Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

roadburner

thebean said:

Wow, @roadburner, that’s pretty cold and condescending. We all know you love your bimmers, but other brands do serve a good purpose for other people.

Would you want to drive that heap?
Even before the roof was amputated?

thebean

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

Disaster averted, or at least a major inconvenience.
Opened a tube of driveway sealer in the garage.
When I went to apply it outside at first it was very liquid, but firmed up after a squeeze or two.
Later, I was going out to the garage and decided to check the side door to make sure I locked it.
Walking back after checking the door, I noticed some gray spots on the hood of the Mustang.
Some of the sealer had dripped out and I hadn't noticed some landed on the hood.
It was dry, but was able take the spots off using bug and tar remover. Whew!

Wow, that was close.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

thebean said:

Wow, @roadburner, that’s pretty cold and condescending. We all know you love your bimmers, but other brands do serve a good purpose for other people.

Would you want to drive that heap?
Even before the roof was amputated?

That heap is a a Fusion underneath. Perfectly good car.

berri

That Lincoln - chop shop or convertible conversion

driver100

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Just heard the Sacramento CA has made it illegal to work on your car in your own driveway. I fear the Apocalypse is at hand.

IIRC the law made major repairs illegal to do in your driveway. If you want to change out brake pads, change the oil, do a tune up and such its OK. If you want to tear down and rebuild an engine you cant. I believe it's more to keep people from having a disassembled car in their driveway for days on end and to keep backyard mechanics from running a business in their residential homes.

Does Sacremento have rules against parking a trailer on your driveway? Some cities have rules against it and I think it is a good rule in an urban setting. I don't like seeing a trailer parked in a house on the street.

driver100

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I think those Lincolns would probably make great used cars. I have a friend whose Fusion lasted 200000 miles+, he traded it in on a Lincoln. The Lincoln is more comfortable, nicely finished, fairly comfortable, and because of the high depreciation and the careful drivers who buy them....probably makes a good used car buy.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Disaster averted, or at least a major inconvenience.
Opened a tube of driveway sealer in the garage.
When I went to apply it outside at first it was very liquid, but firmed up after a squeeze or two.
Later, I was going out to the garage and decided to check the side door to make sure I locked it.
Walking back after checking the door, I noticed some gray spots on the hood of the Mustang.
Some of the sealer had dripped out and I hadn't noticed some landed on the hood.
It was dry, but was able take the spots off using bug and tar remover. Whew!

Close call explorer....but, how did it get on the hood....did it squirt out when you squeezed it?
Sounds like something I would do.......that is why I call "The Guy".

driver100

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I see Lincolns as a way to get a luxury named car, for a lower price.......kind of like a Gennie Wannabe.
Good solid car, Lincoln name makes it sound upscale, great car for someone who wants a luxury named car for a lower price.

roadburner

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I'm 62; someday I may actually want a softly sprung FWD sedan.
But probably not for another 40 years.
At least.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

Just heard the Sacramento CA has made it illegal to work on your car in your own driveway. I fear the Apocalypse is at hand.

I thought BMW already did that?

tjc78

driver100 said:

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I see Lincolns as a way to get a luxury named car, for a lower price.......kind of like a Gennie Wannabe.
Good solid car, Lincoln name makes it sound upscale, great car for someone who wants a luxury named car for a lower price.

Have you sat in a new Navigator? There is nothing “wannabe” or “cheap” about it.

driver100

roadburner said:

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I'm 62; someday I may actually want a softly sprung FWD sedan.
But probably not for another 40 years.
At least.

Oh, a Lincoln Hearse!

graphicguy

I know you "deck-o-philes" are certainly better experts than I am. But, while my deck isn't the biggest, it's very good at what it's supposed to do, and does it well.

Rented a power washer and sprayed the deck cleaner on. Sprayed it off. Hit the nail pops. Decided that there were some boards that were rotten. Headed over to Home Depot to get some wood. Was "oh so tempted" to buy a bunch of that simulated deck wood, but didn't.

In the end, I replaced the floor and the spindles and ended up putting a new "cap" on the railings while propping up the deck steps with concrete risers.

What was supposed to be a 3 hour job, turned into an entire weekend with the help of my two of my friends. It was hot as blazes and I wore sweat as clothes the entire weekend.

I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. last night (while there was still daylight). I'm sore and tired. I'm taking a personal day off today and tomorrow just to recuperate. I reminded myself that I'm getting to danged crochety and too danged old to be doing that sort of work.

Plus, I still have to haul off the old wood. Staining comes next year.

abacomike

driver100 said:

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I see Lincolns as a way to get a luxury named car, for a lower price.......kind of like a Gennie Wannabe.
Good solid car, Lincoln name makes it sound upscale, great car for someone who wants a luxury named car for a lower price.

Your comments about Lincoln and Genesis vehicles being “wannabes” is insulting to those who drive those vehicles and others in the class. Be a little more magnanimous and sensitive, driver - you can do it! 😋

berri

For that matter, many of the MB lines sold here are gussied up middle class or commercial models in Europe. If a car is reliable, people should drive what they are most comfortable in. It is a personal choice. Besides, you don't really have to be all that well off to lease many German models these days. btw, there are many well off people who don't drive expensive automobiles. Perceived status is in the eye of the beholder.

jmonroe1

graphicguy said:

I know you "deck-o-philes" are certainly better experts than I am. But, while my deck isn't the biggest, it's very good at what it's supposed to do, and does it well.

Rented a power washer and sprayed the deck cleaner on. Sprayed it off. Hit the nail pops. Decided that there were some boards that were rotten. Headed over to Home Depot to get some wood. Was "oh so tempted" to buy a bunch of that simulated deck wood, but didn't.

In the end, I replaced the floor and the spindles and ended up putting a new "cap" on the railings while propping up the deck steps with concrete risers.

What was supposed to be a 3 hour job, turned into an entire weekend with the help of my two of my friends. It was hot as blazes and I wore sweat as clothes the entire weekend.

I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. last night (while there was still daylight). I'm sore and tired. I'm taking a personal day off today and tomorrow just to recuperate. I reminded myself that I'm getting to danged crochety and too danged old to be doing that sort of work.

Plus, I still have to haul off the old wood. Staining comes next year.

Early on in your post I started to have a warm feeling about your carpentry skills then at the end you let me down, just at the point when I was going to ask if you wanted to help Son #1 and I finish off the flip house. if you think you're too old to be doing this stuff, how do you think I feel?

jmonroe

stickguy

I know I’m too old for it. Thankfully wrapping up the kids house. After a needed weeks vacation at the beach, yesterday finished painting, got all new HVAC vents installed, and got a big mirror hung in the bathroom. Later this week the floor guy comes to refinish the hardwood, so can’t go in for a week. Then they move, so any projects will be smaller and when they get a chance, and money.

My to do list is nice and small finally. Replace some vinyl tiles on bathroom floor later when the old toilet comes out, then caulk the tub and floor edges, and call it a job!

driver100

I give you a lot of credit GG for tackling a job like that, and keeping at it. Some people thrive on doing that much work....others find out, it isn't for them, and feel it is better to pay "The Guy".

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I see Lincolns as a way to get a luxury named car, for a lower price.......kind of like a Gennie Wannabe.
Good solid car, Lincoln name makes it sound upscale, great car for someone who wants a luxury named car for a lower price.

Your comments about Lincoln and Genesis vehicles being “wannabes” is insulting to those who drive those vehicles and others in the class. Be a little more magnanimous and sensitive, driver - you can do it! 😋

No apologies, probably a nicer word than wannabe but I am using literary license - copy cat, knock off etc. We know who the industry leaders are in this segment, the other car makers who aren't in the lead try to match or outdo the leaders. I respect the Lincoln brand (and I said that) because they make a good car for a good price, but, we know who they are trying to match.
I would like to play tennis like Roger Federer, but, I am not offended if you tell me I'm a wannabe. It is just a fact of life. Not every person is created equal, not every car is created equal, have to accept it.
My E is an S Class wannabe....doesn't bother me.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

I give you a lot of credit GG for tackling a job like that, and keeping at it. Some people thrive on doing that much work....others find out, it isn't for them, and feel it is better to pay "The Guy".

Thanks! If it wasn't for the fact that I started just replacing a few boards, I would have left it ramshackle. But, you know how that goes. You get into it a little bit and think, "well, if I'm going to tackle replacing a few boards, then next year, I'll have to replace a few more. May as well replace them all now since I've got the saw out. Oh, and my friend let me use his 2- year old F Series pickup to do the hauling. So, wasn't sure when I'd be able to get that again.

Believe me, if I had known at the outset what I was going to do, I wouldn't have started the job.



@jmonroe1 ....Not a lot of carpentry skills needed. Just measure (twice) and cut (once). From that point forward, it was a matter of just screwing everything together. No nails this time. All screws. No more nail pops.

Believe it or not, the hardest part was redoing the steps. Plus, adding turned spindles with a decorative cap ended up taking longer than I wanted. I also ran electric to the tops of the handrails to put lights activated by dusk. Added those lights around the railing, too.

It looks a lot nicer, now. Glad I did it. But again, if given the chance to rethink everything, I would have hired someone. Don't know what something like that would cost, but it would have saved me a lot of curse words, a lot of sweat and a lot of sore muscles. I think it took 3 of us 18-20 hours over the weekend. It also cost me a bunch of beer and a couple of dinners to keep the guys interested in helping me finish.

Probably a pro with a helper a day to do it.

tjc78

What are you taking about? Lincoln is not copycat in the least.

Some of their models aren’t really relevant, but others compete very nicely.

The Navigator practically created a segment for BOF luxury SUVs and it’s arguably the best in class. Mercedes and BMW don’t have anything that can compete with it. The newer SUV offering compare favorably with anything from Lexus or Acura IMO.

Now I’ll agree the MKZ isn’t going to give the RWD offerings from Merc or BMW a run but it’s a very nice car that can hold its own with anything from Lexus which is its primary competition. Did you know it’s available with a 400 Hp AWD version?

In Germany the E is primarily used as a cab if I’m not mistaken. In essence those lower trimmed versions aren’t any different than Ford taking a Fusion, loading it up and calling it an MKZ

driver100

Good points tjc. I forgot about the Navigator. I sat in an MKC and it felt great to sit in, lots of room and nice sight lines. In Germany they use 4 cylinder Es because they have lots of room and are economical.....I believe they have taxi interiors....pretty basic.
I think Ford is smart to use a Fusion base to keep the cost of the Lincoln lower....that is how it really competes, good value for the money.

stickguy

we test drove an MKC last year. Actually liked it a lot. Drove better than the QX50 Infiniti.

snakeweasel

All this talk about decks makes me glad I put down a patio. The paver stones are practically maintenance free, no rotting or restaining to do. Just the occasional power wash and herbicide (to keep green things from growing in between the pavers).

tjc78

snakeweasel said:

All this talk about decks makes me glad I put down a patio. The paver stones are practically maintenance free, no rotting or restaining to do. Just the occasional power wash and herbicide (to keep green things from growing in between the pavers).

agreed. Love my concrete patio. Making it bigger next year.

stickguy

we have a big deck, which costs a lot to maintain. It came with the house, but if I had to put something in it would definitely be a patio of some kind. Probably stamped concrete instead of pavers.

roadburner

If it helps unwind anyone’s delicate undies, I don’t tolerate mediocre cars from any manufacturer; if someone had posted a photo of a similarly chopped-up F10 5er I would have posted the same response.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

All this talk about decks makes me glad I put down a patio. The paver stones are practically maintenance free, no rotting or restaining to do. Just the occasional power wash and herbicide (to keep green things from growing in between the pavers).

But say your door is way up there....don't you need a deck to get down to the patio?

driver100

roadburner said:

If it helps unwind anyone’s delicate undies, I don’t tolerate mediocre cars from any manufacturer; if someone had posted a photo of a similarly chopped-up F10 5er I would have posted the same response.

IMHO you are entitled to your opinion and I get it. But, for a lot of people they really don't care whether a car is mediocre or not.
Mike wrote the other day his son got a new Altima. I started to wonder what I would buy if I wanted a new or fairly new car, and if my budget for buying a new car was very restricted. I think, although I have never enjoyed driving any of the 5 or 6 Toyota rental cars I have had...I would probably get a Toyota or a Hyundai product if being financially prudent was extremely important to me.

jmonroe1

@graphicguy, so you learned the cardinal rule of carpentry too..."measure twice and cut once". Many years ago I cut a board three times and it was still too short.

jmonroe

abacomike

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

If it helps unwind anyone’s delicate undies, I don’t tolerate mediocre cars from any manufacturer; if someone had posted a photo of a similarly chopped-up F10 5er I would have posted the same response.

IMHO you are entitled to your opinion and I get it. But, for a lot of people they really don't care whether a car is mediocre or not.
Mike wrote the other day his son got a new Altima. I started to wonder what I would buy if I wanted a new or fairly new car, and if my budget for buying a new car was very restricted. I think, although I have never enjoyed driving any of the 5 or 6 Toyota rental cars I have had...I would probably get a Toyota or a Hyundai product if being financially prudent was extremely important to me.

I agree with your choices if I was in the market for a car and was restricted in price due to my finances. My son chose the Altima because he got 0% financing and paid 1700 dollars under invoice thanks to some big trunk money and customer cash back. So it was a financial decision.

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

What was supposed to be a 3 hour job, turned into an entire weekend with the help of my two of my friends. It was hot as blazes and I wore sweat as clothes the entire weekend.

I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. last night (while there was still daylight). I'm sore and tired. I'm taking a personal day off today and tomorrow just to recuperate. I reminded myself that I'm getting to danged crochety and too danged old to be doing that sort of work.
.

Wait until you're 70 if you think doing that is tiring and ache inducing now! LOL

BTW. My deck wood that rotted in one spot on the deck was from Home Depot about 9 years ago best I can recall. Premium, Mercedes type, not the pedestrian treated Chevrolet type wood even. I suspect other places on the deck have started to age. I thought I was buying wood that would last longer, especially since it had been retreated twice with One Time Wood.

I think it's great you had two friends to help you. Those are friends indeed.


I won't buy any wood at HD.

driver100

I would have to compare a Toyota and a Hyundai, but, like your son, if I got a really good deal on a Nissan or Mazda and if I liked the car as much...I would consider it if it cost substantially less.
I like the reliability of a newer car, and I like a warranty. I prefer a car with features and that has some life to it....but, there are times when it is best to be practical. Nothing wrong with that....I have been there for most of my life. I should add, and I am not sorry, adversity and overcoming obstacles makes us better people....think what a crumby human being you would be if you got everything you wanted and didn't have to work, plan and strive to get it. I would like to at least have had the chance to try it though. I wish I was born as a great tennis player

houdini2

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I see Lincolns as a way to get a luxury named car, for a lower price.......kind of like a Gennie Wannabe.
Good solid car, Lincoln name makes it sound upscale, great car for someone who wants a luxury named car for a lower price.

Your comments about Lincoln and Genesis vehicles being “wannabes” is insulting to those who drive those vehicles and others in the class. Be a little more magnanimous and sensitive, driver - you can do it! 😋

No apologies, probably a nicer word than wannabe but I am using literary license - copy cat, knock off etc. We know who the industry leaders are in this segment, the other car makers who aren't in the lead try to match or outdo the leaders. I respect the Lincoln brand (and I said that) because they make a good car for a good price, but, we know who they are trying to match.
I would like to play tennis like Roger Federer, but, I am not offended if you tell me I'm a wannabe. It is just a fact of life. Not every person is created equal, not every car is created equal, have to accept it.
My E is an S Class wannabe....doesn't bother me.

Bad example you used. A lot more difference between you and Roger Federer than between a Genesis G 80 and a BMW 5 series.

houdini2

jmonroe1 said:

@graphicguy, so you learned the cardinal rule of carpentry too..."measure twice and cut once". Many years ago I cut a board three times and it was still too short.

jmonroe

40 years ago we put in new carpet and I had to saw about an inch off of about 8 doors. Went like a charm, but on the last door I cut an inch off the top instead of the bottom. Wood glued it back on and wife never noticed.

explorerx4

@houdini2,
So what did you do about the bottom of the door? Cut off 2 inches and leave a big gap so she would never look at the top?

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

I would have to compare a Toyota and a Hyundai, but, like your son, if I got a really good deal on a Nissan or Mazda and if I liked the car as much...I would consider it if it cost substantially less.
I like the reliability of a newer car, and I like a warranty. I prefer a car with features and that has some life to it....but, there are times when it is best to be practical. Nothing wrong with that....I have been there for most of my life. I should add, and I am not sorry, adversity and overcoming obstacles makes us better people....think what a crumby human being you would be if you got everything you wanted and didn't have to work, plan and strive to get it. I would like to at least have had the chance to try it though. I wish I was born as a great tennis player

Sometimes I pretend that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth but spit it out so that I'd fit in better with most of the world.

jmonroe

sda

graphicguy said:

I know you "deck-o-philes" are certainly better experts than I am. But, while my deck isn't the biggest, it's very good at what it's supposed to do, and does it well.

Rented a power washer and sprayed the deck cleaner on. Sprayed it off. Hit the nail pops. Decided that there were some boards that were rotten. Headed over to Home Depot to get some wood. Was "oh so tempted" to buy a bunch of that simulated deck wood, but didn't.

In the end, I replaced the floor and the spindles and ended up putting a new "cap" on the railings while propping up the deck steps with concrete risers.

What was supposed to be a 3 hour job, turned into an entire weekend with the help of my two of my friends. It was hot as blazes and I wore sweat as clothes the entire weekend.

I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. last night (while there was still daylight). I'm sore and tired. I'm taking a personal day off today and tomorrow just to recuperate. I reminded myself that I'm getting to danged crochety and too danged old to be doing that sort of work.

Plus, I still have to haul off the old wood. Staining comes next year.

Yet you have the satisfaction of your handy work, bragging rights, money saved. And you can claim you have a solid deck.

sda

These sisters have no idea how good they have it. Can you say spoiled? With pleasure.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

All this talk about decks makes me glad I put down a patio. The paver stones are practically maintenance free, no rotting or restaining to do. Just the occasional power wash and herbicide (to keep green things from growing in between the pavers).

But say your door is way up there....don't you need a deck to get down to the patio?

If we had gotten the lot 4 lots down we would have had that issue. The lot we did chose was on more level ground so it's only three steps. The builder put in small cement steps but we removed it after putting in the patio and replaced the steps with a wider wooden set of steps. Those steps have seen better days and their days are numbered as we are planning on replacing them with brick steps this fall.

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:

What was supposed to be a 3 hour job, turned into an entire weekend with the help of my two of my friends. It was hot as blazes and I wore sweat as clothes the entire weekend.

I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. last night (while there was still daylight). I'm sore and tired. I'm taking a personal day off today and tomorrow just to recuperate. I reminded myself that I'm getting to danged crochety and too danged old to be doing that sort of work.
.

Wait until you're 70 if you think doing that is tiring and ache inducing now! LOL

BTW. My deck wood that rotted in one spot on the deck was from Home Depot about 9 years ago best I can recall. Premium, Mercedes type, not the pedestrian treated Chevrolet type wood even. I suspect other places on the deck have started to age. I thought I was buying wood that would last longer, especially since it had been retreated twice with One Time Wood.

I think it's great you had two friends to help you. Those are friends indeed.

The difference between a good friend and a really good friend is that a good friend will bail you out of jail and a really good friend will be sitting in jail with you.

imidazol97 said:

I won't buy any wood at HD.

I wouldn't buy wood from Harley Davidson either.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@houdini2,
So what did you do about the bottom of the door? Cut off 2 inches and leave a big gap so she would never look at the top?

or....why not move the hinges up an inch?

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

I would have to compare a Toyota and a Hyundai, but, like your son, if I got a really good deal on a Nissan or Mazda and if I liked the car as much...I would consider it if it cost substantially less.
I like the reliability of a newer car, and I like a warranty. I prefer a car with features and that has some life to it....but, there are times when it is best to be practical. Nothing wrong with that....I have been there for most of my life. I should add, and I am not sorry, adversity and overcoming obstacles makes us better people....think what a crumby human being you would be if you got everything you wanted and didn't have to work, plan and strive to get it. I would like to at least have had the chance to try it though. I wish I was born as a great tennis player

Sometimes I pretend that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth but spit it out so that I'd fit in better with most of the world.

jmonroe

Didn't work!

driver100

sda said:

graphicguy said:

I know you "deck-o-philes" are certainly better experts than I am. But, while my deck isn't the biggest, it's very good at what it's supposed to do, and does it well.

Rented a power washer and sprayed the deck cleaner on. Sprayed it off. Hit the nail pops. Decided that there were some boards that were rotten. Headed over to Home Depot to get some wood. Was "oh so tempted" to buy a bunch of that simulated deck wood, but didn't.

In the end, I replaced the floor and the spindles and ended up putting a new "cap" on the railings while propping up the deck steps with concrete risers.

What was supposed to be a 3 hour job, turned into an entire weekend with the help of my two of my friends. It was hot as blazes and I wore sweat as clothes the entire weekend.

I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. last night (while there was still daylight). I'm sore and tired. I'm taking a personal day off today and tomorrow just to recuperate. I reminded myself that I'm getting to danged crochety and too danged old to be doing that sort of work.

Plus, I still have to haul off the old wood. Staining comes next year.

Yet you have the satisfaction of your handy work, bragging rights, money saved. And you can claim you have a solid deck.

....and have a story to tell to your friends.
Also, good guy talk...about the day you fixed up a deck. Hours of entertainment.

driver100

sda said:

These sisters have no idea how good they have it. Can you say spoiled? With pleasure.

It looks like a puzzle...they fit next to each other...and they fit into that part of the floor.
It is nice to have the two so they can pal around together...I can't imagine the logistics of looking after two dogs though, must be 10X the work.

driver100

houdini2 said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

thebean said:

I’ve driven worse. I have no affinity for Lincoln, but I recognize they have a legitimate place in the marketplace for older people seeking a comfortable ride.

I see Lincolns as a way to get a luxury named car, for a lower price.......kind of like a Gennie Wannabe.
Good solid car, Lincoln name makes it sound upscale, great car for someone who wants a luxury named car for a lower price.

Your comments about Lincoln and Genesis vehicles being “wannabes” is insulting to those who drive those vehicles and others in the class. Be a little more magnanimous and sensitive, driver - you can do it! 😋

No apologies, probably a nicer word than wannabe but I am using literary license - copy cat, knock off etc. We know who the industry leaders are in this segment, the other car makers who aren't in the lead try to match or outdo the leaders. I respect the Lincoln brand (and I said that) because they make a good car for a good price, but, we know who they are trying to match.
I would like to play tennis like Roger Federer, but, I am not offended if you tell me I'm a wannabe. It is just a fact of life. Not every person is created equal, not every car is created equal, have to accept it.
My E is an S Class wannabe....doesn't bother me.

Bad example you used. A lot more difference between you and Roger Federer than between a Genesis G 80 and a BMW 5 series.

Literary licence and very creative imagination.

stickguy

got to watch the plumber work on the kids house today. Replaced the toilet, confirming my suspicion that this was a job I never wanted to do. Nothing conceptually too difficult, but helps to have experience and not something I want to mess with. The bigger issue was all the shut off valves and the little wall cover cap were old, nasty, and needed to go. Same for the sink shut offs (I had a lot of work getting those shut totally in the first place). Plus the sink drain needed to be redone. so some busting of tile and plaster to get at the drain, and a bit of heating and soldering. Something else I won't touch. Though now that all the hard stuff is done, hooking up the sink would be a breeze!

I did take advantage of having the toilet out to replace the vinyl peel and stick tiles my daughter put down that were hacked around the toilet. Now they go underneath and look a whole lot better!

stickguy

oh, other thing we learned was that the keys that supposedly were for the sunroom (exterior) and side (into the house from the sunroom) doors don't, in fact, appear to open anything in the house. So it is front door or bust. So getting that resolved is now on the to do list. I was going to buy a 2 door set at Lowe's (not really that pricey), but the house came with a 1 year warranty, and apparently it includes re-keying the house for free (no $00 deductible). So probably getting that done instead. Not sure how they do it. I assume they can just reset the cylinders, and not have to replace them. But, I always have just replaced the whole lockset when I needed to.

Michaell

Ah, the joys of home ownership. Woke up this morning to one of our smoke alarms chirping and telling us "low battery" (yes, it was talking to us).

Wife says, gosh, we should just change all the batteries together, as the house is 3.5 years old. Of course, not enough 9 volt batteries to cover the house, so off I go to Home Depot. Come back, pull the battery cover off and find .... 2 AAA batteries. What? I don't think I've ever seen a detector that didn't have a 9 volt. Luckily, I did have those in the house and changed them, with a promise to get to the rest by the end of the day.

Fast forward to 4:30, another trip to HD to get the right batteries, and go to change the one in my office. And find a 9 volt.

Grrrrrrr.

I did have two lying around, so got to the one in my office and the master bedroom. Still two more upstairs, and 1 or 2 in the basement, that I'll need 9 volts for.

Sheesh.