I'm in Hot Water (Again!)

I've been really busy at work, while trying to find time to prep for our next big project at the house, so the last thing I needed was something else to work on.  Naturally, it was the perfect time to walk downstairs and find a big puddle of water under my water heater!

When we bought our new home, we knew the water heater was installed by the builder about 15 years ago.  Since any water heater over about 10 years old is living on borrowed time, I knew I'd have to replace it before too long - I just didn't know exactly how soon I'd be working on it.  Installing a water heater isn't difficult, but make sure you follow all applicable building codes.  You may be required to get a permit - check with your local department of building and safety if you're not sure of the requirements in your area.

The leak wasn't too bad, but water heaters rarely heal themselves, so I decided to pick one up on the way home from work and install it that night.  If you're in the market for a new water heater, there's a few things you need to think of:

• Gas or Electric?  That's an easy decision, in most cases.  In most cases, you'll want to replace your water heater with the same type you're removing.  Switching from gas to electric will require adding a dedicated circuit for the heater, and will probably end up costing you more for operating costs.  If your old heater is electric, you may be temped to install gas to save energy costs.  Unfortunately, you'll have to run a gas line, as well as an exhaust vent, making your installation more difficult and expensive.
• Capacity?  A standard water heater has a storage tank where hot water waits for your use.  Generally speaking, the larger the tank, the greater the capacity.  A tank that's too small may mean you'll run out of hot water, while an overly large tank will just end up costing you more in operating costs.  Water heaters are also rated as to how long they take to heat water to normal operating temperature.  In most cases, you'll want at least as large a tank as you're replacing - larger, if you've added a whirlpool tub or some other hot water hog.
• What configuration is best?  Water heaters come in "Tall" and "Short" models.  There's no inherent advantage to either style, but it can make a difference in the ease of installation. 
• Warranty length / quality.  Unlike some other products, a longer warranty in a water heater generally means it is a higher quality unit.  In most cases, it doesn't pay to buy the very cheapest unit.  While I don't always buy the very top quality, I find the best value is generally in a "middle of the road" line.  In this case, I bought the "9 year" heater, which cost about $100 more than the low-end "6 year" model.    This model had a higher  BTU rating than the cheaper one - equivalent to the higher end model at Home Depot.  If you're so inclined, there are premium models available at a much higher price - evaluate them and choose what makes the most sense for your application.
• Other options.  There are other options available - Tankless heaters, solar heaters, and small, point of use heaters.  All of these may make sense, but are probably beyond the ability of most homeowners to install.

In my case, choosing a water heater was easy.  We had a 40 gallon natural gas water heater that, when working, provided adequate capacity.  Access to the unit was good, since it is installed in my unfinished basement.  As I mentioned above, I bought a "mid grade" model.  I chose a "short" heater, since having a new water heater slightly shorter than the old one simplified installation slightly.  I also measured the distance between the inlet and output ports, to make sure they matched up with my existing pipes.

When I bought the water heater, I also bought fittings and supplies needed for installation.  in my case, since I was going to solder 3/4" copper pipe, I bought a bunch of elbows and couplings, along with a couple of 3/4" pipe thread adapters.  Since I'd be working in the evening, I bought extra fittings - nothing is more frustrating than needing a fitting when all the stores are closed!

For tools, you'll need:

• A tubing cutter to cut rigid copper tubing
• Wrenches matching your fittings (or a couple of 10" crescent wrenches)
• Teflon tape for both water and gas connections.
• A portable propane torch (if you're going to solder connections), along with lead-free solder, flux, and associated tools.  If you look at the  hardware store, you'll find kits with everything you need to solder copper pipe.  Make sure you get the proper size tool for your size of pipe.
• A drill and nut drivers to remove and reassemble the exhaust vent pipe.
• Safety glasses!
• Leather gloves

After dinner, I headed downstairs to install the water heater.  These instructions are based on a standard installation with rigid copper tubing.  If your situation is different, some of your connections may be different:

• Remove the carton, and make sure your new water heater isn't damaged.  Now is a good time to double check your fittings to make sure you've got what you need.
•  Identify the incoming cold water supply line on your old water heater.  If you can see your plumbing, just follow the pipes back to the water meter (or the water softener, if you've read my blog before).  If you can't easily follow the pipes, just turn on some hot water, and you'll be able to feel which pipes are getting hot - that will be the output side.
• Turn the water heater off, shut off the gas supply, and disconnect the gas pipe from the heater (assuming, of course, it's a natural gas unit).  If it's electric, lock out the breaker and disconnect the power)
• Remove the sheet metal screws holding the vent piping to the unit, and set it aside for later use.  Now is a good time to inspect it and make sure it's clean and in good condition - a faulty vent can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, so don't skip this step!
• Turn off your water supply.  There should be a water shut off on the pipe coming into the water heater - you can shut it off, and you should be good.  If there isn't a shut off, or if it doesn't work (not unusual), you'll have to shut the water off at the main shut off.
• With the water off, open the drain at the bottom of the water heater to let the water start draining (this assumes you have a floor drain by the heater - if you don't, you'll want to hook up a hose so you can let the water drain into the drain).  Not much water will run out, but that's OK - we'll take care of that in the next step.
• Take your tubing cutter, and cut the water lines on the top of the water heater.   If the fittings are the same as on your new unit, cut the pipes 6-10" above the heater - you can just use them again, and solder it back together with a coupling.  If the fittings are different, just cut them close to the water heater - you may end up cutting them shorter later, depending on the particulars of your installation.
• As soon as you cut the pipes, the water will drain from the water heater.  Let it drain, then move it out of your way.  Now, you're ready to install the new one.
• Set the new water heater in place, making sure it's sitting flat and level on the floor - if not, you'll need to level the floor before you install it.  You CAN'T just shim one side to get it to sit level - it needs to be fully supported before you fill it with water.
• Measure the distance from the pipes to the fittings on top of the unit.  If you're soldering connections, you'll want to have at least 6" above the water heater to solder your connection - more is better.  If there's not enough room, cut the pipes to give yourself room to work.
• You can't solder fittings that are attached to the water heater, so you'll need to do those first, then install them.  Cut the pipe for a proper fit, and, using the proper tool, clean the end of the pipe and the fitting, then coat both with flux.  Slide them together, and get your torch out.  Do the smart thing, and put on your safety glasses and leather work gloves now!
• To solder the fittings, apply heat to the junction of the fitting and the pipe, so both heat up.  Don't apply the solder until the parts are hot enough to melt it - if you do, you'll just melt solder over it and end up with a cold joint.  When the parts get hot, the solder will melt and be drawn inside the joint.  You don't need too much solder - once it starts, it will quickly fill the joint and start dripping on the floor.  Be very careful not to let any drip on your hands or body - serious burns can result!
• As soon as you've applied enough solder (you'll probably overdo it at first, but that's OK), wipe away any excess solder outside the joint with a damp rag.  The extra solder won't hurt anything, but it will look ugly (I'm an expert on ugly solder joints).
• When you have your two short pieces of pipe with fittings attached, let them cool for a couple of minutes before installing them on the water heater.
• Before installing the fittings with pipe on the water heater, prep the pipe ends and couplings.  You'll want a slip coupling, so you can slide it up the pipe and out of the way until the fittings are tightened.
• Put several wraps of Teflon tape around the male pipe threads, then install the fittings.  Pipe threads are an interference fit - they get tighter as they go together, so you'll want them very tight.  The Teflon tape helps them slide together.
• After installing the fittings, you should have just a small gap where the pipe was cut.  Slide the couplings so they cover the gap.  Before soldering, wrap a wet rag around the fittings installed on the top of the water heater to protect it from getting too hot.  If that fitting gets overheated, it will ruin the fitting inside the unit, so you'll need to be careful.  I also spread a damp rag to cover the top of the heater to keep it from getting ugly.  Solder both sides of the coupling on each side.  Your water connections are complete - you can turn the water on now.  Before you do that, open a hot water faucet a little bit, so the tank will fill completely.
• Hook up the gas line, making sure to use the proper Teflon tape on any pipe threads (Teflon is not required on compression fittings).
• Assemble the vent piping, making sure there is a slight upward angle of the pipe as it goes away from the water heater.  Make sure everything is lined up properly, then use small sheet metal screws to keep it all together.
• Turn on the gas, and check for leaks using a soapy water solution.  If it leaks, the soap will make bubbles - if you see any signs of that, shut off the gas and fix it!  Follow the instructions with the heater, and light the pilot light.  Adjust the temperature to a medium setting, and turn the unit to on - the burner should light. (of course, if you've got an electric water heater, you'll hook up the wires and turn on the power)
• Check again for gas leaks - shut the gas off if there's any sign of a leak!
• Let the unit run until the burner shuts off, and you've got hot water!

If you don't want to solder connections, Home Depot sells "water heater connection kits" that use compression connections and flexible tubing that eliminate the need for any soldering.  They work fine, and there's nothing wrong with using them if you're more confident in your ability to get the job done with them.

Installing a water heater isn't hard - a reasonably handy homeowner can accomplish it in a matter of a couple of  hours.  My installation, from beginning to end, took about 2 hours.

The UN Disabilities Treaty

I'm shocked.  Yesterday, the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the treaty from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).  This treaty was modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act, and should have been approved easily - it seeks to encourage the rest of the world to make reasonable accommodations to allow people with disabilities access to transportation, jobs, housing, and other of life's necessities.

I'm ashamed to say that one of Nebraska's senators, Mike Johanns, voted against this treaty.  The only reason both of our senators didn't vote no is that Ben Nelson - our lame duck senator - is technically a democrat, and he's not a completely reprehensible human being.  The same can't be said for Johanns, apparently.  I don't know for sure, but I suspect our new senator, Deb Fischer, will be lock-step with the right wing on every issue.

The opposition to this treaty apparently centers around the concerns that it will somehow cause U.S. citizens to be governed by "foreign bureaucrats".   This is from the same crowd that is on the lookout for the black helicopters, which makes a lot of sense in the universe where Barack Obama is an immigrant socialist Nazi, bent on destroying the United States.  In the real world, where most of us live, there's NO chance that the United Nations will take over this country. 

Sadly, I don't believe Johanns is concerned with a crazy theory - this vote is all about politics.  While I believe the majority of Nebraskans - even the majority of Republicans - know there's nothing to worry about from the UN, the Tea Party types are a different story.  I'm guessing Johanns is scared that if he votes intelligently, he'll face a primary opponent backed by Sara Palin (as Fischer was this year), and lose his seat.  Clearly, Johanns is lacking the stones for that fight.

I wrote Johanns a scathing email - I'm sure that will cause him to rethink his position! (sarcasm intended)  Other than that, I don't know what else can be done.  I'll certainly support an opponent in his re-election bid, but there's little or no chance he'll actually lose.  This issue is not a big deal to most people (it will have no impact on anyone inside the United States, either way), so most people won't even hear about it.  I've got to believe most Nebraskans would be in favor of the  treaty, if they were aware of it, but that's not going to happen.  I can only hope that Johanns will eventually reveal his true character to the rest of the state.  That's the day his political career will end.

Pandora, or Why They Don't Make Transistor Radios Anymore

When I was a kid, way back in the 60's, I had a transistor radio.  This was an amazing little gadget that would play music without being plugged into an electrical outlet.  In addition, it was also small enough (about the size of a wallet) that you could put it in your pocket - imagine, being able to listen to music while you were out walking around!  Heck, if you had an earphone (just one in those days - this wasn't some fancy stereo radio), you could even listen with other people around.

Radios got smaller in the 70's, and in the 80's we got portable cassette players - bulky, but you could now decide what you wanted to listen to.  Soon, the Disc man was around, giving you more options.  In the 21st century, we've seen the digital explosion, and mp3 players are cheap and stuffed with features that would have been impossible just a few years earlier.  It's hard to imagine how it could get better than that, right?

Actually, we've already moved on.  As nice as it is to listen to your music on a tiny device that holds more music than you could listen to in a month, there are some drawbacks;  The biggest problem is you have to buy music, and you're limited to what you've purchased.  If you're out and about, you can't decide, for example, to switch from classic rock to holiday music, unless you've had the foresight to load a bunch of different tunes.

OK, so if you want all that control, what's the answer?  If you have a smart phone and a data plan - and who doesn't, these days? - you can listen to just about anything you want, for free, on Pandora!  Think of Pandora as a programmable Internet radio station - you can supply the name of an artist or song, and it will try to pick out similar music for you.  As it plays, you can tell it which songs you like, and which you don't.  By rating the songs, the system eventually learns your preferences.  You can set up multiple "stations", and even "shuffle" between them, to get a better mix.  I even have several comedy stations (Political Comedy, Comedy Icons, George Carlin Radio) set up, in case I just want to laugh.

I've been using Pandora for 7 or 8 years - first at my desktop computer, and later with my smart phone.  It works well, and it's free.  You can also use it everywhere you've got data service, which is almost everywhere these days. I often listen to comedy routines when I'm driving, or I'll run it in the background when I'm working in my office.

As I said, Pandora is free, but it's not perfect.  The free version has ads (although I don't seem to get the ads on my Android phone), and you're limited in the number of times you're allowed to "skip" songs, both per hour and per day.  You'll also need to interact with your computer occasionally, so the system knows you're still there.  Fortunately, most of these limitations are minimized or eliminated by upgrading to Pandora One for $36 per year.  The upgrade eliminates the ads, improves the sound quality, and removes the limit on how much you can listen.  If you use it a lot, it's definitely worth it. If all you want is to occasionally listen on your computer or phone, the free service is fine.

I can still remember my first transistor radio.  By today's standards, it was big, heavy, and a poor performer.  The batteries didn't last long, and the sound quality was horrible. As bad as it really was, I loved the idea of being able to take it with me.  I still do - only now I take just about every song ever recorded with me, with no static and near perfect sound.  Amazing!

Election Day!

Tuesday is election day.  While it's not a national holiday, it should be.  Nothing is more important than the peaceful transfer of power we have every 4 years.

While the President doesn't have absolute power in our government, he does set the agenda.  Who we choose to lead this country is an important decision, one that will have ramifications throughout our society for a generation.  Do you think that's an exaggeration?  Think about Supreme Court justices, appointed for life, who may serve for 20 or 30 years.  Think about sweeping reforms - The New Deal, The Great Society, Obamacare - that change the lives of millions.  Think about the big mistakes - Watergate, The Iraq War, Trickle Down Economics - that haunt us for decades.  This is an important decision, best taken seriously.  This is why the efforts by some to limit the right to vote is a serious threat to our democracy.

Down ballot issues are also important, of course.  In Nebraska, we have an ill-conceived effort to put a protection for hunting rights into our state constitution.  In my opinion, this is just a grandstand ploy to get people all wound up about something that's not really a problem - very similar to the "voter fraud" that we keep hearing about (that doesn't really exist).  There is NO chance that Nebraska will decide to outlaw hunting at any time in the foreseeable future, but that doesn't stop some politicians from trying to make hay talking about it.  We shouldn't clutter our constitution with this nonsense.  We also shouldn't send Deb Fischer to the U.S. Senate, although I suspect we will.

As far as the presidential race goes, I guess it is no secret I think it's important to send Barack Obama back to the white house. While I don't agree with everything he's done, he's done enough to merit my vote - particularly when compared to Mitt Romney.  As nearly as I can tell, Romney has no core principles - he's willing to take whatever stand he thinks will curry favor with the voters.

Here Comes the Boom - Movie Review

I know I've said here a few times that I don't like a lot of new movies, but here's one I actually kind of liked!  Here Comes the Boom is a lightweight comedy, starring one of the funny, "heavyweight" comedians, Kevin James.  James plays Scott Voss, a disillusioned teacher just going through the motions - barely staying awake long enough to watch his students disinterest. 

James is a funny guy, best known for the sitcom The King of Queens.  In that series, he played Doug Heffernan, a roly poly regular guy.  Throughout the series, you keep wondering, "How in the world did this guy land that girl (Leah Remini, playing his wife).  Somehow, this works, and the interaction between the two makes for some funny moments.

James must live right, because his love interest in the movie is even further out of his league - Salma Hayek, dressed down and low key as the school nurse (Bella) who somehow falls for this lunk.  His cheesy attempts to pick her up fall flat - sometimes literally - and serve as good preparation for his later battles.

The plot revolves around a spur-of-the-moment vow from Voss to raise money and save his friend's job - as well as the music department.  Henry Winkler, far removed from his Fonzie days, is fine as a bumbling, slightly lost, relic.  Since Voss spoke without thinking, he's obligated to do something - he just has no idea what.  A chance viewing of a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bout leads him to pursue that avenue as the easiest way to raise some big bucks.  As a former college wrestler, Voss is sure he can handle it - a laughable belief, as it turns out. 

To enjoy this movie, you have to suspend your disbelief.  In the real world, chunky 40-somethings get killed if they tangle with younger, tougher opponents.  MMA is a brutal sport, much more violent and dangerous than boxing, and there's a very real possibility of permanent injury or death if you're over matched.  That being said, there's a bunch of funny moments in the fight scenes.  James got in shape for this role - although still chubby, he looks like he can handle himself OK.  Like most fight movies, you just accept what's happening, while remembering this is a movie, not a real fight.

Voss, with some help from his friend Niko (played with surprising ability by Bas Rutten), fights and loses, donating his purse to the cause.  When a lucky punch lets him win a fight, he realizes he could raise the money faster by actually winning now and then.  The fight scenes are not too violent, and the injuries inflicted are more funny than traumatic - this is a comedy, after all.  Chance and dogged determination lead Voss to the opportunity for a big-money fight.  I won't give the ending away, but if you don't know how this ends, you probably can't read this anyway.

It's dumb.  It's unbelievable.  It's unrealistic.  It's also funny and touching.  This movie appeals to the part of you that wants to believe we can be more than we are - the part of you that says, "I could step up, if I really needed to".  Like The Mighty Ducks, we love to watch the underdog beat the nasty guys.  If you want to laugh and have a good time at the movies, get a jumbo bucket of popcorn and enjoy.

The New iPad - Review

There was a time when I was reasonably up to date on the latest tech gadgets.  Those days, unfortunately, are long gone.  I do have a smart phone, and I can still make my computer work (usually), but I no longer lust after all things electronic.

In my job as a realtor, I have a need to access data in a more or less real-time manner.  While my Android smart phone is great, it has limitations, particularly when it comes to displaying data.  After much thought, I decided it was time for a tablet.

Theresa has been wanting an iPad for some time now.  I'd been dragging my feet, mainly because I couldn't decide exactly what I needed (an iPad, or an Android Tablet?; 3G data access or wifi only?; how much storage?;  and so on).  I also wasn't sure I wanted to spend all that money for something that could turn out to be just a toy.

After having a great sales month, I decided it was probably time to do something - especially since Theresa was saying she wanted to just go get one.  Rather than do that, I decided to go ahead and pick one out for each of us.  Now all I had to do was decide exactly what to get!

I quickly determined we should get a "real" iPad, instead of one of the cheaper alternatives.  I had a small (about half size) tablet that ran the Android system.  Although it worked OK, I knew from experience that the operating system wasn't as stable as I would like (my phone acts up with disturbing regularity).  I'd been told by iPad users that their tablets were very stable, and, when it comes to computers, stability is good.

The iPad comes in various combinations of storage capacity and data access.  You can get 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes of storage - an obscene amount compared to the limitations of the original personal computers.  Each of these models was available in both 4G and wifi, or wifi only versions.  In addition, if you choose a 4G unit, you could choose between Verizon or AT&T as your data carrier.  That's too many options, especially when you don't even know how you're going to use the tablet!

I knew I'd use the broader data access of the 4G unit, since I planned to use it when I was away from common wifi access points.  Since the data plans don't require a contract, the only downside to choosing this feature is the initial price - about $130 extra.  Since Theresa and I could share a data connection, the extra cost was easily justified for both units.

I really wasn't sure how much storage we'd need.  I didn't think I'd download a bunch of movies or other media - the most common way to fill up your machine - but I wasn't sure.  Theresa would probably do a little more of that, but I didn't really think she'd get carried away, either.  The iPad isn't upgradeable, but online (iCloud) storage is available.  Although I suspect 16 gig would be plenty for either of us, I decided to drop the extra $100 to upgrade to 32 gigabytes, "just in case". 

I also quickly decided to resist the temptation to purchase the older "iPad 2" at a discount, and get the current model.  All of this meant each of my two iPads would cost roughly $730 each, instead of closer to $500.  After buying a couple of covers and a few apps, my total expense was around $1,600 for two iPads.  Our data plan, giving us 4 gigabytes of data when we're out of wifi range, will end up costing between $40 and $50 per month.

So, now that I have one of these things, what do I think?  The iPad is most often used for two tasks - media and communication - and it does both of those tasks extremely well.  After downloading the free Netflix app (there are also free apps for Pandora, Hulu, Crackle, etc), I could watch any number of movies or TV shows, as well as listen to music, comedy, or whatever else I was looking for.  With the data access, you could also access YouTube almost anywhere.  The iPad screen is large enough, when it's sitting on your lap, to comfortably watch and enjoy without the need to find your reading glasses.  The sound, although nothing spectacular with the built-in speakers, is adequate.  If you want really good sound, you'll probably want a set of ear buds (or play it through your car's radio or home speaker system).  In the unlikely event you still read actual books, the iPad makes a fine e-reader (of course, it also can play audible books).

The iPad really excels at communication.  You are always just one click away from your email, and you can use "Face Time" to video chat with friends who have an iPad, iPod, or iPhone.  Skype is available if you still associate with the poor unfortunates in the PC world.  I've discovered that, although my email works fine on my smart phone, the iPad is far superior if you need to respond, check a link, or view an attachment.

How about other tasks?  Since I got this primarily as a business tool, how does it do in that field?  Is it a toy, or a tool?  As a business tool, tablets have their place.  They're not ready to replace your desktop for serious work - you wouldn't want to type a lengthy document, or create a presentation on one of these things, although is could conceivably be done.  That's not what they're designed to do.  You could, however, easily review a document of almost any length, and make modifications, if necessary.  You can find apps to do almost anything you need, many of which are either free or nearly so.  The iPad, while not quite the same as a laptop, is probably all you need to stay in touch or keep up with the office while you're traveling.

I'm still getting set up to use the iPad in real estate, but it looks like it has some possibilities there, too.  I've located apps that will let me load contracts, edit them, and get signatures - all without resorting to paper and ink.  I could, with a little fumbling, write an entire contract, get it signed, and email it to another agent, all from my iPad.  I suspect that will be rare, but I'll frequently get final signatures or complete an addendum or counter-offer using just the tablet.  The iPad will also work quite well for sales presentations, supplementing - rather than replacing - my printed materials.

If you stay home all day, sitting at your desk staring at your desk top computer, don't buy an iPad - it would be a poor substitute for a "real computer".  If, however, you are frequently out and about and need (or want) to maintain your online presence at all times, you'll want to check it out.  If your job takes you out of the office, it might be for you.  If you travel, and want a small device for entertainment and/or business, it's an option.  If you just like to try new gadgets, you shouldn't be reading this - you're already on your third iPad!

Trouble with the Curve, and Won't Back Down - Movie Reviews

Often, I review old movies here.  There are a couple of reasons for that:

1. I'm old.
2. Many new movies are a disappointment.

I still like to go to the theater to see a movie, and we go frequently.  Unfortunately, it's all too common for us to be in the mood to see a film, but be unable to find one worth the $20 or so to get inside.  These two movies both looked like we'd enjoy them, so we went with high expectations.

Trouble with the Curve has everything necessary to be a popular success: Clint Eastwood, playing his now-familiar gruff old man with a (well hidden) heart of gold; Amy Adams, as his cute-as-a-bug daughter; and Justin Timberlake as the guy who gets Amy Adams (lucky bastard!). 

The problem here is this movie is extremely shallow.  Clint's character is just like everything he's done since he got old - he's a tough guy who's falling apart physically (I guess this is growth for him - he used to just play a tough guy).  He's distant from his daughter, keeping his emotions hidden, with a big heart somewhere deep inside.  We've seen it all before - much like his old Spaghetti Western characters, you could take any character he's played, move it to a different film, and just go right on with the story.  Clearly, Clint has a limited range as an actor - he's OK in this, I've just seen it all before.

I never get tired of watching Amy Adams.  She's very likable, and you want everything to work out well for her.  Unfortunately, you don't understand why she wastes time following her father around.  She gives up plenty for him, but you don't get a glimpse of what it is that makes her willing to do that.  She can't be stupid, but you're left with that impression.  Likewise, it's hard to see her ending up with Timberlake - I mean, he's a handsome guy, I guess, but there's no spark between them.  There's also no reason they get together in the first place, and no reason for conflict later on (and, no real reason they get back together at the end). 

I'm not giving anything away to say this all gets wrapped up nicely at the end - everybody is happy, except the bad guys, who are unhappy.  The characters are one-dimensional, the story is predictable, and, as far as I can see, there's no enlightenment delivered as the plot unfolds.  The happy ending seems contrived - complicated situations don't lend themselves to simple solutions in real life.  The ending really feels like someone said, "OK, it's been long enough, we need to get this wrapped up now".  It's not bad, it's just not good.  If you really want to see this, wait 6 months and catch it for free on cable.  If it starts early enough, you just might be able to stay awake until the end.  If you really want to see Clint, pop some popcorn and put High Plains Drifter into the DVD player.

 A few days later, we went to Won't Back Down, the story of two women's struggle to save their children's failing school.  Maggie Gyllenhall plays a struggling single mother, with Viola Davis as the crusading teacher.  This movie has its moments, but many characters are cartoon-like - pure good or bad, with little or no nuance.  The movie has a point to make, and they make it with a sledge hammer.  According to this, the problems in our urban schools are the sole result of the teacher unions - the teachers don't care about their students, and the only solution is to disband the union.

This is a simplistic view of the problem - poor performance in any field is most likely the result of incompetent management. In the real world, problems have complex causes and solutions.  Most conflicts are best resolved by compromise between the two sides.  The movie ignores this reality, and can't really be taken seriously because of it.  It's the cinema equivalent of Fox News - a slanted, distorted, simplistic view of a complex issue.

Gyllenhall is appealing, and Davis is quite good, as usual, but that's not enough to save this show.  There's a good movie in this topic, but this isn't it.    Save your money on this one.

Our Fence Fiasco

For the couple of people who are regular readers of this blog, you'll remember we moved a couple of months ago.  Since the town home we bought doesn't have an association, our covenants allow us to have a privacy fence in the back yard.

Installing a fence is a job that can be done by a reasonably handy homeowner.  In this case, since we were so busy with the move, and because we were in a hurry to have it done before our fall trip to South Dakota, we decided to have it professionally installed.  This, I figured, would be the "stress-free" method of installation.  In this, sadly, I was wrong.

I didn't really know who to call for fencing estimates, so I did a quick internet search, and called several companies.  We though about vinyl fence, but ended up eliminating it based on cost and availability - no one could guarantee we'd have it done by mid-september. 

After talking with several company reps, I elected to go with Quality Fence.  Their sales rep - "Dan" - had been very responsive during the bid process, and assured me they'd have the job done quickly and professionally.  He also told me he'd be around to help me figure out any issues that may come up during the construction.  I told him the one non-negotiable need was that we needed to have the fence in by September 15th. 

I signed the contract, and wrote a check for the down payment (roughly half of the estimate).  Since we had used a surveying company at our old house, we elected to call that company to complete a survey of our property, so we could accurately locate the lot lines.

Our first issue was that the surveyor didn't show up as promised.  We waited a few weeks, then decided to let the fence company do the survey.  I called Dan, wrote another check, and was again assured we were all set up to have our fence done on time.

As the time went by, I started to wonder if we would get the work done.  I called a number of times, and was told "no problem" each time.  We were now about two weeks from our deadline.  As that week went by, I became more and more concerned about being late (due to our pet care arrangements, we had to have the fence complete to take our vacation).  Near the end of the week, I called Dan - no answer, but I left him a message.

I didn't hear back from Dan that week, despite several phone calls.  The red flags were up for me - he had always called back promptly in the past.  I tried a couple of times the following Monday (now less than one week from our "drop dead" date, and finally caught him.  When I asked when they'd start, he said he'd have to "try to get in touch with our contractorr" to find out when they'd be starting.  This raised another red flag for me.  When I asked if we'd be done on time, he said, "I hope so".

Dan didn't call back as promised, so I called the main office.  I also sent an email to their customer service department at that time, saying that I needed to talk to a manager.  The receptionist looked at my paperwork, and said, "the soonest they can even talk to the contractor is Thursday".  I said, "so, you're telling me there's no way we can hit my date".  She agreed.   I asked to talk to a manager, and she said they weren't available, but she would have them call me later that day.

When I didn't hear back from them, I decided to go visit their local office.  To my dismay, I discovered their Lincoln location was empty.  A call to their office confirmed that they had closed the Lincoln location months earlier.  I again asked for a manager, and got another promise of a call.  This time, I actually got a phone call from the owner.  He said he wasn't aware of our issue, but would check on it and call me back in an hour or so.  He said his plan was to get a crew out to set posts on Thursday, then finish the job Friday.  Of course, I didn't hear back from him that day.

We were now into the middle of the week, and I was no closer to getting an answer than I had been before.  I tried calling the office, but got nothing better than the promise of a call.  At about this time, I got a call in response to my email of several days earlier.  This was Kari - apparently responsible for customer service or at least response to complaints.  She hadn't heard any of the story, but assured me she'd try to get something going.  The good news was, she actually seemed to be concerned about my issues.  The bad news was, she filled me in on what had been going on, and it wasn't good.  It seems the company had a serious problem with their work crews - several had quit without notice, and the remaining ones were about ready to bail.  She told me she could get a crew from Omaha down to get the work done.

After many phone calls, Kari told me we'd have a crew down to set posts Friday, and another to finish the job on Saturday, the 15th.  If this actually happened, we'd have our fence on time (barely).  Unfortunately, Friday came and there was no sign of a crew.  After another phone call (at least Kari answered her phone), I found out another crew had quit!  No problem, though - the owner and his brother were coming out to set posts.

They did show up eventually, getting to the house at about 3:30 Friday afternoon.  Since Dan hadn't come over as promised to lay out the exact outline of the fence, we had to figure that out on the fly.  The own'er's brother, not too happy to be there, nevertheless helped me figure out a couple of things and we were ready to drill holes.  The posts got set before dark, with only a little bit of drama - and a lot of drilling through sprinkler lines.

As much trouble as we'd had to this point, I was pretty sure the crew to finish the job would no-show the next day.  Much to my surprise, they showed up bright and early, and got right on the job.  The crew - two guys plus a helper - were quite good.  The fence went together quickly, and they took great pride in their work.  They had a couple of questions about exactly what I wanted in a couple of places, then quickly and efficiently did what I wanted.  When they were done, they picked up all their trash, asked me to sign the completion slip, and left.  As bad as the rest of the company was, these guys were good.

Finally, we had our fence!  After all the hassles and aggravation, I wished I had just decided to do the work myself - I didn't save too much time, considering all the phone calls I'd made.  If I thought I was done with dealing with this company, I was wrong, however.

After coming back from vacation, I got a bill for the work.  Before paying it, I decided to check my original paperwork and cancelled checks.  It was no surprise to me when I found out they had failed to credit me for a $250 payment.  I called Kari - apparently the only person in the whole company who even tried to get things right - and got it figured out.  I wrote the check - resisting the urge to make them wait for it - and was done with them.  Looking back on the whole sorry mess, there were a number of things that ruined the experience for me:

• The salesman - Dan - assured me repeatedly that the work would be done on time.  One reason we abandoned our idea of having a vinyl fence was that we weren't sure it could be done on time.  It turns out, material availability had nothing to do with our delays - we could have had the vinyl, if we'd wanted.
• It's easy to believe the schedule was reasonable when we ordered the fence, so Dan may not have lied when we first talked.  At some point, however, he must have known it was a problem.  When was that?  I'll never know, but I suspect it was sometime just before he quit returning my calls.  The last time I talked to him - a week before the work was done - he was still telling me we'd be OK.  There's no excuse for that - I believe I was lied to.
• Dan also made plenty of misrepresentations about service he would provide - laying out the fence, and helping me decide which options made sense.  This didn't happen, and according to the bosses when they set the posts, doesn't normally happen.  Again, this is one reason I chose this company - because of this alleged high level of service.
• I intended to choose a local company - had I known the Lincoln office was closed, I wouldn't have called them.
• It wasn't my problem that the owner and his brother had to come out and work in my yard.  I didn't need an attitude when they showed up - if anyone should have been angry, it should have been the guy who was lied to through the entire process.
• I didn't expect to get the fence for free, even after all the screw ups.  I might have expected to get a discount for all my hassles, and for the broken promises.  What I got instead was a screwed up bill, being overcharged $250.  Considering all the other screw ups on this deal, this is inexcusable. 
• The crew that finished my fence was good.  If the management is as screwed up as they seemed to be in their dealings with me, it's no wonder they can't keep crews on the job.  I won't be surprised to see this company out of business in the near future.

Interestingly, I just sold an acreage.  The buyer is fencing the entire perimeter of the 3.5 acre lot, and asked me for recomendations for fencing.  Guess what I said!

Movie Review - "Witness for the Prosecution"

Last weekend we decided to watch a movie on Netflix, and Theresa picked out Witness for the Prosecution, an entertaining courtroom drama that's full of surprises.  Based on a play by Agatha Christie, the film features Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich, along with a thoroughly entertaining Charles Laughton.

Laughton plays Sir Wilfred Robarts, a barrister who is recovering from a heart attack, under strict orders from his doctor (and nurse!) to avoid strenuous activity.  Robarts is an appealing character, driving his nurse to distraction, sneaking cigars, and, most importantly, taking a seemingly hopeless case - a man accused of a murder that everyone thinks he did. 

Tyrone Power is quite good as the accused, Leonard Vole.  You like him, and really want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there's just something that makes you wonder if he's on the up-and-up.

Marlene Dietrich is superb as Vole's wife, Christine.  I haven't seen her in a lot of movies, so I didn't know what to expect, but she was excellent.  Is she the doting wife?  Scheming temptress?  Innocent dupe?   We see all of this, and more, as the plot is revealed.

Being an Agatha Christie story, there's plenty of twists and turns as the story is told.  You're certain you know what's going on, then realize you have it all wrong, then certain again.  I must confess, I had it figured out about half way through, but I wasn't sure until the end - and I was still blown away as the final twist was revealed.  I won't give away the ending - you'll have to rent it to see for yourself.

If you're not used to watching old movies, it takes a bit of adjustment on  your part.  This was released in 1957, so the film quality is not what you'd expect today.  It's shot in glorious black and white, and don't expect high definition.  The sound is tinny, and there are no special effects (not that any are called for).  The sets are simple - mainly just the law office and courtroom, but the characters are complex.  After watching for a few minutes, none of these minor annoyances even registered.  It's a great movie, with three-dimensional characters involved in a convoluted plot that reaches a stunning and unexpected climax.  Along the way there's suspense, of course, but also plenty of humor.  Pop some popcorn and fire up Netflix for an entertaining evening.

Paul Ryan's Phony Marathon Claim

In 1988, I had been running for about 8 months, and I let myself get talked into running  this little race called the Bohemian Alps Endurance Run, in Brainard, Nebraska.  The run included both a 5k and a 25K run, as well as a 2 mile walk.  Since I wasn't in shape and hadn't ever run more than about 10K, I decided it was a good idea to run the 25K (15.5 miles).

The day of the run was unseasonably warm for October - it was 91 degrees when we started at about 3:00.  The race ran from Brainard on the gravel roads, looping around over some nasty hills.  I quickly got to the back of the pack, then got to the very last spot.  The last half of the race was spent with people driving up and asking me, "Are you all right?".  One guy said, "Oh my god - you look awful!"  I persevered, and finished long after everyone else was done, escorted in by a couple of my friends.  I made it, and got the finisher's medal.  I also gained the wisdom to run the 5k the following year!

The next year, I ran the 5K, got done in about a half hour, drank a beer, ate some barbecue, and waited for my friends who were running the longer race to finish.  Among those in our group was "Tom", a friend of a friend, who hadn't been running much, but thought he could do the long race.  I was quite surprised to see Tom cross the finish line before any of my friends - some of whom were serious runners.  Tom finished so fast that he got a medal for finishing first or second in his age group.  After the award ceremony, I walked up to congratulate him.  He said, "Thanks, but I didn't run the whole race.  I got tired, so I cut across country, walked some, and jogged through the finish."  It turns out, he ran about half the distance required of the other runners!

Even without training, Tom was a faster runner than me.  I didn't have a problem with him taking the shortcut - 15 miles is a long way, and there's no shame in bailing out on that.  The problem I had was, he crossed the finish line, accepted the finisher's medal, and even accepted the age group award - an award that others worked really hard to try to win.  Tom is a cheater, and I wouldn't want to associate myself with him.

 In the years following my Bohemian Alps run, I ran a couple of marathons.   I don't have a marathoner's body, but I worked hard and was able to finish both of them - at the back of the pack.  My best time was just under 5 hours - I believe it was 4:58, but I could be off by a minute or so.  I was, however, definitely under 5 hours.  I'm absolutely positive that I was nowhere near 4 hours - there's no question in my mind on that point.

A story recently surfaced about Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan's claim to have run a sub 3 hour marathon.  The folks at Runner's World Magazine decided to look it up - turns out his actual time was 4:01 - quite a difference!  A four hour marathon is nothing to be ashamed of, but it's not elite.  The folks that break 180 minutes are special - they train very hard, and have some natural ability.  The difference between a sub-three hour marathon and a four hour marathon is like the difference between playing on your slow pitch softball team and playing major league baseball. It's a whole different ball game.

After he was caught in the lie, Ryan said he "forgot" his time, so he was just trying to make up a "normal marathon time".  This doesn't ring true to me - if you've put yourself through the agony of finishing a marathon, you KNOW how long it took.  Most of us are ready and willing to give you a mile-by-mile recap of our experience. 

My last marathon (trust me, it IS the last one I'll run) was in 1991 (Ryan ran the same race a year before me).  I don't remember everything from that year, but I distinctly remember that day - starting by the Metro dome, running from Minneapolis to Saint Paul.  I remember the "broken wall" display at the 20 mile mark.  I remember running with a woman who's foot was bloody from a blister.  I remember dying at about 20 miles, meeting my friend who came back to run the last couple of miles in with me.  I remember running the last 1.2 miles in under 10 minutes, to hit my goal of sub-five hours.  There's no alternate universe in which I ran 3:45.  I remember!

I'm not ashamed of my marathon time.  I'm not fast, but so what?  I was tough enough to keep running for 5 hours!  I'm not embarrassed by that.  If you ran a lot faster, good for you!  I have great admiration for people who can run faster than me, but I'm not going to lie so you think I'm something I'm not.  I don't cheat on my golf score either....

In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter how long Paul Ryan took to run 26.2 miles.  His lie is harmless - he's certainly not hurting anyone by it.  The issue I have with it is this:  what does it say about the guy if he lies about something like this?  Is this really something worth lying about?  If you can't tell the truth about your marathon time, what else would you be willing to lie about?  Would you, for example, lie to get yourself elected vice president of the United States?  I don't like Ryan's stand on the issues, but I like him even less as a person.  I've had enough of lying politicians - we don't need to put one a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Getting Ready for your Whole House Inspection

Most buyers will have a whole house inspection on your home, and many sellers today are having their homes inspected before putting them on the market.  While all inspection companies are a little different, there are certain things that will almost certainly show up on the report:

Minor electrical items, including reversed polarity outlets, exposed splices (wires hooked together without being enclosed in a junction box), ungrounded outlets, missing GFCI outlets, etc.

Plumbing leaks.

Inoperable doors and windows.

Lot/ground drainage issues (places where the ground slopes toward the foundation).

Major systems (furnace, A/C, Water heater, roof, etc.).

Signs of water intrusion or mold.

Structural and foundation issues - bowing basement walls, extreme settling, etc.

Most homeowners aren't equipped to handle major repairs - if your roof or furnace is shot, or if your foundation needs major work, you're probably going to have to hire a professional to fix it.  If you know you have any serious issues, you'd be well served to spend some time getting quotes and having it fixed.

Many items that show up on the list, however, can be easily corrected by the homeowner.  If you fix it before it shows up on the inspection, you can not only save money, you help your home make a better impression on the buyer - you don't want them to see an inspection report with page after page of items in need of repair!

Let's take a look at the things I see show up most frequently on home inspection reports:

Electrical Items

• Walk through your home, and look for wires.  Any electrical wire that is on the surface of a finished wall or ceiling should be protected by conduit.  If a wire is in the cavity of a wall (between the 2X4's) it is OK.  To fix this, turn off the power, disconnect the wires at one end, and put slide the wire into a conduit.  Use large enough conduit so that it's easy to get the wires through - flexible metal conduit works well and is easy to use, or you can use plastic.
• Check for exposed wire splices.  If you can see wire nuts, it should be in a junction box.  Turn off the power, take the wire apart, and put the splice in a box.  Make sure to attach the box securely to the wall or ceiling, and put a cover on it.
• Add GFCI protection.  All outlets next to a sink or other water source should be protected.  This includes all outside outlets.  If you need several, you can buy a pack of 4 GFCI outlets for under $30 at Home Depot.  You can also put a GFCI outlet in to replace an ungrounded outlet.
• Check for double-tapped connections in your main panel.  Take the cover off, and make sure there is just one wire going to each breaker.  If there are two, you can fix it easily - just take a short piece of wire (use the same size that is going to the breaker), and, using a wire nut, attach one end of it to the two wires that were in the breaker.  Connect the free end to the breaker, and you're done. 

If you don't think you should tackle electrical work, don't.  If you're fairly handy, but have a few questions, check out this post - it may give you a few pointers.

Plumbing Items

• Run water through every faucet, and let it run for a while.  Check for leaks, feeling under the trap and on the supply lines.  If any of them are wet, you have a leak!  If you fix it, you won't have to pay someone to do it later.  You should also check around the toilets.  Most minor plumbing issues are easy to fix - if you run into something major, call a pro.

Sticking Doors and Windows

• Check all your windows to make sure everything works.  If one sticks, you have to free it up.  Most sticking double-hung windows have been painted shut.  If that's your problem, cut the paint with a utility knife.  Take a putty knife, and carefully slide it in the sash where the window is supposed to slide, working it up and down the window.  Work on both sides, and try to get it moving.  Once it comes free, work it back and forth until it operates smoothly, and make sure to keep it free by moving it every day for a while.
• Some casement windows (crank out style) won't open easily.  These may not be painted shut, but could stick due to settling or swelling in the frames.  DON'T CRANK HARD to try to open them - you'll just break the crank mechanism.  Instead, remove the inside screen, and gently tap around them as your moving the crank - they'll probably open right up.  If they still don't open and close easily after freeing them, you may need to remove some material to fix the problem.  If the frame is badly out of square, you'll probably need professional help.
• A door that sticks is probably due to some minor settling.  You can usually fix them by removing a small amount of material with a plane.

Often, a homeowner can save hundreds of dollars by fixing minor issues themselves.  More importantly, the buyer can see that you've taken great care of your home, so you may get a better price.  A little work up front can save you time and money in the long run.

Installing a Water Softener

For many years, we didn't have a water softener, and saw no need to add one.  After we bought our first lake home - a condo where all the water supplied to the unit was soft - we noticed how much cleaner clothes, dishes, etc. were with soft water.

Because we weren't sure if we'd like it at our home, we leased a unit for a few years, paying just under $30 per month for its use.  After a few years, we decided it was foolish to rent, when the purchase of a new unit would pay for itself in less than two years.  Since we already had the unit installed, putting the new one in was an easy do-it-yourself project.

When we decided to make our move, we included the softener with our old home.  Since the new house had never had soft water, the installation would be just a little bit more complicated (but still a task easily accomplished by a reasonably competent homeowner).

Before you tackle a softener installation, there's a few things you need to verify:

• How much capacity do you need?   In our old home, we had a large whirlpool tub, 50 gallon water heater, and a home that would very likely be used to raise a family at some point in the future.  Even though Theresa and I were "empty nesters", it made sense to size the softener for a family.  We bought a unit that would be adequate for up to 5 people (keep in mind, a smaller unit may still work, it would just cycle more frequently).  The new home is smaller, and, being a town home, is most likely to be occupied by folks like ourselves, so we got the next size smaller unit.  The more closely you match the capacity of your softener to your needs, the more efficient it will be.
• How hard is your water?  This goes directly back to capacity, since extremely hard water will take more conditioning.  I was able to look up Lincoln's water quality on the county's web site, but you may have to get a test kit if you don't have the data, or if you are on a private well.  In our case, Lincoln's water is "moderately hard" - probably similar to most other communities in our area.
• Do you have a good spot to install the softener?  If your basement is completely finished, it may be difficult to make your connections.  You'll also need room to locate the unit, with electrical power and access to a drain available.  It is easiest if you can put the softener right by the water supply, but not absolutely necessary.
• Is your plumbing in good enough condition to make a do-it-yourself installation feasible?  If your incoming water supply pipe is old galvanized pipe, it may be difficult or impossible for you to get it apart - or, if you do, to re-assemble it.  If you have ancient pipes, a real plumber is much better equipped to handle the issues when things start to fall apart. 

So, assuming you're still reading this, let's talk about how you actually get it done.  For the sake of this discussion, let's assume you've got rigid copper supply pipes - probably 3/4" - and plenty of room to work.  If your water lines are plastic or pex, the process is a little easier, since  you won't have to solder any pipes. 

If you, like most of us, have copper plumbing, you'll need a few tools and supplies:

• A small propane torch.
• Emery cloth, or brushes to clean inside of fittings and outside of pipe.
• Solder (Lead Free!).
• Tubing Cutter.
• Flux & application brush.
• Copper pipe and fittings as required.
• Flexible tubes for installation (not absolutely necessary, but makes your job easier).
• 2 - 12" crescent wrenches (or 1 wrench and a small pipe wrench)
• Utility knife, screwdriver, pliers, pipe clamps, and other tools and supplies based on your application.

Most softeners targeted towards homeowner installation have a built-in bypass valve (a valve so you can bypass the softener, taking it out of the plumbing system).  If your softener doesn't have this, you'll need to install one, so you can still have water service if something goes wrong with the softener.

Now, we're ready to install the softener.

Turn off the water supply to the house, and drain the pipes by opening a faucet at the highest and lowest levels of the home. 

Locate the incoming water supply pipe, and determine where to cut the pipe for the softener.  There's a right place and a wrong place to cut the pipe.  Since you don't want soft water for outside faucets, sprinklers, etc., you should locate the input for the softener AFTER the branch for outside water.  In most cases, the outside water is pulled off right after the meter, so it's no problem.  If yours is different, you may have a little bigger job.  I wanted soft water to every indoor area - if you want hard water for drinking, you may have to run a supply to your drinking faucet.  

Once you figure out where to cut your line, use the tubing cutter and cut out a section.  You'll run from the supply side to the inlet of your softener, the connect back up to the plumbing from the softener outlet.

Many of the new softeners use plastic fitting on the unit to make your connections.  These are fine, but some care is needed when hooking up your pipes.  If you use the flexible connectors, you should be able to hook it up without putting any stress on your softener.  If not, you can still do it, you just need to make sure everything lines up.  In any case, you must NOT apply heat to solder pipes without isolating the copper from the plastic fittings - the melting point for plastic is much lower than for solder!  Even if you're soldering a fitting on the other end of a copper pipe, you need to keep the end hooked up to the plastic cool while soldering by wrapping a wet rag around it.  In most cases, you're better off getting your soldering done before hooking up any of the plastic fittings.

The rest of the job is easy, you just have to apply heat to the fittings and solder them.  To get a good solder joint, you need clean connections, heat, and solder.

• You need to mechanically clean the pipes and fittings - even brand new ones.  The easiest way to do this is to use a special set of brushes made for the task, and sized for the size of pipe you're using.  If you don't have that, you can use emery cloth, or a wire brush to take a little off the surface.  When you're done with that, apply some paste flux to both fitting and pipe - that will complete the cleaning and give you a good surface for soldering.
• When you apply heat, you want to heat the pipe and fitting up - not just melt the solder.  you can tell if this is working by watching what the solder does - if the fitting is hot, the solder will be pulled into the fitting, filling the area between the pipe and the fitting.  If it isn't hot, the solder will ball up and just fall off.  I apply heat to one side of the pipe, and touch the solder to the other side.
• You don't need a lot of solder for a good joint.  If you have extra, it will just drip down the pipe and look ugly (the first joints you do will have too much solder).  Your joints don't have to look good, but you'll like them better if they do.

I've never had a soldered joint leak or come apart (although I do have some ugly ones, with way too much solder).  The most common cause of solder joint failure is a cold joint - heating up the solder instead of the pipe.  Practice on a couple of scrap pieces first, and you'll see how easy it is.

After soldering your connections, it's time to hook up the softener, connect the drain tubes, and turn the water back on.  Check for leaks, program your softener, add salt, and you're ready to go!

Lots of Catfish!

I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks, so I've missed a couple of posts.  We were at the lake in Missouri - swimming, boating, golfing, and fishing.

Fish tend to be inactive when the weather - and water - gets as hot as it does in Central Missouri in August.  Fortunately, this time of year is great for catching catfish!

Most of the Cats we caught were Blue Catfish

None of them were nearly as big as this one!

There are tons of catfish in Lake of the Ozarks.  Although we've caught channel cats and flathead cats, we've caught more - and bigger - Blue Catfish.  Blue cats can exceed 100 pounds, although huge ones like that are relatively rare.  Fish in the 30 to 50 pound range are not uncommon, but most of the fish we catch are of modest size - from 2 to 5 pounds or so, with an occasional one that may be close to 10 pounds.  A couple of years ago, we caught one that must have been around 30 pounds - a real monster in my book.

Unlike some other fish, catfish don't mind the heat.  They'll be a little deeper when it's really hot - we caught most of our fish between 15 and 25 feet below the surface.  Catfish will eat a variety of bait - night crawlers, minnows, and cut bait.  One of the best bait is cut shad - blues can't seem to resist it.

We fish with a rod and reel, of course, and we probably caught about half the fish that way.  We also fish for catfish with jug lines, or what we call "noodling".  We cut 12" pieces of "fun noodles" (foam swim aids), and tie a 25' line on the end.  We bait the hook, then throw about 30 of these set ups in the water and wait for them to pop.  When a fish hits them, the end pops up in the air - a large blue will take them completely under water!  Once they start to move, we catch them with the boat and haul them in.  It's a different way to fish, but it's fun and you usually catch a few fish.

I still prefer to catch fish the old-fashioned way, with a rod and reel, but I enjoy using the noodles, too.  Using the noodles allows us to increase our catch, and fill up the freezer so we can enjoy fish all year long.

How much success did we have?  I'm not the world's greatest fisherman, but over the three days that Liz and Carter were visiting, I cleaned about 40 catfish.  Since most of them were blues, we were close to catching our limit of five blues apiece per day (just three of us were fishing).

I always fillet our fish, so we can avoid all the bones.  Theresa soaks them in egg, rolls them in potato buds (I know, sounds crazy, but it's good), and fries them.  Few things in life are better then fried fish straight from the lake!

Movie Review - Charade

OK, I admit it, when it comes to movies, I can get stuck in the past.  I like a lot of the old movies, even some that aren't really that great, when you look at it objectively.  I like most of the Cary Grant movies, but a couple are really quite good.  Charade is one of the best - right up there with North by Northwest.

Theresa and I watched Charade on Netflix recently.  I remember seeing it years ago, when I was a kid, but I really didn't remember it at all.  I was not disappointed!  It has some interesting characters - a lot of humor, and just a little bit of suspense.  As a romantic mystery, it holds its own with many more modern movies.

I've never been much of an Audrey Hepburn fan, but she's perfect in this role - she has that fragile, aristocratic look that makes it work.  Her Regina Lambert is vulnerable and terrified, but just a little tougher than you might believe at first.

I really liked the heavies in this film, in particular George Kennedy.  He plays Scobie, missing a hand, brooding and menacing - at one point, Hepburn makes a point of mentioning his "ugly, scary face".  He's not the nastiest of the bad guys, or the toughest (that distinction almost certainly goes to James Coburn), but you've got to love a character that's so ugly he has to be evil.  His mother must be so proud!  The third bad guy - Ned Glass as Gideon - isn't big or tough, but somehow you just know he's nasty. 

Another bonus in this movie is the chance to see Walter Matthau, playing it straight as a CIA bureaucrat. 

With the three bad guys after poor Regina, she really needs a true-blue hero to watch out for her.  What she gets is Cary Grant as Peter Joshua (or whatever other name he cooks up - he has several aliases).  Joshua, or whoever he is, is charming, and he always seems to show up at just the right time and place.  The only question is, is he really there to help Regina, or is he just another crook ready to torture/kill/rob her?  You don't really THINK he's a bad guy, but you're never quite sure. 

If you're like me, you'll probably figure this out before the end of the movie, but you won't be sure about it until the very end - in this film, very little is what it seems to be. 

This is a film that could easily be made today.  Oh, there'd be some changes made - we'd have more of a physical romance between Regina and Peter, and there'd be some special effects and probably a bit more violence.  The dialog would be different.  None of that really changes anything, though.  The basic plot and characters would work as well today as they did in 1963.  It's a great movie, highly recommended.

Moving Time!

They say that every Realtor should move occasionally, to better empathize with our clients.  Since we've lived in our home for nearly 21 years, we were overdue for a move.  We're fixing that now - we've got a home under contract, and will soon put our home on the market.

Theresa has been wanting to downsize - move into a town home, with fewer responsibilities and chores.  Our home doesn't require a lot of maintenance, but it has a large, complicated yard, and there's always something that needs to be done.

I've resisted moving, mainly because I didn't think it was worth it to go to all the work and expense of selling, buying, and hauling things back and forth.  Finally, I decided it was time.

We started out looking at VERY small town homes - roughly 900 square feet, with no basement.  We made an offer on one - the seller was totally unwilling to meet us anywhere near half way on price - then settled for a less expensive alternative.  Although neither of us was crazy about the street appeal, it was OK inside, and, with a little work, had a floor plan that would work for us.  Since it was so much smaller than we were used to, we decided we'd need to enclose a sun room, and made the offer contingent on being able to do that. We were financing with a renovation loan, so we'd borrow money to do some repairs, along with the purchase.

Our first hurdle was to get permission from the homeowners association to add the room. This was a little harder than you might think - no one seemed to have a problem with it, but they didn't really think they could speak for the association.  Finally, we were able to get a consensus from the board members that they would be OK with it.

The next problem was finding out if we could get a building permit - a task made much more difficult by the small lot - there was no way we could build and meet the standard set-back requirements of our city.  After a bunch of calls, we were still not sure if we could do it or not.

The other issue that soon became apparent was that all the improvements we wanted to make would soon increase the cost of our "cheap" town home to something very nearly as expensive to live in as our home.  Even though we wanted to simplify life, this didn't seem like a smart move.  By over-improving the small property, we'd set ourselves up to be upside down in the new place for years to come.

Finally, due to all the above concerns, we decided we couldn't go through with this purchase.  We cancelled the contract, and started looking again.

The first thing we did was go back to the original town home we had liked.  It already had a sun room, and was in a great neighborhood, so it was a real possibility.  Unfortunately, the monthly association dues were very high, so this property would be expensive.  Although we were prepared to spend the money, we decided to spend a day looking at some other options.

First, we looked in some different neighborhoods.  We've lived in South Lincoln for over 20 years, but there are some nice areas on the North side of town.  We looked at a few places, but weren't bowled over by any of them - a couple were OK, but didn't really blow away our original choice.  We also went up in price a bit, even looking at some that would have no cost advantage over living in our home.  We still didn't find the perfect home.  A bit discouraged, we headed home and decided to make one more computer search - this time including town homes without an association to handle snow removal and lawn care.  One home stood out in this batch.  Even though we were both tired of looking, we decided to make one more trip.

The home we found was in a great neighborhood.  It was larger than most of the others we'd looked at - a little over 1200 square feet on the main floor.  It had a full basement - unfinished, but with some possibilities for finish in the future - and a double garage.  Not everything was exactly like we wanted, but it was close enough that we felt we could live with it until we got around to fixing it up to our tastes.  I always tell people that "perfect doesn't exist", but this was just what we were looking for.  There was no association, but the lawn is small enough that upkeep won't be a burden (and I may yet decide to have it done by a service).  As a bonus, we also found out we could install a fence in the back yard - an unexpected bonus, since most town homes don't allow it.

We quickly decided to write an offer, and, after a counter or two, reached agreement with the sellers. 

We've got inspections set up, and we're scheduled to close in a bit over a month.  We'll be getting our home on the market in the next few days, and I'm sure we'll be swamped until after we're settled.  In the next few weeks, I'll post about the process of getting our old house listed, what we did to get it ready, and what we're doing to the new home.  For now, we're excited about this new chapter in our lives, and looking forward to the day when we can start to enjoy our new-found freedom.

Lake Home Sun Room Addition - Interior finish

In my previous two posts on this project, I talked about decision and planning, as well as demo, framing, and finishing the outside.  Now, I'll discuss finishing the interior of the structure.

After some discussion, we decided to drywall all four walls.  Originally, we had planned on leaving the siding on the side of the house, but drywall would give us a more finished, nicer look.  It also made it easier to run power and install light fixtures, without running wires in surface conduit.  The ceiling would be soffit material, and we'd install some recessed lighting fixtures, as well as a couple of ceiling fans and wall sconces.  As I mentioned before, we'd also install a small through-the-wall heat pump.  The floor would be ceramic tile, to minimize maintenance.

The first step was to run the wiring.  Fortunately, I had an easy path to get power from the breaker box to the porch.  I pulled wire for one 15 amp, 120 volt circuit for lights and outlets, and one 20 amp, 240 volt circuit for the heat pump.  I put a lot of outlets in the porch - one every 4' or so on the outside wall - I figured it was easier to do that now than to have to add one later in the process.  When I finished the outside, I added a couple of boxes for outside outlets.  I wired those up, hooking them into the same circuit as the inside outlets.  For safety purposes, I ran all the outlets through a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting  (GFCI) outlet.  I was able to wire it so that one GFCI would protect all the outlets on the circuit - the instructions in the package explains how to do it.  At this time, I installed the "can" lights, and the junction boxes that would hold the ceiling fans.  I also ran wire for a couple of motion-detector lights for the exterior - a valuable security feature.

After running all the wiring, it was time to install insulation, then drywall.  Fortunately, Carter came down to help with this part of the project, making it much easier than it would be alone.  We elected to use fiberglass batt insulation, with a heavy poly film for a vapor barrier.  Since we had 2 X 6 walls, we used 6" insulation.

 

First, we added fiberglass batt insulation, then stapled on the vapor barrier.

The ceiling was a bit different.  Since the ceiling was the floor of the 2nd story deck, covered with a waterproof coating, we didn't want to add the vapor barrier - I was worried about trapping moisture in between two waterproof surfaces.  In addition, the roof had a slight slope to it, to aid in shedding water.  Since we wanted a roof level with the rest of the room, we had to add furring strips to level it out. 

Now, we were ready for drywall!

When planning a drywall project, one of the most important things to keep in mind is to minimize the number of seams, to make finishing as easy as possible.  When you buy your drywall, buy a couple of extra pieces, just in case.  Since drywall itself is relatively cheap, you would never cut multiple pieces where one continuous piece will work.  In this case, we had a long, narrow, rectangular room with a lot of windows and doors, so we'd have enough finishing to do regardless of how well planned it was.  We could use 4' X 12' sheets for much of it, which helped.

We had decided to use 1/2" thick drywall - the standard thickness for new construction - for the new.  To cover the existing siding on the inside wall, we went with thinner 3/8" material - more than adequate for the job, since it was just covering up a solid surface.

Since we had so many windows, I decided we'd just drywall around them, with no added wooden trim.  I thought, since the wall was essentially all window, that wooden trim would be a distraction.  I figured, if we didn't like it, I could always add it later.  This turned out to be a good decision - although it added a lot of labor, it saved quite a bit in material cost, and we like the look a lot.

In the old days (the 1970's), we used nails to secure drywall.  I think they still sell drywall nails, but I don't know who would ever use them.  Today, drywall is secured with screws - typically about an inch and a quarter long, that are easily set with any driver drill.  They're easier to work with, and provide much improved holding power, compared with nails.  When I hang drywall, I try to use only as many screws as necessary to hold the drywall firmly in place.  It's also important to drive the screws to just below the surface, while making sure you don't tear the paper - there should be a little dimple at each screw, that can easily be filled with joint compound when you're finishing.

Hanging drywall goes fairly quickly, and Carter and I got it up without too much trouble.  Probably the hardest part of this was carrying the sheets down the hill!  I also caught a bug that weekend, so I wasn't as much help as I might have been otherwise (of course, I'm not much help normally anyway, so maybe that wasn't too big a deal, after all).  In any case, we had the drywall in place by the end of the weekend.

The drywall is up.  Notice the furring strips on the ceiling, which are shimmed down to make the ceiling level.

Notice the drywall around the window.  There is, however, a wooden jamb extension around the patio door.

Very few seams on this wall - we hung the drywall horizontally, to reduce finishing.  Note the seam about halfway up the support post beam

Ready for Mud!

Carter wisely elected not to come for the drywall  finishing process.  Drywall finishing isn't impossible for an amateur to do well - you just have to have a lot of patience.  It's also important to keep in mind that virtually every wall will have a few flaws in it, if you look hard enough.  If the joint looks bad before you paint, it will look worse after, so take the time to do it right.

Pros may be able to get great looking walls with two coats of mud, but I've always needed three.  The key is to use fresh mud, and broad strokes.  If you do it right, you shouldn't need to sand between coats.  If you're like me, you'll need to do some sanding and touching up after your third coat.  Here's the basic process:

• The long edges of drywall sheets are tapered, so those are the easiest joints to cover.  Have two new, uncut edges join whenever possible.
• I've always used paper tape - it's cheap and pretty easy to work with.  They make fiberglass self-stick tape, but it's quite a bit more expensive, and I've heard it is more susceptible to cracking.  If you've used it and like it, that's fine.
• Your "mud" - drywall compound - should be fairly thin.  If it seems thick, thin it with water.
• Take a wide putty knife or drywall knife - about 4" - and put down a bed of mud slightly wider than the tape.  It doesn't have to be too thick, but should be thick enough for you to embed the tape into it - maybe about 1/8" thick or so. 
• Cut a length of tape the right length for your joint, and push it into the mud at the beginning of your joint to hold it in place. With the 4" knife at a slight angle - and a small amount of mud on the blade - run down the joint, pushing the tape into the mud.  You should push out excess mud from around the tape, and end up with the tape in the mud, with a very slight amount on top.  Be careful to make sure that there is mud UNDER the tape through the whole joint - if there's a void, it will pop up and separate in the future.  You'll end up with a bunch of excess mud on you knife - put it back in the container as you go.
• Let the first coat dry completely, then knock off any chunks with the drywall knife, so it's fairly smooth (it isn't supposed to be perfect at this point, so don't be too obsessive about it).  If there's a spot that has a big lump, you may have to sand that down now.
• The second coat is put on with a wider knife - probably about 8".  Put a little mud on the knife, and draw it over the first.  The mud will be spread wider this time - you're still getting a thin coat.  Resist the temptation to glob on a whole bunch of mud - more is not better, in this case!
• Let it dry, and again knock off any chunks.  It will probably look pretty good now, but you're not done - if you paint after two coats, it will look horrible, so don't even think about it!
• The third coat goes on with the 12" knife - very thin and smooth.  After this coat, it should look pretty good - you'll have a few lines and defects, but they should be pretty minor.  You'll want to touch up any big boo boos, but minor issues will be taken care of with sanding.
• You should install metal or plastic corner beads on any outside corners - these give you a nice straight corner, and provide protection against damage.  After installing the beads, finish these with three coats, like above.
• Inside corners are tougher, but not impossible.  Look closely at your tape, and you'll see it's creased in the middle.  If you bend it at the crease, you can set it in the corner, and tape just like a flat joint.  It is easiest to use a special knife designed for inside corners to set the tape in the mud - subsequent coats are done with a flat knife - let one side dry before doing the other.
• Screw hole are filled with mud - a couple of coats are usually sufficient there.

After you're done with the mud, it's time to sand.  You can use a sponge, designed for sanding drywall, or a block of wood with sandpaper attached.  In any case, go easy!  If you use coarse paper, or sand too aggressively, you'll have to go back to applying mud again.  Be especially careful not to rough up the paper - it will show after paining.  Don't use a power sander - it's way too easy to take off too much material.  Often, a damp sponge or rag will work well for sanding.

Next up - paint!


After sanding, I applied a primer coat, then painted.  We elected to use 3 colors - the two ends were one color, and each long side was a different one.  I hate to paint, but I worked through it, and soon had it all painted.

Now I just needed to tile the floor, install the ceiling, and complete the trim and touch up.

 Carter came down for the next part - installing tile.  We borrowed my neighbor's tile saw, which helped a bunch.  Unfortunately, we picked the coldest weekend in memory to tackle this job - a major headache, since we set the saw up outside.  Since the process involves having your hands sprayed with water while you're cutting, it made cutting the tile very unpleasant.  Even with this issue, it was better to cut the tile outside, and avoid the mess inside.

Since Carter was the experienced tile setter, she laid all the tile, while I kept busy mixing thinset and cutting tiles for the edges.  We elected to go with a staggered pattern - not really any harder to set.

We started at the far end, and worked our way down.  There were doors at both ends, so we were in no danger of tiling ourselves into a corner!  Note the spacers still in place between the most recent tiles.

We liked the staggered pattern.

Once the tile was in place, it was time for grout. Grout is the stuff that goes between the tile - it's available in a bunch of different colors.  We chose a sandstone-like color for the grout.  Grout is applied with a special grout float - kind of a thin sponge bonded to a board.  You just dump some grout on the tile, and work it back and forth, forcing it into the space between the tiles.

After adding the grout, you scrub the tile clean with a sponge, and you're done.  Of course, that's a short sentence about a miserable job - the whole grout/cleaning/sealing is about the most tedious process of the whole project.

With the floor done, all that's left it the ceiling and trim.

In any case, we now had a great looking floor.  We're almost done - Next, I'll install the ceiling.

For the ceiling, I decided to use vinyl soffit material.  I had intended to use aluminum, but when I looked at it at the lumber yard, I couldn't find a single piece that wasn't dented or deformed.  I figured, if they couldn't keep it on the rack without damage, I'd never be able to get it home and installed.

The vinyl worked pretty well - I used some flat head screws, and made sure to leave them a little loose, to allow for expansion and contraction of the vinyl.  The only hard part was cutting the holes for the recessed lights, and even that was pretty easy.  The ceiling went up quickly, and looked nice when it was done.

The ceiling looked nice, when finished. 

For trim, I decided on painted pine - it's relatively inexpensive, and easy to work with.   At Home Depot, I discovered I could save a bunch of money by buying a "contractor pack" of base trim, containing at least twice as much as I needed.  The price per piece was so much less, it was a no-brainer.  Unfortunately, not having a use for the excess, I ended up throwing it away.

I also bought a power miter saw for the trim work, and quickly figured out I should have bought it at the beginning of the project - it would have been perfect for cutting all the framing.

In any case, I was able to finish the trim in relatively short order.  I painted it before installation, then touched up to cover the nail holes.  As soon as it was done, we ordered furniture.  The project was complete!

We have most of our meals at the table - we have a perfect view of the lake!

We leave the patio doors into the house open while we're there.

Kodak like it!

Our total for the project was a shade under $10,000 - much less than any of the sun room companies would have charged to do the work.  In addition, I think the results were at least as nice (actually, I like our room better.

This room isn't perfect - it's long and narrow, so it's difficult to accommodate a large group.  As a practical matter, we didn't have an option there - adding width would have increased the cost and complexity of the project exponentially.

The heat pump works well, although we don't need the air conditioning too often.  We need the heat in the winter, although the afternoon sun heats the room up quite well.  Although I did much of it myself, Carter was a huge help - several tasks would have been nearly impossible without help.  It's also nice to have someone to bounce ideas off, especially since we didn't have a set-in-stone design.