Today started out OK

Paul B · Feb 10, 2015

So today was like any other day. Snow outside, warm inside. I go to make myself some oatmeal in the microwave, push the button and nothing happens. OK great, I need to see what is wrong with the 7 year old microwave. So I take the thing apart and after a while with the schematics, I find the problem. Well 2 problems but nothing earth shattering. A door switch needs a little coaxing and the rod on the door that activates it, wore out a little and needs to be lengthened. I can fix this. So I go downstairs into the bathroom to shave (I finished this basement years ago but just re did the bathroom last year) As I am shaving, a drop of water hits me on the head. If you are bald, you know right away that a drop of water hits you in the head. Especially cold water. If a gnat poops while he is flying over my head, I will feel it. I guess hair de-sensitizes your head, that's why us "smart" people lose our hair, so we can sense these seemingly unimportant things such as when a gnat poops. Anyway, I yell upstairs to tell my wife that she must have drenched the floor when she washed it. She yells back that she didn't wash the floor yet. Then I yell, "then shut off the water, we have a leak". She says she doesn't have any water running. So I open up the ceiling (suspended, tiles) and see that one of the original steel pipes cracked. I have been meaning to replace this pipe since I moved in 38 years ago but it keeps slipping my mind. (probably because I am concentrating on gnat poop) But now I have to fix the thing. So What to fix first. My kitchen is filled with microwave parts and my basement bathroom ceiling is leaking.

A bucket "fixed" the leak and I really wanted breakfast so I fixed the microwave. I had the switch and to make the push rod a little longer I melted the head of a pin into the end of it so it would have that extra thousandth of an inch to push the switch. So I put the thing back together and made breakfast. Now it is off to the plumbing supply to get some fittings to fix this leak that I should have take care of in 1980. This is not going to be an easy repair because it is a 2" iron sanitary Tee with two pipes coming out of it. It is to close to the beam to get a wrench on it and when I do try to turn it (after I cut it) it will crush from rust. But I was a plumber for a while and will have no trouble fixing the thing. I wish I had a tall Supermodel to hold the light.

Paul B · Feb 10, 2015

I went over my budget, this job cost me $21.00 and took me about 2 hours. I have to hone my skills

I don't think I can re use this pipe. This was installed in 1959, NO, not by me.

redfishbluefish · Feb 10, 2015

What is this????

You get one of those infamous New York rats up on that pipe gnawing away at that delicious rubber, or a horde of hungry gnats, or a plumbing inspector (who will gnaw your head off) and you'll have a big problem. You need to make another trip and pick up shielded couplings. I know HD and others sell these nice little rubber sleeves, but they are not code.

Paul B · Feb 10, 2015

Code Shmode. Only Sissies worry about such things. If that is all an inspector finds in my house I would be thrilled. I will probably have to knock this house down instead of selling it. I practically built the house myself. Most of the plumbing, wiring, gas, heat, air condition and I raised the dormer and built 3 kitchens and bathrooms, knocked down brick walls and moved them, put in sliding glass doors in stone walls. They are going to have a field day. But you know what? I will be to old and senile to have to worry about it. I put in that rubber coupling so I can clean out that pipe. If the inspector wants to clean out that pipe for me, he is welcome. :smokin:
I got that rubber coupling in a plumbing supply. I don't get stuff in Home Depot unless I have to. That plumbing supply is also the plumbing inspector for my village. I didn't use a shielded coupling because I wanted to be able to slide that coupling up the pipe so I can remove it. Codes are made for people who don't know how to do things s they don't kill themselves or anyone else. There has never been a rat, mouse or even an ant in my house. My wife wouldn't allow it.

That pipe would have slowed the water pretty good. Now when I let the water go away in the tub, the suction with suck me right down to the drain. That might be fun, I can't wait to try it. Actually, I never use that bathroom. Like a real Man, I take showers and I take them in My Man cave bathroom downstairs that I built for myself. Like a man. I didn't want to Girly Man, Sissy bathroom, so I made my ceiling out of diamond plate. (diamond plate sheet metal but diamond plate just the same)
So far I have never had to hire anyone to fix or build anything on my house, car, boat or anything else, except dentists, and if I could see in there, (and stand my screaming) I would do that. What those guys charge for a tiny piece of titanium is ridiculous. I have 9 tooth implants (the army didn't fill cavities in Nam, they just pulled your tooth) each implant is like $3,000.00 and takes 10 minutes. So that is like $180,000.00 an hour (my math could be off) I mean, Really! Does it have to cost that much for 10 minutes work and a dollar's worth of titanium. I am not that gullible and know what these things cost but it is just stupid. If I hired a plumber to fix this pipe they would have destroyed my upstairs bathroom, took apart my ceiling and charged me over a thousand bucks for a 2 hour job. If you want something done right, cheap, and neat, do it yourself.

Mr Rock · Feb 10, 2015

LOL love it Paul

TJ's Reef · Feb 10, 2015

Love it Paul, a man after.... no, before my own beliefs... lol It is good to prioritize these things as you cannot go all willy nilly and expect a positive outcome, first you need sustenance so fixing the microwave first was indeed the most reasonable game plan. On the plumbing I to have always done my own because I am cheap... er frugal and prefer to have it done right.... the first time. Last year I completely replaced all the plumbing both waste and supply to our 1960's built Beach House (very little effort on compliance to code) but unlike your gloriously easy access was stuck.... almost literally within a 20" tall crawlspace underneath house unattended by humans for 40 plus years...... mice, spiders, sow bugs, centipedes galore and even a tree frog and toad but no signs of human activity. By the time I had removed all the old galvanized supply and iron waste then sweated new copper and glued new ABS throughout pretty much cleared out all the creepy crawlers that once called it home. Nothing like the full on hazy cloud of acid flux while sweating copper to nudge them critters along.

There was a few days with the luxury of being able to stand up though.

Cheers, Todd

TJ's Reef · Feb 10, 2015

Oh eventually to this as a finished project I should show, being cheap and/or frugal does not mean without taste or style... lol

Well...... just realized I never took any pictures of the fully completed kitchen remodel with crown molding and window wrapped in Black Granite so will have to take my word for...... though may only be rumour... hmmm

Cheers, Todd

Paul B · Feb 10, 2015

Very nice Todd, but don't they sell PVC in WA? I also built my kitchen, all 3 of them and the 3 bathrooms. The dormer took me 2 years. My wife is afraid to ask me to do something because I will demolish the wall before she comes home from work. I had to remove an 8X7' piece of the stone wall to put in a sliding glass door. I didn't tell her I was going to do it. When she came home, it was done. I also put a granite floor in my kitchen. I had to take out the wood floor down to the rafters and put in concrete. I love those projects, or I used to, now I am a little older and it is a little harder. About 5 or 6 years ago I installed solar panels on my roof. They are a little heavy but very cool and have that Man factor to them.
I did construction all my life and enjoyed it. (Not as much as being retired, Like Duh)
This top picture is me hanging off the roof of the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan installing lights. That is snow covered Central Park below me. The lower picture I am cad welding in a NYC garbage incinerator. Of course I also did cool jobs where I would work for free like building the NYC Playboy Club and Penthouse Magazine. :evil:

Paul B · Feb 10, 2015

I also like to paint. My problem is I like to do to many things

Paul B · Feb 17, 2015

Today was another interesting day. Don't you just love these days?
5:00 this morning my 2 1/2 year old Grand Daughter crawls into our bed. We are watching her for a couple of days. I look out the window and there is 6" of snow. Not bad considering they predicted an inch so it was right on target. My wife has MS so I get up and shovel to the garage so she can get to work. I make Greta breakfast and we decide there is to much snow for my wife to get there on her own so I will drive her the 8 miles to work. Here on Long Island there is always traffic so with the snow, we would have gotten there if we walked. Of course I took Greta as I couldn't leave her home alone. I get back and forgot that my neighbor's husband is in Italy and I promised I would clear her snow. ( have a snow blower) So I call her to watch Greta and while I am waiting I go downstairs to check on my fish. I go into my workshop and start walking into water. Great! a pipe broke last week and being that it is 2 degrees I assumed another pipe broke. But it wasn't a pipe. My RO/DI reservoir is hanging over my work bench and I have a faucet on the bottom of it to take water out. I probably didn't close it well and it was leaking into the live blackworm tank under the reservoir. OK, not to bad. But the worm tank is overflowing on my work bench and the worms were just thrilled to escape. Most of the worms are doing the macarana.
My workbench is made out of particle board and if you don't know, when particle board gets wet, it swells up to 3 times it's size. Like some of those celebrities when they get botox in their lips.
So my neighbor comes over and I ask Greta if she has to to Potty. "NO", OK I go out to snow blow. I get to my shed to get the snow blower and there is snow in front of the door so I pull it hard. The door comes off in my hands. At least I got it open. I go to drag out the machine, and it won't budge. I make sure it is in neutral and give it a tug. Still not moving. It is iced to the floor. I remember a sledge hammer in my shed and find it. Smack the machine a few times and it frees up. I drag it out, spray a bunch of starting fluid into the carburetor and it starts up. I start to hit the snow and it is not coming out the shoot. Just flying out the front. The shoot is clogged with ice. I turn the sledge over and clear out the shoot. I notice my 83 year old neighbor shoveling so I do his property. The I see next door the 90 year old womans house is covered, so I do that. Then I go and do my neighbor who is watching Greta and her neighbor. I put the blower back in the shed and put a table in front of the door to hold it up and go back inside where Greta is laughing with my neighbor. I ask, "do you have to go Potty? NO. I make my neighbor a cup of coffee and now Greta says she wants to go Potty. So my neighbor says, I work in a day care and I will take her. Great, but Greta only wants me. So all 3 of us go in the bathroom and I put her on the bowl. She wants me to read her a book. My neighbor holds her and I get a book. "The Night Before Christmas" It was out. So I read "Twas the Night Before Christmas yada yada yada and Greta decides, she doesn't have to go. OK, my neighbor goes home and we watch Mickey Mouse. It's time to go to the train. I put on her snow pants, mittens, scarf, jacket, hat etc and then put on my shoes, coat, hat, etc. Greta yells out "I have to go Potty". OK, great, take off my shoes, hat, coat, take off Greta's hat, scarf, mittens, snow pants etc and run to put her on the bowl. She wants me to read her a book. "The Night Before Christmas it is". So as I am reading I am looking at the time, The train is near. "Not a Creature was stirring, not even a mouse". Greta, are you done? No PopPop. "Then he put his finger alongside his nose and turned with a jerk" Are you finished Greta? No PopPop. "Now Dancer, Now Prancer, Now Blitzen, and Cupid" Greta, are you finished? No PopPop. "As I heard him Exclaim, Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night" Are you finished Greta. Yes PopPop. So we frantically put on all those clothes and run outside. I strap her in the car seat and "race" to the train 8 blocks away. I find a parking spot and think I could hear the train coming. I drag the stroller through the 6" of snow into the ticket office and hear an announcement. The train from New Hyde to Penn Station is operating 16 minutes late. 5 Minutes later, "The train from New Hyde Park to Penn Station is operating 18 minutes late" Then The train from New Hyde Park to Penn Station is operating 21 minutes late. Anyway, when we get on the train I call my Daughter Jodi to tell her we will be there in 30 minutes. The ride is un eventful and Greta is eating Goldfish crackers. I get to Penn Station and race to where my Daughter is so I can get back on the train and come back home, and, No Jodi.
I call her. Where are you? I am still home, I can't get a cab. So we wait, and wait. Then I hear an announcement. The train to New Hyde Park is leaving ALL ABOARD" I missed my train. The next train is in an hour. Here comes Jodi.

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