All Things EARTH... part 2

[laurspag]

Air quality is at 391...was at 402...this awful.

 

Melody, that is great!  It must feel do good toget around.

[PurpleHays]

We're at Code Red with the air quality. My crappy lungs have stayed inside all day. Since my downstairs reading spot is next to the back door, I've felt it and started coughing almost every time hubby opened the door for the in-out dog. So much for my ourtdoor/yardwork plans on my day off. . .

 

I texted my manager and told her the local weather forecaster told us crap lung folks to stay inside tomorrow. Since I have to go outside twice to go to work, I wasn't coming. Still waiting to see how she responds, especially since she knows I'm always saying crap like this and I'll really be there.

[laurspag]

You're in North Carolina, right?  

 

Yes, this is really yucky.  My house is pretty air tight, but work isn't.  We have a storage area that is part of our floor and it is cement block.  There are small vents in there as well, with just some screening over them.  I think that is why it has been so hard to work.

 

It is supposed to be better for us tomorrow.  Hopefully, it will pass quickly in your area too.  Stay safe!!!

 

Melody, we were planning a 20 x 20 deck about three years ago, and it was $12,000.  I don't know what the estimate would be now but I'd like to get an update.  

[Anita Latte]

Melody…gorgeous deck! Love outdoor living…unfortunately we’re already so hot this year…it can be challenging to enjoy outside this time of year here between the humidity and the rain, but thankfully it is raining again. We’re no longer is any drought status after being stage 2 for the start of the year.

 

What horrible conditions you NY ladies have right now! Omg! 
 

Wow? Down to NC huh? We just had a pretty great week in NC. The backpacking was a little rough…it rained quite a bit. That and a few other things made it a bit challenging. DH and I were talking and I was telling him that I’m sure some friends would ask me if it was fun? And my thoughts were more along the lines of it being satisfying…with moments of extreme pleasure sitting in the beauty of nature and having a bit of overcoming with some physically challenging feats. I was pleased with my physicality but also feeling motivated to improve…not so much a weight loss, though that would be a part of it, but more motivated toward strength, endurance, and just maintaining mobility.

 

Outside of backpacking, I managed to plan a pretty great road trip. Dead&Co was fab. We had great lawn neighbors and just had a blast. Our visit with my childhood friend was soooo much fun. Non stop talking and laughing and sharing…it was all very easy and comfortable…on a real, when we were leaving, my eyes were stinging…it’s been a while since DH and I have spent time together with a couple friends…like since GA…we haven’t found anyone like that here yet…so the social interaction was just…idk…very emotional to leave. Hoping we can visit more now.

 

And our new car was a joy to road trip in…confirming our purchase decision. It helped to have 8 hr drives on outbound and homebound days and short day drives when we did change cities.

[awhfy]

48 minutes ago, laurspag said:

You're in North Carolina, right?  

 

Yes, this is really yucky.  My house is pretty air tight, but work isn't.  We have a storage area that is part of our floor and it is cement block.  There are small vents in there as well, with just some screening over them.  I think that is why it has been so hard to work.

 

It is supposed to be better for us tomorrow.  Hopefully, it will pass quickly in your area too.  Stay safe!!!

 

Melody, we were planning a 20 x 20 deck about three years ago, and it was $12,000.  I don't know what the estimate would be now but I'd like to get an update.  

Laurie, Cool Trex & black iron alone was $5K. The labor was more

 

Anita, what kind of car did you get??

[57redbird]

6 minutes ago, awhfy said:

Laurie, Cool Trex & black iron alone was $5K. The labor was more

 

Anita, what kind of car did you get??

Melody - how big is your deck?  We need to get ours replaced.

[Anita Latte]

Not the right time to buy a car but our beloved 4Runner was diagnosed with a 11,500 repair bill…our 2008 4Runner lol…so back in February we got a 2023 Subaru Ascent. We shopped all around and drove many many cars and really thought about what we would still want to drive in 10 years. I like to hang onto my vehicles. I feel like I need a my car tech for dummies book going from 2008 to 2023 but I absolutely love our new car!!

[awhfy]

10 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

Not the right time to buy a car but our beloved 4Runner was diagnosed with a 11,500 repair bill…our 2008 4Runner lol…so back in February we got a 2023 Subaru Ascent. We shopped all around and drove many many cars and really thought about what we would still want to drive in 10 years. I like to hang onto my vehicles. I feel like I need a my car tech for dummies book going from 2008 to 2023 but I absolutely love our new car!!

I hope it lasts as long as your 4Runner. The Ascent is a nice vehicle. All the new safety features, I bet your insurance didn’t go up as much as you thought!!

Edited June 8, 2023 by awhfy

[awhfy]

11 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Melody - how big is your deck?  We need to get ours replaced.

Our deck is 12x24. It replaced a 12x20 redwood, tore the old one completely off, replaced all the wood & taped everything (used to use tarpaper as a waterproofing, but this special (looks like really wide electrical tape is guaranteed for 25 years. The place we got our Trex & iron only sells the 20’ length (Lowes sells the 12’ & 16’). Our stairs are my favorite as they’re now 5’ wide but not as steep of a step (7” opposed to 8-1/2”, much easier to climb).

The contractor figured out everything perfectly, zero waste on the Trex. Les asked him how many Trex he was getting (carpenter husband had firm ideas on what was going to be done, (I think he’s a little disappointed he didn’t get to do it or at least help, but by day 2 he realized they really know what they were doing & really relaxed & enjoyed the progress.). George told him & he pulled out his own calculations & they were exactly the same. 
 

it’s not an inexpensive process, the Trex & iron were a little over $5K & tear down & reconstruct was $13K (which is really low, even for Colorado). We did get the contractor rate. It’s worth it.
 

Several of our neighbors have already contracted with George as they all saw his crew’s work ethic & skill. Crew arrived in am at 8:30 worked straight through to 6pm; 30 minute break for lunch, no sitting around, our deck took 5 days to finish
 

get a couple of quotes unless you know the contractor. Melody

[Anita Latte]

Finding good contractors is like finding hidden treasure…I bet there’s a big demand for them

now! 
 

For sure, I was very concerned about increased insurance cost but it only went up by $162 for the year!

[Anita Latte]

I originally thought I wouldn’t want a deck here in Florida. Hard scape patios are much more common. My focus has to be on permeability. We have pavers to do a front yard patio. I want to create a courtyard feel…we have the kind of house footprint where the garage sticks out from the house…it’s a side entry too,

away from the front door, so there’s a lot of front yard and like you Melody, I’m all about yard usage vs yard maintenance. I know we’d use a front courtyard. 
 

But the backyard…lots of areas that flood…and so I wonder if it would end up being better to have a deck type thing in at least one area I want a “floor”.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Anita Latte

[laurspag]

Melody, your overall cost makes more sense now. I have nothing to tear down.  My deck would only be about a foot off the ground, ad we would like a wrap around stair.  We would rather go the route of a patio, but we have a very large, old tree with roots that have been coming to the surface.  It is too close to wear the patio would be and would create a lot of havoc.  With a deck, it is easier for us to work around.  

 

We have a front porch which I like a lot, but it is not deep enough for us to use as much as I would like.  The sun and rain still get you, and there is street traffic.  Plus, my dogs only go outside in the backyard because it is fenced in.  We can take them out on leashes in the front, but they get so stressed by not being able to wander.

 

Often, my husband and I will talk about a dream project, and compare notes.  We try to decide what is most important to us, and then work on creating a project that fits our budget and checks off a few wish list items. We feel a nice big deck, where we can add a gazebo or pergola over the part closest to the house would be ideal.  We would probably do this in stages, with the deck first, then some sort of cover over part of it, then furniture.  We can use it before we get to the furniture part, as we do have items that would work for now.  In New York winters, you need to do something with the furniture in the winter.  In our area, people who have a covered deck move everything to the center under the roofed area, and use tarps and furniture covers to protect it.  If we don't do that, then we have to find a place to put away all that stuff.

 

We are very focused on the low maintenance stuff.  I love to putter outside and I know I will be doing that when I retire as well as my husband, but we cannot due what we used to, and we will be able to do less over time.

 

Side note: the first dose of Humira went well, an he is feeling pretty good!  If this works even fairly well, it will be a game changer for him.

 

Our air quality is getting better as the smoke moves out of the area.  The smoke is still here, but you can see well and your eyes don't burn as much.  It is also cooler and we are getting a few showers off and on. We need the rain really badly!

 

We have indoor projects too, and with my husband feeling a little better, it makes it easier for us.  We have two new light fixtures we will be installing soon, and two new ones to purchase.  We still plan to do the batten and board in the den, and we are working on the layout now.  We will be using MDF - it paints beautifully, and you can even have Home Depot make the cuts for you.  Nothing like convenience!

 

We are finding time for fun things too.  At random on Memorial Day, my husband drove to Anyela's Winery.  It is stunning there.  They have a lovely chacuterie board we enjoyed along with wine.  Well, my husband had water.  He can't drink with his medication.  He did sip one or two of my samples, but that was it.

[awhfy]

4 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

Finding good contractors is like finding hidden treasure…I bet there’s a big demand for them

now! 
 

For sure, I was very concerned about increased insurance cost but it only went up by $162 for the year!

All the safety features on the new one really cut it down. Good job

[laurspag]

There are a lot of good features on newer cars.  I find that we really embrace warmer weather here, because we do have four distinct seasons.  My car has the sun roof/moon roof combo, and if it is cool, I at least move the cover back to let the sunshine in.  If it is warm though, being able to open that up just feels so invigorating.  My car is a lease, but I do plan on purchasing it.  I really like it.  It is a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.  

 

We finally got a little bit of rain!  It wasn't a ton, but it was a steady rain this morning for about an hour and half.  The plants and grass needed a drink.  We are going to get more Monday, so that is good.  If we keep getting some rain off and on, it will be a good time to work on the last garden.  It has been so dry that with heavier clay soil, it's like a rock.  It makes it very difficult to work with.  We have finally figured out what we are going to do there, so it should be really nice when done.  I'll share pictures.

 

I still have alllllll my dresses hanging up in my room, lol.  Since final payment was due, I feel like it is totally justified to fuss over my outfits, lol.  Seriously though, I have not really figured out the last two dresses.  It's funny, because I sometimes realize that we have underlying reasons for our choices that don't always stand out.

 

For example, the orange dress is really going solely for the reason that my husband plans to wear that fun, tropical print Syracuse shirt.  He has a thing about wearing Syracuse shirts on the cruise during the day, and this was a fun option for a casual night.  (most likely tropical night, since he doesn't really wear printed shirts)  It was just such a fun idea to wear something that coordinates, and that matches the casualness overall.  At the same time, if he wears that on tropical night, I'll be pretty disappointed if I'm not wearing one of my fun tropical dresses, you know?  

 

Nevertheless, I got to thinking that while I love the dress and would definitely wear it on a cruise, I probably would not have made it an instant "yes" if it wasn't for the matching thing.  I really am focused on having fun with my choices, and really going with what feels good.  

 

My burgundy formal night dress was chosen for two reasons: it fits, and my husband likes it.  I won't lie - I like it.  I don't love it.  Maybe I just need to try it on with some sandals and get excited about it.

 

Off to do laundry!  We may run a few errands, and work on replacing those light fixtures today.

[awhfy]

We decided to redo our walkway to better get to the new deck. I’m really tired & getting sore. Each paver weighs 34 lbs. first is old walkway, second is what we just finished. Melody 

[57redbird]

29 minutes ago, awhfy said:

We decided to redo our walkway to better get to the new deck. I’m really tired & getting sore. Each paver weighs 34 lbs. first is old walkway, second is what we just finished. Melody 

WOW!!!!

 

[Anita Latte]

I'm with you on the sunroof/moonroof Laurie. That's one of the features that I really wanted...what they are calling a panoramic sun/moonroof with is absolutely HUGE and like you...I love it. One major problem I had with so many manufacturers was the packages...all too often that feature was combined with leather upholstery and I did NOT want leather. That was part of the appeal of the Subaru is that the version we purchased has an very washable and durable upholstery called Startek...I needed to be able to feel comfortable with not necessarily abusing the interior, but towing our boat and dealing with the consequences of a day on the boat...kayaking...camping... being on the beach... Durable luxury is what I wanted.

 

ALSO...as weird as this is...I really wanted a NORMAL transmission stick thing...so many of the newer cars have push buttons or dials and I just couldn't stand that!

 

There are all kinds of reasons for wardrobe selection...and I think having fun in what we're wearing is the absolute best reason.

 

Melody...your backyard is really ready for entertaining!!

 

I'm currently having a bit of personal struggle...for the first time in recent years...I went looking at some jobs in my area and I actually found one that I know I could do and would have fun doing. I know my early working years are 100% applicable and that I have all the skills and have been exercising these in my everyday role as homemaker...relationship building, communications, creativity, writing, editing, photography...but wow...trying to figure out how to put all that on paper in such a way to make it past the filters without sounding ridiculous by applying such verbiage to my everyday...

 

Anyway...I'm working on my resume OMG and it's both making me feel great about everything I've accomplished but also kind of stressed as I try to convey my skills...

 

Also...if I were to get an interview and go back to the corporate world...holy cow...I have no idea what I would wear LOL.

[awhfy]

Wow Anita, contemplating returning to corporate wired. Fascinating & terrifying. Clothing choices are much easier now than in the past. Nice slacks & a nice top, cardigan or blazer-type jacket (for the frigid ac in offices) & several scarves to change things up. Don’t need much to start off. Best of luck!!  Melody

[laurspag]

Melody, your yard is looking great!

 

Anita, going back to work and the interview process is a pretty big deal!  We expanded our department a bit, along with the employment situation brought on by Covid.  I have performed so many interviews that I don't want to ever do another one!  I would not be exaggerating if I said I've done 50 over the past two to two and a half years.  That number might even be too low.

 

One rule of thumb that I have is that I want to see someone who is genuine and easy to talk to.  Dynamics are so important.  I expect to see them wear what is appropriate for their position when they apply, preferably a little bit nicer even.  From what you were mentioning, it sounds like it might be a more artistic field so that may be easier.  Good luck with everything!!

 

You want to hear something funny, Anita?  I won't buy a car with a cloth interior.  I had one and I felt like I had to constantly shampoo the seats.  My next vehicle had leather by chance, and everything just wiped off with those Armor All Leather Wipes. I was sold after that.  My current car is a lease, and my previous one was also.  I had hardly nothing to choose from but I had to have a car.  They told me there was one in transit, and it would be there within a month.  It turned out to have all the features I wanted, but leather.  It does have fake leather combined with cloth,so I went with it.

 

I talk all the time about how I want to buy a vehicle instead of leasing.  I can buy this car.  I keep debating because it doesn't have full leather, lol.   My thought was that the next car I buy is going to be held on to for very long time, since I didn't want car payments when I retire.  

 

 

 

 

[awhfy]

Laurie, we too have found that leather seats last so much longer than cloth. We’ve never leased a car!  Now that I’ve retired we put very few miles on a car as we usually fly to vacations. Our 2021 CRV just hit 5000 miles

[Anita Latte]

I had one vehicle with leather seats…not my fave at all when you have hot and humid weather. The sweat factor with the seats is just awful and terrible on the leather. It’s just way more maintenance than I want to deal with. All the leather I’ve seen in any older car is always cracked or has those awful permanent wrinkle lines…or, even worse, it’s all slick and shiny from so much product in it…we test drove such a car and I literally couldn’t sit up straight in it because I kept sliding forward!

 

My parents have leather and I do appreciate it when I’m not sweating…but I likely won’t own another vehicle with it.

 

Our new upholstery is a synthetic leather like material. It’s not like the vinyls of old…it’s soft and matte and while it’s smooth to the touch it isn’t too slick. It’s water resistant and cleans like a dream.

 

I’m not looking for a job. Not really. My motivation to look and see what’s out there stemmed from the fact that I’m rather lonely and I’ve been having a hard time finding people…most of them are working…so I looked around at what’s out there and I found just this one job req that I’m excited about. Over the years, when I’ve previously looked, I never really found anything, which was just as well since we moved so much and DS was so active…but I have the time now and this one job interests me so much. It’s a sad eggs all in one basket scenario but I’m taking the process of figuring out what to do with my time step by step…if it doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out the next fleece to throw out there to see what happens.

 

In terms of wardrobe, I’ll wait to see if I get an interview but I’m looking for fun at more work friendly clothing. The kicker is that the job req talks about needing to stand for long periods of time, climbing stairs, being in enclosed spaces, needing the ability to evacuate quickly, wearing safety protection. It’s a job on site at KSC but still an office, white collar job…so professional appearance but also being agile. That’s a big part of the appeal…after all these years, I would have a hard time at a typical desk job.

[slidergirl]

On 6/10/2023 at 7:22 PM, awhfy said:

We decided to redo our walkway to better get to the new deck. I’m really tired & getting sore. Each paver weighs 34 lbs. first is old walkway, second is what we just finished. Melody 

Well done!

[laurspag]

Anita, I think my current seats have some of the same type of fabric.  It is a leather look.  I can't say I really see or feel a difference, but the center of the seat is cloth, and everything sticks to it.  One of my dogs is white, and we put him in a crate in the back seat when taking him to the vet.  I ended up with dog hair all over and it has taken forever (furever?) to get off the cloth part.  The other part is very convincing - it looks and performs like leather.

 

My husband's truck is a 2012, and has leather.  The seats are a bit cracked here and there, but he is the type that really babies his vehicle, so it always shines and the interior is always taken care of.  He has ventilated seats.  That is a nice feature when it is warm out.

 

We don't have a whole lot going on this weekend other than household chores.  I have laundry going, and my husband is mowing.  Initially, they were calling for rain all weekend so we made plans to take my husband to his favorite local restaurant tomorrow for linner. (that time between lunch and dinner)  I wanted to do a cookout for him with my daughters, but then the forecast changed my mind.  Plus, I cook out a lot all summer, so it didn't seem quite as special to do.  We did get him a watch.  He LOVES watches, and he broke two of his favorites recently.  With one it is just the band so I will get a new band for that, but the other stopped working.  

 

Monday, we may work on the light fixtures because we still haven't gotten to that!

 

Other than one year as a teller, my job has always been a desk job.  I'm used to it, so I am not really bothered by that part.  Wearing a Fitbit reminds me to move all the time, and since I am on the third floor, I find myself making multiple trips to different floors all day.  I used to combine trips and just drop things off once, but now I will often stop down and speak to someone in person rather than send an email, just for the option to move around.

[awhfy]

We’ve had 8+” of rain this week. We now have a small lake!!  We are bbqing tomorrow (got ribeyes for10 from Costco), potato salad & chocolate martinis & tiramisu. Yes, the guys picked the menu. Melody

[57redbird]

YIKES Melody!  That's a lot of rain!