USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

Well, good to see AS back with us!
Okay, the wife's Prius is fixed, just in time, she has to go out to one of the clinics today then back to the office, I don't have to play chauffeur. Got the grocery shopping done today but very little back at the house, allergies are kicking my butt, I'm exhausted and my extremities end up feeling like led not to mention everything hurts from all the moving and lifting. The pool repair guy was out Monday to replace the pump and the electrician came out today to wire it, the pool cleaners will be out tomorrow to turn the pump on, make sure everything is working properly and clean out the pool.
Hopefully the plumbers will be out tomorrow to fix two of the toilets, one fill valve is shot and one wax ring is bad, Thursday the garage door people will be out to fix one door that is broken and get both automatic door openers working, if we owned the house they'd be installing new insulated garage doors....... and new openers........
Oh I did get the exercise room (mostly) set up, free-weight bench, weight machine, tread mill and elliptical, gotta work on the office next, or was it the library, or the guest room, or the garage, or the maids room...........?

Are you having to pay for all this work on a rent house? Surely the owners are paying those bills?

Maid's room?

 

[Foxfyre]

So busy...

Landscape season has arrived and with my first batch of poison ivy, it is too late to turn back now. I simply have people I want to help that way to stop. The car business is crazy trying to be a salesperson, used car manager and temporary new car manager. The cars I bought last week barely replaced all we sold this week. Found some time to sell a new one today. Our finance manager is on vacation too, so I had to help get an approval today. The body shop manager is concerned about us selling more cars. He is telling me all his great ideas and I just want to ask him how many people he is in for today? I figure I was good for five people today.

save, I have a question I have often wondered about, re: pre-owned automobiles since I am reluctant to buy them. lol. I go for new cars, even though I know how much they are devalued as soon as I drive them off the lot.

Question is this: When car dealers go to auction to buy cars for their lots, how much information have they on the condition of those cars, re: under the hood, previous recalls or accidents, involving those autos. Also, when it comes to trade-ins what information is gleaned on those?

Thanks for any info and best of luck as you are under some heavy pressure, with all your responsibilities.

I'm hoping for that information too as we don't really feel like we can afford a new car but do need to replace our aging Subaru sometime in the future.

Also hoping to get Save's counsel on what to offer for that good used car that we want.

 

[Foxfyre]

So busy...

Landscape season has arrived and with my first batch of poison ivy, it is too late to turn back now. I simply have people I want to help that way to stop. The car business is crazy trying to be a salesperson, used car manager and temporary new car manager. The cars I bought last week barely replaced all we sold this week. Found some time to sell a new one today. Our finance manager is on vacation too, so I had to help get an approval today. The body shop manager is concerned about us selling more cars. He is telling me all his great ideas and I just want to ask him how many people he is in for today? I figure I was good for five people today.

Being profitably busy is sure better than being poor and needy, but be sure to take care of Save too.

One of my standard answers when an employer asks me what my weakness is as an employee is that I tend to over-estimate how much I can get done in a given amount of time. Of course I report my strength as being able to calculate what has to be done and get it done.

Sounds like you are finding out how much you can get done in a given amount of time.

 

[saveliberty]

save, I have a question I have often wondered about, re: pre-owned automobiles since I am reluctant to buy them. lol. I go for new cars, even though I know how much they are devalued as soon as I drive them off the lot.

Question is this: When car dealers go to auction to buy cars for their lots, how much information have they on the condition of those cars, re: under the hood, previous recalls or accidents, involving those autos. Also, when it comes to trade-ins what information is gleaned on those?

Thanks for any info and best of luck as you are under some heavy pressure, with all your responsibilities.

The major auction I use is online AquaAthena. An independent company takes pictures of the vehicles and points out obvious flaws. Using Carfax, I can judge number of owners, general maintenance and accidents. I'm looking for one owner no accident ones, because that is what the pubic will want most. Then if it is a GM car, I can go into service history. As far as determining a trade in value I look at Autotrader for retail prices and work backwards to a wholesale price, then I compare that to Blackbook and NADA wholesale pricing guides. If I end up the same place, it is probably an accurate appraisal.

Pressure? Just twenty some jobs including my own at stake...

Getting things under control and feeling a little more comfortable. The sales staff sold as many cars as I bought last week, so no net progress. lol

 

[saveliberty]

I'm hoping for that information too as we don't really feel like we can afford a new car but do need to replace our aging Subaru sometime in the future.

Also hoping to get Save's counsel on what to offer for that good used car that we want.

Used vehicles are born of new ones. We need both. Maybe you need to ask which one you want to buy from me and shipping costs.

I'd be happy to help regardless.

 

[Ringel05]

Well, good to see AS back with us!
Okay, the wife's Prius is fixed, just in time, she has to go out to one of the clinics today then back to the office, I don't have to play chauffeur. Got the grocery shopping done today but very little back at the house, allergies are kicking my butt, I'm exhausted and my extremities end up feeling like led not to mention everything hurts from all the moving and lifting. The pool repair guy was out Monday to replace the pump and the electrician came out today to wire it, the pool cleaners will be out tomorrow to turn the pump on, make sure everything is working properly and clean out the pool.
Hopefully the plumbers will be out tomorrow to fix two of the toilets, one fill valve is shot and one wax ring is bad, Thursday the garage door people will be out to fix one door that is broken and get both automatic door openers working, if we owned the house they'd be installing new insulated garage doors....... and new openers........
Oh I did get the exercise room (mostly) set up, free-weight bench, weight machine, tread mill and elliptical, gotta work on the office next, or was it the library, or the guest room, or the garage, or the maids room...........?

Are you having to pay for all this work on a rent house? Surely the owners are paying those bills?
litter
Maid's room?

The owners are paying for it, not us. While still an upper middle class to moderately wealthy neighborhood this area used to be one of the exclusive wealthy neighborhoods many years ago (some of that is still right around the corner), it has a small room off the main living area where the garage access is with it's own tiny 3/4 bath, where the maid lived. We'll be using it as a pantry, storage and cat "bathroom".
There are some old prestigious academies in this area of town, Loretto is one of them, started out as St. Joseph's Academy in 1879 then the Sisters of Loretto took over and moved to a new site in 1923, the site about 10 blocks from us. There is also the Francis Bacon Seminary just a couple of blocks away and about 4 blocks away is the (no longer used) Pershing Rd gate to Fort Bliss.
Now we're not talking mansions here, most of the homes average 2000 square feet and most are single level, this house is 70 years old and about 2000+ sqft., big change from the 1100 sqft house in Trinidad. The kitchen, front den/library, livingroom and master bedroom are huge, the three other bedrooms are pretty good size also, it takes more than a few steps to get from the master bedroom to the kitchen......

 

[Foxfyre]

Well, good to see AS back with us!
Okay, the wife's Prius is fixed, just in time, she has to go out to one of the clinics today then back to the office, I don't have to play chauffeur. Got the grocery shopping done today but very little back at the house, allergies are kicking my butt, I'm exhausted and my extremities end up feeling like led not to mention everything hurts from all the moving and lifting. The pool repair guy was out Monday to replace the pump and the electrician came out today to wire it, the pool cleaners will be out tomorrow to turn the pump on, make sure everything is working properly and clean out the pool.
Hopefully the plumbers will be out tomorrow to fix two of the toilets, one fill valve is shot and one wax ring is bad, Thursday the garage door people will be out to fix one door that is broken and get both automatic door openers working, if we owned the house they'd be installing new insulated garage doors....... and new openers........
Oh I did get the exercise room (mostly) set up, free-weight bench, weight machine, tread mill and elliptical, gotta work on the office next, or was it the library, or the guest room, or the garage, or the maids room...........?

Are you having to pay for all this work on a rent house? Surely the owners are paying those bills?
litter
Maid's room?

The owners are paying for it, not us. While still an upper middle class to moderately wealthy neighborhood this area used to be one of the exclusive wealthy neighborhoods many years ago (some of that is still right around the corner), it has a small room off the main living area where the garage access is with it's own tiny 3/4 bath, where the maid lived. We'll be using it as a pantry, storage and cat "bathroom".
There are some old prestigious academies in this area of town, Loretto is one of them, started out as St. Joseph's Academy in 1879 then the Sisters of Loretto took over and moved to a new site in 1923, the site about 10 blocks from us. There is also the Francis Bacon Seminary just a couple of blocks away and about 4 blocks away is the (no longer used) Pershing Rd gate to Fort Bliss.
Now we're not talking mansions here, most of the homes average 2000 square feet and most are single level, this house is 70 years old and about 2000+ sqft., big change from the 1100 sqft house in Trinidad. The kitchen, front den/library, livingroom and master bedroom are huge, the three other bedrooms are pretty good size also, it takes more than a few steps to get from the master bedroom to the kitchen......

That's about the size of our house but we have a huge great room where we 'live' outside of the modest sized dining area that we converted to our office that is also where we live. Kitchen not that big but not too small--master bedroom is huge--other two bedrooms nice sized. Walled in back porch (in addition to the 2,000 sq ft) is where we put the freezer, cupboard holding all the pots and pans, and storage cabinets to store all the miscellancous 'stuff' - light bulbs, extra paper goods, etc.

It is just the right size for us--big enough to have company without everybody being on top of everybody else, but small enough to keep up. We moved here out of the 1100 sq ft house on the mountain and it seemed cavernous to us at that time, but we have managed to fill it up and then some. Spacious two-car garage is full of stuff leaving just enough room to get our two cars into it.

 

[Ringel05]

As for the house, it's (mostly) a flat roof with a gable section over the living room so there's a high ceiling. Small covered and "caged" wrought iron front porch with double doors that open to a long wide hall going straight back, right after the entry is a double opening on the left into the sunken den and library (not sunken). At the end of the entry hall to the right is another hall going back to the guest room, Jack & Jill Bath and master suite, take a left at the end of that hall and another hall going back to the last 2 bedrooms, the coat closet and linen closet are back in that part of the hall. These 2 halls/closets comprise the walls to half of the living room with the back of the left hall opening to the living room.
Back to the entry hall, where the right hall begins but straight back the arched opening opens to the living room with the kitchen on the left, there's a door from the kitchen to the library. The whole back wall in the living room is glass (with a glass slider) looking out thought the covered porch to the pool, at the back of the living room on the left is the door to the maids room and garage. We're on a corner lot, the house faces north but we do have some side views of the Franklin mountains, stone fence all around the back and a small area, 20 ft x 30 ft (?) with a Mulberry tree and some grass.

 

[Foxfyre]

As for the house, it's (mostly) a flat roof with a gable section over the living room so there's a high ceiling. Small covered and "caged" wrought iron front porch with double doors that open to a long wide hall going straight back, right after the entry is a double opening on the left into the sunken den and library (not sunken). At the end of the entry hall to the right is another hall going back to the guest room, Jack & Jill Bath and master suite, take a left at the end of that hall and another hall going back to the last 2 bedrooms, the coat closet and linen closet are back in that part of the hall. These 2 halls/closets comprise the walls to half of the living room with the back of the left hall opening to the living room.
Back to the entry hall, where the right hall begins but straight back the arched opening opens to the living room with the kitchen on the left, there's a door from the kitchen to the library. The whole back wall in the living room is glass (with a glass slider) looking out thought the covered porch too the pool, at the back of the living room on the left is the door to the maids room and garage. We're on a corner lot, the house faces north but we do have some side views of the Franklin mountains, stone fence all around the back and a small area, 20 ft x 30 ft (?) with a Mulberry tree and some grass.

Our house is flat roof too, and the ceiling over the great room is about four feet higher than rest of the house. We love the territorial look and livability of that style housing, but the roof is more expensive to replace and upkeep and 'leaks' are a nighmare to locate and patch. We had to replace ours a few years ago and have the roofers come back every year to check everything out and make any minor repairs that need to be done. Otherwise it has been a very low maintenance and very livable house. I hope yours will be the same.

 

[Ringel05]

As for the house, it's (mostly) a flat roof with a gable section over the living room so there's a high ceiling. Small covered and "caged" wrought iron front porch with double doors that open to a long wide hall going straight back, right after the entry is a double opening on the left into the sunken den and library (not sunken). At the end of the entry hall to the right is another hall going back to the guest room, Jack & Jill Bath and master suite, take a left at the end of that hall and another hall going back to the last 2 bedrooms, the coat closet and linen closet are back in that part of the hall. These 2 halls/closets comprise the walls to half of the living room with the back of the left hall opening to the living room.
Back to the entry hall, where the right hall begins but straight back the arched opening opens to the living room with the kitchen on the left, there's a door from the kitchen to the library. The whole back wall in the living room is glass (with a glass slider) looking out thought the covered porch too the pool, at the back of the living room on the left is the door to the maids room and garage. We're on a corner lot, the house faces north but we do have some side views of the Franklin mountains, stone fence all around the back and a small area, 20 ft x 30 ft (?) with a Mulberry tree and some grass.

Our house is flat roof too, and the ceiling over the great room is about four feet higher than rest of the house. We love the territorial look and livability of that style housing, but the roof is more expensive to replace and upkeep and 'leaks' are a nighmare to locate and patch. We had to replace ours a few years ago and have the roofers come back every year to check everything out and make any minor repairs that need to be done. Otherwise it has been a very low maintenance and very livable house. I hope yours will be the same.

Depends on what the roof cover is as to how hard it is to find leaks, glue down, mop down or burn down, glue down is generally the hardest to find leaks in unless a seem is obviously curled up mop down and burn down are generally the easiest to find leaks and the easiest to repair, I know, done enough of them in the past. With glue down (usually they're white) the gluing surface has to be completely clean and dry, with the other two roofing tar can be spread over the leak even in a pouring rain and it will seal the leak until it can be fixed.

 

[Foxfyre]

As for the house, it's (mostly) a flat roof with a gable section over the living room so there's a high ceiling. Small covered and "caged" wrought iron front porch with double doors that open to a long wide hall going straight back, right after the entry is a double opening on the left into the sunken den and library (not sunken). At the end of the entry hall to the right is another hall going back to the guest room, Jack & Jill Bath and master suite, take a left at the end of that hall and another hall going back to the last 2 bedrooms, the coat closet and linen closet are back in that part of the hall. These 2 halls/closets comprise the walls to half of the living room with the back of the left hall opening to the living room.
Back to the entry hall, where the right hall begins but straight back the arched opening opens to the living room with the kitchen on the left, there's a door from the kitchen to the library. The whole back wall in the living room is glass (with a glass slider) looking out thought the covered porch too the pool, at the back of the living room on the left is the door to the maids room and garage. We're on a corner lot, the house faces north but we do have some side views of the Franklin mountains, stone fence all around the back and a small area, 20 ft x 30 ft (?) with a Mulberry tree and some grass.

Our house is flat roof too, and the ceiling over the great room is about four feet higher than rest of the house. We love the territorial look and livability of that style housing, but the roof is more expensive to replace and upkeep and 'leaks' are a nighmare to locate and patch. We had to replace ours a few years ago and have the roofers come back every year to check everything out and make any minor repairs that need to be done. Otherwise it has been a very low maintenance and very livable house. I hope yours will be the same.

Depends on what the roof cover is as to how hard it is to find leaks, glue down, mop down or burn down, glue down is generally the hardest to find leaks in unless a seem is obviously curled up mop down and burn down are generally the easiest to find leaks and the easiest to repair, I know, done enough of them in the past. With glue down (usually they're white) the gluing surface has to be completely clean and dry, with the other two roofing tar can be spread over the leak even in a pouring rain and it will seal the leak until it can be fixed.

But on a tar and gravel roof such as is common on the better roofs around here, you can't see the tar under the rock. And none of the leaks we had originated where the water came through the ceiling, but most originated several feet away.

 

[Ringel05]

As for the house, it's (mostly) a flat roof with a gable section over the living room so there's a high ceiling. Small covered and "caged" wrought iron front porch with double doors that open to a long wide hall going straight back, right after the entry is a double opening on the left into the sunken den and library (not sunken). At the end of the entry hall to the right is another hall going back to the guest room, Jack & Jill Bath and master suite, take a left at the end of that hall and another hall going back to the last 2 bedrooms, the coat closet and linen closet are back in that part of the hall. These 2 halls/closets comprise the walls to half of the living room with the back of the left hall opening to the living room.
Back to the entry hall, where the right hall begins but straight back the arched opening opens to the living room with the kitchen on the left, there's a door from the kitchen to the library. The whole back wall in the living room is glass (with a glass slider) looking out thought the covered porch too the pool, at the back of the living room on the left is the door to the maids room and garage. We're on a corner lot, the house faces north but we do have some side views of the Franklin mountains, stone fence all around the back and a small area, 20 ft x 30 ft (?) with a Mulberry tree and some grass.

Our house is flat roof too, and the ceiling over the great room is about four feet higher than rest of the house. We love the territorial look and livability of that style housing, but the roof is more expensive to replace and upkeep and 'leaks' are a nighmare to locate and patch. We had to replace ours a few years ago and have the roofers come back every year to check everything out and make any minor repairs that need to be done. Otherwise it has been a very low maintenance and very livable house. I hope yours will be the same.

Depends on what the roof cover is as to how hard it is to find leaks, glue down, mop down or burn down, glue down is generally the hardest to find leaks in unless a seem is obviously curled up mop down and burn down are generally the easiest to find leaks and the easiest to repair, I know, done enough of them in the past. With glue down (usually they're white) the gluing surface has to be completely clean and dry, with the other two roofing tar can be spread over the leak even in a pouring rain and it will seal the leak until it can be fixed.

But on a tar and gravel roof such as is common on the better roofs around here, you can't see the tar under the rock. And none of the leaks we had originated where the water came through the ceiling, but most originated several feet away.

Not all tar roof have rocks covering them and yes, I've had to move rock to find leaks. The problem with almost all roof leaks is water follows the path of least resistance and always flows downhill, a leak can form on one side of the roof and show up on the inside at the other side of the house.

 

[Ringel05]

Had leftover chicken, made a chicken and broccoli stir fry.......
Now I'm indulging in the bad stuff........ Caramel butter pecan ice cream........

 

[blackhawk]

Did his parents have a sense of humor or what?

 

[Ernie S.]

Uncomfortable, to say the least.

 

[Ringel05]

Did his parents have a sense of humor or what?

Didn't he play the Tin Man...........

 

[Ava]

save, I have a question I have often wondered about, re: pre-owned automobiles since I am reluctant to buy them. lol. I go for new cars, even though I know how much they are devalued as soon as I drive them off the lot.

Question is this: When car dealers go to auction to buy cars for their lots, how much information have they on the condition of those cars, re: under the hood, previous recalls or accidents, involving those autos. Also, when it comes to trade-ins what information is gleaned on those?

Thanks for any info and best of luck as you are under some heavy pressure, with all your responsibilities.

The major auction I use is online AquaAthena. An independent company takes pictures of the vehicles and points out obvious flaws. Using Carfax, I can judge number of owners, general maintenance and accidents. I'm looking for one owner no accident ones, because that is what the pubic will want most. Then if it is a GM car, I can go into service history. As far as determining a trade in value I look at Autotrader for retail prices and work backwards to a wholesale price, then I compare that to Blackbook and NADA wholesale pricing guides. If I end up the same place, it is probably an accurate appraisal.

Pressure? Just twenty some jobs including my own at stake...

Getting things under control and feeling a little more comfortable. The sales staff sold as many cars as I bought last week, so no net progress. lol

You sound very conscientious Save. All that requires time to a manager who has, as the highest interest, his customer. All that combined with the rest of your job description, makes for a very busy life. lol. ( which is how I like mine )

Thanks for the good information. I heard from a wealthy man who earned his wealth by making smart choices, to buy pre-owned cars only, and previously high-end ones, as those cars have probably had the highest chance of being treated respectfully by their former owners. He was speaking of Cadillacs, Lincolns, etc. ( not sports or muscle cars )

 

[Ava]

Had leftover chicken, made a chicken and broccoli stir fry.......
Now I'm indulging in the bad stuff........ Caramel butter pecan ice cream........

That sounds like a great meal. Love those pecans in that ice cream flavor.

Last night I had a new-for-me frozen product I bought at Walmart because it was on sale for $2. Brand, Tai-Pei and it was loaded with carbs....way too many for me...should have halved it, but it is called Beef and Broccoli and described as beef and broccoli in Asian style ( ) sauce with steamed rice. Sodium and carb amounts through the roof. lol. It was delicious though, after I poured a lot of soy sauce into it. It was so good, I hope I never see it again...lol

 

[Ringel05]

Had leftover chicken, made a chicken and broccoli stir fry.......
Now I'm indulging in the bad stuff........ Caramel butter pecan ice cream........

That sounds like a great meal. Love those pecans in that ice cream flavor.

Last night I had a new-for-me frozen product I bought at Walmart because it was on sale for $2. Brand, Tai-Pei and it was loaded with carbs....way too many for me...should have halved it, but it is called Beef and Broccoli and described as beef and broccoli in Asian style ( ) sauce with steamed rice. Sodium and carb amounts through the roof. lol. It was delicious though, after I poured a lot of soy sauce into it. It was so good, I hope I never see it again...lol

There was a reason it was on sale........ Yeah, I tried it myself, once, a while back......

 

[mdk]

Morning everyone! I hope the day finds everyone well. I got a nice 5 mile run in this morning. It was chilly and windy but those are my favorite running conditions. Cheers!