What did you do today?

[C.J.]

Mental health day today!

Took the dog to Fountain Hills park this morning. Found a nice spot of shade and plopped a blanket down. Laid there with the dog for about 45 minutes then nature called. After TCB I decided to go to the other side of the park, which I like better anyway, and continue my laying in some shade. Did that for another couple hours until the sprinklers kicked on. It was magical. Birds chirping, ducks doing duck stuff, people walking and jogging. Even thought I saw some homeless people but they were just disc golfers. Funny how disc golfers and homeless people can look a like.

After that I dropped the dog off at home so I could get some lunch cus I decided I was gonna eat lunch today. The Night Owl had a Chicken Katsu lunch special with some Ziggy fries. Wtf are Ziggy fries? They’re tossed in garlic and Parmesan and they were delicious. Then I had some BS foofy drink. Don’t know what the hell it was but it had Tajin on the rim of the glass and I swear that’s all I really wanted. I wonder if I could get a plain ol iced tea with Tajin on the rim? I’ll ask next time I’m there.

Had a 3:30 meeting today regarding the old man and getting a care taker for him so I came home for that. That lasted maybe an hour and I was off again after that. Craziest part of all this is one of the gals who will be helping with the old man is from NC, just a couple towns over from mine. I was talking to her for a few and she pronounced Taylorsville as Taylorsvul. Alright, I know you’re genuine. lol. That’s some small world **** right there but I do feel better because I don’t believe there is a person out there that doesn’t like a Southern woman.

After all that I took the wife to the bar. That’s the original mental health day isn’t it? Couple beers and a few songs on the jukebox, doesn’t get much better than that. Now I’m kickin back on my patio and the air is starting to cool down outside to where it’s just about perfect out. I’d go lay down with the wife and call it a night but it’s just so nice outside that I think I’ll enjoy this for a little bit longer.

What’s your perfect day look like?

 

[MSLI]

What’s your perfect day look like?

That one, with the care giver, giving me, wait for it……. A back rub !

 

[highup]

Mine would be about

Mental health day today!

Took the dog to Fountain Hills park this morning. Found a nice spot of shade and plopped a blanket down. Laid there with the dog for about 45 minutes then nature called. After TCB I decided to go to the other side of the park, which I like better anyway, and continue my laying in some shade. Did that for another couple hours until the sprinklers kicked on. It was magical. Birds chirping, ducks doing duck stuff, people walking and jogging. Even thought I saw some homeless people but they were just disc golfers. Funny how disc golfers and homeless people can look a like.

After that I dropped the dog off at home so I could get some lunch cus I decided I was gonna eat lunch today. The Night Owl had a Chicken Katsu lunch special with some Ziggy fries. Wtf are Ziggy fries? They’re tossed in garlic and Parmesan and they were delicious. Then I had some BS foofy drink. Don’t know what the hell it was but it had Tajin on the rim of the glass and I swear that’s all I really wanted. I wonder if I could get a plain ol iced tea with Tajin on the rim? I’ll ask next time I’m there.

Had a 3:30 meeting today regarding the old man and getting a care taker for him so I came home for that. That lasted maybe an hour and I was off again after that. Craziest part of all this is one of the gals who will be helping with the old man is from NC, just a couple towns over from mine. I was talking to her for a few and she pronounced Taylorsville as Taylorsvul. Alright, I know you’re genuine. lol. That’s some small world **** right there but I do feel better because I don’t believe there is a person out there that doesn’t like a Southern woman.

After all that I took the wife to the bar. That’s the original mental health day isn’t it? Couple beers and a few songs on the jukebox, doesn’t get much better than that. Now I’m kickin back on my patio and the air is starting to cool down outside to where it’s just about perfect out. I’d go lay down with the wife and call it a night but it’s just so nice outside that I think I’ll enjoy this for a little bit longer.

What’s your perfect day look like?

Wow..... a perfect day.
....mine would be about like that to.
.......but I'm sure your wife would be upset.
I love the way you write. Great story.
Finding a "local" caretaker..... in Arizona. Wow, what are the odds?

 

[zannej]

I've been busy being pissed off at my power company. We lost power to a storm on Thursday around 6:30pm. They didn't send anyone out to work on it until Saturday and had power restored by 6pm for everyone except me. Literally every other house and the auxiliary fire station had power. Drove down my road, neighbors had power. My house was completely dark. I called repeatedly and they would not put me through to a live person. They finally got the power back on this afternoon but it was too late to save anything in my fridge and freezer. And the power surges killed my air fryer. Apparently someone forgot to flip a switch at the substation to turn my power back on and it took them that long to figure it out. Saturday night the stuff in the fridge was still at least a little cold but was all warm by the time the power came back on. Got up to 90 degrees Saturday and today. Now I have to go grocery shopping again-- and we had just restocked the freezer. The insulin is probably bad now too.

We had to hang out on my friend's couch to use the internet and cool off a bit. Mom wouldn't eat much while the power was off and I haven't had any food at all today.

Looking in to getting a solar kit to set up solar power but trying to find info on where the batteries can be stored and so forth.

 

[Floorist]

I've been busy being pissed off at my power company. We lost power to a storm on Thursday around 6:30pm. They didn't send anyone out to work on it until Saturday and had power restored by 6pm for everyone except me. Literally every other house and the auxiliary fire station had power. Drove down my road, neighbors had power. My house was completely dark. I called repeatedly and they would not put me through to a live person. They finally got the power back on this afternoon but it was too late to save anything in my fridge and freezer. And the power surges killed my air fryer. Apparently someone forgot to flip a switch at the substation to turn my power back on and it took them that long to figure it out. Saturday night the stuff in the fridge was still at least a little cold but was all warm by the time the power came back on. Got up to 90 degrees Saturday and today. Now I have to go grocery shopping again-- and we had just restocked the freezer. The insulin is probably bad now too.

We had to hang out on my friend's couch to use the internet and cool off a bit. Mom wouldn't eat much while the power was off and I haven't had any food at all today.

Looking in to getting a solar kit to set up solar power but trying to find info on where the batteries can be stored and so forth.

How about a Generac?

 

[Incognito]

Looking in to getting a solar kit to set up solar power but trying to find info on where the batteries can be stored and so forth.

Pretty sure I'll have near to no choice soon but to convert the home to solar power. I dont have a back-up generator either. Eventually I'll give in to the pressure salesmen and entertain propositions. An electrician that did some work at my house runs a side business selling systems and he was a little to hot and heavy with his pitch. That turns me off but when he returned to finish some loose ends he let up on the pressure. So now I'll probably text/call to get his numbers.

 

[C.J.]

I use a pellet stove to heat my house in NC. Before I got my generator I had a car battery and an inverter to get me through a power outage while still being able to use my pellet stove. I’ll bet that would work in a pinch for a fridge as well. Just gotta make sure your inverter is big enough. 1000 watts oughta do the trick.

 

[highup]

I've been busy being pissed off at my power company. We lost power to a storm on Thursday around 6:30pm. They didn't send anyone out to work on it until Saturday and had power restored by 6pm for everyone except me. Literally every other house and the auxiliary fire station had power. Drove down my road, neighbors had power. My house was completely dark. I called repeatedly and they would not put me through to a live person. They finally got the power back on this afternoon but it was too late to save anything in my fridge and freezer. And the power surges killed my air fryer. Apparently someone forgot to flip a switch at the substation to turn my power back on and it took them that long to figure it out. Saturday night the stuff in the fridge was still at least a little cold but was all warm by the time the power came back on. Got up to 90 degrees Saturday and today. Now I have to go grocery shopping again-- and we had just restocked the freezer. The insulin is probably bad now too.

We had to hang out on my friend's couch to use the internet and cool off a bit. Mom wouldn't eat much while the power was off and I haven't had any food at all today.

Looking in to getting a solar kit to set up solar power but trying to find info on where the batteries can be stored and so forth.

Do plenty of research on batteries and how many panels are needed unless your just needing enough power for phones. Real power, like for running a freezer is gonna be spendy.

 

[zannej]

I was looking at a particular kit: https://sungoldpower.com/products/o...attery-32-x-440-watts-solar-panels-sgr-20k30e

It takes 32 solar panels. Although, I wonder if I could get larger panels instead. But we want to be able to handle them. I think those ones weigh about 50lbs each. The kit comes with two 10kw hybrid inverters, 6 batteries, and the aforementioned 32 panels. They are 440w. I'm not going to get them at the memorial day sale as I need to do more research.

I also want to get another Generac (our best generator was a Generac but ******' mice chewed the wires). They sell some with containers that keep them safe-- I've seen them at big box stores. My ideal setup would be to have solar for daytime/sunny weather, wind turbine for windy days/nights, and a backup generator just in case. I know they have some that can run off of both gas and propane. So if there is a gas shortage, propane could be used. Will want a soft starter for the AC to reduce the starting amperage pull. Also need to fix up my pump house. Right now the jet pump isn't working. I think some wires came loose or got damaged by all the power surges.

Both of my pumps are 115/230v 1HP. The jet pump's max amps is over 16. Jet pump is a shallow well one that pumps water from the cistern to a pressure tank and then out to the house and yard. The other pump has two wheels and pumps air into a tube to a well that makes water come up and fill the cistern. Not sure on its amps. Jet pump is Goulds J10s. The other pump looks like this (but motor has been replaced now so its a different color but is the same specs)
J10S specs

Other pump (not sure what this type is called)

Specs on the motor:

I want to put the cable through conduit and use wago lever nuts for the connections as the ground wire has already lost its wire nut somewhere. Currently both pumps are using 10awg cable.
Right now the inlet side pipe on the jet pump is above the level of the pump, which can cause air bubbles so I need to either lower it and/or raise the pump up. I want to put anti-fatigue mat or something underneath to reduce vibrations from the pump. Inlet side of the pump has stainless steel pipe going in. Outlet side has galvanized steel. I want to switch to galvanized for the outlet side and then go to PEX briefly to go to the pressure tank. The pressure tank needs a proper tee with pressure release valve and stuff. It's a project.
Need to install the new pressure tank anyway though. Old one has broken bladder/diaphragm.
This is the hot mess of plumbing for the jet pump and the pressure tank

 

[Floorist]

Saw the best cardiologist in the area today. My heart is fine. My 14 day monitor showed no problems. He says that our local hospital misread the EKG.

 

[C.J.]

Saw the best cardiologist in the area today. My heart is fine. My 14 day monitor showed no problems. He says that our local hospital misread the EKG.

And that’s why I won’t go to a hospital unless something is falling off.

 

[zannej]

Rusty, that is great news.

In not so great news, my truck needs new brake pads and the front passenger CV axle is bad. It needs new tires as well. The brake pads won't be so bad and CV axle isn't that expensive but tires are high. Also, friend checked and said the Jet pump is bad. Will be close to $700 for a new one.

Friend said when the new pump comes in he will set it up for me and we can figure out the plumbing. Going to install the new pressure tank, Put smurf tubing around the cables, add a weatherproof junction box. Hopefully add a GFCI outlet- either 15A or 20A. Non-fusible disconnect box.

 

[highup]

A friend put 32 on his house, not with battery backup. I think his has the 120 conversion on each panel. It's been a few years, I could be wrong.
One thing to consider. With panels alone, you will have some power..... Enough for computer lights and maybe a fridge during daylight hours.
....you'll have this all year long.
Look at the time your power may be off.
If you lose power and some food spoils.
.......that monetary food loss is equal to what?
Half a months payment on that system?
Do the math and figure out the difference between a random food loss compared to a monthly payment on that system.

Now consider the cost of a backup generator and a fuel for it. Diesel or propane?
Propane doesn't go bad, other fuels do.
Propane is super clean, meaning an engines piston will look new for a decade.... No spark plug fouling and oil that stays clean.
Your installation/delivery costs need to be included. You also need an electrician to install the switch over systems so yo don't feed electricity back into the grid.
The "kit".......well, I bet it's over the head of 95% of the people who buy them. The roof area available, fastening the brackets, running the wires and installing the inverters.....
........and still, you're paying an electrician to wire it.
The switchover/safety fuse box alone is probably expensive.
Personally, a rooftop panel system large enough to drop my electric bill to near zero each month would be cool.
If I figured I'd have a weeks loss of electricity per year, I'd be looking at a propane powered generator and a couple of long, industrial sized extension cords. I'd want a propane tank large enough to power whatever that sized generator is, 24/7 for a week. The generator wouldn't be cheap by any means, but no electrician would be required.
......a couple of 50 foot 10/3 or 12/3 extension cords + power strips ought to keep you alive.
Figure smaller so it's cheaper.
Fridge and freezer could be powered 1/2 the time....... unplug one and plug the other one in every 6 hours.
Back to solar. The panels need to be installed on a roof or structure that's able to withstand whatever your maximum winds will be.
That in my opinion isn't a kit purchase.
...buy a kit, who's installing it?
...if homeowner or diy installation, is there a valid warrantee or guarantee?
If you buy a kit, and then look for an installer, you might not get a good one.
I'm thinking you're best off finding a contractor that sells and installs systems and shop that route.
.....I'm cheap, so a slightly oversized propane generator and two nice extension cords would make life doable for a week.

I like that you aren't rushing into this. The worst time to buy is probably immediately after a bad storm. They know you're freaked out and feel desperate.

 

[C.J.]

In many places when you have solar you are required to be hooked up to the grid. That means when the power is out, it’s out for you too. A generator with a disconnect is the way to go.

 

[highup]

Saw the best cardiologist in the area today. My heart is fine. My 14 day monitor showed no problems. He says that our local hospital misread the EKG.

Fantasy Rusty.
(Spoken with strong Brandon dialect)
How long do you suspect your heart health has been good. Was it just one bad reading or have they been reading you wrong for a long time?

 

[highup]

Forget a lot of my comment Zan, I skimmed past your generator info.

 

[MSLI]

Sleepless night, son in-law is addicted to gaming …My bedroom is a loft, and my plan for the next sleepover is to bring sound proofing and close off the opening as best as possible, then store them under the bed before I leave. He’s a decent enough Maga nra guy, but the addiction is real……. Who has experience with any products ( as cheep as possible) thx ! Or rehab center

 

[C.J.]

Sleepless night, son in-law is addicted to gaming …My bedroom is a loft, and my plan for the next sleepover is to bring sound proofing and close off the opening as best as possible, then store them under the bed before I leave. He’s a decent enough Maga nra guy, but the addiction is real……. Who has experience with any products ( as cheep as possible) thx ! Or rehab center

Living with family definitely has its challenges. I don’t know how Z does it.

Go for a walk. You’ll be amazed at what it does to clear the mind. It helps if you can walk in nice neighborhoods

 

[Floorist]

Sleepless night, son in-law is addicted to gaming …My bedroom is a loft, and my plan for the next sleepover is to bring sound proofing and close off the opening as best as possible, then store them under the bed before I leave. He’s a decent enough Maga nra guy, but the addiction is real……. Who has experience with any products ( as cheep as possible) thx ! Or rehab center

My stepson moved in with us "for a couple months". He has been here now for two years. Drives me nuts.

 

[highup]

I done did my duty. As a proud Democrat, I voted like most of my comrades probably did.
There wasn't a bio or photo of Marianne in the voters pamphlet, but I'm putting my full trust in her and doing my part to elect the first female (I'm assuming/no photo either) president in US history.