Old Guys Simplex moto-peddle bike

[indian22]

Rick, did you have any electrical outages?
Tom

Not at my house Tom & I'm praying that will continue; however I'm total natural gas heat and none of the heating requirements require electricity just old school pilot lights one device has a piezo igniter & the rest just rely on a match. Statewide quite a few outages with water pump stations the big problem going down for a few hours the main lines freeze and that means the house lines also freeze. Plumbers will be in high demand. I had two lines freeze but they both recovered yesterday with no work on my part...so I doubt the lines cracked. I'll know when things completely thaw out and I'll keep a really close eye on the situation so I can cut the supply off at the main valve if water flows though any breaks. My house is not built on a slab foundation; it's pier construction, and has a half basement so all and bellow floor level of the house interior so pipes are easy access. Breaks behind the sheet rock (standing supply pipes) at washer, shower and sinks are the only spots which can case interior damage. Water heater is located in the basement and it's a concrete floor so no problem there.

My prayers for those who don't have homes well set up for severe, prolonged cold weather. This is a hundred year event for Oklahoma and I'm proud to say that utility services and the men and women who maintain them in this cold have done an outstanding job to this point. ....Oorah!

My best wishes to all forum members too.

Rick C.

 

[curtisfox]

To those that don't know, frost goes down at 45 degree angle, so if you cover things with couple inches of foam, far enough out so frost has to go past and down. It won't freeze, this enclouds septic tanks and all.
Yes my prayers go out to them in need, and unprepared, triable to have to go through. Seen it here with septic systems freeze up, even wat mains freeze up, out in the street's..............Curt

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Mona and I had no adverse effects to second Pfizer.
Conversely meeting with Mona's Oncologist today, his second Pfizer was initially NBD.
12 hours in it whacked him good. He was not his usual ebullient self today.
Tom

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

I have a water line running the house to the downhill garage I repurposed as my machineshop.
Every Fall I have to shut off the in house supply line, open the outside hose supply faucet, and open and drain the line between. Bout thirty foot run yields 2.5 gal.
If that line busted, I would be $rewed. Evening Gents.
Tom

 

[fasteddy]

Hi Tom,
Hope Mona is doing well. Have a friend who is a retired plumber. He has a lot of stories about people going South for the winter and the neighbour who was going to keep an eye on their house either not doing a good job or having to go into the hospital and didn't ask someone to look into the house daily like they were doing.

Furnace quit, pipes froze and burst, then thawed, sprayed water and froze again every time it warmed up outside. Insurance company laughed at them.

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Hi, Rick,
So many people in Texas who never had to be concerned with anything like this weather and totally unprepared for it are now facing a nightmare. Insurance companies will be over run and trades people as you said will be in high demand. Suppliers of building and plumbing supplies will be swamped.
The do it yourself crowd will find their skills tested to the max.

Great to hear that you've made it through so far. I hope the weather returns to normal soon for everyone involved.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

Already have here Steve, Helping my son rebuild his house and now sheet rocking, he was telling me today the price of a 2x4 is doubled what we payed last June. So many people decided to work at home this year with the COVID19 going on. Just watching the news and showing ceilings coming down with water leaks, and all kinds of problems. SADNING>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Curt

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Tariffs, gotta luv em. Price of gas is pegging.
Fillup this AM in our 2014 Ford Focus SE went over twenty bucks. Seen Tesla around here, pretty cars, as in like sleek.
Tom

 

[fasteddy]

Curt, With the U.S. government constantly trying to add tariffs to Canadian lumber and succeeding and the pine beetle killing our trees not to mention the saw mills here closed up with the Covid Virus it may not be how much it cost but if you can get it.

They said that a lot of wood coming into the U.S. is now coming from Russia and European countries. That has to add a lot to the costs.

It will get a lot more interesting before long. I just wonder what the people without insurance or just getting by with their jobs are going to do to survive?

Steve.

 

[fasteddy]

Tom,
Gas here is predicted to be around $1.70 Canadian a litre this summer. Four litres or 3.79 U.S. gallons would be $6.80 Canadian or $5.35 U.S. dollars.

On the other hand I haven't driven my Dodge van since a week before Christmas. Mileage is great as it sits there.

Steve.

 

[indian22]

32 degress by 4 p.m. today and calm winds. Dry streets forecast so I'll be out riding, first ride in the last 7 days. That's a record layoff for me dating back over 15 years of daily riding routine. Can't wait. I've errands to run and I can warm up in between trips if required. Sunshine yesterday helped sort the main streets, but lots of snow on the ground. Sixty degree afternoon high forecast for Tuesday.

I'm a happy camper!

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

Saw the first mention of the current severe US weather on the news late last night, so thought I'd visit the forum for the first time in weeks to see if folks are doing OK. News was focused on Dallas TX, which surely must be a stranger to those kind of conditions. Glad to see you're doing fine Rick. Hope others are doing OK too.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Been thinking about you Pete, I'm sure you have more on your mind than what us guy's are about.
Tom

 

[PeteMcP]

Thanks Tom,
The good news is we've had a bit of a turnround with Jen. Her appetite has improved a lot, to the point where I'm getting a decent meal inside her each day - along with lots of little and often snacks - as well as her supplementary Fortisip drinks. Jen's weight has even started to climb a little, so I'm taking that as a win given Jen's incremental weight loss has been my greatest concern these last several months.

Another plus was the district nurse visited on Tuesday to give Jen her first Covid vaccine and she had a spare dose left over from her daily round due to a cancellation, which would otherwise have been wasted, so I was unexpectedly given my shot too. Wasn't expecting to receive mine for a couple of weeks when the 65 and over age group were due. Saved me a trip to the vaccination station.

Got some reading on this forum to catch up with, so I'll get up to speed with what the guys have been up to over the next day or so.
Funny thing is, I always received e-mails notifying me when any of the forum threads I participate in were updated and that has stopped. I haven't had any e-mails like that for weeks now - so I wrongly assumed the chat had dried up. Hence me not going on the forum lately. After checking in today, I'm looking forward to catching up.

(Not a thread hi-jack, Rick. I'll post further stuff in my own thread).

 

[fasteddy]

What fantastic news Pete. I've been wanting to ask but figured that your time was taken up enough. Fantastic plus for both get your Covid shots.

Steve.

 

[curtisfox]

So glad to here that Pete, AMEN!..........Curt

 

[PeteMcP]

Cheers Curt. Stay warm!

 

[indian22]

No such thing as hi-jack on this thread Pete. Friends sharing bits of life is a part of what I hope this forum promotes.

I'm thankful for the great news regarding your wife.

As to e-mail notification of thread activity. In the past it's been spotty for some of the threads I participate in, but recently it's been quite good. I've never understood the fluctuations just waited them out.

Natural gas prices are of concern $4. gas went to $4,000. over the last ten days. One Texas resident received a gas bill (residential) of over $13,000. on his monthly bill. This also effects electric billing as gas is the primary fuel for electric generation during this crisis (wind generators froze up) so we are looking to require a government bailout to pay for the price gouging. My gas bill was $69. last month. If I get a bill in the thousands it won't get paid. I'm adamant about not getting screwed by fuel providers. I'd say most retired folks couldn't pay even a one time $500. gas bill and also eat and pay for meds. Forget rent and other bills.

I've been blessed and am debt free. I own my home and believe in paying my bills on time every time, but this gouging isn't right...for anyone!


Rick C.

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Good news on many fronts Pete, glad Jen and you got into the vaccination program. Mona and I got our second
Pfizer Feb. 17, and no side affects.
Tom

 

[PeteMcP]

Those gas price hikes can't possibly be right Rick?! Has to be a glitch in the billing system somewhere...?!

When Jen and I first moved into this flat in April '19, I set-up a monthly direct debit with my provider OVO Energy to cover our gas/leccy supply. After two payments were made, they e-mailed saying my monthly payment of 70 quid wasn't projected to cover my anticipated fuel use for the coming year and they suggested increasing my direct debit to 90 quid, which I did. Since then, I've received an e-mailed statement each month from OVO advising how much I'm in credit with them. Their 'Projected Fuel Use' program must be awful wonky! My Jan '21 statement from OVO confirms I'm now in credit to the tune of 537 quid. Just gonna sit on that 'money in the bank' till it gets to round a grand - then I'll ask for a refund 'n maybe treat myself to parts for the next bike build.