been so cold and windy for the past two weeks that I just cannot get motivated to get going. Also, it needs to acclimate to the room temperature for 24-48 hours before installing. So with the heat running off and on, I want to wait for some constant temps. Which reminds me, what about your heating system? Did they come back with the parts to fix it? Hope I did not miss a post on this. And on another point, all the old laminate flooring will need to be cut up into smaller pieces and put in contractor bags for the garbage people to pick up. I usually use a saber saw to just cut them up but the last time my wrists were killing me. Had to wear a brace at night for a few nights to rest them. I have a circular saw, so that might not be so stressful on the wrists. I used to go a "hundred miles an hour" in a day but not so much anymore. Getting old is not what it's cracked up to be! LOL
 
maggiemae said:
I have picked the flooring...went to Home Depot this weekend and took another look at it. It's "Interlocking Luxury Vinyl Plank" Warm Cherry color (look it up online). I know some people will turn their nose up at vinyl but you put it down just like wood laminate interlocking planks and it is waterproof and it is thick and looks just like wood and more durable. Only draw back is that they do not carry it in the store, you have to order it on line and they will deliver to the store. That is not a problem for me. But it has been so cold and windy for the past two weeks that I just cannot get motivated to get going. Also, it needs to acclimate to the room temperature for 24-48 hours before installing. So with the heat running off and on, I want to wait for some constant temps. Which reminds me, what about your heating system? Did they come back with the parts to fix it? Hope I did not miss a post on this. And on another point, all the old laminate flooring will need to be cut up into smaller pieces and put in contractor bags for the garbage people to pick up. I usually use a saber saw to just cut them up but the last time my wrists were killing me. Had to wear a brace at night for a few nights to rest them. I have a circular saw, so that might not be so stressful on the wrists. I used to go a "hundred miles an hour" in a day but not so much anymore. Getting old is not what it's cracked up to be! LOL
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There is nothing wrong with vinyl. I bet it won't get ruined with water, like wood. I have plastic (pvc) molding in my kitchen. It looks just like wood, doesn't need painted (white), and easier to install. I use a table saw to cut wood into scraps. Works well for cutting up large cardboard boxes too, so they fit in the recycle cart.

Oh, the saga of the furnace. Don't get me started. But it had a surprise twist just this afternoon.

That furnace guy never called me and never came back. Left him a message, to make sure he wasn't still coming back, and he never returned the call, so I picked out another service. This one wouldn't even take messages.

Coincidentally I was watching TV and saw an ad for HomeAdvisor.com, supposed to be a free service, and said what the heck, I'll give it a try. Left a message on their web page late this afternoon, and a larger company from a nearby town called within a minute. They showed up at 7 pm. Tinkered around with the furnace for a half hour and couldn't get it started either. Then got on the phone and talked to someone for 20 more minutes, and tried some other things.

Final verdict (which I expected) was that this particular furnace (Nordyne) has known problems. He said I could Google it and read about them. I did (later). He said I could just keep replacing parts until the warranty runs out, or get a new furnace. I'm tired of it! It's been nothing but trouble. I'm getting too old to mess around with this stuff all the time. LOL!

So tomorrow they are coming to put in a new one. He said they could finish in 4 hours. This will make the weather warm up for sure. :rolleyes:
 
Update: The guys were coming at 4 pm to install the furnace, but called at 11:00 and said they could start in about an hour. :) They had a job in Braselton (30 miles away) that got stalled for the day. I'm just sitting here waiting on them, so I'll write some stuff. Ha!

I had pretty much made up my mind to get rid of this furnace anyway, just wanted to see what they had to say first. They tried. I watched them. He said the problem was with the condensation system. The moisture tended to build up inside the furnace and short out electronic parts.

I looked up Nordyne last night. It moved from Missouri to Mexico around 2009, was bought out by another company, who immediately filed for bankruptcy, restructured, now called Nordic, and is back in business now. The reviews are not good, but a few folks had no problems at all. If what he says is true, could be the humidity here, and the unheated basement installation?
 
They are downstairs working. Can't practice guitar because it might scare them away. :playful:

The missing lights...

Picked out a closet light---an 18" LED strip light. It would fit on the wall above the door. Can be wired with a switch, 4000 bright white color, only $18, but I chose it because of the size. This is 750 lumens, and that is barely equivalent to a 60 watt bulb. That's what I have in there now and it is ok. All wiring must be done before drywall.

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Lowe's webpage said they had 4 in stock, but no one could find them. Ordered one delivered to the store (figured that would make them look harder). Picked it up last night. Now there are only 3 in stock. I checked and still didn't see any there. I might get another one if anyone can find them. Strange. :confused:

Update: They left at 3:30. They did a neat job installing it. I have heat!!! Fingers crossed.
 
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Yes, really beautiful day, wasn't it! BUT...they are predicting a low of 33 next week! :rolleyes: I'm ready.
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:)
 
New strings... :)

The store where I bought this guitar moved downtown.:( Thank goodness it's spring break. A delightful (not) young guitar snob named Alex put on the strings while I watched. I can do it next time. He lectured me about not changing strings sooner. They should be changed every month. :rolleyes: And got a good rolleyes when he saw the letters written on tape on the fret board. No they don't sell anything so low class as letters you stick on the fret board. I felt like a 1st grader being sent to the principal's office. He takes life much too seriously for such a young age. ;)

What a difference. Not in the sound, but how much easier they are to push down. They are supposed to be the exact same type & size as the ones that came on it. :confused:
 
My Aunt found a good picture to send, although a bit fuzzy.

She is the woman on the left, holding my cousin, David. The woman standing on the far right is my mother. Those in between are my grandmother on my father's side, and all her 6 children. It's the only picture I know of with all 6 together as adults. I would guess it to be about 1951-52, judging from David's age.

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I only saw the one aunt (standing, second from left, in front of my father) 3 times---when this picture was taken although I don't remember it, once at her house, and once at her funeral. She died not long after this picture was taken, at age 36 with 6 children of her own, aged 3 through 15. A really sad situation. Somewhere there is a picture of all her children lined up, sitting on an outdoor table at a little country church, taken at the funeral. I was 7, but I remember it well, my first funeral I think. I don't know what happened to that picture.

Here they are as kids, except the older girl in the middle (possibly a much older half sister) for comparison. This picture was posted before, but was probably on Photobucket.
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BTW, Photobucket is now offering a new non-commercial image hosting package, for $100/year, instead of $400. If they would cut that to $50 I might go for it. I suspect every image hosting site will eventually go that way once they have a lot of your pictures. I guess I understand why. It's good for business. LOL!
 
Guitar slides ...

Something with the sound has been missing all along---slides. That is where you slide your finger from one fret to another without lifting it off the string. I've nailed it! :rolleyes: :playful: :p :) But they are even tougher on the fingertips--cuts like a knife! :(

(Not my picture)

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So many options. This is like a gigantic puzzle with no correct answer, just better ones. Trying to avoid a lengthy forced time out due to slide injuries, so back to the closet.

Less harmful alternatives:

Spoon slide

Beer bottle slide
 
I love these old black and white pictures! But have you noticed in all the old photos of children during that era they are not smiling? I have some old ones and I noticed the same thing. I need to dig them out and make a comparison. I got rid of PhotoBucket because of the price and went to Shutterfly because it's Free like Photobucket used to be! But I guess they will all be charging a fee for photo storage before long. Any pics I take on my phone goes to the Cloud!

Careful with those fingers, won't be long before there will be lots of work to do at the cabin area!
 
Do post some pictures. I like to see them even if I don't know the people. LOL! Those kids do look tough, don't they. I imagine they were. I've now got my pictures on Imgur. Much easier to use than Photobucket. I've got to learn about Cloud. Went to the computer store today and didn't recognize most of the equipment there. Yikes!!!

I bought a little time mowing lawns by swiping the wild onions with weed killer a few weeks ago. They are wilting. That's the only thing that's growing well so far. Everyone out in the country has mowed their onions at least once already. :rolleyes:

I'm trying to get that 4th closet wall straight across and up and down. The door is crooked too. Chiseled and sanded 1/2 inch off a large protruding chunk of wall brace. Now it is only 1/2" off (here and there) from being flat. The drywall will probably extend past the door frame. There is a new way to do trimless doors shown in this video, but no one carries those strips. It gives me an idea anyway.

Trimless Doors

Posting one picture to say goodbye to the woods, before the weeds, vines, and briars start to grow. You can see a little patch of green fescue way off in the distance I sewed 30 years ago, where there used to be kudzu. March is one of my favorite months.

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Whew, reading all the stuff you do just tuckers me out, Nancy. :D I'm enjoying the old photos. When you get proficient with your guitar you'll have to post a video for us.

Hey MaggieMay. :wave: Did you finish your floor?

I feel like a slug when I read about y'all's projects.
 
Thanks, C'est Moi, but speaking for myself only, this has honestly been one of the worst years ever for me, in terms of projects. If you notice carefully, I just keep talking, not doing. Hoping the change in weather helps. The guitar is fun, but it really shouldn't hurt to learn to play music, should it? LOL!
 
Bought two 4' LED shoplight bulbs that work in old fluorescent fixtures, to try in the basement. They were the same price as 40W fluorescents and are way brighter. The worst fixture down there has come on instantly every time, so far. For now at least, I'll just replace the bulbs, instead of replacing the fixtures. So that is one project that can be marked off the to-do list. :)

Used strips of barn siding for shims on the closet wall, because it was just the right thickness, but that stuff is a pain to nail or screw through, so I took them down and cut some strips of plywood and put them up instead. Don't need any more obstacles than necessary with drywall install. Next step is the wiring. So far all I've done is locate the correct breaker and flip it off. ;)
 
Nancy, went digging for old photos this week. Found some that I acquired when my grandparents passed. I think these are old relatives maybe even great great relatives. On some of pictures someone had hand written a date of 1919. Thought you would get a kick out of them.
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I love 'em! :) The first one looks like a WWI uniform, with some kind of shin protectors, and a marksman medal. He is a handsome fellow!

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That must be a model T. Did you know the wheels had wooden spokes! My grandfather had one. Do you recognize where the last two were taken?

You are right, all the children look miserable, no smiling. LOL

I have a picture of my great grand father and mother on my dad's side. I may get up enough courage to post it one day.

Thank you!
 
NancyNGA said:
I love 'em! :)

I have a picture of my great grand father and mother on my dad's side. I may get up enough courage to post it one day.

Thank you!
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The pics of the old car were in Mississippi. I also have an old picture of my great grandparents on my mother's side. He (the great grandfather worked in a saw mill and had an accident where his middle finger to his pinkie finger was cut off) but it didn't stop him to keep working and have a family picture made! (YIKES) Maybe I will post it.....you can't pick your family! LOL
 
:playful:

While we are on old pictures, this is a picture of Mrs. Thompson, 1954. It's amazing how a scanner can blow up some pictures so well. The original was only about an inch square, and I've reduced this by 50% already.

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Martha Thompson was my 3rd *and* 4th grade teacher. She was no doubt a great teacher, but I didn't like her. In 3rd grade she was always trying to get me to do special things. I just wanted to blend in. One time she asked me to run off a handout on one of those mimeograph ("Ditto") machines that made the fuzzy purple print. Not the fancy newer machines, where you just push a button or turn a crank, more like this ancient one:

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I politely told her I'd rather not because I was afraid I might break it, and she called my parents. What the heck!?! I was always taught to not tear into things if I didn't know what I was doing. There was much more, but I won't go into it. Let's just say if I had listened to her I would probably never have gotten a job. She finally gave up by 4th grade. :)

Btw, I remember the first thing everyone did when they got a handout was smell them. Hmmm...

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:lol: Meanderer. How did you do that?!?

Mrs. Thompson was very short, but she knew how to take care of herself. She and her husband lived on a farm, had no children, but they had three Great Danes. She used to tell us stories all the time, and how the dogs would jump up on her and were taller than she was. The stories were one thing I liked about her. (Wow, where did that memory come from, and I can't even remember what day it is half the time. :confused: )

Now let me tell you about my 5th grade teacher.... She had a hotel lobby bell on her desk that she rang whenever we got rowdy. :rolleyes: Enough said about her. :playful:

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Nothing interesting is happening... :rolleyes:

1. To keep algae from growing in the goat trough and water buckets, we've always added a few drops of Clorox bleach (or generic). It hasn't worked lately. Picked up, by mistake, a gallon of the new Splash-Less Clorox. Tiny print says, “Not for sanitation or disinfection.” Regular bleach used to be 5-6 percent sodium hypochlorite (bleach). The Splash-Less stuff could have as little as 1%*. You can't just add 5 times as much, because it also has a surfactant and sodium hydroxide---the makings of soap. That product seems useless, to me. :confused:

*Data sheet shows 1-5% "The exact percentage has been withheld as a trade secret."

2. Neighbor has chalk lines drawn out in the back yard now. I suspect for a parking lot for both his houses. A couple of weeks ago, he had a plumber there all day, and there are piles of old lumber outside. Must be remodeling the bath/kitchen.

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As expected, I'm now second guessing that property. I think now the new neighbor kept that old tree leaning toward her house just to encourage her to leave, and knowing her son, If I had accepted his price, I bet he would have taken it to the rental guy, trying to get us into a bidding war. Oh well, I get along well with students. Learning the guitar will help. Ha!

3. I did get a blister under the callus on index finger, but it hasn't dropped of yet (the callus, not the finger). :playful:
 

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