Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[SageHill]

I made him tell me what it said "Don't California my Texas"! LOL After chatting with him for a bit he allowed as how we were ok for Californians.

Tell them I would like them to PLEASE TEXAS my California!!! They're my kind of people!
And SWEET that Sta-Tuff doing that Fed-Ex.

I am wondering if we should bother splitting the plumbing for a double sink (good for resale) or just put in a single sink with a nice long usable countertop.

For a kitchen sink - rather than a double sink - check out big single kitchen sinks. Many of them come with "Drop ins" like cutting boards, racks, colanders, and bins.
Here's a link to start you down that rabbit hole
Don't let the $$ scare you off - there are many different ones and many different companies and of course WIDE range of prices from OK to holey moley. And of course a little shopping around and brainstorming always lead somewhere!

https://www.kohler.com/en/products/kitchen-sinks/shop-kitchen-sinks/prolific-33-undermount-single-bowl-workstation-kitchen-sink-5540?skuId=5540-NA

 

[canesisters]

Sooo glad yall arrived & are settling in.
Off on a new adventure!!!!

 

[farmerjan]

Suggestion.... at least have them run the tubing for the propane for the stove so that all they will have to do is the actual installation/hookup. It will be cheaper for you if they do any/all extra connections etc when they are already there than to have to cut lines or install additional connections.

 

[murphysranch]

If you go with a single large sink, don't get square corners. Everything gets trapped in those four corners. Get rounded corners.

 

[Mini Horses]

I understand her to be talking about the bathroom.....

 

[murphysranch]

Oh. I was pinging off of SageHill. Oh well, its still good advice!!

 

[SageHill]

Oh. I was pinging off of SageHill. Oh well, its still good advice!!

Boy did I get confused!

 

[Baymule]

G.T.T.
Gone To Texas!

I’ll call you today so we can set a day for me to bring your fence charger.
The fence is going up! That is super fantastic! Nice of them to unload those heavy stock panels! And the welder fixed the trailer too!

Yup, honkytonking on Saturday night, church on Sunday morning! After all, church ain’t a warehouse for the perfect, it’s a hospital for sinners! Buy the beer. If any don’t drink, and that’s very possible, tell them take a can home and mix with bisquick for some of the best beer biscuits they have ever tasted.

 

[Ridgetop]

I understand her to be talking about the bathroom.....

Will also be replacing the kitchen sink when we redo the counters. All in good time. House is totally livable now and everything in pretty good condition.

That said, the kitchen sink is leaking around the sink drain, not the drainpipe. DS1 is going to remove the drain from the sink, reapply plumber's putty, and reinstall the drain. Hopefully that will fix the problem for now.

So after arriving, we noticed that the tractor looked funny in the barn. It was listing to the side. Giant rear tire FLAT! Got 2 names to fix it, DH called the guy in Yantis. We shop local when we can, and although Sulphur Springs is just up the road, we are in Yantis. $150 for farm call, removed the tire, took it to shop and repaired it (nail), returned it and put it back on. DH gave the young man a $10 tip. He can use his baby again.

Payton (son of Cody who is leasing pasture and making hay on the property) showed up driving his dad's farm truck with the tractor & sprayer on a trailer. He unloaded it and sprayed the fields for goat weed. He apologized for hitting one of the solar lights we had forgotten to remove before leaving for CA. Told him not to worry about hitting the light. Asked his age (15) and then told him that we had 5 kids and enumerated the casualties between them during their quest for a license - total of 6 mailboxes (some were repeats of same box), fence, several trashcans, 2 curbs, and a gate post. THAT WE KNOW ABOUT. DH was impressed that Payton could load and unload the tractor onto the flatbed by himself. I reminded DH that he was a farm boy like our kids and the only reasons our kids didn't do that was because everything on our place in CA was hand work due to steep hill. Andy was giving joy rides on the tractor to friends at 12. Sometimes I am surprised they all survived. The hay fields have been cut and sprayed for goat weed, now all they have to do is keep growing. .

I was worried about getting enough rain during the summer, but Walter (one of the fencing guys) told me that we got 3.5" at 7:30pm the night we arrived! Must have just been from Yantis east because he said he only got 2" where he lives west of SS. He warned that they had gotten bogged in the mud a couple days previously.

Next up, I counted the boxes I unpacked and put away over the past 2 days - 39. About half with canned and boxed food, spices, cleaning supplies. Half of the remainder with kitchen stuff, organizers, etc., and the last smaller bins were clothing and shoes. So glad that I washed out and lined the shelves and drawers last time! Made it so much easier to just unload everything into the clean cabinets. I would have liked to paint the interiors, but no time, and in the humidity, would they dry? That number does not include the many boxes I packed in the tool shed since they just went into the new shed without being unpacked. I will unpack them later when I have been to Habitat, gotten used cabinets, and installed the cabinets in the tool shed.

DS1 and I then had to take another run to Lowes for supplies. I decided to install shelves in the pantry NOW. Found the wire shelves but DS1 talked me into using plain pine boards on 1x2 supports. I brought a small Skilsaw last time and it is in the shed. We can cut the boards, sand them and, install them. DS1 reminded me that I brought a lot of paint this tme so could paint them right away. If they are not dry by the time we leave, no biggie since they will dry by the time we return. we also bought another locking metal can for the rest of the flour and sugar, but I need another one since it was too small to hold everything. so far 2 small locking handle metal cans with flour, sugar, powdered milk, and pasta. Need another for the rest of the pasta and another cannister of powdered milk. These were my Covid supplies, and I figured better bring them to save money replacing them. I also brought my old metal shelving unit that was made for canning jars. It has a lip around the shelves to keep everything on the shelf. Handy except that some of the cases hang over it, instead of fitting inside. It is sized for quart jars not cases of cans. All the canned Covid supplies fit on it with extra shelf room for some boxes of soda. The cases of water and Monster drinks are stacked in the corner of the utility room. The shelf unit is currently in the spot for the freezer in the utility room. That freezer space will hold either a 48" wide chest freezer or an upright with space to hang up brooms, mops, etc. next to it. There is a refrigerator cabinet over the space so with a chest freezer, room for a storage shelf. I need to check how much cubit feet the 48" wide chest holds vs an upright.

The Generac dealer just came and left. He will work up an estimate. There is an existing concrete pad on the other side of the carport half wall close to the electric panel. He says that would be easiest, thus cheapest, to put it there. Then the wiring would be run underground about 10 feet to the house wall, up the wall through the attic and down to the panel. The propane tank could be set at the back of the yard with a straight shot to the generator and house for service. Since the kitchen is at that end of the house, we would have easy access to the stove, hot water heater, etc., for propane hookup. I need to have the propane guy come out to check and give me an "on premises" estimate now. BTW, the Generac guy (who is the owner of the company) loves lamb and wants to buy lambs when we are in production. He also sad to make sure to notify the home insurance people that we are putting in a new Generac so it will be covered for storm damage since the warranty does not cover "Acts of God".

The wire was delivered this am and they charged me tax! As well as tax on the delivery charge! I had the tax exemption card on file with them too when I ordered the wire. I have to go over and have that removed, as well as checking on the actual price of the wire since the original price was about $560+/roll and the price they charged on the bill is $671 per roll! They did not send me a printout when they charged my card. They did not give me any discount for the number of rolls I bought either although they said they would do so. May not be able to do business with McCoys anymore if I dont get some satisfaction.

I am installing small stuff, paper towel roll holder, bathrobe hooks, spray nozzle on the kitchen faucet, etc. to make life easier for now. Also measuring for pullouts when we go home to make them. DS1 will put in the rest of the fans today. He went to get brighter LED bulbs for his fam light and got an "Artic White". DO NOT GET THIS! It was almost a blue color light and looked very strange! He returned those and is getting "daylight" ones today. He also has to cut the shelving for the pantry. Then I will sand the pieces, install them and paint them in place. I can use DS1's box fan to blow on the cabinet to help it dry and maybe one of those boxes of dehumidifier pellets. We opened one in each end of the house before we left last time, and it worked very well to avoid the musty smell when we came back. Next job is hanging blinds in the 2 back bedrooms. I already hung one in the 3rd bedroom. We put our office in the larger bedroom in the rear of the house. There is a view of the field and yard from both windows. It is a large room and I hope the exercise bike/rower will fit as well as both desks, my 2 tall file cabinets and DH's low console type file cabinet. I am typing this at his new desk and although the amount of space is nice, the typing portion is a little high for me. I think DH will love it though since he is currently using his keyboard on a standard desk and says the lower keyboard pullout on my desk hits his legs. As a typist it feels awkward to have the keyboard high.

Anyway, had enough rest between jobs. Got to get back to work. At least the agony in my feet, ankles, legs, and hips has subsided. Chicken for dinner tonight. Saving the leftover Spanish rice for tomorrow since DS1 and I will be working on the pantry shelves all day. Add a can of corn to the rice, make a salad, and instant supper. Maybe even at a reasonable time!

 

[Baymule]

It’s good that y’all are doing work inside! Too hot to be outside! With the AC running, it won’t take long for the paint to dry.