haapai
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Post by haapai on Feb 17, 2020 11:32:12 GMT -5
That's amazing! I was expecting to hear that the converted heating unit was on it's last legs and that using the firebox would kill you. Plus some of the wiring can be dated! You appear to be experiencing a long period of good luck. Does this scare you? I don't mean to discount the knowledge and shrewdness that you've exhibited for the last five years or so, but doesn't this many things going wonderfully right make you uneasy?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2020 11:50:09 GMT -5
@shastasnewlife Not to worry. After so many years of bad luck coming in multiples of threes instead of just regular threes, you're due for a lonnnnnng stretch of easy living. Besides, I've got the magic wand. Don't hesitate to call on me to use it
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finnime
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Post by finnime on Feb 17, 2020 12:21:11 GMT -5
That's great news, Shasta. May all your house trouble be cheap and fixable.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Feb 17, 2020 12:53:09 GMT -5
I think I'd prioritize getting power to the shed. I don't know if you'd want to bury the electrical line or not. My Dad's garage is powered via an underground wire from the house. But it's about 10-15 feet distance. And when a tree was removed, they took out the power so the garage didn't have power for a few years because it wasn't a priority for Mom and Dad.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2020 13:35:14 GMT -5
That's amazing! I was expecting to hear that the converted heating unit was on it's last legs and that using the firebox would kill you. Plus some of the wiring can be dated! You appear to be experiencing a long period of good luck. Does this scare you? I don't mean to discount the knowledge and shrewdness that you've exhibited for the last five years or so, but doesn't this many things going wonderfully right make you uneasy?
The firebox is a funny story. The HVAC folks pointed at it and mentioned they wouldn't generally suggest people burn wood unattended in their basements when today there are options like heat pumps. I have the exact same opinion though I assume it's completely safe. I would guess the firebox was added in the 70s or 80s in response to climbing oil prices. It doesn't appear to have been used, so perhaps the folks that lived here became preppers later in life? I think one thing that keeps me from feeling "scared" about the future is I still have a fat savings account that can deal with any/all problems I could potentially have with the house in the next few years. Even if I needed new plumbing, electrical, HVAC and a roof all in one year, I could pay for it and still have savings. That gives me a LOT of peace of mind. And, the money I budgeted to switch from the low-paid writing I was doing to higher-paid projects and creating inventory for my art/jewelry business helps me feel a lot more positive about the future. Watching my bank account slowly dropping is also driving me to start my business back up and get back to working ASAP because I want to preserve as much of that peace of mind cash as I can going forward. I like solitude and discovering new places to explore and this move is perfect for both. It helps me relax and gets rid of the anxiety that makes it hard for me to work or be creative. Since I don't know anyone here, I've also been thinking about getting a part-time job next fall. I don't need a ton of income to live here, but it might be nice to have some guaranteed income each month and it might help me meet more people.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2020 13:47:41 GMT -5
@shastasnewlife Not to worry. After so many years of bad luck coming in multiples of threes instead of just regular threes, you're due for a lonnnnnng stretch of easy living. Besides, I've got the magic wand. Don't hesitate to call on me to use it Amen for a long stretch of easy living. The first evening I was here I sat on the couch with the dog, watched it get dark out the front window, and felt like I could completely relax for the first time in years.
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sesfw
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Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Post by sesfw on Feb 18, 2020 21:46:29 GMT -5
S ince I don't know anyone here, I've also been thinking about getting a part-time job next fall. I don't need a ton of income to live here, but it might be nice to have some guaranteed income each month and it might help me meet more people. So glad you are getting settled in and loving your new place. A part time job is an excellent idea. You will meet wonderful people, and they might like some of your art and jewelry also.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Feb 20, 2020 16:57:28 GMT -5
Since I don't know anyone here, I've also been thinking about getting a part-time job next fall. I don't need a ton of income to live here, but it might be nice to have some guaranteed income each month and it might help me meet more people.
I think this is a fabulous idea. And part-time would leave you time for your own business.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2020 18:35:11 GMT -5
Since I don't know anyone here, I've also been thinking about getting a part-time job next fall. I don't need a ton of income to live here, but it might be nice to have some guaranteed income each month and it might help me meet more people.
I think this is a fabulous idea. And part-time would leave you time for your own business.
I don't want to work for anyone else until at least late fall of this year. I really want to dedicate this year to getting my own businesses going and travel as much as possible around where I live. I took my dog out today to check out the hills to the north. I collected some obsidian for my rock tumbler and found a bit of non-precious opal. It was cold but fantastic being able to get out and hike again. I didn't have any groin pain for the first time I've hiked in about 2 years. When we were done hiking, I drove another 20 miles or so up into the Maulher Forest. Lots of beautiful area up that way to explore when the snow melts. If I can't find enough private writing clients or make enough money making art, then I will look for something local.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Feb 20, 2020 19:28:23 GMT -5
I thought it could be a good way to meet people, as you mentioned. And maybe have a bit of regular income as you explore your surroundings and build up your business. Even if you just worked one or two days a week, win-win IMO. Plus it would help you to be seen as "a local", and I'm sure there would be advantages to that as you settle into a new place long-term.
I hope your business takes off. Best of luck whatever you decide. :-)
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Feb 22, 2020 0:53:25 GMT -5
How did it go with the furnace inspection Shasta? It went really well. My 1950's era furnace is in great condition on the oil-fired half. When the blower motor kicks on, it's obvious its squirrel cage needs new bearings and are causing the vibration/noise I hear in the house. We found a can of all-purpose oil laying nearby and think they had greased the bearings with that instead of bearing grease or replacing them... Thankfully, furnaces made in that era allow for replacing only the bearings, so I am waiting for the parts and will have a <$100 repair. The inspection was a whopping $50. Sometimes rural living is cheaper, sometimes not. In this case the price was great. They spent about an hour looking at it and showing me all of it's parts and what to keep an eye on. The chimney stack is clean and fully encased in masonry, so they said to have it cleaned every few years but that this type of furnace doesn't tend to produce much creosote as long as it's working efficiently. I'd had some short-cycling and it was suggested the thermostat on the wall might have dust inside it. I bought some compressed air and that solved the problem. Overall, I feel really good about the furnace situation now. It's going to have an inexpensive repair and I have a much better understanding of how it works. While I was under the house, I did more investigation into the electrical system and it appears to have been upgraded in the mid-1980s when the bathroom was remodeled. It got a new panel then and I see nothing but Romex for wiring. I have a feeling my 2-prong receptacles just weren't replaced in parts of the house. I need to pull some covers and look for the ground. Electrical is the next project because I need somewhere I can plug in my rock saw and polishing equipment that are grounded and can handle long pulls of power. And, if part of my house was improved but not the rest, I'll seriously consider having the rest of the house brought up to current electrical code. I have a garage/shed on the property but it doesn't have any power and has a dirt floor. Instead of building a fence, I am considering either having concrete poured in the shed or building it a floor with pavers and then having electric pulled to it so I can have a workshop. Doing so means I would need a panel expansion and it wouldn't be a cheap project, but it would give me the work space this property lacks. I am fortunate the shed isn't too far from the location of the panel. Shasta, as you think about power to your outbuilding, there are probably two ways to approach it. A panel expansion, which I interpret to be removing the existing panel and installing a larger one. Another approach is to install a sub-panel. That’s what was done when our house was built to provide power to a garage I wanted to use as a shop. The sub-panel is fed from a breaker in the main panel. The sub-panel has space for about 10 more circuits. Our sub-panel is located in the shop space. That means that each circuit for a shop machine is much shorter and way easier to install than running each circuit back to where the main panel is located. Of the two approaches, I think a sub-panel in your shed would be the cheapest and the most effective option. ETA: Did you know that they make tandem breakers, that allow for two breakers in the electrical panel space usually occupied by a single breaker? This allows you to add circuits to a panel that is already “full”. When our house was built in 2006, about half the breakers were tandem style breakers, so this approach is a well accepted practice.
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Feb 22, 2020 10:40:26 GMT -5
When we built a garage forever ago we powered it by a sub-panel from the main house one. The only direct wiring we did from house panel was one 220 volt outlet for Bill's power equipment. Worked well for us.
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